Course Listings: Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics: I-P

Politics

PPLE 199 Topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (1-4)

A semester-long study of topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

PPLE 210 American Politics (4)

This course reviews elements of American government in light of contemporary political issues, analyzes political processes through which public concerns are translated into public policies and develops analytical tools with which to examine American politics in its economic and social context.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: No seniors without instructor consent
Offering: Every semester
Instructor: Ellis, Michaux

PPLE 220 Politics and Ethics (4)

This course is an introduction to questions of ethics and politics. Topics to be discussed may include justice, the nature of the good, different conceptions of happiness, virtue, ethical theory, moral relativism, feminist ethics, liberty, equality, and the foundation of rights, as well as particular applied topics in moral and political philosophy (such as economic justice and the ethics of war).

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities; World Engagement: CV
Prerequisite: First or Second Year Students Only
Offering: Every Semester
Instructor: Gutterman, Ellis

PPLE 299 Topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

PPLE 314 Politics and Religion in the United States (4)

Exploration of the vital and often contentious relationship between politics and religion in the United States. Topics include theories of justice, authority and morality, religious and American culture, contemporary public policy issues.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities; World Engagement: CV
Prerequisite: One 200-level PPLE Course
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Gutterman

PPLE 315 Topics in Politics (4)

This course enables faculty and students to focus on a specific topic in politics be it within or across the discipline's subfield. Topics will involve attention to some aspect of the interconnections between ideas, images, personalities, power, and institutions as these arise in the political, socio-economic, and cultural spheres. Designation of specific topic and relevant cases and theories will be made at the time of course offering.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: One PPLE course at the 100/200 level
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Staff

PPLE 317 Political Judgment (4)

How and why do individuals and collectives decide to pursue certain courses of action and avoid others? What is the basis and process of good judgment and how can it be recognized and valued? What is the role of habit, reason, force, emotion, desire, faith? Different approaches to political judgment will be examined and applied to vexing social and moral issues.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities; World Engagement: CV
Prerequisite: One 200-level PPLE course
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Gutterman

PPLE 318 Death in America (4)

An ethics and public policy case-based seminar that proceeds from the premise that the patterned mal-distribution of mortality rates is a conspicuous consequence and hence robust measure of social justice. Four distinct cases are addressed from philosophical, ethical and policy perspectives, on topics such as the automobile, capital punishment, food, environmental causes, health-care, being health uninsured, gun ownership, HIV/Aids, occupational fatalities, oil and petroleum, physician-assisted suicide, and tobacco. Pedagogy includes discussion, exams, digital field-work, and service-learning.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences; PDE
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Basu

PPLE 319 U.S. Welfare Policy (4)

This course examines the nature and development of welfare policy in the United States, analyzing both the philosophical underpinnings of social provision and the role of politics in shaping and changing the extent of that provision. In addition, we consider the most recent attempts to reform welfare, the obstacles to implementation of new policy, and the efforts of states to address poverty issues.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 330 Topics in Public Policy (4)

This course examines the American public policy process through a case study approach. Attention will be paid to issues of policy formation and implementation with a focus on the role of national and state institutions in altering policy outcomes. Case studies will vary but may include: tax and budget policy, crime, education, housing, health care, morality policies. May be repeated once for credit if the topic is different.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 331 Direct Democracy: The Politics and Policy of State Ballot Measures (4)

This course explores the institution of state-level direct democracy, which enables citizens in Oregon and many other states, particularly in the West, to propose and pass laws without involvement by the legislature or governor. Questions to be explored include: whether ballot initiatives promote public policies that better approximate the public interest or whether they tend to advantage special interests and the wealthy; whether the majoritarianism inherent in ballot initiatives tends to harm the rights and interests of minority groups; and whether ballot initiatives promote greater citizen engagement. The course will also investigate why direct legislation flourished in the Western United States while making only limited inroads in much of the rest of the nation and why the reliance on initiatives increased so dramatically in the late twentieth century. In addition, the course examines the role of the courts in the initiative process and considers ways in which the initiative process might be reformed.

Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Ellis

PPLE 334 Law and Public Policy (4)

This course examines the law in its social context and the extent to which law reflects social philosophy and public policy. It analyzes law in its formal setting - opinions, precedents and rules - and its informal setting - policy discretion and the political nature of juries and prisons. The course considers the impact of legal education on values and social responsibility.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Carella

PPLE 337 Constitutional Law (4)

This course examines the development of the U.S. Constitution from 1803 to the present from the perspective of Supreme Court decisions. Primary emphasis is placed on the definition of and the priority among principles of limited government, the protection of private property, the promotion of commerce and individual liberty.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Carella

PPLE 338W Reforming Criminal Justice (4)

The United States currently incarcerates about 2.4 million men, women and children. The number of incarcerated does not take into account how many people’s lives are affected by our extensive system of punishment, including those on parole or probation; children of incarcerated parents; and communities that support prison systems. Furthermore, racial disparities in arrests, sentencing, and prison time call into questions our guarantees of equal justice and fundamental fairness. Inside the prison walls, many prisoners are subject to a system of control that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation. This course explores these elements of the penal system with a group of prisoners at the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), a maximum security male prison, and asks, what can be done to reform and improve the system? Eight of our classes will be held at OSP; students and prisoners will work together on reform ideas, culminating in a research project that will go to a lawmaker, advocacy group or corrections organization for consideration. (Note: Students must have a government-issued identification, submit to and pass a criminal background check, and follow the rules of dress and conduct established by the Oregon Department of Corrections.).

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Social Sciences
Offering: Spring
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 345 Topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (4)

This course enables faculty and students to focus on a specific topic in politics, policy, law, and/or ethics. Topics will involve attention to some aspect of the interconnections between power and justice in the political culture of the United States. Designation of specific topic and relevant cases and theories will be made at the time of course offering.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences
Prerequisite: One PPLE course at the 100/200 level
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Ellis, Gutterman, Michaux

PPLE 351W Sex, Gender and American Politics (4)

A wide range of political issues, from abortion to marriage equality, raise fundamental questions about the nature of sex, gender roles, and the role of government. These issues play out in an electoral arena where female voters outnumber male voters but the percentage of female candidates for office remains low. Is politics a man's game? Is there a distinctive feminist politics? What are the institutional opportunities and barriers to political equality? Questions about the gendered dimensions of political life will animate our analysis of American democratic life.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 353 Parties, Elections and Campaigns (4)

This course explores the uneasy position of political parties in a constitutional system designed in part to thwart majority action and asks, to what extent do American political parties and elections enhance or obstruct democratic control of government? Topics include: The Founders' views of political faction and the development of a party system; the historical exclusion of women and African-Americans from party politics; and the role of parties today in shaping and governing political conflict. Finally, the course analyzes a variety of reform proposals from alternative "citizen" organizations to calls for proportional representation.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Alternate falls
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 354 The American Presidency (4)

This course analyzes the development of the American presidency and its place in contemporary politics. The particular presidencies and themes studied will vary from year to year, but the course will typically investigate the empirical sources of presidential power, including the Constitution, individual political skill and leadership style, and historical circumstances. The course will also explore the development of presidential power and pose the normative question of whether modern presidents have too much or too little power.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: One 200 level PPLE course
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Ellis

PPLE 355 Latinx Politics and Policy (4)

Latinxs represent the largest growing shift in American Politics, pressing the debate about their growing cultural and political influence. COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter movement, the 2020 presidential election, and climate change migration add further complexity to the field of Latinx/o politics. However, no universal Latinx/o experience leads to uncertainty about their identification and mobilization within the U.S. political system. Despite this, Latinx/o communities have organized powerful social movements to demand political power and policy changes. This course explores Latinx's political strides, struggles, and possibilities that continue to shape U.S. politics. It covers major theories, Latinx/o political engagement, the role of women in social movements, and contemporary policy issues impacting Latinx/o communities.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210 or instructor consent
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Martinez-Medina

PPLE 358 American Exceptionalism?: Policy and Politics in Comparative Perspective (4)

