Political Science
The mission of the Political Science Department is to provide a personalized education of distinction that fosters students’ intellectual and critical skills, and develops their capacities to apply the study of politics to the conditions of political life especially in the context of diversity and globalization. Through its courses and experiential learning opportunities, the CLU Political Science department is unified by two broad themes: civic engagement and global citizenship. The Department is committed to the belief that one of the goals of education is to link scholarship, teaching and applied knowledge to the academic study of politics. Students are offered opportunities to study abroad at Oxford and other notable programs, engage in community development and service projects, and intern in public policy and non-profit agencies in Washington, DC and throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
32 credits minimum, 20 credits upper division.
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Theory and Practice of American Government | ||
American National Government | ||
Multiculturalism, Race and Politics in The United States | ||
Introduction to Political Science | ||
POLS 320 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Ancient Political Thought | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
American Political Thought | ||
POLS 476 | Capstone - Global Leaders and Leadership | 4 |
POLS 485 | Experiential Practicum | 1 |
Political Science Electives (at least 8 credits upper division) | 15 | |
Total Hours | 32 |
International Relations Emphasis
32 credits minimum, 20 credits upper division.
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Theory and Practice of American Government | ||
American National Government | ||
Multiculturalism, Race and Politics in The United States | ||
Introduction to Political Science | ||
POLS 320 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Ancient Political Thought | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
American Political Thought | ||
POLS 476 | Capstone - Global Leaders and Leadership | 4 |
Select two of the following: | 8 | |
European Government and Politics | ||
International Relations | ||
American Foreign Policy | ||
Comparative Politics | ||
International Law and Organization | ||
Selected Topics | ||
Select two of the following: | 8 | |
History and Politics of Latin America | ||
History and Politics of the Modern Middle East | ||
History and Politics of East Asia | ||
Government and Politics of Africa | ||
Total Hours | 32 |
Law and Public Policy Emphasis
32 credits minimum, 20 credits upper division.
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Theory and Practice of American Government | ||
American National Government | ||
Multiculturalism, Race and Politics in The United States | ||
Introduction to Political Science | ||
POLS 320 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Ancient Political Thought | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
American Political Thought | ||
POLS 476 | Capstone - Global Leaders and Leadership | 4 |
POLS 207 | Contemporary Issues in Public Policy | 4 |
Select two of the following: | 8 | |
Multiculturalism, Race and Politics in The United States | ||
Parties, Interest Groups and Public Opinion | ||
California Politics | ||
Politics of Community Development | ||
American Foreign Policy | ||
Public Administration and Public Policy | ||
Civil Rights Movement | ||
Social Movements and Politics of Global Change | ||
Women and Politics | ||
Internet and Politics | ||
Selected Topics | ||
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Introduction to Law and Legal Process | ||
American Constitutional Law | ||
Constitutional Law in Criminal Justice | ||
Freedom of Communication | ||
Environmental Law and Policy | ||
International Law and Organization | ||
Law and Society | ||
Selected Topics | ||
Total Hours | 32 |
Minor in Political Science
20 credits minimum, 16 credits upper division.
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Theory and Practice of American Government | ||
American National Government | ||
Introduction to Political Science | ||
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Ancient Political Thought | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
European Government and Politics | ||
Three Upper Division Political Science Courses | 12 | |
Total Hours | 20 |
Courses
Lower Division
POLS 102. Theory and Practice of American Government. (4).
An introduction to the basic political processes
and institutions of the American governmental
system. Topics include fundamental principles of
democracy; the United States Constitution; the
executive, legislative and judicial branches of
the national government; political parties and
interest groups; and state and local political
institutions.
POLS 105. Introduction to Law and Legal Process. (4).
Seeks a broad and critical understanding of the
historical and philosophical foundations of law.
Topics include sources of legal tradition, the
impact of law on society, judicial
decision-making, and legal restraints and
impediments. The course will familiarize the
student with electronic legal sources.
(cross-listed with CRIM 105).
POLS 200. Global Studies. (4).
