• Home
• Academics
• Undergraduate Studies
• Social Sciences
• Political Science & Geography
• Political Science Course Descriptions

Political Science Course Descriptions

200 Level Courses:
PLSC 250: Introduction to Political Inquiry

300 Level Courses:
PLSC 300: Midwest Model United Nations
PLSC 302: U.S. Foreign Policy
PLSC 309: Global Environmental Politics
PLSC 312: Islam and the West
PLSC 322: American Environmental Politics
PLSC 332: Political Parties, Elections and Interest Groups
PLSC 335: Constitutional Law
PLSC 337: United States Congress
PLSC 338: United States Presidency
PLSC 339: Politics in Popular Culture
PLSC 344: Modern Africa: Continuity and Change
PLSC 350: International Organizations and Law
PLSC 352: International Political Economy
PLSC 354: European Politics
PLSC 357: The Politics of North America: Canada, Mexico and the United States
PLSC 360: Islam and Politics in the Modern Middle East
PLSC 365: Egypt and the Third World
PLSC 366: Washington Center: Studies in International Relations
PLSC 367: Washington Center: Studies in Comparative Politics
PLSC 368: Washington Center: Studies in American Politics
PLSC 370: Women and Politics
PLSC 375: Arab-Israeli Conflict
PLSC 380: Western Political Thought
PLSC 385: Third World Conflicts

400 Level Courses:
PLSC 442: Rhetorical Criticism
PLSC 493: Senior Seminar

PLSC 290, 390, 490: Selected Topics. 1-3 hours.
PLSC 291, 292, 391, 392, 491, 492: Research.
PLSC 397, 398, 497, 498: Internship.

PLSC 101: Government and Politics in the United States. 3 hours.
Introduction to the theories, constitutional bases, functions and government structures of the U.S. political system. Emphasis on national politics and linkages with state and local governments with particular emphasis on Missouri, including current issues in domestic and foreign policy. Offered every semester. (Meets Political Science and Economics)

PLSC 151: Introduction to Comparative Politics. 3 hours.
Introduction to the comparison of different political systems; examination of liberal democratic societies, communist and post-communist systems and developing nations with case studies from each category.

PLSC 152: Introduction to International Relations. 3 hours.
A study of the historical background and contemporary organization of the international political system and the world economy.

PLSC 250: Introduction to Political Inquiry. 3 hours.
Introduction to the process and techniques of research in political science. Emphasis is on research design, theory, hypothesis generation, probability and quantitative analysis, including nominal and ordinal data, univariate statistics, correlation and bivariate and multiple regression. This course is a prerequisite for Senior Seminar. Offered fall semester.

PLSC 300: Midwest Model United Nations. 1 hour.
In-depth role playing that leads to an understanding of the United Nations, the relationships among countries and methods of resolving conflict; preparation for the annual MMUN simulation in St. Louis. Course may be repeated for credit.

PLSC 302: U.S. Foreign Policy. 3 hours.
Examination of 20th century foreign policy, with earlier events studied in light of their contributions to policies and practices of the later period. Offered fall semester of odd numbered years. Same as HIST 302.

PLSC 309: Global Environmental Politics. 3 hours.
From one state's perspective, many environmental problems are either too big to handle alone (climate change), are caused by other states they cannot control (transboundary air pollution) or concern the loss of environmental goods that belong to the world (depleted international fisheries). Students will explore these differing types of global environmental challenges by considering the diverse set of relevant actors, interest and institutions operating within and across states.

PLSC 312: Islam and the West. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: GLST 201. Examination of the historical, cultural, religious, economic and political interactions between the Western and Islamic worlds. Focuses on the place of Muslims in Europe, especially questions of identity and politics. Offered occasionally as a study abroad course. Same as HIST 312.

PLSC 322: American Environmental Politics. 3 hours.
The creation and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations in the United States can be imagined as the ultimate board game. It has three overlapping levels (city, state and national), actors on defense (save our jobs!), referees who interpret the rules (courts and bureaucracy) and actors who can change the rules whenever they want (elected officials). Attempting to understand this game is vitally important as it carries profound impacts on our daily lives including the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the price we pay for, well, everything.

PLSC 332: Political Parties, Elections and Interest Groups. 3 hours.
Examination of political parties, elections and electoral behavior and interest groups within the American setting. Offered fall of even-numbered years.

PLSC 335: Constitutional Law. 3 hours.
A study of judicial processes and decisions; particular emphasis on major Supreme Court decisions that have shaped legal thought and altered the social fabric of American society. Offered spring semester of even numbered years.

PLSC 337: United States Congress. 3 hours.
Examination of how the U.S. Congress functions in the American political system with a focus on the sources of power, the
process of formulating legislation and the people and groups who participate in the legislative process. Offered spring semester of odd numbered years.

PLSC 338: United States Presidency. 3 hours.
Examination of the U.S. Presidency in the American political system with a focus on the sources of power institutions, functions and problems. Offered spring semester of even numbered years.

