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GOVT 2107 - Federal and Texas Constitutions
Credit(s): 1
This course is a study of the U.S. and state constitutions with special emphasis on Texas; origins and development of American and Texas constitutions, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. and Texas Bill of Rights.
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GOVT 2300 - Introduction to Politics
Credit(s): 3
Overview of the study of politics, including the basic theories and approaches of political science and topics of political thought. This course introduces students to a variety of methods and perspectives for understanding and evaluating contemporary politics in historical and intellectual contexts.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 2301 - Introduction to American Government: Theory and Politics
Credit(s): 3
Origins and development of American and Texas government systems; federalism; civil liberties and civil rights; and interest groups, political parties and elections. This course meets the legislative requirements for a course on the constitutions of the United States and Texas.
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GOVT 2302 - Introduction to American Government: Structure and Functions
Credit(s): 3
Legislative, executive and judicial functions in American and Texas governments; public policy areas such as finance, social services and foreign policy; Texas local and county governments.
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GOVT 2305 - Federal Government
Credit(s): 3
Course includes development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights.
Repeated: No
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GOVT 2306 - Texas Government
Credit(s): 3
This course introduces students to the origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and intergovernmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas.
Repeated: No
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GOVT 2311 - Introduction to Pre-Law
Credit(s): 3
Familiarizes students with pre-law topics, such as legal career paths, law school admissions statistics, employment opportunities, tuition costs, areas of specialty and what skills to acquire to be successful in law school. Students will learn to distinguish different types of laws: the U.S. Constitution, federal and state law, case law, statutes, regulations and treaties. Focuses on legal skill building: basic legal research, writing, how to brief a case (IRAC method).
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GOVT 2340 - World Politics: Power and Money
Credit(s): 3
This course introduces students to basic concepts of international and comparative politics, including the state, markets, institutions, power, democracy and collective action. The course incorporates current global issues in the context of these basic concepts. Additionally, the course will examine these concepts with regard to select country profiles based on current global issues.
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GOVT 3300 - Political Science Methods
Credit(s): 3
Introduction to research methods in political science emphasizing research design and quantitative/qualitative methods of analysis. Required for all political science majors and second majors.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3306 - Politics in Texas
Credit(s): 3
Systematic and intensive study of the politics and government of Texas.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3311 - Judicial Process
Credit(s): 3
Analysis of law and the legal system; legal training, the bar and legal occupations; the jury system; and criminal and civil procedures.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3313 - Law and Politics
Credit(s): 3
Judicial behavior, judicial activism and restraint roles, judicial selection, the social scientific study of the state and federal courts, the politics of law, and the nature and functions of federal court structures with emphasis on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3316 - Legal Research
Credit(s): 3
This course is designed to introduce the student to the types of legal reasoning used by lawyers and judges. It focuses on the necessary skills to use legal resources and legal reasoning in the student’s academic work, including reading and understanding cases and statutes, doing legal research and writing legal memoranda, and applying existing law to the issue at hand. Students will be familiarized with primary and secondary legal sources. Course instruction is designed to enhance reasoning and advocacy skills.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3321 - Politics and Governments in Latin America
Credit(s): 3
An examination of the politics and national governments of Latin America and its principal countries. Topics include political history, culture, demographics, institutions of government, political behavior, elections, political parties and public opinion in selected countries. At the regional level, topics include international influence, revolution and political economy.
Repeated: No Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3322 - European National Governments
Credit(s): 3
An examination of the politics of the national government of selected European countries. Topics include political history, institutions of government, political behavior, elections, political parties and public opinion in European countries.
Repeated: No Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 3205 and GOVT 3206 or GOVT 3201 and GOVT 3202 or PSC 141 and PSC 142
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GOVT 3324 - Middle East Politics
Credit(s): 3
An examination of the politics of the Middle East. Topics include political history, institutions of government, political behavior, elections, political parties, public opinion, gender/sex, nationalisms, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and politics of religion in the region. Selected national governments are examined. Specific cases may vary by semester.
Repeated: No Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306 or GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302 or PSC 141 and PSC 142
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GOVT 3329 - The European Union
Credit(s): 3
An overview of the forces that shaped the creation of the European Union and the ongoing process of European integration. The course includes a survey of the institutional arrangements, decision-making processes and policies of the European Union.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3332 - International Politics
Credit(s): 3
Forces and forms of international politics. Restraints on the struggle for power, balance of power and morality, law. Problems of world stability, peaceful change, international interdependence, global governance, structure and dilemmas of the international political economy, and the nature and influence of non-state and transnational actors.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3333 - International Political Economy
Credit(s): 3
A survey of the analyses of the relationship between economics and politics in the formation of states’ economic policies and in international economic relations.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3337 - Democracy
Credit(s): 3
An examination, comparison and contrast of the varieties of democratic theory, including those based in liberalism and civic republicanism. Traces the development of those theories over time with emphasis on recent variations, such as libertarianism and deliberative democracy.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3340 - International Conflict and Peace
Credit(s): 3
An examination of the causes and scope of international conflict, the theories and mechanisms for its cessation and management, and a wide range of approaches to peace and their likelihood of success.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3347 - The U.S Congress
Credit(s): 3
Structure, powers, organization, political control and procedures of Congress.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3348 - The American Presidency
Credit(s): 3
Development, power, organization and influence of the presidency.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3373 - The American Experiment
Credit(s): 3
Development of American political ideologies. Ideas of leading American political thinkers and movements from colonial times to the present.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3375 - Justice, Virtue and the Common Good
Credit(s): 3
Development and analysis of classical political thought from the pre-Socratic period through the Middle Ages.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3376 - Power, Liberty and Progress
Credit(s): 3
Development and analysis of political thought from Machiavelli through the present.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 3378 - Contemporary Political Thought
Credit(s): 3
Contemporary political thought since 1900. The course may include critiques and analyses of ideological movements and totalitarian politics; postmodern political thought and the “politics of difference;” and contemporary liberalism, communitarianism, libertarianism and multiculturalism.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4175 - Special Problems
Credit(s): 1 to 3
Credit determined by the amount and difficulty of the project undertaken. Individual research for advanced political science students.
Consent: Permission of instructor Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
Registration Restriction by Classification
Junior, Senior
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GOVT 4176 - Special Problems
Credit(s): 1 to 3
Credit determined by the amount and difficulty of the project undertaken. Individual research for advanced political science students.
Consent: Permission of instructor and department chair Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301, GOVT 2302, GOVT 4175 Non-Course Prerequisite(s):
6 hours of advanced Government
Registration Restriction by Classification
Junior, Senior
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GOVT 4189 - Internship in Political Science
Credit(s): 1 to 6
Supervised work with governmental bodies to gain field experience that augments classroom training.
Consent: Permission of the supervising faculty member and department chair Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301, GOVT 2302 Non-Course Prerequisite(s):
9 hours of advanced Government
Registration Restriction by Classification
Junior, Senior
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GOVT 4192 - Honors Reading and Research
Credit(s): 1 to 6
Program of reading and research for individual instruction of the honors student. Amount of credit determined by the scope of the program.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4301 - International Law
Credit(s): 3
Nature, sources and application of the law of nations.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4303 - American Constitutional Law I
Credit(s): 3
A study of the constitutional sources of power and restraint for the federal government, as well as the American federal constitutional provisions concerning the organizations of government and the powers, rights, duties and responsibilities of both the government and individual citizen. Major Supreme Court cases will be analyzed and critiqued.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4304 - American Constitutional Law II
Credit(s): 3
This course explores the constitutional roots of civil rights and civil liberties and the major political controversies and legal developments in the United States. This is done through an analysis of the case law on the constitutional guarantees of personal and social freedoms derived from the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Topics to be covered include the role of the judiciary in protecting rights, methods of constitutional interpretation, incorporation, the right to bear arms, economic liberty, abortion and privacy rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, the death penalty and equal protection before the law.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4305 - Appellate Advocacy
Credit(s): 3
Introduction to appellate courts and the appellate process with a focus on practical knowledge and skills such as persuasive writing and client advocacy. This course emphasizes appellate-level research, writing, oral advocacy, and the finer points of courtroom procedure and decorum. Students are required to participate in moot court activities.
