PROFESSORS

Michael Nelson. 1991. Fulmer Professor of Political Science. B.A., College of William and Mary; M.A. and Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University. (American Presidency; Southern Politics; American politics.)
Marcus D. Pohlmann. 1986. B.A., Cornell College; M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D., Columbia University. (American politics, legal studies; black political thought)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

Daniel E. Cullen. 1988. M.A., Dalhousie University; Ph.D., Boston College. (History of political philosophy; American political thought; contemporary political theory.)
Michael P. Kirby. 1970. Plough Professor of Political Science. B.S., Wisconsin State University; M.A., Northern Illinois University; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Criminal justice; urban policy)
Stephen H. Wirls. 1994. Chair. B.A. Kenyon College; M.A. and Ph. D., Cornell University. (American politics, Congress, American political thought, modern political philosophy.)

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Margaret A. Carne. 2004. B.A. Oberlin College; M.A. and Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley. (American politics, campaigns and elections, parties and interest groups, research methods.)
Arielle C. Goldberg. 2007. B.A. University of Massachusetts, Amherst; M.A. and Ph.D., City University of New York. (American politics, urban politics, public policy.)
Christopher E. Baldwin. 2007. B.A., Kenyon College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Toronto. (Classical political philosophy, American political thought, post-modern political thought.)

PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR

Ashley B. Coffield. B.A. Rhodes College; M.P.A., Texas A&M. (Public administration; public policy.)

STAFF

Jean E. Minmier. Departmental Assistant. All political science majors must take 151. (Advanced Placement credit in Political Science will count as four credits toward the major but will not substitute for 151.)

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

A total of forth-eight (48) credits as follows:

1. Political Science 151
2. Political Science 270
3. Political Science 485
4. One course of the following courses in political thought and philosophy: 212, 214, 216, 218, 310, 314, Humanities 201 (Politics Track).
5. History 233
6. International Studies 100 or International Studies 200
7. Six additional courses (24 credits) in Political Science, two of which must be at the 300 level and one of which may be Political Science 460: Public Affairs Internship.

HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Honors work in Political Science affords an opportunity for Political Science majors to investigate topics of their own choosing. In the process, they will be expanding and honing their research and writing skills, which is excellent preparation for graduate and professional degree work. Majors pursuing honors will devote a substantial portion of their last two semesters at Rhodes to their projects (honors work normally earns twelve credits across two semesters). To be eligible, a student must have completed 28 credits of course work in the major and have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the college and in Political Science courses. All honors proposals must be approved by the department.

COURSE OFFERINGS

151. United States Politics.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F2 (some sections), F8.
An examination of the U.S. political system. What is the foundation of government in the United States? What are its purposes? How is the constitution of government designed to achieve those purposes? Major topics and controversies include the nature of politics, individual liberty and constitutionalism, the federal structure of government, political ideologies, public opinion, elections and political parties, interests groups, representation, Congress, the Presidency, the Judiciary, public policy, civil rights and liberties. Some sections may be open only to first year students, and all sections are open to seniors only by permission of department.

200. Urban Politics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A critical introduction to urban America’s fiscal and racial problems, formal and informal political processes, power structures, and alternative futures.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

205. Introduction to Public Policy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An analysis of the processes and politics of making and implementing public policies. Topics may include: taxing and spending, energy, transportation, environmental protection, agriculture, equality, health, consumer protection, education, business, labor and welfare.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151.

211. Politics and Literature.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An exploration of perennial issues of politics as they are treated in literature and drama. Authors studied may include: ancient Greek dramatists, Shakespeare, Defoe, Swift, Cooper, Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, Stendhal, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Conrad, Golding, Malraux.

212. American Political Thought and Statesmanship.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A survey of the ideas and controversies in American political thought and development from the Puritans to the present. Topics may include: the philosophical origins of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, selfishness and morality, federalism, the democratization of politics, equality and slavery, laissez-faire capitalism and the welfare state, the civil rights movement, and the redefinitions of freedom and equality by, for example, the new left and feminism.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

214. Modern Ideologies.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A selected survey and analysis of ideas and systems of thought that have shaped the modern world. Topics include the evolution of liberalism and conservatism, the origins and development of communism, contemporary controversies over justice and economic distribution, morality and law, and feminism.

216. Introduction to the Philosophy of Law.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A selective survey of perennial issues in the theory and practice of law. Standard topics include: philosophical assumptions of criminal liability and moral responsibility; excusing crime; the purpose of punishment; the relation of reason and passion in the concept of provocation; the insanity defense; the intersection of race, gender and the law; legal ethics; discretion and the rule of law.

218. Justice, Equality, and Liberty.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4
An introduction to the overlapping issues of politics, philosophy and economics, this course examines rival conceptions of justice and the ways in which those views are modified by commitments to equality and liberty. Particular topics include: the character of freedom and its relationship to responsibility; what human beings owe to one another; the causes and consequences of wealth and poverty; the case for and against egalitarianism; the nature of right and duties; and whether or not justice requires redistribution of wealth.

230. Black Political Thought.
Spring. Credits: 4.
A critical analysis of a variety of political goals, strategies, and tactics espoused in the 20th century. Views of Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X are among those normally considered.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

241. Parties and Interest Groups in American Politics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
This course explores what political parties and organized interests are capable of doing in a democracy, what they actually do in American politics, and what a variety of reformers and others would have them do differently. Specific topics include: American party development, partisanship in the electorate, party organization, and the role of parties and interest groups in elections and policy making.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

245. Southern Politics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4
An examination of politics in the American South, with special attention to political parties and elections. Politics at the state level is considered, along with the place of the South in the national political arena.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

255. Criminal Justice.
Spring. Credits: 4.
The study of criminal justice in urban areas, practices and purposes of enforcement agencies and courts, arrest, preliminary hearing, bail, jury, prosecution, trials, plea bargaining, sentencing, corrections, and probation. Justice in theory and practice.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

270. Research Methods.
Fall or Spring Credits: 4.
An examination of the various research methods used in the study of American politics. Focus will be on quantitative methods of inquiry, but qualitative research techniques will also be studied.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151.

280. Topics in American Politics and Institutions.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An examination of some aspect of American politics and institutions of government. Topics might include: the judiciary, state and local government, intergovernmental relations, American political development, the legislative process, campaign finance. Prerequisite: 151 or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

282: Topics in Urban Politics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

284: Topics in Public Policy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

286: Topics in Political Thought and Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Prerequisite: Political Science 212 or 214 or permission of the instructor.

288: Topics in Public Law.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151 or permission of the instructor.

301. Constitutional Law and Politics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An examination of the federal judicial process and American constitutional principles. Constitutional topics include the free speech, church-state relations, abortion, euthanasia, and rights of the accused.
Prerequisites: Political Science 151 and one 200 level course.

307. Topics in Public Law.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An examination of some aspect of law and the judicial branch. Topics might include: the 1st Amendment, the 14th Amendment, state and local law, legal reform, and administrative law.
Prerequisites: Political Science 151 and one 200 level course.

311. Classical Political Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A consideration of fundamental questions of political philosophy will be explored through careful examination of selected writings of Plato, Aristotle, and others. What is the human good? What is justice? How is politics related to human nature or, what does it mean to be a “political animal”? Are the good person and good citizen identical?
Prerequisite: One 200 level course.

314. Modern Political Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An examination of the radical critiques in Western political thought from Machiavelli to Nietzsche. Specific topics include the contest between selfishness and morality in political life, the natural rights of individuals, the social contract basis of legitimacy, private property, equality and inequality, the place of reason and of faith in human affairs and happiness.
Prerequisite: One 200 level course.

316. Urban Policy.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Problems and processes of policy formation in the urban system; discussion of substantive policy areas such as housing and community development.
Prerequisite: Political Science 151.

320. Urban Programs.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Examination of programs and policies that address urban problems; with an opportunity to explore the inner workings and outcomes of effective programs that have social, environmental, and downtown emphases.
Prerequisite: Political Science 270 and one additional 200 level course.

330. Campaigns and Elections.
Fall. Credits: 4.
This course examines election dynamics in contemporary American politics from the perspectives of both political scientists and practitioners. Specific questions addressed include: Why do candidates, voters, and others think and act as they do? How do the rules of electoral politics influence their behavior? Who wins elections and why? What difference—if any—do campaigns actually make in election outcomes? Finally, how might we use this knowledge to improve campaigns and elections?
Prerequisite: Political Science 270 and one additional 200 level course.

340. The American Presidency.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An exploration of the constitutional, historical and political aspects of the presidency. Specific topics include the selection of the President, presidential leadership, personality, relations with Congress and the Supreme Court, and the Vice Presidency.
Prerequisite: Political Science 270 and one additional 200 level course.

360. Congress and the Political Process.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
The United States Congress is a rarity among representative assemblies in the rest of the world; it actually legislates, and individual members of the House and the Senate can directly affect legislation and policy. Why then is it also the least respected branch of our national government? Is it failing to do its job well? This entire course explores this question. Specific topics include: representation; the rich practical thought behind the framers’ original design for a legislature; the evolution of House and Senate; elections and incumbency; campaign finance and interest groups; the internal organization of House and Senate; the struggle for power between president and Congress.
Prerequisite: Political Science 270 and one additional 200 level course.

401. Seminar in American Politics and Institutions.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An investigation of an important subject area within the discipline of political science. Topics might include constitutional controversies, the legislative process, political behavior, campaign design and strategy.
Prerequisite: One 300 level course.

411. Seminar in Contemporary Political Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An advanced seminar devoted to controversies or recent developments in contemporary political philosophy. Topics may include: theories of freedom, justice, rights, egalitarianism, multiculturalism, communitarianism, and religion.
Prerequisite: One 300 level course.

460. Public Affairs Internship.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F11.
A directed internship with a selected legal, governmental or community agency. The course integrates traditional academic work in Political Science with practical internship experiences. All internships are assigned through the Department of Political Science Internship Director. The course can be taken only once for credit.
Prerequisites: Political Science 270, one additional 200-level course and consent of the instructor.

485. Senior Seminar in Political Science.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
An advanced investigation of critical political problems and/or contemporary perspectives on American democracy.

495-496. Honors Tutorial.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-8.
An advanced tutorial, individually tailored to each honor student. It involves the preparation of a major independent research project.