Political Science Department

POLS 101 American Government (3)
American Government examines the structure, context, functions, and problems of American national government. NOTE: This course is required of all political science majors and minors and must be completed within the first 15 hours of political science courses.

POLS 102 Contemporary Political Issues (3)
An introductory course for majors and non-majors that emphasizes the analysis of current domestic and international issues. Issues covered will vary from semester to semester.

POLS 103 World Politics (3)
This course examines the dynamics of international politics, including in depth coverage of relevant actors, the nature of the state system, cooperation and conflict, global economic interdependence, international institutions, and issues like the role of human rights in international affairs. Note: Political science majors and minors must take either World Politics or World Geography within the first 15 hours of political science course work.

POLS 104 World Regional Geography (3)
This course introduces students to the key concepts of geography through the lens of different regions of the world. Students explore the dynamics of human existence in different settings, arriving at a holistic understanding of life in the region by considering the interaction of physical and human geographies. The focus is on diversity amid the commonalities of human experience. Note: Political science majors and minors must take either World Politics or World Geography within the first 15 hours of political science course work.

POLS 200 Introduction to Public Administration (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Introduction to Public Administration analyzes the basic principles, functions and practices of public organizations and public management. Prerequisite: POLS 101

POLS 201 Introduction to Public Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Introduction to Public Policy examines the cultural, economic and institutional context that shapes public policy in the United States. The course assesses how, why and when government responds to some policy problems and not others and the process by which alternative solutions are formulated, adopted and implemented. Implications for solving public problems, and for resolving moral and political disagreements in a manner consistent with democratic ideals are considered. Prerequisites: POLS 101

POLS 210 Introduction to Comparative Political Analysis (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course surveys theories and methodologies in comparative political analysis. It includes an examination of concepts, types and levels of analysis, and methods on inquiry in the comparative study of politics.

POLS 220 Criminal Justice (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
Criminal Justice analyzes the criminal justice system, from defining crimes through arrest to conviction and sentencing, with emphasis on the relationships between the actors and institutions in the system and the purposes served by the system. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 221 Law and Society (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course is designed to introduce students to the legal method of deciding disputes through the study of classical principles of contract law. In the second half of the course, students will demonstrate analytical principles by confronting intractable issues facing society.

POLS 250 Politics and Political Inquiry I (3)
This is a course designed to provide the political science major with an introduction to a set of key concepts in political theory and to the historical development of Western political theory. The student will work with primary and secondary literature in political theory and will gain an understanding of how political theorists from Plato to Rawls have attempted to create theories of politics and visions of political order in response to the crises and problems of their time and in light of the work of the political theorists that preceded them. NOTE: This course is the prerequisite for POLS 251. It is required of majors and minors and must be completed within the first 15 hours of political science coursework.

POLS 251 Politics and Political Inquiry II (3)
An introduction to the contemporary nature and practice of political science, this course includes an overview of what political scientists study as well as an examination of the various approaches to inquiry which they utilize. Prerequisite: POLS 250 Note: This course is required of majors and must be completed within the first 15 hours of political science course work.

POLS 301 Bureaucratic Politics and Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
This course examines the role of public bureaucracies and public/private partnerships in shaping and implementing public programs. Prerequisites: POLS 101 and POLS 200

POLS 302 Policy Evaluation (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Policy evaluation reviews the strategies for analyzing performance and goal achievement in the public sector. The course includes a survey of the criteria, methodology, and analytical techniques employed in evaluating government programs. Prerequisites: POLS 101 and 201 or permission of the instructor.

POLS 304 American Foreign Policy Process (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
American Foreign Policy Process surveys the process by which American foreign policy is made. The course extends beyond the traditional institutions of the Presidency and Congress to encompass other factors like courts, the states, the media, the public, and the international policy environment.

POLS 305 Urbanization and Urban Geography (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Urbanization and Urban Geography analyzes the process of urbanization and contemporary urban trends and issues. Topics investigated include the evolution of neighborhoods, social conflict over access to resources and the future of urbanism as a way of life. Students will have the opportunity to explore the city through field trips and an analysis of local urban issues.

