Introduction to World Politics

Course Calendar (PLS 105: Introduction to World Politics)

January 1 – January 31
Introduction to World Politics
8:30 – 9:20 MWF in Administration 331
Calendar last updated on March 25
January 2 (Wednesday)
* Nothing for today.
January 4 (Friday)
* Nothing for today.
January 7 (Monday)
* Note: No Classes Today
January 9 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Course Syllabus
* Discussion Topic: Introduction to the Course
January 11 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Hypotheses and Theories
* Discussion Topic: The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
* Read for today: "What is Science?" Forsberg
* Read for today: "Cargo Cult Science," Feynman
January 14 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: How to Use Wikipedia
* Discussion Topic: Sources and Sourcing
* Discussion Topic: The Three Levels of Sources
* Read for today: "Primary Source," Wikipedia
* Read for today: "Secondary Source," Wikipedia
* Read for today: "Tertiary Source," Wikipedia
* Major assignment due today:
Assignment One: Causal Hypotheses
January 16 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Scientific Reading
* Discussion Topic: The Dangers of Bias
* Read for today: "Wikipedia:Neutral point of view," Wikipedia
* Read for today: "Wikipedia:Verifiability," Wikipedia
January 18 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Scientific Writing
* Read for today: "Citation and Reference List Style Manual," Forsberg
* Read for today: "Weasel word," Wikipedia
* Assignment due today: Foreign News Happenings brief
* Assignment due today: Email your destination to the professor by class today.
January 21 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Democracy and Freedom Levels
* Read for today: "Map of Freedom in the World," Freedom House
* Read for today: "Polity IV Country Reports," CIDCM
* Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 23 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Bicameral and Unicameral Legislatures
* Discussion Topic: Parliamentary and Presidential Systems
* Discussion Topic: Unitary, Confederal, and Federal Systems
* Read for today: "The World Factbook," CIA
January 25 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Effective Number of Electoral Parties
* Discussion Topic: Electoral Systems
* Read for today: "Codebook: Democratic Electoral Systems Around the World" page 4 (ENEP), Golder
* Read for today: "Electoral System Design," IDEA
* Read for today: "Table of Electoral Systems Worldwide," IDEA
* Major assignment due today:
Assignment Two: Electoral System
* Assignment due today: Foreign News Happenings brief
January 28 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Development
* Discussion Topic: Infant Mortality Rate, Death Rate, Birth Rate, Life Expectancy
* Read for today: "The World Factbook," CIA
January 30 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Natural Resources
* Read for today: Atlas
* Quiz: Africa (Map Quiz)
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Today:
April 2, 2025
Major Assignments:
i*Assignment One: Causal Hypotheses
i*Assignment Two: Electoral System
i*Assignment Three: Travel Activity
i*Tuna Wars: Journal
i*Tuna Wars: Debriefing Paper
Quizzes and Exams:
*Africa (Map Quiz)
*Southern and Southeastern Asia (Map Quiz)
*Latin America (Map Quiz)
*Middle East (Map Quiz)
*Eastern Europe (Map Quiz)
*World (Map Quiz)
*Final Examination (8:00–9:40)