POL1011 Introduction to Political Science

This course uses a comparative approach in introducing students to: competing political and political-economic theories; different government systems, from relatively democratic to authoritarian; and the types and functions of government institutions (e.g., executive, legislative, judicial) and agencies. Political behavior outside of government (e.g., various forms of activism, civil disobedience and revolution) is also analyzed. In the last part of the course, political violence is addressed in more detail, with special emphasis on defining and understanding terrorism. In addition, this course guides students to consider how economic power may translate into political power, and what this suggests about the prospects for democratic governance in the post-Cold War era. Credits: 3.000