POLITICAL
SCIENCE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
General
Education Courses *
Writing Intensive Courses **
Political
Science 150.
American Government and Politics.
An introduction to the American political system, with an emphasis upon
the national political institutions, processes, groups, public behavior,
and issues that shape contemporary society. 3 credits. *
Political
Science 216.
American State and Local
Government. A study of American state and local political
institutions and processes, and of related current issues and problems.
3 credits. **
Political
Science 230.
Administration
of Criminal Justice.
Survey of the operations of institutions that compose our system for
administering criminal justice, including police administration,
premises and politics of court procedures and management, and
corrections. 3 credits.
Political
Science 245.
Gender and Politics. An
examination of gender as a socio-political construct within a global
context, including an analysis of both feminist and masculinist theories
of politics. An in-depth study of the gender who, what, and how of world
politics. 3 credit. *
Political
Science 255.
Introduction to Comparative
Politics. A survey of political systems, and a consideration of the
meaning of concepts and themes such as states, political systems,
nationalism, ethnicity, ideologies, racial politics, and political
change. Students will become familiarized with both mainstream and
alternative approaches to studying political phenomena within a
comparative framework. Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe will
provide the contexts. 3 credits. *
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 292. Internship
in Political Science. A
semester-long, on-the-job learning experience designed to apply the
principles of political science. 1-18
credits.
Political
Science 295.
Special Topics in Political
Science. Selected
topics in political science. The
topics may vary from semester to semester.
May be repeated for credit when topics change.
3 credits.
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 300 (HISTORY 300),
Teaching History and the Social Sciences in the Secondary School. A
methods course designed to offer preparation for student teaching, this
class focuses in depth on content required for the secondary school
classroom in history, geography, and political science.
Other topics covered include instructional planning, assessment
and evaluation, teaching techniques, classroom management, and
school/community interaction. This
course is open only to students seeking secondary school certification.
Prerequisites: EDUC 245 and 260.
3 credits
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 311, 312.
Studies Abroad.
Primarily intended for transfer of credit earned abroad in
courses in political science. 1-18
credits.
Political
Science 314
(HISTORY 314).
Political History of Africa. A survey of the political landscape of
African history. A major portion of the course examines the significance
of precolonial kingdoms, assesses the growth of the “slave trade”,
analyzes African intellectual history, and explores the “eve of
colonialism” in Africa. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 331.
Political Philosophy. Survey
of the principal political theories and philosophies from ancient Greece
through the Middle Ages, including the contributions of Plato,
Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. 3 credits.*
Political
Science 332.
Political Philosophy. Survey
of modern political theories and philosophies, including the
contributions of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, and Marx.
3 credits. *
Political
Science 335.
Western European Politics and
Government. An examination of the political systems of Western
Europe, with in-depth analyses of Great Britain, France, and Germany.
Issues like social democracy, gendered politics, right-wing extremism,
and the European Union are explored as causes of political change and
continuity in Europe. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 336.
Russian and Eastern European
Government and Politics. Study of the governments and politics of
Russia and Eastern Europe. Special attention is given to the rise and
fall of Communism and to the challenges of building democratic
institutions and market oriented economic systems. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 337.
Asian Governments and Politics.
A study of the political systems and foreign policies of the major Asian
powers, with emphasis on China and Japan. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 341.
American Political Thought to the
Civil War. An introduction to the principal thinkers and the central
themes in American political thought. 3 credits. **
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 342.
American Political Thought
1860 to the Present. An introduction to the principal thinkers and
the central themes in American political thought. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 343.
American
Foreign Policy.
A study of U.S. foreign policy with special attention to the
policy-making process, current problems in foreign affairs, and the
development of long-range foreign policy. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 350.
The
American Presidency.
The modern presidency and its role in contemporary politics, emphasizing
the constitutional background of the office, the evolution of
presidential powers, relationships between the presidency and the
Congress and bureaucracy, the presidential election process, and the
role of the presidency in policy making. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 355.
Constitutional Rights and
Liberties. Study of prominent Constitutional principles, issues, and
practices pertaining to persons accused or convicted of crime.
Particular focus on the ideas of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth
Amendments. Extensive use of Supreme Court decisions. 3 credits.
