Undergraduate major: political science (BA, BS)
Undergraduate minor: political science
Graduate degrees: MA in political science; PhD in political science
Faculty: https://politicalscience.uiowa.edu/people/faculty
Website: https://politicalscience.uiowa.edu
The Department of Political Science offers undergraduate majors and minors as well as graduate degree programs. In addition to the programs of study in political science, it offers the BA, BS, and minor in international relations, and the undergraduate Certificate in Political Risk Analysis. It collaborates with other departments to offer the Certificate in Social Science Analytics. The department also offers several courses that undergraduate students in all majors may use to fulfill GE CLAS Core requirements and a First-Year Seminar designed for entering undergraduate students.
Related Certificates
Political Risk Analysis
The Certificate in Political Risk Analysis prepares students to work in this highly interdisciplinary area, which requires a keen understanding of business practices and the political situation facing countries. Political risk analysis focuses on the effect that country characteristics and events have on sovereign risk (ability of a country to repay its debts), company security, supply chains, and the safety of individuals working or traveling in a country. Understanding this risk is part of helping companies better manage their investments, assets, and activities in foreign countries based on threats that a company might face. The Department of Political Science collaborates with the College of Business to offer the undergraduate program in political risk analysis; see Political Risk Analysis in the catalog. The Department of Political Science administers the certificate.
Social Science Analytics
The growth of big data and informatics calls for a new set of skills for social science students and an increased understanding of the logic of data collection and analysis. The certificate focuses on the application side of data analysis. It allows students to focus on the specific research methods and data-driven quantitative skills that are most effective for understanding an increasingly complicated social-political world. The certificate offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary training on how data can be used to address important questions in the social sciences. The Department of Political Science collaborates with the departments of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, Sociology and Criminology, and Statistics and Actuarial Science to offer the undergraduate program in social science analytics; see Social Science Analytics in the catalog. The Department of Political Science administers the certificate.
Courses numbered below 2000 are introductory undergraduate courses. POLI:1000 First-Year Seminar does not count toward the major or the minor in political science.
Courses numbered 2000–4999 are considered advanced for undergraduates. POLI:4900 Government and Politics Internship and POLI:3124 Guided Political Science Internship do not count toward the major or the minor in political science; they are offered only satisfactory/fail or pass/nonpass.
Courses numbered 5000–6000 are graduate core courses; those numbered 7000 or above are advanced graduate courses.
Political Science Courses
POLI:1000 First-Year Seminar 1 s.h.
Small discussion class taught by a faculty member; topics chosen by instructor; may include outside activities (e.g., films, lectures, performances, readings, visits to research facilities). Requirements: first- or second-semester standing.
POLI:1001 Introduction to Politics 3 s.h.
Introduction to selected processes, institutions, or behaviors central to the study of politics.
POLI:1050 Big Ideas: Introduction to Information, Society, and Culture 3 s.h.
What is information? What does it teach us about societies and cultures? How is information used to shape societies and even personal preferences? What types of information are there and how can we understand and use them? Students work with faculty from multiple disciplines to investigate these questions using inquiry-based activities to build success in critical thinking and teamwork. GE: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning. Same as RELS:1050.
POLI:1100 Introduction to American Politics 3 s.h.
Structure and processes of American national government; how the United States manages political conflict; impact of the U.S. Constitution; effect of public opinion, interest groups, and media on government; role and evolution of Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, and Supreme Court. GE: Social Sciences.
POLI:1120 Introduction to Lawyers in the American Political System 3 s.h.
Training and careers of lawyers; various roles they play in the American political system.
POLI:1200 Introduction to Political Behavior 3 s.h.
Patterns and basis of political behavior of American electorate; trends in voter turnout; vote choice; ideology, partisanship, and public opinion. GE: Social Sciences.
POLI:1300 Introduction to Political Thought and Action 3 s.h.
Common problems, literature, analytic techniques. GE: Social Sciences; Values and Culture.
POLI:1400 Introduction to Comparative Politics 3 s.h.
Politics worldwide, including all regions and levels of development; wide-ranging themes, including regime types, political change, political culture, public opinion, government structures, state-society relationship, electoral systems, public policy issues. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences.
