Political Science (B.A., B.S.)

This course introduces students to government and politics in the United States. Drawing upon historical documents, political science research, and contemporary examples, this course examines the context, processes, institutions, and outcomes of the U.S. political system. Through the development of social science and critical analysis skills, students will be introduced to concepts and theories central to studying political science and understanding the contemporary political environment.

This course introduces students to government and politics in the United States. Drawing upon historical documents, political science research, and contemporary examples, this course examines the context, processes, institutions, and outcomes of the U.S. political system. Through the development of social science, critical analysis, and effective writing skills, students will be introduced to concepts and theories central to studying political science and understanding the contemporary political environment and politics in the United States.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts, theories and methods of international politics. It highlights the similarities and differences between political systems, as well the nature of relations between these political systems. By examining political violence, democratization, security, trade, and development, this class will equip students to analyze current problems and experiences.

This course introduces students to the statistical techniques commonly used to answer questions concerning the political world. This course teaches students how to construct and describe data, examine relationships between variables, and build and evaluate statistical models. In addition, students will learn to apply these statistical techniques to draw conclusions about the political world and make policy decisions. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to the datasets, software, and techniques most commonly employed in the quantitative analysis of politics and policy.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

This class provides students who are interested in the political science major or minor an in-depth examination of the major discussions, methods, and themes that form the core of political science education.

This course will be an examination of elections in the United States, particularly focusing on the elections of presidents, members of congress, political behavior, campaigns, and gender in elections. You will learn how behavior is influenced by campaigns, what leads people to vote the way that they do, the role the media plays in influencing elections, and what part gender plays in how elections are decided. Some attention will be given to campaign finance and law related to elections. Recent elections will receive a good deal of attention, along with key elections of the past where lessons may be learned from their outcomes.

Prerequisite(s): POLSC 1010/POLSC 1010FYW United States Government and Politics

This course introduces students to the intricate relationship between race, ethnicity, and American politics. Through the analysis of pivotal historical events, legislation, social movements, and policy debates, students will gain a deeper understanding of the key challenges and opportunities associated with race and politics in the United States. This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools to participate in meaningful discussions on racial equality, social justice, and the future of American democracy.

In this course students will examine the organization, functioning, and impact of courts in the United States. Attention will be paid to the role of lawyers in the judicial system, trial and appellate court procedures, selection of judges, and the relationship of courts to other elements of the U.S. political system. Topics will include the nature of law, the role of juries, plea bargaining, alternative conflict resolution, court workload, and proposals for reform.
(Normally offered alternate years.)

State governments in the United States play an essential and often overlooked role in the lives of their citizens. Among many other public policy areas, state decisions affect the quality of education provided to children, the criminal laws established and enforced, the operation of elections, and the strength of local economies. This course takes a comparative approach, examining the institutions, procedures, politicians, citizens, and public policies of states in the U.S. We utilize this information to investigate how the collective experiences of the several states can inform governance and policy.

How do countries project power abroad and interact with other states within the international community? This course will explore how the United States and other countries think about foreign policy, what actors are involved, and the strategies used in the international arena. Historical case studies will be used to highlight different aspects of foreign policy and stress the intricacies of the international arena. The course also seeks to connect the concepts and theories to current foreign policy issues facing the international community today.

A topical course designed to investigate relevant subject matter not included in any of the standard courses. The title, content, and credit will be determined by current mutual interests of students and faculty.

A course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide advanced study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit hours will be determined by current mutual interests of faculty and students.

In democracies, the attitudes and beliefs of the public are expected to influence government policy and action. The formation and expression of public opinions, therefore, is central to understanding democratic governance. This course examines public opinion in contemporary America. We will discuss how attitudes can be conceptualized and measured, how they form, how Americans evaluate key public policies, and the influence these attitudes have on government operation.

Pre-requisite(s): POLSC 1010 United States Government and Politics or POLSC 1010FYW United States Government and Politics.

This course provides an introduction to the topics of terrorism and political violence. Understanding why political violence occurs, how it is used, the different forms it takes, what its effects are, and how it can be countered proves crucial to understanding the dilemmas faced by many states and non-state actors. We will cover topics such as terrorism, extremism, radicalization, and state and non-state violence. Through these topics, this course seeks to provide students with a better understanding of the uses and differing manifestations of terrorism and political violence.

This course examines the participation of women in society and politics, and their ability to influence the policy decisions related to the issues of concern to them. The course will take a cross-national perspective, although primary emphasis will be women in Middle Eastern and South Asian societies.
Cross listed with GEND 2700.

This seminar provides an introduction to global environmental politics. Many of the environmental problems of the twenty first century, from climate change to food insecurity to protection of biological diversity and endangered species, are global in nature, and addressing them requires international cooperation. The first part of the course provides the analytical foundation for evaluating environmental problems. The second part of the semester will apply these
analytic and policy tools to an evaluation of actors and solutions. We will look at the state and non-state actors, such as transnational social movements, civil society, NGOs and IOs, businesses and multinational corporations, and
nation-states.

A research seminar in which students conducting their research to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement meet regularly to make formal presentations on part of their research projects and to share insight progress and problems encountered in their project. This course consists of completing a major original research project and to write the capstone thesis.

Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department chair.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

A research seminar in which students conducting their research to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement meet regularly to make formal presentations on part of their research projects and to share insight progress and problems encountered in their project. This course consists of completing the professional development and presentation activities related to the major research project from POLSC-4990A.

Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department chair.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

This course allows students to participate at a meaningful level in an internship with a public official, political figure, public agency, campaign or interest group and to use that experience as the basis for an academic paper.
Pass/Fail only.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.