Public Administration Minor

POLS 115. American Government I. 3 Credits.

An introduction to political science through the study of the American political system: The Constitution; the political processes; the structure, powers and procedures of the Presidency, Congress, and the Judiciary. F,S.

POLS 116. State and Local Government. 3 Credits.

Structure, function and problems of state and local government; executive, legislative, and judicial processes; federalism and metropolitan government. F,S.

POLS 250. Introduction to Public Administration. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the development of public administration in the United States and to the concepts and methods used in its practice. The political aspects of the public bureaucracy and contemporary issues are also highlighted. Prerequisite: POLS 115. F.

POLS 309. American Indian Politics and Contemporary Issues. 3 Credits.

This course will spotlight the distinctive status of American Indian tribal governments in the American political system and the most pressing contemporary issues facing tribal nations, communities, and people. Students will consider how European colonization of the Americas and indigenous nations, followed by evolving interpretations of the legal and political doctrines of tribal sovereignty and eras of federal Indian policy, influence the identity and authority of federally acknowledged tribes. We will learn about the location, demographics, and governance structure of tribal nations and their relation to the U.S. Constitution as well as to federal and state law, policy, and officials. Students will identify, analyze, and evaluate pressing contemporary political, legal, socioeconomic, and cultural issues facing tribes and reservation communities. Special emphasis will be placed on learning about the most dynamic, transformative, and at times controversial public policy in tribes' recent history: "Indian gaming," or tribal casinos owned and operated by tribal governments throughout the United States, including their origins and influence on reservation communities, economies, and tribal-state-federal-local intergovernmental relations. S.

POLS 405. Political Behavior. 3 Credits.

A review of the role of the public in a democracy focusing on the formation and content of public opinion, the means of communicating that opinion to government, and the impact of that opinion on policy. Prerequisite: POLS 115 or POLS 116. S.

POLS 432. Public Policy Making Process. 3 Credits.

Two-thirds of the class is devoted to understanding the stages of the policy process: (1) Problem Identification and Agenda Setting; (2) Policy Formulation; (3) Policy Adoption; (4) Policy Implementation; and (5) Policy Evaluation. The last third applies the model to substantive policy areas such as health, environment, education. Prerequisite: POLS 115 or POLS 116. F.