POLITICAL SCIENCE - COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Listed here are the courses offered and a brief description.
POLS 101. American Government. (3)
The foundations, institutions, processes and policies of American national government with attention to the Constitution and such topics as elections, political and civil rights and liberties, federalism, public policy, public opinion, political culture, interest groups and the role of citizens in governance. Every semester.POLS 102. World Politics. (3)
The evolution, nature, and operation of the contemporary world political system with attention to the behavior of states, the impact of idealogy, culture and domestic politics on foreign policy, the behavior of transnational political and economic actors, and the impact of international institution on promoting cooperation. Every semester.
POLS 103. Controversies in Public Policy. (3)
Contemporary policy issues in American politics with attention to current problems, proposed solutions, and competing viewpoints.
POLS 104. Politics, Culture and Society: Non-Western View. (3)
A study of culture, politics, and society in the non-western world, with emphasis on significant intellectual contributions, modes of inquiry, value systems, structures of belief and practices of everyday life.
POLS 199R. Special Projects. (1-4)
Individual or group projects. Every semester.
POLS 200. Research Methods. (3)
Basic models and skills for research in political science and public administration. Required for political science majors. Prerequisite: One course from Mathematics 210, Psychology 201/204, Sociology 250, or PANM 205. May be registered as PANM 200. Credit not allowed in both POLS 200 and PANM 200.
POLS 202. Political Behavior. (3)
Political attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; their sources and effects. Emphasis primarily on the United States with selected examples from Western European democracies. On demand.
POLS 203. Public Opinion. (3)
Sources, content, and impact of public opinion on the political process. On demand.
POLS 213. American Political and Constitutional Thought. (3)
A study of the major political and constitutional ideas that have influenced the development of the United States since its founding. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 221. Introduction to Judicial Process. (3)
An examination of the role, operation and decision-making processes of the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 223. Introduction to Public Administration. (3)
Principles of government organizations, management, financial control, personnel practices, and administration. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 224. Justice and the American Trial Process. (3)
An in-depth analysis of the modern trial process in the US . Emphasis on assessing the weak points of the American juducial system and on preparingan actual mock trial case for argument. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 225. Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Management Administration. (3)
Introduction to public and nonprofit administration, including its organization, basic processes, history, theoretical foundations, political context, and role in governance. Provides a foundation for further study of public administration and nonprofit management. May be registered as PANM 225. Credit not allowed in both POLS 225 and PANM 225.
POLS 233. State and Local Government and Politics. (3)
Tennessee state and local government and politics with comparisons to government and politics in other states. On demand.
POLS 234. The Presidency. (3)
The nature of the presidency as an institution. Presidential decision-making and relations with other branches of government. On demand.
POLS 242. International Relations. (3)
An examination of the theoretical, historical and behavioral causes of war and peace. Focus on the role of power, sovereignty, and international law on world politics. On demand.
POLS 244. Comparative Public Policy. (3)
The formation and implementation of social welfare policies in developed and developing nations. On demand.
POLS 246. Comparative Latin American Politics. (3)
An introduction to the study of Latin American politics with emphasis on alternative theoretical explanations for patterns of development involving the roles of elected leaders; the Church; military and economic elites; and workers and peasants.
POLS 302. Political Psychology. (3)
Psychological bases for political action. On demand.
POLS 303. Politics and Communication. (3)
Propaganda and other means of political and social control. On demand.
POLS 314. Contemporary Political Ideas. (3)
The competing ideologies of the 20th century with emphasis on contemporary political and social thought including Marxism and Fascism. On demand.
POLS 316. Theories of Politics. (3)
An introduction to such theoretical concerns of Western political science as sovereignty, rights, justice, property, liberty, and equality. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Montesquieu, Mill and Marx. On demand.
POLS 320. Philosophy of Law. (3)
A study of law and legal reasoning with emphasis on the nature and sources of law, moral theory and its relation to law, definitions of rights and justice, and the nature of legal and moral obligation. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 321. American Constitutional Law. (3)
Case studies of key Supreme Court decisions affecting the distribution of power in American society. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 322. Civil Liberties. (3)
Case studies of key Supreme Court decisions affecting the rights and freedoms of the individual in American society. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 323. Law and Politics. (3)
Lawyers, judges, police, and the political process. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.
POLS 324. Public Policy. (3)
An examination of the public policy processes with an emphasis on actors, formation, implementation, evaluation, and cross-disciplinary theories of public policy. On demand. May be registered as PANM 324. Credit not allowed in both POLS 324 and PANM 324.
POLS 330. Urban Public Policy. (3)
An introduction to the different approaches, ideas and programs advanced to address public policy urban problems. On demand.
POLS 331. Urban Politics. (3)
An examination of political competition and relations among groups, institutions and classes in urban areas. Particular attention is given to how economic and fiscal concerns impact the political process. On demand.
POLS 333. Political Parties and the Election Process. (3)
An examination of American's two-party system, political machines, third parties, modern campaign techniques, electoral behavior and election administration. On demand.
POLS 335. Congress. (3)
The contemporary Congress. The roles of congressmen and women, the distribution of power within Congress, relations with other branches of government, and prospects of reform. On demand.
POLS 336. Women in Politics (3)
An examination of the role and status of women in the American political system. Special emphasis given to the impact of selected public policies upon women. On demand. May be registered as WSTU 336. Credit not allowed in both Political Science 336 and Women's Studies 336.
