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    Government Courses Online

    Understand government principles for public administration and policy-making. Learn about government structures, functions, and political processes.

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    Explore the Government Course Catalog

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      U

      University of California, Irvine

      Chemerinsky on Constitutional Law - The Structure of Government

      Skills you'll gain: Social Studies, Political Sciences, Case Law, Legal Research, Public Policies, Governance, World History

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      94 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      Y

      Yale University

      Moral Foundations of Politics

      Skills you'll gain: Political Sciences, Policy Analysis, Social Justice, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Social Sciences, European History, Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Governance, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Socioeconomics, Economics

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: New
      New
      U

      University of Maryland, College Park

      Artificial Intelligence in Government

      Skills you'll gain: Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Organizational Effectiveness, Scalability, Organizational Change, Technical Consulting, Responsible AI, Operational Efficiency, Technology Strategies, Process Mapping, Performance Measurement, Procurement

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      U

      University of Michigan

      Using Public Policy for Social Change

      Skills you'll gain: Policy Analysis, Policy Development, Social Justice, Advocacy, Public Policies, Political Sciences, Health Policy, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Social Determinants Of Health, Program Evaluation, Community and Social Work, Public Administration, Case Studies, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, Research, Problem Solving

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      157 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      I

      Intuit

      Intuit Academy Bookkeeping

      Skills you'll gain: Reconciliation, Financial Statements, Financial Statement Analysis, Inventory Accounting, Payroll, Bookkeeping, QuickBooks (Accounting Software), Payroll Administration, Inventory Control, Payroll Processing, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Financial Reporting, Depreciation, Fixed Asset, Payroll Tax, Property Accounting, Accounting Software, Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7.7K reviews

      Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado System

      Homeland Security and Cybersecurity

      Skills you'll gain: Cybersecurity, Cyber Security Strategy, Risk Management Framework, Infrastructure Security, Cyber Attacks, Cyber Risk, Cyber Security Policies, Public Safety and National Security, Cyber Security Assessment, Cyber Operations, Cyber Governance, Security Management, NIST 800-53, Incident Response, Security Strategy, Technology Roadmaps, Network Infrastructure, Technology Solutions, Transportation Operations, Legal Risk

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      628 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    What brings you to Coursera today?

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      U

      University of Pennsylvania

      Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases

      Skills you'll gain: Legal Proceedings, Civil Procedures, Court Systems, Social Studies, Civil Law, Political Sciences, Case Law, Legal Research, Social Justice, Governance, Case Studies, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Michigan

      Generative AI: Governance, Policy, and Emerging Regulation

      Skills you'll gain: Responsible AI, Governance, Data Governance, Data Management, Compliance Management, AI Product Strategy, Generative AI, Artificial Intelligence, Stakeholder Management, Risk Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Regulation and Legal Compliance, Organizational Strategy, Leadership and Management, Risk Management, Accountability

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      49 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Managerial Economics and Business Analysis

      Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Supply And Demand, Market Dynamics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Inference, Business Analytics, Bank Regulations, Financial Systems, Financial Policy, Banking, Probability Distribution, Statistical Analysis, Statistics, Regression Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Statistical Methods, Probability & Statistics, Economics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing

      Build toward a degree

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      4.2K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Governmental Accounting and Reporting I

      Skills you'll gain: Fund Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Financial Reporting, Non-Profit Accounting, Accounting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), General Ledger, Financial Statements, Cash Flows, Accrual Accounting, Revenue Recognition, Depreciation, Reconciliation, Budgeting, Accountability

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Preview
      Preview
      S

      Stanford University

      Organizational Analysis

      Skills you'll gain: Organizational Structure, Social Network Analysis, Decision Making, Organizational Leadership, Organizational Change, Strategic Decision-Making, Business, Culture, Sociology, Analysis, Resource Management, Case Studies, Coordination, Negotiation

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.6K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Virginia

      Design Thinking for Innovation

      Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving, Ideation, Innovation, Creativity, Strategic Thinking, Case Studies, Market Opportunities, Human Centered Design, Curiosity, Storytelling, Growth Mindedness, Business Modeling

