Glossary
UW Bothell Course Descriptions
UW Seattle Course Descriptions
Detailed course offerings (Time Schedule) are available for
TPOL S 123 Introduction to Globalization (5) SSc
Provides an introduction to the debates over globalization. Focuses on the growth and intensification of global ties. Addresses the resulting inequalities and tensions, as well as the new opportunities for cultural and political exchange. Topics include the impacts on government, finance, labor, culture, the environment, health, and activism.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 123
TPOL S 201 Introduction to Political Values and Ideas (5) SSc
Surveys a variety of implicit and explicit values that inspire political action. Explores whether there is such a thing as a universe interest and what it might be, who should rule, and whether justice will be done.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 201
TPOL S 202 Introduction to American Politics (5) SSc
Institutions and politics in the American political system. Ways of thinking about how significant problems, crises, and conflicts of American society are resolved politically.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 202
TPOL S 203 Introduction to International Relations (5) SSc
The world community, its politics, and government.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 203
TPOL S 204 Introduction to Comparative Politics (5) SSc
Political systems in a comparative framework. Traditional and contemporary approaches to the study of governments and societies in different countries.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 204
TPOL S 210 Debate (2) SSc
Introduces students to the practice of academic, legal and political debate. Provides students with basic principles and theories of argument, but primarily emphasizes opportunities for in-class and public debates in order to develop student abilities in public speaking, research and analytical and legal reasoning. Cannot be taken for credit if credit received for COM 335.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 210
TPOL S 230 International Human Rights (5) SSc
Introduces historical origins, foundational theories, basic documents, personalities, and legal and political processes which have promoted international human rights as a widely accepted legal and moral foundation for a just world order.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 230
TPOL S 251 Cultural Studies (5, max. 10) SSc
Selected themes in American and occasionally other modern and contemporary cultures. Themes and readings may include: advertising and consumer culture; class and culture, gender and sexuality, identity, and post-9/11 culture.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 251
TPOL S 260 American Political Theory (5) SSc, DIV
Considers major issues and traditions in American thinking about democracy, citizenship, membership, and justice. Focuses on works by important thinkers from the Founding to the twentieth century. Includes conflicting visions and tensions associated with the demands of newly rising social groups, and American identities.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 260
TPOL S 270 Introduction to Political Economy (5) SSc
Political economy as a tool for understanding and evaluating the political world. Combines theory, methods, and insights derived from economics and political science and applies them to a range of substantive issues.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 270
TPOL S 275 Political Rhetoric (5) SSc
Explores the role of rhetoric, argumentation, deliberation, and debate in politics. Examines different theories of public dialogue, the importance of civic culture as well as critiques of these forums. Develops students' public speaking, argumentation, and oral rhetoric skills.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 275
TPOL S 300 Mass Media and U.S. Politics (5) SSc
Examines role of mass audiences in politics from the standpoint of the communication strategies used to shape their political involvement. Topics include: social structure and political participation, political propaganda and persuasion, the political uses of public opinion, and the mass media and politics.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 300
TPOL S 305 Campaigns and Elections (5) SSc
Analyzes local, state, and federal elections to examine the role of election rules and organizations on political outcomes. Also evaluates the role of political parties, candidates, the media, financing, political strategies, and various interest groups on who gets elected and how.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 305
TPOL S 310 Modern European Political Theory (5) SSc
Examines the emergence and development of modern European political thought through selected works by some of its most important exponents. Analyzes answers to questions about the nature of a political community, about citizenship and rights, about the evolving meaning of freedom, equality, and democracy.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 310
TPOL S 317 The Politics of Race and Ethnicity in the United States (5) SSc, DIV
Explores the early historical formation of racial categories, segregation, and discrimination and how these continue to be reflected in modern racial hierarchies in the United States and examines the roles played by race and racism in poverty, crime control, and immigration.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 317
TPOL S 319 Theories of Political Violence (5) SSc
Establishes broad, inclusive definitions of violence. Reviews the theoretical discourse on the nature of violence as a political phenomenon. Themes include terrorism (both non-authoritative and state-sponsored), civil conflicts, and "tools" or calculated manifestations of violence (torture, massacres), the relationship between violence and development, and the relationship between culture and violence.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 319
TPOL S 321 American Foreign Policy (5) SSc
Constitutional framework; major factors in formulation and execution of policy; policies as modified by recent developments; the principal policymakers-President, Congress, political parties, pressure groups, and public opinion.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 321
TPOL S 322 War and Politics (5) SSc
Examines the relationship between war and politics. Using different theoretical and historical sources, it examines the complex relationship between national, global, and martial relations since the beginning of the "military revolution" in the 16th century. The course examines how armed conflict influenced the rise of the state, industrialization, colonialism, technology, and cultural attitudes.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 322
TPOL S 323 The Practice of War (5) SSc
Explores the strategies, tactics, logistics, and practices of armed conflict. It begins by analyzing broad, theoretical principles shaping armed conflict before turning to contemporary phenomena in warfare including nuclear conflict, terrorism, and contemporary wars. The course also requires students examine ongoing armed conflicts and their implications for global politics.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 323
TPOL S 324 War, Activism, and Ethics (5) SSc
Explores how armed conflict impacts combatants and noncombatants, the ethics of martial practice, as well as peace and antiwar activism, and legal regulations on warfare. It exposes students to different experiences of war. The course shows how these experiences relate to activist and legal responses to warfare and discusses their normative implications for global politics.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 324
TPOL S 325 Issues in Local Government (5) SSc