This course examines a wide range of American public policies in cross-national and historical perspective. The course investigates the extent to which American politics and outcomes (e.g., health care, economic inequality, welfare state, taxation, gun violence, incarceration rates, hate speech laws, environmental regulations) diverge from those of other advanced industrial societies and assesses rival explanations, including institutional, cultural, and historical explanations. Finally, the course explores what American citizens and policy makers can learn from the experiences of other countries.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: One 200 level PPLE course
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Ellis

PPLE 360 Pacific Northwest Farmworkers (4)

This course provides an in-depth exploration of Oregon farm labor and examines the ethical dimensions of the industry from the viewpoint of agricultural workers in the Pacific Northwest. The course covers historical policies, contemporary developments, and ongoing debates shaping the modern food labor system and dives into the complexities of farmworkers' lives that intersect across gender, class, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and globalization. Students will challenge assumptions by being exposed to the systemic challenges farmworkers face, such as wage disparities, health, housing, food, demographic shifts, and workplace conditions.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences; WE: Community Engaged Learning
Prerequisite: PPLE 210
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Martinez-Medina

PPLE 372 American Foreign Policy (4)

This course analyzes the substance and sources of American foreign policy since World War II and examines the complexity of interests and issues that affect U.S. relations with selected countries and regions.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: One of INTST 214, INTST 216 or INTST 318
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Marks

PPLE 383 Dissent in 20th Century American Political Thought (4)

This course examines dissent in 20th century American political thought. Major areas of political divisiveness, such as Capitalism, Labor and (anti-) Communism, Race and Racism, and Sex, Gender, and Sexuality, will be explored through works of political activism and analysis on both the Left and Right.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities
Prerequisite: 200-level PPLE course
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Gutterman

PPLE 390 Independent Study (variable)

Opportunity to conduct a major research project, which cannot be satisfied through any existing course in the department's curriculum, under faculty supervision. Proposed projects must be submitted to the Department Chair and must be approved by the department faculty.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Offering: Every semester
Instructor: Staff

PPLE 396 Governmental Internship (4)

Supervised internships in state and local government. Interns are placed only in positions which provide academic learning opportunities and the availability of such positions may be limited. A student is accepted for internship at the discretion of the instructor on the basis of demonstrated capabilities, including research and writing skills. Interns are expected to work 12 hours a week, meet regularly with the instructor, attend periodic seminars, and write a final research paper.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210 and sophomore status
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Ellis

PPLE 397 Advocacy Internship (4)

Supervised internships in local, state, and regional advocacy organizations. Interns are placed only in positions that provide academic learning opportunities and the availability of such positions may be limited. A student is accepted for internship at the discretion of the instructor on the basis of demonstrated capabilities, including research and writing skills. Interns are expected to work 8-12 hours a week (120 hours for the semester), meet regularly with the instructor, attend periodic seminars, and write a final research paper.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210, PPLE 220, and Sophomore standing
Offering: Alternate Falls
Instructor: Gutterman

PPLE 398 Legislative Internship (4)

Supervised internships in the Oregon State Legislature. Interns are placed only in positions which provide academic learning opportunities and the availability of such positions may be limited. Students are admitted to the course by consent of the instructor and are selected on the basis of their demonstrated capabilities, including research and writing skills. Interns are expected to work 12 hours a week, meet regularly with the instructor, attend periodic seminars, and write a final research paper.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Social Sciences
Prerequisite: PPLE 210 and sophomore status
Offering: Spring of odd-numbered years
Instructor: Michaux

PPLE 399 Topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

PPLE 429 Topics in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

PPLE 480W Knowledge into Action Senior Capstone (8)

This eight-credit senior seminar invites students to go beyond dealing with identifying problems in a given area of policy and politics, to designing solutions and analyzing how the desired change can be brought about. Students are required to engage in collaborative problem-solving in devising their action proposals. Although the seminar will have a few common texts, the bulk of the semester’s work will be organized around smaller group projects that will require students to draw on the relevant academic literature, available data, and community expertise. The final written product will be a briefing memo and research report, which will be presented orally in a public setting. The course cannot be taken credit/no credit.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Social Sciences
Prerequisite: Completion of 32 PPLE semester hours toward the major
Offering: Every semester
Instructor: Ellis, Gutterman, Michaux