Political Science

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT:CA,ES ~ The government and politics of the United States in its national aspects. Some emphasis on constitutional and current problems. This course fulfills the Social and Cultural Analysis requirement and the Meaning, Ethics, and Social requirement.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

US GOVERNMENT ~ This course is designed to be equivalent but not identical to POLS 10900 (American Government) and counts in its place for departmental requirements. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the constitutional underpinnings of the United States Government, the main institutions of national government, the roles of political action committees, political lobbies and interest groups, and the media and their effect on the political process and public policy. More important, students should have a better understanding of what it means to be an engaged citizen, of their own civic responsibilities, and of their own power to effect change. In the first week, students choose a controversial political issue to research in depth; they design multi-dimensional timelines of the issues and write pro and con arguments regarding a proposed legislative change regarding their issue. Students also participate in a number of interactive lessons, daily seminars, and meetings with representatives of the branches of government. Each group then designs a bill that relates to its chosen controversial issue and tries to push it through a session of Mock Congress that will convene at the end of the first week. In the second week, students travel to Washington, D.C. to familiarize themselves with the various branches of government through experiences. Based on their research during the first week of J-Term, they meet with lobbyists, journalists, elected officials, and members of think tanks relevant to their fields of research. Students close the course with a synthesis and reflection essay that challenges them to analyze both the socio-political and cultural contexts of their issue, as well as to analyze how a particular ethical theory best serves to evaluate the issue from a moral perspective.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

GARFIELD CTR FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP ~ This course functions as part of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership’s programming. It is required that all students admitted into the GCPL attend this course, and only those students who have been admitted into the GCPL are eligible to enroll in this course. The activities engaged in via this course will prepare GCPL students to think deeply about and act effectively in the experiential learning opportunities provided by the GCPL.

WORKSHOP: ~ This workshop will provide the opportunity for students to examine a special topic in Political Science. Through readings, discussions and written assignments, there will be opportunities to evaluate the topic at issue. Workshops may be taken Pass/No Credit only. Students may take no more than nine workshops for credit toward graduation. Workshops can be used as elective credit only.

POLITICS OF JOURNALISM:CA ~ This course will provide students with an opportunity to study the effect of messages, information, and rhetoric from the popular press, and to learn how these messages influence political activity in this nation. The course will also show how what you watch, who presents it, and where it is presented can influence cultural and social attitudes. The goal is that, by the end of this course, students will: understand the various ways, whether verbal or visual, that messages are communicated through the press; understand the influence of business and economic considerations on news coverage, with a special focus on rational choice theory; understand the relationships between government policy, elected officials, activists, and the press; and understand how they can become more active in the ways they process political messages and information.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

POLITICS OF JOURNALISM~ This course will provide students with an opportunity to study the effect of messages, information, and rhetoric from the popular press, and to learn how these messages influence political activity in this nation. The course will also show how what you watch, who presents it, and where it is presented can influence cultural and social attitudes. The goal is that, by the end of this course, students will: understand the various ways, whether verbal or visual, that messages are communicated through the press; understand the influence of business and economic considerations on news coverage, with a special focus on rational choice theory; understand the relationships between government policy, elected officials, activists, and the press; and understand how they can become more active in the ways they process political messages and information.

POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS:ES ~ This course provides a broad introduction to the politics of human rights. It examines several aspects of the relationship between politics and human rights, including the nature of contemporary human rights problems, issues, and discourse. First, it focuses on the philosophical and historical evolution of the concept of “human rights.” What are “human rights,” from where are human rights derived, are human rights universal or culturally-based, and how has the concept of human rights evolved over time? Secondly, it examines the effectiveness of various political actors, institutions, mechanisms, and conventions designed to protect human rights both domestically within countries and transnationally across borders. Third, it looks at specific case studies of human rights and their violation in different parts of the world including the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some of these case studies may include genocide, torture, forced disappearances, and gender discrimination. A central premise of the course is that human rights cannot be separated from politics, and that human rights abuses and responses to them are best understood by examining the temporal and spatial political context in which they occur.

