POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLS)

Course offerings, including introductory courses, are divided into the following major subfields: American Politics and Public Administration, Comparative and International Politics, Political and Legal Philosophy, and Research and Practice of Political Science.

American Politics and Public Administration

POLS 1110. American Politics. (3) Introduction to the role of the President, Congress, Supreme Court, and national administrative agencies in the American political system. Relationship between the American people and their political institutions with emphasis on political culture, the electoral process, political parties, interest groups, and political communication. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS 2120. Introduction to Public Policy. (3) Provides an overview of the policy process in the U.S. focusing on how public problems arise, how they get on the agenda of government, how and why the government responds or fails to respond, defining public policy, explaining how it is made, and who makes it. (Yearly)

POLS 3010. Topics in American Politics or Public Administration. (1-4) An intensive study of a topic in American politics or public administration. The particular topic investigated may vary from semester to semester, and a student may take more than one course under this number. (On demand)

POLS 3103. Public Opinion. (3) A study of attitude and opinion measurement with emphasis on the techniques of survey research and public opinion polling and conservative and liberal tendencies in American public opinion and society. (Yearly)

POLS 3104. Mass Media. (3) An examination of the relationship of mass media to politics and government. Government regulation of the media and how the mass media shape political information and behavior. (Yearly)

POLS 3105. Voting and Elections. (3) Psychological, sociological, and political variables that influence voting behavior and that affect electoral stability and change with emphasis on studies derived from survey research. (Yearly)

POLS 3108. Social Movements and Interest Groups. (3) Analysis of the nature of social movements and interest groups and their role in the American political system. Emphasis on membership recruitment and mobilization, campaigns, lobbying, and influence on parties, public opinion, and public policy. Evaluation of the extent to which these organizations enhance the voices of ordinary citizens versus those of corporations and citizens of high social status. (Yearly)

POLS 3109. Political Parties. (3) Analysis of the role of political parties in the American political system. Emphasis on party organizations, nominations, campaigns, interrelation with interest groups and social movements, and the role of parties in the executive, legislative, and judicial arenas. (Yearly)

POLS 3111. The Congress. (3) Analysis of the role of the Congress in the American political system and its relationships with the other branches of government. Recruitment and socialization of congressmen, the committee system, and roll call analysis. (Yearly)

POLS 3112. The Presidency. (3) Analysis of the role of the Presidency in the American political system and its relationships with the other branches of government. Strategies of presidential nomination and election, the sources and indicators of presidential power, and how those who have held the office have shaped it and been shaped by it. (Yearly)

POLS 3114. Constitutional Law and Policy. (3) Development of American constitutionalism (especially federalism and the separation of powers) with major emphasis on constitutional law as a form of public policy and the U.S. Supreme Court as a policy maker. (Yearly)

POLS 3115. Civil Rights and Liberties. (3) Utilizes public policy analysis to illuminate judicial decisions and opinions relating to contemporary civil rights and liberties. (Yearly)

POLS 3116. Judicial Process. (3) Introduction to the nature and functions of law; survey of Supreme Court decision making. (Yearly)

POLS 3119. State and Local Government. (3) An introduction to state and local governments, politics, and policies in the United States. Particular attention is paid to state and local government in North Carolina. (Yearly)

POLS 3121. Urban Politics and Policy. (3) Political analysis of a variety of public policy problems in urban areas and proposals to solve them. Attention will be paid to both the substance of the urban policy problem and ways to evaluate alternative solutions. (Yearly)

POLS 3123. Urban Political Geography. (3) Crosslisted as GEOG 3110. Spatial organization of metropolitan America. How metropolitan residents organize space into territorial units and the human, social, and political ramifications of that organization. Spatial consequences of the most common modes of political, administrative, and territorial organization. (Alternate years)

POLS 3124. U.S. Domestic Policy. (3) Examination of the processes of and influences on policy making, including goals and objectives of current U.S. domestic policy. Focus on major policy areas; may include such topics as fiscal and monetary policy, education, transportation, management of national economy, and agriculture, among others. (Yearly)

POLS 3125. Health Care Policy. (3) An overview of the development and current functioning of U. S. health care system and public policies regarding the organization, delivery and financing of health care at the federal, state, and local levels. (Yearly)

POLS 3126. Administrative Behavior. (3) The role of the administrator and public bureaucracy in modern democratic society, with emphasis on the interplay of forces created by executives, legislators, political parties, and interest groups. (Yearly)

POLS 3128. Politics and Film. (3) Examination of the influence and role of film in American politics. Movies provide important cues about cultures, values, and society, and affect how people perceive or view their environment. Explores and analyzes the images and messages conveyed about American politics, and develops understanding of the role of film in American politics. Requires viewing films in class, discussion, and writing about the films. (Yearly)

POLS 4110. North Carolina Student Legislature. (3) (W) (O) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Practicum including workshops, seminars, and guest speakers on legislative process and research, parliamentary procedure, and resolution and bill drafting; participation in an interim council debate at one of the member campuses for one weekend each month during the semester and participation in the NCSL annual session in Raleigh. May be repeated for credit. (Spring)

Comparative and International Politics

POLS 1130. Comparative Politics. (3) Introduction to political comparison among nations. Diverse geographical emphases, including Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Not taught as a writing intensive course. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS 1150. International Politics. (3) Introduction to the analysis of politics among nations: Material and psychological sources of national power; the role of law, force, and diplomacy in world politics; problems of peace and disarmament; and international organization. Not taught as a writing intensive course. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS 3030. Topics in Comparative or International Politics. (1-4) An intensive study of a topic in comparative or international politics. The particular topic investigated may vary from semester to semester, and a student may take more than one course under this number. (On demand)

POLS 3132. Comparative Public Policy. (3) Examination of the policy process and policy outcomes in the United States and other countries. Analyzes policy areas in depth to determine the role that variations in policy culture and political institutions play in shaping policy choices. Examines the possibility and limitations of transferring policy innovation from one polity to another. (On demand)

POLS 3133. Middle East Politics (3) Political development of Middle Eastern states from the period of European colonization to today. Topics include Arab nationalism, Islamism, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, democratization, oil and economic development and regional security. (Yearly)

POLS 3135. Terrorism. (3) Addresses four basic questions: (1) What is terrorism? (2) Why does it occur? (3) How does terrorism network? (4) What are the legal, political, and military coping strategies for terrorism? Emphasis on building an understanding of the nature and root causes of terrorism, and understanding the behavioral and psychological framework of terrorism and responses to it. (Yearly)

POLS 3141. European Politics. (3) Comparative analysis of selected European governments including Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. (Yearly)

POLS 3143. African Politics. (3) A comparative perspective on politics in sub Saharan Africa and on the performance of post-independence political systems there in terms of national and international integration, economic challenges, and efforts to create stable and democratic civilian regimes. (Yearly)

POLS 3144. Latin American Politics. (3) Crosslisted as LTAM 3144. Comparative overview of political and socio-economic change in Latin America from the colonial period to the present. Primary emphasis on Latin American politics in the twentieth century, competing political ideologies, socio-economic issues, international political economy, and internal political change. (Yearly)

POLS 3148. Chinese Politics. (3) The origins, development, and maintenance of the Chinese political system. The organization and function of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other political groups. The impact of tradition on contemporary Chinese politics. (Yearly)

POLS 3151. International Political Economy. (3) Crosslisted as INTL 3151. An analysis of the political dynamics of economic relationships among countries. Attention is focused on the political aspects of monetary, trade, and investment relationships, and the difficulties involved in coordinating policy and maintaining effective international management. (Yearly)

POLS 3152. International Organizations. (3) An analysis of the development and functions of formal and informal organizations that govern international politics and markets, including the United Nations system, economic and non-governmental organizations, and regional institutions. (Yearly)

POLS 3153. European Union. (3) An analysis of the European Union (EU) from historical, political, and economic perspectives. Emphasis on the institution's actors (especially states and interest groups) and policies of the EU as well as the changing relationship between the EU and its major trading partners such as the U.S. (Yearly)

POLS 3154. Cyberspace and Politics. (3) Examination of the advent of information technologies and digital communication in the global community and the impact of these changes on multi-level politics--international, regional, national, and sub-national. Four major themes are: exploration of the digital world, cyberspace governance and public policy, electronic government and virtual citizenship, and cyberspace expansion and global reach. Taught mainly as a web-based course. (Yearly)

POLS 3155. Latin American Political Economy. Crosslisted as LTAM 3154. Intersections of politics and economics in Latin America, focusing on the efforts to foster economic development in the region. Emphasis on post-World War II era. Includes issues such as debt management, dependency theory, impact of free market theories, and the power of labor movements. (Yearly)

POLS 3157. American Foreign and Defense Policy. (3) Examines constitutional provisions for foreign policy in the United States, analyzes the formulation and implementation of American foreign policy, and surveys key defense and security policy issues facing the United States. (Yearly)

POLS 3159. Diplomacy in a Changing World. (3) Crosslisted as INTL 3131. Diplomacy, a means to resolve disputes between sovereign states short of war, will be analyzed through case studies drawn from historical context and through a survey of contemporary crises. The American diplomatic process will also be reviewed with particular attention to how policy is shaped, how an embassy functions and how Americans train for the professional diplomatic service. (Yearly)

POLS 3162. International Law. (3) Historical and political analysis of the sources and development of international law. Particular attention is given to the role of modern international law in the relations of nation states and its application to contemporary global problems. (Yearly)

POLS 3163. Introduction to Model United Nations. (3) (W) (O) Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Preparation for and participation in the Model United Nations (simulation of the United Nations) for students who have not participated in this simulation previously. Includes study of the background of countries to be represented; the history, structure and procedures of the United Nations; drafting of resolutions and position papers; public speaking and caucusing; participation in regional MUN events. (Spring)

POLS 3164. U.S.-Latin American Relations. (3) Crosslisted as LTAM 3164. Addresses the always-complicated and often-conflictive relationship between Latin American and the United States. Particular attention to critical contemporary issues such as the drug trade, immigration, international trade, humanitarian aid and U.S. policy toward Cuba. (Yearly)

POLS 3165. East Asia in World Affairs. (3) Examines the political factors governing diplomatic relations, national order, economic trade, and national security in East Asia. Emphasis on China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, the Korean peninsula, and the Philippines. (Yearly)

POLS 3166. Politics of the Islamic World. (3) Political development of and current political trends within countries of North and East Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South and Southeast Asia that make up the Islamic World. Topics include the diverse body of Islamic political thought, manifestation of Islamic political thought in contemporary countries and movements, a discussion of how Islamic societies handle diversity and the issue of democratic rule, and the political development of the growing Muslim minority community in the West.

POLS 3169. Foreign Policy of African States. (3) Crosslisted as AFRS 4105. Prerequisite: any upper-division course on Africa. A theoretical approach to the study of external and internal factors influencing the development, implementation, and conduct of foreign policy of African states. (Spring)

POLS 4163. Advanced Model United Nations. (3) (W) (O) Prerequisite: POLS 3163, or the equivalent and permission of the instructor. Preparation for and participation in the Model United Nations (simulation of the United Nations) for students who have completed POLS 3163 or the equivalent. Includes study of the background of countries to be represented; the history, structure and procedures of the United Nations; drafting of resolutions and position papers; public speaking and caucusing; participation in international MUN events. May be repeated for credit. (Spring)

Political and Legal Philosophy

POLS 1170. Introduction to Political Philosophy. (3) Crosslisted as PHIL 2165. Survey course that includes an introduction to recognized major political thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. Included are other politically influential writers such as Confucius, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Martin Luther King. (Fall, Spring)

