POLS–POLITICAL SCIENCE
1998-99 Catalog
Political Science Department

POLS 110 American and California Government (3) (formerly POLS 210) GEB D1

Study of governmental institutions, politics, issues and political behavior in the United States and California in constitutional, historical, social and cultural perspectives. Contemporary political problems. Satisfies the United States government and California state and local government requirement. 3 lectures.

POLS 180 Political Inquiry (4) (formerly POLS 100)

Introduction to the scope, language, concepts and approaches employed in political science and the social sciences. Includes emphasis on basic methodological and research strategies for assessing political issues, events, the dynamics of political change and philosophy of science. 4 lectures.

POLS 200 Special Problems for Undergraduates (1–4)

Individual investigation, research, study, or survey of selected problems under faculty supervision. Total credit limited to 4 units. Prerequisite: Consent of department head.

POLS 225 Introduction to International Relations (4) (formerly POLS 105)

Introduction to the evolution, dynamics and substance of the international system; consideration of such subjects of conflict and accommodation, power and weakness, perception and reality, prosperity and poverty, and war and peace in international relations. 4 lectures.

POLS 230 Basic Concepts of Political Thought (4) (formerly POLS 204)

Introduction to such concepts as: law, justice, community, right, citizen, and constitution, which are fundamental to political discourse, as developed in the works of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, and other illustrious thinkers from classic to modern times. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 285 Model United Nations (2) (CR/NC)(formerly 250)

Preparation for participation in the campus Model United Nations. Procedure, MUN rules of debate, preparation of country positions, area papers, and policy statements suitable for use in mock United Nations sessions. Total credit limited to 2 units. Credit/No Credit grading only. 2 lectures. Prerequisite: One course in POLS or consent of instructor.

POLS 308 Revolutions and Collective Violence (4)

Causes, methods, outcomes of and authority responses to collective violence and revolutionary movements. Contemporary events including terrorist and other forms of collective violence in industrialized and developing states. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 310 Politics of Ethnicity and Gender (4) USCP(formerly POLS 303)

Analysis of factors that affect the changing role of women and major ethnic groups in American politics. Involvement, organization and role of minority groups in the political process. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 315 The American Presidency (4) (formerly POLS 342)

Nature and problems of contemporary presidential leadership emphasizing the impact of bureaucracy, Congress, public opinion, the courts, interest groups, and the party system upon the presidency and national policy making. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 316 Political Parties and Interest Groups (4) (formerly POLS 331)

Make-up and major functions of political parties. Role of political parties and interest groups in a democracy. Degree of consensus and conflict between present day political parties and interest groups in their attempts to influence public policy. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 317 Public Opinion and Political Participation (4) (formerly POLS 332)

Origins and dimensions of public opinion. Focus on contemporary political campaigns and elections in the U.S. Impact of political ideology, mass media, high technology, pressure groups on electoral outcomes. Voting behavior and other forms of political participation in the U.S. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 318 Political Behavior (4) (formerly POLS 380)

Political behavior of individuals and groups examined in light of biological, economic, psychological and social-psychological theories and research, including emphasis on the relationship between attitudes and behavior. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 319 Legislative Process (4) (formerly POLS 335)

Theory and practice of representative government in the United States and other selected political systems. Organization and procedures in Congress, state legislatures and local legislative bodies. Use of simulations will be encouraged. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 320 Politics of Global Survival (4) (formerly POLS 304)

Consideration of global survival from east-west, north-south and global perspectives. Arms race, development, and the political dimensions of energy, environment, food and population. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or junior standing.

POLS 324 International Politics (4) (formerly POLS 312)

International political processes and problems. Foreign policies and politics in relations between states. Conflicts and adjustments. Analyses of selected problems. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225.

POLS 325 Contemporary Global Political Issues (3) (formerly POLS 370) GEB D.4.b.

Coverage of current international political issues. Directed toward making students more aware of issues, problems, tensions in the international arena, relationship of the western and nonwestern countries to these issues, emphasizing both causes and effects. 3 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 326 World Food Politics (3) GEB D.4.b. (formerly POLS 371)

Self-reliant, food-first politics of the hungry poor in the less-developed countries; political support of food policies in the U.S. and other developed nations. Moral, ecological and commodity politics of food in a variety of cultural settings which direct food production, consumption and distribution and reduce food demand through population stabilization. 3 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or junior standing.