POLI:1401 Introduction to Russian Politics 3 s.h.
Political dynamics in postcommunist countries of east-central Europe and Eurasia; imperial legacies, ideology and practice of communist politics, patterns of democracy and authoritarianism. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences.
POLI:1449 Introduction to European Politics 3 s.h.
Political institutions, processes of selected European countries. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences.
POLI:1500 Introduction to International Relations 3 s.h.
Survey of key issues in international relations, including causes of wars, different types of theories of international relations, international organizations, and global environmental problems. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences.
POLI:1501 Introduction to American Foreign Policy 3 s.h.
Foreign policies: goals, basic themes and general patterns, problems encountered by policy makers, means employed in dealing with other nations and international organizations, processes by which policies are formulated, factors that influence structure of policies. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences.
POLI:1510 International Politics of Environmental Issues 3 s.h.
Why countries struggle to cooperate on pressing environmental issues; reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ozone depleting materials, and other environmental issues; examination and analysis of approaches taken to address global environmental issues. GE: Sustainability. GE: International and Global Issues.
POLI:1600 Introduction to Political Communication 3 s.h.
Institutions, dynamics, issues of political communities considered as networks of communication; representative topics include political actors, ads, films, media, myths, news, publics, regulations, rhetorics, symbols. GE: Social Sciences.
POLI:1601 Introduction to Social Media and Politics 3 s.h.
Politics in news, culture, commerce, campaigns, and government with attention to current media (e.g., cinema, internet, print, television). GE: Diversity and Inclusion.
POLI:1700 Introduction to Political Analysis 3 s.h.
Tools necessary to analyze and solve puzzles in politics (i.e., Why do countries go to war rather than negotiate? Why do lifelong enemies become allies? Why do majorities act irrationally?); questions approached from a quantitative perspective (unlike most political analyses), in particular, game theory—a branch of mathematics that investigates how rational players act in situations (like those in politics) of strategic interaction. GE: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning.
POLI:1800 Introduction to the Politics of Class and Inequality 3 s.h.
Introduction to issues of class and economic inequality in the U.S. and other countries; what class and economic inequality are, debates surrounding these definitions, and attempts to measure both of these concepts; research and arguments on economic and political explanations of economic inequality; different policies aimed at reducing economic inequality and debates over them. GE: Diversity and Inclusion.
POLI:1900 Introduction to the Politics of Race 3 s.h.
Introduction to politics of race in the U.S.; history of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., their relationship with each other, and their interactions with different levels of government. GE: Diversity and Inclusion.
POLI:1950 Introduction to the Politics of Religion 3 s.h.
Introduction to the complex relationship between religion and politics; examination of historical and contemporary effect of religion on a wide range of areas (e.g., political culture, political parties, political behavior, public policy); consideration of important policy debates (e.g., role of religion in public life, religious discrimination, various social issues). GE: Diversity and Inclusion.
POLI:2000 Designing Political Research 3 s.h.
How research is conducted on politics and government; students examine different research approaches (both qualitative and quantitative), learn how to read and understand published research on politics, demonstrate an understanding of different research approaches, and understand, interpret, and critically analyze published research on politics.
POLI:2415 Latin American Politics 3 s.h.
Governmental institutions, major interest groups; focus on area as a whole. GE: International and Global Issues; Social Sciences. Same as LAS:2415.
POLI:2417 Comparative Environmental Policy 3 s.h.
Analysis of environmental policy and governance processes; case examples and analysis primarily focus on water governance in local contexts outside the United States; causes and consequences of environmental policy differences; effects of government structure, society, and natural resource conditions on policy development, implementation, and environmental outcomes.
POLI:2500 Politics of Natural Disasters 3 s.h.
Examination of local, national, and international politics that guide government action (and inaction) in the face of increasingly intense and increasingly frequent natural disasters; draws on core concepts from political science related to distributive politics, natural resource governance, state capacity, government responsiveness, and collective action. GE: Sustainability. GE: International and Global Issues.
POLI:3000 Analyzing Political Data 3 s.h.
Creating knowledgeable evaluators of current research in political science; interpretation of different quantitative techniques with examples from current political science research.
POLI:3001 Hawkeye Poll 3 s.h.
