Course Syllabus

Introduction to Political Science

POL_S 100 (99912)

Fall 2026

Prerequisites: none

Instructor: Dr. Olyvia Christley                        

(olyvia.christley@wsu.edu)                                                      

            Office: 821 Johnson Tower                               

Student Hours: 1-3:30pm on Wednesdays, or by appointment

Phone: (509) 335-0942

Lecture Times:                                                 Location:

9:10-10:25am Tuesdays and Thursdays  Todd 320                     

Required Texts: 

  • (Dooley) Dooley, Kevin and Jospeh Patten. Why Politics Matters: An Introduction to Political Science, 4th ISBN: 0357987381.
  • (ER) Various Readings on Electronic Reserve on Canvas.
  • A subscription to iClicker

 

The Dooley text is available at the Bookie and the expected cost is about $100. The electronic readings will be posted on Canvas. iClickers and subscription plans (which may be shared with other classes) are available here: https://www.iclicker.com/. The Remote (which may be used with other classes) usually costs about $25, and the subscription for a semester is about $16 (which may be shared with other classes that use iClicker).

Course Description and Goals:

This course is intended to provide you with a broad overview of the field of political science. Specifically we will explore the nature of politics and power. It further provides an overview of the major subfields of political science, including political theory, comparative politics, American politics, and international relations. Students will be introduced to political ideas, behaviors, processes, institutions, and debates on a national and global level as they explore the foundational principles of the discipline. After taking this course, you should:

  • be familiar with the reasoning that political scientists use with respect to political and policy-related questions;
  • be familiar with the methods that political scientists use to explore such questions;
  • develop an understanding of political science to include its relevance to contemporary, real-world problems;
  • be able to effectively communicate through written and oral means on political issues; and
  • be able to understand, respect and engage with others who might share or not share your own political perspective.

Course Requirements:

Expect to spend 6 hours outside of class per week on this material. Your grade in this class will be determined by your (1) performance on the two exams, weekly quizzes and response papers, (2) attendance and participation, as indicated by the following breakdown:

 

Attendance                                                       5%

Participation                                                     5%

Reading Quizzes                                               10%

Response Papers (6)                                          30% (5% each)

Midterm Exam                                                  20%

Final Exam                                                       30%

 

 

You will receive a numerical score (0-100) based on weighted average that corresponds to the breakdown indicated above, which corresponds to a letter grade as indicated by the following scale:

                                    A         93-100

                                    A-/B+   88-92

                                    B          83-87

                                    B-/C+   78-82

                                    C          70-77

                                    D         60-69

                                    F          < 60

 

You will note that there are some swing grades (e.g. between A and A-/B+ (92-93)). If you receive a final score that is such a swing grade, then your letter grade will be determined by two factors: (1) how close you are to one score or the other (e.g. 92.75 is closer to 93 than 92.25); and (2) how well you’ve participated in class. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANY WORK IN THIS CLASS UNLESS DIRECTED BY ME.

 

  1. Exams – You will have two (2) exams: a midterm and a final. Each exam will include a combination of true/False, multiple choice, short answers and an essay component. The midterm for this course is worth 25% of your grade, which you will take in class on the 20th of October. The final exam for this course will be held on the 15th of December from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.   

 

  1. Reading Quizzes – About once a week, you will have a reading quiz. Reading Quizzes will be multiple choice or true/false and will be administered at the beginning of class through iClicker. You may only take the quiz if you are attending class. They are short quizzes that will both test your preparation for the week’s readings and how well you’ve mastered past concepts. Your quiz score will be determined by your 10 best quiz scores (out of 13) and will constitute 10% of your final grade. Quizzes are not a group activity. There are no make-up quizzes, ever.

 

  1. Response Papers – You will be assigned six (6) response papers (of 2-4 pages each) throughout the semester. Each response paper will be centered on a particular question related to the content that we are examining. The schedule for the response paper is listed in the course schedule. You will always have at least one week from the time that the response paper is assigned until it is due. Late papers will be assigned a half letter-grade penalty for each day that it is late. Do not use AI to complete your response papers. The question that you will be asked is usually not answered well by most current AI platforms.