POLS 327 Inter-American Relations (4) (formerly POLS 311)

Inter-American affairs. Political, economic, and social problems; forces motivating cultural behavior, economic development, trade, distribution of resources, institutional organization. Finding and evaluating authoritative source materials on Latin America. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225.

POLS 328 Politics of Developing Areas (4) (formerly POLS 384)

Process of political development in the Third World with appropriate examples taken from particular areas and countries. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225.

POLS 329 Comparative Politics (4) (formerly POLS 382)

Comparative study of the governments of selected Western and non-Western countries. Case studies. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or POLS 110.

POLS 330 Modern Political Thought (4) (formerly POLS 306)

Theories of political participation and the relationship between the individual and the state as developed in the works of influential thinkers such as Locke, Rousseau, Mill and Marx. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 230.

POLS 334 Jurisprudence (3) (Also listed as PHIL 334) GEB C.3.

Normative and analytic questions about law. Nature of law and legal systems. Justification of law. Moral obligation to obey the law. Nature and justification of punishment. Guilt and legal responsibility, liberty and justice. 3 lectures. Prerequisite: PHIL 230 or PHIL 231.

POLS 337 American Political Thought (4) (formerly POLS 307)

The central political ideas of America's leading thinkers from the Puritans to the present. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110, POLS 230.

POLS 341 American Constitutional Law (4) (formerly POLS 321)

United States Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. Decisions in the areas of taxation, separation of powers, nature of congressional presidential powers. Emphasis on social, economic and political factors. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 343 Civil Rights in America (4) USCP(formerly POLS 323)

Case-based examination of race, ethnic and gender discrimination in the United States. The course emphasizes the response of the Supreme Court to issues of equality including affirmative action and abortion. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 344 Civil Liberties (4) (formerly POLS 322)

Role of Supreme Court as interpreter of Constitutional rights and liberties, freedom of expression, religion and the press, search and seizure, due process of law. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 345 Judicial Process (4) (formerly POLS 336)

Examines legal processes, emphasizing political influences on law. Topics may include: types of law, legal culture, state and federal courts, criminal trials, the role of police, judges, attorneys in the legal system. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 351 Public Administration (4) (formerly POLS 314)

Development of the management functions in government. Survey of administrative concepts and cases. Attention given to national, state and local administrative systems. Case studies and simulations. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 360 Political Analysis (4) (formerly POLS 305)

Introduction to methodology research design and quantitative methods used in survey research and political analysis. Bi-variate inferential statistics and SPSS statistical computer programs will be used to analyze political phenomena. 3 lectures, 1 activity. Prerequisite: POLS 180 and STAT 221 or equivalent.

POLS 375 California State and Local Politics (4) (formerly POLS 301)

Political culture, processes, behavior, institutions, public policy and distribution of power in California state and substate governments. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 385 Advanced Model United Nations (2)(formerly POLS 350)

Participation in the campus Model United Nations. Procedure, MUN rules of debate, preparation of country positions, area papers, and policy statement for use in mock United Nations sessions. Total credit limited to 6 units. 2 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 285 or consent of instructor.

POLS 386 Government Internship (2–12) (CR/NC) (formerly POLS 340)

Supervised work experience in a government or related public agency as approved by the college dean. Intern will function as an employee subject to all the duties and responsibilities of employees engaged in comparable work. 30 hours of work experience per unit of credit. Credit/No Credit grading. Recommended preparation: Junior standing with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

POLS 400 Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates (1–4)

Individual investigation, research, study, or survey of selected problems. Total credit limited to 4 units. Prerequisite: Consent of department head.

POLS 420 Contemporary U.S. Foreign Policy (4) (formerly POLS 411)

Formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Analysis of the theory and elements of U.S. strategy; diplomacy, propaganda, economic operations, psychological warfare, and military strategies. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225.

POLS 421 Asian Politics (4) (formerly POLS 417)

Analysis of political, economic, and social institutions and conditions in selected Asian nations. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225.

POLS 422 European Politics (4)

Comparative study of European political systems before and after the demise of communist governments in Eastern Europe and the USSR. Regional organizations including the European Union and NATO. Discussion of alternative futures for Europe. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or POLS 327.

