Course Offerings

Introductory Courses

Political Science 100 - Principles of American Government
Fall, spring
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. American Government. One unit.

Political Science 101 - Introduction to Political Philosophy
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. Political Philosophy. One unit.

Political Science 102 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
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. Comparative Politics. One unit.

Political Science 103 - Introduction to International Relations
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. International Relations. One unit.

Upper-Division Courses

Political Science 201, 202 - Constitutional Law 1, 2
Annually
A two-semester course that examines the ways in which the Constitution has been defined over time by the Supreme Court. Topics include formation of the Constitution; separation of powers, judicial review, congressional and presidential authority; citizenship, suffrage and representation; and individual liberties. Emphasis is placed on the nature of legal reasoning and judicial process. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100 or permission of the instructor. One unit each semester.

Political Science 203 - Judicial Behavior
Fall
Concentrates on two central questions: 1) how and why judges decide cases as they do; 2) how judges should decide cases. Do judges decide cases on the basis of which litigant presents the stronger factual evidence and the best controlling precedents? Do they rule according to what “the law says?” Or are the evidence and controlling precedents sufficiently ambiguous to allow for the influence of factors external to the law, and if so, what are these factors? Put differently, to what extent do judges decide cases according to their personal values? To what extent are they influenced by other judges? By legal norms? By concerns for the institutional place of their Court? By the values and attitudes of their particular region? By the way in which they were selected? American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 205 - Race and Ethnic Politics
Fall
Addresses the role of race in American political processes and institutions. Drawing heavily on the perspectives of African-Americans, the course surveys the history of race in American politics from the era of emancipation to the present. Topics include black political culture, political behavior, and rhetoric; race and the media; black women in politics; and varieties of black nationalism and conservatism. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 206 - Public Policy
Annually
Course begins by examining the role policy was intended to perform in a commercial republic. Lectures and readings will call attention to both the normative and empirical dimensions of policymaking. The intention is to understand policy in the broadest possible context-not as a distinct moment in time, but rather as the result of a dynamic process that itself has dynamic consequences. A constant theme will be the debate over whether markets or policymakers are best suited to allocate resources and provide basic services. As we develop the skills needed to evaluate policy we will rely on several case studies drawn from social welfare, regulatory, and civil rights policy. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 207 - American Presidency
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. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 208 - Congress and the Legislative Process
Annually
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. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 209 - Urban Politics
Annually
Seeks to understand public decision making at the local level. Begins with an examination of the normative ideas regarding the purpose of city life-ideas that set the ethical standards by which we evaluate decisions. Turns to a critical study of the role of formal and informal institutions in creating a decision making arena. Also explores several theories posited by urban political scientists in an effort to explain the urban condition and applies those theories to a number of case studies drawn from urban America. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 210 - Urban Policy
Annually
Examines the design and effectiveness of public policy and service delivery at the local level. Topics include crime, education, housing and economic development, and environmental justice. This course takes a broad definition of its subject matter, understanding policy to involve not only direct governmental programs, but also non-traditional approaches to service delivery including the use of non-profit and faith based organizations and also private enterprise. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 211 - Political Parties and Interest Groups
Spring
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: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 225 - Liberalism and Its Critics
Every third year
Explores the political, historical, philosophic and economic foundations of liberalism. First, the class focuses on distinguishing the various principles which define classical liberalism, including political equality, private property, rule of law, constitutionalism, state/society distinction, secularism, privacy, etc. Readings on the major sources of these principles and the historical sources of their criticisms. Turns to contemporary debates about and within liberalism, focusing on such issues as the role of the state, communitarianism, discursive models of legitimacy, and multiculturalism. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 101. One unit.

Political Science 227 - Classical Political Philosophy
Alternate years in 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: Political Science 101 or Classics major. One unit.

Political Science 228 - Modern Political Philosophy
Alternate years in spring
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: Political Science 101 or permission of the instructor. One unit.

Political Science 230 - Political Thought In Literature
Every third year
Examination of fundamental problems of political life through the study of literary works such as Aristophanes, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Swift, Melville, and Faulkner. Themes include the effects of various forms of government on human character; the central ethical conflicts of political life; and the problem of race in the American polity. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 101. One unit.

