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Course Descriptions
The four courses labeled “Introduction” assume no prior knowledge of the subject matter. Those marked “advanced” build on the specific introductory course cited as a prerequisite.
PSC 111 Introduction to American Government and Politics
An analysis of the powers, functions, and political bases of government in America, including attention to democratic theory, civil liberties, political parties and pressure groups, campaigns and elections, Congress and the Presidency, judicial review, federal-state-local relations, and public policy-making in domestic, foreign, and budgetary areas. This course is offered in the fall and spring semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 122 Introduction to Comparative Politics
This class will provide a general introduction to the study of political systems worldwide. The approach and many of the readings will be theoretical, but we will draw from real-world examples as illustrations of these theoretical concepts. Thus, a basic understanding of world history, current events, and even the American political system will be assumed. This course is a requirement for all students who intend to major in political science and is a prerequisite for a number of other courses in the subfield of comparative politics. It is also a good choice for students wishing to satisfy a behavioral science distribution requirement. This course is offered in the fall and spring semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 231 Introduction to Political Theory
The survey of political theory will use selected political theorists to examine a series of major issues, concepts, and questions which are central to political theory, e.g., power, authority, justice, and liberty. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 242 Introduction to International Politics
A study of major contemporary approaches to understanding international politics, including political realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Through this framework, the course will take up concepts such as the evaluation of national power and the balance of power, the interplay of individuals and groups in international politics, the impact of capitalism on the development of the world-system, and the role of gender in world politics. This course is offered in the spring semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 261 Research Methods and Statistics for Political Science
This course surveys the various ways political scientists use the scientific method and rigorous quantitative analysis to study politics. The course begins with an overview of the theory behind social scientific inquiry, outlining the basic logic of hypothesis testing and research design. We then devote significant attention to quantitative and statistical research methods, from basic probability theory to confidence intervals, means testing, and multivariate regression. The course also introduces students to computer software packages used to perform advanced statistical analysis (primarily SPSS). The primary aims of the course are (a) to prepare students to conduct their own quantitative research of political phenomena and (b) to make students better consumers of political information by familiarizing them with the ways statistics are used and abused for political ends. This course satisfies the College’s quantitative skills distribution requirement and also the statistical methods requirement of a major in political science. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisite: One course in political science.
Credits: 1
PSC 287 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 288 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 311 Congress and the Executive
A study of the legislative and executive branches of the United States government. This course will involve analysis of each branch as an institution. Particular attention will be given to the interactions between and the interdependence of Congress and the Executive, and the effects of these interactions on the decisions and operations of the two branches of government. Counts as an advanced course in American Politics. This course is offered in the in spring semester in even-numbered years and usually includes an immersion trip to Washington, DC (required).
Prerequisite: PSC 111.
Credits: 1
PSC 312 Parties, Elections and Pressure Groups
A systematic look at mechanisms for popular control of American government. This course looks at the nature of public opinion and its translation into political action. Political parties and interest groups are investigated as mechanisms which link the citizen to the policy-making system. Attention will be given to elections and the bases upon which individuals make their decisions at the polls. We will also consider the conflicting arguments about the decline, decomposition, and realignment of parties, and the rise of the single-issue interest group in recent years. This course counts as an advanced course in American Politics.
Prerequisite: PSC 111.
Credits: 1
PSC 313 Constitutional Law
Do gay Americans have a constitutional right to get married? Should racial and ethnic minorities receive the benefits of affirmative action when applying to college or law school? Does a woman have a constitutional right to an abortion? Does the federal government have the power to regulate health care? What role should judges play in deciding such divisive and morally vexing issues? This course examines the Supreme Court’s most potent power—to strike down as unconstitutional the actions of elected officials on these and other “hot button” issues. How should the Court apply such broadly worded constitutional guarantees as “equal protection” and “due process of law” to modern problems? Should the Court follow the “original intent” of our Founders or be guided by more recent, evolving standards? When the Court has wrestled with tough issues, what impact has its decisions had on other branches of government and on American society in general? This counts as an advanced course in American Politics. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 314 Topics in Constitutional Law
This course focuses in depth upon a topic relating to the role that courts should play in government. Past topics have included Civil Liberties in War and Peace, which explores how we treat those we fear most—suspected criminals, alleged enemies of the state including terrorists, and those who criticize the government during wartime. This course counts as an advanced course in American Politics. It is offered in the in spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 315 Religious Freedom
May the United States Air Force Academy display a banner declaring “I am a member of Team Jesus Christ” in its football locker room? May the Indiana House of Representatives pray and sing a Christian song at the beginning of one of its sessions? Must employees be permitted to post at work biblical verses that condemn homosexuals? Should we prosecute Christian Scientist parents whose critically ill child dies because the only treatment he received was prayer? May public schools teach intelligent design in their science courses? The collision of religion, politics, and the law generates many sensitive questions. We will work through these kinds of questions to determine what our Constitution means when it forbids government from establishing religion and protects our right freely to exercise our many religions. We will also explore whether religion can play a productive role in politics without debasing itself or causing strife. Counts as an advanced course in American Politics. This course is offered in the in spring semester in even-numbered years.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
PSC 316 Public Policy
In this course, which focuses on domestic policy, students will learn about two different ways of studying public policy: public policy analysis and the politics of the policy process. Students will learn about public policy analysis and how it is both similar to and different from other fields of study in political science. During this part of the course, students will practice skills such as memo writing and client consultation. Students will study the politics of the policy process by comparing different models of policy formation and analyzing the different institutions that help shape public policy (the legislature, interest groups, bureaucracy, etc.). Students will do exercises with case studies and also participate in an in-class simulation. Counts as an advanced course in American Politics. This course is offered in the in spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisite: PSC 111.
