Course Descriptions

Please refer to the current Academic Bulletin for the most updated list of course descriptions for this major.

POLS 101 American National Government
3 Semester Credit Hours

Introductory course in American National Government which emphasizes the study of political institutions (Presidency, Congress, Courts, Bureaucracy, etc.) and American political development. Students will learn how to engage in civic discourse on divisive issues and broadly analyze the nature of the American regime. Students will incrementally improve their writing with for/against, five paragraph position papers. Offered every Fall.

POLS 202 State and Local Government
3 Semester Credit Hours

Introductory course in State and Local Government which emphasizes political institutions at both the state and local levels and examines intergovernmental relationships between the various layers of the American federal system. Students will learn how to engage in civic discourse on divisive issues in State and Local politics and to analyze the role of localism and civic duty within a mass society. Students will incrementally improve their writing with for/against, five paragraph position papers. Offered every Spring.

POLS 311 Campaigns, Elections, and Public Opinion
3 Semester Credit Hours

Introductory course in State and Local Government which emphasizes political institutions at both the state and local levels and examines intergovernmental relationships between the various layers of the American federal system. Students will learn how to engage in civic discourse on divisive issues in State and Local politics and to analyze the role of localism and civic duty within a mass society. Students will incrementally improve their writing with for/against, five paragraph position papers. Offered every Spring.

POLS 332 International Relations
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course covering the basic theories of the modern state system and national power as they relate to the international community and its organization. Students will take over a country in a semester-long game simulation of international affairs. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. POLS 332 is cross listed with HIST 332. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered Spring, Odd Years.

POLS 341 American Diplomatic History
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on the history of the foreign policy of the United States with attention to institutional, behavioral, and philosophical development of American diplomacy. This course will also consider preparatory material for students interested in a career in foreign civil service. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. POLS 341 is cross listed with HIST 341 Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered irregularly.

POLS 342: The United States and China: Great Power Diplomacy
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on the history of the Chinese relationship with the West and the United states in search of insights into the practice of great power diplomacy today. Current events will be considered and used as a vehicle for course discussion. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered irregularly.

POLS 351: The Judiciary
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on judicial politics, theory, judicial decision making, justice selection, public law, and more. Special emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of the ‘attitudinal model’ of judicial decision making: do judges follow the law in their rulings, or simply use legal reasoning to veil their own policy preferences? Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered Fall, once every 4 years

POLS 352 Constitutional Law
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course serving as an introduction to constitutional law. Students will learn constitutional reasoning and study decisions and the consequences of rulings within the context of American history, colonial period through the contemporary era. No term papers are assigned, but regular participation assignments and legal briefs will introduce the student to constitutional argumentation. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202. POLS 352 is cross listed with HIST 352. Offered every other Spring.

POLS 353 Advanced Constitutional Law
3 Semester Credit Hours

Advanced course dedicated to the analysis of the American constitutional tradition, paying special attention to pivotal cases, legal trends, and contemporary scholarship on the supreme court. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS/HIST 352. POLS 353 is cross listed with HIST 353. Offered Irregularly.

POLS 361 The American Presidency
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course dedicated to studying the institution of the presidency and presidential roles in American politics: the selection process, popular leadership, development of legislative programs, implementation of public policy and the President’s relations with Congress, the bureaucracy and the courts. Special emphasis will be placed on the evolution of the modern rhetorical presidency which will be leveraged for insight into the contemporary exercise of executive power. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. POLS 361 is cross listed with HIST 361. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered during the Fall.

POLS 362 Public Administration and the Bureaucracy
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course covering the principles of public administration and the bureaucracy, including the historical development of public administration, scientific organization, leadership and decision making, intergovernmental relations, public law and public policy. This course is strongly recommended for students considering MPA or MPP degrees or work in public non-profits. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Offered every other Spring.

POLS 363 Advanced Public Policy
3 Semester Credit Hours

Advanced course covering the basics of public policy formulation and implementation in the context of political institutions and political behavior. Both policy processes and relevant content areas will be stressed. Students who have taken POLS 362 and are interested in a career in the bureaucracy, public non-profits, or legislative services should express interest in this course directly to departmental faculty. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered irregularly.

POLS 371 Congress and the Legislative Process
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course covering the basics of legislative organization and process with attention to the institution of Congress, its members, and its relation to parties, elections, interest groups, executive agencies and the courts. This course will also analyze theories of democracy and representation in liberal democratic regimes. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Offered Fall.

POLS 380 Survey of Political Thought: Plato to Nietzsche
3 Semester Credit Hours

Gentle introduction to the most important thinkers in our political philosophical tradition. This survey course emphasizes the contributions of the ancients (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas) and the Moderns (e.g. Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Rousseau) and their relationship with American Political Thought (e.g. The Federalist, Tocqueville), and Contemporary Political Thought (e.g. Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche). Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Cross-listed with HIST 380. Offered every other Spring.

