Correspondence Directory

Majors and Courses of InstructionPolitics and GovernmentPolitics andGovernmentProfessors Esler, Kay, Louthan, McLean, Pinkele, RamsayAssociate Professor J. FranklinAssistant Professor A. Biser, J. ChoiTo foster both breadth and depth of knowledge, the department has designed a special corecurriculum for politics and government majors. Among the total of 10-13 departmental courses,the student selects at least one from each of five areas: American public affairs; political behavior;international affairs; comparative politics and government; and political theory. Working closelywith a faculty advisor, the student selects in each area the courses best suited to his or her particularinterests and career goals. The department offers a five-course minor as well.In order to declare a politics and government major, a student must have either a) a 2.5 cumulativeUniversity grade point average, or b) a 2.0 cumulative University grade point average and haveearned a B in one course in the department.Major and Minor Major. The major must complete 10-13 courses in the department consisting of either 110 or 111but not both, 279, 499 and one course in each of the following areas: (I) American Public Affairs(350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356 or 357); (II) Political Behavior (260, 261, 270, 280, 358); (III)International Affairs (300.1, 300.32, 300.5, 360, 361, 362); (IV) Comparative Government andPolitics (344, 346, 347, 348, 349); and (V) Political Theory (300.31, 371, 372, 373).Minor. The minor must complete five courses in the department consisting of either 110 or 111but not both, and one course from four of the five areas above. One of these four must be in thearea of Political Theory. Conduct of Political Inquiry, PG 279, can be taken to fulfill the PoliticalBehavior area for the minor.Courses in the major or the minor, should normally not be taken credit/no entry. All upper-levelcourses are numbered in groups according to the area or topic. The numbers bear no relationship tothe difficulty of the course work.Courses 110. Politics and Government (Biser, Choi)An introduction to systematic, comparative, and theoretical analysis of politics and government,including such considerations as: scope and methods of the discipline, the nature of politics andgovernment, foundation political theories, constitutionalism, public opinion, representation,political behavior, political institutions, and international relations. F, S.111. American National Government (Esler, Louthan, Ramsay)A comprehensive introduction to the American political system. Political foundations, theDeclaration of Independence, and the Federal Constitution period; Federalist, pluralist, anddemocratic foundations of the American political style, political parties, the electoral system;pressure groups and public opinion; the Congress and the legislative-representative function; thecontemporary presidency and the executive branch; the Supreme Court and judicial politics. Thecourse also examines the policy-making process generally with reference to current political andgovernmental issues both throughout and at the conclusion of the course. F, S.233