POLSC101: Introduction to Political Science

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• compare and contrast direct and indirect democracy, illiberal democracy, authoritarianism, and fascism;
  
• compare and contrast democratic socialism and democratic capitalism;
  
• critique the political and economic frameworks of socialism, Marxism, and communism;
  
• identify the key principles of classical conservatism and classical liberalism;
  
• illustrate the defining features of modern U.S. conservatives and modern U.S. liberals;
  
• explain the growth of Islamism as a political ideology;
  
• define feminism and describe its permutations over time;
  
• analyze the roots of environmentalism and the contemporary issues facing the movement; and
  
• situate key political ideologies on the political spectrum.