American Government: Overview

This research guide is intended to support your work in MCNY's American Government course. The course focuses on political systems in the United States and their relationship with business at all levels. In the course you'll explore the historical and theoretical foundations of the American system of governing and consider how it relates to contemporary social, economic and business environments. You will need to understand the decision-making process, the three main branches of government and local and state political systems. There is a whole ecosystem of information about each of these fields and the ways in which they interact with one another and with people. Scholarship about History, Political Science, Sociology, etc. each have their own vocabulary and its own set of scholarly resources. Equally critical in the conversation about politics are news sources, government sites and the websites of think tanks, political parties and & citizen groups. This guide will highlight some of the library and web resources that will support your work.