Course Descrition and Objective

Class,

Course Description and Objective

This course will focus on the ideas and practice of contemporary government and politics in the United States enabling students to obtain an introduction to the constitutional foundations of our governments political institutions, and the development of current U.S. policies. A general education course, the class emphasizes how the American political system produces the kind of policies that it does, as well as a working knowledge of the actors and institutions that govern those outcomes. The primary goal of this course is to improve the student’s ability to read, write, and think with a greater degree of sophistication, imagination, and precision.
Prof. Mike

What is Political Science?

Political Science

Politics has been defined in terms of governance, power, and as the authoritative allocation of values, and, even who gets what, when, and how. But no simple definition can capture the broad range of subject matter that is included in political science. You can get some idea of the scope of the discipline from the four main sub-fields that make up the undergraduate curriculum: Political Theory, Comparative Government International Relations, and American Government.

Political scientists study topics such as the exercise of power and influence; sources and resolution of conflicts; the relationship of politics to the economy, culture, and other aspects of society; the adoption and implementation of public policies; and the development of political systems. These topics are studied at all levels, from local communities to the global community.

However politics is defined, it is clear that actions in the political arena have vital effects on our lives, liberties, and well-being. From this standpoint, political science deals with how we reach the collective decisions that shape our common fate.