The following courses required for the B.S. in Political Science degree are available for the Spring 2016 semester. A full list of courses offered by the department and requirements for the major can be found in the Undergraduate Handbook [pdf] and the major requirements handout [pdf].
Additional course information can be found on Buckeye Link.
Questions about courses or scheduling? Make appointment with an advisor by calling (614) 292-6961.
1. Course(s) required to declare the major
*Students must have at least one of these
1100: Introduction to American Politics
This course is an introduction to the institutions, processes, and influences of American government, politics, and political behavior. The first part of the course will focus on political elites, discussing the history and theories of American democracy, as well as its political institutions (Congress, Executive, and Judiciary). In the second half of the course, we will shift gears and focus on mass political behavior and interests (public opinion, contemporary political debates, voting and campaigns and elections).
This course is available for EM credit. GE soc sci orgs and polities course. SS Admis Cond course.
1200: Introduction to Comparative Politics
This is a course that introduces students to politics as it takes place outside the United States. The emphasis is on the big questions of the day: How should democracy be structured? How do countries confront the challenges of economic development, inequality, ethnic and racial cleavages, or nation building? What are the politics that make possible transitions from authoritarianism to democracy? And how are different authoritarian political systems structured? The class will address questions of this nature in the context of an analysis of selected wealthy and poor countries around the world.
This course is available for EM credit. GE soc sci orgs and polities and diversity global studies course.
1300: Global Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
What are the causes of war? What are the conditions in which people from different parts of the world can work together to tackle common problems such as climate change? This course provides you with the basic theoretical perspectives to address important issues in world politics such as these, and also covers other topics including economic relations, the role of international organizations, and human rights, so that, at the end of the course, you will be able to critically analyze the phenomena in world politics as an informed citizen.
GEC soc sci human, natural, and economic resources and diversity global studies course.
2150: Voters and Elections
Semester | 3 credit units
Why do people vote? Are non-voters completely disengaged, or simply engaged in other kinds of political activities that they find more satisfying and more likely to affect their lives? This course examines recent research into voting behavior, the election context of voting, and political participation. We will learn why people are turned off of politics, and consider what kinds of changes might be necessary to rekindle the interest of voters and maintain the legitimacy of elections in the future.
GE soc sci indivs and groups course. SS Admin Cond course.
2300: American Foreign Policy
Semester | 3 credit units
Today, the United States possesses unrivaled power and influence in international politics. How is this power used? How is U.S. foreign policy developed and implemented? What interests should the United States pursue in key policy areas like terrorism, economic globalization and weapons proliferation? The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and analytical skills needed to answer these questions and to critically evaluate the role of the United States in the world.
GE soc sci orgs and polities and diversity global studies course.
2400/2400H: Introduction to Political Theory
Semester | 3 credit units
Justice, it is said, requires giving people what they are due – but what exactly are people due? Does justice encompass freedom and equality, or are these often conflicting political values? If so, how do we trade them off against each other? How should a just state distribute the goods that we all need, such as rights and liberties, educational opportunities, and wealth? In addition to studying great philosophical answers to such questions, we will apply those answers to live debates about pressing political questions, for example, regulating sexual conduct, economic markets, affirmative action, environmental sustainability, immigration, and global justice.
Prereq: Honors standing, or permission of instructor. GE soc sci orgs and polities course. SS Admis Cond course..
2. Required core courses in political methodology
*students must have 9 credits
3780: Data Literacy and Data Visualization
Semester | 3 credit units
Most social science debates can be addressed with data, and sources of data are growing exponentially. This course introduces students to tools of data analysis and principles behind their use in the context of social-science applications.
4781: Techniques of Political Analysis
Semester | 3 credit units
This course is an introduction to the ways in which social scientists leverage quantitative data to answer questions about human behavior and society. Students will learn how to critically evaluate social scientific research and will get hands-on experience in analyzing data. This course also trains students to use the R statistical software, which is used for all analyses.
Prereq: One course in political science at the 300 level or above. GE data anly course.
4782: Research Methods in Political Science
Semester | 3 credit units
Our focus in this course will be on research questions and the methods we can use to answer them. Key to understanding the “how” of research is a good grasp of basic statistics and probability theory, which we will review briefly, and model estimation, on which we will spend several weeks. The second section of the course is meant to illuminate research methods at work. We will do this through reading and discussion of political science articles that apply the methods we’ve discussed in class and through your development and presentation of an original research project to address a research question of your choosing. The overall goal is that by the end of the course you will have learned the mathematics and assumptions that underpin social science models, allowing you to be a more critical consumer of published information both in the social sciences and in the world at large.
Prereq: 4551 (485).
