Department of Political Science and Public Affairs
Jubilee Hall Room 567
(973) 761-9383
www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/political-science-public-affairs
Faculty: Almonor (Africana Studies); Fisher; Hale; Lopez (Latin American Latino/Latina Studies); Mott; Pallitto; Taylor (Chair); Teo; Togman; Upton (Pre-Law Advisor)
Faculty Emeriti: Formicola; Manley; Wish
The Department of Political Science and Public Affairs offers programs of study in political science and economics leading to the degree Bachelor of Arts. The political science program offers curriculum in the discipline’s major subfields of United States government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and methodology, as well as in the areas of public law, environmental studies, urban affairs, public and nonprofit administration, public policy, and political behavior. The political science major provides students with a rigorous education in the theory and practice of politics, and prepares students for careers in politics, law, government service, journalism, the nonprofit sector, public affairs, the private sector, and numerous other fields.
The economics program provides students with a solid foundation in the discipline. The objectives of the program are threefold: to help develop a thorough understanding of the economic relationships between business, households and government, and the principles governing these relationships; to help develop proper analytical methods and modes of inquiry that will prepare students for careers in business, government and education; and to prepare the groundwork necessary for graduate studies in economics and related fields.
In addition to the major program, the department offers a minor in political science, a five-year dual degree (B.A./M.P.A.), and a six-year accelerated degree program (B.A./J.D.).
3+3 B.A./J.D. Accelerated Political Science Program
The Department of Political Science and Public Affairs offers a program for advanced students that want to move more quickly into law school. The curriculum details involving an expedited study of all undergraduate requirements with the exception of electives. The elective courses are satisfied by the successful completion of the first year of law school at Seton Hall University School of Law. Admission into the program does not signify admission into law school as GPA and LSAT requirements necessary for admission must be accomplished in the third year of study. All students admitted to the program are advised within the department with additional work and support the first year provided by the pre-legal advisor in the department. Students must maintain a 3.6 GPA to maintain active status in the program.
Note to Students: The following listing represents those courses that are in the active rotation for each department, i.e., have been offered in the past five years. Some departments have additional courses offered more rarely but still available – to find the complete list of all official courses for a department, please use the “Course Catalogue Search” function in Self-Service Banner
Course Descriptions
POLS 1211 United States Politics (3 Credits)
Introduction to the institutions and processes of United States national government, its development as a constitutional system and the political culture in the United States. Students develop a higher degree of “political literacy” about the workings of the American political system, and a better grasp of the importance of politics in everyday life.
POLS 1401 Western Political Thought (3 Credits)
Introduction to, and analysis of, the major questions that have challenged Western political thinkers. Selected writers will include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau.
POLS 1411 West Political Thought II (3 Credits)
Examination and analysis of the ideas of selected political theorists of the 18th and 19th centuries.
POLS 1611 Comparative Politics (3 Credits)
Comparative approaches to the study of politics. Analysis of functions, experiences and institutions of political systems, Western and non-Western.
POLS 1711 International Relations (3 Credits)
Analysis of forces affecting relations between nations and other global actors, including world-level and regional-level intergovernmental organizations as well as religious organizations. Emerging nations and their impact on the international political system.
POLS 2090 Topics in Public Policy (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of public policy. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2110 Contemporary Issues in U.S. Public Policy (3 Credits)
Overview of agenda setting, formulation, and implementation of public policies, including budgets, taxation, health, business regulation, civil rights and welfare. Students learn how political factors shape policy as well as learning techniques to analyze and evaluate these policies.
POLS 2120 The Nonprofit Sector (3 Credits)
Introduction to the important social, political and economic aspects of organizations and activities in the third or “independent” sector, which is neither government nor business.
POLS 2121 Financial and Fundraising Management (3 Credits)
Introduction to financial, budgetary and accounting issues in tax-exempt organizations, examines principles, techniques and issues surrounding resource development in nonprofit organizations, with an introduction to annual funds, capital campaigns and endowment support and an overview of grants and contracts including trends in grantmaking, grant writing, funding source identification and relationship development with funders.
POLS 2122 Public Administration (3 Credits)
Introduction to the field through an exploration of historical development of public bureaucracies and the contemporary politics affecting their organization and operation. Students learn about the causes of bureaucratic malfunction and the strategies managers use to make bureaucracies function more efficiently and effectively.
POLS 2190 Topics in Public Admin (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of public administration. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2191 Topics in Public Admin (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of public administration. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2193 Topics in Public Admin (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of public administration. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2212 The United States Congress (3 Credits)
This course examines the composition and political organization of the United States Congress. The course analyses the evolution of the institution, the congressional decision-making process, and Congress’s relations with other political actors, including other branches of government.
