Political Science
The courses on this page reflect 2008 offerings.
Visit this page on December 15 to view course descriptions and schedules for the 2009 General Honors Program. |
CAS PO 101 Introduction to Political Science
Overview of political science and its subfields: American politics,
public policy, comparative politics, international relations, and
political theory. Focus on core questions and issues in the discipline.
4 cr.
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CAS PO 191 Utopias and Dystopias
AA study of the more famous fictitious political communities: Plato's
Republic, Machiavelli's The Prince, More's Utopia and Orwell's 1984.
Issues include the nature of the good society, the tension between
political ideals and political realities and the role of imagination
in political theory and political practice. (Summer only.) 4 cr.
CAS PO 211 Introduction to American Politics
Undergraduate core course. Study of the national political
structure; emphasis on Congress, the executive, administrative agencies,
and the judiciary. Relations between formal institutions, parties,
and interest groups. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 271 Introduction to International Relations
Undergraduate core course. Study of basic factors in international
relations, Western state systems, balance of power, nationalism,
and imperialism. Primarily for concentrators. Meets with CAS IR
271. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 291 Introduction to Political Theory
Examines classic and current views on the nature of authority,
liberty, and justice. Topics include civil disobedience, freedom
of expression, abortion rights, and affirmative action. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 300 Special Topics in American Politics
Summer 2008 Topic: Race and Politics. Examines contemporary
American politics through the lens of race. Explores conceptual
and methodological issues, while focusing on how racial identity
shapes, and is shaped by, the American political system. Topics
may include group participation, political representation, public
opinion, voting behavior, the possibilities for coalition building,
and majority backlash. Consideration of the causes and consequences
of mobilizing around race and how changing patterns of political
incorporation (or alienation) of racial groups have impacted their
political power. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 312 American Political Culture
An examination of how Americans think about politics--specifically,
of the values, beliefs, norms, and separate ideologies that constitute
American liberalism. Where did this political culture originate?
How does it condition political behavior and public policy? How
does it differ from other political cultures? 4 cr.
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