POLS 306 Urban Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Urban policy examines the urban service system and policy formulation and implementation processes. The potential advantages and disadvantages of citizen participation in local policy implementation are assessed, specific urban issues are examined and the barriers to formulating a national urban policy are identified. Prerequisites: POLS 101

POLS 307 Environmental Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
This course is intended to familiarize students with various ethical frameworks, analytical tolls and policy instruments that can be used to evaluate environmental problems and policy options. The primary focus of the course will be on the political setting of the environmental policy process and the analytical methodologies that figure prominently in environmental equity, the uses and abuses of cost-benefit analysis, science and uncertainty in environmental policy development and the use of regulatory requirement vs. market mechanisms for environmental protection.

POLS 308 Education Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
This course will examine the goals and processes of public education policy-making in the United States. Issues of access, accountability, deliver systems, funding, efficiency, and quality will be explored. The actors, institutions, processes, and influences that help to inform these and other policy questions will be addressed.

POLS 309 Health Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
This course will explore the major policy issues, problems, and challenges in the management and delivery of health care in the United States. The actors, institutions, processes, and internal/external influences that inform federal, state, and local policy decisions on these issues will be explored.

POLS 310 Environmental Geography (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
Environmental Geography examines human interactions with the environment and environmental change. Whereas environmental politics focuses on the role of politics in environmental management, environmental geography investigates the role that knowledge, culture, economic systems, gender and identity, and the everyday politics of communities and households play in shaping human-environment interactions.

POLS 311 Environmental Change and Management in the American West (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
This course examines physical and human processes that shape environmental change and management in the American West. Through in-the-field exploration, students will explore shifting ecological, socio-economic, and political realities in western Oregon and northern California that are representative of the wider American West region. Offered as a travel course only.

POLS 319 Special Topics in Public Administration and Public Policy (3)
(Public Administration and Public Policy subfield)
These courses examine an advanced topic in public administration or public policy.

POLS 321 Politics of Latin America (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Politics of Latin America surveys political and related economic and social dynamics in Latin American nations.

POLS 322 Politics of Africa (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Politics of Africa surveys political and related economic and social dynamics in selected African nations.

POLS 323 Politics of East Asia (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Politics of East Asia analyzes the national and international politics of China and Japan with emphasis on political, social, and economic patterns and processes. Cultural tradition, policy making, and the international context will be examined.

POLS 324 Politics of the Middle East (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Politics of the Middle East surveys the political, economic, and social structures and forces that make up the essence of Middle East politics and shape the region's place in the world.

POLS 326 Soviet and Russian Politics (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Soviet and Russian Politics examines the politics and government of the former Soviet Union and Russian Republic. Key issues explored in the course include continuity and change in Soviet and Russian political systems and the evolution of domestic and international policy since the end of World War II.

POLS 328 Modernization, Dependency, and Political Development (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course examines the major theories of development and underdevelopment. The class addresses the domestic and international political, social, and economic factors that promote or retard development in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

POLS 329 Politics of Protest and Revolution (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course undertakes a comparative study of protest and revolution in industrialized and non-industrialized countries. The political, economic and social conditions that give rise to protest and revolution will be examined. Reform movements, revolts and revolutions, both historical and contemporary, will be compared from a cross-system perspective.

POLS 330 Comparative Gender Politics (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course uses gender as a comparative analytic framework to examine a variety of important issues including: human rights, economic development, labor and property control, violence against women, family and health concerns, and the role women play as political actors and leaders in formulating policy across a number of different countries.

POLS 331 The Politics of Film and Reality in South Africa (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course analyzes the role of the media, particularly commercial films, in creating and reinforcing images of African politics. Focused most specifically on films related to South Africa, the course develops analytical skills and substantive perspectives on the study of politics in African countries.

POLS 332 The Politics of Film and Reality in Latin America (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course examines the portrayal of Latin American politics in contemporary Latin American and non-Latin American film. The class will focus on major issues of race, class, gender, culture, nationalism, imperialism, religion, power, and values as well as examining the typical stereotypes of Latin American politics and culture. It also examines the history of Latin American relations with the U.S. and the perceptions of those relations.

POLS 333 The Politics of Contemporary Brazil (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course introduces the student to the politics of Latin America's largest, most populous and most important country. A brief introduction that covers the period of Portuguese colonization, as well as early independence and national eras, will be followed by an intensive focus on the period from the presidency of Getulio Vargas to the present. Special attention will be given to the era of military government in the 1960s to the "abertura" which opened the door to democratization in the 1990s and the present period of President Henrique Cardosa.

