POLS- Political Science

EDP, SS- Students in this introductory political science course will explore and analyze political philosophies, political ideologies, the historical development of political thought, and examine the reasons people choose an ideology over others. They will learn to articulate key attributes of democracy, authoritarianism, and the major 'isms' (liberalism, conservatism, capitalism, socialism, communism, and fascism) and will analyze how well each ideology has dealt with social, economic, and political problems.

EDP, SS- This political science course examines the historical development of American legal institutions and assesses the power and function of the judicial process. Students will learn to recognize the social and behavioral nature of law and will be able to assess and articulate basic legal principles and processes, as well as the impacts of the law on individuals, communities, and culture. Special attention will be placed on helping students to develop legal knowledge and reasoning skills using civil, criminal and, business related case examples.

SS- This political science course examines and evaluates the nature of the American political system -- its origins, institutions, and operations ¿ as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Students will learn to describe and analyze the nature of politics, power and policies, analyze formal and informal institutions of government, articulate conventional and unconventional means of citizen participation, and interpret political outcomes.

GS, SS- This course introduces students to the field of international relations. It will focus on basic concepts such as nations and nationalism, the nature of the interstate system, the United Nations, power, international conflict and war, and prospects for peaceful conflict resolution. Students will also be introduced to the various modes through which nation-states interact, including, trade, war, diplomacy and alliances.

GS, SS- This political science course compares political systems and governance structures found throughout the world. By focusing analysis on selected countries and governments, students will learn to assess world issues and problems in their historical, economic, and cultural contexts. They will apply basic methods of comparative research and compare key attributes of world political systems.

GS, SS- This course offers an in-depth examination of the political economy, cultural, and social history of the Middle East and North Africa. It employs a broadly comparative perspective to shed light on some of the more vexing problems shared in common by the various states and societies in the region. The course focuses on such issues as the emergence of competing ideological systems, political culture, and competing world views, problems of economic development and democratization, mass mobilization and social movements, and regional conflict and war. At the end, it is hoped that students will acquire the analytical skills necessary for challenging resilient stereotypes about the region, and for independently making sense of historical and contemporary problems in Middle East and North Africa.

IL, SS- This political science course focuses on the institutions, processes, and challenges involved in making and implementing public policy at both the state and local level. Students will examine the political and legal foundations of state and local governments and the actors that influence policy outcomes to understand 1) how state and local governments function, 2) what allows governments to meet the needs of their constituents and 3) what prevents governments from achieving their goals. Students will also participate in a hands-on policy project applying these concepts to solving a problem at the local level. Although this course will focus on state and local government generally, it will give special attention to the state of Washington.

EDP, SS- This course focuses on the roles of women in political systems as voters, party activists, candidates, and public officials and the impact their presence can have on public policy outputs. As we examine these themes, we will study how history, culture, and political systems and institutions affect the role and status of women in politics and the impact that has on diversity and equity both within political institutions and in the broader public (the polis). This course will pay special attention to the status of women in U.S. politics and will use that examination to compare the role of women in political systems worldwide.

This course focuses on the institutions, actors, processes and challenges involved in making and implementing public policy generally, and environmental and sustainability policy specifically, in state government. Students will examine the political and legal foundations of state governments and the actors that influence policy outcomes to understand 1) how state governments function, 2) what allows government to meet the needs of their constituents and 3) what prevents government from achieving their goals. Additionally, this course will introduce students to foundational theories and concepts of the study of public policy creation, implementation and evaluation. Although this course will focus on state government structure and policymaking generally, it will give special attention to the impact of policy processes on environmental and sustainability policy and the government of the state of Washington.

This course offers an in-depth examination of historical and current issues in environmental politics. Students will develop a thorough understanding of the stages of the policy process from the identification and advocacy of environmental public policy problems, to agenda setting, to creation of alternatives, to decision-making, to implementation, to evaluation and feedback. The examination of environmental case studies from state, national, and international levels will create a deeper understanding of the complex political dynamics involved in policy making institutions. Ultimately, students will gain the skills and tools to competently analyze domestic and global environmental policy in a variety of situations.