Politics and Government (POGO)
Peterson (chair)
Politics and Government Major:
The mission of the Politics and Government department is to prepare students for knowledgeable participation in the civic life of their communities.
The student who successfully completes the Politics and Government program will:
- Demonstrate the ability to use fundamental concepts from the core subfields of political science to explain political activity at the local, national, and international levels;
- Be prepared to ethically and effectively participate in the process by which collective decisions are made about the use of social resources;
- Have the ability to communicate effectively to peers using scholarly resources and literature from political science. The graduate will demonstrate these skills by forming a thesis and supporting it in writing.
Public Policy Major:
Public policy consists of government activities—laws, regulations, budgets, and programs—that impact people’s lives. The objective of the Public Policy Major is to educate students on the opportunities, limitations, and challenges of policy making and to prepare them for knowledgeable and just participation in policy formation and implementation in their communities. This is an interdisciplinary major, drawing broadly on relevant courses in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
The student who successfully completes the Public Policy program will:
- Identify key domestic policymaking institutions and explain how they use political power to advance the agendas of their constituents;
- Demonstrate the ability to understand, evaluate, and propose public policy at a local, state, national, or international level;
- Participate in a policymaking institution and reflect on their experience.