Basics of survey design, sampling, question wording, interpreting responses, and writing press releases; students work together to help design questions as part of the Hawkeye Poll, a collaborative teaching and research enterprise in the Department of Political Science.
POLI:3020 Project Vote Smart: Research and Engagement on Elections 3 s.h.
Partnership between the Department of Political Science and Vote Smart; students will work in teams and each team will work with a different part of Vote Smart, including community engagement, communications, survey of political candidates, identification of political issues in the upcoming election, and other areas; students will be evaluated based on their work with Vote Smart and their team, as well as a bi-weekly reflection of what they are working on, and a final short paper connecting their work to the academic study of American politics.
POLI:3035 Careers in Political Science and International Relations 3 s.h.
Introduction to careers available to students in political science and international relations by Department of Political Science alumni; focus on types of careers available in their fields, how to prepare for these careers, and how to find jobs in the field.
POLI:3050 Problems in Methods arr.
Problems in political science research methods; data collection, interpretation, analysis.
POLI:3100 American State Politics 3 s.h.
Approaches to analysis of political behavior in American state governments; emphasis on cultures, parties, actors, processes, issues.
POLI:3101 American Constitutional Law and Politics 3 s.h.
Role of U.S. Supreme Court in American political system; emphasis on analysis of Supreme Court cases.
POLI:3102 The U.S. Congress 3 s.h.
History of Congress, how congressional elections shape what legislators do, how laws are made in Congress, rules and maneuvers that shape these laws, and the future of Congress as one of the major institutions of American government; gain an understanding of Congress and why Americans continue to be confused and fascinated by this complicated branch and its politics.
POLI:3104 Immigration Politics 3 s.h.
United States immigration policy and political consequences of Latina/o/x population growth; contrast of political experiences of Latina/o/x with groups and ideals of democratic political systems; analyses of past immigration policies; studies of public opinion, voter turnout, and campaign tactics. Same as LAS:3104, LATS:3104.
POLI:3107 Writing in Political Science: Writing for "Science" and for "Politics" 3 s.h.
Examination of principles used in writing for science and writing for politics: science writing clearly explains its ideas to promote understanding, and political writing advocates for its ideas by highlighting and obscuring different pieces of information and "spinning" its findings to promote persuasion; students produce and analyze examples of both forms of writing.
POLI:3109 Fixing America's Electoral System 3 s.h.
What's wrong with American politics and what can be done to fix it; overview of major problems facing American democracy from polarized political parties and money in politics, to low voter turnout and trust in government, to growing gap between super rich and middle class; focus on problem solving, including movement towards digital politics and new media, participatory democracy, reform of congressional elections and non-partisan redistricting, presidential elections (Electoral College), presidential nomination process, campaign finance, voter registration and voting, proportional representation. Requirements: no prior enrollment in POLI:3150 with subtitle Election Reform.
POLI:3110 Local Politics 3 s.h.
Models of city government, relation to state and federal governments; rights, liabilities of municipalities; city elections, campaigns, issues; role of pressure groups.
POLI:3111 American Public Policy 3 s.h.
Functions and policies of national government; emphasis on domestic policy making, impact of public policy.
POLI:3113 Research in Judicial Politics 3 s.h.
Applied research training in courts and judicial politics.
POLI:3114 Women and Politics in the United States 3 s.h.
Involvement of women in the U.S. political system; topics include political theories about women's involvement in politics and government, women and constitutional law, public policies that affect women, women's participation in politics at the mass and elite levels.
POLI:3116 The Presidency 3 s.h.
Constitutional foundations, subsequent development, current status of the office of the presidency; evolution of presidential selection process; powers, structures, functions of the office; role of president as legislative, executive, and public leader.
POLI:3117 Bureaucratic Politics and Public Administration 3 s.h.
Examination of bureaucracy from political, theoretical, and practical perspectives; what we mean by "bureaucracy" and how it developed over time; political control of bureaucracy; how bureaucracy performs its tasks, including behavior of bureaucrats; role of nonprofit service delivery in modern bureaucracy; how bureaucracy affects American policy and politics. Same as PBAF:3117.
POLI:3118 Interest Groups 3 s.h.