Political
Science 356.
Constitutional Rights and
Liberties. Study of prominent Constitutional principles, issues, and
practices concerning government-private individual relations, with
particular emphasis upon freedoms of speech, press, religion; privacy;
and social and economic discrimination. Extensive use of Supreme Court
decisions. 3 credits.
Political
Science 360.
Political Parties. Comparison
of two-party system with one-party and multi-party systems around the
world; study of the nature, advantages, and disadvantages of political
party systems, with an emphasis upon the development of the two-party
system in the U.S. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 370.
Public Administration. Survey
of the premises and issues of public bureaucracies, and of principal
activities of policy administrators, including personnel management,
budgeting, decision-making, intergovernmental relations, and relations
with courts, elected officials, and private organizations. 3 credits.
Political
Science 375.
Latin American Politics and
Government. A study of Latin American politics, government, and
development. The course considers the importance of political
institutions and social and economic forces in the processes of
democratization and economic development. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 390.
Directed or Independent Study in
Political Science. Must be approved by the head of the department.
May be repeated as 391. 1-18
credits.
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 392. Internship
in Political Science. A
semester-long, on-the-job learning experience designed to apply the
principles of political science. 1-18
credits.
Political
Science 394.
Political Leadership. The
course investigates the diverse nature of leadership and the place of
leadership in modern society. While the main emphasis is on political
leadership, a strong interdisciplinary approach is employed. Students
are required to think about various needs, origins, moral dilemmas,
requirements, and techniques of leadership in a wide variety of
differing circumstances. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 395.
African Politics and Government.
The course offers various intellectual perspectives on contemporary
African politics. Attention is devoted to an examination of the state,
political institutions, social forces and movements, gender,
democratization, and regional economic development. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 441.
International Relations.
Study of the factors conditioning international politics, with emphasis
upon the foreign policies of major powers. 3 credits. **
Political
Science 442.
International Law and
Organizations. A study of international law and organizations, with
emphasis upon the principles of international law.
Additional consideration of the policies of the United Nations. 3
credits.
Political
Science 443.
United States Foreign Policy and
National Security: 1990-2000. This course represents an endeavor to
identify and analyze major US foreign policy and national security
issues and threats likely facing the United States both externally and
internally in the closing decade of the twentieth century. Major
attention is devoted to the continuing dynamics in Russo-American
relations and to problems of a politico-economic nature posed by nations
of the developing or Third World. Additionally, discussions focus on
various response options potentially applicable to the resolution of
current issues. 3 credits.
Political
Science 455
(HISTORY 455).
Constitutional History of the United States. Intensive case-study
examination of the continuing development of the Constitution. Emphasis
on judiciary, presidency, federalism, commerce, and due process
problems. 3 credits.
Political
Science 460.
Political Science Seminar.
Open to juniors and seniors; offered on demand.1- 3 credits.
Political
Science 461.
Senior Seminar. Capstone
course in Political Science. Research, writing, and assessment of
student outcomes. Required of majors in Political Science. 1 credit. **
Political
Science 465.
The Role of US National
Intelligence in Foreign Policy. This course provides a basic
overview of the history, current organization, and missions of the US
Foreign intelligence establishment ("the Intelligence
Community") and its various programs and activities in support of
US foreign policy and national security objectives in the closing years
of the 20th century. 3 credits.
Political
Science 469
(HISTORY
469). Soviet Diplomacy.
An analysis of the diplomacy and foreign policy of Soviet Russia, 1917
to 1991, with emphasis upon the political machinery and motivating
forces that determine foreign policy. 3 credits.
Political
Science 490.
Directed or Independent Study in
Political Science. Must be approved by the head of the department.
May be repeated as. 1-18
credits.
Political
Science 492.
Internship in Political
Science. A
semester-long, on-the-job learning experience designed to apply the
principles of political science. 1-18
credits.
Political
Science 495.
Special Topics in Political
Science. Selected
topics in political science. The
topics may vary from semester to semester.
May be repeated for credit when topics change.
3 credits.
POLITICAL
SCIENCE 498.
Honors Research in
Political Science. Students
conduct research in political science under the direction of a faculty
member and the Senior Honors Research Committee.
May be repeated as 499. 3
credits. **
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