Bachelor of Arts in Political Science - Charles Town - West Virginia - American Military University - I1318

In addition to the institutional and general education level learning objectives, the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates. With reference to each of the respective areas of Political Science, graduates in this degree program will be able to:

* Investigate the fundamental theories and philosophies of government, governance, economy, and civil society and apply them to contemporary political systems.
* Examine the political elements of representative democracy and compare and contrast those elements with other political systems.
* Describe the three institutions of government that create and implement federal policy.
* Analyze the historical evolution and contemporary manifestations of the federal system and its intergovernmental implications.
* Explain the evolution of interest groups in the United States and their various roles assumed in both historical and modern democratic processes.
* Explain the perspectives of political parties and their impact on federal, state, and local government.

Students in the Political Science program learn about politics and study questions such as the following. Are democracies with a president and legislative branch more representative than those with a prime minister who leads the legislature? Is a two-party system better than a multi-party system? How can governments respect diverse ethnic, racial, and religious identities, and still promote bonds of common citizenship? What should be the role of the United States in an increasingly interdependent global economy? These are the types of questions that political scientists explore, but they also represent issues that require ordinary citizens to make informed judgments.
This program prepares graduates for careers in government such as public management, administration of justice, military service and the gaining and holding of elected positions. Graduates from political science programs are found in many professions; particularly those involved in large organizations with extensive internal networks requiring skills in dealing with and managing other people.