POLS 2213 United States Presidency (3 Credits)
This course examines how the modern presidency has evolved, how the office has changed to accommodate modern expectation, and how presidents, politicians, and citizens perceive, understand and analyze the office of the presidency, and the people who occupy it.
POLS 2214 United States Judicial System (3 Credits)
Concepts of law and jurisprudence, functions and staffing of United States courts, state and federal. Strengths and weaknesses of the jury system. The Supreme Court, how it decides, impact of its decisions and the role of the court in United States constitutional law. Controversy over judicial review.
POLS 2215 United States Parties and Interest Groups (3 Credits)
Examines the structure, operation and interaction of the major political parties and their roles in electing local, state and national officials. It analyzes campaigning for public office, and the impact of interest group politics on the process.
POLS 2216 Political Leadership (3 Credits)
This course examines methods, processes and techniques of planning and decision-making for effective leadership, from defining purpose and mobilizing external support to leading stakeholders in the community. Primary emphasis will be on leadership strategies designed to help mobilize communities for social change, including the problems and constraints in measuring equality and citizen participation in the decision-making process.
POLS 2220 United States Elections (3 Credits)
This course will analyze elections and voting behavior in the United States. We will examine general and primary elections for the presidency, Congress, as well as at the state and local level. The process of organizing and conducting elections, including nominations and conventions, will be explored.
POLS 2226 Government and Politics of New Jersey (3 Credits)
Structural study and functional analysis of state, county and local government in New Jersey.
POLS 2229 Introduction to U.S. Law (3 Credits)
Explores the basis for United States law by examining various theories of jurisprudence, or philosophies of law, and the goals and objectives of law. Distinguishes law from other forms of social control, and looks at the impact of law on society. (Formerly POLS 1212).
POLS 2230 U.S. Politics Through Doc Film (3 Credits)
This course explores a variety of political issues through the medium of documentary film. The semester is divided into four topical sections – Working Class Lives, Crime and Punishment, the Politics of Identity, and War & Peace. The course also will examine broader questions of the documentary medium, with a particular focus on the question of whether documentary filmmaking might constitute a social science, the nature of knowledge produced by nonfiction films, the role of narrative in understanding political phenomena, and the political anthropological act of participatory observation and ethnographic filmmaking.
POLS 2232 Internet Law & Policy (3 Credits)
The ubiquity of the internet and its services, coupled with the rapid pace of innovation and disruption it empowers, presents novel challenges for all aspects of public policy (courts, legislatures, regulators, users and providers). This course covers the mechanics of how the internet works and the challenges it poses to traditional regulatory controls. Competing models of internet regulation are introduced and applied to current public policy issues arising from the unique affordance of the internet. Specific attention is given to the relevant statutes and legal decisions that shape our regulatory responses.
POLS 2290 Topics in US Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of United States politics. Topics vary from semester to semester as the department directs. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2291 Topics in US Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of United States politics. Topics vary from semester to semester as the department directs. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2292 Topics in US Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of United States politics. Topics vary from semester to semester as the department directs. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2293 Topics in US Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of United States politics. Topics vary from semester to semester as the department directs. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2310 Black Culture, Law, & Politics (3 Credits)
AFAM/POLS 2310 AA Black Culture, Law, and Politics – EXP
Using historical and contemporary examples, this course centers the particular and cultural narratives of African American innovators within various fields and the ways in which they have navigated the centers of American power.
POLS 2311 Black Nationalism (3 Credits)
Examines the philosophy of Black nationalism as it appears in the writings and speeches of major leadership figures in the African-American community in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The nationalism of Martin R. Delany, Alexander Crummell, Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bishop Henry McMeal Turner, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X is covered.
POLS 2313 Black Politics (3 Credits)
Analytical study of the impact of black participation in American political institutions and their responsiveness to the political demands of the Black community.
POLS 2315 Politics of Gay Marriage (3 Credits)
POLS 2327 Organizing Grassroots Communities (3 Credits)
Methods of organizing Black communities to alter the responsiveness of institutions, assume control of them, or replace them. Heavy emphasis on the theories of power, politics and community control along with practical examples.
POLS 2412 Modern Ideologies (3 Credits)
This course is an evaluation of the various ideologies that have influenced political thought and action in the modern era. The content is introduced by an investigation of modernity itself and the meaning associated with this concept. Following this, the course reviews particular political ideologies (democratic theory, capitalism, anarchism, Marxism, socialism, fascism, religious fundamentalism).
