2024-2025 Academic Year

Fall 2024

FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will: - Critically analyze information and ideas - Examine issues from multiple perspectives - Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason - Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and - Create clear academic writing The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.

POSC 244 Public Opinion
Examines the origins, nature, and impact of public opinion in the United States. The ways that the public's attitudes are shaped and used by interest groups, politicians, and the mass media will be discussed. Methods of measuring public opinion, with special attention to polling, will be studied. Prerequisite: 120, or permission of the instructor.

POSC 390 Campaigns and Elections
Permission of Instructor Required. The purpose of this seminar is to examine and analyze the role of the political campaign in the American political system. We will look at key aspects of campaigns - candidates; money; polling; advertising; and media - as we read current research on the state of campaigning in the United States. Since this seminar occurs during an election season, students should expect to actively engage with current events, relating course topics to what they are observing in the day-to-day campaigns of candidates currently competing for office. Political pundits and commentators generate a tremendous amount of analysis, commentary, and predictions about American elections; however, in this class we will move beyond these types of comments and attempt to understand how voters decide and how campaigns persuade.

Spring 2025

FMST 220 Mass Media/American Politics
Topics may include new media, theories of media, audio, visual, and digital media studies and production, mass communication, journalism, and media and popular culture.Prerequisite: dependent upon topic.

POSC 243 Mass Media/American Politics
Examines the causes, content, and consequences of political news, primarily focusing on television. It will explore the ways in which audience characteristics, organizational routines, and professional socialization influence the style and substance of the news. The content of news will be analyzed for: the three branches of government, war, foreign governments, crises, and presidential campaigns. The impact of the media on political behavior will also be discussed. Content analysis will be used by students to systematically analyze television network news. Prerequisite: 120, or permission of the instructor.

POSC 490 Senior Thesis
Permission of Instructor Required.