Examines a particular topic that confronts local governments. Topics include fiscal/budget issues, education policy, safety, or intergovernmental relations.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 325
TPOL S 329 Making of Modern Africa (5) SSc
Examines how African societies came to be and as they are today. Examines aspects of the experience of five centuries of the African Diaspora as they affected Africa and its peoples.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 329
TPOL S 340 Middle East Politics (5) SSc
Study of democracy/ authoritarianism; ethnic, religious, and national identity; civil society, social movements, and gender; political economy, and issues of development in the Middle East.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 340
TPOL S 341 Conflict and Cooperation in the Middle East (5) SSc
Investigates regional politics and security in the Middle East; conflict and collaboration among local powers; politics of oil, and relations with global power. Incorporates case studies such as Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nuclear arms, and the Persian Gulf security. Study of regional and global factors.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 341
TPOL S 343 Community and Labor Organizing: A Multicultural Perspective (5) SSc, DIV
Explores current community and labor organizing issues through intersections of gender, race, class, and immigration. Discussions of labor movements, community and environmental coalitions, living wage, social justice, and anti-sweatshop campaigns, in context of globalization. Case studies and issues vary.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 343
TPOL S 350 Politics and Film in the Middle East (5) A&H/SSc
Studies symbols, depiction, and narratives of Middle East politics through motion picture produced inside and outside of the region. Incorporates country studies with a particular thematic focus on state-society relations, cultural politics, and development.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 350
TPOL S 353 United States Congress (5) SSc
Studies the organization of Congress, the influence of interest groups, legislative roles, and the theory and practice of representative government. Prerequisite: TPOL S 202.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 353
TPOL S 355 Reproductive Politics, Law, and Justice (5) SSc
Investigates the social, political, and legal history of reproductive freedom and unfreedom in the United States. Explores how social inequities of race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and immigration status have delimited reproductive autonomy. Examines how reproduction-related law, policy, and social movements have been shaped by and in response to these inequities.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 355
TPOL S 360 Genocide (5) SSc
Introduces students to the problem of genocide from a historical and theoretical perspective. Examines the origins of international law of genocide, key methodological questions in genocide studies, and historical perspective of the Armenian Genocide, Nazi Genocide, and Rwandan Genocide as well as colonial and indigenous genocides.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 360
TPOL S 371 The Politics of Security (5) SSc
Investigates competing theories of security and examines the historical emergence of security as a chief concern in both international relations and contemporary politics more broadly. Explores the debate over a variety of current security concerns such as war, climate change, data surveillance, and technological development.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 371
TPOL S 382 State Government (5) SSc
Focus on the structures, processes, and policy outputs of state governments in the United States.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 382
TPOL S 400 The American Presidency (5) SSc
Examines the American presidency, its evolution, its occupants, and its place within the American system. Topics include presidential character, war, elections, the economy, and the Constitution.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 400
TPOL S 405 Advanced Campaigns and Elections (5) SSc
Produces advanced analysis of local, state, and federal elections and political campaigns as applied to specific political campaigns, initiative, or election-related issues. Involves independent applied research. Prerequisite: TPOL S 305.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 405
TPOL S 410 Labor Rights and Human Rights (5) SSc, DIV
Examines labor in western society, exploring the historical emergence of various concepts of labor rights and developing an analysis of labor and human rights in contemporary world order. Topics include slavery, labor and liberalism, individualism and collective labor rights under capitalism, economic security, and labor rights in a global economy.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 410
TPOL S 411 Human Rights and Violence in the Third World (5) SSc
Examines political violence and human rights concerns in under-developed regions. Establishes broad, inclusive definitions of violence and human rights.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 411
TPOL S 425 Comparative Social Policy (5) SSc
Explores current social policy issues in the United States, Canada, and Nordic countries from a comparative perspective. Examines history and political structures that influences implementation of social policies. Offered: jointly with TSOCWF 425.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 425
TPOL S 426 World Politics (5) SSc
The nation-state system and its alternatives, world distributions of preferences and power, structure of international authority, historical world societies and their politics.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 426
TPOL S 450 Contemporary Theories of Culture (5, max. 10) SSc
Studies recent anthropological theory and contemporary cultural theory. Includes topics such as cultural theory, British cultural studies, critical theory, and post-modernism; or ideology, culture, and cultural resistance; ethnocentrism, relativism; class and race; the social body; self and other; gender and sexuality. May be repeated for credit with instructor's approval.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 450
TPOL S 451 Human Rights and the Use of Force (5) SSc
Covers both the history and sources of international law, including the system of treaties and emerging principles of customary law. Examines the conditions under which military force is justified, looking specifically at the war against terrorism, and world events since September 11, 2001.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 451
TPOL S 480 Politics: Philosophy and Public Affairs Seminar (5, max. 10) SSc
Provides in-depth treatment of topics in politics and philosophy; political economy; law and policy; economics and policy; and ethics and economics. Emphasizes analysis of methodological issues and developing students' research and writing skills.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 480
TPOL S 485 Study Abroad in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (5-15, max. 24) SSc
Uses an international setting to explore particular political-economic-philosophical problems or dilemmas. Taught on site and includes interaction with foreign scholars, local exhibits and sites, and local community experiences where appropriate.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 485
TPOL S 496 Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs Internship (5-15, max. 20)
Internships in federal, state and local government; international organizations; non profit and lobbying organizations; and research and advocacy organizations.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 496
TPOL S 497 Political Internship in State Government (1-15, max. 20)
Students serving in approved internship program with state government agencies.
View course details in MyPlan: TPOL S 497
