Descriptif

The rollercoaster of recent years triggers some fascinating questions : How did a gaffe-prone candidate with virtually no experience, no funding and no campaign organisation slay so many political giants?  What are each party's chances of wresting back control of Congress?  Can unpopular Presidents build enduring legacies?  

A wander down history lane may give us some clues.

But beyond personality cults and the consitutional prerogatives of the various institutions, we'll be addressing some of the broader cultural fault lines running through American society.  Students will research and present contemporary topics like white privilege and racial justice, economic inequalities, war and patriotism, 'Obamascare' controversies, the clout of financial, religious and industrial-military lobbies, election campaign shenanigans or the limitations of the mainstream / 'lamestream' media.  Each presentation will be illustrated by the brief commentary of a related film extract.  Course evaluation also includes essay-writing, group and pair-work and participation.

We'll also be studying a rich repertory of political satire from comedians such as Samantha Bee, Steven Colbert, Jon Stewart and SNL.  But to start the course you'll take a political orientation test to establish if you're a tree-hugging, bra-burning liberal or a God-fearing, gun-totin' Wacko bird.