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Currently Offered Courses - Spring 2025

PS 100 - Intro to Political Science

Surveys the major concepts and approaches employed in the study of politics. Credit is not given toward graduation for both PS 100 and PS 200.

PS 101 - Intro to US Gov & Pol

Examines the organization and development of national, state, and local governments in the U.S.; the federal system; the U.S. Constitutions; civil and political rights; the party system; and the nature, structure, powers, and procedures of national political institutions. This course may require limited participation as a subject in research.

PS 125 - Washington Experience

An examination of political Washington and policymaking. Through visits to think tanks, nonprofit organizations and agencies we will examine the policymaking world in Washington and get to know different participants in this process, what they do, and how they interact and work to affect policy and express their ideas. This course is a required component of the Illinois in Washington Program. Prerequisite: Acceptance to and enrollment in the Illinois in Washington Program.

PS 201 - US Racial & Ethnic Politics

Examines efforts by racial and ethnic communities to organize politically and by society to allocate resources based on race or ethnicity. Topical focus includes African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and white ethnics. The primary goal of the course is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of racial and ethnic politics by identifying commonalities and differences among these groups and their relationship to the state. Same as AAS 201, AFRO 201, and LLS 201.

PS 220 - Intro to Public Policy

Surveys the policy process including adoption, implementation, and evaluation. Topics may include reviews of substantive policy issues such as crime, energy, environment, poverty, foreign policy, civil liberties, or economic regulation. Prerequisite: PS 100 or PS 101, or consent of instructor.

PS 224 - Politics of the National Parks

Examines the politics of national parks in the United States, including creation of parks, local support or opposition to parks, and park policy as well as policy questions such as the value of wilderness ecosystem management, endangered species protection, and role of parks in national identity and remembrance of events such as the Civil War, the Indian wars, or the civil rights movement. Same as RST 224. Additional fees may apply. See Class Schedule.

PS 225 - Environmental Politics & Policy

Examinations of the political, economic, ecological, and cultural trade-offs between the use and the preservation of the environment, with particular emphasis on the preservation of land and water resources in national parks, forests, and other reserved lands. Same as RST 225.

PS 231 - Strategic Models

Introduces strategic models of political behavior and their implications for our understanding of politics. Uses simple models, inspired by game theory, to examine fundamental political questions.

PS 242 - Introduction to Modern Africa

Same as AFST 222, ANTH 222, and SOC 222. See AFST 222.

PS 270 - Intro to Political Theory

Introduces the nature, structure, and purposes of political theory; examines major works on the problems of political order, obedience, justice, liberty, and representation to distinguish and clarify different theoretical approaches.

PS 273 - Environment and Society

Same as ESE 287, GGIS 287 and NRES 287. See NRES 287.

PS 280 - Intro to Intl Relations

Structure and processes of international relations, trends in international politics, and the future of the international system. Credit is not given for both PS 280 and PS 281.

PS 281 - Intro to Intl Relations-ACP

This course is identical to PS 280 except for the additional writing component that fulfills the campus' advanced composition requirement. Credit is not given for both PS 280 and PS 281. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.

PS 282 - Governing Globalization

Examines the historical, socio-economic, political, and moral dimensions associated with the rise of a global society and its governance. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement; completion of one course in a social science or consent of instructor.

PS 300 - Special Topics

Selected readings and research in political science. See Class Schedule for current topics. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Six hours of political science, or consent of instructor.

PS 301 - The US Constitution I

Analyzes issues related to judicial interpretation of the constitution; the separation of governmental powers; federalism; checks and balances among the three branches of the national government; and the jurisdiction of federal courts. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 302 - The US Constitution II

Analyzes issues involved in free speech, freedom of religion, rights of the criminally accused, and government's responsibility to protect persons from discrimination based on race or sexual preference. Pays special attention to the role of law and judges. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 303 - The US Congress

Examines the legislative function in government; the structure and organization of Congress; legislative procedures; pressure groups and lobbying; the relation of legislature to other branches of government; and problems of legislative reorganization. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 307 - Separation of Powers

Explores how the checks and balances built into the US Constitution affect the interactions between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Addresses topics such as whether Congress is less productive during times of divided government; why some presidential nominees sail through confirmation, while others take years to be confirmed; and whether Supreme Court justices pay attention to the preferences of the President and Congress when deciding cases. Prerequisite: PS 101.

