2011-2012 Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2011-2012 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Government Major


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Major Requirements


The major in government requires nine courses distributed as follows:

  1. GOVT 020 CM - Introduction to American Politics 
  2. GOVT 080 CM -Introduction to Political Philosophy 
  3. GOVT 060 CM -Introduction to Comparative Government  or GOVT 070 CM -Introduction to International Politics 
  4. Two courses, normally at the intermediate level (numbers 40 through 99), in four different subfields, selected from the following six:
    (Students who complete both GOVT 060 CM -Introduction to Comparative Government  and GOVT 070 CM -Introduction to International Politics  need only one course from another subfield)
    • American Government and Public Policy
    • Business and Public Management
    • Comparative Politics
    • International Politics
    • Political Philosophy and Theory
    • Public Law
  5. Elective Courses: at least four elective courses in government. At least two electives must be advanced courses (numbers 100 and above). 

Notes:


  • GOVT 020 CM - Introduction to American Politics  is a prerequisite for all other CMC government courses.
  • Normally not more than one course taken at another college may be counted toward the major.
  • Courses offered by members of other departments and cross-listed as government courses may be counted as elective courses but not as core requirements.

Senior Thesis in Government


The senior thesis is a general education requirement and the capstone experience of a student’s undergraduate education. Students must complete a senior thesis in at least one of their majors under supervision of a faculty reader who teaches within that major, unless granted a special exception.

Prior to the senior year, the Government department faculty invites a limited number of students to write an honors thesis in government. Students who participate in the honors program are required to complete a two-semester project. Candidates for honors register for a thesis research course in government in the first semester and for the senior thesis in the second semester. In addition, honors candidates must participate in the mandatory two-semester, non-credit Honors Seminar conducted by the department of Government. The senior thesis and the thesis research course may not be counted as courses in the major. For further information on honors, see Honors in Government below.

Special Options for Majors


Suggestions for Concentrations


Students should consult with one or more department members to choose their electives coherently and with a view to their goals after graduation. The following concentrations illustrate several coherent options for students majoring in government:

  • Business and Public Management: core courses plus two courses in business and public management; two more electives. This program is useful for future administrators in business and government.
  • American Government: core courses plus two courses in American government; two more electives. This option is useful for students of politics and public policy.
  • Foreign Affairs and International Relations: core courses plus two courses in comparative politics or international relations; two more electives (often taken in area studies). This combination serves the needs of students interested in foreign policy and conflicts and problems of international scope.
  • Public Law: core courses plus two courses in constitutional law or legal studies; two more electives. This concentration is attractive to students preparing for legal or paralegal careers.
  • Political Philosophy: core courses plus two courses in political philosophy; two more electives. This option is useful for students especially interested in the great issues and traditions of politics.
  • Public Affairs: core courses plus two courses in American government and public policy; two more electives during a semester on the Washington, D.C. internship program. This focus is designed for students interested in government work and practical field experience.

Dual Majors


A dual major including government requires a minimum of seven government courses distributed as follows:

  1. GOVT 020 CM - Introduction to American Politics 
  2. One core course in political philosophy and theory (see above)
  3. One core course in comparative politics or international relations (see above)
  4. Elective Courses: at least four other government elective courses. At least two electives must be advanced courses (numbers 100 and above).

Students with a dual major including government are encouraged to write their senior thesis on a topic in government. For further information, see Senior Thesis in Government above.

Please note the restrictions on honors in the major for students with a dual major under Honors in Government below. For further information on dual majors and the requirements for the other discipline of the dual major, please check the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Research Institutes


The three research institutes associated with the Government Department are:

  • The Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World
    The Salvatori Center seeks to understand the relationship between individual freedom and the economic, social, moral, political, and legal conditions essential for its preservation. Within the general study of individual freedom, the Center’s work focuses particularly on the American Constitution - its founding principles and consequent judicial construction - and on questions of applied ethics. See Special Programs  for details. For further information, contact Professor Blitz.
  • The Rose Institute of State and Local Government
    The Rose Institute of State and Local Government is a public policy institute that focuses on state and local government issues, especially in Southern California. Current research areas include: survey research; fiscal and economic analysis; geographic information systems (GIS) and demographics; and legal and regulatory analysis. The Institute educates students by involving them in policy-oriented projects that result in scholarly research of value to the community, the state, and the nation. See Special Programs  for details. For further information, contact Professor Busch.
  • The Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies
    The Keck Center’s main goals are to engage students in the sophisticated analysis of contemporary international and strategic issues; and to encourage and support students and faculty to conduct research on critical issues in world affairs. The Center offers three student fellowships in international strategic studies and Asian studies. See Special Programs  for details. For further information, contact Professor Minxin Pei.

 

Accelerated Degree Program


For information on the accelerated master’s program at Claremont Graduate University, see MA Program in Political Science  in  the Special Programs section of the catalog.

Honors in Government


Each year the Government department conducts a Government—International Relations senior honors program. Prior to the senior year, the department invites a limited number of students to participate in the program based on the high quality of their work in government courses. Students selected for the program are eligible for honors if they:

  • Complete a two-semester, two-unit thesis in government with a grade of “B+” (10.00) or better;
  • Satisfactorily participate in the mandatory two-semester, non-credit Honors Seminar conducted by the department of Government; and
  • Attain a grade point average of 10.50 or better in the major at time of graduation.

The department faculty may also consider inviting students with a dual major including government to participate in the honors program.

Dual majors selected for the program are eligible for honors in government if they:

  • Have completed all requirements for a full major in government and are granted honors, or
  • Qualify and receive honors in both disciplines of their dual major. See Academic Honors at Graduation  for details.

For additional information on the honors program, contact Professor Taw or the chair of the Government department.

Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes of the Government Program


Learning Goals


The learning goals of the Government major are :

  1. To place students in the midst of controversy over the great issues of politics and the differing understandings of those issues;
  2. To equip them to deal rationally and prudently with these issues; and
  3. To assist them to communicate effectively.

Student Learning Outcomes


Students in government are taught with the goal of enabling them

  1. To demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to apply the literature and methods of ancient, modern, and contemporary students of politics and government to these issues, be those issues domestic or international.
  2. To substantiate their arguments soberly and logically.
  3. To inform their arguments with philosophic, theoretic, and constitutional principles and with an in-depth knowledge of relevant political institutions and public policies.
  4. To employ quantitative and qualitative evidence where appropriate.
  5. To express themselves effectively orally and in writing.

The Government Department faculty has agreed to assess their students every year. Assessment includes a careful assessment of senior theses. To assure consistency and objectivity, faculty will assess senior theses using a rubric (online at the Government department website) to determine students’ levels of understanding and mastery of these objectives.

General Education Requirement Information


Government requirement: The general education requirement in government is met by GOVT 020 CM - Introduction to American Politics .

Government majors: For the general education requirement in the social sciences and the humanities, CMC students majoring in government (or international relations) must take designated courses in all four fields of the social sciences (economics, government, history, and psychology), and in two of the four fields of the humanities (literature, philosophy, religious studies, and literature in a foreign language). Government majors with a dual or double major in the humanities must take courses in three humanities fields. For further information, see Academic Policies & Procedures .

Study Abroad


All CMC students have the opportunity to apply for study abroad during the junior year. Students planning to study government abroad should consult with the chair of the Government department to determine whether an off-campus course will be counted toward the government major. Please consult the chair of the Government department for further information.

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