POL and INTS Courses

FALL 2009 COURSES

POL 1011: American Government and Politics, 3 credits
Time, days and room: Sect. 001: 10-10:50 a.m., MWF, H 314
(Instructor: Garrick Percival)
Sect. 002: 2-3:15 p.m., TuTh, H 314
(Instructor: Mary Currin-Percival)
Sect. 003: 12-12:50 p.m., MWF, H 314
(Instructor: Mark Jennings)
Description: Principles of American national government. Survey of American governmental system, structure, operations, and services; constitutionalism, federalism, civil liberties, parties, pressure groups, and elections.

POL 1050: International Relations, 3 credits
Time, days and room: Sect. 001: 4-5:15 p.m., TuTh, H 314
                                      (Instructor: Paul Sharp)
                                     Sect. 002: 9-9:50 a.m., MWF, Cina 102
                                     (Instructor: Mary Caprioli)
Description: Introduction to contemporary international politics: levels of analysis; the international system; nation-state behavior; foreign policy decision making; economic and defense policy issues.

POL 1500: Introduction to Comparative Politics, 3 credits
Time, days and room: Sect. 001: 3-3:50 p.m., MWF, H 314          
                                    (Instructor: Jeremy Youde)
                                    Sect. 002 5-6:15 p.m., TuTh, MonH 70
                                    (Instructor: Runa Das)                 
Description: Survey of the politics of countries selected to reflect alternative styles of politics and forms of government; examples of Western liberal democratic, Communist and post-Communist, and Third World systems.

POL 1610: Introduction to Political Theory, 3 credits
Time, days and room: Sect. 001: 8-9:15 a.m., TuTh, Cina 308
(Instructor: Joseph Staats)
Sect. 002 11-11:50 a.m., MWF, MonH 203
(Instructor: Amy Shuster)           
Description: Survey of major contemporary political ideologies: liberalism, conservatism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, feminism, anarchism, ecologism, and liberation ideologies.

POL 3015: State and Local Government, 4 credits
Time, days, and room: 10-11:50 a.m., MW, Cina 202
Description: State and local governments in the United States; governmental institutions and processes; intergovernmental relations. Special reference to Minnesota.
Instructor: Mark Jennings

POL 3080: Environment and Politics, 3 Credits
Time, days, and room: 12-12:50 p.m., MWF, Cina 202
Description: American natural resource problems with special attention to conservation activities on national, state, and local levels; development of conservation agencies in Minnesota.
Instructor: Garrick Percival

POL 3097: Government Internship, 1-12 credits [max 12 credits]
Description: Scheduled work assignments with direct supervision in performance of governmental functions; full- or part-time employment.
Instructor: Arranged

POL 3109: Intern Teaching in Political Science, 1-2 credits
Description: Practical experience teaching in Department of Political Science. Application deadline one week before beginning of registration for the following semester. Before interning in a course, students must obtain a grade of at least B+ in the course.
Instructor: Arranged

POL 3142: Voting, Campaigning and Elections, 3 Credits
Time, days, and room: 9:30-10:45 a.m., TuTh, MonH 206
Description: Covers theories of voting, including how they explain who votes and vote choice. Examines how campaign money, policy issues, the media, and campaign advertising play a role in presidential and congressional elections
Instructor: Mary Currin-Percival

POL 3150: American Constitutional Law I, 4 Credits
Time, days, and room: 12-1:50 p.m., TuTh, Cina 308
Description: Institutional powers and civil rights: judicial review; authority of Congress and President; powers in war and foreign affairs; power of national and state governments; property rights; civil rights and equal protection (race, gender, and other groups); anti-discrimination; affirmative action.
Instructor: Joseph Staats

POL 3197: Nongovernmental Internship, 1-12 credits
Description: Supervised, scheduled work assignments in performance of political functions in nongovernmental organizations; full- or part-time employment. Not all outside work is eligible; see department head for requirements.
Instructor: Arranged

POL 3403: American Foreign Policy
Time, days, and room: 11-11:50 a.m., MWF, Cina 308
Description: Various influences on the making of American foreign policy; understanding why particular foreign policy choices are made and the effects of a changing international environment on American foreign policy.
Instructor: Mary Caprioli

POL 3518: Transitional Politics of Asia, 3 credits
Time, days and room: 3:30-4:45 p.m., TuTh, Cina 308
Description: A comparative study of transitional societies in Asia (i.e., societies undergoing political, economic, technological, and socio-cultural changes--in varying degrees and forms--as part of their state building projects). Addresses the political economy of transitional states of Asia such as China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and India. Exploration, in the context of their historical experiences, of the rise of their state structures; ideologies; their transition from agrarian to industrialization; and how has this transition impacted their indigenous social cultures and identities.
Instructor: Runa Das

POL 3525: African Politics, 3 credits
Time, days and room: 4-4:50 p.m., MWF, Cina 308
Description: Africa occupies a unique place in the public imagination and the realm of political science. It’s the second-largest and second most populous continent, yet most people know very little about it. Most people think of Africa as a continent of war, disease, and poverty. While those elements certainly do exist on the continent, Africa is also home to an incredible diversity of political organization, economic systems, and diplomatic undertakings. In this class, we will use the tools of comparative politics to understand and evaluate the political and economic structures that exist throughout the continent. We will seek to understand political and economic successes and failures, and engage in systematic comparisons of government forms in other parts of the world. By the end, you should be able to appreciate and understand the continent’s varied political and economic forms and gain an appreciation for Africa’s place within the international community.
Instructor: Jeremy Youde

POL 3610: Political Economy: An Introduction, 3 credits
Time, days and room: 4-5:50 p.m., TuTh, Cina 202
Description: Relationship between politics and economics and ways they affect each other, focusing on political and economic values/goals and their role in shaping public policy; policies and policy making in selected national systems; the international economy.
Instructor: William Henderson

POL 3652: Modern Political Thought, 4 credits
Time, days and room: 3-4:50 p.m., MW, Lib 409
Description: Political thought from the Enlightenment to the present. Works of major political philosophers, including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Mill, Marx, and 20th-century philosophers.
Instructor: Amy Shuster

POL 4190: The Senior Seminar, 4 credits
Time, days and room: Sect. 001: 1-2:50 p.m., MW, Cina 102
(Instructor: Mary Caprioli)
Sect. 002: 6-7:50 p.m., MW, Cina 308
(Instructor: Jeremy Youde)
Description: Supervised research and writing in current areas or issues of politics and political science, subject matter varying with instructor.

POL 4191: Independent Study, 1-4 credits
Description: Advanced study and research under supervision of a staff member; student must consult with instructor before registration.
Instructor: Arranged

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

INTS 4100: Seminar in International Studies, 4 credits
Time, days and room: 6-9:50 p.m., Tu, Cina 214
Description: Analysis of and supervised research and writing on selected topics.
Instructor: Paul Sharp

SPRING 2010 COURSES

TBA

For more information, contact the Department of Political Science