Political Science

Provides an introductory overview of American government through study of the principal public documents, speeches, and constitutional law cases that define the American political tradition. By tracing the development of U.S. political institutions from the founding to the present, the course examines the ways in which American political ideals have become embodied in institutions as well as the ways in which practice has fallen short of these ideals. Introduces students to contemporary ideological and policy debates, and prepares them for the role of citizen.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

A concise survey of the history of political philosophy. Intended to introduce students to some of the major alternative philosophic answers that have been given to the fundamental questions of political life, such as the nature of the best political order and the relation of the individual to the community. Authors to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

A comparative analysis of political processes and institutions in Western liberal democracies, Communist and post-Communist states, and developing nations. Focuses on alternative models of economic and political modernization and on the causes of and prospects for the current wave of democratization throughout the world.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course will cover a broad range of topics that examines the ways in which race intersects with the American political system including but not limited to: the social and legal construction of race, the effects of political redistricting, voting right among minority groups, immigration, the factors that influence voter mobilization among minority groups, the intersection of race and gender, race in the context of public policy, as well as race in the context of media and news coverage.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Course examines the ways in which the U.S. Constitution defines national powers, both between the branches and their relationships to states and individuals in our federal system. Using Supreme Court opinions as a guide, topics include: the formation of the Constitution, the separation of powers, judicial review, constitutional interpretation, the authorities of the political branches and the authorities of state governments. Particular emphasis is placed on legal reasoning and the judicial process.

Prerequisite: POLS 100. Students without prerequisite should consult the Department.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

Course examines the ways in which the U.S. Constitution defines individual rights and their limits relative to governmental powers. Using Supreme Court opinions as a guide, topics include: the formation of the Bill of Rights, the Fourteenth Amendment, incorporation doctrines, citizenship, suffrage and representation, individual liberties, equal protection and discrimination. Particular emphasis is placed on legal reasoning and the judicial process.

Prerequisite: POLS 100 or permission of Instructor.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

The primary purpose of this course is to introduce you to the most pressing political issues of our time in the context of race and gender in U.S. politics, specifically as it pertains to women of color. This course will cover a broad range of topics that examine the ways in which intersectionality has meaningful consequences within the American political system. We will start the course by diving into foundational works that lay the groundwork for the concept of intersectionality, before examining the many consequences that intersectionality has for women of color in the context of U.S. politics. Topics include but are not limited to:" Crenshaw's framework of intersectionality, voter attitudes and perceptions toward minority women candidates, the factors that impact both female candidate and minority candidate success during their campaign trail(s) and once in office, media coverage surrounding minority female candidates and politicians, as well as how the intersection of race and gender on the part of voters can impact their political evaluation(s) and support for different policy issues. By the end of this course, the goal is for each students to leave with a more well-rounded understanding of the critical role that intersectionality plays in the American political system.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Seeks to broaden the student's understanding of policymaking in the United States. Begins with an overview of the theory and practice of public policy, then builds upon this through multiple case studies of specific policy areas. Case studies vary by semester, but may include social welfare policy, education policy, environmental policy, and civil rights. Special attention is paid to the ways in which the distinctive features of the American political system influence policy outcomes. Students evaluate the effectiveness of existing policies and explore alternatives. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Studies the presidency as an office that shapes its occupants just as profoundly as specific presidents have shaped the character of the office. Traces the historical evolution of the presidency from the founding to the present. Among the topics considered are: presidential selection, the president as party leader, war powers and the president as commander in chief, the president as the nation's chief administrator, and the president as legislative leader. American Government.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

Studies the United States Congress as a constitutional institution, beginning with the American founding and the intent of the framers in designing a bicameral legislature with enumerated powers. Reviews Congress' evolution over time in response to changing political conditions, and examines key aspects of Congress today including electoral dynamics, partisanship, the committee system, leadership, budgeting, and the meaning of representation and deliberation.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

