You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
PLSI 1. Modern Politics (3)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Introduction to the study of democratic
and authoritarian political systems; evaluation of the historical, cultural,
and economic contexts of modern politics around the world; institutional
structures and functions; political ideologies; individual and group participation
in the political process; current issues. G.E. Breadth D3.
PLSI 2. American Government and Institutions (3)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Meets the United States Constitution requirement
and the federal, California state, and local government requirement. Not
open to students with credit in PLSI 101. The development and operation
of government in the United States; study of how ideas, institutions, laws,
and people have constructed and maintained a political order in America.
Not available for CR/NC grading. G.E. Breadth D2. (CAN GOVT
2)
PLSI 10T. Contemporary Issues in Politics
(1-3; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Significant contemporary uses in political theory, world politics, comparative
government, American government, local government, public administration,
or public opinion.
PLSI 90. Methods of Analysis of Quantitative Political Data (3)
An introduction to hypothesis testing in political science, with applications
to the analysis of quantitative political data; the formulation of research
problems and hypotheses; accuracy and precision in measurements; problems
of evidence and inference; basic techniques of statistical analysis. (2
lecture, 2 lab hours)
PLSI 101. American Constitution, Institutions, and Ideals (3)
Meets the United States Constitution requirement and the federal, California
state, and local government requirement. Not open to students below second
semester sophomore or with credit in PL SI 2. Executive, legislative, and
judicial functions of our government under the constitution; federal, California
state, and local governmental relationships. Not available for CR/NC grading.
PLSI 102. California Government and Institutions (1)
Not open to students with credit in PLSI 2, 101. Open only to students who
have satisfied United States Constitution requirement but have not satisfied
California state and local government requirement. Examination of legislative,
executive, judicial, and local government problems in California. Not available
for CR/NC grading.
PLSI 103. California Politics (3)
Satisfies California state and local government requirement, if not used
for political science major. Emphasis on the historical development of politics
in California and the factors and institutions important to contemporary
politics: characteristics of the electorate, voter registration, primaries
and general elections, candidates and campaigning, party organizations and
leaders, interest groups, and current issues.
Political Theory (PLSI)
PLSI 110. Seminar in History of Political Thought to Machiavelli (3)
Development of political thought from Plato to Machiavelli: law, justice,
the state, authority, forms of government, and church-state relations in
light of the philosophy of history.
PLSI 111. Seminar in History of Political Thought Since Machiavelli (3)
Freedom and individual rights, democracy, majority rule, equality, law and
authority, power, constitutionalism, property, social class and structure,
and revolution traced through the writings of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume,
Burke, Bentham, Hegel, Tocqueville, and Mill.
PLSI 114. Seminar in American Political Thought (3)
Analysis of democracy, majority rule and minority rights, constitutionalism,
federalism, representation, pluralism, property, separation of powers, and
judicial review based on the perspectives of representative early and contemporary
American thinkers.
PLSI 119T. Topics in Political Theory (1-4; max total 8)
Possible topics include theories of democracy; the Marxian tradition; political
thought of specific authors, historical periods and countries; peace and
war; church-state relations; the nature of politics and of political science.
International Relations (PL SI)
PLSI 120. International Politics (3)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. Dynamics of political
interactions of nations; nationalism, imperialism and interdependence; national
power and diplomacy; types of conflict, including war; peaceful settlement
of disputes; current issues involving competing foreign policies, national
development, energy, and national liberation movements. G.E. Multicultural/International
MI.
PLSI 121. American Foreign Affairs (3)
Prerequisite: PLSI 2. Formulation and execution of American foreign policy;
constitutional frame work; role of the president and the executive branch,
Congress, pressure groups and public opinion; contemporary problems and
policies.
PLSI 125. Russian Foreign Policy (3)
Historical and ideological sources of foreign policy of Russia and other
former Soviet republics; continuity and change in methods, strategy, and
tactics; policy formulation and application in specific geographic and subject
matter areas.
PLSI 126. International Law and Organization (3)
The sources and subjects of international law; state jurisdiction and responsibility;
international agreements; the regulation of force and the peaceful settlement
of disputes through international law and organization, including the League
of Nations, the United Nations, and regional organizations.
PLSI 128T. Topics in International Relations
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Politics of military power; arms limitation and control; peace theory; ecopolitics;
regionalism and cooperation; shifts in balance of power; nationalism; imperialism;
neutralism and nonalignment; foreign policies of specific nations.
