GVPT 100: Introduction to Political Science

  Beginning students with the University will generally start by taking some lower level courses, irrespective of their main academic goals and interests. There are two initial courses in political science: GVPT 100 and GVPT 170. While the latter deals restrictively with American Government (the governmental system in the United States, so to speak), the former is available as an option with a more universal orientation and includes the principles that also underlie the US system.
  GVPT 100 serves essentially to introduce the student to the inner workings of the political system. The scope of the course is traditionally interdisciplinary, and draws on the comparative issues that help to describe the universalistic concerns of all governmental forms.

 A more detailed description of the subject and the related class agenda are provided within the accompanying course syllabus which is distributed at the first meeting of class. The scope of the course does not presuppose any previous knowledge, and terms become defined as they are introduced. Assessment is by means of a midterm progress examination and a final examination. Good passing grades are A, B, and C. Normally, all students are  expected to work hard to earn any of these.