The course is a study of the development and structure of the institutions of American national security. Students will study the bureaucratic structure and processes that influence how national security decisions are made. Topic areas include the civilian-military divide, the relationship between elected, political leadership and nonpartisan, career defense professionals, the the bureaucratic processes associated with the national security infrastructure.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

In the United States, public policy is often the product of complex interactions between different institutions of government. This course focuses on the processes by which policies are created, implemented, and reformed. Through a series of case studies, students will be asked to explore the distinctive roles that legislators, bureaucrats, judges, and other actors play in the policymaking process. (Prerequisite POLS 100, Principles of American Government)

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course reviews historical and contemporary policymaking, implementation, enforcement, and contestation of U.S. immigration policy. First, we will focus on the political, economic, and social factors that give rise to immigration and the policymaking powers between levels of government. We will examine how politics of race and ethnicity also shape U.S. immigration policy and define citizenship. Second, we will explore how political mobilization of citizens and non-citizens shape U.S. immigration policy. We will review historical and recent immigrant rights social movements, the barriers and opportunities immigrants face, and the role political and community organizations play in shaping policy agendas. Finally, we will examine the strategies to control immigration and the consequences of enforcement on immigrants and mixed-status families. We will assess the effect of immigration policy on determining political, economic, education, and health outcomes across immigrant communities, and role of race. The course assignments will include in-class activities, oral presentations, written assignments, and exams. This course is sometimes taught with community -based learning and research component.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course will examine the way the United States chooses its presidents. This course is generally taught during presidential campaigns and focuses considerable attention on current events, but it seeks to understand each campaign in its institutional and historical context. We study the historical development of the presidential selection system from the American Founding to the contemporary period, focusing particular attention on the rise of political parties and the development of the primary system. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of the electoral college, the role of presidential debates, the influence that the media and campaign ads have in determining voter preferences, and the plausibility of claims that presidential elections provide mandates for governance. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

Examines the interpretation and operation of the U.S. Constitution in times of war. Investigates how the Constitution's war powers are allocated between the branches of government and the ways in which constitutional rights and liberties are protected - or not protected - in wartime. The inquiry includes a series of historical and contemporary case studies, including the Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, and the war on terror. American Politics.

Prerequisite: POLS 100 or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Examines the major organizations and processes of American electoral behavior. Considerable attention paid to political parties and an examination of the role of parties in American political thought and development as well as the contemporary role of parties and interest groups in American politics. Topics include party identification; the relationship between elections and government; the impact of parties and interest groups on public policy; and American parties and interest groups in comparative perspective. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

The use of markets to allocate economic resources is the dominant mode of economic organization in the modern world. Market systems, however, have at times experienced crises that have threatened the foundations of their economic order. These crises, which go beyond the travails associated with recessions in the ebb and flow of the business cycle, raise questions about the political, economic and cultural preconditions of a capitalist economic order. This course examines various theories regarding the causes of two such crises, the Great Depression and the current Great Recession, and appropriate policy responses to them. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

The death of Socrates at the hands of his fellow Athenians is the seminal event of Western political philosophy. In this course we will study this event through a close reading of a series of Platonic dialogues, including the Euthyphro, the Apology, the Crito, and the Phaedo. We will also read Xenophon's writings on Socrates. Among the issues we will consider are: the relationship of philosophy to politics, the obligations of citizens to the law and to their community, and the nature of religious claims and their place in politics.

Prerequisite: POLS 101 or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies

Typically Offered: Alternate Years, Fall

Close study of several works by major classical political thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Aristophanes, and/or Cicero. Focus is on such themes as the nature of justice; the relation among politics, science, and religion; the variety of political regimes; and the possibilities and limits of political reform. Political Philosophy.