POLS 2414 United States Political Ideas (3 Credits)
Introduction to major United States political theorists, including representative thinkers such as Madison, Calhoun, Thoreau, Sumner, Dewey, Kirk, Viereck, Marcuse and King.
POLS 2420 Modern Political Theory (3 Credits)
This course examines what constitutes our modern world and political reality. It is difficult to disassociate modern political theory from social, political and economic movements. Modern ideas and systematic theories are bound tightly to political action. Our work includes investigations of anarchism, democratic theory, fascism and totalitarianism, feminism, human rights and liberalism, libertarianism, communism and socialism, and environmentalism. Issues investigated include the rise of liberal democracy and its critics, the impact of the industrial revolution on modern politics, and how technological change and environmental limitations have affected contemporary political thought.
POLS 2490 Topics in Political Theory (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of political theory. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2492 ST - Social Entrepreneurship (3 Credits)
POLS 2493 Queer Political Theory (3 Credits)
In this course we focus on queer theory as a contemporary political idea, part of an important public policy debate, and as part of human history and culture. Queer Theory as a theoretical frame that addresses all aspects of public and private life. It is not more or less ‘true’ or ‘valid’ than any other theoretical frame. Queer Theory is, however, like critical race theory and feminists theory, the subject of considerable criticism and vitriolic. When discussing this with colleagues, it is often advised to place the idea within the context of theoretical frames, not as a superior point of view, but as additive.
We are living through a time with unprecedented events, where a rapid and fast-moving political, social, and cultural idea brought by committed advocates have provoked difficult political and personal challenges. So, we do have a unique perspective to discuss and examine queer theory. Sociological, anthropological, film, music, historical, legal, literary, and political texts supplement our discussion providing an academic frame from which we can depart and return throughout our discussion and writing. Ethnography is also used to further illuminate the ideas discussed. We will encounter written, audio and video formats. Naturally, this sort of endeavor requires careful attention as many important voices here (women, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBT individuals in particular) are historically marginalized and disempowered.
POLS 2512 Washington Internship (6 Credits)
Opportunity for the student to be an intern in a governmental agency or nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. Students are placed in legislative, judicial or executive branch agencies, depending on interests/career goals, and work five days per week for one semester.
POLS 2513 Washington Research (6 Credits)
Book critiques and a research paper that integrate information the student gains in the classroom with fieldwork experience. Supervised by the Seton Hall faculty liaison.
POLS 2514 Washington, D.C. Seminar (3 Credits)
Students attend a weekly seminar led by a professor associated with the Washington Center for Internships and prepare a seminar paper.
POLS 2515 Washington Research (3 Credits)
POLS 2612 European Politics (3 Credits)
The dynamics of politics and analysis of the evolution and present status of the political systems of selected European powers.
POLS 2614 Latin American Politics (3 Credits)
Latin American Politics Basic forces conditioning the politics of the area. The variety of governmental structures and party systems in Mexico, South and Central America. 3 credits
POLS 2615 African Politics (3 Credits)
Examination of African political systems. The salient variables economic, social and political involved with discussion of specific experiences. Review of traditional background, colonial experience and post-independence era.
POLS 2690 Topics in Comparative Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of comparative politics. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2691 Topics in Comparative Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of comparative politics. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2692 Topics in Comparative Politics (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of comparative politics. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
POLS 2790 Topics in Internl Relations (3 Credits)
Selected topics designated before the semester in the area of international relations. Topics vary from semester to semester.
POLS 2910 Research Methods (3 Credits)
An introduction to social science research. Topics include problem selection and hypothesis formation and testing; research design; sampling; construction and administration of research techniques; elementary data analysis and ethical issues. Some statistical and computer applications.
POLS 3014 Ecology and Politics (3 Credits)
Explores the relationship between politics and environmental policy in the United States. Looks at specific problems such as pollution, global climate change, species depletion, land management and hazardous waste. Explores attempts by government and other interested parties to rectify these problems.
