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CONTACT

Department of Political Science
316 Woodburn Hall
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6317
Morgantown, WV 26506-6317
Phone: (304)-293-3811
FAX: (304)-293-8644

American Politics and Policy

The Political Science Department offers a broad curriculum in American politics and public policy. Majors with interests in these areas can currently choose to focus on American politics with the department’s “General Track” in or they can select from among three more specialized tracks focused on Environmental Policy, Business and Government, or Public Policy and Public Administration.

American Politics

The department offers a comprehensive set of courses dealing with American politics that are relevant to understanding politics at the national, state, and local levels. Students with interests in this area begin with introductory courses in American government and politics, law and the legal system, public policy, and public administration. At the advanced level, they then can select among a wide variety of courses on American political institutions and political behavior.

Courses on the political dynamics of American institutions include courses on the three major branches of government (POLS310 The American Presidency, POLS318 Legislative Process; and POLS312 Judicial Process) and the political actors that operate with them (POLS317 Interest Groups and Democracy; POLS342 Bureaucratic Politics; POLS315 Law and Public Policy). Courses on political actors and behavior in the wider political environment are: POLS311 Political Parties and Elections; POLS316 Public Opinion and Politics; POLS337 Gender Politics and Policy; POLS373 American Political Philosophy; and POLS375 Psychological Theories of Politics.

These courses are complemented by substantive policy making courses that look at how U.S. institutions operate in the areas of social welfare policy (POLS333), economic policy (POLS 334), civil rights policy (POLS335), energy policy (POLS336), environmental policy (POLS338), national security analysis (POLS339) and American foreign policy (POLS364). Our courses on politics and policy at the state level are: POLS 220: State and Local Government (POLS220), American Federalism and Policy (POLS320), and West Virginia Government (POLS321).

Specialized Tracks in Policy and Politics

The Department curriculum also enables students to specialize further in certain areas of U.S. politics and policy. As noted, we currently offer the following tracks: Environmental Studies, Government and Business, and Public Policy and Public Administration. Note that these specialized tracks draw upon relevant courses listed above, as well as from non-Political Science courses relevant to each specialization.

The Environmental Studies track offers a specialized curriculum for political science majors who have a strong interest in environmental issues. The Environmental Studies track, which blends course work in political science, the policy sciences, and the natural sciences, is designed for those who intend to work in the field of environmental policy. Students entering this field may work in either the public or private sector as policy analysts, lobbyists, natural resource managers, or public affairs specialists. Students might also consider this track as a first step towards more advanced training after the bachelor’s degree, for example, a law degree (JD), a public management degree (MPA), or a masters or doctoral degree in public policy analysis or political science (M.A./Ph.D.), all with an emphasis on environmental issues.

The Government and Business track is designed to acquaint students with the multiple ways government and business interact and to prepare students for a career in the world of business or in government as it relates to business. This track, which combines the study of political science with the study of business, is intended to produce graduates who possess both basic business skills and knowledge about the relationship between government and business. Students completing this track may directly enter either the private business sector or the public sector, or seek advanced degrees in business (MBA), public administration (MPA), public policy (M.A./Ph.D.) or law (JD).

The Public Policy and Administration track is designed to meet the interests of students who seek to pursue a career in public policy studies and, as such, conduct research on such policy issues as economic development, acid rain, crime and justice, community health, or transportation to name but a few areas of concern to legislative and executive policy-makers. These individuals are typically referred to as “policy analysts.” Other public administrators as, for example, city managers, perform certain “management” functions such as recruiting and training executive personnel, preparing budgets, or organizing and directing and administrative staff. Some jobs require a person to combine the skills of public manager with that of an expert in a substantive policy area such as energy, environment, social welfare, taxation and finance, or the like. These manager/policy experts are to be found at all levels of government in many private companies or organizations. The Public Policy and Administration track helps prepare graduates for these and other jobs by providing instruction in policy analysis, public management, and various substantive policy fields.