Prerequisite: POLS 101 or students in the Classics major

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

Close study of works by several major modern political philosophers such as Bacon, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Burke, Hume, and Nietzsche. Central themes include the rise and political consequences of the modern project of "mastering" nature; the political effects of commerce; the replacement of virtue by freedom and/or security as the goal of politics; the relation of political philosophy to history; and the Nietzschean critique of modern egalitarianism. Political Philosophy.

Prerequisite: POLS 101 or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

In this course we will study Machiavelli's major political writings and some of his literary works. While we will focus on Machiavelli's political thought, we will also consider the moral implications of his thought. By the end of the course we ought to have a solid understanding of Machiavelli's thought and to be able to think clearly and speak articulately about the relationship between morality and politics.

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies

Typically Offered: Annually

Focuses on some of the most important texts setting forth the principles underlying the founding of the American regime, as well as the subsequent development of those principles in the early nineteenth century. Two non-American writers (Locke and Tocqueville) are included because of the influence of their works on American political thought. Other writers and works studied include John Winthrop, Jefferson, The Federalist, and the Antifederalists. Political Philosophy.

Prerequisite: POLS 101 or Classics major.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

Traces the development of American political thought from the slavery controversy and the Civil War up to the present. Major themes include Lincoln's refounding of the American regime, the transformation of American liberalism by Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, and New Left and neoconservative thought. Other readings include works by Calhoun, Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, and Mark Twain. Political Philosophy.

Prerequisite: POLS 100 or POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Philosophical Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

Political movements inspired by Islam continue to shape politics across the world. In this course we will attempt to get behind the headlines and familiarize ourselves with the various currents of political thought in Islam. We will study the historical origins of political thought in Islam, the fundamentalist currents, and the efforts to present a liberal understanding of Islam. We will consider a range of political issues including: Islam and democracy, Islam and women's rights, Islam and the rights of minorities, and Islam and political violence. We will study a range of authors from the medieval period to present day.

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

This course is designed to introduce students to the ways in which science and technology have historically been viewed through the lens of American political values. This means both that there are ways in which political actors attempt to shape the trajectory of scientific and technological development, and ways in which the rhetoric of science and technology shapes political decisions. Through an examination of social scientific, historical, literary, and philosophical works, the course examines how this has happened in the past, and invites students to think about how it continues to shape politics today. American Government.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

Government and Business explores the regulatory role that government plays in a market economy. The course considers the justifications for government actions (public goods, externalities, information asymmetries, and other market failures), the strengths and weaknesses of government regulation (bureaucratic efficiencies and inefficiencies, adversarial legalism), and the various interactions among Congress, the President, and the courts in the regulatory process. We will examine cases of regulatory success and regulatory failure; cases of successful deregulation and cases of failed deregulation.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

This course examines Plutarch's "Parallel Lives" and leading commentaries in order to more deeply understand the virtues and vices demonstrated by leading figures of the ancient world. Harry Truman was known to keep Plutarch's volumes readily accessible in the White House because he believed that these biographies identified the many archetypes of leadership and ambition that one would encounter in politics. This course looks to revisit some of these "Lives" in order to understand more clearly the practical implications of the philosophic virtues on the varied realities of political life.

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Examines the recurring problems associated with political change, the evolution of national institutions, and the emergence of increased state capacities in the unique context of America's restlessness with authority and attachment to democratic ideals. Considers how a nation committed to what Samuel Huntington identifies as a creed of "opposition to power and concentrated authority," created solutions to the unique problems of governance in the "modern" age. Course is both historical survey and historical analysis, and covers the emergent national state in the immediate post-Founding era, the Jacksonian hostility to centralization, the effect of the Civil War on national capacities, the reform of the civil service in the nineteenth century, and the construction of the American welfare state under Roosevelt's New Deal. This is not a history course, but a political science course that takes history seriously, using it as a departure for resolving persistent problems in American politics. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course will offer students the opportunity to study the politics surrounding immigration in the developed democracies, as well as to consider the various policy approaches that developed democratic states have adopted toward immigration. The course will also provide students with insight into various approaches and methods that political scientists have adopted in their research on immigration, and with opportunities to assess these approaches and methods critically. Finally, it will also enable students to gain a more subtle, informed, and comparative perspective on the American immigration debate than can be obtained from reports in the popular media.

