Political Science

Constitutional development; national institutions, federalism, civil rights and liberties; instruments of popular control. Pre-requisite for 2100 and 5100-level courses and PSC 6900.

Theories and concepts in the study of international relations; important and enduring questions in world affairs; trends and changes in the post-Cold War and and post-9/11 world. Prerequisite for 2200 and 5200-level courses and PSC 6900.

Political dynamics of various countries and regions. Regime types and political institutions. Politics of inclusion and exclusion. Sources of political change and continuity. Pre-requisite for 2300 and 5300-level courses and PSC 6900.

A survey of early and modern political thought and its relevance to contemporary politics. Prereqisite for 2400 and 5400-level courses and PSC 6900.

Covers elements required for writing research paper on a problem in political science, including using the library, evaluating and properly citing sources, understanding appropriate research methods, and writing and redrafting a research paper. Prerequisite for PSC 6900.

Constitutions, institutions, instruments of popular control, and intergovernmental relations.

Congressional functions, structures, and procedures; distribution of power; elections, representation, parties, committees, and the legislative process. Relations with the President, executive bureaucracy, judiciary, and interest groups. Congress's role in the economy, budgeting, domestic policy, and national security policy.

The nature, functions, and development of the American presidency, including relations between the president and other Washington actors, the public and the press.

Historical overview of the Supreme Court; competing perspectives on judicial behavior; and patterns in the relationship between the Court and other branches of the federal government.

Major Supreme Court cases concerning the powers of Congress and the president, federalism, commerce taxing, and voting.

Major Supreme Court decisions, 1789 to the present, concerning provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment; emphasis on constitutional """literacy

The place of parties in national politics; the nature, organization, and functions of political parties; suffrage requirements and election methods; the activities of organized interests.

Development of strategic thought in the United States, arms control and disarmament, intelligence, technology, alliance policy, role of civilian and military branches of government, and related topics.

The normative and empirical roles of public opinion and civic involvement in American democrary; conceptual and measurement issues, individual-level and societal factors influencing public opinion and political behavior.

Transformation of international politics through diffusion of ideas, technology, migration, capital and markets. Globalization, diffusion, and interactions of ideas, technology and capital. Effects on domestic and international politics, economics, society.

The rules and principles of international law based on a study of treaties, diplomatic practice, and cases dealt with by international and national courts.

The development of international organization, the U.N., its principles, structure, and accomplishments; regional organizations; prospects for the future.

The origin, mission, structure, and current challenges of the United Nations. Analysis of the role of the UN in peace and security, human rights, humanitarian affairs, development, and environmental issues.

Interactions between domestic, comparative and international politics and economics. Institutions, ideas and power dynamics in trade, finance, and development. The movement of labor, goods, services, and capital across national boundaries.

Political economy of financial crises from both a domestic and international perspective. Topics covered include: (ir)rationality of financial markets and actors; consequences of global capital flows; sovereign debt crises; global imbalances and macroeconomic adjustment; vulnerability to banking crises; political causes and responses to global financial crises

Causes of interstate war, laws and norms of war, nuclear proliferation and deterrence, terrorism, civil war, territorial disputes, religion and conflict, and humanitarian and military intervention and peacekeeping.

National identity and consciousness, origin and development of nations and states. Role and effects of nationalism in modern politics, culture, society, and economy.

An introduction to the contemporary Russian political system emphasizing its transformation from the Communist system which preceded it.

Northeast Asian countries' political and economic development after World War II.

Political change in the principal Arab States with emphasis on the diverse forms of rule and political movements. The impact of colonial rule and socioeconomic changes on political life, leadership, social structure, political culture, and modernization.

Politics and societies of contemporary Africa. Colonialism and its legacies. Postcolonial regimes; authoritarianism, neo-patrimonialism and """big man"""" rule; political reform and democratization. Theories of conflict and conflict resolution. Economic development: International and domestic explanations of poverty and underdevelopment; the HIV crisis

Politics and societies of contemporary Latin America. Legacies of social revolution and authoritarian rule; democratic transition and consolidation; market reforms and their consequences. Democratic representation; the resurgence of the political left; identity politics (race/ethnicity, inclusion and exclusion). US-Latin American relations: immigration, trade, energy, and security policies.

Political systems of the developing world, including ideologies, the role of the military, nation building, gender issues, religion, ethnic conflict and additional topics.

European political institutions, changes in party systems, and impact of European integration/globalization on domestic economies.

The historical development of India and Pakistan; their contemporary problems and conduct of foreign relations with the great powers.

The relevance of the classics of political thought for understanding modern politics from the Greeks to the modern era.

The structure of modern political thought and developments of twentieth century political thought as an aid to understanding our age.

This course explores the varied perspectives of public, private, and nonprofit leaders on the nature of American citizenship from the founding era to the 21st century. It examines how the meaning of American citizenship continues to shape political life in multiple ways - from legislation, to advocacy, to social service provision in the United States.

The role, behavior and influence of communications in American politics.

Why women traditionally have been marginal to political life; the efforts of women in the past and today to change that fact; the problems that must be solved before women can translate their numerical strength into political power.

The importance of race and ethnicity in American politics, and the politics (historical, legal, attitudinal, and behavioral) of four of the United States' principal racial and ethnic minority groups-blacks (African-Americans), Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans.

The interplay between politics and psychology; principles, terminology, and methods of psychological theories to understand how people think and feel about politics and how politics affects their thinking.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of Black Politics and introduce several theories, approaches, and analyses of the African American predicament. The course also examines the dynamics of two of the most salient forms of Black Politics: protest activity and conventional electoral politics. Within this framework the course will analyze the character functions, and influence of Black leadership, sociopolitical organizations, and examine the persistence of racial disparities in several public policy areas of significance faced by Black Americans.

The Political Economy of Black America examines the complex interplay between race & economics and the principles, terminology, and methods of standard economics and Black political economy.

The institutions, processes, and ideas which shape contemporary American foreign policy; the major problem areas.

Intra-regional and international problems facing the Middle East: the struggle for independence; the impact of the Cold War; the protracted conflict between Israelis and Arabs; and the tensions in the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

Development and the role of official development assistance. Includes aid effectiveness, modalities, impact of globalization, conflation of aid with strategic purpose, and rising influence of non-traditional donors, such as China and oil-exporting countries.

The current situation and major themes and challenges for protecting and assisting the refugees and internally displaced persons. Global, comparative analysis of institutional and legal framework for both populations.

Interactions between domestic and international actors in Asia; role of political regimes, institutions and firms; dynamic processes of trade and financial sector liberalization and economic crisis. Pre-requisite: PSC 1200 or junior standing.

Uniqueness of previous and contemporary politics, economy, and cultural society of Japan. Study of modernization, the defeat of and recovery from World War ll, pacifism, legal and institutional developments, and current challenges of Japan.

Definitions of genocide and mass killing, causes of genocide and mass killing, contexts in which violence occurs, dynamics of violence, variations in violence, individual motivations of perpetrators, rescue and resistance, obstacles and opportunities for intervention and prevention, tribunals and truth commissions.

Global conflict and peace through gender lens; impact of war on women, men and non-binary genders and respective roles in peace and post-conflict politics. Topics include masculinity and war, sexual and gender-based violence, LGBT politics. Key focus on Northern Ireland.

Political factors that lead to pandemics, political outcomes of pandemics, how pandemics affect political development and international relations.

Course description: the politics of environmental movements, policy and voting, comparative and international relations factors driving environmental outcomes, civil society and its relationship to government.

The contemporary Russian political system; political transformation from the Communist system which preceded it.

Development of the British state; the powers of Parliament and other institutions; the British welfare state, public opinion, and policing; questions of union and devolution; major current topics in British politics.

