Political Science
- POL SCI 1100Intro Amer PoliticsThis course is an introduction to basic concepts of government and politics with special reference to the United States, but also includes comparative material from other systems. This course fulfills the University's general education American history and government requirement.
- POL SCI 1500Intro Comp PoliticsThis course introduces students to western and non-western systems. It examines similarities and differences in the basic political ideologies, structures, economies, social institutions and governmental processes of developed and developing countries. It also provides frameworks for understanding the cultures of the world that are the basis for formal economic and political institutions. In addition, the course examines the role of non-state institutions, including trans-national ones, in shaping national policies. It uses case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as Europe, to enhance student understanding of comparative politics. This course fulfills the cultural diversity requirement.
- POL SCI 1800Intro to Intl PoliticsAn introduction to the field of international relations, covering such topics as nationalism, power, foreign policymaking, diplomacy, war, terrorism, arms control and disarmament, economic interdependence, the regulation of conflict, and other aspects of politics among nations.
- POL SCI 1820Global IssuesA freshman and sophomore level course designed to introduce students to a range of global concerns, including population, hunger, trade, energy, and the environment. The worldwide implications of these and other problems will be considered, as well as their effects on local communities such as St. Louis.
- POL SCI 2102Introduction to Gender StudiesSame as SOC WK 2102, SOC 2102, GS 2102, HIST 2102. This core class is required for all Gender Studies Certificate earners. This class introduces students to cultural, political and historical issues that shape gender. Through a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the course familiarizes students with diverse female and male experiences and gendered power relationships.
- POL SCI 2320African Amer & Pol SysPrerequisites: POL SCI 1100 or consent of instructor. This course is an examination of the status of African Americans in the context of the American political system. It will focus on a number of issues, which may include attitudes of various publics toward racial concerns; nature of problems in specific policy areas (e.g., unemployment, school desegregation, housing, poverty); representation of African Americans in governmental institutions and the private sector; and the role of African American leadership and civil rights groups in the political process. The course fulfills the state requirement. This course fulfills the American History and Government general education requirement.
- POL SCI 2370Identity and Social JusticeExamines the meaning of social justice at the intersections of identities linked to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability, religion, and citizenship in the United States. We will dissect how the social construction of "difference" within systems of power has resulted in social policies that marginalize some groups more than others. We will also discuss how oppression linked to delineations of difference can be challenged and socially reconstructed, and ultimately used as a source of political empowerment.
- POL SCI 2400Public AdministrationPrerequisite: POL SCI 1100 or consent of instructor. Survey of Public Administration, with reference to organization, financial administration, personnel management, judicial control of the administrative process.
- POL SCI 2430Public and Nonprofit Org BehavThis course examines behavior in public and nonprofit organizations, including theory about how organizations work and how groups and individuals behave within organizations. Theories will be applied in an attempt to explain and predict behavior in an organizational context. Topics include motivation, leadership, goal complexity and ambiguity, organizational structure, culture, and communication in public and nonprofit organizations, as well as the relationship between public and private organizations.
- POL SCI 2510The Politics of European UnionThe European Union has become the driving force in European economic and social development. This course assesses the changing nature of national identity and national sovereignty in Europe. It compares and contrasts key public policies, (single market, welfare, migration, gender mainstreaming, "democratic deficits"), along with core EU actors and institutions, and includes participation in the annual Midwest Model EU.
- POL SCI 2900Studies in Political SciSelected topics in political science.
- POL SCI 3000Political AnalysisThis course provides an introduction to political analysis, emphasizing both the logic of inquiry and practical methods. Students will learn about the construction and evaluation of theories that relate to real-world politics. Students will also have an opportunity for hands-on experience with qualitative and quantitative methods including graphics, descriptive statistics, cross-tabular and correlational analysis, hypothesis testing, and computer applications.
- POL SCI 3041Topics Amer Const HistSame as HIST 3041. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. Origins and development of the principal institutions and ideas of the American constitutional systems; the role of the Constitution and the Supreme Court in the growth of the nation; important Supreme Court decisions; great American jurists and their impact upon the law; historical background to current constitutional issues.
- POL SCI 3200Constitutional LawPrerequisites: POL SCI 1100 or POL SCI 1200 or consent of the instructor. This course examines major U.S. Supreme Court cases on the constitutional structure of American government. Topics covered may include judicial review, separation of powers, federal-state relations commerce clause, and economic liberties. The course explores how the Supreme Court has interpreted these constitutional conflicts in light of changing times and emerging issues.
- POL SCI 3220Labor and Employment LawThis course examines the primary labor and employment laws that govern employment relationships in the United States. Topics may include laws that govern private-sector employment relationships, including the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family, and Medical Leave Act, and parallel issues found in state and other federal laws.
- POL SCI 3330Opinion and ParticipationPrerequisite: POL SCI 1100 or consent of instructor. This course links Americans' political attitudes to their political participation (defined broadly) and explores how governmental institutions, the media, and social group affiliations affect political behavior. It also connects trends in public opinion and participation to the state of American democracy.
