The course is concerned with the problems that confront the national government of the United States and is conducted by means of lectures and weekly papers. Two lectures a week are devoted to an analysis by the lecturer of contemporary problems, last year one a week being devoted to the New Deal, and the third period is utilized for class discussion of the research done for the weekly paper.

A great deal of the value in the course lies in the training which the student receives by familiarizing himself with the methods of research and the source material that he uses. The topics assigned for investigation include: the relation of the President to Congress, the President as a party leader, an analysis of the Cabinet and its functions, the work of senators and representatives, the process of legislation, judicial review, and the philosophy of Supreme Court judges.

The course is a useful one for acquainting the student with the detailed working of the national government and with the solutions which may be used to correct many of its deficiencies. The weekly investigations are not laborious and frequently interesting.