2025-2026 Catalog

Government and Law Minor

Requirements

The minor consists of a minimum of six courses:

A general minor (three introductory courses and three mid-level courses in the respective subfields).

A subfield (concentration) minor (one introductory course and five other courses in the same subfield).

A thematic minor. A student who wants to pursue a thematic minor must submit a statement explaining the rationale and the plan behind his/her idea to the department head.

Introductory Courses/Subfields

United States Politics:

GOVT 101Introduction to United States Politics

1

GOVT 207Race and Ethnicity in American Politics

1

GOVT 211State and Local Government and Politics

1

GOVT 213Law and Society

1

GOVT 215Campaigns and Elections in the U.S.

1

GOVT 218Politics of Public Policy

1

GOVT 245Early American Political Thought

1

GOVT 258Political Opinion and Participation in the U.S.

1

GOVT 310Politics, Policy, and Law in American Federalism

1

GOVT 311Constitutional Law and Politics in the United States

1

GOVT 313First Amendment in the United States: Law and Politics

1

GOVT 314Liberty in the United States: Law and Politics

1

GOVT 315Equality in the United States: Law and Politics

1

GOVT 320The Presidency and Executive Politics

1

GOVT 321Congress and the Legislative Process

1

GOVT 407Law and Social Movements

1

GOVT 410Personality and Supreme Court Decision Making

1

GOVT 421American Political Economy

1

International Politics:

GOVT 102Introduction to International Politics

1

GOVT 220The United States and Latin American Relations

1

GOVT 230International Politics of the Middle East and Persian Gulf

1

GOVT 231Global Environmental Politics

1

GOVT 238East Asian International Relations

1

GOVT 270Chinese Foreign Policy

1

GOVT 331Politics of the European Union

1

GOVT 332Globalization and Security

1

GOVT 334American Security Policy

1

GOVT 336International Conflict

1

GOVT 405US Foreign Policy in a Changing World

1

GOVT 412Politics of European Integration

1

GOVT 415Nationalism in World Politics

1

GOVT 419Global Governance

1

Comparative Politics:

GOVT 103Introduction to Comparative Politics

1

GOVT 223Politics of Africa

1

GOVT 225Politics of Russia, the Other Post-Soviet States, and Eastern Europe

1

GOVT 226Political Regimes and Regime Change

1

GOVT 227Latin American Political History from the Conquest to the Present

1

GOVT 230International Politics of the Middle East and Persian Gulf

1

GOVT 412Politics of European Integration

1

GOVT 415Nationalism in World Politics

1

GOVT 420Issues in Contemporary Latin American Politics

1

Political Theory:

GOVT 104Introduction to Political Theory

1

GOVT 242African American Political Thought

1

GOVT 241The Politics of Fashion

1

GOVT 244Modern Political Theory

1

GOVT 245Early American Political Thought

1

GOVT 246Recent American Political Thought

1

GOVT 248Capitalism and its Critics

1

GOVT 341Contemporary Political Thought

1

GOVT 414Political Thought through Literature

1

GOVT 416Critical Theory: Power and Resistance

1

GOVT 418Race, Prisons, Citizenship

1

Prerequisite for 200- and 300-level courses in this group: GOVT 104, or permission of instructor.

Seminars:

GOVT 405US Foreign Policy in a Changing World

1

GOVT 407Law and Social Movements

1

GOVT 410Personality and Supreme Court Decision Making

1

GOVT 412Politics of European Integration

1

GOVT 414Political Thought through Literature

1

GOVT 415Nationalism in World Politics

1

GOVT 416Critical Theory: Power and Resistance

1

GOVT 418Race, Prisons, Citizenship

1

GOVT 419Global Governance

1

GOVT 420Issues in Contemporary Latin American Politics

1

General Courses:

GOVT 380Internship

1

GOVT 390-391Independent Study

1

GOVT 495-496Thesis

1