Fall 2008 Courses (Tentative)

PO 100  Introduction to Politics                                    MWF   10:00-10:50AM

PO 105  The American Political System                         MWF     9:00-9:50AM

PO 221  Introduction to International Relations              MWF   11:00-11:50AM

PO 235   Introduction to the Criminal Justice System     TR       9:30-10:45AM

PO 244  Campaigns and Elections                                   TR       12:30-1:45PM

PO 248  The American Presidency                               MWF     10:00-10:50AM

PO 260  Civil Rights, Vietnam, Watergate                      TR         2:00-3:15PM

PO 280  Methods of Political Research                          TR         9:30-10:45AM

                                                                                      W       11:00-11:50AM     

PO 301  Political Behavior and Opinion                        M          1:00-3:45PM

PO 321  Global Issues                                                   W          2:00-4:45PM

PO 330  Constitutional Law                                         TR       11:00-12:15PM

Complete List

PO 100: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of the political world, from an introduction to the basic institutions of government, to key political ideologies and important political theories that define and influence political action and behavior.  As the foundation course in the department’s curriculum, this course introduces students to key questions that characterize the discipline and instills a common vocabulary and prepares them to study these questions in greater detail throughout the remainder of the major’s coursework.

PO 105: THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM (3 credits)

This course emphasizes the theoretical underpinnings and practical understanding of the national policy process and institutions of government.  The course also provides students with adequate preparation for further work in the major by emphasizing the understanding of specific political issues, the manners through which the process works (and does not), and explores the implications of current political events and investigates the ways in which political scientists measure and analyze political issues.

PO 220: CURRENT AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY (3 credits)

Examination of the objectives, principles, institutions and processes of formulation of current American foreign policy and programs.  Problems of administration of strategic, military, diplomatic and economic policies toward specific countries and geographic regions will be analyzed. Prerequisite: Political Science 105.

PO 221: INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (3 credits)

The course will provide the student with a conceptual and empirical overview of international politics. Realism, the problem of war and its causes, and Non-realist theories of international relations including complex interdependence will all be examined. Different visions of the New World order will also be studied. Skills emphasized will include moral and ethical reasoning, strategic thinking, historical analysis, negotiations, and writing.

PO 223: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP (3 credits)

This course examines political participation and the quality of democratic citizenship in the United States.  Because democracy presupposes an informed, engaged, participatory public, low levels of civic and political engagement and participation may be indicative of an apathetic citizenry and a cause for concern.  Some citizens, however, may be acting in their rational self interest by not participating.  This course examines that dilemma and explores the consequences of low levels of participation and its possible remedies.  This course also encourages students to examine the political consequences of resources, social networks, and mobilization.

PO 224: GROUP INFLUENCE IN AMERICA (3 credits)

The impetus for political change multiplies dramatically as individuals from different cultural backgrounds in the US band together in groups.  This course examines the means by which groups – organized interests and political parties – attempt to influence public policy outcomes in the American political system.  It reflects on how individuals choose to join groups and how they express collective preferences.  Additionally, this course explores the internal structures and operations of interest groups and political parties as well as their relations with others in the political system and emphasizes how these aspects have changed over time and with what consequences.

PO 235: INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (3 credits)
Acting as a basic introduction to the legal structure surrounding the American criminal justice system, this course will walk through the various phases of the trial process. Special attention will be paid to the various professional roles that are played within the system and the critical issues that have arisen in recent years. This course will introduce students to the tension between the government provision of justice and stability and the protection of the rights of the accused. Contemporary issues within the criminal justice system will be examined through the eyes of the social scientist. This course will encourage students to engage in systematic research and to enhance their formal presentation skills.
Prerequisite: Political Science 100 or 105.

PO 240: STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS
A course designed to familiarize students with political processes and trends in American state and local governments. Covers such topics as forms of local governments, the place of cities and states in America’s federal system, state and local policy implementation, and important institutions in various state and local systems. Students will examine their own roles in local and state communities, and will sharpen their skills in research, writing, and the comparison of cases. Special attention is given to both the state of Illinois and the city of Decatur.

