PSC 1100 : American Government
Constitutional development; national institutions, federalism, civil rights and liberties; instruments of popular control. Pre-requisite for 2100 and 5100-level courses and PSC 6900.
Political Science
Degrees and Certificates
Classes
PSC 1200 : International Relations
Theories and concepts in the study of international relations; important and enduring questions in world affairs; trends and changes in the post-Cold War and and post-9/11 world. Prerequisite for 2200 and 5200-level courses and PSC 6900.
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Credits 3PSC 1300 : Comparative Politics
Political dynamics of various countries and regions. Regime types and political institutions. Politics of inclusion and exclusion. Sources of political change and continuity. Pre-requisite for 2300 and 5300-level courses and PSC 6900.
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Credits 3PSC 1400 : Political Theory
A survey of early and modern political thought and its relevance to contemporary politics. Prereqisite for 2400 and 5400-level courses and PSC 6900.
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Credits 3PSC 1900 : Research Seminar
Covers elements required for writing research paper on a problem in political science, including using the library, evaluating and properly citing sources, understanding appropriate research methods, and writing and redrafting a research paper. Prerequisite for PSC 6900.
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Credits 3PSC 2110 : U.S. State & Local Government
Constitutions, institutions, instruments of popular control, and intergovernmental relations.
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PSC 1100
PSC 2120 : U.S. Congress
Congressional functions, structures, and procedures; distribution of power; elections, representation, parties, committees, and the legislative process. Relations with the President, executive bureaucracy, judiciary, and interest groups. Congress's role in the economy, budgeting, domestic policy, and national security policy.
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PSC 1100
PSC 2125 : U.S. Presidency
The nature, functions, and development of the American presidency, including relations between the president and other Washington actors, the public and the press.
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PSC 2130 : U.S. Judiciary
Historical overview of the Supreme Court; competing perspectives on judicial behavior; and patterns in the relationship between the Court and other branches of the federal government.
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PSC 1100
PSC 2140 : US Con Law I: Powers&Struct
Major Supreme Court cases concerning the powers of Congress and the president, federalism, commerce taxing, and voting.
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PSC 2145 : US Con Law II:Rights&Lib
Major Supreme Court decisions, 1789 to the present, concerning provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment; emphasis on constitutional "literacy," or the ability to read Court decisions and write about them.
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PSC 2150 : U.S. Pol. Parties & Elections
The place of parties in national politics; the nature, organization, and functions of political parties; suffrage requirements and election methods; the activities of organized interests.
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PSC 1100
PSC 2180 : U.S. National Security Policy
Development of strategic thought in the United States, arms control and disarmament, intelligence, technology, alliance policy, role of civilian and military branches of government, and related topics.
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PSC 2190 : U.S. Pub Opinion & Polit Behav
The normative and empirical roles of public opinion and civic involvement in American democrary; conceptual and measurement issues, individual-level and societal factors influencing public opinion and political behavior.
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PSC 1100
PSC 2210 : Globalization
Transformation of international politics through diffusion of ideas, technology, migration, capital and markets. Globalization, diffusion, and interactions of ideas, technology and capital. Effects on domestic and international politics, economics, society.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2220 : International Law
The rules and principles of international law based on a study of treaties, diplomatic practice, and cases dealt with by international and national courts.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2230 : International Organization
The development of international organization, the U.N., its principles, structure, and accomplishments; regional organizations; prospects for the future.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2235 : United Nations
The origin, mission, structure, and current challenges of the United Nations. Analysis of the role of the UN in peace and security, human rights, humanitarian affairs, development, and environmental issues.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2240 : Internat'l Political Economy
Interactions between domestic, comparative and international politics and economics. Institutions, ideas and power dynamics in trade, finance, and development. The movement of labor, goods, services, and capital across national boundaries.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2245 : Politics of Financial Crisis
Political economy of financial crises from both a domestic and international perspective. Topics covered include: (ir)rationality of financial markets and actors; consequences of global capital flows; sovereign debt crises; global imbalances and macroeconomic adjustment; vulnerability to banking crises; political causes and responses to global financial crises
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Credits 3PSC 2260 : War and Conflict
Causes of interstate war, laws and norms of war, nuclear proliferation and deterrence, terrorism, civil war, territorial disputes, religion and conflict, and humanitarian and military intervention and peacekeeping.
