Introduction to Political Science
Instructor Information
Dr. Jose Marichal
Contact: marichal@callutheran.edu
Office Hours: Friday 12-2 pm OBO
Course Goals
This class is an introduction to the three things: the study of politics, the science of politics and most importantly, how to think through politics. The objective is to get you to think about your orientation towards the world. This includes examining how your personal view of “the good” conforms to your view of what the “good society” should look like. Another goal is to get you to understand how working Social Scientists apply epistemological tools to making knowledge claims about the world. Finally, I hope you leave this course as a more rigorous thinker. It’s important to have beliefs, but the hallmark of the liberal arts is that you learn how to honestly and periodically evaluate those beliefs in the face of empirical reality. This is a key feature of liberal democracies and an important precondition for being an effective citizen.
To accomplish these goals, this course is organized into three general areas. First, we will explore different political ideologies and what they mean (liberal, conservative, socialist, etc.) This is the main way in which individuals organize their own understanding of the political world and serve as core symbols for how people and politicians talk about themselves and their opponents. This is the “politics” part of political science. Next, we will explore how political scientist go about answering questions, what methods do they use and what theoretical approaches inform their work. This is the “science” part of political science. Finally, we’ll explore key concepts in the study of politics (power, democracy, globalization, and nationalism).
Assignments & Assessment
- Online Participation = 15 points
- Film Critical Analysis = 3 x 5 = 15 points
- 2 Exams x 35 points = 70 points