PO 244: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS (3 credits)
This course will help students learn the science, art and craft of electoral politics at the national and state levels. Our focus will be on the American nominating and general election systems in a comparative context. Mass electoral behavior will be studied, and an extensive simulation will allow students to run their own campaigns, conduct polling, choose advertising, explore issues, and strategize. Students will enhance their application, collaboration, and presentation skills, as well as prepare to be more actively engaged citizens.

PO 248: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY (3 credits)
Why does the most powerful person on earth feel so limited in the ability to obtain favored outcomes? This course offers an in-depth examination of the theoretical underpinnings, organization, development, and powers of the American Presidency. Students will acquire a working understanding of the electoral battles, the development of powers, and how the Presidency interacts with other actors in the political system. Skills developed will include historical analysis, research, comparing cases, and writing.

PO 260/IN 250: CIVIL RIGHTS, VIETNAM AND WATERGATE
In the 1960s and 1970s, America’s Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate Affair were gut-wrenching events that left an enduring legacy of political distrust in the United States. Students will begin to address these three topics with a discussion of ethics, personal and government values, and how to recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas. From this ethics background, students briefly will discuss the post-Second World War evolution of the so-called cold war, and explore how the cold war’s mindset came to influence the principle topics of this course. Thereafter, students will examine in detail from an ethical perspective the dynamics, impact on society, and historical significance of the civil rights movement in the United States, the war in Vietnam, and the Watergate political scandal.

PO 280: METHODS OF POLITICAL RESEARCH (4 credits)
In this course students will learn: to apply the concepts of scientific understanding and progress; to build explanatory models of the political world; to develop and test scientific hypotheses; to collect and utilize data from both primary and secondary sources; to use computers for statistical analysis; to design, execute, and present an original research project; to understand and interpret the scholarly work of others; to understand the uses and misuses of scientific research; and to prepare for more advanced work in the Political Science Department. Prerequisite: PO 100 or 105 or professor's consent.

PO 301: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR AND OPINION

This course examines the academic literature on individual political behavior and public opinion and the nature and consequences of people’s understanding of politics, public opinion on various issues, political participation, and voting. The course focuses on approaches and theories developed by scholars to study public opinion, and it examines substantive opinions and inter-group differences in opinions and how they translate into political behavior. Pre-requisite: Political Science 105 or consent of instructor.

PO 305: PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
In the first part of the course, we will examine various theories concerning the nature of law. In particular, we will examine how these theories view the connection between law and morality. Is there a connection between law and morality? If there is, is it a necessary connection? In the second part of the course, we will focus on issues surrounding judicial interpretation. Questions to be considered include the following: How ought judges to interpret the constitution? What role (if any) should moral principles play in their adjudication? What is the role of judges in relation to democratically elected legislatures? In “hard cases,” do judges create law (legislate from the bench) or do they work to discover the correct answer (apply the law to the case before them)? Interspersed with these more theoretical readings will be excerpts from actual U.S. Supreme Court cases. We will focus primarily (though not exclusively) on the so-called “privacy cases.”

PO 310: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

In this course, we will examine attempts by philosophers within the Western philosophical tradition to answer the following three questions. First, what justification (if any) can be given for the existence of the state? Second, what reason is there (if any) for preferring one kind of state to another? Third, what justification is there (if any) for placing limits on the power of the state to intervene in the lives of its citizens? Readings may include Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Berlin, Taylor, Nozick, Rawls, and others. Pre-requisites: Political Science 105, or Philosophy 110, or Philosophy 211, or consent of the instructor.

PO 315: SUPREME COURT IN AMERICAN POLITICS

This course provides the student with the opportunity to explore the Supreme Court as both a legal and a political institution.  The course will examine the nine justices configured as a court of law whose historic mission is to adjudicate all controversies – political and otherwise – arising under the Constitution.  Students will also examine the role of the Court in the political system of the United States, issues of judicial politics, and the evolution of the judiciary’s powers, rights, and duties.