Repeated: Yes Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4315 - Law and Society
Credit(s): 3
This course examines the theory and practice of legal institutions in performing several major functions, including allocating authority, defining relationships, resolving conflict, adapting to social change and fostering social solidarity. In examining these functions, the course also will assess how the values, concepts, principles and theory of law embodied in legal institutions inform, advance or retard social change. Toward these ends, the nature and limits of law, alternative perspectives on law, and alternatives ways of structuring legal processes also will be considered.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4316 - Law and Ethics
Credit(s): 3
This course examines the principal theories and controversies in law and ethics. It focuses on the key concepts in law - justice, rights, duties, obligations, responsibilities, punishment, protection and empowerment - at the ethical foundations of the legal system. It evaluates the main philosophical theories of ethics and law, probes central moral and legal issues and controversies, examines the practical application of such theories and issues, and analyses critically the interrelationship between ethics and law.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4319 - Readings in Public Law
Credit(s): 3
Readings from literature that exemplify the social scientific study of the state and federal courts, judicial selection, judicial behavior, criminal and civil procedure, the politics of law, the actors in the court system, the legal profession, and the nature and functions of law.
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GOVT 4320 - Civil-Military Relations
Credit(s): 3
This course provides students with a foundational understanding of the social and political bargains that are made in order to keep the state safe from external threats. The course facilitates discussion of the foundations of both the military and the state, theories of how civil military and state military relations work, and specific aspects of this bargain. The material in the course is focused on civil-military relations in a democratic context, but also touches on these aspects in authoritarian states. The course helps students to apply general principles to the current political context.
Repeated: No Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306
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GOVT 4328 - International Terrorism
Credit(s): 3
An examination of debates regarding the definition of terrorism (and why this is important), the factors leading to terrorism, the motivations of terrorists, counter-terrorism strategies, and the impact of terrorism and counter-terrorism on open societies.
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GOVT 4334 - International Human Rights
Credit(s): 3
Studies the sources of human rights and the evolution of an international human rights norm. Investigates the struggle between international human rights and state sovereignty, the question of universalism versus cultural relativism, and the motivations for state-sponsored torture and its effectiveness. Analyzes first-hand accounts of torture.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4338 - American Foreign Policy
Credit(s): 3
Analysis of the formulation and control of United States foreign policy and the origin and content of contemporary policies; formulation and application of theories of U.S. foreign policy.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4339 - Topics in International and Comparative Politics
Credit(s): 3
Analysis of selected topics in international politics.
Repeated: Yes Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4341 - Political Media Research
Credit(s): 3
An analysis of the development of mass media and its interaction, influence and impact on politics and the political process. The course will emphasize research methods and statistical analyses utilized by political science majors/minors.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4342 - Public Opinion and American Democracy
Credit(s): 3
A study of the origins, measurement and impact of public opinion in the practice of American democracy. Problems associated with survey design, implementation and interpretation.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4343 - Campaigns and Elections
Credit(s): 3
Examination of the behavior of candidates, campaigns and voters in the electoral process. Topics include the role of the media, the impact of money, the operation of political campaigns and the effect of campaign laws.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4349 - Topics in American Politics
Credit(s): 3
Analysis of selected topics in American politics.
Repeated: Yes Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302
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GOVT 4388 - Intern Seminar
Credit(s): 3
Familiarizes students with policy processes through exposure to participants ranging from interest group representatives to bureaucratic leaders to elected decision makers. This course is open only to students who are participating in the department’s organized, supervised, semester-long internship program.
Consent: Permission of instructor
Registration Restriction by Classification
Junior, Senior
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GOVT 4399 - Senior Seminar
Credit(s): 3
Required of all political science majors. A capstone course to refine research and writing skills of majors in their final year of study by providing an opportunity to draw together concepts from previous coursework. Topics vary by semester. Seminar format.
Prerequisite Course(s): GOVT 3300 Non-Course Prerequisite(s):
9 additional hours of advanced Government
Registration Restriction by Classification
Senior
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Axe ‘Em, Jacks!
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