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Faculty: D. Hadley (chair, spring)*, M. Butler (chair, fall)**, S. Himsel~, A. Hoerl, E. Hollander, K. Marsh
* Sabbatical leave, fall semester
** Leave, spring semester
~ Part-time
Aristotle called politics “the queen of the sciences.” Knowledge of politics is important for all liberally educated people. At Wabash, the department offers courses accessible to all students in four areas: American politics, comparative politics, international politics and political theory. We offer opportunities for non-majors to seek answers to perennial questions of politics and to learn more about how government works in their own country and around the world. Our major program combines a solid overview of the discipline with opportunities for in depth study. Students majoring in political science take a survey course in each area and then concentrate on one area for advanced study.
By studying political science, students learn to analyze and interpret the significance of political events and governmental processes in order to understand, evaluate and even shape them. As a department we hope to turn interested students, whatever their career plans or other interests, into politically literate college graduates who are able to comprehend their political world in ways appropriate to their individual inclinations, as intelligent and responsible citizens, journalists, attorneys, active participants in business, community or electoral politics, as candidates for office, public officials, or academic political scientists.
Requirements for the Major: Majors in Political Science are required to take nine courses (and may take as many as eleven) distributed as follows:
• Four introductory courses:
PSC 111—Introduction to American Politics
PSC 122—Introduction to Comparative Politics
PSC 231—Introduction to Political Theory (a fall semester course)
PSC 242—Introduction to International Politics (a spring semester course)
These courses should be taken in the first two years. They may be taken in any order, but the department strongly suggests that, when possible, students take PSC 111 and PSC 122 before taking PSC 231 and 242. Students may begin with either PSC 111 or 122.
• Two advanced courses in one area of specialization chosen from the four areas above. Students will be examined over this area on the first day of senior comprehensive examinations.
• PSC 497—Senior Seminar in Political Science (a fall semester course). Students will write seminar papers for this course in the area in which they have elected to specialize (see above).
• At least two additional Political Science courses.
Note: Students may count either Philosophy 213 (Philosophy of Law) or a departmentally-approved offering listed under Philosophy 219 (Topic in Ethics and Social Philosophy) toward the major or minor in Political Science. No more than one course credit in Philosophy may be counted toward the Political Science major or minor.
The Senior Comprehensive Examination consists of six hours of written examinations administered over two days. The first day’s exam questions will be available in advance and will require a student to analyze and synthesize material in his area of specialization within political science. The second day’s examination requires the student to write shorter essays in two other areas of the discipline. In addition, the second day’s examination may ask for some short answers in the area of specialization as well as an analysis of political data. The student must also pass the College’s oral examination.
Requirements for the Minor: Minors in Political Science are required to take two of the four survey courses listed above, two advanced courses in one of those two areas, and either an advanced course in the second area in which a survey course was taken or PSC 261.
Course | Title | Credits | Prerequisites |
---|---|---|---|
PSC 111 | Introduction to American Government and Politics | 1 | |
PSC 122 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 1 | |
PSC 226 | Politics of the Middle East | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 122 or permission or the instructor |
PSC 226 | Politics of the Middle East | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 122 or permission or the instructor |
PSC 231 | Introduction to Political Theory | 1 | |
PSC 242 | Introduction to International Politics | 1 | |
PSC 261 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | 1 | Prerequisite: One course in political science. |
PSC 287 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 288 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 311 | Congress and the Executive | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 312 | Parties, Elections and Pressure Groups | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 313 | Constitutional Law | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 314 | Topics in Constitutional Law | 1 | Prerequisites: Political Science 111 or 313 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 315 | Religious Freedom (REL 280) | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or 313 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 316 | Public Policy | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 317 | State and Local Politics | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or consent of the instructor. |
PSC 322 | Politics of the European Union | 1 | Political Science 122 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 324 | Economic and Political Development (ECO 224) | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 122 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 325 | Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean Basin | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 122 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 327 | Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 122 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 330 | History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval (HIS 320) | 1 or 1/2 | Prerequisite: Political Science 231 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 335 | History of Political Thought: Renaissance and Modern: Machiavelli | 1/2 | Prerequisite: Political Science 231 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 336 | History of Political Thought (HIS 340) | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 231 or History 241 or 242 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 338 | Contemporaty Political Theory | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 231 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 343 | Military Institutions in Domestic and International Politics | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 242 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 344 | Insurgency, Revolution and Terrorism | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 242 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 346 | American Foreign Policy | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 111 or 242 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 347 | Conflict, War, and Peace | 1 | Prerequisite" Political Science 242 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 348 | International Organizations | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 242 or permission of the instructor |
PSC 371 | Special Topics: American Politics | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 372 | Topics in Comparative Politics | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 373 | Topics in Political Theory: Technology & Democracy I: Reputation | 1/2 | Prerequisite: Political Science 231 or permission of the instructor. |
PSC 374 | Topics in International Relations | 1 | Prerequisite: Political Science 242 and consent of the instructor. |
PSC 387 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 388 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 487 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 488 | Independent Study | 1 or 1/2 | |
PSC 497 | Senior Seminar | 1 |