Credits: 1
PSC 317 State and Local Politics
A survey of the institutions, actors, and processes involved in the governing of states, cities, and other local jurisdictions. Attention is given to intergovernmental relations as well as to the analysis of individual units. Field work is required. Counts as an advanced course in American Politics.
Prerequisite: PSC 111.
Credits: 1
PSC 322 Politics of the European Union (Previously offered as PSC 372, special topic)
This course will examine the politics of the European Union (EU). Attention will be given to the political institutions and dynamics of the Union itself, as well as to those of its member states, and to the process of EU expansion more generally. Special attention will be given to the possible effects of EU integration on national identity in contemporary Europe. Students will be permitted to complete some class assignments in German, Spanish, or French. Typically offered the spring semester of even-numbered years, this course counts as an advanced course in Comparative Politics or International Relations. PSC 322 requires concurrent enrollment in ECO 277 (Economics of the European Union) and includes an immersion trip over spring break.
Prerequisite: PSC 122.
Credits: 1
PSC 324 Economic and Political Development (ECO 224)
This deeply historical course examines the emergence of the sovereign state as the predominant organizational institution in politics around the world. Special attention will be given to the consolidation of states in modern industrialized society, as well as to the legacy of imperialism in Eastern Europe and the developing world. Key issues to be considered will include Europe’s economic and military dominance in the modern era, the role of nationalism in the dissolution of early empires, and the legacy of colonialism for the economic and political development of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Special attention will also be given to an enduring question in comparative politics: Why are some countries rich and others poor? This course counts as an advanced course in Comparative Politics.
Prerequisite: PSC 122.
Credits: 1
PSC 325 Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean Basin
An introduction to the politics of Latin America and the Caribbean Basin. Special attention will be given to political and economic development of the region, as well as to the unique role that the United States has played in this process. We will also examine the crucial impact that developments in this region have on domestic politics in the United States, especially with respect to such important issues as immigration and regional trade. Counts as an advanced course in Comparative Politics. PSC 325 may be offered in conjunction with courses in the Department of Modern Languages and cross-listed with studies of Hispanic language and culture. Students will be permitted to complete some class assignments in Spanish.
Prerequisite: PSC 122.
Credits: 1
PSC 326 Politics of the Middle East (Previously offered as PSC 226)
A survey of the politics of the major states and nations of the Middle East. Special attention will be given to a number of leading issues in the region, including the Arab-Israeli Conflict, oil, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and US foreign policy in Afghanistan and Iraq. Attention will also be given to broader questions of economic and social development, human rights, and the role of women in the modern Middle East. This course counts as an advanced course in Comparative Politics.
Prerequisite: PSC 122.
Credits: 1
PSC 327 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (Previously offered as PSC 372, special topic)
This class will provide a general introduction to the study of nationalism and ethnic conflict. In it, we will touch upon a wide range of cases of ethnic conflict and genocide, including the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland, genocide in Rwanda and the Holocaust, and current crises in the Middle East. With such a wide range of cases, the approach will be largely theoretical — focusing on the underlying causes of such conflicts and on the general conditions under which they might be remedied. Thus, a solid foundation in the study of comparative politics and a reasonable familiarity with international current events will be expected. This course counts as an advanced course in Comparative Politics or International Relations.
Prerequisite: PSC 122.
Credits: 1
PSC 330 History of Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval
A series of full-credit courses, each of which will focus on a particular political theorist or group of theorists from classical antiquity or the medieval period. Specific offerings will vary from year to year. This course counts as an advanced course in Political Theory.
Prerequisite: PSC 231.