POLS 341. Inter-American Relations (3)
Historical and contemporary relations between the US and Latin America with emphasis on US hegemonic rule; economic relations; the war on drugs; national security issues; democracy and human rights; and the impact of Latin America on U.S politics and policy.
POLS 343r. Comparative Government and Politics. (3)
The study of the governmental structures, processes, and ideologies of different regions of the world, comparing their political, economic, and social policies. May be repeated to focus on different regions of the world. On demand.
POLS 345. American Foreign Policy. (3)
The basic foreign policy problems confronting the United States. On demand.
POLS 346. Comparative Politics: China. (3)
A study in comparative culture, history and politics as applied to the current government in the People's Republic of China with an emphasis on the factors which have shaped the government and politics of China since World War II. On demand.
POLS 347. Politics of the Middle East. (3)
A study of contemporary politics in the Middle East with emphasis on the evolution of the Arab State System after World War II, the Creation of Israeli, the Arab-Israeli and other regional conflicts, and the peace process from Camp David on.
POLS 348. Politics of Immigration. (3)
An examination of immigration policy in the United States with an emphasis on historical patterns, policy debates, legal ramifications, and rules and regulations of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
POLS 350. Technology, Politics and Society. (3)
An examination of the impact of technology on politics and society, with special focus on public policy shifts resulting from changes in technology. On demand.
POLS 401. Advanced Topics in Political Behavior. (3)
Selected topics in political behavior. May be repeated once. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 411r. Advanced topics in Political Theory. (3)
Selected topics in political theory. May be repeated once. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 421r. Special Topics in Public Law. (3)
Special topics in public law. On demand. Recommended for pre-law majors.Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 422r. Special Topics in PublicAdministration. (3)
Special topics in public administration. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 423. Crime and Punishment. (3)
An examination of the nature and implications of the major philosophies of punishment with emphasis on their ramifications for assessing the legitimacy of capital punishment. Recommended for pre-law majors. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 424. Jefferson. (3)
An examination of the political and social ideas of Thomas Jefferson with attention to their influence on American politics and public policy. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 425. Policy Issues in Aging. (3)
An introduction to the political , economic, social, and health policy questions raised by the phenomenon of an aging population. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 426. Philosophy of Punishment. (3)
An examination of the major philosophies of punishment with attention to principles of sentencing and to three strikes legislation. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 427. Religion, Liberty, and the Law. (3)
An examination of the theory and practice of religious liberty in the United States wtih attention to theories of toleration and religious liberty and to key free exercise cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 428. First Amendment. (3)
An examination of the case law, rules and regulations emanating from the specifications of the first amendment. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 431r. Advanced Topics in American Institutions and Processes. (3)
Selected topics in American institutions and processes. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 432. Southern Politics. (3)
A study of the South's role in national politics with an emphasis on the demographic, economic, social and political forces which give shape to the political values and partisan preference of the region's electorate. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 434. Politics of Child Care. (3)
An examination of child care policy in the United States and its implications for public policy making in general. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor. May be registered as WSTU 434. Credit not allowed in both Political Science 434 and Women's Studies 434.
POLS 436. Presidential Leadership. (3)
An examination of the dynamics of presidential leadership in domestic and foreign affairs with emphasis on historical examples of executive leadership in times of crisis in the post-World War II period. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 441r. Advanced Topics in International Relations and Foreign Policy. (3).
Selected topics in the international relations and foreign policy. May be repeated once. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POL442r. Advanced Topics in Comparative Government. (3)
Selected topics in comparative government. May be repeated once. On demand. Prerequisite: POLS 200 or approval of instructor.
POLS 461r, 462r ,463r, 464r. State Government Internship Program. (3)
Internship conducted during the legislative session in government and legislative offices in Nashville. Spring semester. No more than 6 credit hours may apply toward the major degree requirements in the department. Prior approval of instructor.
POLS 471r, 472. Metropolitan Government Internship Program. (1-3)
Internship conducted in various governmental offices in Chattanooga. Fall semester. Prerequisites: minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average and prior approval of instructor. No more than 6 credit hours may apply toward the major degree requirements in the department.
POLS 473r, 474, 475, 476. National/International Government Internship Program. (3)
Internship conducte in various national and international government offices, departments, or agencies. Minimum 60 earned hours, 2.75 GPA, and prior approval of instructor. No more than 6 credit hours may apply toward the major degree requirements in the department.
POLS 481. Judicial Honors Internship. (3)
Internship conducted in the office of a local judge. Student applicants (any major) must have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average, completed 60 hours of coursework and taken and passed either Political Science 221 or Politcal Science 321. Selection by a Political Science Department committee.
POLS 495r. Department Honors. (1-3 hours per term, 4 hours for the two terms)
Every semester. See Departmental HOnors. Student must submit an Individual Studies/Research Contract to the Records Office at the time of registration.POLS 497r. Research. (1-4)
On demand. Prerequisite: approval of department head. Student must submit an Individual Studies/Research Contract to the Records Office at the time of registration.POLS 498. Individual Studies. (1-4)
Enrollment limited to students with a 3.0 average in the major. On demand. Prerequisite: approval of department head. Student must submit an Individual Studies/Research Contract to the Records Office at the time of registration.POLS 499. Group studies. (1-4)
On demand. Prerequisite: approval of department head.
Return to:
