300
In this class you will learn skills of political research, including scientific reasoning, data management, and statistical analysis. You will apply your new skills to study data, e.g. from Carroll College exit polls. The skills gained in this class will help you become wary consumers and wise producers of information. The class involves some math but we focus on ideas and tools, not calculations. Required for PO/IR majors as preparation for Senior Seminar.
This course explores substantive policy issues challenging the American electorate. Students will use data to analyze and evaluate the political implications of debates concerning issues such as the boundaries between the government and private sector, social welfare, taxation, the environment, culture, defense, and the political economy. The course will then have students write a policy memo and apply analytic frameworks to a selected substantive policy area.
An exploration of U.S. elections, political parties, and public opinion and their contribution to the democratic process. The course will specifically examine the origins of individual political opinions. Students design and run an exit poll on Election Day and apply statistical tools to learn from the data.
An examination of the structure and the powers of the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and the Presidency. Attention will be given to exploring the historical evolution of both institutions, changes in the power and function of the two branches, the role of public opinion and elections, and congressional-executive relations.
How are the rights and limits of citizenship decided? This class provides students with opportunities to discuss the challenges facing the citizens of the future. We will get out of the classroom to teach and learn from other citizens of Montana.
This upper-division discussion seminar focuses on perennial, basic concepts in political theory, such as justice, democracy, liberty, or community as examined through the writings of selected ancient, modern, and contemporary theorists. The seminar has also been organized thematically (e.g., utopian political thought, green political thought, modernity and postmodernity).
Presents a critical examination of contending conceptions of international security, the policy making process as it relates to the formulation of national security priorities, and the role of weapons and force in foreign policy. In short, we will examine age-old questions pertaining to war and peace in the contemporary world.
Contemporary global problems affecting people's identity and dignity, the global marketplace, ecopolitics, and violent conflict will be critically examined. Developing an ability to understand and apply differing perspectives on global issues will be an underlying objective throughout this course.
The first part of this course prepares students for participation in an intercollegiate simulation involving negotiations on various international issues by studying how foreign policy is formulated in different countries, reviewing general principles of international relations, analyzing competing negotiation strategies, and researching contemporary issues of global concern. The last part of the course involves student participation in an international negotiation simulation with other collegiate teams via computer networks.
Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.