Political Science 231 — Shakespeare’s Politics
Annually
Studies the political wisdom of Shakespeare through close readings of his plays, and other writings. Attention is paid to the action and arguments therein, which have enriched for generations the prudence of statesmen and minds of citizens, in addition to being a constant source of reflection on the human condition. Political as well as ethical problems emerge, and find resolution (comic or tragic), in the action. Arguments (implicit and explicit) guide students of politics to examine our longing for freedom and justice; the desire to rule and the grounds of authority; threats to the soul and virtue posed by the exercise of power; the character of regimes and forms of political order: classical, Christian, republican, monarchic, liberal, or imperial. Action and arguments together appeal to the audience’s mind through the imagination, forge political lessons, and thus constitute an extraordinary political education. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 101. One unit

Political Science 233 - American Political Thought, 1: to 1830
Alternate years
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: Political Science 100 or 101. One unit.

Political Science 234 - American Political Thought, 2: 1830-Present
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 re-founding 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, Mark Twain, and Henry James. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 100 or 101. One unit.

Political Science 245 - American Political Development
Annually
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: Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 251 - Latin American Politics
Spring
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. Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102. One unit.

Political Science 253 — Violence and Non-Violence 1: Exploring the Roots of Violence Alternate years
This course is the first part of a full-year sequence that will explore - in both theory and practice and through a series of case studies that span both historical and cultural settings - the phenomenon of political violence, one of the central moral and political challenges of the contemporary world. The first semester of the course focuses on competing explanations of the causes of violence and their relationship to differing understandings of human nature. Approaches include psychoanalytic, behavioral, economic, and identity-based theories, which will be tested against case studies of political violence ranging from the military to racial violence in the United States to genocide (both the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide of 1994) to contemporary
religious extremism and suicide bombings. Comparative Politics. One unit.

Political Science 254 — Violence and Non-Violence 2: The Pursuit of Justice
Alternate years
The second semester of the course turns to philosophical/religious/political debates over non-violence vs. violence as strategies to overturn regimes of oppression and create a more just social and political order. As in the first semester, the ethical debates over non-violent vs. violent approaches will be concretely illustrated through case studies drawn from a variety of historical and cultural contexts. The course will end by posing the question of justice vs. forgiveness in confronting the legacy of mass violence in deeply divided countries. The approach of the course is broadly interdisciplinary - utilizing materials from philosophy, religion, the social sciences, literature and film. Comparative Politics. One unit.

Political Science 255, 256 - Soviet Politics 1, 1917-1953; Soviet and Russian Politics 2, 1953-Present
Alternate years
A two-semester sequence dealing with Soviet/Russian politics and policies from the 1917 Revolution to the present. The first semester begins by examining the ideological bases of the Bolshevik Revolution, then proceeds to an examination of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, with emphasis on the political and ethical dilemmas associated with violent revolution and the rapid modernization of a backward country. The second semester focuses on the dilemmas of reforming the post-Stalin Soviet system, from Khrushchev through Gorbachev to Yeltsin and Putin. The last section of the course assesses the prospects for a successful transition to democracy and a market economy in post-Communist Russia. Comparative Politics. Political Science 255 is a pre-requisite for Political Science 256. One unit each semester.

Political Science 257 - Politics of Development
Alternate years
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. Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102. One unit.

Political Science 258 - Democratization
Fall
Assesses competing theories of the historical conditions and processes most likely to lead to the establishment of democratic regimes, and examines the benefits and drawbacks of particular democratic political institutions, such as presidential and parliamentary systems, for newly democratizing countries. Key questions explored include: Do the people of a country have to hold particular types of beliefs before that country can become a democracy? Do particular religious traditions, especially Islam, hinder the emergence of democracy? What role does economics play in transitions—can countries with any type of economic structure and revenue base become democracies, and can democratization and economic redistribution be pursued simultaneously? What are the advantages and disadvantages of plurality or proportional representation electoral systems for new democracies? Countries to be examined include South Africa, Indonesia, and Iraq. Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102. One unit.