PO 320: INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATION (3 credits)

This course analyzes the extent to which the growth of international organizations indicates the existence of a global international society.  Students will learn about the structure and decision-making process of major international organizations and analyze the extent to which international organizations influence state behavior, international law and the evolution of universal international rules and norms. The course will examine the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, and non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders.  To bring issues to life, students participate in a simulated crisis within the United Nations Security Council.

PO 321/IN 350: GLOBAL ISSUES: TERRORISM (3 credits)

The series of courses under this heading will attempt to explain the dramatic political, social, economic, and cultural issues which batter our world: terrorism, international crime, economic globalization, etc. Each semester we will be asking similar questions: can freedom and justice emerge from the current clash between cold tyranny of the markets and frenetic violence of militant nationalist and religious movements? Will the coming century repeat the barbarism of the past or usher in a steady progression towards better life? Our focus will be global and we will engage in moral reasoning, strategic thinking, negotiations, writing, questioning, and deliberation. Cross-cultural understanding will be a central value.

PO 322: TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS (3 credits)
The series of courses under this heading will examine the political life of the world from different theoretical perspectives of comparative politics. Each semester, the regional focus of the course may be different, focusing on Western or Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East or Asia. Within each of the world regions we will compare countries from the point of view of differences and similarities between them, using and evaluating crucial concepts of comparative politics and international relations. Our focus will global and will engage in critical reading, and quantitative reasoning. We will also use information technology and engage in collaboration, negotiation, and formal presentation. One of the value goals of the course is greater cross-cultural understanding.

PO 323: TOPICS IN WORLD POLITICS (3 credits)
A series of courses under this heading will examine, in a seminar format, different topics, issues and sub-fields within the substantive fields of comparative and international politics. Students will read and discuss the most important current literature covering the topics, issues and sub-fields under consideration and conduct research and literature review projects on themes of their choice. Sample specific topics to be considered: "political culture and comparative politics," " the clash of civilizations and world politics," "political economy of globalization," "international law and legal studies," "ideas in world politics," "women in politics worldwide" etc. The courses will focus on the global area, and the skills fostered will be critical reading and writing, research, reflection, analysis, and scientific method. As the students will be asked to present the material, we will hone our skills at deliberation and formal presentation. The course will foster intellectual curiosity and risk-taking.

PO 324: TOPICS OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD (3 credits)

This course will examine problems associated with the political development of "rapidly changing and unstable 'developing' nation states."  Students will explore the political, economic and social dimensions of transitional states in South and Central America, Southeast and Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.  Key questions will include:  How do the political systems in transitional countries work - or fail to work?  What is development and how do we explain the failure of some countries to develop?  What strategies are used to escape poverty and underdevelopment (including revolutionary ones)?  And to what extent do major political issues such as globalization, religious and ethnic conflict, the status of women, environmental devastation, the AIDs epidemic and transnational crime affect the development of transition states?

PO 330: CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (3 credits)
This course acts as an introduction to constitutional case law and to the practical effects of our legal system (courts and judicial politics) on the American political system. The role of the federal judiciary, focusing on the Supreme Court, in interpreting constitutional and statutory law and in making policy will be studied. Exploration of the elements of judicial interpretation and the examination of judicial opinion writing will be major components of this course. This course looks not only at what the Constitution says about basic constitutional conflicts, but examines the Court decisions, current and past, that affect our current political climate. The skills of reading critically, comparing cases, advocacy, and writing are emphasized. One of the value goals of the course is commitment to professional excellence. Prerequisite: Political Science 100 or 105.

PO 334: CIVIL LIBERTIES AND THE CONSTITUTION (3 credits)
How does the constitution protect those who are considered outside the majority in terms of their race, gender, behavior, actions, or political perspectives? How do we balance personal liberty with domestic stability? How have we historically treated civil liberties in our country? This case law course looks at the current debates and historical context of individual rights in the United States. Students brief and discuss cases and issues surrounding the First Amendment (religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, along with expression and association), Fifth and Fourteenth (issues of race, gender, and poverty), with time additionally spent on the constitutional rights of the criminally accused. The skills of reading critically, comparing cases, advocacy, and writing are emphasized. One of the value goals of the course is commitment to professional excellence. Prerequisite: Political Science 100/105 or consent of professor.

