Political Science

This course will introduce the student to a variety of political theorists. Included would likely be theorists such as Aristotle, St. Thomas, Machiavelli, Locke, Madison, etc., as well as more contemporary theorists such as Rawls and Nozick. The empirical and normative features of theories will be identified and examined. The course also will focus on how effective or adequately theories integrate critically necessary, yet apparently inconsonant political principles and values.

The assertion of a right to freedom of expression has come to refer broadly to a variety of rights which find their support in guarantees provided by the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The term "expression" has come to be a generic reference to rights such as speech, press, assembly, protest, strike, symbolic speech, artistic expression, etc. Judgments respecting the acceptability of instances of various forms of expression have been determined by judicial standards such as bad tendency, clear and present danger, fighting words, balancing, etc. These matters will be explored through the reading of Supreme Court decisions and the discussions that these decisions have provoked.

This course involves a study of the institutions of American government at the national, state, and local levels and is designed to serve students seeking teacher certification. It will stress the informal as well as the formal dimensions of government and will, thereby, attempt to broaden and deepen insight into the processes of policy-making and implementation.

This course covers selected topics such as jurisprudence, international law, women and politics, U.S. foreign policy in Central America, art and politics, politics of developing areas, political socialization, the Presidency, criminal justice and internal security. The course content will determine in which area credit will be given.

An examination of the U.S. Supreme Court and its interpretation of the U.S. Constitution over time on such topics as judicial review; executive and legislative branch powers; federalism and the role of states; and political and economic regulation.

An examination of the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution over time on such topics as freedom of expression and religion; criminal and civil due process; privacy; equal protection; and the nationalization of the Bill of Rights. 

This course provides a critical examination of what is referred to as the judicial process. Thus, this course focuses on the background of judges, the role of pressure groups in the judicial process, amicus curiae briefs, the selection of judges, legal reasoning, the issue of judicial policy making, legalism in Constitutional decision making, etc. The course presumes that the student has had exposure to case law.

This class is an introduction to the research process in political science. Questions about the history and structure of the discipline, how inquiry is framed by philosophical assumptions, and the role of observation and experimental design are all examined. Students will use their understanding of these issues to plan a research project, collect and analyze data, and effectively present their findings. This class is a direct link to the Senior Seminar/Senior Thesis.

This class is an examination of the political roles and activities of women internationally. Exploring cultural, religious, racial, economic, and social constraints, as well as opportunities for women's involvement in politics, the course will keep in mind theory and practice as well as the problems in specific countries. Attention will be given to how the discipline defines political participation, how various feminists may influence change, and what it means to look for "common differences".

An analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of the major trends of Western political thought and philosophy from Machiavelli to the present. The course emphasis will be on the development of constitutional democratic thought. The approach emphasizes the connection between normative and empirical matters.

This course covers a major figure or epoch in the history of political philosophy; on a rotating basis this will include individual authors such as Plato, Augustine, Machiavelli or Tocqueville, or specific periods of political philosophy and thought such as ancient, medieval, early modern American, or contemporary.

This course examines the politics of human rights and the changing nature of sovereignty in the international system. To do this we will explore the major threats to human rights in the contemporary world as well as the cultural and political obstacles to international consensus on human rights norms. Finally, we will attempt to determine the appropriate mechanisms for their implementation.

This course examines the origin and development of Latin American political institutions by exploring the history, politics, economics, and social issues of the region. While examining the remaining effects of colonialism on Latin America, this course also investigates questions of political and economic development and dependency, democratization, political culture and relations with extra-regional actors. Individual countries will be examined as a way to discuss the status and prospect of democracies and dictatorships in the region.

This course will focus on Western Europe's historical experience, the organization of its decision-making institutions, and its electoral politics after 1945, with a largely contemporary emphasis. The country or countries that receive the most attention will vary from topic to topic. In general, the approach will be comparative across countries. This course will also explore the European Union by examining its history, institutions, policies, and future.

This course focuses on three institutions of American politics that serve as the linkage between the average citizen and the government. We will examine the role of political parties, interest groups, and elections in the American political system. Specifically, we will examine how a political campaign is conducted during election season.

This course covers events and debates surrounding major military conflicts in U.S. history. It will focus on particular conflicts such as the Vietnam War, consider specific periods such as the emergence of the U.S. as a great power at the end of the 19th century, and survey military developments over broader periods of time. The ultimate purpose of the course is to understand and evaluate the principles governing the United States' defense policies and practices.

A study of the formulation and execution of foreign policy in the United States, together with an examination of the substantive issues of American foreign policy since World War II. A primary objective of the course is to provide the student with a basis for an intelligent analysis of current foreign policy issues.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the world seemed to become a less threatening place and there was hope that a "New World Order" would bring peace and prosperity to all the world's inhabitants. Only a few years later the events in Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Kosovo, among others, have made some ask how the New World Order differs from the old Cold War Order. Are we really more secure? This course will explore what it really means to be "secure" by examining some of the sources of conflict and instability that exist in the world today.

Is it important for a country to acquire nuclear weapons? This is the question with which countries both with and without nuclear weapons currently are dealing. This course will explore the costs and benefits of acquiring nuclear weapons both to the country trying to gain them, and the countries that have to deal with the new nuclear power(s). Moreover, if the world community has come to the conclusion that we do not want more countries to possess them, how can the acquisition of nuclear weapons and materials be prevented?

This course introduces students to important theoretical and policy issues in the study and practice of environmental politics. It is designed to provide a better understanding of past, present, and future events by: a) framing environmental issues within various theories of political science; b)introducing prominent actors, institutions and issues; and c) examining recent attempts to create effective institutions to address specific environmental problems. This course examines the politics of environmental problems at all geographic scales, however, when taught by Dr. Mast there is an emphasis on domestic issues; when taught by Dr. Roberg, the emphasis is on international issues.

This course serves as the capstone to a student's political science studies. The senior seminar will help students to organize the analytical frameworks, perspectives, and theories they have learned throughout their political science career into a coherent structure in the form of a Senior Thesis. Students are required to present their senior thesis as part of the course.

Serving as a capstone for the International Political Economy major, the seminar goes beyond disciplinary lines in an attempt to further integrate diverse and often competing perspectives, methodologies, and values. A research thesis, on a topic of the individual student's choice made in consultation with an advisor, is required along with an oral presentation to faculty and students involved in the program.