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9.1K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular government courses

    • Chemerinsky on Constitutional Law - The Structure of Government: University of California, Irvine
    • Moral Foundations of Politics : Yale University
    • Artificial Intelligence in Government: University of Maryland, College Park
    • Using Public Policy for Social Change: University of Michigan
    • Intuit Academy Bookkeeping: Intuit
    • Homeland Security and Cybersecurity: University of Colorado System
    • Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases: University of Pennsylvania
    • Generative AI: Governance, Policy, and Emerging Regulation: University of Michigan
    • Managerial Economics and Business Analysis: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    • Governmental Accounting and Reporting I : University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Frequently Asked Questions about Government

    The subject of government encompasses the systems that a nation, state, or other political community is administered and regulated. Governments may be democracies structured by constitutional law, as in the United States, a socialist country governed by a single Communist Party, as in China, or any other form of rule. However, in all jurisdictions, government plays a centrally important role in establishing and enforcing laws, collecting and allocating tax revenues, directing the use of public resources, and other activities that are fundamental to society.

    Governance is always evolving, and recent years have seen the role and nature of government changed by the same revolutions in information technologies that have disrupted countless private sector industries. E-government promises to make governance much more efficient, replacing decades-old bureaucracies with “smart” cities and countries administered and regulated with the help of real-time data. At the same time, the advent of social media has led to upheaval in many countries, from the revolutions of the Arab Spring to struggles with the spread of disinformation in many Western democracies.

    Learning about government isn’t only important if you want to work in politics or a government agency. Businesses must stay abreast of changes in governments and the laws they propagate, as they are typically subject to regulatory compliance requirements in areas like taxation and financial reporting, environmental performance, and more. Understanding politics and government is especially important for strategic planning in industries such as oil and gas or mining, where business opportunities may depend on government decisions surrounding the use of natural resources.‎

    If you’re fascinated by the important and ever-changing world of government, working in political science can be a gateway to an interesting and rewarding career. Using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, political scientists study the development and working of political systems, structures of government, the effectiveness of different policies and regulations, and trends in public opinion. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, political scientists earned a median annual salary of $122,220 in 2019, and typically had at least a master’s degree in political science.‎

    Absolutely. Coursera has opportunities to learn about government across a variety of perspectives, including legal topics like constitutional law, the rise of e-government and smart cities, and ensuring business regulatory compliance. Regardless of what you choose to learn about, you’ll learn about government from top-ranked schools like University of California, Irvine, University of Pennsylvania, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and National Research University Higher School of Economics, so you’ll get a great education while learning remotely.‎

    Some of the skills or experience you might already need before learning government is a basic understanding of what is written in the United States Constitution. If you have ever worked or volunteered in your local community or worked within any department of government at any level, then you may have the experience needed to learn concepts of government.‎

    The kinds of people best suited for roles in government are passionate about shifts in the cultural and political climate at the local, national, or global level. Those in government roles typically want to work for the good of the public to better citizens’ lives. Someone well suited for working in roles in government will also be interested in reading, interpreting, and debating the contents of the United States Constitution to understand how it affects these shifts. They'll also be interested in the composition, abilities, and rulings of the Supreme Court.‎

    A common career path for someone who has studied government would typically include working within a governmental agency at the local, state, or national level. A common career path on the business side would include working in a corporation on governmental regulations and compliance. A third common career path for someone in government is to go into law or to move forward with more training to become a lawyer. Yet another career path for someone in government is to go into the field of law enforcement.‎

    There are many topics related to government that you can study, including areas of corporate and commercial law that often rely on governmental policy. Other topics related to government include city, urban, or town planning, including the concept of Smart Cities, because any funding and transformation of a place’s infrastructure rely on governmental support. In addition, another related topic to government would be to study leadership and management to gain practical skills and strategies to becoming an effective government leader. Also, corporate or global finance and banking or economics are topics to study related to government because the financial sector and the economy are affected by government and vice versa.‎

    Online Government courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Government skills. Choose from a wide range of Government courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Government, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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