Political Science

(†) indicates Institute of Law and Public Affairs courses.

PS 101 Introduction to Politics (back to previous page)
A basic course introducing students to the discipline of political science and its subjects: Political theory, law, national government, international relations, comparative government, and political economy. 3 credit hours.

PS 121 American Government and Politics (back to previous page)
A basic study of the American political system. Constitutional foundations, the political culture, Congress, the Presidency, the judicial system, political parties, interest groups, news media, individual liberties, federalism, the policy-making process. 3 credit hours.

PS 122 State and Local Government and Politics (back to previous page)
Problems of cities, revenue sharing, community power structures, welfare, public safety, the state political party, big-city political machines, interest groups, state legislatures, the governor, the mayor, courts, and judicial reform. 3 credit hours.

PS 203 American Political Thought (back to previous page)
Pre-Revolutionary and Revolu-tionary political thought; classical conservatism, liberalism, Jacksonian democracy, civil disobedience, social Darwinism, progressive individualism, and pluralism. 3 credit hours.

PS 205 The Politics of the Black Movement in America (back to previous page)
The political development of the Black Movement in America emphasizing ideological, legal, and cultural perspectives. 3 credit hours.

PS 216 Urban Government and Politics (back to previous page)
A study of the urban political process. Structures and organizations of urban governments, decision making, public policy, the “urban crisis,” crime and law enforcement, party politics and elections, taxation and spending patterns, environmental problems, management of urban development. 3 credit hours.

PS 222 United States Foreign Policy (back to previous page)
An examination of the global foreign policy of the United States and of the process of policy making involving governmental and non-governmental actors. A review of the political, economic, military, and cultural tracks of policy. 3 credit hours.

†PS 224 Public Attitudes and Public Policy (back to previous page)
A study of the sources of mass political attitudes and behavior and their effect upon public policy. The course will examine the techniques for influencing opinion, including propaganda and mass media communications. 3 credit hours.

†PS 228 Public Interest Groups (back to previous page)
Examination of group institutions of the American political culture. Emphasis on the legal nature, purpose, and function of each operational organization in the political process. 3 credit hours.

†PS 229 Legal Communications (back to previous page)
Familiarization with the kinds of legal documents and written instruments employed by participants in the legal process. Recognization and understanding of the purpose of writs, complaints, briefs, memoranda, contracts, wills, and motions. 3 credit hours.

†PS 230 Anglo-American Jurisprudence (back to previous page)
Surveys ideas about the nature of law. Legal philosophers examined include Plato, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Austin, William Blackstone, Benjamin Cardozo, L.A. Hart, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The contribution to legal theory made by various schools of jurisprudence (e.g., positivism, legal realism). 3 credit hours.

†PS 231 Judicial Behavior (back to previous page)
Examination of the American court system as a political policy-making body. Topics considered include: The structure of the judicial system, the influence of sociological and psychological factors on judicial behavior, and the nature and impact of the judicial decision-making process. 3 credit hours.

PS 232 The Politics of the First Amendment (back to previous page)
Preferred preparation in American Government. Examination of the political implications of the First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, and religion; Supreme Court adaptation of the First Amendment to changing political and social conditions. 3 credit hours.

PS 241 International Relations (back to previous page)
Forces and structures operating in the modern nation-state system, the foreign policy process, decision-making process, the impact of decolonization on traditional interstate behavior, economic and political developments since World War II. 3 credit hours.

PS 243 International Law and Organization (back to previous page)
Preferred preparation in American Government or International Relations. Traditional and modern approaches to international law and organization; major emphasis on the contribution of law and organization to the establishment of a world of law and world peace. The League of Nations system and the United Nations system are analyzed. 3 credit hours.

PS 261 Modern Political Analysis (back to previous page)
Introduction to political analysis, including quantitative and qualitative techniques, systems and data analyses, role and group theory, simulations and projections using computerized models. 3 credit hours.

PS 281 Comparative Political Systems: Asia (back to previous page)
Traditional and modern political and social structures of China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian states, including the function of the political system within each country. 3 credit hours.

PS 282 Comparative Political Systems: Europe (back to previous page)
Political characteristics of modern European states. Emphasis on political, social, and economic institutions and structures. Special attention to European integration and the European Union; changes in Eastern Europe and the former USSR. 3 credit hours.

PS 283 Comparative Political Systems: Latin America (back to previous page)
Political modernization, development in Latin America, political institutions, national identity, leadership, integration, political socialization, and political ideologies. 3 credit hours.

PS 285 Comparative Political Systems: Middle East (back to previous page)
Analysis of the Arab and non-Arab states in the region with particular attention to the political systems, violence, and the problems of tradition vs. modernity. 3 credit hours.

