POLI 1041 Fundamental Concepts of Politics

Restricted to freshmen and sophomores only. This is an introduction to the study of politics through a consideration of some of the basic elements associated with governing: the political association, justice, constitutions, equality, liberty, conflict among citizens and between citizens and governments, conflict among governments. Each of the course instructors uses a different set of readings, drawing on a mix of political philosophy texts, works on international politics, novels, biographies. Emphasis is on interesting and important readings, discussion, and writing. NOTE: for academic-year students, this course is major restricted.

Course overview

Department
Political Science
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Every Fall,Every Spring,Periodically in the Summer

Catalog details

Satisfies core
Social Science

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

  • Islamic Civilization and Societies: Departmental Foundation Courses: Two Courses — Political Science (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
  • Political Science: Introductory Sequence — First Introductory Course (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
  • University Core: Social Science (All undergraduates)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Official evaluation summary

3.82 / 5

Based on 733 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Alice Behnegar
    Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 3.72/5
  • Hannes Kerber
    Fall 2026, Fall 2025 · Official rating 4.75/5
  • Kathleen Bailey
    Fall 2026, Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 4.19/5
  • Candace Hetzner
    Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 4.12/5
  • Dennis Hale
    Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 · Official rating 3.37/5
  • Michael Tang
    Summer 2025 · Official rating 3.00/5
  • Nicholas Anderson
    Summer 2022
  • Paul Wilford
    Spring 2023, Fall 2021 · Official rating 4.09/5
  • Sam Biasi
    Summer 2023 · Official rating 4.50/5
  • Susan Shell
    Spring 2022 · Official rating 3.63/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Alice Behnegar · Campion Hall 9 MW 03:00PM-04:15PM · Offered
  • Section 02
    Fall 2026 · Kathleen Bailey · Gasson Hall 305 TuTh 09:00AM-10:15AM · Offered
  • Section 03
    Fall 2026 · Alice Behnegar · Campion Hall 302 TuTh 10:30AM-11:45AM · Offered
  • Section 04
    Fall 2026 · Hannes Kerber · Campion Hall 303 TuTh 01:30PM-02:45PM · Offered