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Political Science

Course Descriptions

PLSC 1000 Intro to American Politics (5 credits)
Philosophical traditions, historical background, structure and functioning of American government, and political attitudes and behavior.
PLSC 2001 Law, Politics and Society (5 credits)
PLSC 2030 International Violence (5 credits)
PLSC 2050 World Politcs (5 credits)
World politics is characterized by the absence of any overarching governmental authority; the "sovereignty" of individual states creates an international anarchy. This anarchy creates a permissive environment that influences how states and other global actors relate to each other. While violence, domination, and exploitation can be linked to this international anarchy, peaceful and voluntary cooperation are associated with it as well. As a result, a significant degree of order can often be identified within this anarchy. This course introduces the evolution of the modern international system and provides an overview of the major concepts and theoretical approaches used in the study of world politics. Students will examine the strengths and weaknesses of Realist, Liberal, and Marxist approaches and apply explanations from these approaches to assess the causes and consequences of war, globalization of markets and culture, environmental problems, and conflicts over international justice and human rights. The principle aim of the course is to provide an analytical framework to understand and evaluate international events and issues.
PLSC 2188 Global Politics-Third World (5 credits)
PLSC 2230 Politics of the Middle East (5 credits)
PLSC 2260 Politics of Japan (5 credits)
PLSC 2280 Comparative Social Movements (5 credits)
Types of social/political issues and forms of interest intermediation represented by new social movements in Western industrial society. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2285 Comparative Revolutions (5 credits)
PLSC 2290 Politics of Latin America (5 credits)
PLSC 2300 Public Policy (5 credits)
PLSC 2350 Urban Politics (5 credits)
This upper division seminar focuses on the theory and practice of urban politics in the United States. Students will read classic works on the structures and political processes of metropolitan government in the United States. Restriction: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2360 Ethnic & Race Pol in America (5 credits)
PLSC 2370 Global Political Economy (5 credits)
Global Political Economy (GPE) examines the interplay between politics and economics within and across nation-states in response to international politics and economics. The course explores the effect of political factors on international economic relations and the impact of international economic factors on domestic and international politics. The objective is to evaluate various theories of the global political economy through observation of the global political-economic system. Because you will be doing quantitative, statistical analysis, and research, you will be required to acquire some basic statistical knowledge.
PLSC 2400 Pol Behavior-Attit & Pub Opin (5 credits)
PLSC 2420 American Presidency (5 credits)
Historical development and current role and powers of the U.S. presidency. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2430 Pol Parties & Interest Group (5 credits)
Evolution and structure of political parties; how they mobilize voters and provide leadership of political issues. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2445 Pres Primaries, Nomin, Elctn (5 credits)
PLSC 2460 Re-Inventing Europe (5 credits)
Politics, economics and culture of Europe of today including basics of parliamentary democracy, contemporary political economy and national identities of major European countries as well as developments in the European Union and Eastern Europe. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2470 State and Local Politics (5 credits)
This course examines the general and the unique traits of the politics, institutions, and policy processes of state governments. We will, in addition, take advantage of our location and focus on the government and politics of Colorado.
PLSC 2480 U.S. Congress (5 credits)
Structure and functions of U.S. Congress and congressional behavior. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2500 Political Psychology (5 credits)
This course examines the intersection of politics and psychology. Students will examine how emotion, cognition, and group psychology influence political actors and policy outcomes. Students will apply these concepts to voting, foreign policy decision-making, and the formation of belief systems.
PLSC 2600 Justice & Classical Pol Comm (5 credits)
Political experience and reflection from 500 b.c.e. to 1450; origins of political theory; Plato, Aristotle; age of empire, early Christianity and St. Augustine; medieval political thought and St. Thomas Aquinas. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2610 Rise of Pol Individualism (5 credits)
Political experience and reflection from 1450 to 1800; medieval background; Machiavelli and Renaissance; Reformation; Anglican and Puritan thought; Hobbes; Locke; Enlightenment; Rousseau. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2620 Political Theory Contemporary (5 credits)
Political experiences and reflections in 19th and 20th centuries; Kant, Burke, Hegel, de Tocqueville, J.S. Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, John Dewey, Leo Strauss, Eric Voeglin, Hannah Arendt, Michael Oakeshott, John Rawls. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2630 American Political Thought (5 credits)
PLSC 2640 Consciousness & Pol Thought (5 credits)
PLSC 2700 Topics in Political Science (5 credits)
Nonseminar format focusing on specific issues in political science. Depending on content, PLSC 2700 may be counted toward concentrations. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2702 Topics in Political Science (5 credits)
Nonseminar format focusing on specific issues in political science. Depending on content, PLSC 2702 may be counted toward concentrations. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2704 Topics in Political Science (5 credits)
Nonseminar format focusing on specific issues in political science. Depending on content, PLSC 2704 may be counted toward concentrations. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2708 American Pol & Foreign Policy (5 credits)
Contemporary American foreign policy; its formulation and implementation. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2720 Contemp Prob-World Affairs (5 credits)
PLSC 2760 Democracy and Capitalism (5 credits)
Various facets of the relationship of democracy and capitalism: political equality versus economic inequality; private property and public welfare. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2800 Methods of Legal Inquiry (5 credits)
PLSC 2810 Gender, Law & Public Policy (5 credits)
Public policy concerning employment, families, reproduction and other fields, has affected men and women differently. How does that happen? How have perspectives about gender shaped public policy? Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2820 Civil Rights (5 credits)
On completing this course, students are expected to have enhanced the following skills: analytic and critical reading strategies; a basic understanding of rhetorical situations and rhetorical analysis; the ability to write for a specific audiences and discourse communities, in a voice effective for those situations; the ability to write texts that are organized, coherent and substantive, demonstrating rhetorical, linguistic and analytical competence. The course will provide instruction and practice in academic and civic writing that exhibits conventions of effective writing and presentation for well-educated readers. Students will complete at least 20 pages of revised and polished writing, in multiple assignments, as well as numerous additional exercises.
PLSC 2830 Law and Social Policy (5 credits)
Role of courts in development of American administrative state and modern battle over deregulation and control of bureaucracy. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2840 Int'l Law & Human Rights (5 credits)
Legal and philosophical status of human rights worldwide; socioeconomic barriers to achieving global human rights. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2860 Constitutional Law & Politics (5 credits)
First course in constitutional development sequence. Topics include judicial review; federalism; racial, sexual, political and economic equality; rights of the accused. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2861 Constitutional Development (5 credits)
Around the world, countries have enacted constitutions as a way of shaping both national and supranational power. What are fundamentals of constitutional governance? How have they been debated? How have institutions of the state understood constitutional requirements? Focus is on the United States, but not exclusively.
PLSC 2870 Theories of Law (5 credits)
Approaches to law, courts and judges focusing of various theories of law including legal realism, feminist legal theory, law and society, law and economics, behavioralism. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2880 Taming Tyranny (5 credits)
Comparative analysis of legal systems including constitution making, distribution of governmental powers, nature of individual rights and analysis of specific substantive areas such as abortion rights. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 2901 Empirical Analysis-Poli Sci (5 credits)
This course is an introduction to political inquiry and the discipline of political science. It is designed to help you develop sensitivity to and appreciation for the diverse forms of knowledge collected under the rubric of political science. It is also designed to enable you to develop both analytic and critical skills regarding those various forms of knowledge. We will examine quantitative, qualitative, and historical research methods. The course will focus on basic principles of effective research design and data analysis; no previous mathematical background is necessary for this course. By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate scientific research, frame a research question, and design a research study. This course should be of special interest to those students choosing to do an undergraduate honors thesis, but all students desiring to learn the fundamentals of research will benefit from this class.
PLSC 3220 Hard Choices in Public Policy (5 credits)
PLSC 3290 Advanced Seminar in Politics (5 credits)
Theoretical issues of politics with application to specific political developments. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 3330 Politics of the Middle East (5 credits)
PLSC 3370 European Political Economy (5 credits)
Overview of some major problems confronted by European political economies in recent postwar period; industrial and welfare state policies within national contexts and European community. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 3380 Political Econ-Welfare State (5 credits)
PLSC 3400 Seminar-Contemp Prob in Amer (5 credits)
PLSC 3410 Modern Totalitarianism (5 credits)
An examination of the totalitarian ideologies and regimes of the 20th century, including communism, fascism and national socialism. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
PLSC 3430 Media & Political Comn (5 credits)
PLSC 3500 Advanced Issues-World Politics (5 credits)
PLSC 3600 Literature and Politics (5 credits)
PLSC 3710 Int'l Relations-20th Century (5 credits)
PLSC 3760 Comp Race & Ethnic Relations (5 credits)
PLSC 3780 International Law (5 credits)
PLSC 3790 Int'l Law & Global Environment (5 credits)
PLSC 3850 Comparative Judicial Systems (5 credits)
PLSC 3910 Int'l Politics and Literature (5 credits)