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY:CA ~ This basic course explores the contemporary subdiscipline of “political geography”—that is, the intersection of space, time, and power/politics.  Some of the specific themes explored include the political geographies of states and territories, participation and citizenship, nationalism, contested spaces, representation and mobilization, empire, globalization, and the environment. Students will learn how the intersection of space and power/politics help understand and explain each of these themes in a comparative global context.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

POLITICAL PARTIES & INTEREST GROUPS:CA ~ This course examines factions (political parties and interest groups), the unsavory effects of which the Founders sought to mitigate through their architecture of republican government. The course considers a wide variety of materials in seeking to understand how factions have come into being, how they have evolved, how they are organized, how they adapt and maintain themselves, how they choose their issues and tactics, whom they represent, and how they relate to each other. The central question is whether the effects that parties and interest groups have on the American polity and public policy are corrosive or salutary, and what, if anything could be done to improve their functioning.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ~ A survey of governmental structures and processes at the sub-national level in the United States.

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: APPROACHES, THEMES, & REGIONS:CA,EW ~ This course provides an in-depth overview of the interdisciplinary field of international studies methodologically, thematically, and empirically. Students will learn about the analytical utility of various disciplines including history, geography, anthropology, economics, and political science for understanding and explaining global-related phenomena. In addition, the course will explore numerous global issues/themes empirically grounded in various regions. These may include examples such as the following: democracy and representation in Europe, development and poverty in Latin America, environmental challenges and climate change in South Asia, civil war and terrorism in the Middle East, and development and human migration in sub-Saharan Africa. The overall goal of this class is to make students better-informed global citizens and analytically-rigorous scholars of this complex, rich, and changing world. This course is required for the international studies major. Also listed as INTL 21500.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Experiencing the World

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY ~ This course is an examination of the role of the presidency in the American constitutional system, and the changes that time and the divergent personalities of the presidents have brought about. Another version of this course is offered for three (3) credit hours as POLS 21610. Prerequisite: A high school course in American Government.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY ~ This course is an examination of the role of the presidency in the American constitutional system, and the changes that time and the divergent personalities of the presidents have brought about. Another version of this course is offered for four (4) credit hours as POLS 21600. Prerequisite: A High School Course in American Government.

GARFIELD PRESIDENCY SCHOLARS ~ The James A. Garfield Center for the Study of the American Presidency cultivates in students a deep understanding of the institution of the presidency and the individuals who have held the office. Each year, the Garfield Presidency Scholars program engages a diverse coterie of 26-30 accomplished students, hailing from all areas of study, around issues that get at the very core of presidential leadership, in both theory and practice. Across an academic year, students scrutinize the full life of an American president of significant historical standing – the person’s values, decisions, strengths and weaknesses, and ultimate legacy. Over the course of four years in the program, a student has the opportunity to engage in deep examination of four exceptional presidents: Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), Abraham Lincoln (1861-65), Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09), and Lyndon Johnson (1963-69). These presidents and their administrations provide the lens through which to survey the development of the American Republic, from the Founding generation up through the ongoing era of Civil Rights. The desideratum is that students will come to possess a profound appreciation for each president as a person, as a leader in a particular time and setting, and as a governmental actor within the broader and intricate constitutional system. On the surface, the program is about coming to know presidents, but those figures in fact serve as the gateway to so much more.

COMPARATIVE POLITICS:CA,EW ~ This course provides an introduction to comparative politics—the study of domestic political ideas, institutions, processes, and outcomes within and across countries. The first half of the course will be devoted to the methodological approaches and conceptual themes required for analyzing domestic politics within and across various cases. The second half of the course will apply these approaches and conceptual themes to the study of the domestic politics of select countries from various regions of the world including potentially South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia through pair-wise comparisons. These empirical cases will span the range from totalitarian/authoritarian regimes to various types of democratic ones, and communist economic systems to more market-oriented ones. The purpose of the pair-wise comparisons will be to explain the contrasting political and/or economic conditions of the countries under examination by focusing primarily on the interplay of their comparative state formation, nature of society, dynamics of governance, and evolving political economy. This course is designed to furnish students with the analytical, conceptual, and theoretical tools necessary for studying the domestic politics and societies of various countries in a comparative descriptive and explanatory context.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Experiencing the World

