Political Science - PLS (44)
Administered by Department of Political Science
Effective Fall 2009
44.101 Elements of Political Science (3) - Uses the procedures of political science to study power and examines the processes of politics and the practices of governments, the performance of and the pressures on the political system. For non-majors. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.108 Contemporary Political Ideologies (3) - An introduction to those political beliefs that shape contemporary politics: nationalism, liberalism, conservatism, socialism, feminism, religious fundamentalism, populism. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.120 United States Government (3) - Introduces government and politics in the United States, emphasizing constitutional development, political development, civil rights, parties, elections, pressure groups, the Congress, the president, courts and contemporary problems, such as foreign affairs, defense, unemployment and poverty. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.181 Contemporary Issues in World Politics (3) - An introduction to international politics through an examination of such critical problems as war and peace, nation-building, revolution, ethnic conflict and democratization. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.207 Ethics, Politics and Public Policy (3) - Examination of normative, descriptive and metaethical approaches employed by politicians and policymakers in confronting issues of responsibility and choice in public programs and policies. Focuses on ethical problems and responses in civic life and emphasizes the ways alternatives impact on society. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements/This course approved as 3 credits of Values, Ethics and Responsible Decision Making toward general education requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.210 Introduction to Political Theory (3) - An introduction to fundamental political concepts such as liberty, justice, equality, power and authority, as well as the main ideas of some representative political philosophers from Socrates to the present. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.222 Women and Politics (3) - Emphasizes political systems and the broad range of issues that find women as the recipients of and makers of public action and policy. Examines issues that unify and divide women as they attempt to understand the problems of becoming equal in an unequal society. The role of women in the United States and in other nations is explored. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.250 Globalization and the United Nations (3) - An introductory survey of the functions and organs of the United Nations. Students will be using the knowledge they gain from lecture and discussion to perform as delegates from various countries on topics that are currently being debated for resolution by the international body. The culmination of the semester is a one-day simulation of a United Nations committee session. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.251 Model UN Lab (1) - Applies the concepts discussed in the course Globalization and the United Nations. Students will prepare and function as the administrative body for the Bloomsburg University Model United Nations for high schools in the region. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
44.280 Introduction to International Relations (3) - Examines sources of international conflict and cooperation, power politics in the international arena, problems of collective security, the settlement of disputes, diplomacy and international law. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.300 Political Science Research (3) - Introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research methods as they pertain to political phenomena while familiarizing students with the mechanics and procedures of writing a formal political science research paper. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements/ This course satisfies 3 credits of the communication requirement for general education. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 44.120 and 20.101.
44.303 Politics and the Arts (3) - Surveys painting, music, films, poetry and novels to show the relationship between these media and political concepts, philosophies and problems. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.322 Political Violence (3) - Surveys individual, group and mass political violence, concentrating on causes and manifestations. Studies positive and negative effectiveness of political violence with the object of placing the phenomena in meaningful historical and contemporary contexts. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.326 Parties, Groups and Public Opinion (3) - Examines the development of political parties in the United States; elections, voter behavior and political participation; and the role of interest groups and political propaganda. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.336 Public Administration Theory (3) - Introductory course to the study of the "management of government business." Examines the multi-dimensional nature of Public Administration by exploring the political, social and economic factors influencing the public sector administration in the United States. Areas of emphasis include principles of public administration, organization theory, personnel management, public budgeting, public policy formulation and implementation and collective bargaining in the public sector. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.360 Nations, States and Governments (3) - Presents a comparative study of the governance of countries or nation-states in selected developed and less developed regions of the world. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.366 Political Systems of Western Europe (3) - Examines democracy as practiced in Western Europe; the politics and governments of Great Britain, France and Germany; and the development and politics of the European Union. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.371 Political Systems - Africa (3) - Examines problems of African countries: the struggle for independence; attempts to create national unity and political stability; economic and political development; the role of the military in politics; and politics in selected African countries. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.375 Multiculturalist Theory (3) - Treats the issues of concern generated from an attention to and appreciation of, our diverse cultural identities. As a theory course, it approaches multiculturalism as a new attempt to respond to the challenges that difference poses in democratic theory. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.376 Government and Politics of the Middle East (3) - Introduces the political history and governments of particular states in the region and considers their interactions regionally and internationally. Considers in particular the importance of Islam in politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iranian revolution, and the Iraqi wars. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.377 Feminist Political Theory (3) - Explores various strands of feminist political thought and approaches to philosophical critique. The primary aim of the course is to familiarize students with the contributions made by feminists to the field of political theory and to provide students with the basic tools with which to read, understand, critique and write in acknowledgement of these contributions. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements/This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course. Three hours lecture per week.
