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Department of Political Science
Vaughn May (chair), Lawrence German, Nathan Griffith, Larry Hall.

Political Economy | Political Science

Vision:

The Political Science faculty seeks to be an academically rigorous and student-centered program that investigates in a manner that will prepare students for exceptional post-undergraduate professional and educational opportunities the issues, events, and texts that instruct our understanding of local, national, and international governments and politics.

Political Economy

Purpose:

As an interdisciplinary program, Political Economy investigates the interrelationships of economics and politics, focusing specifically on how market processes and outcomes are impacted by political and administrative institutions to influence individual behavior.

Goals:

Students who major in Political Economy will be able to comprehend political and economic ideas and issues across traditional disciplinary boundaries, to appreciate more fully the interdependent relationships of human actors in social settings, and to respond critically and intelligently to these ideas through several means. The program seeks to provide students with these capacities through a number of approaches.

First, it strives to furnish students a broad survey of political economy, focusing upon the ideas, institutions, and processes that shape interaction between economy and government. Second, it promotes an academic environment that develops effective written and oral communication, coherent and critical reading and thinking, and informed ethical understanding and development. Third, the program provides a student-centered program that focuses upon individual-oriented advising and attention to satisfy the unique needs of each student in an academically challenging and professionally rewarding liberal arts program.

Political Economy Courses (POE)

POE 1990-4990. Special Studies (1-3).

POE 2710. Introduction to American Political Economy (3). An introductory course examining the foundations of the American political economy, focusing upon the interrelationship of the U.S. government and the market economy.

POE 2740. Enviromental Public Policy (3). This course explores the interaction of political and economic actors with issues related to the natural environment, with particular attention given to the theories, structures, and processes that shape international, national, and local environmental policies.

POE 2760. Introduction to International Political Economy (3). This course examines intergovernmental and private institutions and how these actors interrelate to influence economic relationships among nation-states in the international system.

POE 3730. Topics in American Political Economy (3). Prerequisite: POE 2710 or permission of instructor. (May be taken more than once with instructor's consent; maximum of twice.) A seminar in a specifically chosen topics area of American political economy.

POE 3740. Topics in International Political Economy (3). Prerequisite: POE 271 or permission of instructor. (May be taken more than once with instructor's consent; maximum of twice.) A seminar in a specifically chosen topics area of international political economy.

POE 4000. Internship (1-3). Prerequisite: Approval of Department Intern Director. Practical training and experience in government and/or private institutions that provide an environment for substantial growth in the understanding of issues related to the study of political economy. Students shall be expected to work four to five hours per week per semester credit hour. A maximum of three hours of internship may be applied toward the major or minor.

POE 4010. Capital Internship in Political Economy (6). Prerequisite: Approval of Campus Internship Liaison and Department Intern Director. Students who have been admitted to an approved internship program will complete a full-term internship in a public or private agency or office related to political economy. Fall and spring semester programs shall receive twelve hours of total credits; summer programs will receive nine hours. Additional hours above the six credits for the major/minor may be applied to another department's requirements with their approval, or they shall be applied to PSC 2010.

POE 4790. Senior Seminar in Political Economy (3). Prerequisite: POE 2710. A capstone seminar which entails an investigation of major theoretical frameworks and thinkers in political economy and the development of an independent research project.

POE 4980. Political Economy Exit Seminar (0). Required of all Political Economy majors, taken in concert with POE 4790. The seminar is designed to allow student assessment of the general Political Economy program and to assist students in planning post-Baccalaureate decisions. Pass/Fail only.

The following non-POE courses may be applied toward a major or minor in Political Economy. Courses counted toward completion of a POE major or minor may not be applied as hours in other majors or minors. For descriptions of these courses, see the listings in each discipline.

ECO 2450. Current Issues in Economics (3).
ECO 3220. Money and Banking (3).
ECO 3260. Intermediate Macroeconomics (3).
ECO 3270. Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis (3).
ECO 3660. Business and Government (3).
ECO 4200. History of Economic Thought (3).
ECO 4400. International Economics (3).
BAD 3300. International Business (3).
PSC 2300. International Relations (3).
PSC 2500, Political Theory (3).
PSC 3220. Bureaucracy and Administration (3).
PSC 3410. Politics of Africa (3).
PSC 3450. Politics of Europe (3).
PSC 3470. Topics in Comparative Politics (3).
PSC 3480. Politics of the Middle East (3).
PSC 3550. Modern Ideologies (3).
PSC 4240. American Public Policy (3).
PSC 4320. International Law and Organization (3).
PSC 4570. American Political Thought (3).