Politics Courses

POLI 101 Introduction to World Politics (3)
Principal forces and factors influencing world affairs with emphasis on the role of the United States in issues relating to resources food arms control human rights the environment rich and poor countries the development gap and detente.

Professor: Pamela Martin View Syllabus

POLI 110 The American Criminal Justice System (3)
An introduction to the structure of the law enforcement systems in the United States from the local and state levels to the federal level. A consideration of the principal issues in law enforcement: arms control internal security organized crime and other problems of criminality.

POLI 200 Communication in Political Science (3)
An introduction to the discipline of political science with an emphasis on researching, writing, and communicating orally.

POLI 201 American National Government (3)
The formation and development of the national government its organizations and powers.

POLI 300 Introduction to Political Theory (3)
(Writing Intensive) A survey of the major themes and the great ideas in the history of political theory. The student will acquire a broad understanding of the history of political thought from its origins in classical political philosophy and its development in modern and contemporary political theory.

POLI 302 Political Thought of Thucydides (3)
A study of the political thought of Thucydides through an intensive reading of The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians.

POLI 303 American Government Through Literature and Film (3)
A survey of the various actors, institutions and processes in the American political system by the use of fiction (motion pictures, novels and plays). The roles of legislators, the judiciary, chief executives, and the press at the national, state, and local levels of government are included.

POLI 304 Latin America Through Film (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) An examination of major topics in Latin American civilization through lecture, reading and writing, and the viewing and critical analysis of feature-length film.

POLI 305 Introduction to Empirical Political Inquiry (3)
(Prereq: Statistics 201 or Psychology 225 or Business 291 or Philosophy 110 or permission of instructor.) An introduction to modern empirical methodology in political inquiry. A survey of the theoretical foundations of the modern quantitative approach to political inquiry; an introduction to theory building, data gathering, data analysis, data evaluation, and to the writing of a written report.

POLI 307 The Scope of American Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) An in-depth exploration of the two major fields of study in American politics: political institutions and political behavior. Topics covered include the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in addition to political parties, voting behavior, public opinion, and interest groups.

POLI 309 African-American Political Thought (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor.) A survey of the issues and major figures in the African-American political tradition. Primary writings of selected thinkers, statesmen, or activists such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X will be the major focus of the course.

POLI 315 International Relations (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) International political behavior and institutions.

Professor: Pamela Martin View Syllabus

POLI 316 Comparative Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) Comparative approaches to political systems, behavior and institutions.

Professor: Pamela Martin View Syllabus

POLI 318 International Political Economy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) Examines the interaction between international politics and international economics.

Professor: Pamela Martin View Syllabus

POLI 320 Introduction to Latin American Civilization (3)
(= HIST 355) (Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) A survey of Latin American civilization from earliest times through the wars for independence.

POLI 321 State and Society in Modern Latin America (3)
(= HIST 356) (Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) A survey of social, economic, political, and cultural development in Latin America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

POLI 330 Introduction to the Middle East (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) An introductory survey of the Middle East including a study of the Islamic religion, the historical and geographical background of the region, the problems of Arab North Africa, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the petroleum issue, instability in the Persian Gulf, and the problem of violent religious extremism.

POLI 331 The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) A consideration of the historical background and contemporary status of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, covering the geographic, cultural, religious, economic, and political aspect of the crisis.

POLI 332 Conflict in the Persian Gulf (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) This course examines the political, cultural, economic and military aspects of the Persian Gulf Region with particular attention to problems in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The region’s status as a major source of crude oil will also be examined.

POLI 333 Islam and World Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor.) An examination of the Islamic religion as it relates to Middle Eastern and world politics. Topics include the Sunni-Shi’ite divide, traditionalist or fundamentalist variants of Islam, political movements challenging regional governments, and violent groups like al-Qaeda, Iraqi insurgent groups, and the Taliban.

POLI 334 East Asian Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101) An introduction to how changes in the post-WWII international political system have influenced the strategic, political, and economic situations in East Asia.

POLI 335 Chinese Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A study of the politics of mainland China with an emphasis on the politics of the post-Mao era (after 1978).

POLI 338 Introduction to Political Linguistics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) An introductory survey of the role played in contemporary world politics by the multi-lingual character of individual countries and the global community, with special focus on the connection between languages and conflict.

POLI 339 Diplomacy (3)
An examination of the role of diplomacy in advancing national interest, with a particular emphasis on the role of the diplomat.

POLI 340 International Negotiations (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A study of the theory and practice of international negotiation. Special emphasis will be paid to the various styles of decision making and negotiation associated with different cultures and countries. In addition, the various stages of the negotiation process will be analyzed.