This course analyzes how social forces and
processes have and are transforming the lives of
individuals. Issues such as war, peace and
justice are examined from a political perspective
that reflects them as global rather than national
concerns. (cross-listed with GLST 101).
POLS 205. American National Government. (4).
This intensive study of the structures and
functions of the national government gives
special attention to the legislative and
executive branches in the policy-making and
administrative processes.
POLS 206. Globalizing Los Angeles. (4).
Using lecture, class discussion, student
presentations, film, performance, and lived
experience, we will engage issues related to the
conceptualization of locality and space, of
culture and character, and of security and
violence in what Janet Abu-Lughod has described
as America's third global city, Los Angeles.
POLS 207. Contemporary Issues in Public Policy. (4).
This course provides students with an
introduction to the public policy process in the
United States. The course will focus on how
problems get identified, which issues make it to
the public agenda, the factors that structure
individual policy choices and the
implementation/evaluation of polices. This
process will be illustrated by examining
contemporary social, economic and foreign policy
issues in the United States.
POLS 210. Multiculturalism, Race and Politics in The United States. (4).
This course explores the multicultural, racial,
and political landscape in the United States. The
emphasis is on multiculturalism and race as forms
of cultural identification and political gains
and losses. Politics in this course is broadly
defined as who gets what, when, and how; and
politics is not confined to the political arena.
Political gains, for example, can be located in
the business and cultural arenas. In this sense,
this course focuses on the political activity of
groups on the national and local levels. The
political, social, and cultural characteristics
of various ethnic groups, including their
organization and differentiation will emerge in
this course.
POLS 212. Media and Politics. (4).
An introduction into the role of media in the
political process. The course will study
propaganda and manipulation by newspapers,
television, radio, magazines and especially films.
POLS 222. Introduction to Political Science. (4).
Explains the meaning of political life in the
modern world and some of the ideas behind its
democratic and non-democratic forms. Involves a
systematic and comparative study of political
structures, institutions, behaviors and processes.
POLS 233. Argumentation and Advocacy. (4).
The study and practice of argumentation,
emphasizing interactive critical thinking skills,
including analysis, research and evidence, case
construction, refutation, and visual and other
forms of symbolic influence; diverse fields of
argumentation and advocacy considered including
law, politics, organizations, mass media,
entertainment, interpersonal, and intercultural
relations. (cross-listed with COMM 233).
POLS 245. Introduction to African Politics. (4).
Surveys the political institutions and culture of
sub-Saharan African countries, identifying
decisive political and cultural forces that are
critical to the understanding of African
politics. Students probe aspects of traditional
African culture and examine in depth the
contemporary political situation in southern
Africa.
POLS 282. Selected Topics. (1-4).
Upper Division
POLS 303. Parties, Interest Groups and Public Opinion. (4).
Introduces the dynamics and significance of
political parties, the role of interest groups,
problems of campaigns and elections, and the
impact of public opinion on the democratic
process.
POLS 307. California Politics. (4).
This course examines the political dynamics of
the Golden State from a variety of viewpoints
(historical, economic, geographic, and social).
We will examine how resources are distributed
through policy outcomes and the effect of
political institutions and civil society on these
outcomes.
POLS 308. Politics in Cinema. (4).
Explores the political nature of cinema and the
ways in which political culture, issues and
themes are expressed in and through cinema.
Particular emphasis is placed on American
political culture and practices. (cross-listed
with COMM 308).
POLS 317. Politics of Community Development. (4).
This course provides an overview of the political
and social challenges that confront residents,
organizers and leaders in making their
communities better places to live. The course
explores the factors associated with community
stability and prosperity, strategies for doing
community development work and
economic/governance structures that support
community empowerment efforts. The course will
give students the opportunity to engage in local
Ventura County community building efforts.
POLS 320. Scope and Methods of Political Science. (4).
An introductory study of the history, nature and
current development of political science, with
special emphasis on the methods dealing with
problems of political science and the techniques
of research in politics.
POLS 321. Ancient Political Thought. (4).
Presents the scope and nature of political ideas,
philosophy and discussion in the Western ancient
political tradition and focuses on the major
philosophers from Plato to St. Thomas Aquinas and
the major streams of ideas and philosophy flowing
from them. (cross-listed with PHIL 321).
