Senior Seminar – GOVT 492

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

The capstone course in Government provides - in the context of a biblical Christian worldview - an overview, discussion, and evaluation of leading figures, theories, subfields, and schools of thought within the broad field of political science.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Throughout his or her undergraduate career, the Government student is required to complete a series of thematic courses that provide detailed accounts of very specific aspects of the discipline of political science. As the Senior Seminar which culminates that undergraduate experience, GOVT 492 serves as a capstone course specifically designed to grant the student a panoramic view of all of the major concepts to which he or she has been exposed. This course delivers the opportunity to see how each topic fits into the grand scheme of governance as articulated by authorities within the discipline, thus allowing the student to process those ideas into a cohesive understanding and to do so from a biblically informed frame of reference.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Requirements Checklist.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to submit a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 500 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and include at least 5 citations in current APA format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 250 words and include at least 2 citations in current APA format. Acceptable sources include the course textbooks and other scholarly publications in addition to the Bible.

The student will complete a matching exercise that allows him or her to demonstrate recognition of concepts associated with the various subfields of political science.

The student will complete an exercise that will assist him or her in identifying his or her political subfield leanings.

The student will prepare 10-minute podcasts on political science topics in his or her subfield of interest. For each podcast, the student must submit the audio file along with an outline and a podcast script.

The student will write a research-based paper in current APA format that focuses on a systematic review of key questions confronting his or her subfield of interest. This assignment will be completed in the following stages:

Systematic Literature Review:  Topic Proposal Assignment

The student will submit a research question on a topic related to the political science subfield identified during his or her Self-Identification Assessment.

Systematic Literature Review:  Initial List of References Assignment

The student will compile at least 25 prospective sources other than the course textbooks and the Bible that discuss the pertinent aspects of his or her research question. Citations must follow current APA format.

Systematic Literature Review:  Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The student will develop an annotated bibliography that provides a narrative account of the following for each source identified in the Initial List of References: the nature of the studies assessed, the type of data used, the methodology, and the findings that were generated. Citations must follow current APA format.

Systematic Literature Review:  Final Assignment

The student will submit a final paper. The paper must be at least 10 pages, include at least 25 sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible, and follow current APA format. The page count does not include the title page or reference list.

This quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes and contain 20 short answer questions and 2 essay questions. The time limit will be 2 hours and 30 minutes.