Political Science 263 - Black Political and Social Thought
Annually
Addresses the role of race and ethnicity in American political processes and institutions. Beginning with an assessment of the categorizations of race and ethnicity, the course considers the ways in which race and ethnicity become politicized and institutionalized, differing strategies for addressing racial injustice, and the comparative advantages and disadvantages that result from different groups’ places within American society. Policy issues addressed may include but are not limited to immigration and citizenship, affirmative action, political participation, and economic equality. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite Political Science 100. One unit.

Political Science 265 - European Politics
Alternate years
Explores the relationship between states and citizens in Western Europe, with particular focus on Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. Major topics include the nature and sources of nationalism, the ongoing transformation of national identity, revolutionary and reactionary traditions in European politics, the politics of immigration, the political effects of economic modernization, and the politics of European integration. Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102. One unit.

Political Science 267 - The Politics of European Integration
Alternate years
Examines how European states, beginning in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, have come to create the most extensive supranational entity to date. Considers different theories of European Integration, the institutions of the European Union, and the evolving relationship between the EU and its member states. Contemporary topics include European Monetary Union, EU enlargement, and the making of a European Constitution. International Relations/Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102 or Political Science 103 or permission of the instructor. One unit.

Political Science 269 - Power and Politics: A View from Below
Alternate years
What is the meaning and impact of politics seen from the perspective of those at the bottom of the pyramid of political power rather than from the usual focus on the actions and perceptions of political elites? In what ways do “the masses” become involved in politics? Under what circumstances are they likely to be successful in bringing about change? This course addresses these questions by exploring political power, political participation and political change from a broad historical and cross-cultural perspective but always focusing on a view of politics from the bottom up. Cases studied include peasant protests and city mobs in pre-industrial Europe, the rise of labor politics in the United States, the Chinese Communist Revolution, post-World War II Third World national liberation movements, and the Black Power movement in the United States. Comparative Politics. One unit.

Political Science 270 - Africa and the World
Fall
Examines the historical and contemporary relationship between Africa and the rest of the world. Though Africa has been influenced by and acted upon by other peoples, it and its peoples have also had a significant influence on the course of history and development in the world. This course deals with Africa’s relationships with the European world, Africa and the United States, Africa and the Socialist world, Africa and the Middle East and Africa’s search for Pan-African unity. International Relations. One unit.

Political Science 272 - Politics of the Middle East
Fall
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. Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102. One unit.

Political Science 274 — Modern China
Alternate years
Explores the history of modern China from the Opium Wars of the 1840’s to the present. Two central themes are the tension between reform and revolution as alternative paths for the modernization of China and whether, in order to emerge as a great power, China should embrace or reject Western models and values. This course focuses on the following questions: (1) the rise of the Communist Party and the reasons for its victory over the Nationalists; (2) Mao’s ideological campaigns of the 1950’s and 1960’s, culminating in the Cultural Revolution; (3) the dynamics and dilemmas of post-Mao economic and political reform; (4) the 1989 Democracy Movement and the prospects for democratization in present-day China. Comparative Politics. One unit.

Political Science 275 - International Political Economy
Spring
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: Political Science 102 or 103. One unit.

Political Science 278 - International Politics of East Asia
Spring
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: Political Science 103. One unit.

Political Science 282 - American Foreign Policy
Fall
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: Political Science 103. One unit.

Political Science 283 - International Law and Organization
Spring
Despite the emphasis customarily placed on conflict and discord in the international system, it is clear that states in fact regularly seek to facilitate cooperation and mutual restraint. What motivates these efforts? How successful are they in overcoming the effects of international anarchy? This course addresses these questions by examining the institutions through which states attempt to organize their relations with each other. Topics include the history, functions, and relevance of international law, the role of international organizations (including but not limited to the United Nations), and contending approaches to the problems of world
order and conflict management. International Relations. Prerequisite: Political Science 103. One unit.

Political Science 284 - Human Rights
Fall
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 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: Political Science 103. One unit.