POLS 322. Modern Political Thought. (4).
A systematic analysis of the political ideas of
great Western and non-Western writers. Particular
contributions to political theory are examined,
with special emphasis on the concept of human
nature and the state, the role of "law" in
politics, the problem of political change and the
relationship between authority and freedom.
(spring).
POLS 324. American Political Thought. (4).
A survey of the development of American ideas
concerning political authority from the colonial
period to the present. Special emphasis is placed
on the transformation of liberalism in the 20th
century under the impact of industrialization and
the shift from the concept of the "free"
individual to the organization person.
POLS 341. European Government and Politics. (4).
A study of the current governments and politics
of Great Britain, France, the German Federal
Republic and the former Soviet Union. The
historical origins of these governments are
briefly studied and their institutions analyzed
as manifestations of their social and political
culture and traditions, and the impact of
external forces.
POLS 360. International Relations. (4).
An introduction to the problems of relations
among the nations of the world, including the
basic factors that influence international
relations and the channels of settlement of
international problems.
POLS 365. American Foreign Policy. (4).
A survey of the factors and forces entering into
the formation and implementation of American
foreign policy, with special emphasis on
contemporary problems. Includes studying the
relationship between the means and sources of
American power and the goals and objectives of
American policy.
POLS 367. Comparative Politics. (4).
This course focuses on understanding how and why
nation-states have adopted and implemented
various forms of political and economic systems.
Using country-case study analyses, the course
examines how political ideologies, political
culture and history, institutions and geography
shape political and economic development in
different regions of the world.
POLS 382. History and Politics of Latin America. (4).
Surveys the politics and history of Latin America
from the early encounters of Native Americans
with Europeans to the present. The evolution of
Latin American institutions (political, cultural
and economic) will be traced from 1492 until the
present. (cross-listed with HIST 382).
POLS 384. History and Politics of the Modern Middle East. (4).
An examination of the historical background and
contemporary politics of this vital area in world
affairs. The politics and economics of oil, the
Arab-Israeli conflict, the revival of Islam and
the problems of modernization and development are
studied in detail. (cross-listed with HIST 384).
POLS 386. History and Politics of South Asia. (4).
An examination of the history, culture and
politics of South Asia through the Hindu, Muslim
and British periods to the present. The impact of
these legacies on the problems of state-building,
economic development, social change and foreign
policy in contemporary India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal is approached
from a comparative and regional perspective.
(cross-listed with HIST 386) (a/y).
POLS 388. History and Politics of East Asia. (4).
An introduction to the political thought and
institutions of East Asia. Primary attention is
paid to China, which traditionally had a strong
influence on the pattern of political development
in the region and today seeks to renew its
influence. (cross-listed with HIST 388).
POLS 401. American Constitutional Law. (4).
An introduction to public law and an analysis of
some of the major contemporary issues of American
constitutionalism, including the place of the
Supreme Court, nation-state relationships, legal
controls on government action, and civil rights
and liberties.
POLS 402. Post-Modernism: Politics and Philosophy Of Art. (4).
Postmodernism explores the relationship between
art, science, and politics in contemporary
philosophy. The course begins with a
consideration of the legacies of Freud,
Nietzsche, and Marx and continues with an
analysis of such authors as Breton, Heidegger,
Benjamin, Cortázar, Borges, Derrida, Foucault,
Heisenberg, and Rorty. Uses film (including
students' own short surrealist films) literature,
and philosophical texts. Open to all students, it
also fulfills the Honors Capstone requirement.
(cross-listed with HNRS 402 and PHIL 402).
POLS 403. Public Administration and Public Policy. (4).
An introduction to modern theories of
administration; the relation of administration to
the political process; and the analysis of
administrative organization and processes
including planning, personnel, finance and law.
POLS 404. Constitutional Law in Criminal Justice. (4).
Emphasizes Supreme Court decisions and
constitutional issues relevant to the Fourth,
Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth amendments.
Students are expected to research and present
cases from the text and other legal sources.
Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of
instructor. (cross-listed with CRIM 404).
