Political Science Course Desciptions
POL 199 Special Topics (1-3)
Contents to be specified by the Department according to the interest and
expertise of faculty members and the specific needs and/or interest of the
students.
POL 201 American Government (3)
National Government and its structure; administrative and political practices of
the central agencies of authority in the United States. Co-requisite: ENG 111 or
higher.
POL 202 State and Local Government (3)
Role of states in our federal system as well as interrelationships among them;
analysis of patterns of legislative and executive process on the state level;
particular attention will be devoted to these processes in Florida.
POL 207 The American Courts (3)
Analysis of the judiciary at the state and federal levels and of the role of
courts in criminal, civil and constitutional/political matters. Contemporary
legal and constitutional issues in their historical context. Students interested
in POS 308 should take this course.
POL 209 Comparative Government and Politics (3)
Analysis of governments and administrations, parties, policy formation and
political regimes in western European democracies, in military/bureaucratic
systems, in dictatorships and in developing countries. Historical background to
various regimes, comparison of policy-making process across national lines.
POL 300 Special Topics (3)
Content to be determined by the Department according to the faculty and specific
needs and/or interests of the students.
POL 305 The Presidency (3)
The study of the development of the office of the President of the U.S. with
emphasis on twentieth-century incumbents.
POL 306 The Congress (3)
Based upon an overview of the rule-making process; analysis of the organization
of U.S. Congress with particular attention to the role of Congress within this
political system and the centrality of committees in the law-making process.
POL 308 Constitutional Law (3)
Use of the case method approach, focus on the development of constitutional law
starting with judicial review and ending with privacy. An emphasis will be
placed on the civil rights revolution of the Warren Court. Prerequisite: POS
207.
POL 311 Scope and Methods in Political Science (3)
Analysis of the issues and problems within Political Science and its various
sub-disciplines. Review of the research techniques and methodologies of the
discipline. Required of all Political Science majors. Recommended as a first
300-level course and an introduction to upper-level coursework.
POL 325 International Relations (3)
Analysis of relations among subnational, national, and supranational actors in
the international system; foreign policy formation; quest for peace and security
in a shrinking world.
POL 352 Politics and Music (3)
Examines the relationship between politics and music by focusing on the lyrics
of popular songs from the colonial period to date. The political activities of
major popular music artists will be considered as well as songs that focus on
specific political problems such as war, authority, race, gender and economic
justice. Political theorists covered include: Plato, Marx, Nietzsche, and Rawls.
Prerequisite: POS 201 or HIS 202 or permission of the department chair. (same as
HIS 352)
POL 393 America in the World (3)
An examination of the role and impact of the United States in world affairs from
historical and political perspectives. (same as HIS 393)
POL 395 International Organizations (3)
Study of the structure and functions of international organizations as well as
their importance in the international arena; special attention will be devoted
to the role of the United Nations and the European economic community.
POL 396 Latin American Politics (3)
Detailed analysis of government and politics in select Latin American countries.
Special attention will be devoted to authoritarian as well as revolutionary
regimes.
POL 404 American Diplomatic II 1890 to present (3)
Significant topics in diplomatic history; including the emergence of the U.S. as
a world power; the cold war; decision-making in the Department of State; and the
role of interest groups in foreign policy. (same as HIS 404)
POL 406 Political Economy of Development (3)
Analysis of the process of political and economic development. Topics include
modernization, industrialization, the new international economic order, the role
of the state and military and ethical issues of development. Prerequisites: ECO
201, ECO 202 and departmental approval. Same as ECO 406.
POL 415/515 American Political Institutions: Legacy of
the Framers (03)
This course will analyze the evolution of the three branches (executive,
Legislative, Judicial) of the American national government from the framers to
the present. Special attention will be given to the current relevance of the
insights found in the Federalist papers.
POL 425/525 Political Theory I (3)
Inquiry into various views of the nature of humanity and of civil and political
society, with emphasis on political thought in the ancient and medieval world.
Reading and analysis of texts in political theory from the classical era to the
end of the Middle Ages.
POL 426/526 Political Theory II (3)
Inquiry into humanity and civil/political society in the modern world, with
emphasis on the reading and analysis of major political theories and
philosophies of the period since the Renaissance and Reformation eras.
Contemporary political theories.
POL 429 Public Policy and Administration (3)
Analysis of the policy-making process, with use of the case method to study the
formation of policy. Implementation of policy through the organization and
management of policy at various levels of government. Survey of theories of
administrative organization and management.
440/540 Disempowered Voices (3)
An advanced course dealing with narratives of the disempowered, including women,
Native Americans and African Americans, within the context of Identity Politics.
This course seeks to locate, utilizing different narrative perspectives, the
fundamental shifts in consciousness that give rise to a politics of identity as
well as political action. Shifts from an imposed, negatively constructed
identity to a political asserted one will be analyzed as well as the logic of
such identities.
POL 487 Senior Seminar (3)
For senior political science majors, integration of distribution requirements
and political science courses, with a focus on a particular political issue or
problem. Emphasis on intensive research and effective writing skills. Required
of all Political Science majors. Same as HIS 487.
POL 499 Internship (3-12)
Practical experience within a professional setting. Prerequisites: Senior status
(90+ credit hours); 2.50 overall GPA; all paperwork must be completed before the
end of the semester preceding the internship. Prior approval of Department Chair
and Dean required.
POL 359,459 Independent Study (3-12)
Opportunity for extensive research in an area of special interest to the
student. Department Chair and Dean approval required.
