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Political science is a highly diverse field united around a core
interest. Political scientists study power, and especially power used for
public purposes: how it is created, organized, distributed, justified,
used, resisted, and sometimes destroyed. They study power both
normatively and empirically. They study it in different settings:
within states, among states, and in spaces that states do not (or no longer)
control. They consider past as well as contemporary patterns. They
use a wide array of approaches and methods to gain leverage on the even wider
array of questions they pose.
The field of Government, or Political Science, is divided into four
"subfields." These are American Politics, Comparative Politics, International
Relations, and Political Theory/Public Law.
For the class of 2008 and later, the major and minor in
Government require you to choose courses according to some intellectual plan of
study. You may do this by answering the following questions: Why do you
want to study politics? What particular topic or puzzle drew you to the
Department? Perhaps you are interested in the impact of domestic politics
on foreign policy (or the reverse); maybe you want to know everything there is
to know about politics in the United States (or China or Chile or Germany or
Nigeria or Egypt).
On Major and Minor Plan of Study Forms below we will ask you to articulate
your interests and come up with an appropriate academic plan. In all
likelihood, you will find that your interests span the traditional subfields of
American political science: American politics, comparative politics,
international relations, and political theory.
Questions about major or minor requirements can be directed to the
Department Administrator, Christine Gex at: Christine.Gex@dartmouth.edu
Special Provisions
- The prerequisite to the Government major is one course in
statistics and the methods of social science: Government 10 or its equivalent
(Economics 10, Math 10, Math and Social Sciences 15 or 45, Psychology 10,
Sociology 10, or Social Science 10).
- Under College policy, Government 7 (First-Year Seminar) may not be counted
toward the major or minor.
- Transfer
Credit information
- Transfer students will normally be expected to complete at least five of
the ten courses required for the major (or at least four of the seven courses
required for the minor) on campus, or in courses taught by members of the
Department.
- Unlike other Departments whose higher course numbers indicate advanced
level, Government courses numbered 11-79 are all of intermediate
level. Higher numbers simply indicate different subfields.
- No course may count toward both the Major and a Minor.
- Major GPA is figured on all Government courses taken (not
including the prerequisite).
- Effective January 1, 2004, No Government courses may be taken under the
NRO.
The Modified Major
As a consequence of the introduction to the Minor, the Department of
Government has discontinued the Modified Major. This includes both modified
Majors in which Government was the primary component (e.g., Government Modified
with History) and those in which it was the secondary component (e.g., History
Modified with Government). Students who seek to modify a major in another
department with courses in Government may do so by using the option of a
Modified major without indication of the secondary department (e.g., History
Modified).
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