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PSC 1200
PSC 2310 : Nationalism
National identity and consciousness, origin and development of nations and states. Role and effects of nationalism in modern politics, culture, society, and economy.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2330 : East Asian Politics
Northeast Asian countries' political and economic development after World War II.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2340 : Politics of the Arab World
Political change in the principal Arab States with emphasis on the diverse forms of rule and political movements. The impact of colonial rule and socioeconomic changes on political life, leadership, social structure, political culture, and modernization.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2350 : African Politics
Politics and societies of contemporary Africa. Colonialism and its legacies. Postcolonial regimes; authoritarianism, neo-patrimonialism and "big man" rule; political reform and democratization. Theories of conflict and conflict resolution. Economic development: International and domestic explanations of poverty and underdevelopment; the HIV crisis, foreign aid, debt and debt relief, and economic reform and renewed growth.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2360 : Latin American Politics
Politics and societies of contemporary Latin America. Legacies of social revolution and authoritarian rule; democratic transition and consolidation; market reforms and their consequences. Democratic representation; the resurgence of the political left; identity politics (race/ethnicity, inclusion and exclusion). US-Latin American relations: immigration, trade, energy, and security policies.
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PSC 2370 : Third World Politics
Political systems of the developing world, including ideologies, the role of the military, nation building, gender issues, religion, ethnic conflict and additional topics.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2380 : European Politics
European political institutions, changes in party systems, and impact of European integration/globalization on domestic economies.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2390 : Indian & South Asian Politics
The historical development of India and Pakistan; their contemporary problems and conduct of foreign relations with the great powers.
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PSC 1300
PSC 2410 : Early Political Theories
The relevance of the classics of political thought for understanding modern politics from the Greeks to the modern era.
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PSC 2420 : Modern Political Theories
The structure of modern political thought and developments of twentieth century political thought as an aid to understanding our age.
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PSC 3110 : Politics of Immigration (U.S.)
This course explores the varied perspectives of public, private, and nonprofit leaders on the nature of American citizenship from the founding era to the 21st century. It examines how the meaning of American citizenship continues to shape political life in multiple ways - from legislation, to advocacy, to social service provision in the United States.
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Credits 3PSC 3120 : Political Communication (U.S.)
The role, behavior and influence of communications in American politics.
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Credits 3PSC 3130 : Women and Politics in the U.S.
Why women traditionally have been marginal to political life; the efforts of women in the past and today to change that fact; the problems that must be solved before women can translate their numerical strength into political power.
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Credits 3PSC 3140 : Race, Ethnicity & Pol. in U.S.
The importance of race and ethnicity in American politics, and the politics (historical, legal, attitudinal, and behavioral) of four of the United States' principal racial and ethnic minority groups-blacks (African-Americans), Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans.
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Credits 3PSC 3150 : Political Psychology
The interplay between politics and psychology; principles, terminology, and methods of psychological theories to understand how people think and feel about politics and how politics affects their thinking.
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Credits 3PSC 3160 : Black Politics
This course is designed to provide students with an overview of Black Politics and introduce several theories, approaches, and analyses of the African American predicament. The course also examines the dynamics of two of the most salient forms of Black Politics: protest activity and conventional electoral politics. Within this framework the course will analyze the character functions, and influence of Black leadership, sociopolitical organizations, and examine the persistence of racial disparities in several public policy areas of significance faced by Black Americans.
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Credits 3PSC 3165 : Pol Econ of Black America
Black Political Economy examines the complex interplay between race and economics. The course covers the principles, terminology, and methods of standard economics and Black political economy. There is an examination of the complicated journey of Black workers from the transalantic slave trace to the demise of the industrial order in the twenty-first century. There is a particular focus in the course on the current economic circumstance and outlook for African Americans in major American cities in the context of the global economy.
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Credits 3PSC 3210 : American Foreign Policy
The institutions, processes, and ideas which shape contemporary American foreign policy; the major problem areas.
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Credits 3PSC 3220 : Middle East International Rels
Intra-regional and international problems facing the Middle East: the struggle for independence; the impact of the Cold War; the protracted conflict between Israelis and Arabs; and the tensions in the oil-rich Persian Gulf.
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Credits 3PSC 3230 : Development and Aid
Development and the role of official development assistance. Includes aid effectiveness, modalities, impact of globalization, conflation of aid with strategic purpose, and rising influence of non-traditional donors, such as China and oil-exporting countries.
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Credits 3PSC 3235 : Refugees and Displaced People
The current situation and major themes and challenges for protecting and assisting the refugees and internally displaced persons. Global, comparative analysis of institutional and legal framework for both populations.
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PSC 1200
PSC 3240 : East Asia Political Economy
Interactions between domestic and international actors in Asia; role of political regimes, institutions and firms; dynamic processes of trade and financial sector liberalization and economic crisis. Pre-requisite: PSC 1200 or junior standing.
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Credits 3PSC 3245 : Japanese Politics
Uniqueness of previous and contemporary politics, economy, and cultural society of Japan. Study of modernization, the defeat of and recovery from World War ll, pacifism, legal and institutional developments, and current challenges of Japan.
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PSC 1300
PSC 3250 : Genocide and Mass Killing
Definitions of genocide and mass killing, causes of genocide and mass killing, contexts in which violence occurs, dynamics of violence, variations in violence, individual motivations of perpetrators, rescue and resistance, obstacles and opportunities for intervention and prevention, tribunals and truth commissions.
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Credits 3PSC 3255 : Gender, War, and Peace
Global conflict and peace through gender lens; impact of war on women, men and non-binary genders and respective roles in peace and post-conflict politics. Topics include masculinity and war, sexual and gender-based violence, LGBT politics. Key focus on Northern Ireland.
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Credits 3PSC 3260 : Global Pandemics Politics
Political factors that lead to pandemics, political outcomes of pandemics, how pandemics affect political development and international relations.
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Credits 3PSC 3265 : Global Environmental Politics
Course description: the politics of environmental movements, policy and voting, comparative and international relations factors driving environmental outcomes, civil society and its relationship to government.
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Credits 3PSC 3320 : Russian Politics
The contemporary Russian political system; political transformation from the Communist system which preceded it.
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Credits 3PSC 3330 : British Politics
Development of the British state; the powers of Parliament and other institutions; the British welfare state, public opinion, and policing; questions of union and devolution; major current topics in British politics.
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Credits 3PSC 3340 : Irish Conflict and Peace
Foundations of the Irish state; political system and party system development; conflict in Northern Ireland; relations within the divided island and between the Irish Republic and Britain; Irish social, political cultural and economic development; gender in Irish society and politics; Ireland in the international political system.
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Credits 3PSC 3410 : Theories of War and Peace
The relevance of the classics of political thought for understanding modern politics from the Greeks to the modern era.
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Credits 3PSC 3420 : American Political Thought
The founding of the American Republic; nature of the federal union, factions, popular sovereignty, the extended republic, representation, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Subsequent issues and controversies about these and related matters.
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Credits 3PSC 3440 : Politics and Religion
The nature of religious and political identity; the possibility and desirability of keeping them apart; the relationship between religion and politics in a free society; religious pluralism, its requirements and consequences; the prospects for "civil religion."
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Credits 3PSC 4175 : Topics in Am Gov & Politics
Topical courses in American Government and Politics offered on occasional basis.
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Credits 3PSC 4275 : Topics in Internat'l Relations
Topical courses in International Relations offered on occasional basis.
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Credits 3PSC 4375 : Topics in Comparative Politics
Topical courses in comparative politics offered on occasional basis.
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Credits 3PSC 4475 : Topics in Political Theory
Topical courses in political theory offered on an occasional basis.
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Credits 3PSC 5110 : Ind Study in Am Gov & Politics
Readings, research, and writing on topics in American government and politics under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.
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PSC 1100
PSC 5210 : Ind Study in Intern'l Rel
Readings, research, and writing on topics in international relations under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.
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PSC 1200
PSC 5310 : Ind Study in Comparative Pol
Readings, research, and writing on topics in comparative politics under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.
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PSC 1300
PSC 5410 : Ind Study in Political Theory
Readings, research, and writing on topics in political theory under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite; permission of instructor and department chair.
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PSC 1400
PSC 6160 : Washington Minimester
A three-week program of seminars in Washington, D.C. with public officials, staff members, party leaders, and interest group representatives. Held annually in mid-May. Enrolls the previous fall. Limit: 15 students. Permission of instructor required.