HIST 1500/1510

Course Description

World History is a daunting topic not just because of its scope but, perhaps more importantly, because of its perspective. World history is not, or should not be, the study of the various parts of the world: Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, etc. Instead, World History is, or should be, the study of global developments and trends that either link or uniquely define the various regions of the world. In stark contrast to the “regional tour” that is the most common way that World History is taught, this course takes a bold step. It attempts to break out of the traditional paradigm by focusing on global perspectives that define key eras in human history. This class, therefore, focuses on the development of, and interactions between, peoples, states and civilizations around the world from pre-history to ca. 1500 A.D.


Course Learning Outcomes

This course aims to give you a working knowledge of the constitutional foundations, main institutions, principles, processes and policies of the US national government and political system. This course will also provide you with past and current political issues, which will improve your critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. Essentially you will be able to:

  1. Understand and apply basic concepts of politics, government, power, authority, and legitimacy.

  2. Understand the Bill of Rights and how its provisions affect the powers of the national and state governments.

  3. Understand how the Constitution defines and limits the powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the national government.

  4. Understand and apply basic political theories



Click here for the course SYLLABUS