Political Science
Faculty
M. Patrick Cottrell, Ph.D. (Chair)
Dimitri Kelly, Ph.D.
Dawn Nowacki, Ph.D.
At its root, the study of politics involves the exploration of relationships between government and the governed, the powerful and the powerless, as well as the ways in which identities and interests shape these relationships. The Political Science curriculum investigates these and other thematic relationships in the context of five broad fields: American politics, comparative politics, international politics, political theory, and public law. Students are encouraged to take courses in each field, and many students choose to specialize in one.
While Political Science is one of the most flexible and diverse majors at Linfield, it is also one of the most challenging and rigorous. Above all, the Political Science curriculum is intended to help students acquire the tool set and knowledge they need to excel in an increasingly interconnected world.
A student’s education in political science is enriched through opportunities for direct experience with the political world. The department’s required internship program makes it possible for students to work at local, state, national and international levels and integrate their coursework with practical, real world experiences.
In addition to providing a core foundation in the study of politics, students pursue in depth issues of particular interest to them in one required proseminar and a senior thesis, in which they work closely with faculty members on more intensive research projects. The senior thesis course concludes with a substantial revision and oral defense of an independent research project, and is accompanied by small professional development workshops designed to help seniors make the transition beyond Linfield to graduate school and/or to pursue successful careers in government, law, NGO activism, education, journalism, business, academia, and many other fields.
Honors
The Elliot Tenofsky Award for Outstanding Senior in Political Science
The department established the Outstanding Senior award in 1991 to recognize the top graduating senior student. In 2003 the award was renamed to honor Elliot Tenofsky, Professor of Political Science at Linfield from 1975-2003. Criteria for selection include several factors indicating excellence: overall grade point average, grade point average in the major, the ability to analyze complex political phenomena, exceptional writing and speaking skills, and potential for advanced study.
Chi Omega
Chi Omega is Linfield’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. Upper division students are elected to membership based on appropriate academic qualifications.
Programs
International Relations Major
The International Relations major is housed in the Political Science Department. Because of the overlapping major requirements in Political Science and IR, students are not permitted to double major in these disciplines. However, they are encouraged to double major in either Political Science or IR, and other disciplines. Unlike Political Science, the IR major requires language proficiency (at least two years) and a semester study abroad. Refer to the International Relations section of this catalog for further information and the major requirements.
Law, Rights, and Justice Major and Minor
The Law, Rights, and Justice major and minor are housed in the Political Science Department. The major and minor are interdisciplinary with requirements in Political Science, Business, Economics, English, Journalism and Media Studies, Philosophy, and Sociology. Refer to the Law, Rights, and Justice section for further information and requirements.
Courses
A list of the department’s infrequently taught courses can be found on the Registrar’s webpages.
POLS 198 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TERM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included From Colonialism to Globalism: Political Change in Southeast Asia from World War II to the Present; Religion and Politics in Turkey; Politics and the Past in Post-Soviet States; Comparative Women's Politics in Europe; Politics and Religion in Ireland. Offered only as student interest and college resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
POLS 201 AMERICAN POLITICS (4 credits)
How our national government is supposed to work and how it does work. Problems and tensions. Contemporary issues and controversies.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
POLS 210 INTERNATIONAL POLITICS (4 credits)
Examines historical context and theoretical foundations central to understanding international political order and exercise of power in a global era. Applies knowledge to current issues such as climate change, human rights, poverty, and nuclear proliferation.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 220 GREAT POLITICAL THINKERS (4 credits)
Unchanging and continuing themes and issues of politics and political philosophers. Original works of selected major political theorists including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, the contract theorists, and Marx.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 225 THE STUDY OF LAW (4 credits)
The nature, functions, uses, and operations of the legal process. Types of law (civil, criminal, equity) courts, judges, and other legal actors. Specific current problems to illustrate the legal process.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 230 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (4 credits)
Qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study of politics and public policy. The logic, assumptions, goals, and limitations of the scientific approach to the study of politics, with emphasis on quantitative methods and the use of computers in research.
Prerequisites: POLS 201, POLS 210, or POLS 220, or consent of instructor.
