Political Science (POLS)

1000 Level | 2000 Level | 3000 Level | 4000 Level

USP Codes are listed in brackets by the 1991 USP code followed by the 2003 USP code (i.e. [M2<>QB]).

1000. American and Wyoming Government. 3. [V1<>V] Introduction to the Constitutions and governmental processes of the U.S. and Wyoming. (Offered each semester)

1100. Wyoming Government. 1.  Introduction to the Constitution and governmental process of Wyoming.  Intended for students who have earned credit for American Government at an out-of-state college or by Advance Placement but have not fulfilled the Wyoming Constitution requirement of University Studies. Prerequisites: none.

1111. Issues in Political Science. 1-3 (Max. 3) [(none)<>I, L] Introduces students to Political Science through a study of a contemporary issue or problem from the perspectives of the various subfields. Prerequisites: none.

1200. Non-Western Political Cultures. 3. [C2, G1<>CS, G] Gives students appreciation of non-western political cultures and how these cultures have created different political institutions and practices. Consists of three case studies of non-western nations selected from China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Russia. Cross listed with INST 1200. (Offered each semester)

2000. Current Issues in American Government. 3. [C2<>CS] Examines current political topics in the U.S. Focuses on key public policy problems, policy-making process and the final policy choice. Students must keep abreast of political events on daily basis and apply basic concepts in American government to current affairs. Prerequisite: POLS 1000. (Offered once a year)

2070. Politics of State and Local Government. 3. [C2<>(none)] Studies politics, organizations, structures and processes of American state and local governments. Prerequisite: POLS 1000. (Normally offered once a year)

2200. Politics of Europe and the European Union. 3. [C2, G1, W2<>(none)] Examines formal and informal aspects of politics in European countries and the European Union.

2290. Governments and Politics of Latin America. 3. Studies chief cultural and historical factors influencing Latin American political process. Surveys major institutions and political patterns of the region.

2300. World Politics in the Post-Cold War Era. 3. [G1<>G] Examines changes that have taken place since the end of the Cold War in perspectives of major world powers, global and regional power balances, patterns of conflict and cooperation and the structure of the world system. Focuses on what these changes portend for the future. Cross listed with INST 2300. (Offered fall semester)

2310. Introduction to International Relations. 3. [W2<>G] Analyzes nature of international relations, emphasizing various methods of explaining and interpreting international behavior of nation-states. Illustrates contemporary problems of world politics. Cross listed with INST 2310. (Normally offered once a year)

2330. Environmental Ethics. 3. [C1<>(none)] Introduces students to ethical theory in environmental problem cases, and to philosophical issues in environmental philosophy. Ethical theories include natural law, utilitarianism, deontological and rights-based theories, relativism. Topics may include: conservation/preservation, resource management, pollution, overpopulation, factory farming, Leopold's land ethic, deep ecology, holism, eco-feminism. Cross listed with PHIL 2330.

2410. Introduction to Public Administration. 3. Deals with executive branches of governments in the U.S.: national, state and local. Considers organizational, political and policy-making aspects of each. Discusses administration in other forms of government, such as interstate compacts and regional agreements. Prerequisite: POLS 1000 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

2420. Women and Politics. 3. [C2<>(none)] Describes and compares status and political activity of women in America with those of women and men in other societies in order to explore causes, methods and results of political involvement by women. Cross listed with WMST 2420. Prerequisite: POLS 1000. (Normally offered every other year)

2430. Parties, Interest Groups and Elections. 3. [C2<>CS] Studies nature and functions of political organizations in American democracy. Discusses origins and evolution of American parties, causes of interest group development, political socialization, political participation and voting behavior, as well as activities of interest groups within American society and political system. Emphasizes current trends regarding role of parties versus interest groups. Prerequisite: POLS 1000. (Offered once a year)

2450. Politics and Media. 3. [C2<>(none)] Examines the media's coverage of current events, governmental institutions and electoral campaigns. Discusses effect of media on individuals' opinions and behavior. Identical to CMJR 2480. Prerequisite: POLS 1000. (Normally offered every two years)

2460. Introduction to Political Philosophy. 3. Surveys history of Western political thought including study of concepts and approaches to political philosophy. (Offered once a year)

3050. Athenian Democracy. 3. Examines democratic government in ancient Athens:  its origins and development, its practical workings, how politics were conducted and power was gained and exercised, citizen participation, law courts, and evaluations of democracy in the ancient world and since.  Cross listed with HIST/CLAS 3050. Prerequisites:  WB.