3. Required specialized courses in political methodology
*students must have 3 credits
4553H: Game Theory for Political Scientists
Semester | 3 credit units
4. Subfield courses
*students must have a minimum of 33 hours of course work at the 2000 level of higher, and at least 24 of those hours must be at the 3000 level or higher. Students must have at least one course from three of the four subfields
4A. American Politics
2150: Voters and Elections
Semester | 3 credit units
Why do people vote? Are non-voters completely disengaged, or simply engaged in other kinds of political activities that they find more satisfying and more likely to affect their lives? This course examines recent research into voting behavior, the election context of voting, and political participation. We will learn why people are turned off of politics, and consider what kinds of changes might be necessary to rekindle the interest of voters and maintain the legitimacy of elections in the future.
GE soc sci indivs and groups course. SS Admin Cond course.
3100: American Politics and Policy Making
Semester | 3 credit units
An examination of American political institutions and the policy-making process.
Not open to students with credit for 1100 or 1300.
3115: Introduction to the Policy Process
Semester | 3 credit units
This course provides students with an introductory overview of the policy-making process, paying particular attention to the actors who play a pivotal role in crafting public policies and the institutions through which they interact. Note that this is not a course on policy analysis. Rather, it is a course about the politics behind successful policy change (and the pitfalls of policy failure). The objective of the course is to encourage students to think like strategic political operatives, who can take idealistic policy goals and design strategies to translate these goals into law.
3905: Political Manipulation
Semester | 3 credit units
This course examines how political actors manipulate the rules and the salience and availability of information to shift political outcomes in their favor.
4110: The American Presidency
Semester | 3 credit units
Political Science 4110 The American Presidency introduces the student to the state of the art in contemporary scholarship on the executive branch in the United States. To coincide with the 2016 presidential primary elections, the Winter 2016 offering of the course will focus especially on presidential campaigns. By the end of the course, successful students will have mastered a range of topics, including the historical and contemporary party nomination processes, the role of campaign organizations and outside interests in presidential elections, and voter decision making.
4126: Ohio Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
This course examines the formal institutions of Ohio government - executive, legislative, and judicial - and the political processes and actors that shape Ohio politics and politics - elections, political parties and interest groups. Students will gain a basic knowledge of the nuts and bolts of Ohio government, and should be able to analyze the performance of Ohio's government, explaining how and why Ohio government has performed effectively and ineffectively.
4127: Governing Urban America
Semester | 3 credit units
In this course, students will watch HBO's "The Wire" and complete readings that address the key themes of the show. In particular, we will focus on: (1) the major problems facing urban communities; (2) the economic, social and political forces that have shaped their development; (3) the structure and role of government in addressing urban problems; and (4) the major participants and stakeholders in city politics.
4135: American Constitutional Law
Semester | 3 credit units
The Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court justices who interpret it have defined the contours of government power in the United States for over 220 years. As we will see, however, the precise scope and nature of that power are not always clear. Legitimate questions arise about whether particular governmental entities have the authority to undertake specific kinds of actions. Moreover, conflicts arise between the branches of government (separation of powers) or between the national and state governments (federalism) concerning the appropriate balance of power among different governmental bodies.
In this course we will examine the constitutional powers of our national institutions: The judicial, legislative, and executive branches. We will also look at how our constitutional structure limits state and national governmental actors. Finally, we will consider how some of the specific tools that the United States government has to address national problems have evolved over time through Supreme Court decision making.
4136: Civil Liberties
Semester | 3 credit units
An examination of the civil liberties decisions by American courts, their legal and political bases, and their effects on government and society.
4138: Women and the Law
Semester | 3 credit units
This course examines legal issues that are especially relevant to women, issues that range from abortion to employment discrimination. We will consider this set of issues because of their importance in themselves and as a means to illuminate the workings of government and politics. The course material will focus on three aspects of these issues: the content of major legal rules affecting women and the development of those rules over time; the forces that shape those legal rules; and the impact of those rules on the situations of women and on society generally.
4139: Gun Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
In America today there are some 300+ million firearms in private hands, amounting to one weapon for every American. Two in five American homes house guns. On the one hand, most gun owners are law-abiding citizens who believe they have a constitutional right to bear arms. On the other, a great many people believe gun control to be our best chance at reducing violent crime. This course will examine gun control through historical, legal, and sociological lenses. Upon completion of the course students will have a better understanding of how truly multi-faceted and complex the issue is and, thus, why consensus is so difficult to achieve.
4150: American Political Parties
Semester | 3 credit units
This course will study the role and behavior of the three parts of American political parties – the party organization, the party in the electorate (the voters supporting the parties), and the party in government (party members in the three branches of government) – and their interrelationships and competition throughout American history. With particular attention to the upcoming 2016 election campaigns, it will focus on how American parties have changed in recent years and what these changes mean for American politics.
GE soc sci orgs and polities course.