(QUANTITATIVE REASONING)
POLS 250 LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS ACROSS DISCIPLINES (ALSO LISTED AS LEAD 250) (4 credits)
Exploration of leadership and ethics across disciplines. Identify core facets of leadership from different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Evaluate what it means to lead with integrity, compassion, and ethics in different contexts. Activities may include: leadership self-assessment, seminars with guest speakers, skills-training, and self-reflection.
Typically offered: Spring Semester
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 298 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TERM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included From Colonialism to Globalism: Political Change in Southeast Asia from World War II to the Present; Religion and Politics in Turkey; Politics and the Past in Post-Soviet States; Comparative Women's Politics in Europe; Politics and Religion in Ireland. Offered only as student interest and college resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
POLS 310 AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT (4 credits)
American political thought from colonial times to the present. Consideration of how the political theories of early American thinkers addressed the problems of their age and relate to modern problems and issues. Theories of change and resolution. Application of contemporary theories from various areas in society to evolutionary trends in American thought.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS, U.S. PLURALISM)
POLS 311 LEADERSHIP, ETHICS, AND PERSUASION (4 credits)
Examines the two-thousand-year-old tradition of rhetoric and addresses the difficult question of ethical argument. Begins with the Greeks, and moves into the twenty-first century. After establishing a theoretical understanding of the important questions and practices, students will consider a variety of speeches by American leaders. Ends with participants creating their own speeches on current topics. Taught as a Socratic, discussion-based seminar. (LISTED AS LEAD 311, POLS 311, AND ENGL 311)
Prerequisites: INQS 125.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 312 REBELS, THUGS, AND SKEPTICS: TWENTIETH- CENTURY POLITICAL THEORY (4 credits)
Examination of original works of twentieth-century political theory. Consideration of alternative views of central political concepts such as power, liberty, equality, and resistance.
Prerequisites: POLS 220 or PHIL 365, or consent of instructor.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 313 WHAT IS FREEDOM? (4 credits)
Exploration of how the concept of freedom has been understood throughout human history.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 315 POLITICS AND RELIGION (ALSO LISTED AS RELS 315) (4 credits)
Examination of the relationship between politics and religion in varying contexts: theories of the role of religion in government and society, religious social movements, contemporary political controversies involving religion.
Prerequisites: One of POLS 201, POLS 210, POLS 220, RELS 110, RELS 115, or consent of instructor.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 320 LAW, RIGHTS AND JUSTICE (4 credits)
Examination of rights and justice in the United States. Analysis of law in society. The concepts of obligation, authority, disobedience, and punishment. Focus on contemporary legal controversies.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 325 U.S. SUPREME COURT (4 credits)
Exploration of the role of the Supreme Court in the American political system. Examination of debates over the Court's proper role in the system, empirical research on judicial behavior, and the role of the executive and legislative branches in the judicial nomination and confirmation process.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 326 THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY (4 credits)
Analysis and discussion of the various roles of the President, including constitutional status and powers, nomination and election, administrative responsibilities, legislative and political leadership, and conduct of foreign relations.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing.
Typically offered: Fall Semester, Even Years
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 330 POLITICS AND THE ARTS (4 credits)
Exploration of what can be learned about politics from other disciplines, including literature, film, and the fine arts.
(CREATIVE STUDIES)
POLS 337 MEDIA & THE LAW (4 credits)
Investigates legal issues and judicial decisions related to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn to analyze court cases and do legal research, including public records requests. Topics include press freedom, intellectual property, libel, privacy, obscenity, censorship, corporate/commercial speech, media regulation, and more. (Listed as JAMS 337 and POLS 337.)
Prerequisites: INQS 125. JAMS 150.
Typically offered: Spring Semester, Odd Years
POLS 353 POLITICAL COMMUNICATION (ALSO LISTED AS JAMS 353) (4 credits)
The uses and functions of communication in modern democracies. Exploration of dilemmas involved in communicating political information to the citizenry and the role of citizens in the broader political communication system.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 360 POLITICS OF INEQUALITY (4 credits)
Examination of the empirical evidence underlying social, political, and economic inequalities in the United States, their causes and consequences, and their intersection with politics.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher, or consent of instructor.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
POLS 361 CURRENT DEBATES IN US FOREIGN POLICY (4 credits)
Formal debate course on the current problems in US foreign policy. Possible topics included: US military intervention abroad, US foreign economic policy, climate change. humanitarian intervention, weapons proliferation, immigration, democracy promotion, and regional issues.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 362 INTERNATIONAL LAW, ETHICS, AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE (4 credits)
Provides introduction to international public law and the global governance arrangements that aim to address many of the world's most urgent problems, including use of force, climate change, poverty, and human rights violations. Special emphasis on moral and ethical dimensions of these issues.