3100 [2100]. Politics and the Judicial Process. 3.Analyzes courts and their personnel in the American political system, including examination of functions of courts, characteristics of judicial process, approaches to the study of judicial behavior and role of courses as policy makers. Cross listed with CRMJ 3100. Prerequisite: POLS 1000.

3220. Government and Politics of Russia and FSU. 3. [C2, G1<>(none)] Examines the political, economic and identity transitions of Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union during the post-communist era. Explores how current challenges relate to past Soviet practices. (Offered once a year)

3270. Governments and Politics of the Middle East. 3. [G1<>(none)] Acquaints students with basic political, social and economic institutions of Middle Eastern countries. Emphasizes post-World War I developments, contemporary issues and problems. Special attention is given to politics of major nations in the Middle East such as Turkey, Iran, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria. (Offered once a year)

3300. Model United Nations. 1-3 (Max. 6). Focuses on the United Nations (UN) system and multilateral diplomacy to prepare students to participate in a Model UN simulation. Students learn to evaluate the UN system, learn strategies to address international problems, and develop skills to effectively represent a country in a role-playing exercise. Prerequisite: 9 hours of POLS or INST.

3500. Gender and Society. 3. [W2, C2<>WB] Examines the social construction of gender using interdisciplinary methods of analysis. Generally students will find that the readings and assignments emphasize the importance of denaturalizing the gender stereotypes and norms that impact women’s and men’s lives. Intersections between gender, race, class, age, and sexual orientation are examined within the context of both American and global cultures. Cross listed with WMST 3500. Prerequisite: WMST 1080 or cross listed equivalent. (Normally offered once a year)

3680 [2020]. Introduction to Empirical Political Analysis. 3. [M3<>(none)] Introduces students to concepts, approaches and methodologies for empirical analysis of political problems. Students gain practical experience in statistical analysis of political data generated through surveys and other research techniques. Prerequisites: STAT 2050, 2070 or equivalent; 9 hours in political science or consent of instructor. (Offered spring semester)

4013. Political Geography. 3. Geographic space is subdivided into political units to aid human interaction and to facilitate political processes. Examines the spatial organization of political space and its effects upon political processes at varying geographic scales ranging from the local to international. Dual listed with POLS 5013; cross listed with GEOG 4013. Prerequisite: GEOG 1000 or 1020, or 9 hours of social science.

4051 [4050]. Environmental Politics. 3. [C2, W3<>WC] Analyzes environmentalism as a political phenomenon. Provides students with a basic understanding of how to analyze political issues by: (1) examining the historical and contemporary issues that produce controversy over environmental matters; and (2) surveying the impacts of these issues on the formulation and implementation of laws, policies, and regulations. Cross listed with AMST, ENR, G&R and REWM 4051. Dual listed with POLS 5051. Prerequisite: POLS 1000.

4052. Federal Land Politics. 3. Examines the political forces that have shaped and continue to shape federal land policy and management. Explores the interactions between democratic decision making and science in the management of federal lands. Surveys the sources of controversy over federal land management and methods for harmonizing public demands with technical expertise. Cross listed with AMST/ENR/G&R/REWM 4052. Prerequisite: POLS 1000.

4090. Anglo-American Jurisprudence. 3. Considers topics, such as functions of law in a democratic society; historical origins and growth of the common law as contrasted to the civil (code) law systems; and principal theories of nature and functions of law which have influenced development of English and American legal institutions. Dual listed with POLS 5090. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or philosophy or consent of instructor.

