43 courses with the subject POLS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
POLS 101AMERICAN GOVERNMENT4
The American myth of individualism, the cyber-generated sense of impatience and the attendant inability for deferred gratification, the Internet world of individuation and disaggregation, rising income gaps, increasing demographic diversity, limited upward social and economic mobility, atrophying social groups, educational inequality, and increasing activism on the part of women - how do these and other factors influence the structure, function, and interaction of the elements of the American political system, and the actions and Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 359
An introductory course to familiarize students with major concepts and problems of the international political system. Open to first-year students. (I)
The first part of this course examines the basic concepts used in comparative politics (e.g., political culture, political actors, political decision making, political performance, etc.). The second part of the course uses these concepts to analyze the politics in various country case studies. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (I) (DJP)
An examination of some of the political theories that have influenced Western civilization from Aristotle through Marx and into the present. This course will offer first-year students and sophomores an opportunity to practice their critical analysis and writing skills. Open to first-year students. Not recommended for juniors and seniors. (A or I)
POLS 118CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS4
An in-depth examination of selected issues of controversy in American politics today—e.g., capital punishment, abortion, gun control, school violence, voucher system, electoral college, campaign finance, PACs, mass media, term limits, faith-based governmental initiatives, health policy, environmental policy, energy policy, and politics and morality. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (A)
We study the history and functions of the U.N., as well as the current major political, social, and economic issues. The course focuses on preparation for Hollins’ delegations to the American Model U.N. Conference in Chicago, which is held the weekend before Thanksgiving. Participation is recommended but not required for all class members. The course may be taken more than once since the countries and issues change from year to year. Also listed and described as INTL 160. May be repeated for credit. Open to first-year students. (I) Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 360
Survey of the history, theories, and recent research integrating these key concepts for modern society; explores gender, ethnic, and class political participation, movement politics and empowerment; gender, ethnicity, and class policy and law. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (A)
POLS 210ETHNICITY, NATIONALISM, AND CONFLICT IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE4
From Turkey to Darfur to Spain to Chiapas, ethnic conflict represents the most common expression of large-scale political violence within and across states. This course explores themes and conceptual issues of identity, ethnicity, and nationalism from a comparative perspective. Examining case studies where ethnicity and nationalism variously fuel popular support of political regimes or genocide will contextualize the ways that these socio-political constructs create differences between groups. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (I)
What role do the media play in the process of governance—the so-called “fourth estate” of the print and broadcast media—and now the “fifth estate” that includes the internet world and blogosphere? How do they influence and are influenced by the government? How do they shape the beliefs and policies of elected and appointed government officials, citizen political socialization, and ultimately elections, campaigns, and all that concerns the relationship between the government and its citizenry? Exploration of these and other issues through videos, movies, lectures, and discussions. Open to first-year students. (A)
The history and politics of the Middle East. Special emphasis given to the cultural background of various countries of the region as well as nationalism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the politics of oil.
Analysis of international issues and systems based on social science perspectives and methodologies, including statistics. Topics are drawn from the following: trade, finance, and Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 361
Students will analyze examples of forcible imposition of political power, from the ancient Romans to modern dictators. Making other people accept political authority is difficult, especially when power is seized. We will not focus on the military exploits of dictators or conquerors, but rather what happens when the fighting is over. How did Caesar conquer Gaul? How did Europeans conquer so much of the world in the 19th century? Can one person really rule a modern nation-state? Through lectures, class discussions, and individual research, we will address these and related questions.