Prerequisite: POLS 102

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

A comparative study of political institutions and processes in selected Latin American countries, and an analysis of theories that attempt to explain Latin American development and underdevelopment. Examination of Latin America's experience with authoritarianism, democracy, revolution, and civil war, and of contemporary political challenges including drug trafficking, environmental degradation, human rights abuses, regional integration, and economic globalization.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or POLS 103.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course explores the politics of the successor states to the former Soviet Union. It will focus in particular on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Topics to be covered include: democratization vs. a reversion to authoritarian rule, the transition to market economy, organized crime and corruption, the search for new post-Communist national identities, the Chechen conflict, the impact of so-called "color revolutions" in former Soviet republics, Russia and the West, and the roles of Islam and oil politics in Central Asia. Comparative Politics.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or 103.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

How can the world's less developed countries achieve sustainable development (in environmental, economic, and political terms)? This course discusses structural and institutional challenges to sustainable development in the global South, investigates different responses to these challenges (and their different degrees of success), and assesses the impact of development--and underdevelopment--on both societies and the environment.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or POLS 103.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

The course examines the historical development and current state of politicalinstitutions and processes in select European countries through a comparativepolitics approach. Country cases include Britain, France, Germany, as well as Italy Poland and/or Sweden. Comparisons will be made between countries, as well asamong different historical periods within each country, to develop a generalunderstanding of the history, current challenges and future trends in Europeanpolitics.

Prerequisite: POLS 102

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

The course examines the historical development, the institutions, andpolicy-making processes of the European Union (EU). It also explores recent crisesand challenges, including the Eurozone crisis, the refugee crisis, the rise ofpopulism, and/or Brexit.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course is designed to examine the countries of Africa in comparative perspective. In doing so, the class highlights the most important issues in African politics and governance and the most difficult problems that African states face. The course presents a holistic view of Africa and a multifaceted look at countries found on the continent. Instead of merely focusing on the various problems facing the continent, this course looks at examples of both the successes and failures of African states in addressing the challenges they face. Comparative Politics.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or African Studies Concentrator or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

An examination of politics in selected Middle Eastern countries. Begins with a brief overview of the rise and spread of Islam in the region and the establishment of Muslim empires, then turns to an exploration of the role of European colonialism in post-independence Middle Eastern politics. Analyzes various explanations for the difficulty of establishing durable democracies in the region, explores the political implications of religious identity and secular nationalism, and assesses prospects for peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or Middle Eastern Studies majors or minors.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course is designed to be an introduction to international political economy. Provides an overview of theories of international political economy, a historical review of the international political economy in light of these theories, and an application of the theoretical approaches to issues of trade, monetary relations, finance, and development. Readings and discussion focus on issues of conflict and cooperation; the relationship between the international system and domestic politics; economic growth, development, and equity; and the connections between the study of economics and politics. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or International Studies major.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

This course offers an introduction to the politics of South Asia, broadly understood to consist of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, Myanmar, and Bhutan. A core organizing principle of the course is the concept of the state and variations in state strength as observed in the South Asian region. Why are some states able to better provide for the needs of their populations than others? This organizing principle is leveraged to illuminate several key themes pertinent to the study of South Asia, including democracy and authoritarianism, civil-military relations, gender politics, and nuclear proliferation.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course examines the challenges of cyber security from a strategy and policy perspective. Our main focus will be challenges to achieving cyber security; and of building cyber security capacity in national security (including cyber war and critical infrastructure security), economic development, and international security contexts. Wherever possible, we will incorporate diverse perspectives; including global and non-western, as well as corporate, government, and non-governmental organizational perspectives. We start by working toward what 'cyber,' 'security,' 'strategy,' and 'power' mean in different contexts; and develop an understanding of the policy issues faced by public and private sector stakeholders (e.g. the military, industry, the energy production and delivery sectors, communications, and so on). We will analyze a combination of historical case studies and current events to understand the impact of cyber events on state and non-state actors (such as terrorists and organized criminals). Familiarity with international relations theory is helpful, but no technical background is needed.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually Fall

