STV1555 – The 2024 US Elections in a Global Context
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The upcoming U.S. presidential election is once more one of the dominating issues in global news media. Following the turbulent transition from the Trump to the Biden presidency, including the January 6 attacks on the U.S. capitol, the outcome of the 2024 election can be expected to shape not only U.S. politics for the years to come but also have a significant impact on global politics. Global economic development, policy solutions addressing climate change, tensions with China or Russia, nuclear proliferation - all of these are just some policy issues for which the outcome of the U.S. elections will have relevance. Thus, when on November 5, 2024, the citizens of the United States go to the polls to elect a new president as well as new senators and members of the House of Representatives a large part of the world will be watching.
This course will accompany the build up to the election, election night, and its aftermath by offering a lecture series with different speakers from the Department of Political Science, other departments at the University of Oslo, and from outside the university. Besides the question, who will most likely succeed in the presidential election, the course will introduce students to the way in which the presidential elections work, the role of other electoral races that take place in parallel (e.g. for members of Congress), how the election will shape U.S. ?politics, and what impact the election will have on different policy fields both in the U.S. and globally.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Having completed this course, students:
- Have detailed knowledge on the 2024 U.S. presidential election and can interpret the results
- Have detailed knowledge on other elections happening in parallel (e.g. for Congress)
- Have a detailed knowledge about the U.S. political system including the role of the presidency, checks and balances, and how elections take place
- Are aware how different areas of world politics are affected by the U.S. presidential election
- Have acquired knowledge about contemporary U.S. politics
Skills
Having completed this course, students can:
- Apply different analytical lenses as well as general political science knowledge to understand the impact of the election on the U.S. as well as globally
- Explain the outcome of the elections
- Critically assess the media debate on the U.S. presidential election and its impact for world politics
Competence
Having completed this course, students can:
- Find and make use of information about contemporary political events
- Critically assess information about contemporary political events
- Understand the significance of elections in a broader democratic context
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Teaching
Lectures.
Examination
Three hour written exam.
Examination support material
Students may use dictionaries at this exam. Dictionaries must be handed in before the examination. Please read regulations for dictionaries permitted at the examination.
Language of examination
The exam text is given in English and you submit your reply in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
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