POLI 103 Political Ideology

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of political ideology. The course will explore the nature of ideology, the role played by ideology in inspiring and guiding political parties and movements, in legitimating governments and states, and in sparking revolution and political upheaval. The course will investigate the philosophical bases and historical origins of the most important political ideologies and will critically analyze their tenets as well as their contradictions and limitations.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Eligible to enroll in ENGL 121

Hours Weekly

3

Course Objectives

1. Identify and organize information and ideas about political ideologies.
2. Generate ideas, explore possibilities, and consider alternative interpretations and applications of various political ideologies.
3. Analyze and evaluate ideas or outcomes of attempts to use or implement political ideologies.
4. Apply information and ideas about political ideologies to a variety of different contexts.
5. Apply appropriate strategies of inquiry and exploration in order to find, evaluate, and use information ethically in the study of political ideology.
6. Apply the concept of ideology to analyze developments in American and international politics both historically and in the contemporary world.
7. Analyze contemporary political movements to determine their ideological underpinnings and inspirations.
8. Analyze the ways in which political ideologies are employed and transformed in order to legitimate and guide the actions of states and governments.
9. Investigate the possibility of the emergence of new ideologies as society and politics evolve and identify what elements are likely to be present in what develops.
10. Write clearly and effectively using appropriate, relevant, and properly attributed content that demonstrates the writer’s understanding of political ideology.

Course Objectives

1. Identify and organize information and ideas about political ideologies.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT1
2. Generate ideas, explore possibilities, and consider alternative interpretations and applications of various political ideologies.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT2
3. Analyze and evaluate ideas or outcomes of attempts to use or implement political ideologies.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT3
4. Apply information and ideas about political ideologies to a variety of different contexts.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT4
5. Apply appropriate strategies of inquiry and exploration in order to find, evaluate, and use information ethically in the study of political ideology.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Information Literacy Rubric

   Information Literacy

   • IL1
   • IL2
   • IL3
6. Apply the concept of ideology to analyze developments in American and international politics both historically and in the contemporary world.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric
7. Analyze contemporary political movements to determine their ideological underpinnings and inspirations.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric
8. Analyze the ways in which political ideologies are employed and transformed in order to legitimate and guide the actions of states and governments.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric
9. Investigate the possibility of the emergence of new ideologies as society and politics evolve and identify what elements are likely to be present in what develops.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric
10. Write clearly and effectively using appropriate, relevant, and properly attributed content that demonstrates the writer’s understanding of political ideology.

    This objective is a course Goal Only

    Learning Activity Artifact

    • Writing Assignments

    Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

    • Other (please fill out box below)
    • Course writing rubric.