4100. Constitutional Law Principles. 3. Encompasses case-study analysis of judicial decisions and policies affecting constitutional interrelationships among the three branches of federal government, federal-state relations, as well as powers of the states and federal government in the area of social and economic regulatory laws. Pays special attention to the study of judicial decisions from a policy-making viewpoint and methods of analyzing constitutional law cases. Dual listed with POLS 5100. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4110. Constitutional Rights and Liberties I: The Bill of Rights. 3. Encompasses case-study analysis of legal and political consequences of recent judicial decisions in such areas as freedom of speech, press, association, religion and criminal procedure. Cross listed with CRMJ 4110; dual listed with POLS 5110. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science including POLS 4100 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4120. Constitutional Rights and Liberties II: The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. 3. Encompasses case-study analysis of legal and political consequences of recent judicial decisions in such areas as race relations, the right to vote, legislative apportionment and the Constitution in time of war. Cross listed with CRMJ 4120; dual listed with POLS 5120. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science (including POLS 4100) or consent of instructor.

4230. Governments and Politics of Asia. 3.  Studies political systems of East Asia. Analyzes impact of social and economic factors upon political institutions. Dual listed with POLS 5230. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4240. Culture, Society, and Political Economy in East Asia. 3. [C2, G1<>(none)] Discusses how culture, history, social systems and political institutions of East Asian nations have contributed to their political economy of rapid industrialization and social transformation. Dual listed with POLS 5240. Prerequisites: one course in global studies; two courses in political science, history or sociology; or consent of instructor.

4250. Politics of Developing Nations (Seminar). 3 (Max. 6). An analysis of the processes of political, economic and social change in the non-Western world. Research methods are introduced and applied to selected topics. Dual listed with POLS 5250. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4290. Inter-American Relations. 3. [G1<>(none)] Surveys inter-American system and idea of hemispheric unity. Analyzes major issues confronting inter-American community. Dual listed with POLS 5290. Cross listed with INST 4290. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science including POLS 2310 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered every other year)

4300. The World System. 3. [G1<>(none)] Analyzes structure of political and economic interdependence among nation-states. Reviews and assesses theoretical approaches to explaining changing structure of inequality, power, war and peace. Dual listed with POLS 5300. Cross listed with SOC 4300 and INST 4300. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or ANTH 1100 or equivalent political science or social science course. (Normally offered every other year)

4330. American Foreign Relations. 3. Analyzes American foreign policy decision-making process and selected contemporary foreign policy problems. Stresses political and institutional factors, along with analysis of policy options. Dual listed with POLS 5330. Cross listed with INST 4330. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science including POLS 2310 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4340. International Organizations. 3. Encompasses development of world organizations, such as League of Nations, United Nations and its affiliate bodies. Also studies regional organizations and private international bodies. Dual listed with POLS 5340. Cross listed with INST 4340. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science including POLS 2310 or consent of instructor.

4350. Sustainable Development and Global Policy. 3. [W3, G1<>(none)] Consider in-depth meaning of "sustainable development" and trade-offs necessary to achieve it. Considers this issue from global perspective through application of theories in economics, political science, international relations, technology studies and ethics. Dual listed with POLS 5350. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or economics or consent of instructor.

4400. Black Politics, 1867 to the Present. 3. Afro-American participation in partisan electoral politics in the United States from Reconstruction to the current presidential election. Prerequisites: 3 hours 3000-level courses in African American studies or political science and W1<>WA. Cross listed with AAST 4400.

4420. Seminar in Public Administration. 3 (Max. 6). Includes reading and research in selected public administration topics. Dual listed with POLS 5420. Prerequisites: 9 hours of political science and consent of instructor.

