Department of Political Science
Fall 2016 Course Listings and Summaries
Last updated 3/21/2016
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HUM 3121 (3 hours)
Russia/Soviet Union
Interdisciplinary examination of the culture, history, geography, economy,
political system and society of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Clips
from Russian films are used as well as excerpts from the great variety of
Russian music from Russian folk songs to post-soviet rock music hits. The
literature read in this course includes a saint’s life, a 12th century epic, a folk
tale; stories by Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Chekhov; and a very short, but
powerful, poem by Anna Akhmatova.
Instructor: Basom
Meeting Time/Location:
Section 01: MWF 11:00-11:50; SAB 15
Section 03: MWF 1:00-1:50; SAB 15
Fulfills: LAC requirement 2B.
HUM 3124 (3 hours)
China
This is a Liberal Arts Core course on China that meets the requirement of
the Non-Western Cultures component of Category 2: Civilizations and
Cultures. It is designed to acquaint students with the essential aspects of
China: geography, history, culture, religions, gender, family, demography,
ethnic minority, economic development, social changes, and political
system. Reading material and lectures lay a solid foundation for
understanding China’s past and present and for realizing progress it has
made and challenges it is facing.
Instructor: Yu
Meeting Time/Location:
Section 01: MWF10:00-10:50; SAB 15
Section 02: MWF 11:00-11:50; SAB 115
Fulfills: LAC requirement 2B.
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HUM 3128 (3 hours)
Africa
This course is an exciting exploration of the dynamics and features of
contemporary African cultures. Drawing on his vast research and visiting
experience to all the regions of Africa, Prof. Agbese provides an engaging
environment for students to using cultures as a prism for understanding and
appreciating modern Africa. The course starts off by situating modern
African cultures within the context of the continent’s geography and history
and it discusses various aspects of African cultures such as marriage, family
and kinship; African beliefs on religions, mystical powers and death and
dying; Africa’s socio-economic and political structures that shape cultural
behavior. The course also discusses and evaluates African aesthetics such as
art, music and literature. Its comprehensive analysis of contemporary Africa
makes this course the next best thing to living on the continent.
Instructor: Agbese
Meeting Time/Location:
Section 01: T/Th 8:00-9:15; SAB 15
Section 02: T/Th 9:30-10:45; SAB 15
Fulfills: LAC requirement 2B.
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POL AMER 1014 (3 hours)
Introduction to American Politics
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Examination of the structure, organization, and powers of the institutions of
American government and how citizens are linked to government through
such things as political parties, interest groups, and elections. Students will
become familiar with politics as a resolution of conflict over the competition
for resources, and learn to evaluate Constitutional principles as they have
been put into practice over time. This course will develop students’ ability
to navigate the political system as a citizen and encourage their active
participation in the political process; help students be better informed about
politics and better consumers of political information; and develop students’
analytical, research, critical thinking, and writing skills.
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Instructor/Meeting Time/Location:
Section 01: Moore; T/Th 8:00-9:15; TBA
Section 02: Moore; T/Th 9:30-10:45; TBA
Section 03: Moore; T/Th 11:00-12:15; TBA
Section 04: McNeal; MWF 11:00-11:50; SAB 23
Section 05: Holmes; T/Th 11:00-12:15; SAB 25
Section 06: Holmes; T/Th 2:00-3:15; SAB 25 (Honors)
Fulfills: LAC requirement 5B. Required for Political Science major/minor;
Public Administration major; Political Communications major; Politics and
Law minor.
POL AMER 1048 (3 hours)
Introduction to Public Administration
Public Administration is both a field of study and a field of practice, so in
this course we cover both. Rather than focusing on the big political
questions of the world (though those DO come up), we will concentrate on
how the government actually works. How do unelected government
workers--bureaucrats--influence policy? How do the laws passed by elected
officials actually enter the lives of ordinary Americans? And further, what
are the different ways that we can organize and manage these areas to make
government work most effectively? This course will expose students to the
lesser-known parts of government, giving them working knowledge of the
pieces involved in government administration. It will also improve their
analytical thinking skills, as we break down various administrative theories
and apply each to real-world situations.
Instructor: Neiman
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 9:30-10:45; TBA
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Public Administration major.
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POL AMER 2131 (3 hours)
American State Politics
Why study state and local governments? There are roughly 88,000 distinct
units of state and local government in the U.S. and they have a greater
impact on personal lives then the federal government. Unfortunately, despite
their influence on our day-to-day lives, these units of government do not
attract the same interest that is given to the national government. As a result,
voter turnout for state and local elections is meager, state and local political
parties are poorly organized and only about half the states have competitive
elections (they are essentially a one party state). In this class, the goal is to
introduce the students to 50 of these local units (the states) with a primary
focus on the impact that these units of government have on individual lives.
Instructor: McNeal
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 12:00-12;50; SAB 25
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major; Public
Administration major; Political Communications major.
POL AMER 2147 (3 hours)
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Law and Courts
Examines the institutions, processes and actors of the U.S. trial courts and a
variety of political issues related to the civil and criminal justice
systems. During the first few weeks of the semester we will examine the
nature of the American judicial system by exploring various sources of law
and studying the role of the courts within our constitutional system. We will
then investigate the various actors in the legal system—lawyers, judges, and
litigants—with an eye toward explaining their importance within and
influence upon the system. The course then turns toward examination of
how these components of the legal system operate to settle both criminal and
civil conflicts. Along the way we will tackle many controversial political
! issues relating to the courts, including the impact of race and class within the
justice system, racial profiling, sentencing policy, the death penalty, and tort
reform.
Instructor: Peters
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 1:00-1:50; SAB 25
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major; Politics and Law
minor.!
POL AMER 3112 (3 hours)
Campaigns and Elections
Systematic examination of structure and functions of modern electoral
campaigns for national, state, and local offices.
Instructor: Holmes
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 9:30-10:45; TBA
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Political Communications major
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POL AMER 3114 (3 hours)
Legislative Politics
Legislative Politics will examine the U.S. Congress as an institution in
American government and also as the representative body of “We the
People.” We will explore how Congress makes policy and how the two
bodies in Congress function. We will explore the theories, the process, and
the current events pertaining to Congress. There is no better way to study
Congress than to “become” a member and engage oneself in simulating the
actual institution's functions. Therefore, a large portion of this class will be
devoted to simulating the actions of a member of the House of
Representatives. Through this exercise you should come to:
1. Understand the nature and complexity of the legislative process
2. See the realities of power, partisanship, and politics in the
workings of the U.S. House of Representatives
3. Realize the importance of bargaining and compromise in our
system of government.
4. Learn the responsibilities of a member of Congress
Instructor: Hoffman
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 11:00-11:50; SAB 25
Prerequisite(s): POL AMER 1014
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major and Political
Communications major.
POL AMER 3141 (3 hours)
Constitutional Law
This course acquaints students with the framework of the U.S. government's
powers under the Constitution, with special focus on separation of powers,
checks and balances, and federalism. We approach this task by analyzing the
decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that have sketched the boundaries of
the government's powers, paying attention along the way to the legal,
political and environmental influences upon the Court. Along the way we
will discuss many of today’s most controversial constitutional issues,
including presidential-congressional relations, war powers, and the balance
of power between the federal and state governments in issues like health
care and immigration policy.
Instructor: Peters
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 12:00-12:50; SAB 227
Prerequisite(s): POL AMER 1014 or POL AMER 2147 or POL AMER
3146 required.
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Politics and Law minor.
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POL AMER 4142 (3 hours)
Juvenile and Family Law
Associate Juvenile Judge Daniel Block of the First Judicial District of Iowa
will be teaching this course. As part of the course, students will observe an
Iowa district court proceeding, learn from current events as well as
familiarize themselves with topics related to juvenile justice and family law
in Iowa. During the semester long course the student will develop "real life"
understanding of juvenile delinquency, child abuse, adoption, marriage and
dissolution issues. Judge Block uses many diverse techniques to engage
students on these emotional topics including: power points, hand-outs, guest
lecturers and humor.
Instructor: Block
Meeting Time/Location: M 5:00-7:50; SAB 115
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing required.
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major; Politics and Law
minor.
POL AMER 4153 (3 hours)
Public Organizations
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The U.S. government is made up of a large, complex web of organizations.
Through much of history, the study of these organizations has treated them
as pretty similar to private organizations, however this may not be the case.
In this class we will focus on the theory and behavior of public organizations
in four areas: 1) Organizational design 2) Individuals in public
organizations, 3) Public organizations in the political environment, and 4)
Interorganization relations. Students will strengthen their writing skills, as
they analyze the content and rigorously apply it to case studies and current
events. They will come out of the course with a fuller understanding of the
institutions, actors, and dynamics in public organizations.
Instructor: Neiman
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 11:00-12:15; SAB 125
Prerequisite(s): POL AMER 1014 and POL AMER 1048 required. Junior
standing required.
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Public Administration major.
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POL AMER 4173 (3 hours)
Public Policy Process
How is policy made? The policy process is a multistage cycle consisting of
pre-decision activities (problem identification, agenda setting and policy
formulation); decision (policy adoption) and post-decision processes
(implementation, evaluation and policy changes). The stages do not flow
neatly from one stage to another instead the process is messy with stages
that overlap. In this class, we will explore this process through examining
the impact of political actors, political institutions (including federalism,
“checks and balances” and “separation of power”) as well as other factors.
In addition, we consider how and why their influences vary across different
policy arenas.
Instructor: Larimer
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 12:30-1:45; SAB 227
Prequisite(s): POL AMER 1014 and POL AMER 1048 required. Junior
standing required.
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Public Administration major.
POL COMP 1040 (3 hours)
Comparative Politics
This course is organized around questions that political scientists have asked
repeatedly over the years: Why are some countries democracies and others
are not? How do we explain transitions to and away from democracy? Why
do some countries have many political parties and others have only a few?
How do governments form? Throughout the semester you will make many
comparisons across disparate contexts and attempt to use such comparisons
to evaluate claims made about the political world. In doing so, you will learn
about the similarities and differences among countries and about the
conditions under which some claims about the political world apply or do
not apply. In order to answer the questions central to this course, you will be
introduced to a variety of methods used to study comparative politics that
can be applied in upper level courses and beyond.
Instructor: Wittrock
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 12:30-1:45; SAB 15
Fulfills: Required for Political Science major/minor; International Affairs
minor.
POL COMP 3135 (3 hours)
Politics in Europe
Examination of the development of European political institutions, issues,
and policies. Social democracy, the European Union, and challenges to
democracy are addressed.
Instructor: Basom
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 9:00-9:50; SAB 25
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major; International
Affairs minor.
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POL GEN 1020-01 (3 hours)
Contemporary Political Problems
Analysis of selected contemporary political issues. This course addresses
the relationship between governmental actors and economic actors. It
explores the question: what kind of political economic system or specific
policies are most likely to achieve political ideals such as freedom, equality,
and the pursuit of happiness? The course then addresses more specific
political economic problems, such as the food economy and child poverty.
Instructor: Kogl
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 1:00-1:50; SAB 115
Fulfills: LAC requirement 5C.
blog.tifwe.org
POL GEN 1020-02 (3 hours)
Contemporary Political Problems
This course focuses on the international level of contemporary political
problems, and it has two main components: global changes and the U.S.
world role in the rapidly changing world. Global changes include the
transformation of the international system into a truly multipolar world with
power becoming more diffused than in the past, increasing concentration of
national wealth in the hands of the few, environmental degradation,
increasing water stress, intensifying nationalism, transnational terrorism, and
others. The course will also discuss debate among the leading international
relations thinkers about how the U.S. world role should be adjusted in light
of the above-mentioned changes.