PS 304 Political Parties (back to previous page)
Preferred preparation in American or State and Local Government. Voting and electoral behavior, nominations and campaign strategy, pressure groups, political party structure and functions of the party system in the American political community. 3 credit hours.

PS 308 Legislative Process (back to previous page)
Preferred preparation in American or State and Local Government. Legislative process in the American political system; legislative functions; selection and recruitment of candidates; legislative leadership, the committee system; lobbyists, decision-making; legislative norms, folkways, and legislative executive relations. 3 credit hours.

PS 309 The American Presidency (back to previous page)
The role of the President as commander-in-chief, legislative leader, party leader, administrator, manager of the economy, director of foreign policy, and advocate of social justice; nature of presidential decision making, authority, power, influence, and personality. 3 credit hours.

PS 331 Theory and the Supreme Court (back to previous page)
An examination of the ways in which the Supreme Court exercises judicial review with particular emphasis on the various theories of review as they have evolved from John Marshall to the present. 3 credit hours.

PS 332 Constitutional Law (back to previous page)
Preferred preparation in American Government. Principles and concepts of the United States Constitution as revealed in leading decisions of the Supreme Court and the process of judicial review. 3 credit hours.

†PS 340 Campaign Management: Procedures and Operations (back to previous page)
A study of the procedures and operations of the contemporary political campaign, including issue development, voter registration, canvassing, media usage, fund raising, scheduling, campaign data, etc. 3 credit hours.

†PS 341 Campaign Management: Structure and Organization (back to previous page)
Exploration of the structure, organization, and management of the campaign operation and the handling, roles, and tasks of the campaign personnel. 3 credit hours.

†PS 344 Campaign Management: Survey Research, Polling, and Computers (back to previous page)
A study of the uses and interpretation of survey research, polling projects, and computer techniques and their application to political campaigns. 3 credit hours.

†PS 346 Campaign Management: Financing and Election Laws (back to previous page)
Exploration of the methods used to finance a political campaign; the nature of campaign costs; the role of political action committees; the effects of campaign finance laws; and the technical aspects and political implications of election laws at the federal, state, and local levels. 3 credit hours.

PS 350 Public Policy: U.S. National Security (back to previous page)
The development and operation of U.S. military and national security policy from George Washington to the present with major emphasis on the 20th century and post-World War II. 3 credit hours.

PS 355 Terrorism (back to previous page)
Examination of the modern application of terrorism in international affairs, paying special attention to ideological and infrastructure determinants. 3 credit hours.

PS 390 Political Modernization (back to previous page)
Comparative analysis of political change and development. Political transition, political integration and nation building; institutional developments; political parties; military elites; youth; intellectuals; the bureaucracy; economic development; and political culture. 3 credit hours.

†PS 415 Internship in Legal and Public Affairs (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor is required. Students will have the opportunity to work as paraprofessionals in legislatures, government agencies, and party organizations and to share their experiences with other interns in legal and public affairs. 3 credit hours.

†PS 450 Campaign Management: Internship (back to previous page)
Actual work experience in campaign management. 3 credit hours.

PS 461 Political Theory: Ancient and Medieval (back to previous page)
Foundations of Western political thought from the Greek, Roman and medieval experiences as it applies to the total discipline of political science. 3 credit hours.

PS 462 Political Theory: Modern and Contemporary (back to previous page)
A continuation of the study of political thought from the High Middle Ages to contemporary theorists. 3 credit hours.

PS 494-498 Special Topics in Political Science (back to previous page)
Special studies on a variety of current problems and specialized areas in the field not available in the regular curriculum. 3 credit hours per course.

PS 499-500 Senior Seminar in Political Science I and II (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Permission of department chair. Capstone course in which students use the tools of their discipline to examine a selected problem. May be conducted as a proseminar. Required of all political science majors. 3 credit hours per term.

PS 599 Independent Study (back to previous page)
Directed research on special topics to be selected in consultation with the department chair and a sponsoring faculty member. 3 credit hours.

Political Science - Graduate Courses

PS 601 Constitutional Law (back to previous page)
A study of the judicial process and its relation to the Constitution and the political system in the United States. Examines the role of the Supreme Court in shaping judicial review, federalism, civil rights and liberties, equal protection and due process.

PS 602 Civil Liberties and Rights (back to previous page)
An analysis of civil liberties, civil rights, due process and equal protection of the law. An examination of the role of the public official in the protection, denial or abridgment of the constitutional and legal rights of individuals.

PS 603 International Law (back to previous page)
A study of the role of international law in the modern state system with particular reference to individuals; territorial jurisdiction; law of the sea, air and space; and the development of law through international organizations.

