Major
Minor
Courses |
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 As Aristotle observed some 2000 years ago, "Man
is by nature a political animal." Politics shapes who we are and how
we live; it animates human nature, forges identities, drives social
movements, structures national politics and institutions, molds
international relations. At Oglethorpe, students of politics
encounter a wide range of opinions, beliefs, and scholarly analysis
as to the nature of politics and what constitutes the legitimate
aims of political action. Differences and disagreements abound,
providing a rich environment for students to develop their own
informed opinions honed through healthy debate with their
colleagues. In addition, politics majors gain both substantive
knowledge and analytic skills. Introductory classes in American
politics, comparative politics, international relations, and
political philosophy provide the foundation for subsequent pursuit
of more specialized study undertaken in higher-level courses. Skills
acquired include: close critical reading of texts; inductive,
deductive, and analogical reasoning; substantiating arguments;
comparing across cases; and making generalizations.
Oglethorpe's location provides numerous
opportunities to study and engage with real world politics, be they
local, national, or international. Atlanta is home to the Georgia
state government, The Carter Center, and the Martin Luther King Jr.
Center. Students have taken advantage of the Georgia's Legislative
Intern and Governor's Intern Programs, as well as worked with the
Georgia State Legislature, the Department of Industry, Trade and
Tourism, and the League of Women Voters, participated in The Carter
Center Internship Program, and worked with a variety of governmental
and grassroots programs.
Resources at Oglethorpe serve to help students
engage actively in politics. Through the University's Career
Services Office, students can identify and create other internships.
Oglethorpe's affiliations with The Washington Center for Internships
and the Washington Semester Program of American University allow
students to study politics and intern in the nation's capital.
Students can also use internship credit towards their major
requirements. In an increasingly globalized world, Oglethorpe study
abroad programs provide the opportunity to gain in-depth experience
of the politics and culture of another country for periods ranging
from a week, to a semester, to a year. Please see
Oglethorpe
University Students Abroad in the
Educational Enrichment
section.
Politics majors contemplate and analyze the
different forms of power shaping today's world, be they individuals,
ideas, institutions, or coercive force. This knowledge prepares them
well for a variety of careers, including law, journalism,
government, international organizations, NGO's, education, business,
and politics.
Major
The requirements for a major in politics are
satisfactory completion of at least 10 courses in the discipline, of
which the following four are required:
POL 101 Introduction to
American Politics
POL 111 International Relations
POL 121 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POL 341 Political Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval or
POL 342 Political Philosophy II: Modern
In addition, students must take two courses at
the 300 level and one at the 400 level, and complete at least one
semester of a foreign language at the second semester
elementary-level or higher. The degree awarded is the Bachelor of
Arts.
Minor
To receive a minor, students must take four
courses distributed among three of the four subfields of the
discipline (American politics, comparative politics, international
relations, and political philosophy).
The following courses are offered in Politics:
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POL 101. Introduction to American Politics |
4 hours |
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This course is an introduction to the
fundamental questions of politics through an examination of the
American founding and political institutions.
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POL 111. International Relations |
4 hours |
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This course is an introduction to the conduct of
politics in a condition of anarchy. The central issues will be
how and whether independent states can establish and preserve
international order and cooperate for the achievement of their
common interests in an anarchic environment. These questions
will be explored through a reading of relevant history and
theoretical writings and an examination of present and future
trends influencing world politics.
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POL 121. Introduction to Comparative Politics |
4 hours |
This course traces the evolution of major theories and methodologies
of comparative politics from the 1960s to present, analyzing both
their distinguishing characteristics and how these theories respond
to the prominent political issues and intellectual debates of their
times. Topics to be covered include: political behavior, political
culture, revolutions, modernization, political economy, rational
choice, institutions, and the state, with democratization serving as
an overarching theme.
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POL 201. Constitutional Law |
4 hours |
In this course, we will examine the Constitution
and the efforts of the United States Supreme Court to expound
and interpret it. In addition to reading and briefing many
Supreme Court decisions, we will examine some leading
contemporary works in constitutional and legal theory.
Prerequisite: POL 101.
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POL 202. State and Local Government |
4 hours |
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This course is a survey of the origin,
development, and characteristic problems of state and local
government in the United States. Prerequisite: POL 101.
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POL 211. War |
4 hours |
What is war? How and to what extent has it changed through the ages?
Why are wars won or lost? When is war just? How will war be fought
in the future, with what results?
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POL 231. Asian Politics |
4 hours |
This course is a general introduction to the variety of political
systems in Asia, concentrating particularly on the nations of East
Asia. It will emphasize the methods of comparative political study
and will focus on understanding the factors that determine different
political outcomes in nations that share a geographical region and
many similar cultural and historical influences.
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POL 302. American Political Parties |
4 hours |
An in-depth study of the development of party
organizations in the United States and an analysis of their
bases of power. Prerequisite: POL 101.
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POL 303. Congress and the Presidency |
4 hours |
An examination of the original arguments for the
current American governmental structure and the problems now
faced by these institutions. Prerequisite: POL 101.
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ULP 303. The New American City |
4 hours |
The purpose of this course is to examine the
problems and prospects of politics and policymaking in the new
American city and its environs. Consideration will be given to
the political and sociological significance of a number of the
factors that characterize this new development, including the
extremes of wealth and poverty, the mix of racial and ethnic
groups, and the opportunities and challenges provided by
progress in transportation and technology. Offered annually.
