OSU LIMA

  OSU COLUMBUS

POLITICAL SCIENCE OSU COLUMBUS

THE COURSE:

Our course will raise questions about power and leadership in democratic societies. In working our way through the course outline we'll discover that politics appears in different forms and occurs in a variety of communities. Much of our study will derive from our familiarity with the American political process, but we will also direct our attention to other places, thus giving the course a comparative and global focus.

The course is student-centered, meaning that significant direction will come from you and the questions you raise as you interact with course assignments and participate in class discussions. Much of our study will occur in a discussion group format, with students participating in small groups and within meetings of the entire class.

By the end of the course, you will acquire a sophisticated understanding of the politics which affect everyday life. You will also have an appreciation for the global nature of political activity. Greater sophistication will, in turn, spawn heightened political awareness and, hopefully, activism. Because you will be armed with the knowledge of how politics works, you will be in a position to evaluate political crises and problems existing in the world today. Greater understanding of political processes will inspire you to be a participating citizen and not a passive spectator of politics.

READINGS:

Shively, Power and Choice, 10th edition
Ibsen/Miller, An Enemy of the People
Machiavelli, The Prince
Kennedy, Roscoe
The New York Times (student subscription via the Lima Campus bookstore)

EVALUATION:

Your final grade will be based on evaluation of the following assignments: First midterm (100 points); second midterm (100 points); final exam (150 points); quizzes (30 points); class participation (20 points). As the course progresses, I will supply additional information on these assignments. Grade scale will be as follows: A=360 points; B=320-359 points; C=280-319 points; D=240-279 points.