POLI 341 Contemporary American Foreign Policy (3)
(= HIST 377) (Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A historical and political analysis of twentieth century American foreign policy.

POLI 343 Terrorism and Political Violence (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A survey of the historical and ideological origins of selected revolutionary and/or terrorist movements with a consideration of the role played by political violence in modern society.

POLI 344 Politics and Society in the United Kingdom (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A consideration of political and social structures in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (Ulster).

POLI 345 Politics and Governments of the Middle East (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) Politics, religion, and conflict in the contemporary Middle East, with emphasis upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Persian Gulf situation.

POLI 355 Foreign Policy Analysis (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) An introduction to basic theories, models and typical cases of foreign policy decision making.

POLI 356 Intelligence Analysis (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) An in-depth exploration of various intelligence issues with a focus on building analysis skills for the purpose of intelligence analysis.

POLI 360 American Political Parties (3)
(Prereq: Politics 201 or permission of instructor) A survey of the role of political parties in the American political system. Following an examination of the historical evolution of party systems in the United States, primary attention is given to three aspects of contemporary political parties: the parties as an organization, the party as an electorate, and the party as a governing elite.

POLI 361 American Politics: Interest Groups (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) An examination of the role of interest groups in the operation of the American political system, with a particular emphasis on pluralist and elitist theories of democracy.

POLI 362 Mass Media and American Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) The development and nature of the mass media; the influence of the media on American culture, politics, and government.

POLI 363 Southern Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) Selected political patterns and trends in the eleven states of the American South, focusing on the post-1950 period.

POLI 365 State Government (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of state-federal relations, relations among states, state constitutions, and the structure and functions of the three branches of government. Emphasis is given to South Carolina.

POLI 370 Introduction to Public Administration (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of the basic principles and theory of administrative structure, responsibility, and control in relation to governmental management.

POLI 371 Public Policy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) This course is an introduction to the nature of public policy in the U.S. Topics include theories and models of policy making, policy formation and implementation by political institutions, and the formation of the policy agenda. A significant focus is placed on the content and design of policy in selected areas, including health, education, welfare, criminal justice, and environmental policy.

POLI 372 Women and Public Policy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) This course examines the expanding role of women in political life. Students will study women as emerging political players in society, with a particular focus on strategies for gaining political power, the evolution of public policies that affect the lives and opportunities of women, and the present political status of women in the U.S.

POLI 375 Government and the Economy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) A study of the historical and theoretical relationship between questions of economic policy and the character of the American political order.

POLI 376 The Bureaucracy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) A study of how the branches of government function (political control, the political bureaucratic adaptation, bureaucratic accountability, reasoning, their clients, networks) and what government agencies do and why they do it. Interrelationships among the various entities in government will be explored through case studies.

POLI 399 Independent Study (1-6)
(Prereq: Written contract between student and instructor approved by the Associate Dean, Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. May be repeated for credit under different topics.

POLI 401 History of Political Thought I (3)
(Writing Intensive) A study of the history of political thought from Socrates through Aristotle.

POLI 402 History of Political Thought II (3)
(Writing Intensive) A study of the history of political thought from St. Augustine through Hooker.

POLI 403 History of Political Thought III (3)
(Writing Intensive) A study of the history of political thought from Hobbes through Rousseau.

POLI 404 History of Political Thought IV (3)
(Writing Intensive) A study of the history of political thought from Hegel through Nietzsche.

POLI 420 Global Environmental Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A comparative study of environmental politics and policy in industrialized countries (with special attention to the U.S.) and developing countries.

POLI 431 The Model United Nations (1)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A brief study of the history, mission, policies, and procedures of the United Nations designed to prepare students for competitive participation in the annual Southern Regional Model United Nations conference in Atlanta. May be taken up to three times for credit.

POLI 435 Globalization (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) This course will survey the various theories and issues surrounding the process of Globalization and anti-Globalization within the study of International Relations. It will draw on historical, economical, financial, cultural, and political issues-areas of Globalization in a multitude of regions.

Professor: Pamela Martin View Syllabus

POLI 438 International Human Rights (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) Development of the promotion and protection of international human rights and fundamental freedoms.

POLI 439 International Law (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) The origin, development and principles of the international law of peace and the enforcement of these principles. The law of war and pacific settlement disputes.

POLI 440 South Carolina State Legislative Process (1)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) An introduction to the practice of state legislative procedures. Students are required to participate in the South Carolina Student Legislature activity. Students may take the course up to three times for elective credit only.

POLI 446 The Essentials of Legal Studies (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) This class is designed to acquaint students with the basic concepts of local, state, and federal laws, systems, and reasoning. This course also will expose the student to the court system and its impact on the legal environment.