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP & THE MAKING OF FOREIGN POLICY:CA ~ Order is achieved in society through the creation of a political regime, and the ultimate expression of that regime is the foreign policy that it formulates in relation to other regimes. This course examines the making of foreign policy by the U.S. executive branch, in order to better understand American culture as a whole. This examination is conducted by studying the foreign-policy-making process (its structures, norms, and customs) as it plays out between the President and Congress, and between the President and other members of the executive branch. The course will also examine as the methods of logic that a president utilizes in the formulation of foreign policy.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

INTERNATIONAL LAW ~ This course presents an analysis of the process by which international law is formed. Topics will range from regional developments and international treaties to the contributions of such modern philosophers as Hugo Groties. The role of international law in the twentieth century (since World War II) will be examined.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION:ES ~ This course presents an analysis of the development of general functions and characteristics of international organization in the world arena. Specifically, the course will examine the role of the United Nations and regional organizations as political institutions in changing systems: the rise of the Third World; the cold war; and the post-cold-war world.

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:CA ~ This course provides an introduction to the process and structure of international relations. The basic goals are to introduce the student to the domain of international politics and to provide familiarity with the major theoretical overviews. Students will develop the capacity to think about international phenomena beyond the level of specific events.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SOUTH ASIA:CA,EW ~ South Asia – which is comprised of eight different countries (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives) – is home to over one-fifth of the world’s population. The region has consistently been described as “the most dangerous place on earth” because the confluence of nuclear-armed powers, enduring rivalries, potentially weak states, and cross-border terrorism. This course seeks to examine the international relations of South Asia (e.g., the politics between South Asian states and other world powers including the United States and China) through the analytical lens of the prevailing theories of international politics including (neo) realism, (neo) liberalism, and social constructivism/critical theory. While the primary empirical focus of the course is on the politics between South Asian states and the role of other international actors in the region, the domestic politics of South Asian states will also be examined in relation to the construction of identities and interests relevant to their foreign policies. Thus, the overall analytical goal of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of both the international relations of South Asia and also the dominant theories in the field used to explain state behavior in foreign relations. This course will count toward the International Relations requirement for the political science minor and major.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Experiencing the World

POLITICS OF DEVELOPING AREAS:CA,EW ~ This course explores the unique political and socioeconomic challenges faced by “developing” (or Third World) countries in an increasingly globalized world. Developing countries–which encompass much of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East–are home to over 80% of the world’s population, but produce only about one-fifth of the world’s wealth. Violent conflict and poverty are endemic in these countries, in comparison to developed countries. Most “developing” countries were also, at one time, colonial possessions of European powers and gained independence only in the early and/or middle 19th-century. This course specifically seeks to analyze the interrelated challenges of establishing a stable and effective state, integrated society, and prosperous economy faced by these countries, especially in an international system dominated by major “developed” powers. It will examine the theoretical literature related to issues of institutional development, national integration and economic development, and will look at specific case studies to vividly illustrate the conceptual themes and debates on the topic. These cases will also include “developing” countries currently moving from “third world” to “second world” status. Thus, the course will integrate theory with empirics, and will also point toward possible policy implications regarding general themes of political and economic development in the Third World.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Experiencing the World

POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA:CA,EW ~ This course examines the domestic politics of South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. South Asia is home to over one-fifth of the world's population, and is a large and very complex region full of fascinating political and socioeconomic contradictions. Despite the region's growing international political and economic clout, its countries are characterized by challenges of political stability, religious violence and ethnic secessionism, and lingering socioeconomic problems such as poverty. This course provides students with a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the cross-national study of various South Asian countries particularly themes of colonial inheritance, postcolonial nation/state-building, political culture and state-society relations, and political economy of development. Primary analytical focus will be placed on the largest country in the region-India-but other South Asian countries will also be examined in a comparative context.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Experiencing the World

ANARCHY:IM ~ The purpose of the course is to examine how contemporary International Relations scholars have analyzed the concept of global anarchy, and then to compare that analysis with the treatment of anarchy by early modern contract theorists such as Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau, as well as 19th and 20th Century pro-anarchy theorists. Through this analysis, students will develop a more informed appreciation of 1) how international relations are carried out, 2) how and why domestic structures of hierarchy are created, 3) the potential for a global structure of hierarchical authority to be created, and 4) the costs and benefits of anarchical vs. hierarchical social structures.