POLS 334 Geographies and Politics of the European Union (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
A comprehensive introduction to the European Union, structured around the changing geographies of the European space and a chronology of developments in Europe from the Second World War. The course will chart the emergence of the initial European Communities and follow changes as these communities evolve into today’s European Union.

POLS 335 Cuban Revolution (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course is an in-depth and experiential examination of the Cuban Revolution. Students will live in Cuba for one to three months, studying the history, progress, and current condition of the revolutionary process in Cuba. Offered as a travel course only.

POLS 336 Geographies and Politics of Food (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
Our relationship to food has changed radically over recent centuries and this continues today. This course focuses on the technologization of the production and harvesting of food, to explore the paradox of food anxiety driven by, for example, obesity, food security and safety, and to chart global food sourcing and its inequities.

POLS 337 Geography and Politics of the U.S. and Canada (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
This course focuses on the physical and human processes that shape the United States and Canada and explores their implications for urbanization, immigration and cultural change, environmental sustainability, and national and economic security in two countries.

POLS 339 Special Topics in Comparative Politics (3)
(Comparative Politics subfield)
These courses examine selected topics in comparative politics not covered in other courses.

POLS 340 Democratic and Anti-Democratic Thought (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course focuses on democratic theory and its enemies. Students will read a variety of democratic and anti-democratic theorists, on the basis of these readings, examine the various contending definitions of democracy, assess the value of democracy, and evaluate the arguments of those opposed to democracy. Theorists will include: Rousseau, Marx, Cole, MacPherson, Michels, Mosca, Pareto, Schumpeter, and Spitz.

POLS 341 Constitutional Law (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course concentrates on the American Constitution. Topics focus on the power relationships between the executive, legislature, judiciary, and state governments, including the commerce clause, war powers the executive, legislative powers to tax and spend, judicial review, and the doctrines and principles of American constitutionalism. Prerequisite: POLS 101

POLS 342 Civil Liberties (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course is largely a study of basic individual liberties found in the American Constitution and interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Typically, the rights and liberties discussed include the first amendment (freedom of speech, press, and the religion clause) and the 14th amendment (equal protection of the laws-including race, gender, age and privacy). Prerequisite: POLS 101

POLS 344 Jurisprudence (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
The purpose of this course is to study the historical and theoretical development of the concept of law. It will examine problems in the field ranging from general principles on which legal rules are based to analysis of fundamental legal concepts and normative theories.

POLS 345 Ethics and Politics (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
Ethics and Politics examines the relationship between ethics and politics. This course explores a variety of moral issues that arise in political life including corruption, the problem of dirty hands, lies and deception, and whistleblowing. The political, philosophical, and psychological dimensions of these choices are assessed.

POLS 346 Modern Ideologies (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course analyzes the major political doctrines and political cultures of the present day, with primary emphasis on communism, fascism, socialism and the doctrines of the modern democratic state.

POLS 347 American Political Thought (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
American political thought analyzes the political ideas and beliefs that condition and influence the political system. Topics include a history of American political thought, the development of civic culture, and the ideology of the common man.

POLS 350 Contemporary Liberalism (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This course focuses on the work of John Rawls and his critics in order to analyze the key principles of liberalism and the arguments, internal and external to liberalism itself, concerning those principles. The course emphasizes philosophical arguments and the political applications of such arguments with a sustained analysis of particular issues (such as abortion, euthanasia, welfare, education).

POLS 351 Utopia/ Dystopia (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
The study of utopia, or the ideal, yet non-existent, place is a staple of Western political thought. Utopias criticize one’s own world while simultaneously setting out a framework of a better future. Dystopias sharpen this criticism by presenting a vision of the worst place. This class analyzes these criticisms and evaluates proposals about, among other things, ideal government, family life, and education.

POLS 352 Gender, Theory, and Law: Sexual Harassment (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
Sexual harassment is a lens through which we can view the status of women in the workplace, the nature of anti-discrimination law, and the differing theories used to explain and analyze gender norms.

POLS 353 Beginning Mock Trial (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This experiential course offers students an opportunity to learn firsthand about the work of trial attorneys, understand the judicial system, develop critical thinking skills, and enhance communication skills. This will occur in conjunction with the annual American Mock Trial Association’s case and associated intra-squad and local competitions. This course is intended for students with no previous mock trial experience and there is no travel involved.