PS 311 - Political Parties in the US

Examines the organization and operation of the American party system; national, state, and local organizations and their interactions; the convention and primary systems; and campaign methods and finance. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 314 - Political Psychology

Explores the psychological processes that underlie political attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, we will take theories from social, personality, cognitive, and evolutionary psychology and apply them to political phenomena. Topics will include how politics is affected by cognitive biases, emotions, persuasion, social influence, identity, prejudice and discrimination, personality, and evolution and genetics. We will also explore what we can learn about basic human psychology by studying politics carefully. Prerequisite: PS 101.

PS 316 - Latina/Latino Politics

Examines the role of Latino electorates in shaping state and national politics. Reviews the histories of Latino national origin groups, examines public policy issues of concern to Latinos, successes and failures of Latino empowerment strategies, and the electoral impact of Latino votes. Focus will be primarily on Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans and an assessment of the degree to which their political agendas are likely to merge over the coming years. Same as LLS 316. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 321 - Principles of Public Policy

Examines different approaches to evaluating the performance of public sector organizations, including private sector accountability principles. Focuses on how to improve the performance of governmental agencies, as well as corporate social responsibility. Same as ACCY 321, ACE 321, and BADM 303. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 322 - Law and Public Policy

Examines the nature of law, law makers, and law appliers; the determinants of law-making; and the societal impact of law. Prerequisite: PS 101, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 343 - Gov & Pol of China

Introduces the government and politics of modern China. Same as EALC 343. Prerequisite: PS 240 or PS 241, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 344 - Government and Politics of Japan

This course will examine a range of topics relevant to understanding the development of Japanese politics in the postwar era. A central theme of the course will be to understand the processes of continuity and change through various lenses, including but not limited to history, culture, and institutions. Same as EALC 344. Prerequisite: PS 240 or PS 241, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 353 - Gov & Pol of Latin America

Examines the origin and development of Latin American political institutions. Prerequisite: PS 240 or PS 241, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 371 - Classical Political Theory

Considers the major works of Greek and Roman political theory, stressing their relevance to modern political analysis and action. Prerequisite: PS 270, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 376 - American Political Theory

Surveys American political thought from colonial times to the present. Prerequisite: PS 270, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 377 - Topics Contemp Pol Theory

Examines specific topics and writers of contemporary political theory. Recent themes have included conceptions of power, rights, justice, and radical political thought. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours. Prerequisite: PS 270, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 382 - Intl Political Economy

Examines the interaction between international politics and economics; locates ideologies and practices in the context of international economic relations. Considers such topics as international trade, the global monetary order, multi-national corporations, economic aid relationships, and food and energy politics. Prerequisite: PS 280 or PS 283, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 386 - International Law

Analyzes the concepts and bases of public international law. Topics include sources and subjects of international law, as well as issues of jurisdiction, territory, law of the sea, and use of military force. Prerequisite: PS 280 or PS 283, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

PS 399 - Politics of International Treaties

Treaties are agreements between sovereign states governed by international law. This course examines why countries commit to treaties and why they comply with them. It will provide advanced undergraduate students with the opportunity to read a range of scholarly works on international agreements and to conduct their own research on related topics. Prerequisite: PS 280.

PS 418 - Language & Minorities in Europe

Same as EURO 418, FR 418, GER 418, ITAL 418, LING 418, SLAV 418, and SPAN 418. See FR 418.

PS 456 - Democracy and Identity

A normative and empirical examination of the special issues surrounding the development and maintenance of democracy in plural societies. Analyzes the impact of racial, ethnic and religious diversity on citizenship, civil rights, political institutions and public policy, as well as on democratic stability more generally, in established and newly emergent democracies. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

PS 457 - Dem Gov in a Global Setting

Examination of the basic concepts and politics associated with the emergence of a global society. Students evaluate competing explanations for the emergence of this new politics and how and why the global society governs itself. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of the nation-state, markets, and democratization as responses, respectively, to the imperatives or order, welfare, and legitimacy in the governance of world's peoples and states. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

PS 480 - Energy and Security

Same as GLBL 480 and NPRE 480. See NPRE 480.