Core: Interpretive Methods

THE ART OF WAR:ES ~ This course considers the topic of war from a philosophical perspective, with the idea being that an understanding of war is essential for understanding human life in its social context. This course examines such questions as: What is war? Is war between states inevitable? Are interpersonal human relations always a version of war?

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

POWER OF THE REPUBLIC:CA ~ The United States currently appears to be characterized by two opposing traits: on the one hand, the country has never been so powerful, insofar as it has no real military or economic competitors. Furthermore, its political creed -- democracy -- is now espoused by most other countries on the planet. On the other hand, there is a widespread sense that the American republic is in danger of succumbing to potentially fatal weaknesses; its internal politics appear dangerously self-destructive, while its unrivaled global dominance has the adverse effect of drawing it into dangerous conflicts. In order to better understand "how to understand" the nature and resiliency -- or lack thereof -- of the American political experiment, we will therefore examine three seminal works on the nature and capacity of republican government: 1) Cicero's Republic, which grounds its understanding of republicanism in a classical understanding of "natural law," 2) Machiavelli's Discourses, which applies a Renaissance-era "rationalism" in order asses republican capabilities, and 3) Hegel's Philosophy of History, which is arguably the most important work in the modern era on the expansive potentialities of democratized polities.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

UTOPIA:CA ~ Utopian thinking has never been more relevant than it is now, thanks to the spread of democracy, the rise of social-networking technology, and advances in labor-saving robotics and medical technology. At the same time, these same trends also appear to be producing many problematic side-effects: social unrest, self-isolating communities of discourse, unemployment, and stark social inequities.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP:EW ~ The Transatlantic Relationship constitutes one of the central aspects of contemporary international order. During the semester we will explore the relational history between various sets of states in Europe and North America; we will examine the history and present reality of the NATO alliance; we will consider the evolving political/military capacity of the European Union; and we will see how these various relations and institutions are influencing U.S. and European activities not only in Europe, but also in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

Core: Experiencing the World

POLITICS OF SEX: ~ Sex, Gender and Sexuality are the cornerstones of human nature and yet we seldom have a sophisticated understanding of how these various factors are influenced by government and laws. In this course we will discuss the ways in which our understanding of politics, and our understanding of sexuality, influence how we live our lives in the U.S.

MODERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ~ A study of the history of modern political philosophy from Machiavelli to the present. Readings will be from the original texts by the seminal philosophers of liberalism, romanticism, Kantian ethics, Marxism and contemporary anti-rationalist thought.

SELECTED TOPICS IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ~ Taught in a seminar format, a close examination of one selected work from the tradition of political philosophy.

INDEPENDENT STUDY ~

GARFIELD CENTER FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP: CRISIS SIMULATION ~ This course functions as one of the two main courses of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership, focusing particularly on the GCPL's crisis simulation exercise, as well on material relevant to the GCPL's on-campus public seminar for the relevant semester.

GARFIELD CENTER FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP: CRISIS SIMULATION ~ This course functions as one of the two main courses of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership, focusing particularly on the GCPL's crisis simulation exercise, as well on material relevant to the GCPL's on-campus public seminar for the relevant semester.

FIELD EXPERIENCE ~

OZ:THE PRE-INVASION ~ Throughout Australia’s history, its residents, as well as the land and surrounding ocean, have been subject to various “invasions” – actual, metaphorical, and perceived. These include: invasive animal and plant species forever changing the landscape of the continent; environmental and human threats to the Great Barrier Reef; native lands being removed from the Aboriginal people; and most recently, changes in political policies and military presence in response to China’s increased influence and probable future dominance in the oceanic region. In many ways, Australia’s history reflects our American history, but with notable differences in sociocultural and political responses. This course serves as a pre-requisite to INTD 30130 “Invading Oz,” a study-abroad trip to Australia offered in the subsequent 3-week term, and begins students’ examination of the similarities and differences between Australia and the United States. This course is cross-listed with PSYC 30100.

