Class discussion may highlight conflicting views on issues in American politics. This course is required in the Political Science major, the History-Political Science major and is part of the Americas Project. PS 304 Research Methodology Students build on the statistical analysis skills gained in PS204 and learn how to design and implement a substantial and original survey research project and then analyze the data and present the results in a final report. Required for the political science major. The course is a practicum in quantitative empirical scholarship of the social sciences.
Students work in groups to complete the research project.
The Rights and Privileges of the Individual Relevant Supreme Court cases are briefed weekly by students to form the basis of class discussions that trace the development of civil rights and liberties in the United States. Current issues and cases are examined from the dual perspectives of precedent and current politics with a focus on the politics of the Supreme Court. Former students report that the course is excellent preparation in content and style for the study of law. An elective course in political science, PS330 is open to most third and fourth year students interested in law. Students consider issues generated by the tension between individual freedom and the constraints of community and the state or between ideals of equality and the reality of inequality in society and politics.