POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSE LISTING

Providence College students: Please consult your Registration Booklet or CyberFriar, for information on next semester's course offerings. This is the complete catalog listing of Political Science Department course offerings, and some courses listed may be offered during alternate semesters.

INTRODUCTORY SEQUENCE

PSC 101: Politics
(Social Science Core)
This course introduces the study of politics and the discipline of political science. It defines basic concepts used in the discipline and provides an introduction to major ideologies. The pedagogy of the course stresses the development of learning-related skills including: academic writing, oral presentations, research in scholarly sources, and discipline-related information technology. (Affigne, Battistoni, Bellhouse, Blum, Cammarano, Cesarini, Hudson, McCarthy, Romans, Trudeau)

PSC 102: Empirical Political Analysis
(Social Science Core)
A survey of analytic approaches and methods used in empirical political science, with substantive illustrations and applications. (Cammarano, Carlson, Hyde)

FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

PSC 201: American Government and Politics
(Social Science Core)
An analysis of American political institutions, politics, and political behavior. The interrelated nature of public opinion, pressure groups, political parties, the decisionmaking structures, and public policy are surveyed. Fulfills the American Politics field requirement. (Cammarano, Carlson, Hudson, Hyde, Romans, Trudeau)

PSC 204: Political Theory
An examination of some of the basic concepts and problems in political theory, such as justice, power, virtue, equality, freedom, obligation, identity and difference, resistance, and the nature of the self and its relation to the political. Fulfills the Political Theory field requirement. (Battistoni, Bellhouse)

PSC 205: Comparative Politics
An introduction to several techniques and approaches used in cross-national comparative analysis. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics field requirement. (McCarthy, Cesarini, Trudeau)

PSC 207: International Relations
A study of the basic factors in international relations of the Western and non-Western state systems, the distribution of power, the balance of power, of nationalism, and the adjustment of inter-state conflict through law, diplomacy, and war. Fulfills the International Relations field requirement. (Blum, Ben-Artzi)

PSC 211: Public Administration
An introduction to the structure, operation, and politics of American public administration. The course focuses on the federal bureaucracy with comparisons to state and local administration where appropriate. Special attention is given to administrative theories, problems in intergovernmental relations, organizational reform, and the budgetary process. Fulfills the American Politics field requirement. (Cammarano)

PSC 217: Environmental Politics
Survey of contemporary political ecology. Subjects include ecological crises and global political responses; the history of the environmental movement; the dynamics of public and private interest in environmental policy-making; the emergence of Green parties in Europe, the United States, Oceania, Africa, Asia and Latin America; and the diversity of underlying philosophies which guide environmental politics. (Affigne)

ADVANCED STUDY IN AMERICAN POLITICS

PSC 300: Law and Society
This course deals with the American legal system from a behavioral perspective. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the behavior of the major actors in the legal system: attorneys, judges, police, and press. Some attention will be given to schools of jurisprudence and criminal justice policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Carlson)

PSC 303: Urban Politics in the U.S.
This is a survey course in urban politics. Students will be introduced to the political processes of urban and metropolitan areas in the United States. Topics include political organization, administration, and evaluation of urban public policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. Same as BLS 303. (Affigne)

PSC 305: Legislative Process
An analysis of the dynamics of the United States Congress. Included will be a consideration of the constituency relationship, internal procedures, and the congressional role in the policy process. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Romans)

PSC 306: The American Presidency
An analysis of the contemporary presidency and its relationship to the American political system. Presidential power and roles are examined in terms of constitutional, institutional, personal, and contextual factors. Attention is given as well to evaluations and interpretations of the office, to presidential elections, and to the nature of presidential activity in domestic and foreign policy-making. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Cammarano)

PSC 310: American Foreign Policy
The larger foreign policy problems confronting the United States today, considered in the light of American values, historic patterns, and the current world situation. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Cammarano)

PSC 311: American Constitutional Law
An introduction to the American legal system and the development and evolution of the United States Constitution through judicial interpretation. Emphasis will be placed on courts as political institutions directly involved in the development of public policy. Areas covered include judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, and economic policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Romans)

PSC 312: Civil Liberties
A survey of the rights of the individual in the American political system as they have evolved and been defined by the judiciary. Particular emphasis will be placed on freedom of thought and communication, criminal procedure, and the quest for equality. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Romans)

PSC 315: Elections and Electoral Behavior
This course is concerned with the behavior of the American electorate. It examines in detail the factors that contribute to individual voting behavior and the outcomes of elections. Special attention is given to electoral change. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Carlson)

PSC 316: Political Parties and Interest Groups
A consideration of the two primary forms of political organization in the United States. The emphasis will be on understanding the formation and organization of parties and interest groups and their activities related to decision making in government. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Hyde)