Comparative Government (PLSI)
PLSI 140. Approaches to Comparative Politics (3)
Prerequisite: PLSI 1. Exploration of theories, models, and conceptual frameworks
for the comparative study of political systems and subsystems; methodological
rather than an area emphasis.
PLSI 141. Russian Politics (3)
A study of the political systems of Russia and other former Soviet republics.
Changes in relations between state and society; change and continuity in
political culture; trends in policy making; issues of relations between
nationality groups.
PLSI 142T. Area Studies in Western Europe
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Government and politics of Western Europe (Britain, France, Germany, and
Italy), Northern European Countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden);
or government and politics, of selected countries.
PLSI 143T. Area Studies in Eastern Europe
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Government and politics of Eastern Europe; or government, politics, and
institutions of selected countries.
PLSI 144T. Area Studies in Africa and Middle East
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic is repeated)
Government and politics of Sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East; or government,
politics, and institutions of selected countries.
PLSI 145T. Area Studies in Asia
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Government and politics of selected countries in East and Southeast Asia.
PLSI 146T. Area Studies in Latin America
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Possible topics include politics of South America; politics of Central America
and Caribbean countries; roles of selected groups in Latin American politics.
PLSI 147. East Asian Politics (3)
Examines the governments, institutions, politics, and policy of China, Japan,
North and South Korea, and selected Southeast Asian Nations.
PLSI 148. Latin American Politics (3)
Discusses the role of the military and violence in Latin American politics,
the role of civilian groups with emphasis on democratization, and the influence
of other nations - especially the United States - on Latin American politics.
PLSI 149T. Seminar in Comparative Government
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Parliamentary systems, problems and goals of developing nations, federal
systems, comparative local government, parties and pressure groups, and
multi-party systems.
American Government (PLSI)
PLSI 71. Introduction to Environmental Politics (3)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Introduction to study of environmental
politics and policy making in the United States; a brief history of environmentalism;
basic principles in environmental policy making, including policy making
for interest groups, legislatures, and levels of government; and selection
of current topics in environmental issues. G.E. Breadth D3.
PLSI 150. Public Policy Making (3)
Examines the institutional and political processes by which public policy
is formulated, adopted, and implemented. Individual instruction on student
papers (students with fundamental writing deficiencies will be required
to enroll in ENGL 1L, 1 unit, concurrently).
PLSI 151. Political Participation and Political Parties (3)
Political parties; nature and extent of citizen political activity; election
of public officials; political organization of government.
PLSI 152. Public Opinion and Political Behavior (3)
Examines the origins and expression of political attitudes and beliefs,
including voting and other political participation, and how public opinion
influences public policy. Special attention is given to partisanship, elections,
and voting.
PLSI 153. Presidential Politics (3)
Examines the history, development, and operation of the U.S. Presidency.
Special attention is given to the rise of the modern presidency, presidential
power (constitutional and extra-constitutional), presidential speech, presidential
elections, and the importance of public opinion for presidential power.
PLSI 154. Congressional Politics (3)
Examines the history, development, and operation of the U.S. Congress. Special
attention is given to congressional elections, congressional-presidential
relations, and the policy-making process.
PLSI 156T. Topics in Political Behavior
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Voting behavior, political alienation, leadership, political perceptions
and knowledge, environmental effects on political participation, group processes,
and political socialization.
PLSI 157. Environmental Politics (3)
Examines theory, concepts, and practices in U.S. environmental politics
and policy. Topics include ecological principles, the history and philosophy
of environmentalism, the contemporary political conflict over environmental
policy, and environmental policy analysis.
PLSI 158. Internship in Political Science (2-6; max total 6)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Maximum credit toward the political
science major, 3 units. Supervised work experience in legislative offices
and/or political campaigns to provide student with an opportunity to fuse
theory and practice. CR/NC grading only.
PLSI 159T. Seminar in American Government and Politics
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Congressional committee operations, policy making by the courts, political
implications of civil service, executive initiation of legislation, minority
groups and politics, political implications of news reporting; jurisprudence
and legal philosophy; legal institutions; conflict resolution.
Local Government (PLSI)
PLSI 160. State and Local Governments (3)
The organization, structure, powers, and functions of state and local governments.