POLS 423 Middle Eastern Politics (4) (formerly POLS 465)

Analysis of political, economic, and social institutions of the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Israel are used as case studies to illustrate the mosaic of nationalisms that have developed in that region. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or junior standing.

POLS 424 African Politics (4) (formerly POLS 468)

Analysis of indigenous institutions, Western influences, and nationalism in Africa south of the Sahara. Emphasis on post-independence with selective case studies including South Africa. Impact of outside powers on Africa. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 225 or junior standing.

POLS 451 Science, Technology and Public Policy (4) (formerly POLS 404)

Techniques for performing technical assessment and impact analysis in communication, transportation, health technologies, aerospace, electronics and other new technologies. Case studies on contemporary problems stemming from the relationship of technology and politics. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 452 Politics of Finance and Planning (4) (formerly POLS 405)

Economic and political factors affecting federal, state and local governments. Intergovernmental relations and policy considerations in finance, debt management and tax administration. Appropriations and audits in government departments, commissions and agencies. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 453 Administrative Theory and Behavior (4) (formerly POLS 441)

Theories, concepts and case studies related to organizations and to the individuals and groups that work in them. Application of concepts to public and non-profit organizations. Research paper required. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110 and POLS 351.

POLS 454 Public Personnel Administration (4) (formerly POLS 442)

Concepts, techniques, and issues related to human resource administration. Techniques and concepts for public and nonprofit organizations. Case studies utilized to illustrate issues in the bureaucracy. Research papers on legislation, application, litigation, and other aspects of personnel administration required. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110 and POLS 351.

POLS 455 Public Policy Analysis (4) (formerly POLS 425)

Methods of analyzing the intent and action of government. Techniques for evaluating the outputs and impacts of governmental policies. Case studies on various domestic issue areas such as transportation, education, housing, welfare, and law enforcement. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 460 Intermediate Political Analysis (4)

Intermediate social science methodology focusing on stochastic model specification and estimation. Enhancements and generalizations of the basic approaches with applications to multivariate, nonlinear and large sample settings. Increased use of computer packages and data analysis. 3 lectures, 1 activity. Prerequisite: POLS 360.

POLS 461, 462 Senior Project (2) (2)

Selection and completion of a project under faculty supervision. Project results presented in a formal paper. Prerequisite: Senior standing (completion of 135 quarter hours), completion of required core courses and concentration. May not be taken CR/NC.

POLS 470 Selected Advanced Topics (1–4)

Directed group study of selected topics for advanced students. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. Class Schedule will list topic selected. 1–4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110, junior standing.

POLS 471 Municipal Government (4) (formerly POLS 403)

Concepts, policies and politics in urban governments and organization and power-structure issues of modern American municipalities. Inter-governmental relations, finance, and planning problems in city government. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 472 State and Local Government (4) (formerly POLS 401)

Theoretical approaches to and structure, function and problems of state, county and local governments, including case studies, simulations and/or computer research exercises. 4 lectures. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

POLS 481 Undergraduate Seminar (4)(formerly POLS 463)

Preparation and presentation of current developments in the field of political science, with primary attention to American politics, or international relations, or public administration. 4 seminars. Prerequisite: Junior or senior in Political Science.

POLS 484 Community Research Seminar (2) (formerly POLS 450)

Participation in small groups performing action research requested by one or more community agencies. May include surveys, interviewing, on-site evaluations and computer data analysis. Total credit limited to 6 units. 1 seminar, 1 activity. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.

POLS 495 Cooperative Education Experience (12) (CR/NC)

Full-time work experience in business, industry, government, and other areas of student career interest. Positions are paid and usually require relocation and registration in course for two consecutive quarters. Formal report and evaluation by work supervisor required. Total credit limited to 16 units. Credit/No Credit grading only. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and consent of instructor.

POLS 550 Administration in Developing Nations (4) (formerly POLS 510)

Processes of administration with reference to the differing cultural, political, and economic environments of the developing areas of the world. Impact of technological developments in emerging nations. 4 seminars. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

POLS 560 Advanced Political Analysis (4)

Advanced social science methodology focusing on stochastic model specification and estimation. Topics include maximum likelihood estimation, event count models, time series data, nonparametric analysis, Resampling techniques, and Bayesian Methods. Advanced computer packages will be used to analyze challenging data sets. 3 lectures, 1 activity. Prerequisite: POLS 360 or STAT 322.