4430. United States Presidency. 3. Analyzes office of president, its roles, development, relationships with other governmental agencies and problems in the contemporary world. Dual listed with POLS 5430. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4510. Seminar in Political Behavior. 3 (Max. 6). Examines behavior of participants in political systems with special emphasis on demographic and other variables and their influence. Prerequisites: 9 hours of political science and consent of instructor. (Normally offered every other year)

4520. Public Opinion. 3. Deals with natures of a public in democracy and means of forming and manipulating public opinion. Emphasizes role of public opinion as essential ingredient of the policy-making process in popular government. Dual listed with POLS 5520. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4530. Legislatures and Legislation. 3. Studies legislative processes at all levels of American government, emphasizing legislative roles, legislative practices and procedures. Dual listed with POLS 5530. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor. (Normally offered every other year)

4550. Internship in Government. 1-3 (Max. 6). Integrates practical political experience with academic knowledge. Students are expected to participate in specifically assigned duties and observe broader activities of the sponsoring organization; then, reflect upon this participation and observation in the form of written assignments. Internship credit can be earned for work in political campaigns, Wyoming Legislature or government services. Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory only. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4560. Washington Semester Program. 15. Provides students with paid internships in Washington, D.C., in either congressional offices or federal agencies.  Selection into the program is very competitive and is made the semester prior to service. Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory only. Prerequisites: POLS 1000 and 6 additional hours of political science courses.

4600. Political Violence. 3. Examines causes and consequences of violence. About one-third is devoted to causes including animal violence, human nature and social norms. Remainder examines causes and consequences of violence in particular context. Description of each course project can be found in the syllabus. The final project is an extensive review of the Holocaust in which students are asked to analyze this act of mass murder, then argue whether conditions that produced the Holocaust are present in Western society. Cross listed with CRMJ 4600; dual listed with POLS 5600. Prerequisites: POLS 1000 and SOC 1000 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered every other year)

4640. Political Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval. 3. [C1<>(none)] Surveys political philosophy from Classical Greek period to Machiavelli. Dual listed with POLS 5640. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science. (Offered once per year)

4650. Political Philosophy: Modern. 3. [C1<>(none)] Surveys political philosophy from Machiavelli to present. Dual listed with POLS 5650. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor. (Normally offered every other year)

4660. Recent Political Thought. 3. Examines central developments in political philosophy that guide action in today’s world. Dual listed with POLS 5660. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science.

4700. Readings in Political Science. 1-3 (Max. 6). Outlines special programs of readings in government and politics to meet needs of individual students. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4710. Topics in _____. 1-3 (Max. 9). Accommodates various specialized subjects not offered as regular courses. Prerequisites: POLS 1000 and 3 additional hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4720. Workshop in Practical Politics. 1-3 (Max. 6). Familiarizes or strengthens participants in techniques of political effectiveness. Includes political organization, campaigning and persuasion. Guest speakers include public officials and experts in the field of practical politics. Prerequisite: 9 hours of political science or consent of instructor.

4810. Seminar in Political Philosophy. 3 (Max. 6). Seminar in Political Philosophy; Encompasses reading and research on selected problems in political philosophy. Dual listed with POLS 5810. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4840. Seminar in Public Law. 3 (Max. 6). [W3<>(none)] Includes reading and research on selected problems in public law. Prerequisite: POLS 1000, 4100 or consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4850. Seminar in American Politics and Institutions. 3 (Max. 6) [W3<>WC]. Includes reading and research on selected U.S. government and politics problems. Dual listed with POLS 5850. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

4865. [4900] Seminar in International Relations Theories. 3 (Max. 6). Examines theoretical issues in the study of international politics by analyzing major theoretical schools of through in the study of international relations such as realism, constructivism, and theories of foreign policy.  Dual listed with POLS 5865. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

4870. Seminar in International Relations. 3 (Max. 6). Encompasses reading and research in international law and politics. Dual listed with POLS 5870. Prerequisites: consent of instructor. (Normally offered once a year)

4875 [4910]. Seminar in Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis. 3 (Max. 6). Overviews theories and approaches to cross-national analysis of foreign policy. Examines foreign policies of advanced industrial democracies, Russia and various Third World nations. Emphasizes foreign policy decision making processes in non-American settings. Dual listed with POLS 5875. Prerequisite: POLS 2310.

4890. Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics. 3 (Max. 6). [C2, G1, W3<>WC, G] Researches selected topics in comparative government and politics. Dual listed with POLS 5890.  Prerequisite: consent of instructor.


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Last Change: 04/01/08