Survey the basic principles, terminology, and methods of political science in this course, which combines a historical study of the discipline's greatest thinkers with an analysis of contemporary issues.
This is a survey course, and it can be used if you are looking to take just one general overview course of political science or if you want to go on to more advanced study in any of the subfields of the discipline, such as American politics, comparative politics, international politics, or political theory. This course will survey the different ways in which political scientists study the phenomena of politics and will deepen your understanding of political life as both a thinker and a citizen. The goal of this course is to introduce you to the discipline's concepts, terminology, and methods and to explore instances of applied political science through real-world examples.
As an introductory course, POLSC101 will focus on the basic principles of political science by combining a historical study of the discipline's greatest thinkers with an analysis of contemporary issues. We will also identify and discuss the questions that drive the field of political science, including: How do we define the changing nature of power? How do we differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate governance? What are the differences between political institutions and political behavior? How do leaders define who gets to be heard and counted in a political community? By the end of this course, you will be familiar with these issues and capable of discussing them in the context of contemporary politics.
- Unit 1: Foundational Concepts of Politics
- Unit 2: Participation and Public Opinion
- Unit 3: Ideologies
- Unit 4: The State
- Unit 5: Political Institutions
- Unit 6: International Politics
- Explain the concepts of power, legitimacy, and authority;
- Discuss the origins and developments of the nation-state;
- Discuss general approaches to the study of politics, such as political ideologies and political economy;
- Discuss the political socialization process;
- Examine the nature of political participation from a comparative perspective;
- Discuss the influence of public opinion on the political decision-making process;
- Identify the different types of electoral systems and assess the implications of those systems;
- Identify the role and functions of political parties;
- Identify the different types of party systems from a comparative perspective;
- Evaluate the general principles of presidential and parliamentary political systems;
- Identify and evaluate the principles of authoritarian and totalitarian governments;
- Explain the origins and principles of democratic capitalism, democratic socialism, communism, and fascism;
- Describe the origins and principles of international law;
- Assess the influence of major international organizations; and
- Analyze the causes of international conflict.