Corequisite: INTD 30130

Kiwi Contentment (New Zealand Prequel): Survey studies and cultural analyses indicate that in recent years New Zealanders routinely rate as being among the happiest people in the world. In this course, we will conduct an interdisciplinary examination of human happiness at two levels of analysis: individual and societal. We have identified the following key themes, around which the course will revolve: 1) the pivotal role of fairness in determining the effectiveness of the relationship between individual and societal wealth and happiness; 2) the role of social connections in determining the happiness of individuals, as well as that of their country; and 3) the relationship between individual/self-focus, materialism, and happiness. We will examine how New Zealand differs from the United States in these respects, despite having substantial overlap in key values: both are wealthy, democratic, market-oriented societies that cherish the concept of freedom, yet the two countries have taken very different trajectories since the late 1970s. This course serves as a prerequisite to INTD 30150 “Going to the Godzone,” a study-abroad trip to New Zealand offered in the subsequent 3-week term, and begins students’ examination of the similarities and differences between New Zealand and the United States.

PUBLIC POLICY MAKING ~ This course offers an analysis of various elements of American domestic public policy; e.g., progressive taxation, welfare, anti-trust enforcement, and the politics of regulatory agencies. Also listed as ECON 31400.

COMPARATIVE ELECTIONS ~ While America spends millions of dollars to implement, explain (and sometimes even hinder) how citizens vote, have you ever wondered how voting works in other countries? This course will provide a world tour of elections systems in first and second world democracies that are functioning as of 2012-2013. How does voting, campaign advertising and even candidate selection differ based on culture, fiancés and even differing institutions around the world? In this course we will review electoral systems in Mexico, South Africa, Japan and England and how these systems compare to the United States.

COMPARATIVE FOREIGN POLICY ~ Comparative analysis of the foreign policies of representative world powers, including comparative methods of foreign policy analysis, and the world roles, foreign policy objectives, foreign policy-making and implementation process, foreign policies of such states as the Soviet Union (Russia), France, Germany, Britain, Japan, China, Egypt, and India.

THE AMERICAN FOUNDING:IM,CA ~ In this seminar, we will perform an examination of the intellectual history of the American founding. We will read and analyze some statements by academic historians as well as important state papers and writings by the first generation of American statesmen.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth; Interpretive Methods

ETHNICITY, NATIONALISM, AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE:CA ~ Why are individuals often willing to fight, kill, and possibly even die on behalf of a political or ethnonationalist cause? This is the main question this course seeks to answer. In trying to solve this puzzle, we also explore answers to a number of corollary questions such as: What is the nature of ethnicity? How is ethnicity politicized into nationalism? Why does nationalism often lead to political violence? What are the dynamics of political violence and how do we study them? This course seeks to answer these questions both conceptually and within a comparative empirical framework. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding and critically assessing competing descriptive and explanatory theories for these phenomena. These include primordialism and instrumentalism for ethnicity; rational-choice, social constructivism and socio-psychological theories for nationalist mobilization; and inductive, deductive and interpretivist approaches to the study of political violence including terrorism, insurgency, and ethnic riots. In addition, we will also analyze the comparative origins, dynamics, and trajectories of several violent ethnonationalist movements within the context of the thematic readings. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the complex phenomena of ethnicity, nationalism and political violence, and to spark their intellectual curiosity into areas for future descriptive and explanatory research.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

Course Description: INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:CA ~ The attacks of September 11, 2001 and ongoing events have forced Americans to confront the phenomenon of international terrorism in a much more regular and engaged manner. Terrorism has gone from being a marginal security concern for most Americans to becoming one of the most pressing issues of our day, both nationally and internationally. Yet, in reality, “terrorism” has been a persistent and widespread phenomenon throughout the world well before the events of 9/11. It has deep historical roots, and has been an integral part of human political behavior and interaction. This course seeks to analyze the phenomenon of “terrorism” in a highly-analytical and academic (as opposed to normative) manner. The course itself is divided into three interrelated sections: 1) definitional conceptualizations of “terrorism,” 2) the descriptive nature of “identity,” and 3) the causal basis for “political violence.” Thus, the course contains a blend of theory (both explanatory and analytic), methodology, and empirics to help students better understand and grasp the multi-faceted complexity of “terrorism” and its wider implications. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a critical and rich understanding of the phenomenon of “terrorism,” and to spark their intellectual curiosity for future research on the topic.

