A bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in political science may include coursework on a multitude of topics: the nature of the policy process; the rules and procedures of local, state, national, and international political institutions; the crucial role of individuals, political parties, interest groups, and the media in the political process; the ways in which political culture shapes demands on government and policy outcomes; alternative philosophical perspectives on public life and their relation to the western liberal tradition; and the impact of globalization on peoples, cultures, and environments.