This course examines China's emergence as a major power, and surveys the relationships of East Asian states with each other and with external powers including the United States. In addition to China, substantial attention is given to Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Topics covered include military competition and regional security, trade relations, globalization, human rights, and potential conflict flashpoints such as North Korea and Taiwan. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Although the international system is characterized by anarchy  by the absence of central government  it is not without order. Relations among states and other actors are increasingly characterized by transnational rules, regulations, and authority relationships. How is global order produced, sustained, and regulated? Whose order is it? This course examines the structures through which international actors attempt to organize their relations with each other. Topics include the history and function of international organizations (including the United Nations), rules governing the use of force, economic integration, and global civil society. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Explores major themes in U.S. foreign policy, focusing on the longstanding and ongoing debate between international engagement and isolationism. Topics discussed include the historical evolution of U.S. foreign policy, the roles played by specific institutional and societal actors in the formulation of policy, and contemporary issues facing the United States including international trade and finance, proliferation and regional security, the resort to force, human rights, and humanitarian intervention. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or International Studies major.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Since World War II, questions of human rights have come to occupy a central place in international politics. This course examines the historical evolution and political effects of international human rights norms. Topics include the philosophical and legal basis of human rights, the origins of modern human rights, the origins of modern human rights covenants in the aftermath of Nazi atrocities, the effects of the Cold War on human rights politics, the tensions between national sovereignty and international human rights standards, the debate between universalist and particularist conceptions of human rights, patterns of compliance with human rights agreements, and the development of human rights enforcement mechanisms. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

This course focuses on the explanations for why environmental problems are created, the impacts they have, the difficulties of addressing them, and the government regulatory mechanisms that succeed in mitigating them. These themes are examined through a comparative lens across multiple countries and levels of governance. Key topics include externalities; collective action problems; Kuznet's curve; polycentricity; externalities; social values and norms; international environmental problems; and environmental justice. Also addressed are different policy approaches for addressing environmental problems, including direct regulatory measures, market-based instruments, and information provisioning. Furthermore, the course considers criteria for evaluating environmental policy approaches, such as political feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and social equity.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or ENVS 118

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

The aim of this course is to develop a nuanced understanding of the history and practice of humanitarianism, defined as the desire to relieve the suffering of distant strangers. Once the domain of volunteers, humanitarianism is today an expansive, professional field of endeavor; its study offers insights into the motivations as well as consequences of organized forms of compassionate action. Students in this course investigate current themes and debates in the field of humanitarianism, including questions of politicization and military intervention, professionalization, human rights and advocacy, and accountability; explore different hypotheses regarding the causes and consequences of humanitarian crises; and critically analyze the effects  intended and unintended  of humanitarian action. International Relations.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Economic globalization has wrought far-reaching changes on the United States and the world. Although globalization has made the world wealthier, it has not met with universal approval. In the United States, some of the changes associated with globalization  such as the outsourcing of large numbers of factory jobs and the influx of large numbers of immigrants  have provoked a political backlash. This course examines the political consequences of globalization, especially in the United States, and asks how the United States might adapt itself more effectively to a globalized world. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or International Studies major.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Given the anarchical structure of the international system, the very existence of international law is paradoxical. Nevertheless, despite the emphasis often placed upon conflict and discord in global politics, for centuries states have propagated rules to facilitate cooperation and mutual restraint. What motivates these efforts? How successful are they in moderating the effects of international anarchy? This course will address these questions. Topics will include the historical development of international law, defenses and critiques of international law in theories of global politics, how international law is made, interpreted and enforced in international institutions, and the working of international law in various issue-areas, including the use of military force, the regulation of global trade, and the protection of the global environment. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or International Studies major.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

