Studies the founding of American constitutional government. Considers the cultural, economic, legal, political, and social ramifications of the Constitution of the United States.
Explores the nature of politics and power. Compares constitutional systems of government with closed totalitarian systems such as the Communist Bloc nations. Examines public opinion, political communications, interest groups, party politics, ideologies, governmental institutions, bureaucracies, and government legal systems. Studies the role of violence and revolution. Emphasizes the influence of these political elements on the average citizens.
Surveys the major historical and current political ideologies including liberalism, Marxism, fascism and Islamism.
Studies history and structure of American National Government, rights and responsibilities of citizens, political institutions, political processes, and governmental policies.
Studies social, historical, political and religious influences affecting the Middle East. Explores forces that motivate policy and decision-making. Examines current issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, political Islam, petroleum power and U.S. foreign policy. Presents profiles of selected modern Middle East states and the balance of power in the region.
Examines geography, climate and topography of Western Europe, Asia, Latin America, Pacific Rim, sub-Saharan Africa and Middle/East Islamic regions. Studies the unique social, cultural, economic and political differences and resulting tensions and conflicts. Explores how historical experience affect the expectations and perceptions of selected populations.
Discusses logic of power in international relations. Studies idealistic and realistic theories of international relations. Examines reasons why nations go to war. Compares geopolitical thrust and response.
Studies comparative politics and looks at attitudes and causes of political problems. Examines methods and means employed by selected countries to solve political problems, and studies successes and failures of different approaches. Examines the means which different nations employ to deal with political problems. Explores the politics, institutions, and governments of seven selected nations.
Reviews the historical background in which Chinese Communist Party established its governance. Examines the politics of the People's Republic of China since 1949. Analyzes important aspects of Chinese political and economic institutions and governance, such as party-state, political economy, judicial system, military, dissent politics, and foreign policy. Explains Chinese geographic and demographic features and how those features affect Chinese politics and economy. Discusses significant effects and implications which China's political modernization and economic growth might have across its border.
Surveys the current situation of the Chinese economy, starting with Chinese economic geography and the historical background of economic development in the post-1978 era. Concentrates on economic transition, development strategies, and basic situations of various sectors in the post-reform era, discussed in a comparative framework with the economic transition and development experience of other countries. Discusses some current eye-catching issues associated with economic development and having international impacts, such as international trade and investment transactions, energy competition, and environmental degradation of China.
Considers the issues of sustainable mountain development (SMD) as a part of the globalization process and one of the important priorities of the multilateral agenda of the United Nations. Includes the problems of mountain ecosystems, sources of goods, food, services for mountain populations. Examines special economic development issues in rural, isolated mountain communities in the contexts of recreation and tourism, biological and cultural diversity, and religious significance.
Surveys major Western political theories, from Athenian democracy to the 21st century welfare state. Analyzes such ideologies as republicanism, liberalism, socialism, and fascism, and considers how these ideas have shaped the ways in which people think and nations act. Explores how global cultures have used and abused these ideas, and how students' own political beliefs fit into the history of political ideologies.
Examines the complexities and consequences of efforts to deal with conflicts between individuals, groups, and nations through a variety of techniques, including violence, war, and peace building. Introduces techniques used in the non-violent resolution of conflicts. Promotes techniques to avoid resorting to violence as a means of conflict resolution.
Covers the analytical and quantitative methodologies used in political science and public policy research. Includes statistical analysis, database research, and writing exercises.
Covers advanced political data analysis techniques, including: advanced multiple regression analysis and diagnostics, measurement reliability and validity, the use of statistical-analysis software and presentation of analysis results.
Serves as an introduction to evaluation methodology and evaluation tools commonly used to assess publicly funded programs. Provides training and practice in the field of public program analysis. Familiarizes students with different types of program evaluation, including needs assessment, formative research, process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, impact assessment, and cost analysis.
Examines the operation and structure of American State and Local Government with special attention to the Utah experience. Explores the local political process, administrative practices, and intergovernmental relations.
Focuses on the role of polling in the political process. Introduces the theory and methods used in survey research. Includes how survey-research firms produce polls, analysis of polling for campaigns and public opinion, the psychology of survey response, survey construction, and sampling. Covers other data-collection techniques commonly used in politics and political science such as focus groups and experiments.
Provides an overview of experimental methodology currently being utilized in the field of Political Science. Dissects the multiple stages of experimental research design and data analysis. Teaches critical thinking in terms of the benefits and dangers of causal inference using experimental research.
Offers a hands-on opportunity for students to experience the practice of qualitative research. Provides training and practice in a broad set of qualitative methods as applied to public sector organizations, such as state and federal agencies, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations.
Provides an introduction to the objectives, functions, and techniques of policy analysis in democratic societies, with an emphasis on the United States. Emphasizes policy analysis in government organizations. Considers policy analysis in nongovernmental settings, such as nonprofit organizations and think tanks.
A survey course of political violence and terrorism in the modern world. Studies terrorism and other forms of political violence and how they relate to fundamentalism, such as the Shiite Islamic, and Christian identity movements in the United States and Western Europe. Examines the concept of religious and political terrorism, as well as the ideologies, tactics, and organizations common to most terrorist groups.
Examines the American political party system with special attention given to the history, structure, functions, and role of American political parties.
Studies the executive branch of American national government. Examines the basic functions, tenets, and institutions of the federal executive branch. Special attention given to the powers, roles, and structure of the presidency. Analyzes the various complexities of executive politics and policies.
Explores the formation and role of public opinion in politics and its impact on political behavior. Topics covered are: how, and to what extent, individuals form their attitudes about politics; how researchers go about attempting to measure public opinion; the distribution and determinants of public opinion regarding a broad range of political issues; and how political attitudes affect political participation.
Examines the legislative branch of American national government. Explores concepts of legislative theory, examining basic structure, functions, powers and roles of Congress. Gives special attention to the legislative process, constitutional structure, and modern development of federal legislature.
Examines diplomacy as the conduct of relations between sovereign states through the medium of officials based at home or abroad. Explores processes and procedures of the diplomatic art that focuses chiefly on the recent past but is rooted in history. Emphasizes negotiation (the most important function of diplomats), as well as unconventional diplomatic methods.
Provides an introduction to interest groups and their role in American politics. Examines the ways that citizens, firms, and institutions struggle to gain representation through organized interest groups in the United States. Includes the reasons why interest groups are formed, the reasons why people join organized interests groups, and the importance of leaders and leadership in attracting members and maintaining the stature of the group.
Examines the relationship between law and politics. Addresses the impact politics have on the judiciary and the strengths and weaknesses of law as a means of social order. Focuses on general issues of legal and political theory and the social and political function of law.
Introduces basic concepts and principles in the implementation of public policy, as opposed to the formation of public policy. Includes concepts such as chain of command, hierarchy, and span of control.
Provides an introduction to the process of public policy-making in the United States and to the substance of policy in areas like health policy, environmental policy, and education policy. Introduces students to the fundamental skills of policy analysis and to some of the difficult choices involved in identifying, addressing, and resolving public policy problems.
Explores the historical background, development, role, and purposes of nonprofit organizations. Expands awareness of the scope and breadth of the nonprofit sector in the United States, and examines the inner workings of nonprofit organizations as the foundation for further study.
Presents an overview of the background, methods, and, techniques associated with public sector innovation. Equips students who wish to be innovators with the knowledge and skills necessary to imagine and implement innovative solutions to public problems.
Provides an introduction to and overview of what leadership is within the public sector. Examines the skills required to successfully lead and manage cities for both elected and appointed leaders (mayors, city managers, city council members, etc.). Considers related topics, including the diverse functions of a city and common challenges faced by city leaders.
Introduces the context, theory, process, and practice of local economic development policy. Examines facets of local economic development such as tax increment finance, job creation, economic analysis, business expansion and retention, and economic gardening.
Provides a broad introduction to the field of urban planning as a profession, a process of decision-making, and a government function. Explores the limitations and benefits of planning, primarily in areas such as climate adaptation, economic development, and natural disasters.
Examines the development and theories of American foreign policy with special emphasis on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Surveys the process by which American foreign policy is formulated and examines major events and trends in policy since World War II.
Examines the history, traditions, and pillars of Islam as the latest among monotheistic religions in the world. Studies the role of women in Islam and its roots of diversity, including the historic split to Shia and Sunnis. Examines the influence of Islam in the politics and economies of Muslim nations around the world and examines the challenges presented by radical Islam for the modern world.
Analyzes the role of race and ethnicity in global, national, and local politics. Focuses on the ways race has been socially constructed to promote the power of some and the domination of others.
Covers the impact of the West on the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli wars, the rise of Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups and regimes, the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), the Iraq-Kuwait-US war (1990-1991), the Impact of 9/11, as well as the foreign policies of several major states in the Middle East.
Examines relations of the Russian Federation to its neighbors and other strategic international actors. Focuses on the dynamics of key bilateral relationships by highlighting such key areas as oil and energy, defense policy, economic policy priorities, and the role of international institutions.
Introduces students to the region of Central Asia with its complex nature and origins of instability. Places regional conflicts to the context of global political developments. Analyzes the historical background of its problems and challenges in combination with studies of its dynamically developing politics.
Studies the emergence, from the nineteenth century, of modern nations from the rich and varied cultures and societies of Pacific Asia. Focuses on China, Japan and Korea. Explores the historical and geographical context of the development of East and Southeast Asia. Examines the transformation between East and West as well as the persistence of tradition. Discusses the political, economic and cultural changes in a region whose economic output rivals that of any other area of the world.
Focuses on the the role of international institutions in the modern state system. Analyzes procedures of international cooperation in key issue areas including: the peaceful settlement of disputes and international security, human rights, economic development, and the environment.
Studies the development of modern political institutions as an outcome of colonial practice in Latin America, such as slavery and economic dependency. Examines national politics in Latin America, focusing on issues such as political power, democratization, indigenous rights, border politics, neo-colonialism, and Latin American socialism. Explores the consequences for Latin America of neo-liberalism, Eurocentrism, narco-trafficking,and globalization on the international level.
Examines the Chinese experience in economic transition and economic development in general and in several domestic sectors, which cross the conventional boundaries between political and economic analysis and through a comparative lens vis-à-vis other transition economies and developing economies. Presents the basic historical and current developments of Chinese economy. Probes the interaction between economic development and political institutions in China, and considers the international effects and implications of Chinese economic development in a critical way.
Focuses on the issues, goals and procedures of the United Nations. Incorporates research on political, economic, and social issues of assigned countries in preparation for a simulation of the United Nations. Includes debate on important international political issues accompanied by negotiation and drafting of resolutions to address global problems.
Focuses on the connection between politics and economics in international relations, including an overview of some of the major issues in the area of international political economy, the international trade and financial systems, the role of multinational corporations, economic development, and economic globalization.
Surveys a specific topic in political science. Topic varies each semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits toward graduation.
Focuses on U.S. health policy and policy analysis. Describes the basic machinery of policymaking and legal processes that underpin the individual health care and public health systems. Analyzes the fundamental problems and contemporary issues in health policy and teaches students how to properly develop and analyze health policy.
Focuses on causes and theories of conflict in international relations. Includes traditional and emerging threats to international security, as well as policy responses to them.
Focuses on theories, sources, and foundations of international law. Includes discussion of rights and duties of states, the relationship between international and domestic law, interstate settlement of disputes, and extraterritorial jurisdiction. Explores international law in the areas of human rights, the environment, and the use of force.
Provides opportunities for internship experience in political organizations, government offices, and non-governmental organizations. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits toward graduation. May be graded credit/no credit.
Prepares students who have been selected to serve as interns to the Utah State Legislature. Focuses on legislative behavior and organization; bill and law making; research and policy; comparative state government and politics and internship requirements.
Provides independent study for students unable to secure a desired class within regular semester curriculum offerings. With the approval of dean and/or department chair, student and instructor design and complete readings and other projects at the upper division level. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits toward graduation.
Includes readings and discussions about fundamental political science problems and issues. Offers directed research project tailored to each student's special interests.