What is Political Science? – Subfields, Political theory vs Political Science; State – Definition, Purpose, Function, Sovereignty, State vs Government; The need for central authority, Social Contract, Freedom vs Security; Nationalism and Ethnicity – Nations and nationalism, Nationalism vs. ethnicity vs. citizenship, nationalism vs. patriotism; Political ideologies – liberalism, communism, social democracy, fascism, anarchism; Populism; Regime Type – Aristotle’s forms of government, democracy vs. authoritarianism vs. totalitarianism; Electoral system – Presidential vs. parliamentary systems, single member district/plurality vs. proportional representation; International Relations theory – Realism, liberalism, constructivism, global governance, democratic peace theory, commercial peace theory, right to protect vs. sovereignty ; Foreign policy – Isolationism vs. interventionism, interplay of domestic and international politics, imperialism, soft power; Political conflict – Types of political conflict and violence, institutional, ideational and individual explanations; problems with culturalist explanations