Theory, organization, and structure of interest groups; how they influence Congress, executive branch, courts, elections.
POLI:3120 The Criminal Justice System 3 s.h.
Role of actors, institutions that constitute and participate in the American criminal justice system.
POLI:3121 The Judicial Process 3 s.h.
Role of courts, lawyers, judges, interest groups in the American political system.
POLI:3124 Guided Political Science Internship 1-9 s.h.
Supervised professional work experience in government and nongovernment organizations, as well as private industry. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.
POLI:3127 Legislative Policy Seminar arr.
Policy research for the Iowa Legislature.
POLI:3128 Politics of the U.S. National Park System 3 s.h.
Examination of politics surrounding the U.S. National Park System and other federally managed lands; debates about the founding of the U.S. National Parks system; expansion, environmental effects, and current issues; role of important actors, such as the President, Congress, bureaucracies, land owners, and nongovernmental organizations.
POLI:3150 Problems in American Politics 1-3 s.h.
Problems in studying American system; structures, functions, behavior.
POLI:3160 Applied Research in Political Science 1-3 s.h.
How research is conducted in political science; students learn about the research process including identification of research questions, doing literature reviews, developing an argument, collecting data, analyzing data, and assisting a PhD student on a research project; short assignments based on different parts of research process.
POLI:3202 Political Psychology 3 s.h.
Political phenomena from psychological perspective; political behaviors of individuals including decision-making by elites and masses, evaluations of political candidates, mass mobilization, response to mass media; psychological concepts including stereotyping, social cognition, attitude, and group identification.
POLI:3203 Campaigns, Elections, and Voting Behavior 3 s.h.
Determinants of voting behavior; correlates of political participation, political apathy; political socialization processes; nature and functions of elections.
POLI:3204 Public Opinion 3 s.h.
Role in making public policy; formation, change of political attitudes and opinions; political ideology; measurement of public opinion; how opinion polls are conducted; experience with interviewing and conducting public opinion research. Same as SOC:3525.
POLI:3205 Political Negotiation 3 s.h.
Examination of theories of political negotiation and strategies politicians use when debating public policy with an emphasis on negotiation in American politics; students discuss readings, participate in simulations of decision-making scenarios, and complete a group project; recognition of negotiation strategies; identification of goals of political actors; development of ability to collaborate in collective decision-making spaces.
POLI:3302 Current Political Theory 3 s.h.
Thinkers or schools of thought, from World War II to present.
POLI:3306 Problems of Democracy 3 s.h.
Theory and practice of democracy; democratic ideals and the institutions and practices necessary for those ideals to work in everyday politics—power, equality, majority rule, participation, trust, representation.
POLI:3350 Games of Politics 3 s.h.
Active learning component to many theories and concepts learned in political science and international relations; multitude of simulations (games) that provide a hands-on learning element to these concepts and theories; topics include alliances, balance of power, inequality, public opinion, gerrymandering, and policy making; students read materials connected to the specific weekly topic, complete a simulation tied to that topic, discuss links between topics; and complete a variety of assignments that tie these items together.
POLI:3400 Political Economy 3 s.h.
Economic reasoning applied to political issues, including evolution of institutions, voting, leadership, interest groups, bargaining tactics, federalism, bureaucracy, fairness and compensation for wrongs, legitimacy of democracy, electoral cycles in economic policy, revolutions.
POLI:3405 Authoritarian Politics 3 s.h.
Political dynamics in countries with authoritarian governing regimes; how those dynamics differ from their counterparts in democracies; how decisions are reached and get enforced; forms political struggles take; how interest groups pursue influence; ways individuals deal with the government; tension between regime control and societal progress.
POLI:3408 Chinese Politics and Society 3 s.h.
Comprehensive introduction to modern Chinese history; current Chinese political system and political culture; public policy issues.
POLI:3410 Russian Foreign Policy 3 s.h.
Russia's behavior as a major economic, military, and diplomatic power in the world and what shapes that behavior; Russians' perceptions of other countries; Russian national interests; capabilities and domestic political dynamics; implications for foreign policy of the United States and other countries.
POLI:3411 Democracy: Global Trends and Struggles 3 s.h.