POLS 3101 ST-Engaging the World (3 Credits)
This course is designed to examine the appropriate roles of the institutional Catholic Church, its citizens, and its political candidates within in the American political process today. It will explore traditional Christian political theory; the Church¿s relevant major social teachings, and the challenges that confront Catholicism and its adherents in the current, American public arena. In the long term, this course will encourage students to make judgments about both the moral agenda and political policies of the Church, particularly as they impact the behavior of Catholic citizens and political actors in their quest for the common good. Crosslisted with CORE 3640 Engaging the World
POLS 3207 Capitalism,Liberty&Soc Justice (3 Credits)
This course explores the role of capitalism in shaping our society. It aims to analyze the concepts of individual liberty and social justice, examine the role of democratic governance and capitalist economic systems to best achieve them, and consider the resulting implications in terms of a range of contemporary concerns such as poverty, health equity, education, worker’s rights, environmental degradation. The positions to be assessed span the political spectrum and will draw on interdisciplinary sources from political science, economics, and philosophy. Core questions of the course include: (i) “do free markets maximize prosperity, or do they produce wasteful and economically damaging outcomes that require some form of government intervention?”, (ii) “do the distributions of economic resources produced through the capitalist marketplace promote or violate important standards of justice and fairness?”, (iii) “is a society of free markets and minimal government most likely to promote or violate important democratic ideals?“.
POLS 3208 Gender & the Law (3 Credits)
This course explores how the law constructs and regulates gender. Topics covered include feminist legal theory; constitutional equality and liberty based on sex and sexual orientation; legal regulation of and prohibitions on sexual behavior; gender- and sexual orientation-based employment discrimination; sexual harassment and rape; transgender rights; women and sexual minorities in the criminal justice system, and gender/sexual orientation in international law. Class materials include case law, legal and social science scholarship, historical analyses, films, and press accounts.
POLS 3209 Trends in Privacy Law (3 Credits)
This course analyzes trends in the development of US constitutional, statutory, and tort law related to privacy from the 1890s to the present. In addition to court opinions and statutes, we will read scholarly commentary from law, social theory, and science and technology studies. Students will learn to recognize the range of privacy protections currently existing, their coverage, and their limits. In addition, students will discover that “privacy” is conceptualized in different ways, including spatial privacy, privacy as secrecy, and privacy as information control. This knowledge will allow them to recognize key concepts and terminology in contemporary privacy debates, and to intervene effectively in those debates.
POLS 3210 Constitutional Law (3 Credits)
Approaches to Constitutional interpretation: Supreme Court decision making, Supreme Court as a small group. Fundamentals and principles of constitutional law. Illustrative case studies.
POLS 3211 Civil Liberties (3 Credits)
Casebook analysis of the constitutional rights of the individual. Selected topics from the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and 14th amendments. Emphasis on contemporary issues and perspectives.
POLS 3212 United States Federalism (3 Credits)
Examination of the nature of the Federal system, with historical origins, constitutional evolution and contemporary problem areas highlighted.
POLS 3213 United States Political Behavior (3 Credits)
Examination of topics such as voter turnout, political ideology, political sophistication, among others. Impact of party identification, issues, and candidate characteristics on elections.
POLS 3214 Urban Politics (3 Credits)
The politics of the cities and urban areas. Contemporary urban governmental forms, processes and problems.
POLS 3230 Campaign Management (3 Credits)
This course will examine the specifics of how political campaigns are planned and executed in the United States. It will cover various aspects of strategic, electoral planning that include the context and history of campaigning, data gathering, fund raising, communications, media and public relations, voter targeting, technology, and the ethics of running for political office.
Prerequisites: POLS 2910
POLS 3290 Advanced Studies in United States Politics (3 Credits)
POLS 3291 Adv Studies in Amer Politics (3 Credits)
The Fall 2009 course will focus much attention on the 2009 Campaign for New Jersey Governor. The course will consist of highly interactive lectures, prominent guest speakers from the worlds of media and politics, as well as reading and viewing assignments from various disciplines including political science, journalism and mass communication. It will require students to examine television news clips, online video content, and political ads and commercials. Students will also be required to read and analyze selected newspapers on a regular basis and actively participate in class discussion. In addition, the course will take a historical look at past New Jersey Gubernatorial campaigns.
POLS 3410 Democracy (3 Credits)
Considers various theories and practices of democratic society, including those of liberal, radical participatory and pluralistic democracy. Comparison of democratic theory and practice,
POLS 3412 Church, State, Law and Politics in the United States (3 Credits)
The dynamic and changing relationship between religion and government in the U.S. Competing and cooperative actions between the institutions. Case studies in First Amendment rights.
POLS 3491 Adv Studies in Pol Theory (3 Credits)
Selected topics in political theory chosen by the instructor.
POLS 3591 Pol Ideas and Movmts of 20th C (3 Credits)
An examination of the twentieth century forces a re-evaluation of what it means to be human. Standard interpretations of truth are challenged and formerly powerless communities find themselves embroiled in political protest and liberation. Through film, art, literature and 'live' accounts, we will investigate and follow several key political ideas that hallmark the twentieth century as a time of radical transformation.
