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Introductory Courses

3. The American Political System

An examination of the American political process as manifested in voting behavior, parties and their nominating conventions, interest groups, the Presidency, Congress, and the Judiciary. Special emphasis is placed on providing the student with a theoretical framework for evaluating the system including discussions of decision-making, bargaining, and democratic control. Dist: SOC; WCult: W.

4. Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

This course will introduce students to the field of comparative government and politics through an examination of selected political systems. Special attention will be given to analytic techniques involved in the study of the field and to certain basic concepts, such as power and political culture, decision-making, and communications. Dist: SOC or INT.

5. International Politics

This course introduces the systematic analysis of international society, the factors that motivate foreign policies, and instruments used in the conduct of international relations. Particular attention is given to power and economic relations; to cultural differences that may inhibit mutual understanding or lead to conflict; to nationalism and other ideologies; to the requisites and limits of cooperation; and to the historical structuring and functioning of international institutions. Dist: SOC or INT.

6. Political Ideas

The course is designed to introduce students to political philosophy. It opens with the classic contrast between Plato and Machiavelli concerning the problems of justice and power. The course then examines several basic positions in the development of modern political philosophy -- liberalism, socialism, and conservatism. Among the individual thinkers considered as representative of these positions are Locke, J. S. Mill, Rousseau, Marx, and Burke. Dist: PHR/TMV.

Last Updated: 4/28/08