PS 490 - Individual Study

Special topics not treated in regularly scheduled courses; designed primarily for juniors and seniors. 1 to 4 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Evidence of adequate preparation for such study; consent of faculty member supervising the work; and approval of the department head.

PS 491 - Internship

Students follow a program of study and research related to an approved internship under the direction of the internship director and/or a faculty sponsor. Consult departmental undergraduate advisor or internship director. 0 to 6 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 undergraduate hours. Prerequisite: 45 credit hours completed, one year in residence at an institution of higher learning, minimum 2.5 grade point average, coursework related to the internship, and acceptance to the internship director or undergraduate director and by faculty sponsor. Students enrolled in internship courses may not register for more than 18 hours total for all courses during the semester of the internship course.

PS 494 - Junior Honors Seminar

Research, reading, and discussion in selected topics and works in literature of political science. A major research project is required in preparation for PS 495. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Credit is not given for non-honors courses and honors seminar on the same topic. Prerequisite: Admission to Political Science Honors Program or consent of department.

PS 496 - Senior Honors Thesis

2 to 6 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: Written consent of instructor of department approval; open only to seniors whose major is political science and who have a general University grade point of 3.0.

PS 512 - Proseminar Pol Behavior II

Continuation of PS 511. Prerequisite: PS 511.

PS 514 - Founds of Organizational Behav

Same as BADM 510, PSYC 553, and SOC 575. See BADM 510.

PS 522 - Research Design and Techniques

Provides an overview of research techniques for answering questions of concern in political science; indicates the range of available tools; discusses problems in concept formation; and presents current methods of concept measurement. Prerequisite: PS 521 or consent of instructor.

PS 526 - Formal Theory II: Applications

Survey of major topics in formal political theory and the application of key game-theoretic methods to the study of politics. Prerequisite: PS 525 or consent of instructor.

PS 531 - Quant Pol Analysis II

Second class in inferential statistics, emphasizing the linear model and assumptions behind linear models. Prerequisite: PS 530 or consent of instructor.

PS 532 - Quant Pol Analysis III

Select topics in inferential statistics, including models for limited dependent variables. Topics vary by semester and may include spatial econometrics, bootstrap models, ecological inference, and causal inference. Prerequisite: PS 531 or consent of instructor.

PS 546 - Comparative Political Behavior

Examines the political behaviors and opinions of common citizens in dissimilar national contexts, focusing on the theoretical literature and empirical research on topics such as political participation, political culture and contention politics from a cross-national perspective. Prerequisite: PS 540 or PS 541.

PS 584 - International Cooperation

Major theoretical perspectives and controversies in the literature of international cooperation and international institutions. Although broad spectrums of issues are covered, the focus is on basic logical questions, lines of reasoning, and analytical frameworks. Prerequisite: PS 580.

PS 590 - Research in Selected Topics

Research in selected topics by arrangement with the instructor.

PS 596 - Evaluating New Research

Accompanies the Politics Workshop, which brings in speakers from outside the department to present their research. The goal is to expose graduate students to the practice of engaging critically with research presentations from all fields of political science. Students will learn "best practices" in providing feedback about ongoing research projects. They will have the opportunity to utilize these skills both in class discussions and as discussants for the speakers in the Workshop 2 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated for up to 4 graduate hours in separate semesters. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in political science required.

PS 597 - Preparing Future Faculty

Provides graduate students an insight on the responsibilities and expectations of academic faculty. Core responsibilities - research, teaching and service - required of faculty is discussed, along with important resources and strategies to aid students in obtaining a faculty appointment and plotting a successful career path. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms.

PS 598 - Dissertation Design Seminar

Addresses the basic steps involved in the development of a dissertation proposal; aims to facilitate the completion of the dissertation proposal for students who have passed the qualifying examinations. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Successful completion of required qualifying examinations.

PS 599 - Thesis Research

Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated.