Political Science (POLS) Courses
POLS 301 Introduction to Government: United States
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(a); CSU Area D; CSU Area U2; CSU Area U3; IGETC Area 4H
- C-ID:C-ID POLS 110
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
An introduction to Political Science, American government and politics. Structured to promote political and analytical understanding and thinking regarding American politics and government. Areas of concentration include principles, institutions, problems, processes, theory, philosophy, and ideology. Satisfies the State requirement regarding the Constitution, American Institutions, and State and Local Government.
POLS 302 Comparative Politics
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- C-ID:C-ID POLS 130
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is a comparative study and analysis of political systems, ideologies, institutions, policies, cultures, histories, and the development of selected foreign governments. Special emphasis is placed on the cultural and social dimensions of political behavior and attitudes in connection with governmental and political practices typical of particular geographical regions. Coverage includes an examination of selected developed and lesser developed nation-states from a global perspective.
POLS 304 Introduction to Government: California
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D; CSU Area U3; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the essential organization, institutions, and processes of California state and local government. It fulfills the California State University requirement for state and local government, but not the requirement for the U.S. Constitution.
POLS 310 Introduction to International Relations
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- C-ID:C-ID POLS 140
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is an introduction to international relations and a survey of the nation-state system, techniques of interaction, the issue of war, nationalism, power alignments, international actors, transnational movements, diplomacy, political economy, and perceptions in world politics. Particular emphasis is placed on an analysis of the world outlook of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the United States, the major western allies, China, and the lesser developed world.
POLS 311 International Political Economy
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300, or placement through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is designed to introduce students to the major theories, institutions and issues in international political economy. International political economy examines the interaction between politics and economics on a global scale; in particular, how political forces influence markets, and how market forces influence politics. In this course of study, students will examine the major theoretical perspectives on political economy, such as mercantilism, liberalism, Marxism and statism. Students are then introduced to the major components of the international economy: multilateral trade, domestic trade policy, international finance and currency policy. Last, this course focuses on several major issues in international political economy. Examples might include the gap between the developed and developing world, the globalized economy, the role of transnational corporations, the political economies of oil, migration, food, or the environment.
POLS 312 Politics of the Middle East
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Area Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Area Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of the Middle East. It covers the region in biblical times, its history as part of the Ottoman Empire, its independence and inclusion in the Mandate system and its modern day existence through the twentieth century. The impact of religion, colonialism, the natural resource situation, socio-economics, ideology, conflict and resolution and foreign and domestic policies will be examined in the region on a country-by-country basis. The Palestinian Question, from both the Israeli and Palestinian perspectives will also be analyzed. The course includes an examination of dominant political institutions, actors, processes and belief systems within the context of political culture and history and an analysis of area political economy and foreign policy in the environment of global interdependence. Countries to be covered include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. The course concludes with a summation of the region as it stands today and an assessment of where it is likely to go in the near future.
POLS 313 Latin America
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Area Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Area Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of Latin America. It covers the region in the pre-Columbian era, its history as part of the Spanish Empire, the independence movements of the nineteenth century and the modern day existence of each nation state in the area to the twenty-first century. The impact of religion, colonialism, the natural resource situation, socio-economics, ideology, conflict and resolution and foreign and domestic policies will be examined in the region on a country-by-country basis. The course includes an examination of dominant political institutions, actors, processes and belief systems within the context of political culture and history and an analysis of area political economy and foreign policy in the environment of global interdependence. Countries to be covered include but are not limited to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The course concludes with a summation of the region as it stands today and an assessment of where it is likely to go in the near future.
POLS 314 Modern Europe and the Unification Process
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Area Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Area Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of modern Europe and the trends, processes and issues surrounding unification.
POLS 315 Pacific Rim
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Area Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Area Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of the Pacific Rim and its trends, processes and issues.
POLS 317 Global Studies: Africa
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Global Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Global Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of Africa. It covers the region's history, its independence movements and the modern day existence of nation states in the area to the twenty-first century. The impact of history, colonialism, the natural resource situation, socio-economics, ideology, conflict and resolution and foreign and domestic policies will be examined in the region on a country-by-country basis. The course includes an examination of dominant political institutions, actors, processes and belief systems within the context of political culture and history and an analysis of area political economy and foreign policy in the environment of global interdependence. The course concludes with a summation of the region as it stands today and an assessment of where it is likely to go in the near future.
POLS 318 Global Studies: Central Asia
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Global Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Global Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of Central Asia. It covers the region's history, its natural resource situation, socio-economics, ideology, conflict and resolution and foreign and domestic policies on a country-by-country basis. The course includes an examination of dominant political institutions, actors, processes and belief systems within the context of political culture and history and an analysis of area political economy and foreign policy in the environment of global interdependence. The course concludes with a summation of the region as it stands today and an assessment of where it is likely to go in the near future.