POLS 354 Advanced Mock Trial (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
This advanced course offers students with previous mock trial experience an opportunity to further enhance their skills in a competitive environment in conjunction with the annual American Mock Trial Association’s case analysis and spring-semester tournament activities. Travel is involved in the fall and spring semesters. Enrollment is limited and by permission of the department chair.

POLS 359 Special Topics in Political Thought and Public Law (3)
(Political Thought and Public Law subfield)
These courses examine selected topics in political thought or public law not covered in other courses.

POLS 360 International Relations Theory (3)
(International Politics subfield)
This course is designed to familiarize students with the theoretical and analytical tools needed to explore the perennial and pressing questions of international relations. The class includes analysis of key international relations issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

POLS 361 The United States in World Affairs (3)
(International Politics subfield)
The United States in World Affairs provides an overview and political analysis of America's continual search for its appropriate role in the world. This course includes examinations of the assumptions, theories, and concepts that shape American policies overseas.

POLS 362 Case Studies in Foreign Policy (3)
(International Politics subfield)
Case Studies in Foreign Policy surveys and evaluates a variety of theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy and practice and applies these approaches to various countries and different foreign policy issue areas. The emphasis in this course is conceptual, with a focus on theories of human behavior and the contributions these theories make to the comparative study of foreign policy.

POLS 363 International Law and Organization (3)
(International Politics subfield)
This course will examine basic concepts and principles of international law and analyze the nature, political processes, and impact of international organization in world politics. It will explore different approaches to the study of international organization and evaluate the performance of international organizations in carrying out tasks and attaining goals.

POLS 364 International Environmental Politics (3)
(International Politics subfield)
International Environmental Politics examines the transnational nature of environmental issues and the responses to them in light of the political, economic, and social priorities of states and other actors in the global arena. The course includes substantive discussion of key environmental concerns and specific analysis of how international institutions and selected communities throughout the world have grappled with the politics of environmental stress and degradation.

POLS 365 International Political Economy (3)
(International Politics subfield)
This course seeks to understand the interactions of politics and economics and to link theoretical questions to an examination of the vast changes that have occurred in the world. It analyzes the political and economic causes and implications of international economic relations across numerous dimensions of economic exchange trade, direct investment, aid, monetary relations, technology transfers - from various perspectives.

POLS 366 International Diplomacy Studies (3)
(International Politics subfield)
This course investigates the structure, operation, and prospects of international and/or regional organizations such as the United Nations, Organization of African Unity, Organization of American States, Arab League, etc. The class includes participation in international or regional organization models. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

POLS 367 The Geography of International Conflict (3)
(International Politics subfield)
The Geography of International Conflict analyzes contemporary international conflicts within the context of theories and concepts in political geography. Conflicts explored in this course include those in the former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. Furthermore, the U.S. role as potential peacemaker in these regions is investigated.

POLS 368 Political Geography (3)
(International Politics subfield)
Political geography is about control over space. The key vehicle for controlling space over recent centuries has been the state. This course focuses on the modern state. It focuses on state strategies to control space as varied as defining borders, putting railroads in place, and particularly, creating national identities.

POLS 369 Politics of Globalization (3)
(International Politics subfield)
This course examines the complex and multifaceted political, economic, and cultural interactions among state and non-state actors. The class will focus on market liberalization, the power of the nation-state, the international division of labor, feminization of the global production workforce, anti-systematic protest movements, and production and consumption practices.

POLS 379 Special Topics in International Relations (3)
(International Politics subfield)
These courses examine selected topics in international politics not covered in other courses.

POLS 380 State Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
State Politics examines the political institutions and processes of state and local government within the American federal system. The course includes an analysis of the government and politics of South Carolina in a comparative perspective. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 381 Urban Government and Politics
(American Politics subfield)
Urban Government and Politics focuses on the impact of an urban society upon the forms, structure, and functions of county and municipal governments, the political problems generated by metropolitan growth, the various approaches to the governing of the metropolis, the political process in urban communities, and community power structure and decision-making. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 382 The Congress (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course analyzes the organization, procedures, and behaviors of legislative bodies in America, with emphasis on the United State Congress. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 383 The Judiciary (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course analyzes the major legal concepts and operations of the American judicial system with an emphasis on the political as well as legal factors involved in judicial decision making. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 384 The Presidency (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course analyzes the structure, behavior, history, and roles of executive institutions in the American political system. Prerequisites: POLS 101