Diverse contemporary understandings and practices of democracy; worldwide democratization trends; what political, economic, cultural and transnational factors shape those trends; how elites and citizens struggle to promote or retard democracy; the news full of people around the world taking action to demand democracy and what this term, so highly prized, really means; what is known about when democracy will replace authoritarianism; how can democracies more fully live up to their promise.
POLI:3420 Southeast Asia: Politics and Development 3 s.h.
Eleven states of Southeast Asia; governance, development strategies, domestic politics, approach to democracy and national identity; regional politics and important transnational issues; role of ASEAN, terrorism, trans-Pacific trade and investment issues, China's looming presence, impact of ongoing and historic conflicts; briefings, discussions, presentations.
POLI:3422 Horn of Africa: Politics and Transnational Issues 3 s.h.
Eight states in the Horn of Africa region; important transnational and regional issues; governance, development strategies, domestic politics, social and civic dynamics of countries in the region; wildlife trafficking, piracy, fight against HIV/AIDS, imprint of colonialism, secession, ethnic and national identities, democratization, role of women in society, impact of ongoing and historic conflicts; briefings, discussions, presentations.
POLI:3423 The Middle East: Policy and Diplomacy 3 s.h.
Nineteen states and entities of North Africa and the Middle East; issues of governance, development strategies, domestic politics, and approach to democracy and national identity; regional politics and important transnational issues; role of political Islam; impacts of the Arab Spring, terrorism, oil, role of women in society, ongoing and historic conflicts; briefings, discussions, presentations.
POLI:3424 Global Development 3 s.h.
Exploration of political and social causes and consequences of economic development; two important questions asked—Why are some countries rich while others are poor? What can be done to encourage growth in underdeveloped countries?
POLI:3425 South Asia: Politics, Identity, and Conflict 3 s.h.
Survey of the eight countries in the South Asia region; examination of governance in the eight countries; students explore the interaction of politics, identity, and conflict within and across the regional states; ethnic, religious, caste, class, and other identities that have long competed for primacy with national identities in South Asia, sometimes leading to armed conflict within countries and sometimes sparking war between countries, and the question—Am I first a Sri Lankan or a Tamil? What do I feel like most?
POLI:3426 Outliers: Comparing Odd Countries 3 s.h.
The 195 countries that make up today's international system vary greatly by demography, geography, cultural variables, income, and many other characteristics; United Nations member Nauru, for example, with only 10,000 people and eight square miles of territory was once ranked among the world's richest countries per capita; how being "odd" (compared to the norm) in key characteristics relates to sociopolitical outcomes like good governance, human development, or happiness; students write short research papers, participate in group projects, and engage in an active learning environment to explore governance in the world's "odd" countries.
POLI:3427 Latinas/os/x and the Law 3 s.h.
Introduction and survey of Latina/o/x legal history; topics include segregation, educational rights, immigration, voting rights, citizenship, and the criminal justice system. Same as AMST:3420, LATS:3420, SJUS:3420.
POLI:3428 Statecraft, Diplomacy, and World Order 3 s.h.
Exploration of the interaction of statecraft, diplomacy, and changing perceptions of world order; how a state fosters its interests and values vis-à-vis the world's other nations, international organizations, and nonstate actors given significant changes to traditional diplomacy and statecraft wrought by advances in technology, globalization, domestic political inputs, and requirements of conflict management; material ranges broadly in scope from long arc of regional competition over thousands of years to nuts and bolts of modern-day statecraft.
POLI:3430 Environmental Politics and Indigeneity 3 s.h.
Examination of contemporary environmental challenges through the lens of indigeneity; exploration of the concepts of environment and indigeneity, and development of a guiding framework for analyzing environmental challenges; application of this framework to analyze themes including climate change, biodiversity, food production, management of genetic resources, extractivism, and sustainable development; environmental/indigenous scholars and activists share their work and insights. Same as NAIS:3430.
POLI:3431 U.S. Energy Policy in Global Context 3 s.h.
Historical and contemporary aspects of U.S. governmental planning and policy on a wide range of energy issues in global context. Same as GEOG:3780, GHS:3780, HIST:3240.
POLI:3432 Agriculture Politics and Policy 3 s.h.