POLS 3070. Topics in Political or Legal Philosophy. (3) Analysis of a selected problem in contemporary political philosophy, legal philosophy, or in the history of political philosophy. Includes moral and ethical evaluation of political and social practices and institutions. Readings from classic texts or contemporary works. Topic for consideration changes from semester to semester. Course may be repeated with permission of instructor. (On demand)

POLS 3171. History of Classical Political Philosophy. (3) Major concepts and systems of political philosophy of Ancient Greece and Rome. (Fall)

POLS 3172. African American Political Philosophy. (3) Crosslisted as AFRS 3179. Prerequisite: 3000 level course on Africa from AFRS, HIST, or POLS. Major competing ideologies in African-American political philosophy. (On demand)

POLS 3173. History of Modern Political Philosophy. (3) Major concepts and systems of western political philosophy from the 16th 19th century. (Spring)

POLS 3175. Philosophy of Law. (3) Philosophy underlying the legal system and the Anglo-American practice of law. Will usually include topics such as what is “law,” obligation to obey the law, liberty, privacy and tolerance, and criminal responsibility and punishment. (Yearly)

POLS 3177. Social and Political Philosophy. (3) Crosslisted as PHIL 3226. Philosophical concepts involved in understanding and evaluating the basic structure of societies (e.g., economic, educational, legal, motivational, and political) including equality, fraternity, freedom, and rights. Relevance to contemporary social and political issues stressed. Readings from classical and contemporary sources. (On demand)

POLS 3250. Political Sociology. (3) Crosslisted as SOCY 3250. Prerequisite: SOCY 1101. Sociological analysis of the relationship between social, economic and political systems. Focuses on power relations in society and its effects on the distribution of scarce resources. Topics covered may include: theories of power and the nation state, political participation and voting, religion and politics, the comparative welfare state, media and ideology, the global economy, war and genocide, revolutions, and social movements. Not open to students who have credit for SOCY 3251 or POLS 3251. (Yearly)

POLS 3251. Political Sociology. (3) (O) Crosslisted as SOCY 3251. Prerequisite: SOCY 1101. Sociological analysis of the relationship between social, economic and political systems. Focuses on power relations in society and its effects on the distribution of scarce resources. Topics covered may include: theories of power and the nation state, political participation and voting, religion and politics, the comparative welfare state, media and ideology, the global economy, war and genocide, revolutions, and social movements. Not open to students who have credit for SOCY 3250 or POLS 3250. (Yearly)

Research and Practice of Political Science

POLS 2220. Political Science Methods. (4) (W) Prerequisite: at least one introductory Political Science course. This course builds the knowledge skills ability (KSA) of students, in other words increases their information literacy. Emphasis on how to do literature searches, write professional papers as political scientists, and manipulate data with computer statistical packages. Restricted to Political Science majors. Recommended to be take before majors begin to take upper level courses. Three hours of lecture and one hours of computer laboratory per week. (Fall, Spring)

POLS 3400. Internship in Political Science. (3-6) Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Practical experience in politics by working for a party, campaign organization, political office holder, news medium, government agency, or other political organization. Minimum of 150 working hours for three hours credit; minimum of 300 working hours for six hours credit. No more than six credits may be received through this course. (Pass/No Credit) (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS 3800. Independent Study. (1-3) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Supervised investigation of a political problem that is (1) of special interest to the student; (2) within the area of the instructor's special competence; and (3) normally an extension of previous coursework with the instructor. A student may take more than one course under this number but not more than three hours a semester. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS 4600. Senior Seminar. (3) (O, W) Prerequisite: POLS 1110, POLS 1130, POLS 1150, and POLS 2220. Capstone course for majors only. Seminar style exploration of a selected topic in the discipline. Includes writing a research paper and presenting the results to the class. (Fall, Spring)

POLS 4990. Senior Thesis. (3) (O, W) Prerequisite: POLS 2220. The student completes an article-length research paper under the supervision of a member of the faculty. The paper must involve quantitative or other methods of modern political analysis. Restricted to majors. (Fall, Spring, Summer)