POLS 386 American Politics and the Mass Media (3)
(American Politics subfield)
American Politics and the Mass Media explores how political discourse and institutions are changing with current mass communication technology and practices. This course provides a basic introduction to media law, economics, and regulation and pays special attention to the intersection of the media practices and campaigns, the presidency, public opinion, policy making, and war. Crosslisted with COMM 386. Students may not earn credit for both courses. Prerequisite: POLS 101

POLS 387 Political Parties and Interest Groups (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course examines the nature, functions, organization, and activities of political parties and interest groups. This course explores topics such as the processes of nomination, campaigns, and elections in the American political system as well as comparative analysis of parties and interest groups in other systems.

POLS 388 Elections, Participation, and Voting Behavior (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course analyzes American elections, voting, and alternative conventional and unconventional forms of participation citizens might undertake in an effort to influence politics. Students will be introduced to the principal theories and methods of the voting behavior literature and have the opportunity to test those theories using recent national election data.

POLS 389 Public Opinion in American Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course covers the formation, expression, and measurement of American public opinion in order to better understand how citizens think about and react to the political world. Crosslisted with COMM 389. A student may not earn credit for both courses. Prerequisite: POLS 101.

POLS 390 Southern Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
Southern Politics is a comparative study of selected political patterns and trends in the Southern states since World War II. Prerequisites: POLS 101

POLS 391 Extremist Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course analyzes the organization, philosophy, and activities of American extremist movements.

POLS 392 Women and Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
Women and Politics examines the role of the women's movement and feminism, and political participation by women, primarily within the American political system. The course focuses attention on women as citizens within a particular culture as political candidates and policymakers.

POLS 394 Political Campaign Communication (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course examines the communication strategies employed in local, state, and national political campaigns. Topics include message design, political speeches, political advertising, and media relations. Crosslisted with COMM 394. A student may not earn credit for both courses. Prerequisites: POLS 101 or COMM 210 or permission of the instructor.

POLS 395 American Federalism (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course examines the history of federalism in the U.S. through an examination of the political, economic, and social forces that have changed the relationships between the national, state, and local governments. Several models of federalism will be applied to the practice of intergovernmental relations in order to gain a sophisticated understanding of federalism in theory and practice. Prerequisites: POLS 101.

POLS 396 Race, Ethnicity, and the City (3)
(American Politics subfield)
This course focuses on the ways in which racial and ethnic meanings and hierarchies are produced in and through urban space. We will examine the production of specific urban spaces such as the ghetto, the enclave, the suburb, and the citadel. In addition to looking at each racialized space independently, we will also investigate the linkages among them.

POLS 399 Special Topics in American Politics (3)
(American Politics subfield)
These courses examine selected topics in American politics not covered in other courses.

POLS 400 Tutorial (3)
Tutorials offer individual faculty instruction in regularly scheduled meetings (usually once a week). Prerequisites: Junior standing plus permission of the tutor and the department chair.

POLS 401 Reading and Independent Study in Political Science (1-3)
This is a course designed primarily for the student interested in a particular topic. The amount of reading and/or the nature of the project will determine the credit to be assigned. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. May be repeated. No more than six hours may be applied to the major.

POLS 402 Field Internship (1-6)
Field internships are designed to provide the advanced student with the opportunity to pursue a research topic in the context of an experiential learning situation. Open to juniors and seniors only. Prerequisite: Permission of the department. May be repeated. No more than six hours may be applied to the major.

POLS 405 Capstone Seminar
The Capstone Seminar provides political science majors with a culminating and integrative experience at the end of the major course work. The seminar, required of all majors, provides student with the opportunity to do research and develop a critical analysis utilizing the key concepts and methodologies across the subfields of the discipline. A variety of topics will be offered each year. Prerequisite: Permission of chairperson to enroll is required. Students will normally have completed at least 27 semester hours of work in political science at the time of enrollment.

POLS 499 Bachelor's Essay (6)
The Bachelor's Essay is a year-long research and writing project done during the senior year under the close supervision of a tutor from the department. The student must take the initiative in seeking a tutor to help in both the design and the supervision of the project. A project proposal must be submitted in writing and approved by the department prior to registration for the course.