Political ideas in the United States from Colonial and Revolutionary times through the controversies of the Civil War to the present. POLS g420 Contemporary Political Theory 3 credits. Recent 20th century political philosophies and theories ranging from democratic, Marxist, and existentialist thought to Critical Theory and postmodernism. Democratic Political Thought 3 credits. Historical and contemporary models of democracy as well as contemporary debates in democratic thought.
Democracy is treated as a contested idea.
Topics in International Politics 3 credits. This course requires examination, analysis and evaluation of selected topics in international politics. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. Change and Political Order 3 credits. The nature of political change is examined in a multifaceted framework consisting of concepts such as political order, progress and decay, revolutionary violence, and political culture.