American Government

Political Science 101 LA: American Government
MWF 12:00 - 12:50 p.m. TH 1:00 - 1:50 p.m.

An introduction to the basic elements of the American political system. Major topics will be the socio-economic environment of American politics, the nature of the political process, problems in constitutionalism and civil liberties, the institutions of government, the policy-making process, and the dimensions of contemporary political issues.
Three hours. Cornerstone 3.

This course should be of particular interest to students interested in:

Politics and government
Pre-law
Social Sciences
History
Elementary Education because it meets one of the requirements for certification.
Finally, given the importance of Iowa to the presidential election, it is a great opportunity to view and discuss the spectacle (although a very serious one) of electoral politics in the U.S.

Meet Your Professor

Kedron Bardwell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science

I grew up in the Midwest and Mountain West, attended high school in Denver, and then sought to further my education at a small, liberal arts college in South Dakota (Augustana). I learned the value of a first-year seminar experience as a freshman, so much so that I was a student assistant for the next three years in a program much like the LAS. Like many Simpson students, I came from working-class roots and never considered graduate school or college teaching as an option until I was encouraged to do so by some exceptionally dedicated professors. I pursued my hobbies in college (student government and intramural sports) as I cycled through several different majors: math education, history, and finally American politics. It turned out to be a wise choice.

I then attended the University of Iowa, learned to love Iowa City, wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on campaign finance reform, got married, and headed to Michigan to teach at a state school for three years. But I never lost the “itch” to teach in a liberal arts college and belong to a small community. I accepted a position at Simpson three years ago to teach courses in U.S. politics and public policy (mass media and politics, state politics, environmental politics, state politics, religion and politics). I am a strong believer in campus and civic engagement, service learning, and internships.

I live in Indianola with my wife, Rachel, and our new baby Micah. In my increasingly limited free time, I like to spend time with my family, read, watch NFL and college football.

Meet Your Destination Leader

Bailey Harris

Hello! My name is Bailey and I'll be a junior here at Simpson. I'm from a tiny town in Southwest Iowa called Adair, where I attended Adair-Casey High School. This will be my second year as a Destination Leader and I'm very excited to meet next year's incoming first-year students!

I am currently majoring in both Political Science and Corporate Communications with a minor in Spanish, and hope to later pursue a graduate degree and career in International Relations. I've had the opportunity to be involved in a lot here on campus, including Greek Life, CASA (Spanish Club), Public Relations Student Society of America, Simpson College Democrats, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Habitat for Humanity and Intramurals, and I'm also a Student Ambassador and Career Coach. I'm also about to study abroad and hope to travel even more in the future!

When I happen to have a little free time, I love watching movies, CNN, and sports (Go Steelers!), reading, hanging out with friends and family, shopping, politics, going to concerts, and I'm ALWAYS listening to music. I really enjoyed my first two years at Simpson, and am here to help you have a good first year in any way I can! I hope that you're all getting excited for college and can't wait to meet everyone.


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American Government Political Science 101 LA: American Government MWF 12:00 - 12:50 p.m. TH 1:00 - 1:50 p.m. An introduction to the basic elements of the American political system. Major topics will be the socio-economic environment of American politics, the nature of the political process, problems in constitutionalism and civil liberties, the institutions of government, the policy-making process, and the dimensions of contemporary political issues. Three hours. Cornerstone 3. This course should be of particular interest to students interested in: Politics and government Pre-law Social Sciences History Elementary Education because it meets one of the requirements for certification. Finally, given the importance of Iowa to the presidential election, it is a great opportunity to view and discuss the spectacle (although a very serious one) of electoral politics in the U.S. Meet Your Professor Kedron Bardwell, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Political Science I grew up in the Midwest and Mountain West, attended high school in Denver, and then sought to further my education at a small, liberal arts college in South Dakota (Augustana). I learned the value of a first-year seminar experience as a freshman, so much so that I was a student assistant for the next three years in a program much like the LAS. Like many Simpson students, I came from working-class roots and never considered graduate school or college teaching as an option until I was encouraged to do so by some exceptionally dedicated professors. I pursued my hobbies in college (student government and intramural sports) as I cycled through several different majors: math education, history, and finally American politics. It turned out to be a wise choice. I then attended the University of Iowa, learned to love Iowa City, wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on campaign finance reform, got married, and headed to Michigan to teach at a state school for three years. But I never lost the “itch” to teach in a liberal arts college and belong to a small community. I accepted a position at Simpson three years ago to teach courses in U.S. politics and public policy (mass media and politics, state politics, environmental politics, state politics, religion and politics). I am a strong believer in campus and civic engagement, service learning, and internships. I live in Indianola with my wife, Rachel, and our new baby Micah. In my increasingly limited free time, I like to spend time with my family, read, watch NFL and college football. Meet Your Destination Leader Bailey Harris Hello! My name is Bailey and I'll be a junior here at Simpson. I'm from a tiny town in Southwest Iowa called Adair, where I attended Adair-Casey High School. This will be my second year as a Destination Leader and I'm very excited to meet next year's incoming first-year students! I am currently majoring in both Political Science and Corporate Communications with a minor in Spanish, and hope to later pursue a graduate degree and career in International Relations. I've had the opportunity to be involved in a lot here on campus, including Greek Life, CASA (Spanish Club), Public Relations Student Society of America, Simpson College Democrats, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Habitat for Humanity and Intramurals, and I'm also a Student Ambassador and Career Coach. I'm also about to study abroad and hope to travel even more in the future! When I happen to have a little free time, I love watching movies, CNN, and sports (Go Steelers!), reading, hanging out with friends and family, shopping, politics, going to concerts, and I'm ALWAYS listening to music. I really enjoyed my first two years at Simpson, and am here to help you have a good first year in any way I can! I hope that you're all getting excited for college and can't wait to meet everyone.
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