This course is required of all students seeking a degree from the university. At the time of the chartering of the University of Oklahoma, there was an original charge that the university should provide a curriculum that emphasizes 'sound scholarship, good citizenship, and the duties of the individual to the community and the state.' The primary mission of the class is both to instruct students in the institutional design of government and its processes, and to also emphasize the importance of civic engagement, civic literacy, and informed decision-making among citizens. The mission of the university is not just to produce educated people with degrees, but also to produce citizens capable of leading their community, state, or nation, each according to her or his principles. Democracy.ou.edu