Examination of local, national, and international politics and policies around agriculture including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), subsidies, trade, genetic seed banks, sustainability, and indigeneity. Same as NAIS:3432.
POLI:3450 Problems in Comparative Politics 3 s.h.
Structures, functions, behaviors of different political systems.
POLI:3503 Politics of Terrorism 3 s.h.
Strategies of terrorists, insurgents, guerrillas, and other non-state actors; terrorists' use of the media; suicide attacks; al Qaeda and the U.S.-led War on Terrorism; counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism; self-starters and transnational terrorist networks; drone strikes and data-mining operations as counter-terrorism tools and the associated political controversies.
POLI:3504 Globalization 3 s.h.
Introduction to multidisciplinary literature on political economy and culture of globalization; major topics of debate on globalization.
POLI:3505 Civil Wars 3 s.h.
Causes, duration, management, and consequences of civil war; factors that create more frequent, longer civil wars (e.g., greed, grievance, ethnic conflict, state capacity); conflict management strategies for ending civil wars and minimizing long-term negative consequences.
POLI:3506 Consequences of War 3 s.h.
War's enduring effects: war's impact on individuals, including combatants and noncombatants; war's impact on states, including states' development, economic, political, and social effects; war's effects on the international system.
POLI:3509 International Courts: The Intersection of Law and Politics 3 s.h.
Introduction to important international courts including (Permanent) International Court of Justice, European Court of Justice, International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and International Criminal Court; the formation, design, and expansion of international courts from political and legal perspectives; states’ capabilities, regime type, and war; intersection of domestic and international law, emphasizing the major legal systems in the world (civil law, common law, Islamic law).
POLI:3512 International Conflict 3 s.h.
International conflict as the primary ingredient of international politics; sources, causes, and effects of conflict, alliance structures, power distribution, geography, arms races, deterrence.
POLI:3516 The Politics of International Economics 3 s.h.
Politics of international trade and financial systems, including rise of free trade in 19th century and breakdown between the two world wars, postwar trading system framed around the World Trade Organization, different types of international monetary systems, relations between rich countries and poor countries, and global environmental politics.
POLI:3518 Water Wars: Conflict and Cooperation 3 s.h.
How climate change may aggravate shortage of freshwater in water-stressed regions, producing warnings of conflict over international river basins or "water wars"; recent U.S. intelligence assessment notes that water may be used as a weapon between or within states, or to further terrorist aims in the future; management of international water resources including conflicts over cross-border rivers and maritime areas; common property resources, piracy, maritime security, peaceful and militarized conflict management of water-based conflicts, climate issues, natural disasters, United Nations Law of the Sea Convention.
POLI:3519 Politics of Aging 3 s.h.
Core concepts and methods related to aging and policies that address the needs of older persons; demographic measures of population health and aging, including incidence and distribution of specific conditions relevant in older age; theories of public policy and involvement of older persons in the political process; key historical and current policies, at both the federal and state/local levels, that influence service provision and the well-being of older persons in the United States. Same as ASP:3519.
POLI:3522 Ending Wars and Keeping Peace 3 s.h.
When are international and civil wars ripe for resolution? What determines intervention strategies for third parties, and why do attempts at conflict resolution so frequently fail? Students will investigate these questions and consider the process by which conflicts reach cease-fires and peace agreements, why some agreements last when others do not, and what can be done to make peace more durable; considering post-conflict societies and the lingering problems they face; topics include peacekeeping, mediation, the role of regional and international organizations, and post-conflict justice.
POLI:3525 Iowa Policy and Opinion Lab 0-3 s.h.
Collaboration and study of policymaking and public opinion in Iowa; examination of policy choices in legislative, executive, and judicial branches; collection of survey data on public opinion among Iowans; students assist with research question development, data collection, data analysis, writing up results, and work with topics in these and other areas (e.g., race and crime, gender and social issues, health and COVID-19, environment); research group led by faculty in the Departments of Political Science and Journalism and Mass Communication.
POLI:3526 Comparative Foreign Policy 3 s.h.
Students examine, compare, and analyze foreign policy of different countries; exploration of differences in different types of foreign policy across countries, including use of military force and cooperation on global issues (e.g., climate change, terrorism); understanding and evaluation of explanations for these differences, ranging from variation in leaders, domestic institutions, public opinion, and other factors; critical analysis of research on understanding foreign policies of countries.