4160: Public Opinion
Semester | 3 credit units
What is public opinion? Where does it come from? How does it change? What does it matter? In this course we will attempt to answer these questions using the results of scientific studies and our own insights. We will explore the landscape of opinion on a variety of political topics, attempting to find out what the public thinks about these issues, and more importantly, why they think the way they do. We will also try to find out how a person's political opinions influence their behavior, and whether or not political leaders pay any attention to, or manipulate, "the will of the public."
4164: Political Participation and Voting Behavior
Semester | 3 credit units
Why do some people participate in politics, while others choose to abstain? How do people decide for whom to vote – and are they informed enough to make this decision? In this course, we will delve into key controversies in political participation and voting behavior in the United States. In particular, we will focus upon topics such as: who votes, who doesn’t, and why? What encourages participation, and what suppresses it? What role has the Internet and other new technologies had in changing the way we interact with the political world? Throughout the semester, we will challenge the conventional understanding of these issues by focusing upon leading empirical evidence, as well as the testimonies of several experts in the field.
4165: The Mass Media and American Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
4920: Politics in Film & Television
Semester | 3 credit units
Political films and TV shows often convey an understanding of the political world. How films portray the political process may influence society's attitudes toward politicians and government. Students will compare the portrayal of politics in film and TV to the reality as understood through political science. This is not part of the Film Studies major and does not count toward requirements.
Not open to students with credit for 4920H.
4B. Comparative Politics
3220: Politics of the Developing World
Semester | 3 credit units
The international system is characterized by tremendous inequality, and the gaps between the poorest and wealthiest countries commonly grow larger and larger. This class asks, given this, what is a developing country to do? That is, what are the political strategies, institutions, and problems that shape whether rapid economic and social development is possible, or whether poverty, marginalization, and malgovernance are likely to remain endemic. The course covers experiences selected from around the developing world (from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and even the European periphery), and is organized around three periods: (1) the post-war boom from the 1945 to the mid-1970s, (2) the return of free-market economics in the 1980s-90s, and (3) the contemporary era for financial globalization and crisis. This is a class about the politics of development, and no formal economics training is presumed.
GE soc sci human, nat, and econ resources and diversity global studies course.
4210: Politics of European Integration
Semester | 3 credit units
A survey of the politics of European integration since the Second World War; topics include theories of political integration, institutions of the EU, its policies and decision making, common currency, and internal and external relations.
4218: Russian Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
This course will give students an introduction to the politics of the Russian Federation,with emphasis on democratization, economic reform, institutional development, elites, mass behavior, and ideology. Is "democracy" evolving in Russia? If so, how, and what are the impediments to it? Is a "civil society" being formed in Russia? Is Russia becoming a nation of laws with properly functioning political and legal institutions? Or is Russia reverting to its "Soviet" past?
4270: The Canadian Political System
Semester | 3 credit units
The Canadian political system, including institutional, behavioral, socio-economic, cultural, and ideological components, often in comparison with the United States' political system.
4280: State and Economy
Semester | 3 credit units
Introduction to comparative political economy; relations between the state and the economy, politics and markets, and democracy and capitalism; the consequences of state intervention.
4285: The Comparative Politics of the Welfare State
Semester | 3 credit units
Analyzes different kinds of welfare capitalism including social, economic, and political considerations shaping welfare policy; and contemporary welfare reform as an exercise in reallocation, reogranization, and budget-cutting.
4597.02H: Illicit Markets and Organized Crime
Semester | 3 credit units
Despite efforts by states to prevent trade in certain goods, illicit markets thrive in a variety of contexts. To make sense of the prevalence of such markets, as well as their impacts on important social, political, and economic issues, this course provides an overview of the development and organization of domestic and transnational markets for illegal goods. This course examines social scientific and popular work on the development of markets for various illegal goods, as well as the ways in which black market trafficking of humans, natural resources, drugs, weapons, and protection affect outcomes such as order, violence, welfare, and development.
Prereq: Jr or Sr standing. GE cross-disciplinary seminar.
4940: The Politics of Immigration
Semester | 3 credit units
Provides overview of international migration phenomenon: patterns of international migration, reasons for immigration, acceptance of immigrants by governments and public, dynamics of anti-immigrant sentiment.
4C. International Relations
2300: American Foreign Policy
Semester | 3 credit units
Today, the United States possesses unrivaled power and influence in international politics. How is this power used? How is U.S. foreign policy developed and implemented? What interests should the United States pursue in key policy areas like terrorism, economic globalization and weapons proliferation? The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and analytical skills needed to answer these questions and to critically evaluate the role of the United States in the world.
GE soc sci orgs and polities and diversity global studies course.
