A new political science course that deals with moral issues in the realm of politics will soon be available to ISU students.

James McCormick, professor and chairman of political science, said the course, which is an introduction to political theory, will be added next fall to the political science department.

Alex Tuckness, assistant professor of political science, will be teaching Political Science 235X next fall.

“The course will question how students think about moral issues that arise in politics,” he said. “Both theoretical and practical thinking will be involved.”

He said discussions will center around topics such as abortion, liberty, capital punishment, the environment, secrecy, deception and civil disobedience.

“Students taking this course will study case studies of actual political dilemmas,” Tuckness said.

He said one example of a case study might be whether or not atomic bombs should be dropped where they would “kill innocent civilians.”

He also said Iowans and ISU students play a major role in political elections.

“I think that students at Iowa State and citizens of Iowa, in general, have a unique role to play because of our place in nominating politicians,” he said.

Tuckness also said political discussion is an important part of the process.

“I want to teach what are the moral principles you should think about when engaging in political discussion,” he said. “This is not just about the issues but how to debate them with others who don’t agree with you.”

Tuckness said the fact that the course will be offered during an election year might bring more interest.

“I think that during election years, there’s a little more interest in general [in politics],” he said. “There might be a little more interest next fall than if the course were to be offered the year after.”

Tuckness also said that past students have asked why an introductory course isn’t offered to teach this kind of material early on.

“This class gives very helpful preparation not only in political theory but in developing critical thinking skills and debate on politics,” he said.

The only prerequisite for the course is sophomore classification, and one section will be offered.