This probing, conversational class will address three key sociological and political concepts; Power, People and Politics. From a sociological as well as political science perspective we will consider power in America, how demographics and structural relations impact the lives of people, and the role of social movements to seek change. Each week we will read a short set of well known essays and tie them in with a contemporary political/social issue. In an effort to initiate a discussion with your policy questions, I will solicit your input on which contemporary issues we might discuss. This class will provide an entry level approach to understanding basic sociological and political science perspectives to the study of power, race/gender/class and movement politics. Each meeting will provide an environment for conversational, fact based analysis and a robust exchange of (often contested) ideas.