Political Science
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2008 - 2009 Catalog
Political Science
Taylor 120A
541-552-6123
Gary Miller, Chair
The political science program is part of the History and Political Science Department. The mission of the political science program is to promote in our students an appreciation for the rich history and dynamics of political thought and life. Political science at SOU encourages an awareness of our students’ obligations as citizens, their potential as active participants in public life, and their connections through political and cultural institutions to the rest of the world.
The political science program provides a solid liberal arts curriculum that prepares students for active engagement in public and private settings with a keen understanding of political institutions and processes. The curriculum, with its emphasis on political behavior, law, public opinion research, and political thought, is designed to interface with a variety of other majors. In particular, the department strives to engender in students a balance between the theoretical and philosophical "politics of ideas" and the pragmatic applied processes and behaviors of "politics on the street." Through service-learning and internship programs, the program offers students experiences in politics, government, law, and social research. The political science faculty provides active mentorship to students seeking academic challenge and community involvement.
Degrees
BA or BS in Political Science
Minor
Political Science
Requirements for the Major
Students pursuing a major in political science must meet the following requirements:
- Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements as stated beginning on page 19.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA in all political science courses.
- Complete the following core courses (16 credits):
| (Choose two) Globalization (PS 110); Power and Politics (PS 201); or Law, Politics, and the Constitution (PS 202) | 8 |
| Research Methods (PS 398) | 4 |
| Senior Seminar (PS 498) | 4 |
- Select Track 1 (Politics, Law, and Strategic Studies) or Track 2 (Community Organizing)
- Track 1: Politics, Law, and Strategic Studies (32 credits total).
| American Politics and Processes (select two courses): Politics of Mass Media (PS 310), Public Opinion and Survey Research (PS 311), American Politics (PS 313), Politics and Film (PS 360), Public Policy and the Environment (PS 428), Topic-related courses (PS 399, 401, 403, 407, 409, and 469) | 8 |
| Public Law (select two courses): Law, Science, and the Environment (PS 340), The Constitution and the Supreme Court (PS 341), The Constitution and the Presidency (PS 343), Environmental Law and Policy (PS 441), Topic-related courses (PS 399, 401, 403, 407, 409, and 469) | 8 |
| Global and Strategic Studies (select two courses): Global Politics (PS 355), Twentieth-Century Revolutions (PS 372), American Foreign Relations (PS 450), U.S.-Latin American Relations (PS 454), Terrorism (PS 458), Topic-related courses (PS 399, 401, 403, 407, 409, and 469) | 8 |
| Community-Based Learning (select 4 credits): Public Opinion and Survey Research (PS 311), Business, Government, and Nonprofits (PS 321), Political Campaigns (PS 324), Government Relations and Public Policy (PS 417), Nonprofit Grantwriting and Government Relations (PS 430A), and Nonprofit Volunteerism, Board Development, and Community Mobilization (PS 430B) | 4 |
| One additional upper-division political science course | 4 |
- Track 2: Community Organizing (32 credits total). Students must take each of the following courses:
| Public Opinion (PS 311) | 4 |
| American Politics (PS 313) | 4 |
| Business, Government, and Nonprofits (PS 321) | 4 |
| Political Campaigns (PS 324) | 4 |
| Practicum (PS 409) | credits to be arranged |
| Government Relations and Public Policy (PS 417) | 4 |
| Public Policy and the Environment (PS 428) | 4 |
| Nonprofit Grantwriting and Government Relations (PS 430A) | 2 |
| Nonprofit Volunteerism, Board Development, and Community Mobilization (PS 430B) | 2 |
Minors
Political Science
(minimum 24 credits)
| Globalization (PS 110); Power and Politics
(PS 201); or Law, Politics, and the Constitution (PS 202) | 4 |
| Research Methods (PS 398) | 4 |
| At least 16 additional credits with 12 credits at the upper division level | 16 |
Political Science Courses
See Course Prerequisites PolicyLower Division Courses
| PS 110 Globalization |
| 4 credits |
| Introduces the nature of politics and markets, paying special attention to the politics of the United States in an interdependent world of nation-states. Also explores other actors, such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, multinational corporations, and terrorist groups. Addresses the question of how an international community can respond to pressing global problems, such as environmental degradation, the need for peacekeepers, and rapid technological change. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
| PS 199 Special Studies |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 201 Power and Politics |
| 4 credits |
| Explores the dynamics of power in the pursuit of political objectives. Analyzes social, political, economic, and cultural power with particular emphasis on political institutions of the United States. Distinguishes between power and force. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
| PS 202 Law, Politics, and the Constitution |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the formal, legal underpinnings of legitimate authority by examining the constitutional structure of the United States. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