 

  1. Attendance and Participation – Attendance is mandatory, and will be taken at the beginning of class through iClicker. Failure to attend lecture will impact your grade both directly and indirectly. It will directly affect your grade insofar as attendance counts for 5% of your final grade. Every unexcused absence in excess of two (2) will result in a reduction of your attendance grade. Additionally, much of the material in this class will be new to you – not to mention difficult – meaning that your likelihood of success decreases with every absence. Moreover, participation counts as 5% of your final grade. If you do not attend class, it will be nigh impossible for you to participate in class discussions. If you have worries about your level of in-class participation, come see me during student hours and we will discuss alternatives for participation.

 

Washington State University reasonably accommodates absences allowing for students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Reasonable accommodation requires the student to coordinate with the instructor on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for course completion. Students requesting accommodation must provide written notification within the first two weeks of the beginning of the course and include specific dates for absences. Approved accommodations for absences will not adversely impact student grades. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. Students who feel they have been treated unfairly in terms of this accommodation may refer to Academic Regulation 104 – Academic Complaint Procedures. See also Academic Regulation 82, available at https://registrar.wsu.edu/academic-regulations/.

 

 

Guidelines and Policies:

Lecture – Our time together is very precious, and as such, I expect you to attend the lectures having read the assigned readings and generally ready to learn. Oh yeah, WSU requires me to say, “For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside class.” During class time there should be nothing on your desk that is not required for class (e.g. no newspapers, books from other classes, etc.).  All cell phones should be silenced.  Laptops and tablets may be used for note-taking if you wish.

 

Respect in the Classroom – Over the course of the semester, we may discuss some very sensitive issues – ones that may cause your blood to boil.  I think J.S. Mill said it best when he said, “there is nothing that offends no one, and no one who is offended by nothing.”  It is possible that you may leave lecture very upset about the day’s discussion – good!  I hope that I challenge you to think about issues of such import that they would make us angry, sad and wanting to make a change in our lives or the world.  However, I expect everyone to treat every other member of this class with the highest degree of respect.  Acting otherwise will result in dire consequences for the transgressors.

 

Communications Policy – The best way to get in touch with me is via email. I have my phone number listed above, and you are welcome to give me a call. However, you are much more likely to get a response or acknowledgment via email. I check my email frequently, and I will generally make every effort to respond to your emails in a timely manner (usually within a couple of hours). However, there might be rare cases during the semester when it takes up to 48 hours for me to do so. Thus, you should plan accordingly, if there is a time constraint that you are worried about. One final note: WSU has just changed their email policy. All official emails must be sent to WSU email addresses. I may still respond to your personal email, but I will send all class business (e.g., announcements) exclusively to your WSU email. It is your responsibility to monitor your WSU email. Claiming that you did not receive word about a class issue because you did not check your WSU account is an excuse that carries no weight for this class. Finally, I will never discuss grades via email due to the possibility of a violation of your privacy.

 

Academic Integrity – I expect all of you to hold yourselves to the highest standards of academic integrity in this class. I have adopted a zero-tolerance policy with regard to academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) cheating on exams and misrepresenting your attendance status. Any instance of academic dishonesty will result in your receiving a failing grade for the course. WSU has asked that I say this as well, which is enshrined by State Law:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University Policies – Students are responsible for reading and understanding all university-wide policies and resources pertaining to all courses (for instance: accommodations, care resources, policies on discrimination or harassment), which can be found in the university syllabus.

 

 

 

*Changes to this syllabus may be made during the course of the semester.

 

 

 

PART ONE: WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?

 

 

Week 1: Sept. 1                      Introduction and Welcome; What is Political Science?

 

NOTE:                       There is no class on Tuesday, August 30

 

Reading:                      Dooley pp. 2-21

 

PART TWO: POLITICAL THEORY

 

 

Week 2: Sept. 6 & 8               The Moral Foundations of Politics: Ancient Greece

The Birth of Modern Political Theory: Machiavelli and Hobbes

 


Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 23-51 For Thursday: Dooley pp. 53-72

 

Week 3: Sept. 13 & 15           The Social Contract: Locke, Rousseau, and Burke

Rights and Utilitarianism: J.S. Mill and Bentham

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 73-81

Selected primary source readings on Canvas TBD For Thursday: Selected primary source readings on Canvas TBD

Assignment:                Student Response Paper #1 Assigned Sept. 15 (due Sept. 22)