POLS 381 Survey of Political Thought: Aristotle to Hegel
3 Semester Credit Hours

Gentle introduction to the most important thinkers in our political philosophical tradition. This survey course emphasizes the contributions of the ancients (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas) and the Moderns (e.g. Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Rousseau) and their relationship with American Political Thought (e.g. The Federalist, Tocqueville), and Contemporary Political Thought (e.g. Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche). Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 202 recommended. Cross-listed with HIST 380. Offered every other Spring.

POLS 382 Ancient Political Thought
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on the development of political thought from the presocratics through the early medieval period. The course will emphasize the works of Plato, his forerunners (Thales, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Gorgias, Socrates) and his legacy. Particular attention will be paid to the role of imagination, wonder, and narrative in politics. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Recommended prerequisite(s): POLS 380 or POLS 381, Offered Fall, every Four Years.

POLS 384 Modern Political Thought
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on the development of political thought during the Modern era. The course will examine the intellectual context of the enlightenment (Locke, Spinoza, Descartes, Kant) and the development of liberal democratic political order through the development of separation of powers and liberal democracy(Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu). We will conclude examining the limits of political liberalism as liberty and equality begin to create friction unanticipated by early enlightenment thinkers (Rousseau, Tocqueville). Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Recommended prerequisite(s): POLS 380 or POLS 381, Offered Fall, every Four Years.

POLS 386 American Political Thought
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course introducing the rich tradition of American Political thought. This course will emphasize the development of different strains of liberalism and progressivism in America and assess the impact of these political ‘foundations’ on American political development as well as make connections to contemporary political culture. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Prerequisite: POLS 101. Recommended prerequisite(s): POLS 380 or POLS 381. Offered Fall.

POLS 387 Contemporary Political Thought
3 Semester Credit Hours

Intermediate course on political philosophy from the late 19th Century to the present day. We will explore ideological mass movements and totalitarianism, analytic, continental, and postmodern political philosophy, and neo-classical responses by Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with short summary papers and an argumentative essay. Prerequisite: POLS 101. Recommended prerequisite(s): POLS 380,

Offered Fall, every Four Years.

POLS 390 Topics in Political Science
3 Semester Credit Hours

Subject matter will vary depending on the instructor and student interest. The schedule of course offerings will specify the subject of the course. Popular offerings include: Politics and Literature, Christian Political Thought, Bayesian Methods for Social Science Research, Media, Rhetoric and Populism and International Law. All students will improve their writing and research skills by completing a research report or argumentative essay.

POLS 391 Comparative Government
3 Semester Credit Hours

Introduction to the classification of political systems according to institutional and development characteristics and the causes and costs of political stability and instability. Comparison will relate to contemporary political institutions, processes, and behavior in specific countries. Students will incrementally improve their writing skills with one course project and one research report. Prerequisite: POLS 101. Offered Spring, Even Years.

POLS 400 Senior Seminar
3 Semester Credit Hours

POLS 400 is a capstone experience required for all seniors majoring in politics. Students will be expected to produce a completed research project at either the MPSA, APSA, KPSA annual conferences, or at our KWC scholar’s day in April. With prior approval, students may use any research report conducted in a prior class and expand into a full-length study. Offered every Fall.

POLS 408 Internship in Legal Assistance
3 Semester Credit Hours

Students will be assigned to a law firm or court agency for a minimum of 120 hours per semester to discover how law is practiced out of the classroom and to see if law is their calling. Assignments and duties may vary. All students will improve their writing and research skills by completing a research report or argumentative essay. Students must have a 3.00 G.P.A. and instructor permission to enroll. Offered by student request. Cross-listed with LGST 408.

POLS 409 Internship in Governmental Operation or Nonprofit Organization
3 Semester Credit Hours

Students will be assigned to a legislative office, congressional field office, or nonprofit agency for 3 – 12 hours per semester. Popular programs are the Legislative Research Council in Frankfort (even years), and work at the local Green River Area Development District (GRADD). Assignments and duties may vary. All students will improve their writing and research skills by completing a research report or argumentative essay. Students must have a 3.00 G.P.A. and instructor permission to enroll. Offered by student request.

POLS 492 Independent Study in Political Science
1-3 Semester Credit Hours

This course provides opportunities for special research for advanced students in political science. Students will be expected to produce a completed research project at either the MPSA, APSA, KPSA annual conferences, or at our KWC scholar’s day in April. This course may be repeated for credit for a maximum of six credit hours. Offered by student request. Internship and independent study courses are limited to a maximum of six (6) semester hours per student in most cases. Instructor permission is needed for entry into any of these courses. Junior level and 3.0+ GPA recommended.