Credits: 1
PSC 335 History of Political Thought: Renaissance and Modern
A series of full-credit courses, each of which will focus on a particular political theorist from the Renaissance or modern period. Specific offerings will vary from year to year. This course counts as advanced course work in Political Theory.
Prerequisite: PSC 231.
Credits: 1
PSC 336 History of Political Thought (Previously offered as PSC 350) (HIS 340)
American Political Thought. A broad survey of American political ideas as expressed in primary sources including classic texts, key public documents, and speeches. The course investigates themes of mission, means, and membership as recurrent issues in American political thought. This course counts as an advanced course in Political Theory.
Prerequisite: PSC 231 or HIS 241 or 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 338 Contemporary Political Theory
Students will study the political theory of selected contemporary authors and movements, especially as these theories relate to the development of democratic political theory, the critique of democratic political theory, and the contemporary examination and/or redefinition of concepts like justice and equality. This course counts as an advanced course in Political Theory. It is offered in the spring semester in odd-numbered years.
Prerequisite: PSC 231.
Credits: 1
PSC 343 Introduction to Civil-Military Relations (Previously offered as PSC 374, special topic)
In this course we examine one of the world’s oldest political institutions: militaries. Armed forces are created primarily to defend states and their interests against other states and threatening actors, yet they can also play an important role in the domestic political affairs of the states that they are created to defend. The course intends to improve students’ understanding of military actors and the various ways in which they are related to both international and domestic politics. Because an all-encompassing treatment of military affairs is impossible within the context of a single semester, this course emphasizes the role played by people (soldiers, officers and their civilian leaders) rather than machines (tanks, artillery pieces, small arms, etc.). This course counts as an advanced course in International Relations.
Prerequisite: PSC 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 344 Insurgency, Revolution and Terrorism (Previously offered as PSC 374, special topic)
What is terrorism? Is one man’s freedom fighter another man’s terrorist? What motivates a person to become a suicide bomber? What causes terrorism? How can states counter terrorism? How is terrorism different from an insurgency? Why has the United States experienced such difficulty in Iraq and Afghanistan? How can states counter and defeat insurgencies? These are all questions that have come to dominate much of the discussion in post 9/11 international relations. Although terrorism and insurgencies have existed in one form or another for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, these phenomena have become two of the more intractable and important problems in international relations. This course will address these and other questions from both global and U.S perspectives. This course counts as an advanced course in International Relations.
Prerequisite: PSC 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 346: American Foreign Policy
This course seeks to answer the questions of who makes American foreign policy, and what are the most important sources of and influences on it. The course focuses on the features and processes of American foreign policy making and the actors, influences, and issues involved in it. The goal of this course is to provide the student with the historical, institutional, procedural, and theoretical frameworks to understand how American foreign policy is made. This course counts as an advanced course in International Relations or American Politics.
Prerequisite: PSC 111 or 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 347 Conflict, War, and Peace (Previously offered as PSC 374, special topic)
This course delves deeply into international relations theory focusing on issues of war and peace. We will explore in depth the logic behind variants of several theoretical perspectives, including, but not limited to, liberalism, realism, constructivism, and other important schools of thought. During the course, we will explore issues more narrowly related to topics such as the democratic peace, deterrence, terrorism and asymmetric warfare, along with issues of cooperation and global governance. This course counts as an advanced course in International Relations.
Prerequisite: PSC 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 348 International Organizations (Previously offered as PSC 374, special topic)
This course focuses on international organizations (IOs) and the role that they play in the international system. We consider the relationship between key theoretical perspectives and IOs, as well as how international organizations operate across a variety of issue areas from security and trade to human rights and development. We also cover a variety of truly global IOs, such as the United Nations, as well as IOs with a more regional focus such as the European Union. This course counts as an advanced course in International Relations.
Prerequisite: PSC 242.
Credits: 1
PSC 371 Special Topics: American Politics
These courses will focus on a particular issue, concept, problem or question at an advanced level.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 372 Topics in Comparative Politics
These courses focus at an advance level on a particular issue, concept, problem or question in comparative politics. Advanced level.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 373 Topics in Political Theory
This course will focus on an advanced topic, issue, concept, or problem in political theory.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 374 Topics in International Relations
These courses will focus on a particular issue, concept, problem, or question in international relations. Advanced level.
Prerequisites: Vary with topic.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 387 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 388 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 487 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 488 Independent Study
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and the department chair.
Credits: 1 or 1/2
PSC 497 Senior Seminar
Open only to senior political science majors. This is both a reading and a research seminar, organized around a general concept central to the discipline. Participants discuss common readings on the topic. They also prepare individual research papers which treat the general theme, but from the stance of their chosen emphases within the major. This course is offered in the fall semester.
Prerequisite: Senior Political Science Majors.
Credits: 1