Core: Social/Cultural Analysis Meth

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY ~ A study of major foreign policy issues which have confronted the United States since World War II and of the process of foreign policy formation and implementation. This course is also offered in a 4 credit hour format as POLS 33010.

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY ~ A study of major foreign policy issues which have confronted the United States since World War II and of the process of foreign policy formation and implementation. This course is also offered in a 3 credit hour format as POLS 33000.

TOWARDS A GLOBAL STATE ~ In various regions of the world, states appear to be combining themselves together into larger, regional-scale political entities. This course will examine the common motivations for integration in these various regions, focusing particularly on the rationale of increasing state size in order to increase military power. Building upon this analysis of the individual regions, consideration will then be given to whether these motivational trends suggest that a supra-regional, global state structure is likely to come into being in the future.

THE ART OF WAR:ES ~ This course considers the topic of war from a philosophical perspective, with the idea being that an understanding of war is essential for understanding human life in its social context. This course examines such questions as: What is war? Is war between states inevitable? Are interpersonal human relations always a version of war? This course was previously numbered POLS 23700. Another version of this course is offered for 3 credit hours as POLS 33710.

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

THE ART OF WAR:ES ~ This course considers the topic of war from a philosophical perspective, with the idea being that an understanding of war is essential for understanding human life in its social context. This course examines such questions as: What is war? Is war between states inevitable? Are interpersonal human relations always a version of war? This course was previously numbered POLS 23700. Another version of this course is offered for 3 credit hours as POLS 33700.

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil

URBAN ECONOMICS AND POLITICS ~ Application of economic principles to urban spatial patterns, economic development and public policy in housing, transportation, pollution and other contemporary urban problems. Prerequisites: ECON 20100 or permission of the instructor. This course is also offered in a 3 credit hour format as POLS 33600. Also listed as ECON 33900.

Prerequisite: ECON 20100

THE U.S. CONGRESS ~ This course will provide a comprehensive examination of the most unpopular branch of our national government, the U.S. Congress: its antecedents and origins; constitutional structure, powers, and evolution; the lawmaking process and productivity, including rules and procedures; theories of legislative representation; the relationship of the First Branch and its members to the public, political parties, and the president; congressional and senatorial campaigns and elections; the behavior of legislators in Washington, D.C., versus in their districts and states; the relationship between electoral and institutional incentives and policy outcomes; and the prospects for reforms of the national legislature. Students will emerge from the course capable of analyzing Congress and its centrality to American politics and life.

CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY/RIGHTS ~ A study of recent developments in American Constitutional Law in the areas of civil liberties and the equal protection of the laws. The aim is to interpret the meaning of the nationalization of the Bill of Rights and the judicialization of the broad issues of liberty and equality.

THE COURT AND CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT:IM,ES~ The history of American constitutional law from the Constitutional Convention through contemporary cases. Federalism, definition and separation of powers, and the power to regulate commerce, civil liberties, and civil rights will be emphasized.

Prerequisite: POLS 10900

Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil; Interpretive Methods

ANCIENT FORESTS AND GREAT TREES ~ Ninety-eight percent of the world’s old-growth forests are gone. Whether humans presently living on the Earth are aware of it or not, we are witnessing what ultimately may come to be known as The Age When the Ancient Forests Disappeared. For a panoply of human-caused reasons, forests everywhere are in mortal peril. The course will conduct an interdisciplinary exploration of the subject at two levels of analysis: biological and societal. The following key dimensions of this theme will benefit from these distinct perspectives: 1) the way that the ancient forests of the world came into being and to function in their mature state; 2) the threats – nearly all of which are the product of human activity – that now imperil these ancient forests; 3) what might be done – by citizens, interest groups, and policymaking bodies at different levels of government – to ensure that what remains of our planet’s ancient forests are kept from oblivion. This course serves as a prerequisite to “Taking to the Trees” (INTD 30320), a study away trip to the Pacific Northwest and West Coast in the subsequent three-week term, and begins students’ examination of ancient forests and great trees.

