POL 215 Intro to US National Politics (3.00)
Studies the basic institutions of American government and the forces that shape governmental action. Examines the constitution, the role of the presidency, federal-state relations, the party system and the operation of the Congress and the courts.
POL 231 Intro to International Relations (3.00)
Evaluates the elements, relationships, issues and problems of contemporary international relations. Includes national systems, superpower relations, diplomacy, war, international organizations, arms control, North-South relations and interdependency.
POL 241 Intro to Comparative Politics & Governmt (3.00)
Compares and evaluates power, policy, politics and government in contemporary nation states. Includes political culture and socialization, governmental structures and performance in political systems.
POL 281 Introduction to Political Philosophy (3.00)
Introduces a variety of philosophies and alternative visions of social organization, politics, government, economics, peace, and justice. Examines underlying assumptions, propositions, and potential implications of particular political attitudes, processes and policies.
POL 400 Constitutional Law (3.00)
Comparative analysis of the US Constitutional legal system to other systems, with a primary focus on the US system. Covers a standard undergraduate law text.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 OR POL*241 OR POL*281;
Cross listing(s): CR 401.
POL 403 Courts & the Judicial Process (3.00)
Explores administration of justice, emphasizing United States systems. Focuses on judicial decision-making, and procedures in federal and state judicial systems.
Cross listing(s): CJ 403 CR 403.
POL 404 International Law & Human Rights (3.00)
Examines how International Law has become a process of normative regime-building that secures the inherent Human Rights of all people with the help of global monitoring, domestic education and law enforcement and international discourse through the UN system.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*215 OR POL*241 OR POL*281;
Cross listing(s): PJ 403.
POL 406 Just & Sustainable Development (3.00)
Integrates knowledge of development practice and theory from the perspective of communities, states, and the global system. Builds on community-based models of just and sustainable development success. Interdisciplinary, drawing on health, environment, politics, business and law.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 POL*241 OR POL*281;
Cross listing(s): ENVS 416.
POL 413 US Elections and Poli Behavior (3.00)
Examines U.S. elections in the context of the political arena. Emphasizes political parties, special interest groups, voting behavior and campaign strategies.
POL 415 Balancing Power (3.00)
Examines institutions, functions, relations, and powers of Executive, Legislative and Judiciary coordinate branches of the US federal government, and contervailing federalist powers. Case studies of leading models of the Presidency, Congress, and Supreme Court.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*215;
POL 417 Urban-Rural Politics (3.00)
Covers urban and rural conflicts of interest which pervade the politics of nation-states. Compares and contrasts US regional issues with those concerns of other nation-states where cities and agricultural communities contend over power, infrastructure, and values.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 POL*241 OR POL*281;
POL 420 Environmental Politics (3.00)
Uses four case studies of environmental progress to drive analysis of local, regional, national, and global levels of dealing with change and conservation. Examines civil society, state and UN system approaches to building environmental norms that shape policy and legislation.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 OR POL*241 OF POL*281;
Cross listing(s): ENVS 420.
POL 421 State and Urban Politics (3.00)
Explores state and urban political systems as they function within the American federal structure. Emphasizes governmental functions, interactions, structures, constraints and resources. Prerequisite(s): Junior or Senior standing or permission of instructor required.
Cross listing(s): CJ 421 CR 421.
POL 432 International Political Economy (3.00)
Analyzes the interactions and interrelationships between political and economic factors at the global level. Factors include monetary management, trade, multinational corporations, foreign aid, cartels and debt. Considers Western and North-South systems.
Pre-requisite: EC*200 OR EC*320
Cross listing(s): ENVS 432 EC 432 PJ 454.
POL 439 US Foreign Policy Since WW II (3.00)
Reviews and evaluates the nature and conduct of U.S. foreign policy since 1945. Considers policies adopted by the U.S. to deal with the perceived international system, including intended outputs and actual outcomes of policy, and contemporary challenges.
Pre-requisite: POL*231 OR POL*241
Cross listing(s): PJ 438.
POL 445 Comparative Public Policy (3.00)
Provides a comparative examination of public policy in western industrialized nation-states emphasizing the interaction and interdependency of politics and economics. Evaluates basic issues of public policy including distribution, extraction and regulation focusing on identifying both the range of possible choices and the actual outcomes of adopted policies under a variety of circumstances.
Pre-requisite: EC*200 OR EC*320
Cross listing(s): PJ 446 ENVS 445 EC 445.
POL 449 Comparative Foreign Policy (3.00)
Comparative description and evaluation of the foreign policies of a variety of contemporary nation-states, emphasizing systematic conditions, national priorities and objectives, and external outputs and outcomes. Future controversies and challenges will be identified, discussed, and evaluated.
Pre-requisite: POL*231 OR POL*241
Cross listing(s): PJ 449.
POL 451 Environmental & International Security (3.00)
Describes and evaluates environmental processes and conditions that affect contemporary and future international and human security. Examines causes, forms, and consequences of environmental scarcity and degradation.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 OR POL*241;
Cross listing(s): ENVS 425.
POL 481 Theories of International Relations (3.00)
Explores primary theoretical approaches to understanding international relations, including individual, state, and systemic levels of analysis, analyzed from realists, idealists, and radical perspectives. Compares and analyzes theories such as assumptions, major assertions, and empirical manifestations and implications for present and future international relations.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*231 OR POL*241 OR POL*281;
Cross listing(s): PJ 451F.
POL 482E-W Topics in Political Theory: (3.00)
Provides an intensive examination of the nature and aims of various forms of political theory, specific periods of political thought, major political thinkers or significant topics in political theory.
Cross listing(s): PJ 482E-W.
POL 483 American Political Theory (3.00)
Examines the historical context, religious and secular bases, and contending political and economic theories that underlie a spectrum of American thought. "American" considers inclusively and compares the northern, central and southern America.
Pre-requisite: TAKE POL*281;
POL 490E-W Indep. Study/Polit. Science: (1.00 - 3.00)
Offers an opportunity for independent exploration of areas of interest under the supervision of department member. Prerequisite(s): Approval of Department Chair.
POL 493E-W Sem./International Politics: (3.00)
Provides an intensive study of selected issues and problems of international politics, emphasizing individual research interests. Includes preparation and presentation of a major research project. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
Pre-requisite: POL*231 OR POL*241
POL 494E-W Sem./Comparative Politics: (3.00)
Provides an intensive study of selected issues, problems and regions in comparative politics, emphasizing individual research interests. Includes preparation and presentation of a major research project. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
Pre-requisite: POL*231 OR POL*241
POL 495E-W Seminar in Political Science: (3.00)
Provides an intensive study of selected topics, issues or problems in political science. Includes preparation and presentation of a major research project. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
POL 496E-W Seminar in U.S. Politics: (3.00)
Provides an intensive study of selected issues of U.S. politics, emphasizing individual research projects. Includes preparation and presentation of a major research project. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
POL 498E-W Internship in Politics/Law (3.00)
Offers an opportunity for placement in a governmental organization or private institution involved in political processes. Progress is guided and monitored by the site supervisor and the faculty sponsor. Site selection emphasizes the best combination of prior academic learning and on-the-job experience. Prerequisite(s): Approval of Departmental Chair and Director of Experiential Education.
POL 499 Integrated Capstone (3.00)
Draws on historiography and theory from disciplines of History and Politics. Students complete a summative research writing with advising from History and Politics faculty.