44.405 Development of Political Thought (3) - A chronological survey from the ancient Greeks to the present. Examines the ideas of seminal political thinkers as they grapple with perennial problems. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.409 American Political Thought (3) - Analyzes the relationship of American political thought to modern political theory. Traditional models are used in a historical, chronological way but are reworked to show their relation and relevance to contemporary actions and issues. Covers the main ideas of the leading political thinkers in America from the colonial period to the present. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.437 Public Administration Applications (3) - Examines major theories of public management and their application in the workplace to enhance productivity. Uses readings, cases and simulations. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.438 Public Personnel Administration (3) - Examines public service as a career; the personnel needs of national, state and local governments; civil service law, personnel systems; collective bargaining in the public sector, and current problems in the public service. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.440 The President and Congress (3) - Reviews presidential and congressional politics, public policy-making roles, executive-legislative relationships, constitutional issues. Explores the constitutional limitations, citizen expectations and myths surrounding these institutions. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.446 Constitutional Law I (3) - Analyzes the evolution, structure and function of the Supreme Court, concentrating on a case study approach of the court's interpretations of the powers of the president, Congress and federal-state relationships. Offered fall semester only. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Prerequisite: 60 credits. Three hours lecture per week.
44.447 Constitutional Law II (3) - Studies the decisions of the Supreme Court as they are related to the individual and the government, concentrating on nationalization of the Bill of Rights, rights of persons accused of crimes, equal protection and voting rights. Offered spring semester only. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 60 credits.
44.448 Judicial Process (3) - Studies policy-making by the federal courts, primarily the Supreme Court. Analyzes nature of the policy-making function as well as the impact of policy-making on American society. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.452 State and Local Government and Politics (3) - Presents a description and analysis of state and local legislatures, executives and judiciaries; the myths and realities of state and local politics; intergovernmental relations; current policies and problems. Offered fall semester only. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.456 Public Policy (3) - Studies the institutional and political context of public policy formation and implementation; the process for designing and administering government programs; and the techniques of analysis and evaluation that are or could be employed in formulating policy objectives, choosing from among alternatives and assessing performance. The approach is pragmatic, applied and interdisciplinary. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.458 U.S. Foreign Policy (3) - Analyzes the substance, methods and purposes of U.S. foreign policy, including the determinants of policy, policymaking machinery and implementation matters. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.462 Information Technology and World Politics (3) - Analyzes the practical impacts of the information revolution on diplomacy, international political economy, and national security. Examines how state governments, international governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals utilize information and communication technologies in contemporary world politics. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 44.280 or consent of instructor.
44.464 Government and Politics of Ireland (3) - Surveys historic, social, cultural and religious developments in Ireland with concentration on a study of the government and politics of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Examines contemporary literature, drama, music and art. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.466 International Relations in Contemporary East Asia (3) - Focus on regional conflicts and cooperation since the Second World War, and the interplay between international politics and economic developments in East Asia. It analyzes the sources of regional conflict and cooperation during the Cold War and in the post-Cold War era. It also assesses competing explanations for key events in East Asia's international Relations. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: None.
44.470 Political Science Capstone (1) - Provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and concepts learned throughout their time as a political science major and bring together disparate materials in the discipline into an understandable whole. Prerequisite: Must have earned at least 100 credits. For majors only.
44.487 International Law and Organizations (3) - Examines the nature of international law and politics and surveys basic issues in contemporary international law. The course also examines the development of international organizations and selected issues. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Prerequisite: 60 credits. Three hours lecture per week.
44.490 Independent Study in Political Science (3) - Provides for individualized reading, research and reporting under the supervision of a faculty member. Projects must have departmental approval and must begin by the end of the first week of a session. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.492 Seminar in Government and Politics (3) - Examines problems in government and politics in an attempt to review and unify theories and methods of political science. Emphasizes individual research projects. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
44.497 Internship in Political Science (1-15) - Provides for on-site work experience and training designed to give the student an opportunity to apply the theoretical and descriptive knowledge acquired in the classroom. The student is supervised by a faculty member instructor and an on-site person. A paper is required; other requirements to be determined by faculty supervisor. This course counts as a Group B, Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
44.500 Public Policy and International Affairs (3) - Introduces the fundamentals of the policy process and discusses the evolving nature of policy-making in the 21st century focusing on both domestic and international policy issues. Examines the fundamental theories, concepts and models of public policy-making in the contemporary global climate. Three hours lecture per week.