Political Science 286 - Comparative Environmental Policy
Fall
The U.S. and countries throughout the world have experimented widely in their quest to address common environmental problems. This course undertakes a comparative study of the development of domestic and international environmental policies in three advanced industrial states (the U.S., U.K., and Germany), as well as providing an overview of developing country environmental policies. Focus of the course is on three questions: How do national differences in institutions, political culture, regulatory style, and economic structure shape domestic and international environmental policies? What impact do these differences have on the ability of states to achieve cooperative solutions to common environmental problems? What influence do international environmental interactions have on domestic environmental policy? Comparative Politics. Prerequisite: Political Science 102 or permission of the Instructor. One unit.

Political Science 290 - National Security Policy
Spring
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: Political Science 103. One unit.

Political Science 300 - Law, Politics and Society
Annually
Examines the relationship of the American legal system to certain critical social and political processes. After a survey of existing law on civil liberties and rights, the role of groups in bringing test cases and the dynamics of civil liberties litigation are discussed, using case studies involving political surveillance, racial equality, church-state issues, consumer rights, women’s rights and other issues. Implementation of court decisions is also assessed. American Government. Prerequisite: Political Science 100 or 201. One unit.

Political Science 314 - Seminar: Political Philosophy and Education
Alternate years
Many classical liberals as well as contemporary democratic theorists emphasize the importance of a well-educated populace in order to secure the conditions for liberty and the capacity for self-governance. One must therefore consider how one might transform children, who are dependent upon and subject to the authority of adults, into independent, rational adults capable of living among equals, without establishing in them habits either of subservience or dominance. If indeed well-educated citizens are required in order to achieve democracy rather than “mob rule,” then what exactly is the role of the state in shaping the characters and preferences of its citizens? In considering what a “well-educated populace” might mean, we must address the tension that exists between the goal of a radically independent intellect and the goal of good citizenship. In a liberal republic, it should be possible in principle for these two goals to converge. Are there limitations to putting this principle into practice? Readings from Locke, Rousseau, Dewey, Freire, Oakeshott and others. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 101 or permission. One unit.

Political Science 315 - Contemporary Feminist Political Theory
Alternate years
Examines some of the core concepts, questions and tensions that cut across various strands of contemporary feminism. Topics include: What is feminist political theory trying to explain, and how might we go about it? Why is it that feminist inquiries into political matters so often lead to questions about the foundations of knowledge? What are the political implications of feminist struggles to combine unity and difference? How have questions of race and class transformed feminist theory? This course also applies various feminist perspectives to specific policy debates. Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: Political Science 101 or permission. One unit.

Political Science 320 - Seminar on Political Violence
Alternate years
Explores the historical and ideological roots of contemporary political violence through a series of in-depth case studies. These include the French Revolution, Russian anarchism in the 19th century, Third World national liberation movements (Algeria and South Africa), the Zapatista revolt in Mexico, right-wing militias in the United States, Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, and ethnic/religious conflict in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Topics include the psychological/sociological profile of revolutionaries or terrorists, the causes of and justifications for political violence, the internal dynamics of revolutionary or terrorist movements, explanations for their success or failure, and the ways in which states have attempted to deal with the aftermath of mass political violence. Comparative Politics. Permission of the instructor. One unit.

Political Science 326 - Citizenship in Contemporary Latin America
Annually
An interdisciplinary course that fulfills major and concentration requirements for Political Science, Latin American Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies. Aims to maximize students’ understanding and actual experience of citizenship struggles in Latin America. Discusses key concepts and approaches to the study of social movements in the region, as well as empirical citizenship struggles implemented by different populations (indigenous peoples, forest people, landless groups, labor, and women, in different Latin American countries). Active participation by students, through class discussions and presentations, is a major requirement of the course. Prerequisite: Political Science 102 (with consent from instructor) if they have taken previous courses in Latin American History, Politics, or Society. One unit.

Political Science 333 - Seminar: Ethics and International Relations
Fall
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. International Relations. Prerequisite: Political Science 103 or CISS 130-Introduction to Peace and Conflict. One unit.

Political Science 451 - Tutorial Seminar
Fall, spring
Individual research on selected topics or projects. Permission of the instructor and the department chair is required. One unit each semester.

Political Science 490, 491 - Political Science Honors Thesis
Annually
By permission. One unit each semester.

The final authority on College and departmental policy, including faculty and course information, is the College Catalog. Please consult the Catalog for more information.