- POL SCI 3460Pol Poverty & WelfarePrerequisite: POL SCI 1100 or consent of instructor. An examination of the structure of income inequality in the U.S. and public policies designed to redistribute wealth and to treat poverty. The history of welfare programs, the growth of the welfare state, and attempts to cut social spending are closely examined.
- POL SCI 3830Intrntl Political EconPrerequisite: POL SCI 1100 or POL SCI 1500, or consent of instructor. This course provides an introduction to international political economy. In particular, it will focus on the politics of international trade, finance, and investment. It will analyze the relationships between developed and developing countries and it will assess the relative usefulness of alternative frameworks for studying international political economy.
- POL SCI 3850Intl Org & Global Prob SolvingPrerequisites: POL SCI 1500 or POL SCI 1800. This course is an introduction to the study of international organizations. It will focus on global intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations, as well as non-governmental organizations, such as multinational corporations. Course topics may focus on the creation, existence, and evolution of international organizations, their relationships with nation-states, and their roles in economic development, resource management, and control of violence across national boundaries.
- POL SCI 3900Special ReadingsPrerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent study through readings, reports, and conferences. May be repeated.
- POL SCI 3901Capitalism in American HistorySame as HIST 3901. This course offers students the opportunity to approach America's political economy with tools different from those offered by more quantitative economic constructs. Students will analyze market processes through a three dimensional approach that focuses not just on market competition but also on relationships of command; the exercise of power in firms, among nations, and between social groups; and on processes of historical change from the late colonial era through the twentieth century.
- POL SCI 3940Public Affairs InternshipPrerequisites: Consent of instructor. This course is an independent study involving work with an appropriate public or private agency. A maximum of six credit hours may be earned.
- POL SCI 4950Sr Seminar Political SciencePrerequisites: POL SCI 3000 and senior standing. This course provides the integrative capstone experience required of all political science majors in their last year of coursework. It emphasizes student-faculty interaction in a seminar format designed to engage upper-level students in a critical examination of a broad theme in political science, leading to the production of a major research paper. This course is not available for graduate student credit.
- POL SCI 6401Intro Policy ResearchProcedures for testing explanations, including research design, principles of measurement, probability sampling, methods of data collection, and techniques for analyzing data.
- POL SCI 6405Dir.Readings ResearchIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6415Dir Read & Rsrch Pub PolSame as P P ADM 6150. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.
- POL SCI 6418Social & Econ Dev PolicySame as SOC WK 6250. Prerequisites: SOC WK 5200 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. This course examines the economic and political urban processes that planners, policy makers, service organizations and advocates seek to influence. In this course students will develop skills in policy analysis and development. The course provides an introduction to three models of modern political economy, then seeks to deepen these broad analytic approaches by examining more recent policy developments in cities like St. Louis. This course also focuses on recent strategies to address issues such as employment, wages, housing, education, taxes and social services.
- POL SCI 6425Dir Rdg Rsrch Public LawIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6435Dir Rdg Rsrch Am PoliticIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6440PA: Theory & PracticeSame as P P ADM 6400. The course examines major approaches to analyzing public policies and their administration with emphasis on the effects of administrative organization and procedures on policy decisions and their impact. Specific topics may include administrative accountability, inter-governmental relations, public private interaction, implementation processes, bureaucratic expertise, the legal environment of public administration, and public service and merit issue.
- POL SCI 6442The Policy ProcessPrerequisite: Graduate standing. This course will examine how public policies are made in the United States. It will cover different theories of the policy process, including how political actors get the government to focus on certain problems, form coalitions to enact policies, and generate support for their implementation. Finally, the course will examine how well various policy models apply to different policy domains.
- POL SCI 6443Health Care PolicySame as P P ADM 6430, GERON 6443, and SOC WK 6443. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing or consent of instructor. Survey course examining current issues in health policy that face the nation. Policies are placed in a historical context to show how issues have been influenced by different political and economic conditions. Secondary consequences and limitations of current trends in health policy are explored.
- POL SCI 6445Dir Rdg Rsrch Public AdmIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6449Human Rsrcs Pub SectrSame as SOC WK 6449 and P P ADM 6490. This course presents an overview of personnel and labor relations in the public sector. It places particular emphasis on issues which are unique to the public sector, such as the merit system, the questions of representative bureaucracy, and the constraints of personnel in the nonprofit sector. Course topics may include personnel reforms in the federal sector, equal employment and affirmative action policies, testing, selection, hiring, comparable worth, job evaluation and labor relations, including grievance arbitration and collective bargaining.
- POL SCI 6455Dir Rdg Rsrcg Comp PolIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6475Dir Rdg Rsrch Urban PolIndependent study through readings, reports and conferences.
- POL SCI 6485Dir Rdg Rsrch Intrnl RelIndependent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences.
- POL SCI 6494Thesis Research
- POL SCI 6495InternshipIndependent study involving work with an appropriate public or private agency.
- POL SCI 6499Dir Dssrtation Prpsl ResearchPrerequisites: Consent of instructor. Supervised study through readings and research leading to the preparation of a dissertation proposal plan. Open to doctoral students who have completed at least 42 hours of course work. The proposal plan will indicate the following: statement of research question, importance of the problem, literature review and research design.
- POL SCI 7499Dissertation Research