PSC 317: Comparative State Politics
An introduction to state government and politics in the United States will be compared, individually and in groups, along such dimensions as electoral participation, executive leadership, legislative activity, and policy outputs. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Hyde)

PSC 318: American Public Policy
An introduction to the analysis of American public policies. This course describes current public policy in a number of domestic policy areas. Emphasis is placed on examining alternative explanatory models for a more intelligent understanding of public policy. In addition, the roles of public administrators in the formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation of public policies are discussed. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Hudson)

PSC 319: Political Attitudes and Public Opinion
An analysis of the sources and distribution of public opinion in the United States. Attention will be given to relationships between social background, personality characteristics, and opinions on political issues. Additionally, linkages between public opinion and public policy will be considered. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Carlson)

PSC 320: Comparative Asian Government and Politics
This course utilizes a comparative approach to examine the political systems of China, Japan, the Koreas, and Indonesia. Special attention will be given to the impact of culture on politics and the political institutions. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. (McCarthy)

PSC 321: Chinese Politics
A consideration of the sources, evolution, and impact of Chinese Communist thought in terms of the domestic circumstances and international involvement of China. Dominant themes in Mao Tse-tung’s thought as well as some persistent problems in political theory will be examined. Post-Mao reform will also be discussed. (McCarthy)

PSC 324: Government and Politics of Russia and the Former Soviet Union
An analysis of the political systems of Russia and other nations of the former Soviet Union, with emphasis on historical continuity and change, ideology, the authoritarian model, functionalism, modernization, and policy decision-making processes. (Blum)

PSC 325: Comparative Revolutions
This course will survey concepts and theories of revolution. Generalizations derived from studies of the great Western revolutions in England, France, and Russia will be re-examined in the light of recent experiences in China, Vietnam, Cuba, or Iran. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. (McCarthy, Trudeau)

PSC 329: Middle Eastern Politics
This is an advanced course primarily for seniors. In addition to the contemporary political relevance of Islamic movements and secularist Middle Eastern ideologies and political parties, the course covers political developments in Iran, Turkey, and Egypt in greater depth. Iran is an example of political development in a state of abundance of oil revenues. The experiences of Turkey illustrate the problems associated with a democratic route to political development in the Middle East. And, Egypt’s experiences under Sadat illustrate the difficulties of economic liberation in a statist political economy. Fulfills Comparative Government and Politics requirement. (Ben-Artzi)

PSC 333: European Politics
A comparative analysis of selected European political systems. Emphasized are: patterns of development as they relate to cultural, constitutional, and institutional characteristics; social structure, public opinion, and political parties; and current problems, policies, and prospects. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. (Cesarini)

PSC 334: African Politics
A comparative analysis of selected African political systems with attention to the following problems: nationalism, national integration, economic dependency and development, political development and political decay, single-party states, and civil-military relations. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. Same as BLS 334.

PSC 336: Latin American Politics
The study of government and politics in the context of development and underdevelopment in Latin America, including an analysis of international actors, especially the role of the United States policy in the region. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. (Cleary, Trudeau)

PSC 341: Classical Political Theory
A study of ancient Greek, medieval Christian, and early modern political theory, with emphasis on Plato’s Republic. Fulfills the Political Theory requirement. (Bellhouse)

PSC 342: Modern Political Theory
A study of modern political theory, with emphasis on Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. Fulfills the Political Theory requirement. (Bellhouse)

PSC 343: Contemporary Political Theory
A study of some of the leading political theorists of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Marx, Nietzsche, Foucault, and recent feminists. Emphasis may vary. (Bellhouse)

PSC 344: Ancients and Moderns
This course will examine how the ancient Greeks first posed certain problems of political theory and then compares the ancient treatment with that of some modern and/or contemporary theorists who deal with the same questions. Emphasis may vary. Fulfills the Political Theory requirement. (Battistoni)

PSC 348: American Political Theory
A study of the development of American political thought: the Colonial period, the Revolution, the evolution of the Constitution, Jeffersonian democracy, the slavery controversy, the nature of the Union, and political currents since the Civil War. Fulfills the Political Theory requirement. (Romans)

PSC 361: International Politics of the Middle East
This course covers the origins and development of contemporary international conflicts in the Middle East including inter-Arab conflicts, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Persian-Arab conflict, conflict in the Persian Gulf, and super powers rivalry. Fulfills International Relations requirement. (Ben-Artzi)

PSC 369: International Law and Organization
This course deals with the major procedural and substantive aspects of international law in the past and the present, emphasizing the interaction between law and politics, and the impact of the Third World on international law. Fulfills the International Relations requirement.