Focuses on contemporary national security problems faced by the United States as it seeks to manage the post-Cold War international order. Topics include relations with other major powers and with the Islamic world, U.S. military interventions abroad, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and nuclear strategy. Attention is also given to the domestic dimensions of U.S. security policy, including the politics of weapons procurement and the longstanding ideological debate regarding American national interest. International Relations.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

The American South has long been defined as an outlier in American politics. This has been manifested most clearly in its often-explicit embrace of racial hierarchy, but also in its degree of religiosity, its agrarian economy, its undemocratic political arrangements, its unique experience as a militarily-defeated region, and its cultural distinctiveness. At the same time, it is impossible to imagine an American history that has not been shaped at almost every stage by the inclusion of the South: from its leadership in the establishment of slavery, to its leadership in the Revolution and early republic, to its provocation of the Civil War, to the challenge of Reconstruction, to its provision of the Jim Crow model of racial restrictionism to the nation as a whole, to its influence in shaping the New Deal through Southern Democrats, to its pivotal role in the modern Republican party. The South is thus both fascinating as an outlier and determinative as a pace-setter within the broader polity.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

One of the seminal questions in political philosophy is how to go about building a functional government and society. Many Western thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Montesquieu consider forming a new country to require a unique and specialized political knowledge, especially because founding is such a rare occurrence. This course will examine three competing discussions of the act of starting a political system to explore the critical controversies that are implicit in setting the core values of new nations as their genesis.

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

The course will center on public opinion and emotional responses to inequality in the United States, focusing most closely on empathy and sympathy, although other emotions (e.g., anger, fear) will also be covered. Social movements (e.g., civil rights, gay rights/marriage equality, racial justice/BLM movements) and political disasters (e.g., September 11th terror attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Covid-19 crisis) will serve as case studies to explore the relationships among emotion, opinion, inequality, and social change. We will examine different types of evidence for opinion change (or stasis) -- as well as available evidence on emotional responses to these events -- for the American public as a whole and among different social groups, asking why public opinion about inequality changed or stayed the same during each period.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

From sensational news headlines about resource wars, to measured, consensus-based reports that warn of potential instability cause by climate change: the discourse around climate and security varies widely. This course will explore the evolution of that discourse from the early environment and security literature of the 1980s and 1990s to current empirical studies and government reports on the impact of climate change on national and global security. Looking at root causes, impacts, and responses to climate insecurity, the course aims to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to this complex field. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to think through policy options that consider the evidence-based security implications of issues like climate-induced migration, resource scarcity, and natural disasters.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

This course provides students with an introduction to quantitative and qualitative political science research that is necessary for original research on political and policy issues. The course focuses on three things: the development and analysis of political science research, the application of quantitative analysis, and an understanding of qualitative approaches such as interviewing and case study selection. The course emphasizes hands-on training that will provide students useful skills for academic and professional setting, including an introduction to statistical software (Excel and R), measurement and introductory statistical analysis, the presentation of data, and strong writing. While most readings and applications will emphasize US politics, the skills are relevant for all political scientists, and final projects can center on any subfield.

Prerequisite: POLS 100, 102, and 103.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

How do politics and policies affect the social inequities that impact health? What counts as health policy? What is health equity? What are the political determinants of health and what relationship do they have to the social determinants of health? How has individual and structural racism in the United States impacted the health of all Americans? How are health policies made, changed, and maintained? What is the history of health reform in the U.S., and how do U.S. health, spending, and policies compare to other wealthy nations? What strategies have been used to change the political determinants of health and advance health equity? In this course, we will explore answers to these and related questions and apply our learning to contemporary politics, examining policy areas that directly implicate health such as the countrys Covid-19 response and the passage of and continued struggle surrounding the Affordable Care Act, as well as policy areas in which the connection to health is less obvious  for example, housing, education, student debt, pollution, and gun policy  but which nevertheless have significant health impacts. Students will also develop skills in policy analysis, using these skills in the final project to analyze public policy solutions to a health problem (broadly conceived) of their choice.