Prerequisites: POLS 210 strongly recommended.
Typically offered: Fall Semester
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 365 TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS (4 credits)
Topics important to the study of the American political system, for example, the American Presidency, American Politics and the Culture Wars, and Why Americans Hate Politics. Strongly Recommended Prerequisite: 210.
Prerequisites: POLS 210 strongly recommended.
Typically offered: Alternate Years
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 370 TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS (4 credits)
Exploration of various areas of international politics. Possible topics include globalization, international environmental politics, women and war, international law and human rights, advanced study of theories of international relations, U.S. foreign policy.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 371 POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY (4 credits)
Explanation of political attitudes and behavior based on individual and group psychology. Various psychological theories explaining political behavior are examined, as well as a wide variety of issues including war, terrorism, leadership, voting behavior and differences in elite and mass decision making.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher, or consent of instructor.
Typically offered: Every Third Year Or Less Often
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 380 TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY (4 credits)
Advanced seminar in political theory. Varying topics such as concepts of justice, order, authority, ethics, and other subjects central to political theory.
Typically offered: Fall Semester
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
POLS 384 U.S. FOREIGN POLICY (4 credits)
History, conduct, and politics of U.S. foreign policy. Specific current problems used to highlight connections between past and present, illuminating domestic political determinants of foreign policy and promoting civic engagement.
Prerequisites: POLS 210 strongly recommended.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, VITAL PAST)
POLS 385 TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS (4 credits)
Comparison of the major political institutions and processes of nations in the same region, or of one nation with those of the United States and other nations with which a student is familiar. Possible foci: Britain, Canada, Germany, Latin America, Africa, and Western Europe.
Prerequisites: POLS 390 or instructor consent.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 390 COMPARATIVE POLITICS (4 credits)
Domestic political systems of various world regions, including Western Europe, former Communist countries, and developing countries in a framework of comparative analysis. Attention to understanding how modern political systems try to resolve domestic and international problems.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
POLS 398 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TERM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included From Colonialism to Globalism: Political Change in Southeast Asia from World War II to the Present; Religion and Politics in Turkey; Politics and the Past in Post-Soviet States; Comparative Women's Politics in Europe; Politics and Religion in Ireland. Offered only as student interest and college resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
POLS 439 PEER INSTRUCTION (1-4 credits)
POLS 450 JAN TERM IN WASHINGTON DC (5 credits)
Opportunities to learn how Washington works, including site visits to key institutions, briefings with members of the media, study of legislative and executive branches of government, and research projects.
POLS 480 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-5 credits)
For students wanting to investigate further topics of interest developed in regular courses or desiring to study material not specifically addressed in other courses.
POLS 487 EXPERIENCES IN POLITICS: INTERNSHIP (4 credits)
Apply coursework to the "real world" in an area of potential career interest, develop professional skills, gain expertise in policy analysis, and begin developing a professional network for after graduation. Strongly recommended during junior year.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
POLS 489 SENIOR SEMINAR (3 credits)
First part of year-long senior sequence designed to bring together Linfield experience and ensure smooth transition to post-undergraduate life. Includes research on a topic of special interest as preparation for senior capstone, skills workshops, application of coursework to current political problems, and critical selfreflection as a scholar, citizen, and leader. Required during the senior year.
Prerequisites: POLS 230.
Typically offered: Fall Semester, Annually
POLS 490 SENIOR CAPSTONE (3 credits)
Second part of year-long senior sequence. Capstone course in Political Science, with primary focus on completion of student portfolio, including integrative thesis paper. Course culminates in public oral defense of research and celebration of accomplishments.
Prerequisites: POLS 489, senior standing and Political Science major status.
Typically offered: Spring Semester
(MAJOR WRITING INTENSIVE)
POLS 498 PROSEMINAR (1 credit)
Further investigation of topics developed in regular elective departmental courses that students elect to pursue as proseminars (registration required on both the course in question and the pro-seminar).
Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in corresponding lecture and junior standing or higher, or consent of instructor.
(MAJOR WRITING INTENSIVE)