4305: International Theory
Semester | 3 credit units
‘International theory’ is concerned with theoretical reflection on the explanatory, ethical, and legal aspects of international politics. In this course we will focus initially on the explanatory aspect, but with growing emphasis on ethics and law as the semester progresses. Part I deals with the traditional problem of international life, of maintaining peace in an anarchic system among states relatively equal in power. Part II calls the assumption of anarchy into question by looking at hierarchical structures in the international system between the North and South. Part III addresses the rise of the individual as a subject of world politics, and especially the ethical challenges of global governance that this creates. Throughout, an effort will be made to illustrate the relevance of theoretical debates for the real world, but in the end this is a course about ideas not information, and students will be evaluated accordingly.
4315: International Security and the Causes of War
Semester | 3 credit units
Examines various issues regarding international conflict and cooperation, including theories of strategic interaction and the causes of war.
4318: The Politics of International Terrorism
Semester | 3 credit units
Examines international terrorism's concepts and actors, the motivations and causes of terrorism, the experience of the United States, and tensions between freedoms and security.
4320: Strategies for War and Peace
Semester | 3 credit units
This course examines common strategies in foreign policy and the factors that explain why countries pursue them. It pays special attention to the ways in which countries seek to affect change and advance their interests, and the implications these have for war and peace. The course examines both the track-records of different strategies and the conditions under which they have been found to work. It also covers the different ways in which the process of decision-making has been understood and explores what is known about the factors that have the biggest impact on the course countries follow.
4327: Politics in the Middle East
Semester | 3 credit units
Politics of Arab-Israeli relations, Perisan Gulf, Islamic fundamentalism, and oil; processes of change and their effects on governments and international relations.
4331: The United Nations System
Semester | 3 credit units
Activities and potential of the United Nations system in promoting economic well-being, environmental management, resource sharing, social justice, and control of violence.
4335: International Environmental Politics
Semester | 3 credit units
Theories and debates over sustainable development, environment, and security, and effectiveness of international regimes with a focus on international fisheries management and global climate change.
4381: Comparative International Political Economy
Semester | 3 credit units
A survey of foreign economic politcies followed by European and other advanced industrial economies since the Napoleonic Wars, with a special emphasis on Britain, France, Germany, the United States, and Japan.
4597.01: International Cooperation and Conflict
Semester | 3 credit units
An examination of the relationships industrialized countries have with each other and developing nations; focus on potential for cooperation and conflict.
Prereq: Honors and Jr or Sr standing. GE cross-disciplinary seminar.
4D. Political Theory
2400/2400H: Introduction to Political Theory
Semester | 3 credit units
Justice, it is said, requires giving people what they are due – but what exactly are people due? Does justice encompass freedom and equality, or are these often conflicting political values? If so, how do we trade them off against each other? How should a just state distribute the goods that we all need, such as rights and liberties, educational opportunities, and wealth? In addition to studying great philosophical answers to such questions, we will apply those answers to live debates about pressing political questions, for example, regulating sexual conduct, economic markets, affirmative action, environmental sustainability, immigration, and global justice.
GE soc sci orgs and polities course. SS Admis Cond course.
3420: Political Theories of Democracy
Semester | 3 credit units
An examination of theories of democracy, focusing on normative and descriptive dilemmas such as participation versus liberty in democratic societies.
Prereq: 2400 (210).
5412: Early Modern Political Thought
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Semester | 3 credit units
Why do we have government? What are the proper limits of its authority? What should we do when its demands conflict with our moral or religious beliefs? These questions lie at the center of early modern political thought, and gave rise to the idea of the “social contract.” The problems addressed by these thinkers include the problem of defining the conditions under which the exercise of political power is legitimate, striking the right balance between individual freedom and the common good, and controlling a selfish and potentially violent human nature. Taken together, these texts provide the theoretical underpinnings for modern liberal democracies.
Not open to students with credit for 471 or 6412 (671).
5. Other courses
3191: Political Science Internship
4191: Political Science Internship
4780: Research Colloquium
Semester | 3 credit hours
This research colloquium is designed for students who are planning to graduate with Research Distinction or Honors Research Distinction as part of their BA or BS in Political Science or their BA in World Politics. The colloquium is targeted to students at the earliest stages of thesis research, generally second semester juniors, and gives them the opportunity to explore in depth a topic of their choice in Political Science, broadly understood. Over the course of the semester, students learn how to formulate a viable research question, determine the appropriate method for investigating the question, conduct good research, provide constructive feedback to colleagues, and, finally, to turn their research into a term paper of 10,000-12,000 words.
4998: Undergraduate Research in Political Science
4999: Undergraduate Thesis Research
4999H: Honors Thesis Research
5797: Study at a Foreign Institution
Note: These requirements are effective for students entering the university June 1, 2012 or after. Students who entered the university before June 2012 should talk with a political science advisor and consult the transition policies from quarters to semesters.
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