Instructor: Yu
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 2:00-2:50; SAB 35
Fulfills: LAC requirement 5C.
POL GEN 2010 (3 hours)
aei.org
Analyzing Politics
What do political scientists understand about politics and world affairs that
others don’t and how do they know it? In this highly collaborative and
interactive course, you will learn how to study politics—how to ask good
questions and how to design research to find their answers. I believe that the
best way to accomplish this is to actually do political science. There will be
minimal lecturing. Instead, you’ll be in the driver’s seat, applying these
newfound research skills to discover more about questions that interest you.
You’ll work together with your classmates to form mini “think tanks” to
investigate areas of common interest. Within these think tanks, you’ll get
feedback from one another and work together to further your research. This
course will meet in the CAT Classroom
(http://www.uni.edu/provost/cetl/cat-classroom) which will facilitate the
collaborative nature of the course.
Instructor: Peters
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 10:00-10:50; BAR 1043
Fulfills: Required for Political Science major/minor; Public Administration
major; Political Communications major.
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POL GEN 3111 (3 hours)
Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Political Science
What does this graph mean? Political science, is, by definition, a science
and as such is based on empirical research. But how do we know if the data
we are being told about is an appropriate representation of reality? The
purpose of this course is to give students the necessary tools to study politics
using quantitative methodology. Emphasis will be placed on the use of
quantitative estimation techniques commonly used by political scientists but
which are also applicable to all aspects of social behavior. Students will get
hands on training in collecting and analyzing data using statistical software,
and come away from the course with a solid foundation for analyzing and
interpreting the findings of others. By the end of the class, students should
be able to interpret the accompanying graph without much hesitation and in
a manner that is useful for non-political science majors.
Instructor: Larimer
Meeting Time/Location: T/Th 9:30-10:45; SAB 109
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major. Required for
Public Administration major.
POL GEN 3184 (3 hours)
Senior Seminar: Politics and the Ideology of Wealth
As a seminar course, we will survey a broad scope of the literature that
examines the intersection of political and economic ideologies on wealth.
Because we will be studying ideologies, we will apply our discussions to
both the domestic and international contexts. We will read both classical and
modern perspectives from across the ideological spectrum. As a Senior
Capstone course, students will produce a term paper that stands as the
culmination of their Political Science education.
Instructor: Warby
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 2:00-2:50; SAB 201
Prerequisite(s): 24 credits in Political Science required. Department
permission required.
Fulfills: Required for Political Science major.
POL INTL 1024 (3 hours)
International Relations
In this course we study and try to understand how countries and other
international entities - such as corporations and non-profit groups - interact
with each other and why they behave as they do. We will explore questions
such as Why are there wars? How is International Law made? What's so
good about international trade? and How do we protect the global
environment? The course looks for patterns of behavior and focuses on the
actors involved, their particular interests, and the atmosphere in which they
are operating to help identify the why and what of international politics.
Instructor/Meeting Time/Location:
Section 01: Renfro; T/Th 11:00-12:15; SAB 115
Section 02: Renfro; T/Th 12:30-1:45; SAB 115
Section 03: Warby; MWF 9:00-9:50; SAB 134
Section 04: Warby; MWF 10:00-10:50; SAB 134
Fulfills: LAC requirement 5C. Required for Political Science major/minor;
International Affairs minor.
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POL INTL 3145 (3 hours)
International Organizations
Description of international governmental and nongovernmental
organizations, and analysis of their roles in international politics.
Instructor: Agbese
Meeting Time/Location: T 6:00-8:50; SAB 23
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major; International
Affairs minor.
POL THRY 1050 (3 hours)
Introduction to Political Theory: Freedom, Justice and Power
Introductory course that explores some of the ideals that guide political
practice, addressing questions such as: How do we know what is just, and
how can justice be achieved? What does it mean to be free? What is the
nature of power? Can we avoid it? If not, what can be done to control it?
Instructor: Kogl
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 12:00-12:50; SAB 115
Fulfills: Required for Political Science major/minor.
Truththeory.com
POL THRY 3160 (3 hours)
Classical Political Theory
The nature of justice, arguments for and against democracy, the foundations
of political knowledge, and the nature of political communities, as
understood by the thinkers of classical Greece.
Instructor: Kogl
Meeting Time/Location: MWF 10:00-10:50; SAB 227
Fulfills: Elective requirement in Political Science major.
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POLITICAL!SCIENCE!?!FALL!2016!COURSES!
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Dept
HUM
HUM
HUM
HUM
HUM
HUM
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL AMER
POL COMP
POL COMP
POL GEN
POL GEN
POL GEN
POL GEN
Crs.
3121
3121
3124
3124
3128
3128
1014
1014
1014
1014
1014
1014
1048
2131
2147
3112
3134
3141
4142
4153
4173
1040
3135
1020
1020
2010
3111
Sec
01
03
01
02
01
02
01
02
03
04
05
06
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
02
01
01
POL GEN
3184
01
POL INTL
POL INTL
POL INTL
POL INTL
POL INTL
POL THRY
POL THRY
1024
1024
1024
1024
3145
1050
3160
01
02
03
04
01
01
01
Course Name
Russia/Soviet Union
Russia/Soviet Union
China
China
Africa
Africa
Intro. to American Politics
Intro to American Politics
Intro. to American Politics
Intro. to American Politics
Intro. to American Politics
Intro. to American Politics
Intro. to Public Administration
American State Politics
Law and Courts
Campaign and Elections
Legislative Politics
Constitutional Law
Problems/Juvenile & Family Law
Public Organizations
Public Policy Process
Comparative Politics
Politics in Europe
Contemporary Political Prob
Contemporary Political Prob
Analyzing Politics
Intro. to Quant. Methods in PS
Sr. Seminar: Politics and the
Idealogy of Wealth
International Relations
International Relations
International Relations
International Relations
International Organizations
Intro: Freedom, Justice, Power
Classical Political Theory
Hrs.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Start Time
11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:00a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
End Time
11:50 a.m.
1:50 p.m.
10:50 a.m.
11:50 a.m.
9:15 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
9:15 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
11:50 a.m.
1:45 p.m.
3:15 p.m.
10:45 a.m.
12:50 p.m.
1:50 p.m.
10:45 a.m.
11:50 a.m.
12:50 p.m.
7:50 p.m.
12:15 p.m.
1:45 p.m.
1:45 p.m.
9:50 a.m.
1:50 p.m.
2:50 p.m.
10:50 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
Days
MWF
MWF
MWF
MWF
TTh
TTh
TTh
TTh
TTh
MWF
TTh
TTh
TTh
MWF
MWF
TTh
MWF
MWF
M eve
TTh
TTh
TTh
MWF
MWF
MWF
MWF
TTh
Instructor
Basom
Basom
Yu
Yu
Agbese
Agbese
Moore
Moore
Moore
McNeal
Holmes
Holmes
Neiman
McNeal
Peters
Holmes
Hoffman
Peters
Block
Neiman
Larimer
Wittrock
Basom
Kogl
Yu
Peters
Larimer
Bldg
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
TBA
TBA
TBA
SAB
SAB
SAB
TBA
SAB
SAB
TBA
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
BAR
SAB
Room
015
015
015
115
015
015
TBA
TBA
TBA
023
025
025
TBA
025
025
TBA
025
227
115
125
227
015
025
115
035
1043
109
3
2:00 p.m.
2:50 p.m.
MWF
Warby
SAB
201
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
11:00 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
1:45 p.m.
9:50 a.m.
10:50 a.m.
8:50 p.m.
12:50 p.m.
10:50 a.m.
TTh
TTh
MWF
MWF
T
MWF
MWF
Renfro
Renfro
Warby
Warby
Agbese
Kogl
Kogl
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
SAB
115
115
134
134
023
115
227
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2016!Fall!Course!Guide!