This course introduces the student to the basic concepts, both traditional and conjectural, of international law and its study. We will do this both by reading and discussing texts on politics and international legal relations and by discussing current international political issues. Classes are a mix of lecture, discussion, and respectful debate.
any 100-level POLS course or permission. (I) (DJP)
POLS 238GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT4
In this course, students will learn how grassroots movements impact political outcomes and how to engage the public in order to make political change. Students will understand and execute a grassroots stakeholder analysis that identifies family, friends, foes, and strangers in an advocacy campaign. We will also cover the three types of grassroots advocacy: community advocacy, legislative advocacy, and grassroots in electoral campaigns. Open to first year students. (A) (DJP)
This course will focus on interest groups and social movements in the United States. We will explore how interest groups and movements are born, how they recruit and mobilize supporters, and how they seek to influence politics. The course also examines the strategies these groups use to shape public policy, including participation in electoral campaigns and lobbying policymakers. Open to first-year students. Offered on a rotating basis. Also listed and described as SOC 239. Prerequisite:
POLS 247PARTIES, ELECTIONS, AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOR4
Political activities and behavior of individuals and groups in regard to electoral processes. Emphasis on the American experience but includes comparisons with other systems. Open to first-year students. . (A) (DJP)
Structure and functions of state governments in the federal system. Cooperation and conflict between levels of government. Problems of constitutional law, of decision making and administration, of political power and resources. Viability of state government today and proposals for reform. Open to first-year students with permission. Prerequisite: any 100-level POLS course or permission. (A)
POLS 258, the United States Congress, offers a comprehensive exploration of the United States Congress, with a focus on understanding the complexities of congressional politics beyond surface-level media narratives. Students examine how laws are made, the impact of legislative rules, public perception of Congress, and possible reforms. Students will also explore dynamics between Congress and other political institutions, including the executive branch, interest groups, and political parties to gain a deeper appreciation of the inner workings of Congress and the scholarly approaches used to study it. Open to first-year students. (A) (DJP)
In this course, students will develop an understanding of political ecology, a framework that takes perspectives from anthropology, economics, and political science to understand how historical and systemic structures impact the way that people use, protect, and relate to their environments. Focusing on American environmental politics and policy, this class will introduce students to key policies, including NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and the Wilderness Act. Although this class includes components of policy, it focuses on the history of the American landscape, dispossession, and the way current policy is premised on historical values. Also listed and described as ES 261. Open to first year students. Prerequisite: ES 104 or 117. Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 363
This course is designed to introduce the student to the most important issues in sub-Saharan African politics, both current and perennial. It will be divided into four sections. In the first, students will examine the global context of African politics to identify the most significant obstacles to African prosperity. The second section will cover representative African Independence movements. The third section will examine the continent's experience with democratic governance, while the fourth section will examine diverging economic paths in Africa.
Political psychology is concerned with understanding how individuals think and feel about politics, and how these psychological factors shape political behavior. This course offers an introduction to the study of political psychology in the American context, with attention to the formation of political opinions and attitudes, the role of emotions in shaping political behavior, and the dynamics of political polarization.
This course is designed to introduce the student to the most important contentious issues, including environmental issues, concerning the world’s oceans. Since human beings learned to travel great distances across the seas, they have found themselves in conflict over bases, colonies, and resources, and also over the handling of environmental issues related to the exploitation of the resources. We will begin by looking at the early European presence in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and how international law and the international political system sought to handle those conflicts. We will move on to current issues concerning the oceans, from fishing to cruising. Open to first years. Also listed and described as ES 271. (I)
This course introduces complex issues that continue to face a society that is increasingly urban and integrated into the world economy. The structures of our urban society and the Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 364
This seminar examines contemporary issues in European politics. Special attention is given to political issues in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. The issues vary depending upon events in Western Europe, but such topics as European integration and ethnic nationalism are representative.
