POLI1041

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

Requirements fulfilled

  • 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 2026-07-23. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Alice P Behnegar · Campion Hall 9 MW 03:00PM-04:15PM · Offered
  • Section 02
    Fall 2026 · Kathleen T Bailey · Gasson Hall 305 TuTh 09:00AM-10:15AM · Offered
  • Section 03
    Fall 2026 · Alice P 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