POLI:3527 Civil War Research Lab 3 s.h.
Students engage in international relations research; focus on dynamics of conflict and cooperation in civil wars.
POLI:3530 Diplomacy Lab arr.
Students work in teams under the supervision of a faculty member on projects created by the U.S. Department of State; class meetings are arranged and most work will occur outside of the classroom; experiential learning course in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
POLI:3550 Problems of International Politics 3 s.h.
Problems in studying international system, structures, functions, behavior.
POLI:3560 Public Policy and Persuasion 3 s.h.
Students build their skill set in policy analysis, formation, and communication through a social justice lens; engagement in service learning projects in one Iowa community, where work done directly impacts that community's ability to make changes; development of effective writing and oral presentation styles that can be adapted to different audiences; focus on homelessness policy using social policy and social justice concepts to explore work of policy makers who have "right-sized" existing systems to serve communities in crisis and propose solutions to systemic problems that disadvantage marginalized populations. Prerequisites: RHET:1030 or RHET:1040 or RHET:1060. Same as PBAF:3560, RHET:3560, SJUS:3560.
POLI:3570 Poverty Policy 3 s.h.
How poverty is regulated and addressed in the United States, and by federal, state, and local governments; particular focus on programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Section 8 housing, Medicaid, and Medicare; how these systems have changed over time; current models and innovations that have emerged in practice. Same as GHS:3570, PBAF:3570.
POLI:3601 Politics of Film 3 s.h.
Issues in the popular politics of aesthetics, communication, culture, and myth, explored through analysis of films.
POLI:3603 War and Film 3 s.h.
Exploration of one of the most significant political phenomena, war, as it is represented and understood through film; various film genres including classic war films, historical and historical fiction, documentary (e.g., Battle of Algiers, Triumph of the Will, Invisible War), comedy-drama (e.g., Life is Beautiful), and dark comedy or satire (e.g., The Mouse that Roared, Tropic Thunder); scholarly writings on international conflict; students discover and investigate themes related to nature of war, its underlying causes, and its consequences.
POLI:3701 Special Topics in Politics 1-2 s.h.
Presentations by distinguished lecturers on topics in the study of politics not covered in other courses.
POLI:3710 Law School Readiness Seminar 0-1 s.h.
Engagement in a number of programs and educational activities in preparation for successful application to and completion of law school.
POLI:3711 Law School Readiness Seminar II 1 s.h.
Preparation for successful application to and completion of law school; second in a two-semester sequence. Prerequisites: POLI:3710.
POLI:3992 Political Science Undergraduate Research Projects 0 s.h.
Independent research with mentorship from a political science faculty member.
POLI:3993 Political Science Undergraduate Research Projects 1-4 s.h.
Independent research with mentorship from a political science faculty member.
POLI:3994 Political Science Undergraduate Research Projects 1-4 s.h.
Independent research with mentorship from a political science faculty member.
POLI:4000 Honors Seminar on the Study of Politics 3 s.h.
Examination of big ideas in the study of politics and government that cut across the fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. Requirements: honors standing in political science.
POLI:4600 Honors Research Project 3 s.h.
Special research assistance to political science faculty. Requirements: junior or senior honors standing in political science.
POLI:4601 Honors Senior Thesis 3 s.h.
Supervised research and writing. Requirements: honors standing in political science and more than one semester before graduation.
POLI:4700 Independent Study arr.
Supervised special projects.
POLI:4701 Undergraduate Research Tutorial 3 s.h.
Individual training in applied research.
POLI:4800 Senior Seminar in International Relations 3 s.h.
Completion of final research project as a culmination of student's work in the major; research supervised by a faculty member; required for international relations major. Recommendations: taken during one of student's final two semesters at the University of Iowa.
POLI:4801 Honors Senior Seminar in International Relations 3 s.h.
Honors capstone course for international relations majors.
POLI:4802 International Relations Senior Seminar Preparation 1 s.h.
Preparation for international relations senior seminar.
POLI:4900 Government and Politics Internship 1-3 s.h.