This course serves as an introduction to contemporary geopolitical issues of globalization, sovereignty, nationalism, war, legitimacy, and hegemony. Key issues include: the nature and production of political sovereignty, the intersection between the nation and new global forms of government, the future of cosmopolitan democracy, the roots of geopolitical thinking, and the role of the U.S. within the world system as global “imperial” hegemon. The goals of the course are to highlight key geopolitical issues present within international affairs and for students to develop their own views informed by analysis of course readings and classroom discussions. Also listed and described as INTL 303. Open to first-year students with permission. (I)
A study of the American national government, including the philosophical foundation; the making of the U.S. Constitution; public opinion, voting, and elections; parties and interest groups; the presidency; Congress; and the Supreme Court. Open to first-year students with permission. Prerequisites: any 100-level POLS course or permission. (A)
POLS 311SEMINAR IN CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS4
An in-depth analysis of the political, legal, economic, social, and ethical aspects of selected issues of controversy in American politics today [e.g., senate filibuster (unanimous consent), Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 365
any 100-level POLS course or permission. (I) (DJP)
POLS 330HEALTH POLICY4
The government plays a significant role in population health through health policy making. On the medical side, accessibility, cost, and quality of health care are structured by governmental policy; on the public health side, food, water, and environmental safety are also shaped by policy. This course equips students to understand the policy making process across its social, political, and economic dimensions. Students will learn to analyze policy for its impact on population health and will learn how to advocate for policy that improves health equity. Also listed and described as PH 330. (A)
Study of the history of elections; the place of elections in the theory of democracy; various influences on the outcome of elections such as campaigns, campaign finance, party politics, candidates and their policies and images; the nature of the times; media; the voter profile as a function of political, psychological, social, and economic factors; and institutional factors such as primaries, the Electoral College, and laws governing the election process.
POLS 101. Open to first-year students with permission. (A)
POLS 350SPECIAL TOPIC: CLASH OF THE TITANS4
This course is designed to introduce the student to the most important issues in 21st century superpower relations. As the century opened, the United States found itself, somewhat reluctantly, the world’s sole superpower. In 2025, Russia and China are acting out their own aspirations for superpower status.
In this course we will read and analyze constitutionally based arguments and court decisions resolving cases about the powers and limits of government in the United States. We will pay attention to fundamental concepts (i.e., executive power, judicial review, equal protection of the law, and federalism) as well as current applications and debates related to these fundamental concepts (e.g., Internet privacy, same-sex marriage, immigration, warrantless wiretapping, campaign finance, and environmental regulation). Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 366
Designated for senior honors majors only, the invited departmental scholar may undertake one of the following: jointly designing a course and/or teaching it with a faculty supervisor of her choice; assisting the faculty supervisor with a research project that bears relevance to her area of interest; or proposing an extension of her honors thesis by engaging in specialized readings. This program is by invitation only.
Offered to qualified political science majors. Research begins during first term, continues through Short Term, and is completed during second term. GPA requirements: 3.33 in political science and 3.0 overall. Application must be made with faculty prior to registration.
This course will explore the lives of important political leaders. We will investigate the experience of leaders of both genders, from all over the world, and from various periods in history. We will attempt to isolate and evaluate those qualities that separate leaders from followers. What made one person go on to fame and greatness when others in very similar circumstances never achieved either? This course will use biographies of selected political leaders, as well as theoretical treatments of leadership.
This seminar is designed to introduce the student to selected topics in American Foreign Policy. With the end of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy has become more complex and more challenging. We will start by going back to the beginning to look at some of the most serious foreign policy challenges that faced the Founders. Next, we will look at the post-Cold War world, the post-September 11 world, and examine how Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump have attempted to deal with the new situations they faced. Finally, we will examine the legacy of the Obama foreign policy and the outlines of the foreign policy of the Trump Administration. POLS 5XX: Refugees and Forced Migration Studies (4) This course will examine significant political, social, and economic issues related to the movement of displaced peoples (both internally and externally displaced). We will explore the 95
Are there any such things as simple stories? Do all works of literature have political messages? In this course, we will look at a wide variety of literary genres, from children’s books to classic epics. In some, we will find obvious political messages; in others, the message, if there is one, will be much more subtle. The process of finding political messages will reveal much about political science, related social sciences and the analytical process.
