t h e c o l l e g e at r i n d g e PO___ 300-level course _____ Elective* _____ Elective
_____ Elective
*One or more additional electives may be needed to fulfill general education requirements. See General and Liberal Education (GLE) on p. 118.
Political Science Curriculum PO001 Political Science Competency Exam 0 credits Individualized program of review and study culminating in an oral Political Science competency exam during the senior year. Required of all Political Science majors. PO110 Political Violence 3 credits Political violence occurs in a variety of forms, ranging from organized masses engaged in state-sponsored conflict (i.e., war) to a lone assassin’s bullet striking down a national leader. This course examines both of these forms and more. Attention is also given to the following question: Is there any moral justification for the use of violence in pursuit of a political goal? Addresses GLE Learning Outcomes Humanities (HM), Critical Thinking (CT) and Written Communication (WC). PO111 Politics and Popular Culture 3 credits An investigation into the interactions between politics and popular culture in American society. Particular attention will be given to the role of the mass media and the popular arts in the political system. The objective is to draw important political lessons from questions about these relationships between culture and politics. Addresses GLE Learning Outcomes Humanities (HM), Ethical Reasoning (ER) and Intercultural Knowledge (IK). PO200 Political Science Research Methods 4 credits Deals with the application of quantitative and qualitative research methods to the study of political science. Students will learn how to formulate, operationalize, test, and evaluate empirical hypotheses regarding everyday political phenomena. PO201 U.S. Government 3 credits Examines the institutions, participants, and processes that characterize political activity in the United States. Focus is not only on the contemporary nature of American government but also on the original design of the Framers and how it has been implemented over time. This course meets the Social Science (SS) K & U area as well as the Civic Knowledge & Engagement LO (CK), Inquiry & Analysis (IA), and Information Literacy (IL). PO205 Contemporary World Affairs 3 credits Examines the actors, institutions, and processes that have shaped the political, military, economic, and social life of the planet in the post-World War II era. Particular attention is given to the role of the nation-state and the challenges to it posed by a variety of non-state actors. Major world issues such as overpopulation and ethnic conflict are explored in order to demonstrate that the complexities surrounding these phenomena make their solution problematic within the current global framework. This course meets the Social Science (SS) K & U as well as Critical Thinking (CT) and Critical Reading (CR). PO206 Comparative Politics 3 credits A survey of major governmental systems in various geographic regions of the world, with emphasis on ideology, structure, and political behavior as they characterize these forms of government. This course meets the Social Science (SS) K & U, Inquiry & Analysis (IA)and Critical Thinking (CT). PO/PA210 Political Theory 3 credits Major political philosophical systems with emphasis on the relationship of theory to practice in historical context. Important theories, such as the concept of natural law, traced from the Stoics to Karl Marx and beyond. Intensive review of other modern political concepts 190