 

 

Week 4: Sept. 20 & 22           Political Economic Theory: Hegel, Marx, and Adam Smith

Ideology and -Isms

 

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Selected primary source readings on Canvas TBD

 

For Thursday: Review Table 1.4. in Dooley pp. 7-8

Selected primary source readings on Canvas TBD Assignment:        Watch First Presidential Debate on September 26 (optional) Due:     Student Response Paper #1 (due Sept. 22 before class)

PART III: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

 

 

Week 5: Sept. 27 & 29           The Origins of American Democracy

The Constitution: Ratification and Structure

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 84-95 For Thursday: Dooley pp. 105-118


The U.S. Constitution (available on Canvas) Assignment:    Student Response Paper #2 Assigned Sept. 29 (due Oct. 6)

 

Week 6: Oct. 4 & 6:               Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, and Federalism

The American Presidency

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 96-104 For Thursday: Dooley pp. 163-170

Assignment:                Student Response Paper #3 Assigned Oct. 4 (due Oct. 11) Watch second Presidential Debate Oct. 9 (optional) Watch Vice-Presidential Debate Oct. 4 (optional)

 

Due:                            Student Response Paper #2 due Oct. 6 before class

 

 

Week 7: Oct. 11 & 13             The American Congress

The American Judiciary

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 121-135, 141-144 For Thursday: Dooley pp. 190-205

Listen to More Perfect Podcast “Kittens Kick the Giggly Blue Robot All Summer” (link on Canvas)

 

Due:                Student Response Paper #3 due Oct. 11 before class

 

 

Week 8: Oct 18 & 20             Midterm Review

Midterm Exam

Assignment:                Watch third Presidential Debate on Oct. 19 (optional) Reading:    For Tuesday:   Review Midterm Review Handout on Canvas

For Thursday: No Reading – STUDY STUDY!

 

PART IV: ELECTIONS

 

 

Week 9: Oct. 25 & 27            Political Parties

The Electoral College and Referendums

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   TBD For Thursday: TBD

Assignment:                Student Response Paper #4 Assigned Oct. 27 (due Nov. 3)

 

 

Week 10: Nov. 1 & 3              Voting Rights: Voter ID, Gerrymandering, Disenfranchisement

Mass Media, Money in Politics, and Campaign Finance Reform

 

Note:                           Students will have a Computer Assisted Legal Research training with LRC librarians this week – time and date TBD

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley, pp. 135-140 Other readings TBD

 

For Thursday: TBD

 

Assignment:                Student Response Paper #5 Assigned Nov. 3 (due Nov. 10) Due:    Student Response Paper #4 due Nov. 3 before class

PART V: CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

 

 

Week 11: Nov. 8 & 10            The Bill of Rights

The Politics of Protest

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   The Bill of Rights (on Canvas)

 

Other readings TBD

 

For Thursday: “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” (on Canvas) Excerpt from “Civil Disobedience (on Canvas)

 

Due:                            Student Response Paper #5 due Nov. 10 before class

 

PART VI: COMPARATIVE POLITICS

 

 

Week 12: Nov. 15 & 17          Comparing Executives: Presidents and Prime Ministers

Comparing Legislatures: Congresses and Parliaments

 


Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 170-185 For Thursday: Dooley pp. 145-161

 

Week 13: Nov. 22                   Judicial Review Versus Legislative Supremacy NOTE: There is no class on Thursday (Happy Thanksgiving!) Reading:    For Tuesday: Dooley pp. 187-190, 206-214

Assignment:                Student Response Paper #6 Assigned Nov. 22 (due Dec. 1)

 

PART VII: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

 

 

Week 14: Nov. 29 & Dec. 1 The Theory of International Relations

Contemporary  International Relations

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 250-283

 

For Thursday: Dooley pp. 285-310 (skim for historical background) Dooley pp. 312-336

 

Due:                            Student Response Paper #6 due Dec. 1 before class

 

 

Week 15: Dec. 6 & 8              Monarchies, Theocracies, Dictatorships: Is There a Place for

Authoritarian Rule? Final Exam Review

 

Reading:                      For Tuesday:   Dooley pp. 216-248

 

For Thursday: Review Final Exam Handout (on Canvas)

 

 

FINAL EXAM:         December 15, 2016 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.