PSC 380: Gender and Politics
A study of the political significance of the treatment, roles, and status of women, with emphasis on the United States. Examination of the meaning of gender, sexism, and feminism. Same as WMS 380. (Cammarano, Bellhouse)

PSC 382: Politics and Culture
An examination of the relationship between politics and the arts. Emphasis may vary between literature and visual art, and between high culture and popular culture. (Bellhouse)

APPLIED ANALYSIS

PSC 416: Race and Politics in the Americas
This course studies the racial dimension of political power in the Americas, with the emphasis on the United States, and studies how political institutions are structured by, and in turn help structure, the racial dynamic. Fulfills the American Politics or the Comparative Government and Politics requirement. Same as BLS 416. (Affigne)

PSC 418: Comparative Public Policy
A comparison of public policies in industrialized nations. Various explanations of why the mix of public policies varies across polities will be examined. (Affigne)

PSC 419: Public Program Evaluation
Program evaluation derives from the idea that government and other social programs should have demonstrable results. Students become acquainted with the conceptual issues and primary methods (qualitative and quantitative) for conducting research to evaluate such programs. All students will participate in an evaluation of a public or private non-profit program as part of course requirements. (Hyde)

PSC 425: Mass Media and Politics
This course deals with the influence of mass media on politics. The political content of entertainment and news programming in both electronic and print media will be analyzed. Attention will be given to determinants of olitical messages in mass media and the consequences of those messages for political behavior. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. (Carlson)

PSC 430: International Political Economy
This course covers the evolution of the post-World War II economic order, the problems of interdependence between the developed capitalist countries, the problems of the dependence of the Third World on the developed countries, East-West economic relations, and the prospects for the emergence of a new international economic order. Fulfills International Relations requirement. (Ben-Artzi)

SPECIAL THEMES

PSC 450: Political Science Internship
Offers credit to students participating in internships in government, political, and nonprofit public service organizations. Specific academic assignments are included as designated by the instructor. (Hyde)

PSC 461: Tutorial
An intensive reading course on a topic to be arranged by a student and a supervising faculty member. It is expected that there will be regular meetings of the course during the semester. There will normally be a major paper assignment as a frame for the readings. For juniors and seniors only. Permission of the chair required. Students may count this course only once towards their major or minor requirements.

PSC 470: Special Topics in Political Science
Analysis of special topics of contemporary interest to political science students and faculty. This course permits offering courses on special topics at the discretion of the political science chair. Topics may involve experimentation with new course ideas or permit faculty to bring current research ideas to the classroom. Exact content varies. (Affigne, Bellhouse, Cesarini, Cleary, Hudson, McCarthy, Trudeau)

SEMINARS

PSC 480: Seminar on Political Philosophy and Theory
Open, with the consent of the instructor, to juniors and seniors. (Bellhouse)

PSC 481: Seminar on Comparative Politics
Open, with the consent of the instructor, to juniors and seniors. (Affigne, Cesarini, McCarthy)

PSC 482: Seminar on International Security
A study of the ends and means of security for states in the modern world system. Topics include nuclear and conventional deterrence, arms control, conflict management, bargaining, and war termination. Fulfills the International Relations requirement. (Blum)

PSC 483: Seminar on Scope, Methods, and Research in Political Science
Open, with the consent of the instructor, to juniors and seniors. (Affigne, Carlson, Hyde)

PSC 484: Seminar on Latin America
Open, with the consent of the instructor, to juniors and seniors. (Cleary)

PSC 485: Seminar on American Politics
Open, with the consent of the instructor, to juniors and seniors. (Affigne, Cammarano, Carlson)

PSC 488-89: Capstone Seminar in Political Science
The subject of the capstone seminar will vary depending upon the faculty member who teaches the course, but the focus will be narrow and emphasize the study of some aspect of the discipline in depth. Every seminar will emphasize the interconnectedness between subfields of political science and other disciplines. Students will critically review various concepts, theories, approaches and methodologies of the discipline and other disciplines and will employ a particular methodology to research and write a substantial research paper. The paper will involve original research or a critical review of the literature and will be presented orally to the members of the seminar upon completion. Prerequisite: Completion of seven political science courses. (Affigne, Battistoni, Bellhouse, Ben-Artzi, Blum, Cesarini, Cammarano, Carlson, Hudson, Hyde, McCarthy, Trudeau)

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS

PSC 490: Independent Study
An opportunity for students to propose an original research project or community service activity, to be supervised by a faculty member. Appropriate readings will be assigned in order to integrate the independent activity with the discipline. There will normally be a major paper assignment as a frame for the research or other activity. For juniors and seniors only. Permission of the chair required. Students may count this course only once towards their major or minor requirements. (Affigne, Battistoni, Bellhouse, Cammarano, Carlson, Hyde, Trudeau)

PSC 498-499: Honors Thesis
Two semesters of directed research and the submission of the results in written form to the department. Seniors only, departmental approval required. (Ben-Artzi, Battistoni, Carlson, Cesarini, Hudson, Hyde, McCarthy, Trudeau)