PO 340: THE AMERICAN CONGRESS (3 credits)

This course examines the national legislative branch of government with an in-depth look at the modern lawmaking process.  Emphasis placed on the evolution of the process, the importance of the committee system, the budget process, and the influence of individual Member goals and policy preferences on the policy process.

PO 356: TOPICS IN PUBLIC POLICY (3 credits)

Program formulation, implementation, and evaluation are all key to understanding how the political system produces the outcomes that it does. Each time this course is offered a particular field will be chosen for intensive study. Students will explore the difficult choices government officials face, examining why some alternatives are chosen, others rejected, and others never even considered. Students will enhance their skills in reading critically, quantitative reasoning, information technology, and making formal presentations. Prerequisite: Political Science 105

PO 361: WASHINGTON INTERNSHIP OR PRACTICUM (3-6 credits)

An internship experience in Washington, DC.  Varied placements available for all majors.  This course combines practical experience and training within an academic framework through a placement in an agency or organization.  Students must complete an internship contract.  Student performance is evaluated by a reflective portfolio and agency supervisor.  This course is taught in Washington when students study at The Washington Center.  Fulfills political science internship requirement.  Pre-requisite: Admission to Washington Center program.

PO 362: WASHINGTON EXPERIENCE (3 credits)

This course, taught by a qualified Washington Center instructor with an appropriate – usually terminal – degree, and university teaching experience, requires a combination of regular attendance, active class participation, written work (research paper, essays, examinations), and class projects.   Topics vary, and students receive a list of courses from which to choose prior to arrival in Washington.  This course is taught in Washington when students study at The Washington Center.  Pre-requisite: Admission to Washington Center program.

PO 363: WASHINGTON LEADERSHIP FORUM (3 credits)

This course encompasses student attendance at the Washington Center’s Congressional Speaker Series, Presidential Lecture Series, Embassy Visits Program, site visits, tours, briefings, and other activities.  The Leadership Forum enables students to better understand
the world of the nation’s capital - its peoples and institutions, its political processes, the issues debated and the policies forged there - and the potential impact of these endeavors on the students’ future lives as professionals and citizens.  This course is evaluated by students’ reflective portfolios.  This course is taught in Washington when students study at The Washington Center.  Pre-requisite: Admission to Washington Center program.

PO 365: POLITICAL SIMULATIONS -- MODEL IL GOVERNMENT/MODEL UNITED NATIONS (1-3 credits)

Annual simulations which take place either in a state-wide or national competition format. This course is repeatable with no maximum.

PO 370, 371: POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP (3 credits)

Supervised, practical experience opportunity. Maximum of six credits per student. Prerequisite: consent of Department Chair.

PO 391, 392: INDEPENDENT STUDY (3 credits)

Directed readings and/or research on topics of mutual interest to the student and the instructor. Maximum of six credits per student. Prerequisite: consent of instructor and Department Chair.

PO 400: SEMINAR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE (3 credits)

Advanced seminar course in which juniors and seniors examine classic and contemporary original empirical research with particular emphasis on its substantive findings and underlying theoretical frameworks.  The course provides an opportunity for students to critically evaluate research in the field and to build on current research by proposing a new project of their own.  Topics vary.

PO 410: POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (3 credits)

This class is designed to prepare the political science student for entry into the job market, or further study at the graduate level.  Team-taught by the political science faculty, this class meets once a week and addresses issues of relevance to the political science professional.  Topics of relevance to postgraduates, including graduate exams, graduate applications and resume and interview preparation will be discussed. Students will prepare a career portfolio, individually designed to meet their specific needs, in which professional and graduate school application materials will be collected.  The portfolio will be fully assessed at the end of the semester.

PO 450: SENIOR THESIS (3 credits)
To complete a senior honors thesis a student is expected to produce a substantial original piece of research. The student will defend the written work before the faculty and students of the Political Science department. Open only to seniors whose paper proposal has been approved by the faculty of the department.

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Immersion Courses

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