| PS 260 Politics and Film |
| 4 credits |
| Explores the role of feature film as an expression of prevailing political culture. Offers a better understanding of how film serves simultaneously as a political archive and a potential agent of social propaganda or social change. |
Upper Division Courses
| PS 310 The Politics of Mass Media |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the impact of politics on the development of mass media and the influence of mass media on political development. Offers a critical analysis of historical and contemporary American mass media treatment of political actors and events in the U.S. and around the world. Topics include partisan, ideological, and corporate biases in the press; the political relevance of "entertainment" programming; the development of "investigative reporting"; and the emergence of web-based political publications as challengers to the dominance of traditional electronic and print media. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis/Integration). Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements. |
| PS 311 Public Opinion and Survey Research |
| 4 credits |
| Covers the techniques of opinion-gathering and measurement. Students explore the literature of survey research and conduct actual polls of their campus and community. Essential course for students seeking a career in politics, management, or business. |
| PS 313 American Politics |
| 4 credits |
| Reviews the institutions, founding principles, and processes of government in America. Topics include the founding of the Constitution, federalism, the presidency, Congress, the judiciary, civil liberties, political parties, pressure groups, and elections. |
| PS 321 Business, Government, and Nonprofits |
| 4 credits |
| Looks closely at the underlying principles, values, and prescribed role of the for-profit sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector primarily in American society. The sector the organization resides in affects how an organization acts, responds, creates relationships, and uses resources. Explores the coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and necessary relationships among the sectors. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis). Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements. (Cross-listed with BA 320.) |
| PS 324 Political Campaigns |
| 4 credits |
| Introduces modern American elections and the complex processes that influence them. Examines the basic techniques of organizing and implementing a political campaign, including relationships between candidates and the media, psychology of political oratory, campaign finance, grassroots organizing, and use of the Internet. |
| PS 340 Law, Science, and the Environment |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the capacity of the legal system to satisfactorily resolve environmental and other disputes that require decision-makers to reach conclusions based on scientific evidence. Tracks a lawsuit or administrative proceeding involving environmental issues from beginning to end, exploring the difficulties scientists, lawyers, and juries face when trying to make sense of one another. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis/Integration). Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements. |
| PS 341 The Constitution and the Supreme Court |
| 4 credits |
| Analyzes the Supreme Court as a political and legal institution. Examines the relationship between the Supreme Court and other courts, as well as other branches of government. Includes an examination of recent decisions of the Supreme Court interpreting the Constitution. (Cross-listed with HST 388.) |
| PS 343 The Constitution and the Presidency |
| 4 credits |
| Examines political and legal disputes involving presidential powers or prerogatives, beginning with the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Charts the development of and changes to the presidency within the American political and constitutional system. (Cross-listed with HST 389.) |
| PS 350 World Politics |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the nature and structure of the modern international state system, with reference to theory and practice. Emphasizes globalization and the impact of international developments on domestic politics. Approved for University Studies (Integration). (Cross-listed with IS 350.) |
| PS 355 Global Politics |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the institutional transformation of global politics over the past half century. Students acquire a comprehensive understanding of the global political landscape through a combination of theory-based analyses of regional and international politics (alliances, non-governmental organizations, nation-states, international, hegemony) and comparative case studies of regime types around the world. Upper-division standing recommended. |
| PS 372 Twentieth-Century Revolutions |
| 4 credits |
| Assesses historical developments, individuals, and transformations of the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries through the prism of revolutions and revolutionary movements. Focuses on revolutions in Mexico (1910 to 1940), Russia (1905 to 1928), China (1911 to 1958), and Cuba (1933 to 1970). Provides a thematic and comparative approach to the study of modern global history. HST 111, 112, or PS 110 (or equivalent) recommended. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and completion of Explorations sequences in Humanities and Social Sciences. (Cross-listed with HST 372.) |
| PS 382 Vietnam War and Film |
| 4 credits |
| Focuses on the impact of popular American motion pictures and major documentations of the Vietnam War on American history and culture thirty years after the end of the conflict. Promotes critical thinking about the Vietnam War to understand how historical, economic, social, and political conditions affected American cultural values and beliefs. Open to all majors. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and completion of Explorations sequences in Humanities and Social Sciences. (Cross-listed with HST 382.) |
| PS 398 Research Methods |
| 4 credits |
| Introduces the basic techniques of political science research and writing. Incorporates the Internet and government documents. Meets the computer literacy requirement for political science and international studies majors. (Cross-listed with IS 398.) |
| PS 399 Special Studies |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 401/501 Research |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 403/503 Thesis |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 405/505 Reading and Conference |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 407/507 Seminar |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 409/509 Practicum |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PS 417/517 Government Relations and Public Policy |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the ways in which business and nonprofit organizations influence U.S. politics and policy, including impacts on the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the regulatory process. Covers techniques of campaign finance, lobbying, and shaping public opinion. Prerequisite: PS 313. |
| PS 428/528 Public Policy and the Environment |
| 4 credits |
| Explores the historical, conceptual, and normative foundations of public resource administration. |
| PS 430A/530A Nonprofit Grantwriting and Government Relations |
| 2 credits |
| Surveys a nonprofit manager’s primary areas of responsibility, including strategic planning, organizational change and development, locating and securing grants, and developing outcome-based assessment tools. Emphasizes assessing and evaluating grants-based programs. (Cross-listed with MM 530A and BA 430A/530A.) |
| PS 430B/530B Nonprofit Volunteerism, Board Development, and Community Mobilization |
| 2 credits |
| Surveys the nonprofit manager’s areas of responsibility in leading volunteers, volunteer management, and board development and management. Emphasizes the importance of strategically mobilizing community involvement. (Cross-listed with MM 530B and PS 430B/530B.) |
| PS 441/541 Environmental Law |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the major techniques and strategies used by policy-makers and regulators to protect and enhance the environment. Pays special attention to the economic, social, and political barriers that prevent effective regulation of the environment. |
| PS 448/548 Mediation and Conflict Management |
| 4 credits |
| Introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of dispute resolution and assists in developing basic skills and knowledge for productively managing their own and intervening in others’ disputes. Class time consists primarily of practice and role-play, as well as lecture, lecture-discussion, and coaching by professional mediators. Certificate of completion provided after successful completion of the course. Additional fees/tuition may apply. (Cross-listed in other departments.) |
| PS 450/550 U.S. Foreign Policy |
| 4 credits |
| Explores the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy, especially from World War II to the present. Surveys the international affairs of the U.S. while analyzing political, economic, strategic, and ideological factors. Examines the Cold War and global commitments. (Cross-listed with HST 453.) |
| PS 454 U.S.-Latin American Relations |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the history of relations between Latin American nations and the United States, focusing on the last half of the twentieth century. Focuses on the impact of Latin America’s nationalist, anti-imperialist, class, racial, and economic struggles on foreign relations, while recognizing the asymmetrical hegemonic relationships between the United States and other nations in the hemisphere. Analyzes American policies in terms of the domestic and global contexts within which leaders defined national economic, strategic, and ideological interests and their regional policy objectives. HST 251, 111, or PS 110 (or equivalent) recommended. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and completion of Explorations sequences in Humanities and Social Sciences. (Cross-listed with HST 454.) |
| PS 458 Terrorism |
| 4 credits |
| Focuses on the causes, methods, and consequences of internal and international terrorism. Examines both theoretical analyses and specific case studies in an attempt to make sense of the historical development and current trajectories of terrorism, both within a society and as a regional or global phenomenon. PS 110, 355, or HST 111 recommended. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing. |
| PS 469/569 Topics in Political Theory |
| 4 credits |
| Examines selected concepts, themes, ideologies, and theorists in the study of politics. Offers the following and other topics as needed: Modern Political Theory, Political Ideologies, Critical Theory, Equality and Freedom, and American Political Thought. Repeat credit is allowed for different topics. Prerequisites determined by topic. |
| PS 498 Senior Seminar |
| 4 credits |
| Enables students to apply the concepts, principles, and theories of political science to a practical simulation of political action. |