Prerequisite: POLS 100.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

This course will analyze ethnic and civil conflicts in the territory of the former Soviet Union, some of which were triggered by the processes of perestroika (restructuring) in the late 1980s. Others were a direct or indirect result of it. Although the violence in most of this these conflicts has wane from earlier peaks, all of the disputes remain unresolved, and the legacies of these conflicts endure in the form of massive displacements, extensive housing and infrastructural damage, irreconcilable beliefs about territorial control, and worsening relations between Russia and its neighbors, as well as between Russia and the West.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or POLS 103.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Course examines the relationship between law and American society across critical social issues. After a survey of principles at the core of the American system, the course turns to address the relationship of the law and U.S. courts to contemporary social issues that may include: race in American life, community policing and mass incarceration, drug and pharmaceutical laws, women's rights, homosexual rights, discrimination, and other issues. Particular attention is focused on the courts' role in enacting (or failing to enact) social change, as well as challenges of the law in addressing critical social concerns. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course examines the effect of technology on the practice of politics. While there are a number of ways of conceptualizing the politics of technology, the focus here will be on how the adaptation of technology to political life alters the practice of politics itself. Contemplating such change is particularly important in the early 21st century because we live in an age in which pundits are constantly telling us that technology will change the way we practice politics. To the extent that they are correct, it is important to anticipate exactly how such changes will affect politics; but it is also important to separate the overwrought claims that technology will change everything from the more realistic recognition that politics-as-usual is the norm. This seminar points to the question: how have the Internet and related technologies changed politics? But it does so by asking how technology has tended to change politics over time by looking at the effect of technology on politics in history, from the printing press to the railroad to television, before turning to the ways in which politics in the twenty-first century operates in the shadow of technology. Along the way we will think about how technology shapes advocacy, campaigning, government operations, policy-making, public discourse, public information, and civic engagement. American Government.

Prerequisite: POLS 100

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

Why should political authority be placed in the hands of the people? Are decisions supported by the majority of the people always the right ones? Given voter ignorance and apathy, on what grounds can we claim that democracies come to the best decisions? What makes the people the best judges of political decisions? In this course, we will examine these questions by studying the way "the people" have been portrayed in works of philosophy, history, and political science. Our aim will be to uncover the process by which we came to believe that the people are the rightful holders of political authority and to question this belief.

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Democratization" is the process of changing an authoritarian political system - in which leaders are not chosen in free elections and individual rights are limited - to a democratic political system with regular, fair elections and extensive political and civil rights. This class will examine transitions to democracy in Argentina, South Africa, and Tunisia, explore Egypt's return to military rule, and analyze possibilities for democratization in China. These cases will test the relevance of contending schools of thought about how authoritarian regimes collapse and democracies replace them. The first are structural arguments, which suggest that the democratization is more likely the wealthier, more industrialized, and better educated a country is. If structural arguments explain democratization, why did Argentina, with the highest education rates in Latin America, also produce an extreme authoritarian regime? The second school of thought prioritizes the role of political agency, contending that the decisions of elites are central to establishing democracy. Did South Africa dismantle apartheid because of the skill with which negotiators such as Nelson Mandela decreased the white minority's fears of democracy, or because black miners threatened wealth through strikes? We will also explore the conditions under which democratization increases women's rights. Democracy can empower women's rights groups, but it can also strengthen groups with conservative views of women's role, such as Islamist movements in the Arab world and the institutional Catholic Church in much of Latin America. We will also examine the relationship between women's representation in government, women's rights in the law and women's right in practice. For example, post-apartheid South Africa has very high levels of representation of women in parliament (42%) and strong protections for women's rights in the constitution, but rates of sexual violence are among the world's highest.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 or Gender, Sexuality Women's Studies Concentration.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

