Course Descriptions

REQUIRED COURSES AND ELECTIVES

Po100 Perspectives on Politics is the prerequisite for all seminar and internship courses. Additional prerequisites, where applicable, are noted in the course descriptions.

Po100 Perspectives on Politics
A study of political values; how a political system develops and functions; concepts of common good, power, resources, influence, and allocation of values; and contemporary political issues.

Po200 Political Science Research Methods
Methods of scientific inquiry in the field of political science; theory and research; research design, conceptualization, operationalization and measurement, sampling; types of research; evaluation and analysis of data. Prerequisite: Po100.

Po201 American Government
A study of the powers and responsibilities of the coordinate branches of the federal government, emphasizing contemporary political problems.

AMERICAN POLITICS

Po/As209 Principles of Constitutional Law
Principles of the Constitution as developed in Supreme Court interpretations of specific provisions of the Constitution. Emphasis on theories of constitutional interpretation, rise of judicial power, separation of powers, federalism, government regulations, and equal protection. Case study approach.

Po/As210 Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties
Individual liberties embodied in the Bill of Rights as interpreted by the Supreme Court. Emphasis on freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly; the rights of the criminally accused; the right of privacy (e.g. abortion, homosexual rights, etc.). Case study approach.

Po/As211 The American Judicial Process
An examination of judicial decisionmaking and the role of the courts in the American political process.

Po212 Elections, Parties and Pressure Groups
Empirical study of elections in American politics; the origin, development and mores of political parties and interest groups; analysis of the internal dynamics of the party system; an appraisal of their efficacy as agencies of democratic government.

Po213 Congress
An examination of the functions, formal and informal structures, and processes of decision-making in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Po214 The American Presidency
Emphasis on the presidential selection system and the roles played by the President in the American political system.

Po215 United States Foreign Policy
An examination of the principal historical influences and major institutions involved in the formulation and execution of foreign policy.

Po218 Introduction to Public Administration
An examination of the historical development and legal, political, organizational and managerial environment in which public policies are developed and implemented.

Po/As230 Black Politics (See African Studies program for course description.)

Po231 Ethnic and Racial Politics in the United States
An examination of how different ethnic and racial groups participate in politics, how the political system has and does respond to group demands, and the role of ethnic group political culture in shaping group success.

Po240 Public Policy in the United States
An examination of specific case studies including health care, education, income maintenance, defense, economic policy.

Po/Cu262 The Political Influence of Film
Exploration of the way in which films make political statements and influence political behavior. Films shown and discussed.

Po263 Politics and Technology
An examination of the relationships between politics, science and technology; how political institutions cope with techno-scientific change. The implications for political society of changes in medical, energy, war and computer/information technologies will be examined.

Po295 Cooperative Education

Po490 Seminar in American Politics
Examination and discussion of selected issues in American politics. Students will have the opportunity to work on student-designed, faculty-guided research projects. Restricted to juniors and seniors with departmental approval. Prerequisite: Po200.

POLITICAL THEORY

Po301 Ancient and Medieval Political Theory
A survey of the classic works of political theory from its inception through the Middle Ages: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas.

Po302 Early Modern Political Theory
A survey of the classic works of political thought from the end of the Middle Ages through the French Revolution. Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.

Po303 Early American Political Theory
An examination of the formation of the American political consciousness from its beginnings until the end of the Civil War.

Po304 Recent American Political Theory
A survey of the evolution of the American public argument from the reconstruction until the present with emphasis on today’s debate between the proponents of liberal individualism and communitarianism.

Po305 Late Modern Political Theory
A survey of the classic works of political thought from the Enlightenment to the 20th century: Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Arendt.

Po306 Contemporary Political Theory
An examination of the debate between critical theory and post-modernism: Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas, Foucault, Derrida, and Levinas.

Po310 Feminist Political Theory
Historical overview of feminist political activity in the United States and an analysis of feminist theory: liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, radical feminism, and post-modern feminism.

Po311 Peace and Justice
Issues within Political Theory Historical overview of the peace movement in America and an analysis of contemporary concerns such as war and peace, wealth and poverty, racism and sexism.

Po491 Seminar in Political Theory: The Death Penalty
This course contemplates justice, a cardinal political virtue through the lens of the death penalty, a concern of public policy. Ancient, modern and contemporary thought about justice and practices of punishment will be sites of investigation.

Po498 Seminar in Political Theory: What the Heart Knows–Political Poetry and Music
This course considers the relationship between aesthetics and political philosophy. Political themes flowing through poetry and music analyzed both in terms of their message and medium.