PLSC 339: United States Presidency. 3 hours.
An in-depth examination of the reciprocal inf luence of politics on popular culture and vice versa. Course emphasizes critical analysis of politics in film, music and literature. Offered occasionally. Same
as HIST 339.

PLSC 344: History of Modern Africa. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: GLST 201. A survey of African developments from human origins to the present, with an emphasis on the events, themes and developments most directly related to the emergence of modern Africa and its relationships with the world. Offered fall semester. Same as HIST 344.

PLSC 350: International Organizations and Law
Louis Henkin famously wrote, "...almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost all of their obligations almost all the time." This class attempts to demonstrate how the `almosts' in that quote are key to answering the questions, does international law matter and what are the real-world impacts of international organizations?

PLSC 352: International Political Economy. 3 hours.
Examination of the historical development of the world economy; trade, finance and production within the world economy; and issues of environmental sustainability and social justice with regard to the world economy's current organization. Offered spring semester of odd numbered years.

PLSC 354: European Politics. 3 hours.
Examination of political and popular culture and its impact on democratic societies in the twenty-first century. Detailed discussions of the political cultures of western Europe. Offered fall semester of even numbered years.

PLSC 357: The Politics of North America: Canada, Mexico and the United States. 3 hours.
An in-depth examination of the politics, economics and political culture of Canada, Mexico and the United States and their relationships with each other and with NAFTA. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.

PLSC 360: Islam and Politics in the Modern Middle East. 3 hours.
Prerequsite: GLST 201. Study of the historical development of modern political Islam from the nineteenth century to the present. Topics include Islamic sectarianism, religious minorities and the state in the Middle East and debate on the compatibility of Islam and liberal democracy. Offered spring semester of even numbered years. Same as HIST 360.

PLSC 365: Egypt and the Third World. 3 hours.
Prerequsite: GLST 201.Examination of Egypt as a case study to illuminate common issues and themes among developing countries and to explore the diversity of historical experiences, political systems, economic realities and social/cultural values in the Third World. Offered spring semester of odd numbered years.

PLSC 366 Washington Center: Studies in International Relations. 3 hours. 
Prerequisite: Permission of Department Chair. Students register for this course while attending the Washington Center Program (TWC) and take a TWC class that focuses on international relations. Same as GEOG 366, HIST 366. 

PLSC 367: Washington Center: Studies in Comparative Politics. 3 hours. 
Prerequisite: Permission of Department Chair. Students register for this course while attending the Washington Center Program (TWC) and take a TWC class that focuses on comparative politics. Same as GEOG 367, HIST 367.

PLSC 368 Washington Center: Studies in American Politics. 3 hours. 
Prerequisite: Permission of Department Chair. Students register for this course while attending the Washington Center Program (TWC) and take a TWC class that focuses on American politics. Same as HIST 368, GEOG 368.

PLSC 370: Women and Politics. 3 hours.
Prerequsite: GLST 201. A study of the role of women as political actors, policy issues affecting women and the role of gender in shaping political attitudes and perceptions; a comparative perspective of women's status in western and non-western societies. Offered fall semester of odd numbered years.

PLSC 375: Arab-Israeli Conflict. 3 hours.
Prerequsite: GLST 201. An in-depth examination of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, tracing its historical, political, cultural, and religious roots; the course also uses the Arab-Israeli conflict to address broader issues of international conflict and conflict resolution. Offered fall semester of even numbered year. Same as HIST 375.

PLSC 380: Western Political Thought. 3 hours.
Examination of political ideas representative of selected periods and political philosophies from the ancient world to modern times. Offered spring semester.

PLSC 385: Third World Conflicts. 3 hours.
Prerequsite: GLST 201. A study of the Cold War conflicts with an emphasis on the role of developing countries; an analysis of specific Cold War controversies, particularly those that took place in the Third World; an examination of ideological, cultural and socio-historical aspects of the Cold War. Offered occasionally. Same as HIST 385.

PLSC 442: Rhetorical Criticism. 3 hours.
Recommended Prerequisite: COMM 215, COMM 351. The culminating experience for speech communication majors. Rhetorical Criticism is a writing-intensive course that teaches students how to critically analyze and evaluate public discourse. Attention is given to the logical, aesthetic, and political components of public discourse designed to influence belief, affect social change and craft cultural identities. Topics include the scope and function of rhetoric in contemporary culture, various approaches to rhetorical criticism, and contexts for criticism including politics, religion, and social movements. Same as COMM 442.

PLSC 493: Senior Seminar. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: PLSC 250. Capstone course for majors. Examination of research methods in political science, including computer applications. Offered spring semester.

PLSC 290, 390, 490: Selected Topics. 1-3 hours.

PLSC 291, 292, 391, 392, 491, 492: Research.

PLSC 397, 398, 497, 498: Internship.

• Drury University
• 900 North Benton Avenue
• Springfield, Missouri 65802, USA
• 1.800.922.2274
• drury@drury.edu