PS 604 Human Rights and the Law (back to previous page)
An examination of the development of the international and national laws establishing human rights, the laws of war, war/criminality, crimes against humanity and the application of the universal declaration of human rights, of the Helsinki Accords, and of the concept of the individual as the basis of law.

PS 605 Criminal Law (back to previous page)
Scope, purpose, definition and classification of criminal law. Offense against the person; habitation and occupancy offenses against property and other offenses. Special defenses. Emphasis on the Connecticut penal code.

PS 606 Advanced International Relations (back to previous page)
Basic elements of International life relevant to the growth of a stable and peaceful global political-economic system. Includes power, diplomacy, law, trade, aid, monetary affairs, multinational corporations and differing geographical and cultural characteristics.

PS 608 The Legislative Process (back to previous page)
An analysis of the legislative process in the American political system. Stress on legislative politics in state and local government. Includes: legislative functions, selection and recruitment of legislative candidates, legislative role orientations, the legislative socialization process, the committee system, the legislators and their constituencies, legislative lobbyists, legislative decision making, legislative-executive relations and legislative organization and procedures.

PS 610 Legal Methods I (back to previous page)
A study of procedure and process of the law as it applies in the American system and an introduction to legal research and writing.

PS 612 Contracts, Torts and the Practice of Law (back to previous page)
An introduction to the most important components of private law-contracts, torts and civil procedure and their application to business, government and individuals.

PS 615 Jurisprudence (back to previous page)
The general philosophical framework for the law. Includes the background and development of the common law, sources of the law and the court system. Special problems in Anglo-American jurisprudence are reviewed.

PS 616 Urban Government (back to previous page)
An examination of the urban political system. Stress on the political aspects of urban government structures. Includes formal and informal decision making in urban government, community power structures, types of urban government structures, the politics of intergovernmental relations and the politics of servicing the urban environment (social services, planning agencies, education, housing, transportation, health, pollution control and ecology, revenue sharing, public safety, neighborhood corporations, etc)

PS 617 Law, Science and Ethics (back to previous page)
The intersection of law, science and ethics in a variety of contexts, including experimentation with human subjects, psychosurgery, genetic engineering, organ transplants, abortion and the right to die.

PS 625 Transnational Legal Structures (back to previous page)
An introduction to the basic structure of legal systems in other countries, their relationship to Anglo-American law and their contextual development. Special topics include: legal status of foreign and multinational corporations, rights and responsibilities of aliens, protections for investors, expropriation and procedural due process.

PS 626 Decision Making in the Political Process (back to previous page)
An in-depth study of decision making in the American system with special emphasis on the various types of mechanisms: executive, legislative, judicial, bureaucratic, organizational and military. The influence of intelligence, economic and psychological factors and social pressure on decisions and decision makers will be examined.

PS 628 Change and Government (back to previous page)
A study of the major processes of change and their consequences for the functioning of government. Concentrates on changes that may occur through violence, evolution or technology and which may alter the effective operation of government.

PS 633 The Political Process and the Aged (back to previous page)
A study of the political process as it relates to the aged. Governmental decision making on federal, state and local levels including legislation and its implications.

PS 635 Law and Public Health (back to previous page)
A course for the civil servant or health professional concerned with the laws relating to the public health at the federal, state and local level as well as the practical administration of those laws.

PS 640 Law and Education (back to previous page)
An examination of the legal and educational issues arising from factors such as EEO, students' rights, student financing and the relationships between schools and government.

PS 641 The Politics of the World Economy (back to previous page)
An examination of the global politico-economic system and the challenges facing world diplomacy. Multinational corporations and political structures designed to coordinate global policies for the monetary and trade systems, international organizations and their impact on Third World development and problems facing industrialized nations.

PS 645 Government and the Industrial Sector (back to previous page)
The various impacts of government regulation on the corporate sector and the major legal and regulatory requirements affecting business and industry.

PS 655 Conflict Resolution (back to previous page)
Essential features and methods available within the legal system to resolve disputes, including the uses of law, equity, administrative agencies, bureaucracies, arbitration, mediation, special commissions and private self-help. Applicability of those methods to various types of disputes and the choice of law in instances when no single rule may govern in a federal system.

PS 670 Selected Topics (back to previous page)
A study of items of special interest may include First Amendment problems, energy and the law, law and the environment, labor legislation and the law, law and commercial paper and stock issues. May be taken more than once.

PS 695 Independent Study I (back to previous page)
A planned program of individual study under the supervision of a member of the faculty.

PS 696 Independent Study II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Independent Study I.