Examines American political values, governmental functions, political processes, policy issues, and decision making processes through the lens of contemporary political issues, such as gun rights, abortion, education, policing, and the environment. Students will study the impact of diverse groups on the political process and outcomes. Fulfills Foundations - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Fulfills Cultures-U.S. Diversity. Offered every semester.
Winter 2025 - Hybrid Spring/Summer 2025 - Online
Analysis and discussion of contemporary issues in world politics as a vehicle for introducing core concepts in comparative politics, such as democracy, dictatorship, civil society, power, nationalism, political economy, social policy, identity politics, and development. Students will gain basic familiarity with the institutions, actors, and processes that influence world politics. Fulfills Foundations - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Fulfills Cultures - Global Perspectives. Offered fall and winter semesters.
Introduction to the historical and conceptual development of human rights as moral, legal, and cultural constraints on the behavior of states in relation to their citizens. Analysis is theoretical, exploring philosophical arguments surrounding the historical development of human rights and their current role in legal, cultural, literary, and political products. Fulfills Foundations - Philosophy and Literature. Cross-listed with HRT 105. Offered fall and winter semesters.
Spring/Summer 2025 - Online
Integrates the perspectives of political science and constitutional law to examine the principles and institutional structures of the American political system. Analyzes political and constitutional sources of presidential, congressional, state, and national power. Investigates federalism, voting, parties, interest groups, civil rights, and civil liberties. Primarily for social studies majors. Offered every semester.
Winter 2025 - Online Spring/Summer 2025 - Online
This introductory course in international relations (IR) examines interactions among states and non-state actors in the international environment. Class focuses on military, economic, ethnic, and religious conflict. Topics include power, organizations, nationalism, and economic integration. Major IR theories are exemplified by current topics, such as terrorism, poverty, trafficking, and climate change. Fulfills one of the Foundations - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Fulfills Cultures - Global Perspectives. O Offered fall and winter semesters.
Defining moments in international relations and foreign policy decision-making are used to illustrate the impact of leaders, institutions, and public opinion on foreign policy. Students attend the Great Decisions lecture series and hear high-ranking foreign policy analysts discuss controversial issues in contemporary world affairs.
Winter 2025 - Hybrid
An interdisciplinary analysis of the global movement of immigrants and refugees and its relationship with the economy, politics, development, and culture. Students learn about migration as a key feature of globalization. Possible topics: migration history, immigration policies, border control, integration, citizenship, migrant transnationalism, diaspora, remittances, child migrants, and migration theories. Fulfills Cultures - Global Perspectives. Fulfills Foundations - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Cross-listed with GSI 215.
Empirical analysis of domestic and international political issues. Topics include data collection strategies and problems, statistical techniques for analyzing small and large data sets, as well as other formal methods of political analysis. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: STA 215.
This course examines the decision-making processes to cope with modern environmental problems. The course focuses on both domestic and international environmental issues with special attention to interests, ideas, and institutions. Part of the Sustainability Issue. Cross-listed with ENS 303. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
A study of the general principles of international law with emphasis on the role of law in political and economic relations of nations. Prerequisite: PLS 211 or junior standing.
This course examines the methodology and application of international survey research in the comparative analysis of public opinion. The primary emphasis is the comparison of mass politics in the United States of America to other advanced industrial democracies. Subjects studied include electoral behavior, civic involvement, political attitudes, and ideologies. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: STA 215 and PLS 300; or permission of the instructor.