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POL 304. African-American Politics |
4 hours |
This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the
various strategies and tactics used by African-Americans to advance
their economic, social, and political agendas. As such, the course
will provide a detailed examination of the successes and failures of
the interaction between the United States political system and
African-Americans from both an historic and present-day perspective.
Prerequisite: POL 101.
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POL 311. United States Foreign Policy |
4 hours |
A history of American foreign policy since 1945,
emphasis in this course will be on the description, explanation,
and evaluation of events and policies, not the study of
policy-making as such.
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POL 321. Political Development |
4 hours |
This course surveys substantive themes and theoretical debates in
the study of political development including: what is meant by
'political development,' cultural versus structural explanations for
change, whether development is driven by domestic or international
influences, political transitions, and the relative significance of
particular groups or institutions. Readings build from theoretical
touchstones HNSO II (Smith, Marx, Weber) to address contemporary
cases in developing and developed countries. Prerequisite: POL 121,
COR 202, or permission of the instructor.
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POL 331. Comparative Politics of China and Japan |
4 hours |
While Japan and China have both become prominent nation-states with
increasing international influence, each country has achieved this
feat through very different means. This course seeks to ascertain
the sources and strength of their respective development paths as
well as the prognosis for their political and economic futures.
Topics to be covered include: state formation, ideology and
political order, political and economic institutions, economic
development strategies, 'Asian values,' state-society relations,
regional and international relations. Prerequisite: POL 121, POL
231, or permission of the instructor.
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POL 341. Political Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval |
4 hours |
This is an examination of the origins of philosophical reflection on
the fundamental issues of politics, which is designed to lead to the
critical consideration of the political views of our time. Among the
topics discussed are the relationship between knowledge and
political power and the character of political justice. Portions of
the works of Aristophanes, Plato, Cicero, and Alfarabi are examined.
Prerequisite: COR 201 or permission of the instructor.
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POL 342. Political Philosophy II: Modern |
4 hours |
This is a critical examination of the peculiarly modern political
and philosophical stance beginning where Political Philosophy I
concludes. Among the authors discussed are Machiavelli, Hobbes,
Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Kojeve. Prerequisite: POL 341 or
permission of the instructor.
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POL 350. Special Topics in Politics |
4 hours |
A variety of courses will be offered to respond to topical needs of
the curriculum. Recent courses include Moral and Political
Leadership, Dealing with Diversity, Criminal Law, and Citizenship in
Theory and Practice. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
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POL 361. European Politics |
4 hours |
This course is a factual, conceptual and historical introduction to
politics on the European continent, including (but not necessarily
limited to) Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the
European Union. These regimes will be studied through a comparison
of their social structures, party systems, institutions and
constitutions, political cultures and (if possible) their domestic
policies. Prerequisite: POL 101.
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POL 411. War, Peace, and Security |
4 hours |
An in-depth treatment of one or more of the issues introduced in
International Relations. The course will be conducted as a seminar,
with the emphasis on reading, discussion and research. It will
address the following questions: When and why do statesmen resort to
force to resolve international conflicts? When does the threat of
force succeed or fail and when and how ought one to employ it? When
and why do states make peace? What are the causes of conflict in the
present and future? What are the prospects for peace? Topics vary
from year to year. Prerequisite: POL 111 or POL 311.
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POL 422. Seminar in Chinese Politics |
4 hours |
This course explores the ongoing political, social, and economic
transformations in Communist China, with emphasis on the post-Mao
era (1978 to the present). General themes include Maoist versus
Dengist politics, revolution versus reform, market reform in a
communist state, factionalism, central-local relations,
state-society relations, China in the international order. The
course also examines current political and social issues.
Prerequisite: POL 121, POL 231, or permission of the instructor.
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POL 431. Seminar in Politics and Culture |
4 hours |
This will be an upper-level seminar in the study of the relationship
of politics and culture. Emphasis will be placed on understanding
the nature and difficulties of cultural study, with particular
attention to ethnographic or participant observer research methods.
Focus of the seminar changes yearly but has included such topics as
Judaism and Jewishness, Women and Politics, and Language and
Politics. Prerequisite: POL 101 or junior standing.
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POL 441. Seminar in Political Philosophy |
4 hours |
An intensive examination of a text or theme introduced in the
Political Philosophy sequence. Among the topics have been Rousseau's
Emile, Spinoza, and The German Enlightenment. Prerequisite:
Permission of the instructor.
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POL 450. Independent Study in Politics |
1-4 hours |
Supervised research on a selected topic. Prerequisite: Submission of
a proposed outline of study that includes a schedule of meetings and
assignments approved by the instructor, the division chair, and the
Provost and Senior Vice President prior to registration.
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POL 451. Internship in Politics |
1-4 hours |
An internship is designed to provide a formalized experiential
learning opportunity to qualified students. The internship generally
requires the student to obtain a faculty supervisor in the relevant
field of study, submit a learning agreement, work 30 hours for every
hour of academic credit, keep a written journal of the work
experience, have regularly scheduled meetings with the faculty
supervisor, and write a research paper dealing with some aspect of
the internship. Written work should total five pages of academic
writing for every hour of credit. An extensive list of internships
is maintained by the Career Services Office, including opportunities
at the Georgia State Legislature, the United States Department of
State, The Carter Center, and the Superior Court of Fulton County.
Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites:
Permission of the faculty supervisor and qualification for the
internship program.
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