Introduction to Political Science

Catalog description

Political Science is the study of how human beings create governments, leaders, laws and policies. This foundational course explores how and why politics involves all aspects of our everyday lives. The dynamics of politics center on acquiring, distributing, and/or restricting access to power held by citizens and states. From local politics to international relations, the study of politics enables understandings of who ultimately gets what, when, where, why and how - or not. This course therefore explores the major ideas that drive the ways in which leaders govern, the systems in which they operate, motivations and barriers for citizens to participate in political life, how institutions of government work, and the role of money and media in the making of politics, from Main Street to Wall Street. This course also considers the modes by which citizens drive change in their governments, from Facebook and the ballot box to mass-scale protests driving political revolutions of the 21st century.