Course Information

Course Descriptions

The following list describes the complete course catalog for political science. Please check the current and projected offerings pages to determine which courses are available.

POLS S103 Introduction to American Politics Honors Cr. 3. Equivalent of Y103 for honor students.

POLS S105 Introduction to Political Theory - Honors Cr. 3. Equivalent of Y105 for honor students.

POLS S200 Political Topics Cr. 1-6. (V.T.) P: consent of instructor. Equivalent of Y200 with a variable title for honors students.

POLS S211 Introduction to Law - Honors Cr. 3. Equivalent of Y211 for honors students.
 
POLS S401 Studies in Political Science Cr. 3. Equivalent of Y401 for honors students.

POLS Y103 Introduction to American Politics Cr. 3. Introduction to the nature of government and the dynamics of American politics. Origin and nature of the American federal system and its present political party base. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS Y105 Introduction to Political Theory Cr. 3. Perennial problems of political philosophy, including relationships between rulers and ruled, nature of authority, social conflict, character of political knowledge, and objectives of political action. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the western tradition culture studies requirement. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS Y107 Introduction to Comparative Politics Cr. 3. Similarities and differences in political processes, governmental institutions, and policy issues across major contemporary states. Cases for comparison include industrial democratic (such as Western Europe and the United States), communist or former communist (such as Russia and Cuba), and developing countries.

POLS Y109 Introduction to International Relations Cr. 3. Causes of war, nature, and attributes of the state, imperialism, international law, national sovereignty, arbitration, adjudication, international organization, major international issues.

POLS Y200 Contemporary Political Topics Cr. 1-6, Lab. 0-3. (V.T.) Extensive analysis of selected contemporary political problems. Topics vary from semester to semester and are listed in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated once for credit with permission of department advisor.

POLS Y205 Elements of Political Analysis Cr. 3. P: ENG W131, ENG W135, or placement N (ENG W140). Introduction to the scope and methods of political science. Stresses the development of writing skills appropriate to the discipline. This course may be used to fulfill the Arts and Sciences sophomore writing requirement. (Spring)

POLS Y211 Introduction to Law Cr. 3. An introduction to law as a method for dealing with social problems and as an aspect of the social and political system. An introduction to legal reasoning, procedures, and materials. Will usually include comparison of U.S. and other societies and their approaches to law.

POLS Y301 Political Parties and Interest Groups Cr. 3. P: Y103 or consent of instructor. Examination and evaluation of the behavior of political parties, voters, interest groups, and other institutions and procedures by which Americans try to control their government.

POLS Y302 Public Bureaucracy in Modern Society Cr. 3. Examines public bureaucracy, with special emphasis upon the U.S., as a political phenomenon engaging in policy-making and in the definition of the terms of policy issues. Considers the role of bureaucratic instruments in promoting social changes and in responding to them.

POLS Y303 Formation of Public Policy in the U.S. Cr. 3. P: Y103 or consent of instructor. Processes and institutions involved in formation of public policy in a democratic society, with emphasis on American experience.

POLS Y304-Y305 American Constitutional Law I-II Cr. 3-3. P: Y103 or consent of instructor. Nature and function of law; selected Supreme Court decisions interpreting American constitutional system.

POLS Y306 State Politics in the U.S. Cr. 3. P: Y103 or consent of instructor. Comparative study of politics in the American states. Special emphasis on the impact of political culture, party systems, legislatures, and bureaucracies upon public policies.

POLS Y307 Indiana State Government and Politics Cr. 3. P: junior class standing or permission of instructor. Constitutional foundations, political development, organizational and functional process and growth, and current problems of Indiana government as a focal point for understanding role of states as instruments of social policy. Readings, case studies, problems.

POLS Y318 The American Presidency Cr. 3. P: Y103. Development of the presidency and its relationship to the political system; problems of the contemporary presidency; personality and presidential roles, with emphasis on political leadership.

POLS Y319 The United States Congress Cr. 3. P: Y103. Congress is both a policy-making institution and a body of professional politicians representing state and local interests. This course examines Congress within the frameworks created by making each of these goals paramount. The conflicts and contrasts that arise in interpretation and evaluation of Congress by the differences in these points of view are explored.

POLS Y320 Judicial Politics Cr. 3. Examines the American judicial system in the contemporary context. Analysis of the trial and appellate courts with a focus on the United States Supreme Court. Topics include analyses of the structure of the judicial system, the participants in the system, and the policy-making processes and capabilities of the legal system. The course concludes with an assessment of the role of courts in a majoritarian democracy.

POLS Y324 Women and Politics Cr. 3. (V.T.) Analysis of women in contemporary political systems, domestic or foreign, with emphasis on political roles, participation and public policy. Normative and/or empirical examination of how political systems affect women and the impact women have on the system. Topics vary semester to semester. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic.

POLS Y328 Women and the Law Cr. 3. Exploration of origins and underlying rationale of women's status in the American legal tradition and the role that law plays in helping to shape political climate and structure of the nation. Course will provide basic knowledge of various fields of law as they pertain to women.