Undergraduate internships in state or national legislative office, executive agency, or with election campaign official.
POLI:5000 Introduction to Political Analysis 4 s.h.
Conceptual problems of political analysis; empirical research strategies, philosophy of science. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science.
POLI:5001 Introductory Methodology 3-4 s.h.
Introduction to quantitative techniques in political science; set theory, probability distributions, estimation, testing; emphasis on acquiring mathematical skills for more advanced quantitative work in political science. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science. Same as IGPI:5001.
POLI:5003 Intermediate Methodology 4 s.h.
Techniques of data analysis; statistical models and their relationship to hypotheses tested. Requirements: doctoral standing in political science and one semester of intermediate statistics.
POLI:5100 American Politics 4 s.h.
Major literature of American politics, emphasis on comparative, systemic, behavioral studies. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science.
POLI:5111 American Public Policy 3 s.h.
Introduction to study of public policy in the United States; development of analytical skills necessary to better understand and explain contemporary policy debates and public policy decision-making that takes place at the local, state, and national levels in the United States; topics include a mix of theoretical approaches and substantive policy areas to better understand how policy is made, manipulated, and maintained; examination of demands and supports, institutional, and environmental variables that drive American public policy. Same as PBAF:5111.
POLI:5117 Bureaucratic Politics and Public Administration 3 s.h.
Examination of bureaucracy from political, theoretical, and practical perspectives; what we mean by "bureaucracy" and how it developed over time; political control of bureaucracy; how bureaucracy performs its tasks, including behavior of bureaucrats; role of nonprofit service delivery in modern bureaucracy; how bureaucracy affects American policy and politics. Same as PBAF:5117.
POLI:5200 American State Politics 3 s.h.
Approaches to analysis of political behavior in American state governments; emphasis on cultures, parties, actors, processes, issues. Same as PBAF:5200.
POLI:5400 Comparative Politics 4 s.h.
Conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in comparative study of politics; developments in comparative politics subfield. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science.
POLI:5500 International Politics 4 s.h.
Approaches to study of international politics. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science.
POLI:5700 Introduction to Formal Models in Political Science 4 s.h.
Use of formal mathematical models; current modeling techniques, applications in American politics, comparative politics, international politics. Requirements: MA or PhD standing in political science.
POLI:7002 Topics Methodology 4 s.h.
Application of advanced statistical techniques in political science; limited dependent variable regression techniques, simulation methods, missing data techniques, history/rare event analysis and maximum likelihood, and topics tailored to students' research; focus on learning how and when to apply these techniques.
POLI:7003 Advanced Methodology 4 s.h.
Introduction to regression techniques for limited dependent and qualitative variables in political science; logit, probit, multinomial logit and probit, ordered logit and probit, event history models, event count models; emphasis on understanding how and when to apply these models.
POLI:7100 Modeling American Politics 4 s.h.
Exploration of how well formal models explain the real world and how the fit between models and world can be improved.
POLI:7150 Problems in American Politics 4 s.h.
Problems in study of American political system; structures, functions, behavior.
POLI:7202 Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior 4 s.h.
Political attitudes and beliefs in mass publics; voting behavior; how electoral systems function.
POLI:7270 Responsible Research in Political Science 1 s.h.
Concepts and practice of scholarly integrity, responsible conduct of research, and research ethics in political science; data management, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, human subjects, animal welfare, research misconduct, and conflict of interest and commitment. Requirements: enrollment in political science MA or PhD program.
POLI:7450 Problems of Comparative Politics 4 s.h.
Problems in study of comparative political systems; structures, functions, behavior.
POLI:7502 International Institutions and Cooperation 4 s.h.
Literature of international systems and international organization; major schools of thought in international relations theory, their utility in explaining evolution of the international system and recent developments in international organization and global governance.
POLI:7503 International Conflict and Cooperation 4 s.h.
Recent theoretical and empirical debates in international relations literature; emphasis on formal and quantitative research.
POLI:7550 Problems in International Politics 4 s.h.
Issues of international politics, emphasis on problems of theoretical analysis.
POLI:7900 Readings Tutorial arr.
Independent study.
POLI:7901 Research Tutorial arr.
Individual training in applied research.
POLI:7910 PhD Dissertation arr.