Seminar of the Political Science Major

SYLLABUS

This seminar is designed to be the capstone of the political science major, offering an overview of political ideas and affording students the opportunity to synthesize and review a broad range of materials introduced in earlier courses and to explore a research topic in a sustained way. Your research projects may focus on any topic in political science. You may wish to focus on a topic relevant to your career goal, or on any significant topic from one of the sub-fields in political science for which we can develop a solid research project.

Learning Outcomes

1. Acquire an in-depth understanding of the selected concepts, themes and debates in the field of comparative politics and apply them to political institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere.

2. Conduct independent academic research using appropriate traditional and electronic materials and demonstrating the ability to develop an outline, bibliography, thesis statement and research plan.

3. Write a 20-page analytic paper in college-level academic English.

4. Make a 20-minute professional quality presentation and give a 10-minute defense of a research project using appropriate visuals such as Power Point.

5. Contribute regularly to a student-centered seminar format, demonstrating academic maturity and rigor in peer interactions including the ability to analyze, articulate and critique concepts and arguments in academic and semi-academic reading selections.

6. Reflect on the discipline of political science and its sub-fields as taught in the CSUEB political science program.

Required Reading

Mark Kesselman and Joel Krieger, Readings in Comparative Politics 1st edition (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) The book is available for purchase in the Pioneer Bookstore.

Course Format This course employs a seminar format in which students are responsible for preparing, presenting, and debating selected articles from the required text. During the initial phase of the course, emphasis is placed on short, articulate presentations, rigorous questioning, and constructive discussion. Students offer peer evaluation of these presentations. We will also hold research roundtable discussions during which each student reports on progress and problems with the research project. You will be evaluated at every class session. In parallel, each student prepares a major research project, presents it to the class, and submits a 20-page written paper. As needed, students will be encouraged