POSC 321 - Political Systems of Western Europe

Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D
The governments and politics of Great Britain, France, Germany, and other Western European nations. Development and expansion of the European Union.

Strongly Recommended Preparation: Upper division status (greater than 60 earned semester units) and completion of lower division Area D1-3 requirements.
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4 with grade C- (CR) or better.
Equivalent Quarter Course: POSC 3201.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-UD-D - Upper Division Social Sciences
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the theories and concepts related to a comparative study of politics: political modernization, political institutionalism, political culture, regionalism, competitive systems theory, realist theory, functionalism, corporatism, industrial policy. Indicator: In-class essay exams.
Demonstrate familiarity with the variety of governmental structures, policy processes, and political cultures in Western Europe and in the European Union, including terminology: political systems, regimes, presidential and parliamentary systems, democratization, differentiation, functionalism, representation, identity politics, civil society. Indicator: In-class essay exams.
Develop comparative knowledge of a range of different policy areas (economic, health, social welfare, immigration, education, defense). Indicator: In-class essay exams.
Demonstrate effective research strategies for collecting and analyzing information about the concepts, organizations and topics of comparative politics. Indicator: 10-page research paper.
Demonstrate ability to write a college level medium-length research paper including practice in thesis development, outlining, information collection and analysis (including traditional and electronic data bases), and plagiarism avoidance. Indicator: 10-page research paper and preliminary assignments.
Practice effective oral communication skills through regular discussion and research roundtables (including peer collaboration and evaluation) as well as short presentations. Indicators: national delegation roundtables, research roundtables.
Establish personal goals to improve in one or more of these areas (and others such as note taking, reading skills, exam taking. etc.).

UD-D. Upper-division Social Sciences Learning Outcomes

analyze how power and social identity affect social outcomes for different cultural and economic groups using methods of social science inquiry and vocabulary appropriate to those methods;
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply accurately disciplinary concepts of the social or behavioral sciences; and
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences.