Introduction to Political Science

Explore monarchy types—absolute, constitutional, and limited—as the lecture compares kingdoms such as Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and explains divine-right origins.

Republicanism is a representational system where elected leaders govern for a term to protect inalienable rights, grounded in popular sovereignty, self-determination, with representatives voting on laws rather than direct democracy.

Examine theocracy, where church and state intertwine and religious law shapes governance, with examples from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Vatican City, and discuss origins, benefits, and criticisms of Sharia law.

Explore socialism as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism, highlighting state ownership, equality versus equity, and real‑world examples like the NHS and pensions, plus debates about its feasibility and outcomes.

Explore Leninism, Lenin's interpretation of Marxism, advocating the dictatorship of the proletariat led by a revolutionary vanguard to achieve a communist utopia and the Russian Revolution.

Explore Maoism, Mao Zedong's interpretation of Marxism that envisions socialism through a peasant-led vanguard as a prelude to communism, with iconoclastic, nationalistic, anti-imperialist aims.

Explain democracy as the power of the people, tracing its origins to Athens and outlining direct and representative systems, with examples like the United States, Canada, and Denmark.

Libertarianism advocates maximizing freedom by minimizing the government. It is socially left-leaning and economically right-wing, favoring limited taxes and individual choice.

Discover neoconservatism as an extension of conservatism that promotes interventionism and spreading democracy through strength, with examples from Reagan and Bush and debates over foreign policy.

Explore neoliberalism, an economics oriented philosophy that champions the free market to shape government and social policies, illustrated by Milton Friedman and the idea of the invisible hand.

Explore feminism as a social and political philosophy advocating for women's rights and participation, tracing its waves from the 19th century to today and distinguishing private and public sphere goals.

Localism advocates keeping political power and production local—from family and neighborhood to the community—retaining local autonomy, supporting local businesses, and enabling direct citizen participation.

Explore ethnocracy, the rule of a specific ethnic group, and how in-group privilege and outgroup discrimination shape power, with examples from apartheid and Kurdish–Turkish conflicts.

Explore gradualism, the idea that small, long-term political and social changes build lasting reforms, with examples from civil rights and debates over slow versus rapid change.

Objectivism, founded by Ayn Rand, argues for reason over emotion, self-interested individuals pursuing happiness, privatization, and a government that protects free market capitalism and individual rights.

Explore social Darwinism, linking wealth and power to biological superiority and promoting laissez-faire capitalism and eugenics. Trace its origins to Darwin and Malthus, and note ethical critiques of equality.

Explore the evolution of political systems from ancient Rome to today, weighing their pros and cons, and connect them to basic economic theory, while encouraging ongoing learning beyond the course.