POLS 3613 US Foreign Policy (3 Credits)
Internal factors and global forces affecting policy and performance. Evolution of U.S. doctrine from isolationism to globalism. Current challenges and prospects.
POLS 3696 Philanthropy and Christianity (3 Credits)
This course will examine the influence of Christianity on the development of philanthropy from early Christianity through the twenty-first century. Philosophical tenets from Gospels and from the writings of St. Benedict, Gregory the Great, Aquinas, Luther, Ignatious, Catherine of Siena and others from the Christian tradition provide clues to understanding the role of Christianity in the formation of societal expectations around philanthropic giving and receiving. Students will also be encouraged to examine and discern the ultimate purposes of philanthropy in our daily lives. Travel through Italy to explore firsthand the influence of Christianity on the practice of philanthropy in various communities.
POLS 3711 Race,Id&Politcs in Pub Admin (3 Credits)
This course will explore the impact of race and identity on the development and implementation of public policies within public and nonprofit organizations. We will examine a wide range of scholarships in this area that explores the concept of race ad why an understanding of these issues is critically important for future leaders of these organizations. Though we will explore the intersectionality of race with other markers of differences, including gender and class, our primary focus will be on race and racial identities, as race is often a large predictor of wealth, education, access to health care, and other quality of life indicators. The course will begin with a broad overview of race within the public administration environment. In the second half of the course, we will focus on programmatic areas of public and nonprofit organizations to further understand the role of race in the delivery of public services.
POLS 3712 Human Rights (3 Credits)
Articulates notions of human rights and, through case studies, examines repression around the globe. Seeks to develop and critique United States, United Nations, and other bilateral and multilateral approaches to solving human rights abuses.
POLS 3796 Adv. Studies - Inter. Rel. (3 Credits)
This seminar will center around the discussion of the most fundamentally critical notion in the study of International Relations: state sovereignty. Within the context of state sovereignty, we will discuss how sovereignty has changed or has been challenged over the years. Some of the challenges to state sovereignty that we will discuss will include human rights issues, interstate military interventions and United Nations backed interventions (or lack thereof); in doing so we will focus on specific cases. We will discuss how these developments have challenged state sovereignty and discuss the larger implications of such a challenge for international stability.
POLS 3891 Political Science Internship I (3 Credits)
The goal of the internship/field placement experience is to provide students with the opportunity to “turn theory into practice” by working in an organizational setting in which they can utilize recently-learned management principles and skills as well as observe and gain insight into daily organizational operations and decision-making practices. In augmenting a student’s field placement experience, the purpose of the seminar is to help the student evaluate and analyze his or her experience, learn new information about the workplace, and assess his or her current skills and abilities. To these ends, students will read a number of articles on workplace issues and evaluate his or her placement and performance in light of these readings and seminar discussions. Please see Internship Adviser.
POLS 3892 Pol. Science Intern. II (3 Credits)
For students completing an extended internship experience. Note: Internship courses, though listed at the 3000 level to conform to College standards, are considered 2000 level course electives and do not fulfill the 3000 level requirement.
POLS 3893 Pol. Science Intern. III (3 Credits)
For students completing an extended internship experience. Note: Internship courses, though listed at the 3000 level to conform to College standards, are considered 2000 level course electives and do not fulfill the 3000 level requirement.
POLS 3894 Political Science Co-Op I (3 Credits)
See Co-op Adviser
POLS 3895 Internship II (3 Credits)
See Co-op Adviser.
POLS 3896 Internship III (3 Credits)
See Co-op Adviser.
POLS 5012 Political Science Senior Sem (3 Credits)
This seminar is the capstone course for political science majors, and requires that students have completed most of their major courses before they enroll. As part of the senior seminar, students write their senior theses. Each seminar focuses on a particular area of study. It is expected that political science majors will take their senior seminar in the fall semester of their senior year. Prerequisites: POLS 1211, 1401, 1611, 1711, 2910 and one POLS course at the 3000 level.
POLS 5161 Ind Study-Pol Science Research (1 Credit)
Independent study on a select topic completed under the supervision of the instructor.
POLS 5171 Ind Study-Pol Science Research (2 Credits)
Independent study on a select topic completed under the supervision of the instructor.
POLS 5191 Independent Study in Pol Res (3 Credits)
Working independently with a faculty advisor, student undertakes independent research in an area of interest in political science.
POLS 5192 Independent Study in Pol Res (3 Credits)
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