44.507 Ethics, Politics and Public Policy (3) - Examines the normative, descriptive, and meta-ethical approaches employed by political leaders and policy makers in confronting issues of responsibility and choice in public policy making, implementation, and evaluation of public programs. Focus will be placed on ethical problems in civic life and public policymaking. Prerequisites: 44.500. Three hours lecture per week.
44.510 U.S. Foreign Policy (3) - Analyzes the substance, methods and purposes of U.S. foreign policy, including the determinants of policy, policymaking machinery and implementation matters. Three hours lecture per week.
44.515 Human Rights and Public Policy (3) - provides foundational knowledge/expertise in the area of human rights as the subject relates to the functioning of governmental, quasi-governmental, inter- and intra-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The course includes discussion of a number of substantive areas of policy making. Three hours lecture per week.
44.517 Immigration Policy (3) - Applies a comparative perspective to the study of immigration policy in a cross-national setting. Prerequisites: As outlined in the M.A. program bulletin. Three hours lecture per week.
44.522 Women and Public Policy (3) - Explores the influence of women in different political systems on public policy decisions. The course explores women' use of existing systems and norms to have decision makers focus on issues such as war, economics, education, health and participation. It is an in depth examination of the interaction of women and institutions inside and outside of government. Three hours lecture per week.
44.525 International Law and Organization (3) - Focuses on the history, administration, and politics of international organization and the machinery of international law, and in so doing addresses three functional areas of international law: human rights and humanitarian relief; the environment and sustainable human development; and international peace and security. Three hours lecture per week.
44.556 Environmental Policy (3) - Introduces the impact and complexity of environmental policy issues facing the nation and its citizens. The course identifies the various areas of environmental concern and the approaches taken by government to deal with them. The course will also require an examination of the influence of citizens as they individually and collectively influence governmental decision making. The impact on inter-governmental relations will also be examined. Three hours lecture per week.
44.557 Issues in Global Environmental Policy (3) - Addresses issues specific to the study of environmental policy in a global context. Three hours lecture per week.
44.562 Information Technology and World Politics (3) - Analyzes the practical impacts of the information revolution on diplomacy, international political economy, and national security. Examines how state governments, international governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals utilize information and communication technologies in contemporary world politics. Three hours lecture per week.
44.572 U.S. China Relations (3) - Examines the global, national, societal, and leadership characteristics that shape each nation’s behavior toward the other and make the US-China relationship so difficult to manage, for both sides. Analyzes how this relationship can be managed (if it can be managed) more effectively, by both Washington and Beijing. Discusses what national interests are engaged for both countries and if these interests are converging or diverging as we proceed through the early twenty-first century. Three hours lecture per week.
44.578 Politics of Emerging Nations (3) - Examines the political developments in the emergent nation-states of the world since 1945. Many of these nation-states were dependent territories of imperial powers. The course critically examines the attempts at nation building of these nation-states in the post-colonial, post- cold war era. The problems and challenges of nation-building shall be explored. The rise of the Non-Aligned Movement and its impact on international relations will be examined. Three hours lecture per week.
44.579 Politics of Post-Industrial Nations (3) - Applies a comparative perspective to systematically analyze and discuss the policy making process and issue positions of post-industrial countries. Three hours lecture per week.
44.592 Research Methods (3) - Introduces graduate students to quantitative and qualitative research methods as they pertain to political phenomena while familiarizing students with the mechanics and procedures of writing a formal political science research paper. Three hours lecture per week.
44.597 Internship (3) - Provides students with supervised practice at an approved site. The student works with a professional to gain immediate practical experience in a substantive area of interest to the student in advancing to the degree. Internship requires formal approval by the student’s academic advisor. Prerequisites: 18 earned credits hours.
44.599 Thesis in Public Policy and International Affairs (6) - Offers students the opportunity to integrate learning in a substantive area of public policy through in-depth research and analysis of a specific policy issue. Prerequisites: 30 earned credit hours.