Barack Obamas election has been hailed as the triumph of pragmatism over partisanship and ideology. At the same time, the highly polarized fight over the economic stimulus package seems to reflect the continuation of familiar old battles over the government's proper role in the economy. What is the truth? Are voters, for example, divided into two mutually exclusive and distrustful camps? Or does the moderate voter rule, with extremists a small minority? What role have party politics played in structuring public policy outputs? This course is meant to explain the role of parties and ideology in modern democracies in shaping public opinion, election outcomes, institutional design, and ultimately policy. This will be done at the level of the voter, as well as that of elites and politicians. We will examine the history and evolution of the American two party system, including the big shifts of red and blue states in recent elections. The relevance of ideology in the judiciary will also be explored, including the controversial charge that judges are merely "politicians in black robes." While focusing on the United States, numerous applications to the experience in the European Union and European national parliaments will be made.