POLI 447 Trial Advocacy (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) The focus of this course is the art and science of trial advocacy and litigation, with concentration on basic evidence and trial procedure. This course will prepare the student for practice litigation with an emphasis on the art of trying a case from inception to conclusion. This course will also include mock trial practice.

POLI 448 Mock Trial (1)
(Prereq: POLI 447 or permission of the instructor) Mock Trial is an activity in which students learn the principles of trial advocacy and then apply those principles as they try a fictitious case. Mock trial gives undergraduate students an opportunity to learn firsthand about the work or trial attorneys, understand the judicial system, develop critical thinking, increase self-confidence, and develop the ability to work well with others.

POLI 449 Constitutional Law I (3)
(Prereq: Politics 201 or permission of instructor) An investigation of the U.S. Constitutional principles and the Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the development of the Document.

POLI 450 Constitutional Law II (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of judicial review, the political role of the courts, American federalism, the jurisdiction and limitations of the judicial branch, the power of taxation, the commerce power, the substantive and procedural rights of the individual, and the powers of the President.

POLI 451 The Supreme Court (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of the instructor) A study of the role of the Supreme Court in American politics. Covered topics include the historical development as an institution, the selection and nomination process of Supreme Court justices, the nature of the Supreme Court decision making, the relationship between the Supreme Court and the other branches, and other relevant topics.

POLI 452 The Judicial Process (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of the growth of law, the law-making function of the courts, the structure and organization of federal and state courts, the procedures involved in civil and criminal cases, and the problems and proposals for reform in the administration of justice.

POLI 453 Regulatory Policies (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) An examination, primarily by the case method, of the law of public offices, the types of powers exercised by administrative authorities, the scope and limits of such powers, including relevant aspects of procedural process of law, and remedies against administrative action.

POLI 455 American Jurisprudence (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) (Prereq: sophomore standing or permission of instructor) An examination of the approaches and controversies concerning legal interpretation and legal reasoning in the American political order. A major focus of the course is constitutional interpretation. Readings will be drawn principally from the writings of major figures in American jurisprudence.

POLI 462 The Legislative Process (3)
(Prereq: Politics 201 or the permission of instructor) A study of the structure, organization, powers, functions and problems of legislative bodies.

POLI 463 The American Chief Executive (3)
(Prereq: Politics 201 or permission of instructor) The constitutional powers and political roles of the American President with lesser emphasis upon state governors. An analysis of the chief executive and administration, executive relationships with legislatures, and party and popular leadership by the executive.

POLI 466 South Carolina Government and Politics (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of the politics and government of South Carolina with special attention paid to the state political and legal institutions, their power, and limits to their power.

POLI 467 American Local Government (3)
(Prereq: POLI 201 or permission of instructor) A study of the powers, organizations, processes, and programs of municipal government, with special emphasis upon government in metropolitan areas.

POLI 488 Politics and Governments of Contemporary Latin America (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) The development, principles, political thought, and politics of the several Latin American states.

POLI 491 Topics in Government and International Studies (3)
Reading and research on selected subjects in Politics. Open to juniors and seniors with the permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit under different topics.

POLI 495 Internship in Political Science (3)
(Prereq: Politics 201 and junior level with 2.5 GPA, or consent of instructor) Internships are available in local, state, or federal government offices. Students may do an internship for academic credit of three(3) hours and must work at least 120 hours at an organization during the summer registered. Grades are determined by a combination of the evaluation of the internship performance by the internship supervisor faculty advisor. Requirements are specifically stated in a contract to be signed by the student and faculty advisor.

POLI 496 Topics in Latin American Politics and Culture (3)
(Prereq: POLI 101 or permission of instructor) A topical approach to Latin America employing a variety of teaching materials and techniques. Among the topics treated are women and race, recent and contemporary themes in Latin American civilization, political institutions and ideology.

POLI 497 The Discipline of Political Science (3)
(Writing Intensive) (Prereq: completion of 75 credits or permission of instructor) Designed to be the capstone course for students majoring in Political Science this course focuses on the nature and development of the discipline of Political Science. Particular attention is given to controversies concerning the scope and methods of conducting research in political science. Political Science majors should take this course no earlier than the last semester of their junior year. Since the concerns of this course are common to all of the social sciences, the course is open to and recommended for non-majors.

POLI 499 Senior Thesis (3)
A course designed both to assess and improve research skills, writing ability, and general mastery of the field of politics. Under the close supervision of a member of the department, students will review primary and secondary source materials and write one 25-page thesis of graduate school quality.