One unit of course credit equals four semester hours.

POL 150 Politics: Conflict, Power, and Justice
Politics is the emergence and resolution of value conflicts regarding what is best for a community. Politics is the organization of power for the purposes of governing the search for justice. Students are challenged to think critically and analytically about political life. Not for major credit.

POL 201 American Federal Government
An introduction to the essential principles and fundamental structure of the American system of government.

POL 202 American State and Local Government
An introduction to state and local government and their basic roles in the American federal system. Special attention is given to the problems of cities, villages, counties, townships, and other units of local government.

POL 240 Public Law
An introduction to the issues, theories, practices, and institutions of American public law. Law is the control of human behavior, and it is also influenced by political, social, economic, and psychological behavior. Therefore, this course introduces students to the law as part of the systematic study of social and behavioral phenomena.

POL 300 Metropolitan Government and Politics
A study of urban government structures and of political problems facing metropolitan areas. Topics to be discussed are patterns of political behavior, community power structures, regional approaches to metropolitan dilemmas, and the role of federal government in urban affairs. Policy problems dealing with such complex concerns as race relations, housing, schools, welfare, and transportation also are analyzed. Special emphasis upon field projects and trips.

POL 301 Comparative Politics: Syllabus
The New Europe A comparative study of politics in Europe and the former Soviet Union. The political systems of selected countries in this region are compared and contrasted.

POL 302 Politics of Developing Nations Syllabus
A comparative study of politics in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Topics may include imperialism and colonialism, nationalism, poverty and inequality, tradition and modernity, revolution, women, and strategies for growth and development.

POL 303 Politics of the Middle East
An analysis of the major issues and problems that dominate the Middle Eastern political scene. A consideration of the region's involvement in international affairs as well as an examination of the indigenous concerns of people and states in the region.

POL 304 Latin American Politics
This course is an in-depth examination of twentieth-century Latin American political systems. It concentrates on the rise (and sometimes fall) of dictatorships in Cuba, Guatemala, and Argentina. Themes running through the course include dictators and the cult of personality, the search for economic development, leftist political struggles, the position of Indigenous groups within Latin America, continuing violence and social upheaval, the Cold War and U.S. involvement in Latin America, and present-day efforts to come to grips with a totalitarian past and/or present.

POL 306 Politics of International Relations Syllabus
An examination of low (economic) and high (military-strategic) political issues in global affairs since World War II, with special focus on the interactions between both state and non-state actors. Topics may include relations between the superpowers, tensions between rich and poor nations, hunger and population problems, the energy crisis and destruction of the environment, causes of war, strategic doctrines, and paths towards peace-arms control, disarmament, international organizations (the United Nations), and international law.

POL 307 American Foreign Policy Syllabus
An examination of the making and implementation of American foreign policy. A variety of explanations of U.S. foreign policy are discussed and applied in case studies. Key assumptions of U.S. policy makers are scrutinized. Spring Term.

POL 310 International Organizations
This course is designed to provide an orientation to several international organizations, and particularly the United Nations. The course is intended to teach students about the history, functional roles, and decision-making processes within selected international organizations. Students will encounter global problems such as economic, environmental, human rights, and security issues and will carefully study specific international treaties, conventions, and legal interpretations that address those problems. To enable students to better understand the challenges and accomplishments of international organizations, the course will culminate in an off-campus national simulation experience of the United Nations. POL 306 recommended. Repeatable for credit (half course only) with approval of instructor. Fall Term.

POL 314 Classics of Political Theory
An examination of some of the great books of political philosophy from ancient Greece to medieval Christianity, to the Renaissance and the early Enlightenment. It is these thinkers who invent political science, and it is these books that taught and informed statesmen from Alexander the Great to the American founders to Winston Churchill.

POL 315 Modern and Post-Modern Political Theory
The modern project, introduced in the 16th century, prepares the way for modern materialism, democracy, and the belief in human progress represented by the liberal tradition represented by, among others, Locke and Mill. The interpretation of history as determinate was Karl Marx's challenge to liberalism. Theorists such as Nietzsche and Weber challenged both interpretations. Now, in the early 21st century, the West may have entered a post-modern era. Such philosophers as Camus, Arendt, Habermas, and Foucault question whether politics and community are possible in an age of mass democracy, bureaucracy, materialism, and technocratic power. Spring Term.

POL 319 Foundations of American Political Thought
This course examines the role of ideas in the many "foundings" of the American republic. It examines the presence of classical republicanism, and puritanism as well as liberal theory in the early development of the American Constitution. Readings include The Federalist and de Tocqueville's Democracy in America.

POL 360 Public Policy and Administration
An examination of the nature of public administration in the United States and its influence upon the formulation as well as the implementation of national domestic policy. The political and administrative forces that shape policy are studied in such areas as economic, environmental, and education policy.

POL 406 Politics of International Economic Relations
The interplay between politics and economics in international economic relations is examined. Topics include the international trade monetary system, multinational corporations and technology transfer, foreign aid and the debt crisis, the North/South conflict, and North/North trade. In addition, special "focused" topics of contemporary relevance are introduced in a seminar format. POL 306 recommended.

POL 412 Constitutional Law
Major issues of constitutional law are examined through the case method of instruction. Such issues include the role of the states in the federal system, the powers of the president, the power of government to regulate business, the responsibilities of courts in a democracy, and civil rights. Junior standing recommended.

POL 440 Special Methods: Teaching Political Science
For those students who seek accreditation to teach political science in secondary schools.

POL 445 Seminar: Topics on American Politics
This is a senior seminar required for political science majors. Political science students will write a research paper as the capstone of their work in the department. Students from other disciplines may also take this course if they are at least juniors and have the consent of the instructor. Topics will change from year to year. Some possibilities are: Religion and Politics, Leadership, The American Voter, Media and Politics, The Organization of Power in Congress. Fall Term.

POL 450 Independent Study

POL 460 Internships
Half or full course Credit to students who are employed by government agencies, legal offices, and institutions, or by interest groups and political campaigns. Students are expected to understand the relationship of their field experience to the disciplines of political science and/or public administration, and to demonstrate this understanding in written and oral reports to the faculty supervisor. Full course credit will be granted for the equivalent of 15-20 hours per week during a three-month period. Half course credit will be granted for experience of shorter duration. Field experience will be offered when work opportunities and student interest coincide. The prerequisite for field experience is the completion of at least two courses in political science, or the consent of the chair of the Department of Political Science. One of the prerequisite courses must be either POL 201, 202, or 300.