Geoffrey D. Peterson Associate Professor of Political Science & American Indian Studies
200 D SSS			715-836-3641
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire			petersgd@uwec.edu
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
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Course Information

POLS 110-American National Government-Offered Every Semester

American National Government (POLS 110) focuses on the basic institutions and processes in the national political system. During the course, we will examine the foundations of the Constitution, the methods through which the public communicates with the government, and the institutions of government themselves. The course has three exams that are a combination of essay and multiple choice and occasional in-class assignments. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

American Indian Politics is a cross-listed course on current political issues of relevance to American Indians. Recent topics covered in the course include: sovereignty issues, tribal gaming, blood quantum issues, and cultural identity questions. The exams consist of short-answer questions and longer essays. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Introduction to Political Analysis is a required course within the political science major. The course covers the philosophy of science, research methodology, and a basic introduction to statistics. Major assignments focus on developing a statistically-based research question and testing that question using relevant data. The exams consist of short-answer questions and longer essays. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Legislative Politics focuses on the Untied States Congress. . The course examines congressional procedures, elections, and history. Assignments for the course include an analysis of a legislative district and a major research paper. The exams consist of short-answer questions and longer essays. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Parties, Campaigns, and Elections examines the electoral process of US national elections. The course examines the role of parties in American politics, how political campaigns are run, and how Americans vote.The course includes a semester-long election simulation project that involves both this course and a section of American National government. Assignments include a campaign journal, book and journal summaries, and two exams. The exams consist of short-answer questions and longer essays. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Public Opinion and Political Behavior examines the nature of mass public opinion from several of the major theoretical perspectives in the discipline. It also looks at issues of mass political behavior and racial/ethnic differences among groups. The major projects in the course include a research paper and participation in designing and conducting a city-wide survey on local political issues. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Media and Politics examines the ways in which the media influences and is influenced by the political system. The course looks at all mass media with an emphasis on television. The course includes a section on political advertising and looks at how campaign ads have evolved over time. The exams consist of short-answer questions and longer essays. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Film and Politics examines how film-makers communicate political messages in film, either overtly or indirectly. the course examines film from both a production dimension as well as from a content dimension. The assignments consider of several reaction papers to the films and a major research paper. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

Scandal and Politics examines several political scandals from historical, political, and sociological perspectives. The assignments consist of several short reaction papers and a major research paper. You can download the most recent syllabus in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for by clicking HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page was most recently updated on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 .