POLS 405. Freedom of Communication. (4).
A study of the limits placed on freedom of
expression in the United States. Through
examining leading U.S. court decisions and
relevant statutes, students will learn the broad
principles and legal reasoning underlying First
Amendment jurisprudence, including the legal,
philosophical and political issues entailed in
the rights of free expression. Students will then
examine how these principles have been applied to
the regulation of the various communication
industries including the print media,
broadcasting and cable television. (cross-listed
with COMM 405).
POLS 411. Ethnic Conflict and Civil War. (4).
This course examines discord within multiethnic
societies by analyzing how nationalist, racial,
ethnic and/or religious identities are used to
foster societal conflict such as civil war and
genocide. This course is divided into four parts.
POLS 412. Civil Rights Movement. (4).
Examines the African struggle for equal rights in
the United States. The civil rights movement of
the 1950s and 1960s will be the primary vehicle
directing the flow of the course. Included will
be civil rights struggles by other groups such as
women, Asians and Latinos to illustrate
similarities and influences with the African
American struggle. Tactics and strategies will be
examined for their effectiveness and
ineffectiveness in the realization of goals and
objectives. A final aspect of the course will be
to observe and analyze the impact of the civil
rights movement on the 1990s.
POLS 413. Music and the Civil Rights Movement. (4).
The purpose of this course is to examine the
southern civil rights movement (CRM) from 1954 to
1968. This course integrates discussion and
analysis of the CRM with music. Music was very
important to the Movement because it inspired
both participants and supporters to continue the
struggle until several victories were won.
Emphasis in this course is on matching the music
with a political event, ideology, and/or
individual. This course includes discussion on
the personal involvement in political and social
activities by the singers and performers
themselves. Tactics and strategies of the CRM are
examined and their relationships to music are
explored by relying on music with explicitly
political lyrics and messages as well as those
with lyrics and composition that convey spiritual
and festive elements. (cross-listed with HNRS 413).
POLS 414. Environmental Law and Policy. (4).
A study of the regulatory environment in
California and the U.S. as it applies to
environmental issues, problems and the
environmental industry. Includes a critical
analysis of environmental challenges and the
possible legal and political responses to them.
POLS 415. Model United Nations. (1).
This course is an in depth study and preparation
for California Lutheran University's delegation
to Model United Nations (MUN) meetings. The
issues dealt with at MUN meetings are examined in
this class. The course begins with an overview
and then proceeds into an analysis of the role of
the United Nations in world politics and
international relations. Particular emphasis is
placed on the demographics, politics, and foreign
policies of the countries represented by CLU at
the MUN meetings. Students are, for example,
expected to explore the internal and external
factors that lead to a particular country's
foreign policies.
POLS 416. Social Movements and Politics of Global Change. (4).
Global processes shape both domestic and
transnational political mobilization. Early 21st
century global change has, for example, in some
cases resulted in increased forms of social,
economic, and political inequalities. In response
some effected groups have managed to achieve some
political gains and favorable economic policies
through political mobilization and social
movements. This course examines social movements
and the processes surrounding mobilization of
peoples into social movements for change. This
course explores how the globalization of
economic, social, and political life has affected
social movements.
POLS 418. Women and Politics. (4).
This course is designed to explore the various
ways that women shape and are shaped by political
life at the local, national and global levels.
The course examines specific policies as they
relate to women as both policymakers and subjects
of policy.
POLS 419. Internet and Politics. (4).
The Internet has changed the nature of human
interaction and collaboration in unprecedented
ways. Of particular interest to political
scientists is how these changes have affected the
political process. This course will examine the
ways in which the Internet has changed politics.
We will look at the Internet's effect in the
gathering of public information, the formulation
of public opinion, the structure of campaigns,
political mobilization, policy advocacy and the
generation of citizen input into the political
process.
POLS 422. Caribbean Politics and Culture. (4).
This course looks at the development, culture,
and politics of the Caribbean region. In doing
so, this course examines key characteristics,
such as culture, cultural identity, politics, and
the complex relationship between these entities.
POLS 427. American Political Institutions. (4).
This course uses an American Political
Development approach to examine the evolution of
US political institutions (Congress, the
executive, the courts and political parties.) The
course will examine the design of the American
system in comparative perspective and guide
students through an exploration of how the
current system came to be and how its evolution
shaped and was shaped by political events.
POLS 432. Political Violence and Revolutions. (4).
In this course we analyze the use of
non-traditional warfare throughout history,
including terrorism and guerilla insurgency, to
promote political and social change. Topics
include just war theory, theories of revolution,
and the social and political consequences of
political violence.
POLS 440. Terrorism. (4).
The course focuses on the violence of terrorism
and the strategic uses and justification of
violence in political and religious life. The
course explores the ideology and methods of
terrorism by and against governments. An
examination of legal and extralegal policies
designed to counter terrorism are explored.
Prerequisites: junior standing or permission of
instructor.(cross-listed with CRIM 440).
POLS 443. Government and Politics of Africa. (4).
After a brief description of the major
politically relevant characteristics of Africa
and key events in its colonial history, the
course details the institutional structures and
political processes of the newly independent
African states. An evaluation of the problems of
institutional transformation and political
stabilization is included. (on demand).
POLS 445. Legal Reasoning. (4).
This course is designed for junior and senior
students interested in law school, graduate
school in public policy, or any profession
touched by the law. (cross-listed with CRIM 445).
POLS 461. International Law and Organization. (4).
An examination of the basic principles of
international law and organization, focusing on
political foundations of the law of war and peace
and contemporary problems of the United Nations.
POLS 476. Capstone - Global Leaders and Leadership. (4).
This course will examine and analyze global
political leaders and groups. Political
leadership requires skills that it shares with
leadership in any area of life and those that are
particular to politics. The goal of the course is
to provide an understanding of the role of
political leaders and groups in various political
systems and situations. The relationships between
leadership and democracy will be a primary theme
throughout the course, but world leaders from
various political systems will be studied. We
will also discuss problems and questions that
leaders across political systems have to deal
with. In addition, the course will emphasize
discussion of conflicting theories of effective
leadership.
POLS 477. Cityscapes. (4).
Through art, politics, and philosophy, this
course offers an in-depth study of the cultural
landscape of selected global cities. Along with
texts, films, and music from such centers as
Prague and Mexico city, students develop their
own "cityscape" from a region of their choice
(often based on their off-campus experience) as
their final projects. Open to all students, this
course fulfills the requirement for a honors
seminar and is the capstone for the Global
Studies major. (cross-listed with GLST 477 and
HNRS 477).
POLS 478. The Pacific Rim. (4).
Analyzes the Pacific Ocean as the new center for
world trade and considers the various
possibilities for an emerging trade bloc
formalizing that trade. (cross-listed with
BUS 478).
POLS 481. Law and Society. (4).
An examination of the interactions between the
various components of a society's legal system
(police, courts, prisons, etc.) and the
individuals and groups residing therein, focusing
on problems and proposed solutions.
POLS 482. Selected Topics. (1-4).
POLS 483. Field Work in Political Science. (2-4).
Supervised internships in agencies of national,
state or local governments and political parties,
providing work experience and opportunity for
practical observation. Periodic conferences with
the instructor and supervising official are
required. (on demand).
POLS 485. Experiential Practicum. (1).
The goal of the course is to provide the student
with a vehicle to analyze their experience. To
register for the 1-credit course, students must
have studied abroad or completed a domestic
internship related to the field of Political
Science. Prerequisite: POLS 320; and POLS 102,
POLS 200, POLS 207, POLS 210, or POLS 222.
POLS 490. Independent Study. (1-4).
POLS 492. Internship. (1-4).
(graded P/NC only).
POLS 497. Departmental Honors. (4).
POLS 498. Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. (4).
This course examines the relationship between
contemporary philosophy and contemporary biology
in relation to the major triad of categories
dealing with aesthetics, ethics, and the search
for truth. (cross-listed with HNRS 498).
Professors
Brint | ||
Freeland | ||
Gooch |
Associate professors
Hoang | ||
Marichal |