Schedule of Classes

The American political system: constitutional principles, political processes, and governmental policy making.

Political processes through which rapidly growing problems of the state and local governments are identified, fought over, and resolved.

Recurrent concepts or issues in political thought and ways they have been treated by classic and contemporary writers. Obligation and the social contract, liberty, justice and equality, property, representation.

Fundamental issues and problems that have contributed to structuring current patterns of international relations.

Introduction to political inquiry; research methods necessary for in-depth research.

Governmental structures, public policies, policy making processes, ideological foundations, and dynamics of political and economic change in the parliamentary democracies of West Europe; emphasis on Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Provides an advanced understanding of the American Congress and its members within the framework of social science. Discusses congressional rules and procedures, member behavior and motivation, and the role of parties and leaders. Addresses debates about the modern Congress including lack of competition for seats, polarization, redistricting, the filibuster and pork-barrel politics.

Provides credit for students participating in the seminar component of the Washington Center program in Washington, D.C.

Public administration in a democratic setting: history of American PA, organization theory, public personnel, budgeting, intergovernmental relations, decision making and policy analysis, the regulatory process, and ethics in government.

Supreme Court as one of the policy making agencies of the federal government. Relationship between citizen and government in civil, property, and political rights.

Students work with selected political agencies, to study practical political problems from the perspective of the discipline. Course may be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours. Pass/Fail.

Individual in-depth work on a subject approved and supervised by a PLS faculty member. For highly qualified students.

Individual research for qualified students. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit.

Seminar in Political Theory