Harper College
Political Science

PSC 260 Course Outline

Caption: The heading row descibes the categories of information about the course, while the row in the table body holds the course information itself.

Course Prefix

Course Number

Course Title

Lecture/Lab Hours

Credit Hours

PSC

260

Middle Eastern Politics

3 Lecture/Demonstration Hours

3 Credit Hours

Course description

Examines political, social, economic, military, religious and terrorist forces in the Middle East. Investigates the politics of specific countries in the area.

Topical outline

  1. Political, Social, and Economic Background of the Middle East
    1. Geography of the Middle East
    2. Islamic Religious, Cultural, and Political Traditions
    3. Rise of Arab Nationalism
  2. Background on Israel/Palestinian Conflict
  3. Israel
    1. Political History Prior to Independence
    2. Political Parties and the Jewish State
    3. Parliamentary Government and Economic Problems
    4. Domestic and Foreign Policies
    5. Future Prospects
  4. Egypt: Past and Present
    1. Political History Prior to Independence
    2. Political Parties and Groups
    3. Nassar, Sadat, and Mubarak
    4. Domestic and Foreign Policies
  5. Syria
    1. Political History Prior to Independence
    2. Political Parties
    3. Assad’s Government
    4. Domestic and Foreign Policies
  6. Lebanon
    1. Political History Prior to Independence
    2. Political Parties and Factions
    3. Syria and Israel:  Occupation and the Prospects for Internal Order
    4. Domestic and Foreign Policies
  7. Jordan and the Arabiam Peninsula
    1. Political History Prior to Independence
    2. Political Forces
    3. Kings and Revolutionary Movements
    4. Domestic and Foreign Policies
  8. Iraq and Iran
    1. Political History Prior to the Revolution
    2. Political and Religious Groups
    3. Contrasting Leaders
    4. The Iran-Iraq War
    5. Domestic and Foreign Policies

Method of presentation

1. Lecture
2. Guest Speakers
3. Other:
a. Films
b. Simulation
c. Transparencies
d. Large and small group discussions

Student outcomes

The student should...
  1. locate and label the countries in the Middle East
  2. explain and compare the significant types of political systems existing in the Middle East and describe a real life example of each.
  3. critique newspaper articles and apply them to central themes and elements of conflict in the area.
  4. investigate and explain the politics, economy, and domestic and foreign policies of one country in the region.
  5. demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for conflicts in this sensitive region.
  6. analyze and make decisions to try to resolve global and foreign policy dilemmas with both clarity and brevity.
World Cultures and Diversity Outcomes

The student should...
  1. demonstrate an understanding of one or more aspects of the social, political, cultural, economic, or historical context of at least one region of the world outside of the United States.
  2. demonstrate skills of critical analysis in cross-cultural comparisons (e.g., compare beliefs, values and assumptions between and among groups with respect to race, gender, sexual identity, nation faith, and/or economic circumstances).

Method of evaluation

Typical classroom techniques

Course content learning outcomes

Additional assessment information (optional)

  • Written and oral journal article reviews
  • Annotated scrapbooks of newspaper articles
  • Written and oral exams
  • In-class quizzes
  • Background reports on countries in the region

Textbooks

Required
  • Sorenson. An Introduction to Modern Middle East: History, Religion, Political Economy, Politics. 2nd Edition. Westview Press, 2014 ISBN: 9780813349220

Supplementary materials

None

Software

None

Updated: Fall 2024

Last Updated: 11/20/25