PLSI 163. Municipal Government (3)
Organization, powers, and functions of city government; types of city charters,
relationship between city and state government; police and fire protection,
education, water supply, health and sanitation, city planning, debts and
taxation, public utilities.
PLSI 169T. Seminar in Metropolitan Government and Politics
(1-4; max total 8 if no topic repeated)
Regional and area intergovernmental relations, urban renewal, human relations
agencies, and taxation methodologies.
Public Law (PLSI)
PLSI 170. Constitutional Law, the Federal Structure (3)
Judicial Review, powers of the president, powers of Congress, federalism,
and the contract clause and due process -- economic rights through case
studies of leading Supreme Court decisions.
PLSI 171. Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights (3)
Free speech and association, freedom of press, commercial free speech, obscenity,
religion guarantees, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth amendment issues,
and social and political equality through case studies of leading Supreme
Court decisions.
PLSI 174. Politics and the Court (3)
An introduction to the judicial process: jurisprudence, courts and social
policy, instruments and limitations of judicial power, fact finding, precedents
and legal reasoning, statutory and constitutional interpretation, and the
search for standards.
PLSI 179T. Seminar in Public Law (1-4; max total 8)
Administrative law, international law, judicial administration, jurisprudence,
legal institutions.
Public Administration (PLSI)
PLSI 181. Public Administration (3)
General analysis of the field of public administration; administrative theories;
policy and administration; behavioralism; budgeting, planning, and legal
framework.
PLSI 182. Administrative Analysis:
Management and Organization (3)
Administrative organization; methods; systems and procedures; problem solving;
systems analysis; reports and records; resources management.
PLSI 183. Comparative Administration (3)
Theories of comparative public administration; cross-national comparisons
of administrative processes; institutions, policy formation, and behavior
with consideration of cultural, social, and economic environments.
PLSI 184. Public Budgeting and Economy Policy (3)
Examines the administrative and political considerations of revenue generation
and expenditure; budget types; the budgetary process and analysis; capital
budgeting and debt administration; intergovernmental fiscal relations; monetary
and fiscal policy.
PLSI 185. Public Personnel Management (3)
Examines the evolution of public personnel administration including the
development of merit principles, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative
action; recruitment, selection, and career development; classification techniques;
theories of motivation; public sector labor relations.
PLSI 187. Internship in Public Administration (2-6; max total 6)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Maximum credit toward public administration
major, 3 units. Supervised work experience in public agencies to provide
the student with an opportunity to fuse theory and practice. CR/NC
grading only.
PLSI 188T. Topics in Public Administration
(1-4; max total 9 if no topic repeated)
Treatment of current topics and problems in fiscal administration, public
personnel administration, and planning.
PLSI 189T. Seminar in Public Administration
(3; max total 6 if no topic repeated)
The values and philosophy of administration; management and dynamics of
change; public relations and communication problems in public administration;
planning problems and techniques; systems approach to resource management.
PLSI 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6)
See Academic Placement -- Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading.
PLSI 191. Directed Readings (1)
Directed readings and supplemental and original source material for enrichment
of regular offerings in the subdiscipline.
Core Program for Master of Arts Degree
in International Relations, (PLSI)
PLSI 200. Seminar in Methods and Political Systems (3)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Systematic analysis of major political
cultures and economic systems. Emphasis upon the leading theoretical models
of the contemporary international system, issues of political economy, and
methods of cross-cultural research.
PLSI 210. International Relations and Political
Theory (3)
(Same as AETH 201.) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Inquiry into
philosophies of international relations with particular emphasis on moral
foundations of international law in light of Western political theory. Some
contemporary problems selected for in-depth analysis and student research.
PLSI 220. Seminar in Politics and Conflict (3)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Analysis of sources of political
conflict and methods of conflict resolution with application to selected
topics, such as the foreign policy of major powers, the dynamics of political
transformation, interaction in regional subsystems, or national defense
and arms control.
PLSI 240. Seminar in Politics of Resources and Modernization (3)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Analysis of global interdependence
and national examples in selected resource areas. Emphasis on approaches
to modernization in developing nations and relations between rich nations
and poor nations.
PLSI 250. Seminar in Politics and Policy (3)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Policy formulation, implementation,
and evaluation from a comparative perspective. Examines substantive policy
issues common to modern industrial and developing nations from the perspectives
of policy analysis and decision-making; considers the role of bureaucracy,
the welfare state, political economy, and competing ideologies.
