Introductory Courses

This course offers an overview of the United States political system and the role of the people in a democracy. Students will learn about the constitutional framework, formal and informal political institutions, and the evolving conception of individual freedom and civil rights. Research and theory from political science will illuminate patterns and principles underlying prominent social problems and political dynamics in the United States.

What is Justice? What is Freedom? What are the goals and institutions of diverse political communities? This course will wrestle with these questions while comparing political philosophies including: democratic theory, liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, socialism, and fascism. Students will learn about the history of political thought and how it relates to globally relevant contemporary issues.

Why do international events unfold in certain ways? Why is power a driver of political interactions? How do global affairs shape our lives? These are among the questions examined through learning key concepts, theories, and discourses within global politics and policies. Students will develop a global consciousness in understanding how societies do or don’t function, cooperate, conflict, evolve, and endure over time.

Learning to conduct research from a disciplinary perspective is key to mastering the discipline. Course introduces students to theoretical and methodological components necessary to conduct academic research. Students explore a variety of research methods, learning their strengths and limitations, critique existing research, and practice skills essential to conducting valid and reliable research in political science. 

Historical study of political systems from the French Revolution to World War II. (Salzburg only.)

Credit arranged.

Collegiate mock trial competitions. Students are instructed in the how and why of case preparation as an advocate for either side; role playing as witnesses and trial attorney; understanding and using the rules of evidence; actual trial advocacy; research and delivering arguments.