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Event Description
US politics can dominate the news at any time, and perhaps never more so than in a Presidential election year like this one. But to those who have not grown up in the US, the political system can sometimes seem baffling, and raise puzzling questions. What exactly does the Supreme Court do, and why does it matter? What’s the difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives, and why do they function as they do? How and when do people even get elected? Why do individual states seem to differ significantly from each other, and how much power do they have in comparison to the government in Washington? And why on earth is the President elected by an Electoral College rather than by direct vote?
In this short course, we will explore all these questions, and more. In the first week we will focus on the basic framework and structures of US politics. In each of the ensuing three weeks, we will focus on one of the branches of government: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. Across the course we will build up a picture of how all these different elements inter-relate; and throughout, we will draw on examples from the current political debate…whatever that may be by then!
- Duration: 60 mins x 4
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (a recording will be available)
Meet the Host, Dr Simon Gregor
Dr Simon Gregor is a historian and tour guide. After completing his first degree in English Literature at the University of Cambridge, he worked for about 18 years as a civil servant. He went on to train and work as a tour guide, leading history, literature and cultural tours across Europe. He took his PhD in history at the University of Wolverhampton, and lectures regularly both in person and online. He has a passion for bringing history to life, in particular by looking at the human stories and impacts which lie behind the sweeping changes of political and social history.
More Information
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