PLSI 290. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6)
See Academic Placement -- Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading.
PLSI 298. Project Equivalent to Thesis (6)
See Criteria for Thesis and Project.
Significant undertaking of a pursuit appropriate to international politics.
Must demonstrate originality and independent thinking and be accompanied
by written scholarly apparatus. Project examples: documentary film; extensive
curricular design; computer design of military strategies. Approved for
RP grading.
PLSI 299. Thesis (6)
See Criteria for Thesis and Project.
Approved for RP grading.
Graduate Public Administration (GPA)
GPA 120G. Quantitative Applications for Public Administration (3)
Exploring different methods of data analysis for understanding how public
decisions are made and public policies are evaluated. Data collection, measurement,
sampling, and data analysis - including regression - are explored with practical
applications. (2 lecture, 2 lab hours)
GPA 200. Administration and Society (3)
How administration acts and is acted upon by institutional forces and values;
role of history, cultural, ethical, political, social, and economic values
and institutions; an emphasis on: bureaucracy, economy and democracy, centralization
vs. decentralization, professionalism and society; alternatives to bureaucracy.
GPA 210. Organizational Theory in Public Administration (3)
A study of the key issues involved in the management of public organizations.
This examination of organizational behavior and theories of complex organizations
includes the following: leadership styles, communication, organizational
change, hierarchy and organizational structure, and organizational culture.
GPA 215. State and Local Government (3)
Helps students understand state and local government history and how these
governmental units interact with the federal government. Legislatures, executives,
courts and city, and county councils are studied, particularly in terms
of their emphasis on public policy. (Formerly GPA 280T)
GPA 225. Accounting for Public Management (3)
Students contemplating additional courses in accounting should enroll in
MBA 201. Concepts, principles, and practices of accounting applicable to
the administration of public programs and agencies. Current practices in
recording and valuation. Analysis and interpretation of financial statements.
Budgeting, internal reporting, and management controls.
GPA 230. Public Revenue and Expenditure Analysis (3)
Prerequisites: ECON 40 and 50 or permission of instructor. The use of economic
analysis in the resolution of major problems in revenue collection and expenditure
choices. Critical examination of: burdens and effectiveness of taxation
measures conflicts between efficiency and equity; users charges; cost calculations;
and cost-benefit analysis.
GPA 240. Seminar in Public Management (3)
An inquiry into contemporary issues facing public managers. Topics that
can be covered include accountability, performance management, development
of information technology, e-government, public management reforms, implications
of privatization/ contracting out, and public governance.
GPA 241. Resource Management (3)
Prerequisite: GPA 240. Administration of fiscal and human resources. Emphasis
on resource acquisition, allocation, and development strategies; budgeting
skills, debt, and financial management. Human asset management, labor relations,
position classification and analysis, quality of work life and employment
equity issues.
GPA 250. Ethics and Public Administration
(3)
(Same as AETH 202.) Prerequisite: GPA 210. The moral dimensions of public
administrative decision-making. The nature of public and private morality;
psychological and ethical egoism; relativism; utilitarianism and deontological
theories; rights and goods in the public service context; sensitive applications
of rules in public agencies.
GPA 260. Public Policy Administration (3)
Prerequisites: GPA 120G, 200, 210, 240. A study of policy initiation, formulation,
and implementation and a public manager's role in them; management processes
and functions in the policy process; policy justification and advocacy,
policy analysis, and implementation evaluation.
GPA 280T. Topics in Public Administration
(3; max total 6 if no topic repeated)
Selected topics meeting student needs and interests that are not met in
other university courses.
GPA 287. Internship in Public Administration (3)
Supervised work experience for a realistic exposure to an organizational-bureaucratic
environment for students in the M.P.A. program who lack significant work
experience in a public or nonprofit organization. CR/NC grading only.
GPA 289T. Practitioner's Seminar
(1; max total 6 if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: Some seminars may have course prerequisites. Selected topics
in the administration of public programs and agencies examined from the
prospective and experience of practitioners.
GPA 290. Independent Study (1-4; max total 6)
See Academic Placement -- Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading.
GPA 299. Thesis (3)
Prerequisite: See Criteria for Thesis
and Project. Preparation, completion, and submission of an acceptable
thesis for the Master's degree. Approved for RP grading.
Political Science Degrees