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY FOR A DANGEROUS WORLD ~ This course examines the political theories of Thucydides, Cicero, and Machiavelli. The purpose of this course is to study how these three theorists explain states' efforts to obtain internally stable political regimes amidst their struggles with other states for survival. Not only will the theories of Thucydides, Cicero, and Machiavelli be examined individually, but the connections between their theories will simultaneously be explored. These three theorists are important to study as an ensemble because they take a pre-modern approach (as opposed to modern) to considering questions of international order, and thereby differ with the domestic-policy focus of other classical theorists such as Plato and Aristotle. However, they also differ from modern scholars of international politics, who are interested in a different set of questions than are the pre-modern theorists. This course was previously POLS 25100.

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY FOR A DANGEROUS WORLD ~ This course examines the political theories of Cicero, and Machiavelli. The purpose of this course is to study how these theorists explain states' efforts to obtain internally stable political regimes amidst their struggles with other states for survival. Not only will the theories of Cicero and Machiavelli be examined individually, but the connections between their theories will simultaneously be explored. These theorists are important to study as an ensemble because they take a pre-modern approach (as opposed to modern) to considering questions of international order, and thereby differ with the domestic-policy focus of other classical theorists such as Plato and Aristotle. However, they also differ from modern scholars of international politics, who are interested in a different set of questions than are the pre-modern theorists. A four-credit hour version is POLS 35100.

CLASSICAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ~ A study of the origin of political philosophy. Readings will be mainly from Plato and Aristotle, centering on their discussions of the nature of political justice and its relation to the just life.

POLS 37500: CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS ~ The purpose of this course is to investigate the entire world of campaigns and elections in the United States. This will include, but is not limited to, basic theories of electoral behavior, campaign strategy and the beliefs and attitudes of political consultants.

SCOPE AND METHODS ~ This course provides students with an opportunity to learn the methodological approaches they should employ in constructing research projects, such as their Capstone or Honors project, while also providing them with the guidance and instruction they need as they move from blank page to viable project. The course will review the proper creation of bibliographies, abstracts, literature reviews, and research methods in both qualitative and quantitative research.

LOGIC & SCOPE OF POLITICAL INQUIRY:MM ~ This course critically analyzes the logic and scope of inquiry in political science specifically and the social sciences in general. The central questions driving this course are how can we study politics, and how do our choices of approach, method and modeling affect our empirical understanding of the phenomenon under examination? In other words, why is the study of politics called political "science," and is there anything "scientific" about it? This course will examine the epistemological foundations of the major analytical traditions in the field by analyzing their contrasts, complementarities, and functions. Some of these debates will include the following: explanatory versus interpretive, large-n versus small-n, quantitative versus qualitative, inductive versus deductive, and comparative versus case-studies. In addition to these debates, this course will also examine the implications and utility (both strengths and weaknesses) of using theories, models and paradigms in general for political science inquiry. In fact, the course will analyze the main analytical approaches and models used in the four major subfields of political science including classical versus modern interpretive approaches in political philosophy, behavioral versus institutional models in American politics, rationalist versus culturalist models in comparative politics, and (neo)realist versus (neo)liberal models in international relations. Students who take this course will become much more conscientious social scientists in terms of how the approaches and models we use for analysis affect our understanding of the political and social worlds.

Core: Modeling Methods

SEMINAR ~ Includes various topics or upper-level specialty courses.

SPECIAL TOPICS ~

SELECTED TOPICS IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ~ Taught in a seminar format, a close examination of one selected work from the tradition of political philosophy.

SENIOR SEMINAR ~

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ~

ADVANCED INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ~

INTERNSHIP ~