Courses

Study of the national, state, and local government, including principles of American government, constitutions, public opinion, socialization, interest groups, political parties, and elections. Not counted toward major or minor in Political Science. Three hours of lecture per week. Listed as GOVT 2305 in the Texas Common Course Numbering System.

Continuation of national, state, and local government, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; Texas Public policy; rights of the individual. Not counted toward major or minor in Political Science. Three hours of lecture per week.Listed as GOVT 2306 in the Texas Common Course Numbering System.

Introduction to the history, scope, methods, and approaches to the study of political science and politics. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week.

Structure of the powers and roles of legislatures and legislators, legislative structure, decision making, internal and external pressure upon legislators. Special attention given to the United States Congress. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Structure, function, and process of the American court systems and related institutions; factors influencing judicial decision-making. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Introduction to the methods and scope of comparative government; analysis of the institutions and cultures that impact selected governments. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Survey of the major approaches and principles of international relations that affect the members of the international community. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of international organizations along with their roles, functions, and objectives in the international community. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of Modern Africa from World War 1, including the different European policies, growth of nationalism, movements to independence, white supremacist bloc, and Africa today. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of contemporary events in Africa since the end of World War II, including the growth of nationalism to independence, modernization, economic development, and the emergence of new political systems. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of the political and economic development of selected Latin American countries with emphasis on the period since World War 11. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of the major problems of Latin America: democratic government, urbanization, and economic development. Individual countries may be studied. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Political philosophy of early Greek, Roman, and medieval European thinkers. Special concentration on the major political works of Plato and Aristotle. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Political philosophy from the Italian city-state to the twentieth century. Special emphasis on Machiavelli, the Social Contract School, and Marx. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Study of the development of political thought in the United States from the seventeenth century to the present. Emphasis placed on the historical context in which political thought and movements developed. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Analysis of ideas, personalities, relevant ideologies and categories, and the role of theory in African American political thought.

The political dynamics of chief executives and their relationship to the competitive branches and units of government within the American political system. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

The study of the American party system, including the functions, activities, development, structure, and organization of political parties. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

A study of civil rights and how they have been impacted by the constitutional process of checks and balances; civil rights in party politics; civil rights as seen by American minorities. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

The development and application of American constitutional law as interpreted by Supreme Court decisions on selected topics, cases, and recent trends. Required of majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Factors shaping contemporary American foreign policy; administration and conduct of foreign affairs; the major foreign policy problems; cases in decision making. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Analysis of selected areas and problems in political science. Subject matter varies from year to year. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Investigation of urban political systems; politics in America’s large cities and their relationship to minorities; analysis of resources, strategies, and tactics in urban areas. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Seminar focusing on a review of events as they occur using topical events reported in the news media. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Analysis of selected topics relevant to women and politics. Subject matters vary from year to year. Prerequisites: POLS 231 and POLS 232.

Directed reading, research, and discussion of different sub-fields in the discipline of Political Science. Includes a significant writing component. Prerequisite: consent of the instructor.

The rise, significance, and role of public administration. Problems of executive leadership, administrative organization, personnel and management, administrative decision-making and adjustment.

 Introduction to applied research methods in public administration with emphasis on descriptive statistical methods as a tool for assisting public managers in decision making. Computer applications included. 

 Introduction to the principles, methods, and techniques of public sector planning.

 Introduction to the method and nature of government financing, including a study of public revenues, expenditures, debts, fiscal policies, and certain problems related to government fiscal systems.

Analysis of various theories of human behavior in organizational settings from the disciplines of Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Public Administration.

 Principles, theories, and methods of human resource management. Particular attention given to personnel policy, procedures, and collective bargaining.

Focuses on evaluation as a management tool to improve public sector program performance and introduces concepts, principles, methods, and practice of program performance evaluation.

 Examines the role, influence, and interaction of legislatures, executives, bureaucracies, courts, and interest groups. Focuses on policy processes: problem definition, agenda setting, budgeting, authorization, implementation, and oversight. 

Special topics seminar that provides for the examination of selected public affairs problems and issues. Specific content varies from semester to semester.