Po499 Seminar in Political Theory: Political Theory of Praxis
This course will examine "the call to community service" from both a philosophical and practical experience. Students will be required to do service work within the local community, and to use this work, in tandem with selected writings, as a means of reflection upon the nature of political praxis. Special emphasis will be given to a collective form of political praxis, social movements.

COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Po400 Introduction to Comparative Politics
The concepts and issues of comparative political analysis; analysis of political phenomena and use of alternative explanations and theories. Comparison of capitalist, socialist, and Third World systems.

Po410 Political Development
Examination and discussion of the process of political modernization: the struggles for democracy; the popular participation-governmental forms; and the institutionalization of democratic norms and objects.

Po411 Nationalism and Revolution
A comparative and analytical study of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Nation-building in contemporary underdeveloped countries.

Po412 The Politics of Post-Industrialized Societies
The problems of dehumanization, giantism, and ecological suicide; the quest for a good society in today’s world.

Po416 The Political Economy of Newly Industrializing Countries
An examinaton of the dynamics of political and economic forces in newly industrializing countries; internal and external factors shaping development.

Po420 Comparative Politics: Western Europe
Analysis of politics in major European nations, including Great Britain, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, and Sweden. Consideration of the role of parties, economic and welfare state policies, opposition groups, and the forces of regional integration.

Po422 Comparative Politics: Middle East and North Africa
Regional and international dimensions of politics in the area. The formation of nation-states; nationalism; superpower rivalries; the Arab-Israel conflict and the Palestinian question; the politics of oil, energy, and development; Islamic revival; and prospects for stability, change and democracy.

Po423 Government and Politics in Latin America
A study of Latin-American political institutions including constitutions, executives, legislatures, judiciaries; significant Latin-American political problems, such as population, land ownership, instability, military interventionism, and relations among Latin-American nations. Formerly titled Latin American Politics.

Po425 Government and Politics in Africa
Examination and discussion of the struggles for democracy in Africa; the variety of governmental and political forms of African countries; problems facing African countries, including development, population, agriculture, and tribal-ethnic rivalries.

Po444 Comparative Legal Systems
An introduction to the comparative study of legal systems, focusing on the civil law and common law systems, but including elements of other legal systems to understand how similar legal situations are addressed in different legal systems.

Po492 Seminar in Comparative Politics
Examination and discussion of selected issues in comparative politics. Students will have the opportunity to explore a specific issue through faculty-guided research projects. Restricted to juniors and seniors with departmental approval. Prerequisite: Po200.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Po475 Introduction to International Relations
Examination of the system of nationstates, blocs, and rivalries in the world order. Approaches to the explanation of power and security; the use of force and war; and international social, economic, and environmental problems.

Po476 International Organizations
Examination and discussion of international political and economic organizations including the United Nations, multinational corporations, the World Bank, and regional organizations such as the European Community and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Po477 International Law
An introduction to the principles and norms of international law and how they regulate political and economic interactions at the global level. A caseoriented emphasis on treaties, the law of war, and dispute settlement.

Po478 Global Inequality: North and South in World Politics
North-South economic and political relations in the context of the growth and penetration of the world capitalist system. Critical policy issues of population growth, agricultural and urban change, employment, industrialization, trade, investment, development assistance, debt, and technology transfer.

Po479 International Political Economy
An examination of the dynamics of wealth and power in the global system. Emphasis given to issues of trade, monetary relations and economic interdependence. Regulatory efforts at the national, regional and international levels are analyzed.

Po493 Seminar in International Politics
Examination and discussion of selected issues in international politics. Students will have the opportunity to work on student-designed, faculty-guided research projects. Restricted to juniors and seniors with departmental approval. Prerequisite: Po200.

SPECIAL COURSES

Po200 Political Science Research Methods
An introduction to political science research methodologies including quantitative and qualitative techniques, research ethics and culminating in a student research project and term paper.

Po494-495 Internship in the Public Sector, I and II (6)
Faculty supervised off-campus work experience with public sector organizations. As part of their internship experience, students will undertake a faculty-guided, independent research project. Department chairperson’s permission required.

Po496 Advanced Internship in the Public Sector
An advanced, supervised off-campus work experience with public sector organizations, integrated with independent research under the supervision of a political science faculty member. Department chairperson’s permission required. Prerequisite: Po200.

Po497 Special Projects in Political Science
Under the supervision of a political science faculty member, students will develop, implement, and evaluate an independent research project. Restricted to juniors and seniors with chairperson’s approval. Prerequisite: Po200.