Political Science

PS 101S Introduction to Political Science (4-0) 4
An introduction to the study of politics; an examination of the relationship of society and government; and a study of the nature of the state, of the forms of rule evolved from the past, and of contemporary political systems. Fall and winter terms.

PS 110S U.S. National Government (4-0) 4
A study of the policies, procedures, politics, and problems of the U.S. national government. Fall and winter terms.

PS 120S State and Local Government (4-0) 4
A study of the history, nature, organization, and operation of state and local government in the United States. Fall and winter terms.

PS 140 Introduction to Law and Legal Systems (4-0) 4
An introduction to legal systems’ treatment of disputes between citizens, citizens and business, and citizens and government, with special emphasis on disputing in the legal system of the United States. Consideration given to the influence of legal systems on competition for a society’s benefits. Fall terms, even years.

PS 241 Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems (4-0) 4
The nature of crime, the role of police, attorneys, courts and corrections in our criminal justice system. Fall, winter, summer terms.

PS 250W Introduction to Political Analysis (4-0) 4
Analysis of contemporary behavioral theories and research methods of politics and preparation for critical reading of professional literature. Writing intensive course. Fall terms.
Prerequisites: PS 101, Comp 150, Lib 150.

PS 251W Advanced Research Methods (4-0) 4
An advanced course in the methods and tools of research including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Emphasis is on the design of political research, data collection techniques, statistical analysis and interpretation. Writing intensive course. Winter terms.
Prerequisites: PS 250W.

PS 280S Introduction to Comparative Politics (4-0) 4
A comparative study of the political systems of selected modern states. An emphasis is placed on the historical, cultural, social, and economic environments as well as on political structures, participation, policymaking and evaluating the effectiveness of political action. Winter terms, even years.

PS 300 Religion and Politics (4-0) 4
A comparative exploration of dominant and minority political interactions in social and cultural settings. This course examines how, and with what consequences, religion and politics interact as frameworks for freedom and oppression in Central America, Asia, and the United States. Winter terms, odd years.

PS 301 Local Government Internship 8-16
Practical half-time or full-time work at the regional, county, or municipal government level. Requires a detailed journal and completion of a research paper on a local government topic. May be repeated once for a total of 16 credits provided that the internship is taken with different agencies. Fall, winter, and summer terms, on demand.
Prerequisites: Three courses selected from PS 101S, 110S, 120S, 241, 310, 330, and consent of instructor.

PS 305 Environmental Politics (3-0) 3
An introduction to a wide range of global environmental issues. Global warming, overpopulation, natural resource depletion, deforestation in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, potable water crises in Asia and desertification in Africa are all indicators of ongoing major environmental changes. Global environmental change raises profound moral, political, and economic questions with which society has only begun to grapple. This course addresses regional and international environmental problems and proposes solutions. Summer terms.

PS 310 American Political Behavior (4-0) 4
An empirical inquiry into the dynamics of political activity in the United States, with emphasis on the electorate and the roles of political parties, the news media, public opinion, and political interest groups. Fall terms, even years.

PS 320 International Politics (4-0) 4
An examination of the international struggle for power, with special emphasis on nationalism, economic objectives, armaments, multinational corporations, and North-South issues. Fall terms.
Prerequisites: PS 101S.

PS 322 International Political Economy (4-0) 4
A study of the interplay of economics and politics in the world arena. The course covers a wide range of political and economic issues and concepts, and introduces students to the many players at the international level (financial institutions, multinational organizations, nation-states, etc.). The course also provides a theoretical background to issues of political and economic interaction at the international level. PS 320 recommended. Winter terms, even years.

PS 325 Middle East Politics (4-0) 4
An examination of the forces shaping the governments and politics of modern Arab states in North Africa and Southwest Asia, with emphasis on Islam, Islamist politics, regional geopolitics and current economic, natural resource, and social issues affecting the Arab world. Fall terms, odd years.

PS 330 Public Administration (4-0) 4
Role of administration in government policymaking and implementation. Course uses case study method from a variety of policy areas. Winter terms. odd years.

PS 337 U.S. Foreign Policy (4-0) 4
A study of the United States’ foreign policy from the American Revolution to the present day, with emphasis on current policy and how it is made. Fall terms, odd years.

PS 340 Constitutional Law: Bill of Rights (4-0) 4
Rights of citizens as elaborated through the Bill of Rights and Fourteenth Amendment to include freedom of speech and press, freedom of religion, privacy, discrimination, and criminal rights. Recommended for political science majors and advanced general students. Fall terms.

PS 341 Constitutional Law: Federalism
and The Separation of Powers (4-0) 4
Powers and limitations of the national judiciary. Congress, the presidency, war powers, and the federal relationship of national government and state governments. Winter terms, odd years.

PS 350 State Legislative Internship 16
Practical, full-time work in the Colorado General Assembly as a legislative intern. Each student works for a lawmaker in either the State Senate or the State House of Representatives. Requires the keeping of a detailed journal and the completion of a research paper. Winter terms.
Prerequisites: PS 101S, 110S, 120S, 310, and consent of instructor.

PS 360 Revolution and the Modern World (3-0) 3
Analyzes the origins, tactics, ideologies, and results of leftist, bourgeois, and rightist revolutionary movements, stressing a comparative and historical approach. Summer terms.

PS 365 Women And Development (3-0) 3
An overview of the central role women play in the development process in non-Western societies, and of their struggle to gain access to the most basic levels of power and governance around the world. The focus will be on women in developing countries, but reference to women in developed countries will also be made. PS 280S recommended. Summer terms.

PS 370 Latin-American Politics (4-0) 4
An inquiry into specific political problems shared by many nations in contemporary Latin America. Emphasis will be placed on such issues as forms of government, i.e., populism, military dictatorships, bureaucratic-authoritarianism, economic development and social movements. On demand. PS 280S recommended.

PS 372 African Politics and Development (4-0) 4
A general survey of the forces shaping the governments and politics of African nations. While the emphasis will be on sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Africa will also be included in the course. Recent attempts at democratization, regional military conflicts, environmental challenges, and the AIDS epidemic will all be covered in the course. PS 280S is recommended. Winter terms, odd years.

PS 374 Pacific Rim Politics And Issues (4-0) 4
An exploration of the concept of a “Pacific Rim” region. The course explores the intersection of economic, political, cultural, and environmental issues that affect the region. Historical and current relationships between areas as diverse as Seattle, Singapore, and Santiago are addressed. PS 280S recommended. On demand.

PS 380 Comparative Communist Systems (4-0) 4
A comparative study of the dynamics of communist systems focused on the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China, including dimensions of continuity and change in pre-and post-communist environments. Similarities and differences are analyzed, along with an examination of factors working for and against decentralization. Fall terms, even years.

PS 385 Twentieth-Century Socialisms (3-0) 3
An inquiry into the place of modern socialist thought in the western intellectual tradition. Intellectual and historical influences on Marxism are clarified, along with the ambiguities in the legacy left by Marx and Engels. The stillbirth of Marxism is traced from these ambiguities through the major discrepancies in the thought of Lenin, Bernstein, Kautsky, and Mao. Summer terms.

PS 386 Ancient Politcal Thought (4-0) 4
A study of western political thought from pre-Socratic Athens to the 16th century. Readings in the works of philosophers including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Luther, and others. Fall terms.
Prerequisites: PS 101S.

PS 387 Modern Political Thought (4-0) 4
An examination of the main currents of western political thought from the 17th century to the present. Readings in the works of philosophers including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and others. Winter terms.
Prerequisites: PS 386.

PS 400 Native American Law And Politics (4-0) 4
A study of political and legal issues that involve American Indians, both from a historical and contemporary perspective. On demand.

PS 422 Legislative Process (4-0) 4
Study of American legislatures at the federal and state level including structural, behavioral, and policy implications of the legislative process in contemporary American government. Winter terms. even years.

PS 423 Law and the Judicial Process (4-0) 4
Explores the debate about the role of the courts, the nature and limits of law and the meaning of concepts such as justice, liberty, morality, and responsibility in a constitutional republic. The impact of judicial processes on this debate is analyzed. Winter terms, even years.

PS 425 Prisons and Prisoners (4-0) 4
An inquiry into imprisonment as a punishment for criminals. Historical perspectives on crime and punishment and contemporary issues facing prisons and prisoners are clarified and analyzed. Fall terms.
Prerequisites: PS 241.

PS 450 National Government Internship 16
Practical, full-time intern work in Washington, D.C., in the national government. Requires the keeping of a detailed journal and the completion of a research paper. Fall, winter, and summer terms, on demand.
Prerequisites: PS 101S, 110S, 422, and consent of instructor.

PS 480W Contemporary Political Thought (4-0) 4
An examination of the philosophical and political origins of the political formation of the self, interactions between dominant and minority cultures, and legitimization and consensus in a post-Marxist, post-Capitalist, and post-Colonial world. Focuses on 20th century thinkers such as Foucault, Deleuze and Guattari, Said, Lyotard, Braidotti, and others. PS 287 recommended. Same as Phil 480. Winter terms.

PS 495 Proseminar in Political Science (2-0) 2
This course provides an opportunity to engage in a critical examination of the discipline of political science and its relationship to career opportunities. It encourages students to think seriously about political science as a component of liberal arts education as well as a vocation. It devotes time to preparing an assessment portfolio and identifying a research topic for the senior seminar. Fall terms.
Prerequisites: PS 251W.

PS 496 Senior Seminar (2-0) 2
Advanced study and research in selected topics. Winter terms.
Prerequisites: PS 251W, senior standing, and PS 495.

PS 499 Independent Study 1-3
Individual research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered on demand.
Prerequisites: Approval of the instructor and the department.

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