POLS 319 Global Studies: Southeast Asia
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Global Studies courses cover the government and politics of selected nations within a distinct geopolitical area of the world in order to gain understanding of the institutions and dynamics of the area. This Global Studies survey course is designed to give students an understanding of Southeast Asia. It covers the region's history, its natural resource situation, socio-economics, ideology, conflict and resolution and foreign and domestic policies on a country-by-country basis. The course includes an examination of dominant political institutions, actors, processes and belief systems within the context of political culture and history and an analysis of area political economy and foreign policy in the environment of global interdependence. The course concludes with a summation of the region as it stands today and an assessment of where it is likely to go in the near future.
POLS 320 Introduction to Political Theory
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- C-ID:C-ID POLS 120
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
In this course, students will examine theoretical approaches to politics and ways of thinking about politics, covering important thinkers and topics during the ancient, medieval, and modern periods.
POLS 324 Revolutions & Ideologies
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area D8; IGETC Area 4H
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course seeks to study ideologies and revolutions. Revolutions herald change in political systems. They can be based on ideologies or economic, religious or other differences.
POLS 382 Statistics for Social Science
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:Intermediate Algebra (or equivalent in high school) or higher with a C or better or eligibility for transfer-level mathematics.
- Transferable:CSU; UC ( POLS 382, ECON 310, PSYC 330, STAT 300 and STAT 480 combined: maximum credit, 1 course)
- General Education:AA/AS Area II(b); CSU Area B4; IGETC Area 2
- C-ID:C-ID MATH 110
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course focuses upon the concepts and applications of descriptive and inferential statistics in political science and other social sciences. Topics include data collection, descriptive statistics, probability and sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, statistical inference, correlation and regression, chi-square, t-tests, and analysis of variance procedures. This course will analyze and interpret social data sets from at least two of the following disciplines: business, economics, social science, psychology, political science, administration of justice, and education. The course will utilize both hand computation and statistical software.
POLS 481 Introduction to Government: United States - Honors
- Same As:HONOR 367
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(a); CSU Area D; CSU Area U2; CSU Area U3; IGETC Area 4
- C-ID:C-ID POLS 110
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course analyzes the U.S. government's historic origins, philosophical and theoretical justification, constitutional structures and how these institutions work. It examines and describes the procedural aspects of the political system including holding elections, campaigning, voting, lobbying, legislating, executing and adjudicating law. It provides an analysis of contemporary problems and issues. It further examines California state and local governments' constitutional base, structures and functions, political process, problems, and issues.
The honors course offers rigorous preparation in critical thinking, and analytic reading and writing skills for students intending to transfer to a four-year college or university. It provides an opportunity to engage contemporary political and social issues through small group discussion, a structured sequence of papers requiring higher-level thinking tasks, and collaborative projects. Research projects require extensive analysis of topics such as American institutions, political processes, and political behavior. Paper requirements are designed to challenge and motivate.
This course is not open to students who have completed POLS 301. Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website.
This course is the same as Honor 367. This course, under either name, may be taken only one time for credit.
POLS 482 International Political Economy - Honors
- Same As:HONOR 368
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is designed to introduce students to the major theories, institutions, and issues in international political economy. International political economy examines the interaction between politics and economics on a global scale; in particular, how political forces influence markets, and how market forces influence politics. In this course of study, students will examine the major theoretical perspectives on political economy, such as mercantilism, liberalism, structuralism, and statism. Students are then introduced to the major components of the international economy: multilateral trade, domestic trade policy, international finance, and currency policy. Last, this course focuses on several major issues in international political economy. Examples might include the gap between the developed and developing world, the globalized economy, the role of transnational corporations, and the political economies of oil, migration, food, or the environment.
The honors course offers rigorous preparation in critical thinking, and analytic reading and writing skills for students intending to transfer to a four-year college or university. It provides an opportunity to engage contemporary political, economic, and social issues through small group discussion, a structured sequence of papers requiring higher-level thinking tasks, and collaborative projects. Research projects require extensive analysis of topics such as economic institutions, economic policy processes, market behavior, and state responses. Paper requirements are designed to challenge and motivate.
This course is not open to students who have completed POLS 311. Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website. This course is the same as Honor 368. This course, under either name, may be taken only one time for credit.
POLS 495 Independent Studies in Political Science
- Units:1 - 3
- Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
An independent studies project involves an individual student or small group of students in study, research, or activities beyond the scope of regularly offered courses. See the current catalog section of "Special Studies" for full details of Independent Studies.
POLS 499 Experimental Offering in Political Science
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.