Prerequisite: POLS 101

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

The focus of this seminar is Friedrich Nietzsche's provocative and controversial critique of the ideals associated with modernity and the alternative view he proposed in response. The sense in which we shall consider "modernity" encompasses both the philosophical and political ideas that took center stage in Europe during what is known as the Enlightenment, and to the crisis of legitimacy and justification with regard to those very ideals that also emerged, especially into the 19th century. This course will also explore the lasting influence of Nietzsche's work. Since it is impossible to do justice to the full range of that influence (which extends across many disciplines)in one semester, we shall focus in particular on the way he has influenced how contemporary political theorists understand power and freedom. Students will engage in close study of at least three of Nietzsche's major works, along with works by contemporary theorists (such as Foucault) who were influenced by Nietzsche, and finally one modernist novel that dramatizes (in its narrative as well as its structure) some of the ideas Nietzsche popularized. Political Philosophy.

Prerequisite: POLS 101 or permission of instructor.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

Can considerations of justice and morality be incorporated successfully into national foreign policies, given the will to do so? Or must a successful foreign policy always be amoral? This course examines problems of ethical choice as they relate to international politics. Topics include the relationship between ethical norms and international law, the laws of war, the tension between human rights and state sovereignty, the ethical implications of global inequity, and the difficulties involved in applying standards of moral judgment to the international sphere.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or International Studies majors with POLS 103.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Annually

A refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin for fear of persecution. Following World Wars I and II, governments committed themselves to the protection and adequate treatment of refugees: international and nongovernmental organizations have also advanced the rights of displaced people. This seminar examines the development of the ideas and institutions underpinning the global refugee regime. It then turns to explore the practical, political, and personal challenges posed by the cross-border movement of people, addressing topics such as: camp management and aid work, international cooperation, protection and security, resettlement and integration, and economic migration.

Prerequisite: POLS 103 or permission of instructor

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Alternate Years

This course examines the role that political parties play in modern European democracies. The course is organized around the following questions: What factors shape party systems in different countries? How do parties craft electoral rules? How are governments formed? Does it matter who governs for policy outcomes? How to explain the rise of populist and far-right parties? Are European democracies in peril? The first part of the course focuses on Western Europe, while the second examines Eastern Europe.

Prerequisite: POLS 102 and POLS 103 or POLS 265.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This seminar examines key themes related to women's experiences of political violence. Moving beyond narratives of victimization, the course provides students with an opportunity to interrogate the ways in which women can exert agency during periods of conflict. We study women's agency during these periods in several forms, including their efforts to resist dictatorship, participate in rebel groups, and contribute to processes of post-conflict reconstruction. The scope of the course is global and comparative in nature and draws on cases such as Argentina, India, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, and the United States. COMPARATIVE.

Prerequisite: POLS 102

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies, Social Science

Typically Offered: Annually

This course examines frameworks and solutions for major controversies in international affairs. Students will confront issues such as nationalism, international anarchy, state failure, terrorism, political integration, fiscal federalism, partial independence, ethnic cleansing, minority inclusion, and multilateralism. The class will also focus on international challenges and possible solutions to controversies involving Israel-Palestine, US-China, and European states. This course will encourage discussion and cultivate abilities to navigate complexities in our interdependent world.

Prerequisite: POLS 103

GPA units: 1

Individual research on selected topics or projects. Permission of the instructor and the department chair is required.

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

An individual, student-designed, professor-directed, major research project. Usually available only to out-standing fourth-year majors. A lengthy final paper and public presentation are expected. By permission.

GPA units: 0

Typically Offered: Annually

An individual, student-designed, professor-directed, major research project. Usually available only to out-standing fourth-year majors. A lengthy final paper and public presentation are expected. By permission.

GPA units: 2

Typically Offered: Annually