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POLS Y335 Western European Politics Cr. 3. Development, structure, and functioning of political systems in Western Europe. Political dynamics of European integration.

POLS Y338 African Politics Cr. 3. Politics in contemporary sub-Saharan Africa. Topics include processes of nation-building, dependency, and underdevelopment; role of political parties, leadership, ideology, and military rule; continuing relevance of colonial heritage and traditional culture; network of international relations; and special situation of South Africa. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the nonwestern culture studies requirement. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y339 Middle Eastern Politics Cr. 3. Political culture and change in selected Middle Eastern and North African countries. Topics include political elites, traditional cultures, modern political ideology, institutions of political control, conflict management, and social reform policies. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the nonwestern culture studies requirement. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y340 East European Politics Cr. 3. The study of the evolution of the governmental and political processes in the states of Eastern Europe. Traditional, ideological, and political aspects of the individual Communist societies will be discussed, with special emphasis on ideological differentiation and nationalism. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y350 Politics of the European Union Cr. 3. Study of the politics of the European Community. Assesses the process and dynamics of economic and political integration in Western Europe, the structure and work of EC institutions, and public policies of the EC.

POLS Y360 United States Foreign Policy Cr. 3. Mechanics of the foreign-policy-making process in the U.S. Analysis of competing concepts of the national interest; isolationism, the Open Door, Monroe Doctrine, national security, containment, military and political alliances, the new nations; their relation to substantive policies and to the character of American democracy.

POLS Y371 Workshop in International Topics Cr. 3. (V.T.) Includes such topics as development of the international system, politics of food and populations, law of the sea, human rights, trade, U.S. foreign policy, United Nations issues, etc. May be repeated once for credit with permission of department advisor. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y374 International Organizations Cr. 3. P: Y109 or consent of instructor. International organizations as lateral extensions of the Western state system, exercising influence in accordance with a variety of strategies. Strategies employed by the United Nations in the political and security area.

POLS Y376 International Political Economy Cr. 3 Theories about the interaction between the international economic and political systems are the subject of this course. Specific topics covered will include (among others): the politics of trade, aid, foreign investment and international monetary affairs; theories of dependency and imperialism; the politics of international competition in specific industries; the stability/instability of international economic regimes.

POLS Y381-Y382 History of Political Theory I-II Cr. 3-3. An exposition and critical analysis of the major political philosophers and philosophical schools. I. From Plato to Machiavelli. II. From Machiavelli to the present. Approved by Arts and Sciences for the western tradition culture studies requirement. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y389 The State and the Citizen Cr. 3. P: Y105 or consent of instructor. Problems of political obligation, including limits of state action, ends of political organization, and relations of the state with other organizations and other states.

POLS Y392 Problems of Contemporary Political Philosophy Cr. 3. P: Y105 or consent of instructor. An extensive study of one or more great philosophical thinkers, movements, or problems. Subject will vary with instructor and year. Current information may be obtained from the political science office. May be repeated once with the permission of the department advisor. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y394 Public Policy Analysis Cr. 3. Place of theory and method in examining public policies in relation to programs, institutional arrangements, and constitutional problems. Particular reference to American political experience. Eligible for graduate credit.

POLS Y395 Quantitative Political Analysis Cr. 3. P: MA 153 or MA 168 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Introduction to methods and statistics used in political inquiry, including measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, sampling, statistical inference and hypothesis testing, measures of association, analysis of variance, and regression. (Fall)

POLS Y398 Internship in Urban Institutions Cr. 1-6. P: Consent of instructor. This course is designed to provide opportunities for students to observe or participate directly in the policy-making process of those urban institutions requesting the assistance of paraprofessionals. Research and written reports are required. Evaluations will be made by both the agency and the instructor. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students working in city and county institutions may repeat the course for a maximum of nine credits. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS Y401 Studies in Political Science Cr. 3. (V.T.) Topic varies with the instructor and year; consult the Schedule of Classes for current information. May be repeated once for credit.

POLS Y480 Undergraduate Readings in Political Science Cr. 1-6. (V.T.) P: consent of instructor. Individual readings and research. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS Y482 Practicum Cr. 1-6; 9 cr. max. P: consent of instructor. Faculty-directed study of aspects of the political process based upon field experience. Directed readings, field research, research papers. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

POLS Y490 Senior Seminar in Political Science Cr. 3. (V.T.) P: Y205 or consent of instructor. Open to senior majors and others with consent of instructor. Readings and discussion of selected problems; research paper ordinarily required. May be repeated once for credit. (Fall, Spring)

POLS Y496 Foreign Study in Political Science Cr. 3-8. P: consent of instructor. Course involves planning of research project during year preceding summer abroad. Time spent in research abroad must amount to at least one week for each credit hour. Research paper must be presented by end of semester following foreign study. May not be repeated.

POLS Y499 Honors Thesis Cr. 3-8. P: approval of department honors program director. May be repeated once for credit. (Fall, Spring)

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