Foundations of the Irish state; political system and party system development; conflict in Northern Ireland; relations within the divided island and between the Irish Republic and Britain; Irish social, political cultural and economic development; gender in Irish society and politics; Ireland in the international political system.

The relevance of the classics of political thought for understanding modern politics from the Greeks to the modern era.

The founding of the American Republic; nature of the federal union, factions, popular sovereignty, the extended republic, representation, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Subsequent issues and controversies about these and related matters.

The nature of religious and political identity; the possibility and desirability of keeping them apart; the relationship between religion and politics in a free society; religious pluralism, its requirements and consequences; the prospects for """civil religion."""""

Must enroll in (3-credit course) as co-requisite; required for embedded course.

Topical courses in American Government and Politics offered on occasional basis.

Topical courses in International Relations offered on occasional basis.

Topical courses in comparative politics offered on occasional basis.

Topical courses in political theory offered on an occasional basis.

Readings, research, and writing on topics in American government and politics under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.

Readings, research, and writing on topics in international relations under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.

Readings, research, and writing on topics in comparative politics under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite: permission of instructor and department chair.

Readings, research, and writing on topics in political theory under faculty supervision. Pre-requisite; permission of instructor and department chair.

A three-week program of seminars in Washington, D.C. with public officials, staff members, party leaders, and interest group representatives. Held annually in mid-May. Enrolls the previous fall. Limit: 15 students. Permission of instructor required.

Internship.

Capstone seminar on specialized topics in political science.

Theories of Political Behavior with special emphasis on voting behavior are tested by employing elementary quantitative techniques. Changing demographic, atttudinal and personality roots of voting and other forms of participatory behavior.

Classical, medieval, and modern political philosophy; the influence of various political philosophers on the development of western civilization and American democracy; emphasis on regime analysis and evaluation of ideas.

Special topics of special interest in political science.

Work with an international organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

Nature, functions, and evolution of the American Presidency; competing defintions and interpretations of the power of the office; special attention to recent presidents.

The Federal Court System of the United States, focusing on the Supreme Court and its role in U.S. Constitutional development.

Political factors that lead to pandemics, political outcomes of pandemics, how pandemics affect political development and international relations, original research on politics factors relating to pandemics.

Organization and function of the American political party as contestant for political power, as broker for interest groups, and as architect of public policy; the national convention and the role of the party in the professional campaign.

Role, behavior, and influence of communications in American politics.

The Internet as a political tool. How the Internet functions as a political medium by enabling individuals to build virtual and real-world communities, shape media narratives, and bring about political outcomes.

Modern Chinese political development, focused on the post-1979 Reform Era, comparative and international relations tools, communist party development, civil society role, minorities, environmental and social issues.

Selected groups of problems in the area of constitutional development; selection determined by the contemporary importance of the problem to be analyzed.

Explores link between globalization and anti-Americanism, new security threats, income inequality, rise in NGOs, immigration, retrenchment in welfare policies.

Theories and trends, regional variation, importance of economic growth, democracy, culture, state role, political mobilization, and structural constraints in explaining inequality across countries; multi-disciplinary; comparative and aggregate quantitative analysis; in-depth selected country studies.

Ways in which political patterns and crosscutting influences affect the fundamental concepts of political identity in the Arab world, Israel and Iran. The interaction of secular nationalism and political Islam, ideas of political thinkers and political movements.

Political institutions and theories governing the relations of the state and citizens in ancient, medieval, and modern India-Pakistan.

Politically important groups, movements, institutions, and ideologies in Latin American nations. Competing theories about the political roles of the military, church, bureaucracy, parties, union, economic elites, and branches of government.

Russian political system in transition from authoritarian rule; the historical and ideological roots of the Soviet system; initial efforts to reform it; the collapse of the communist system in Russia and the emergence of a new one.

Patterns of political change in Africa south of the Sahara with reference to problems of political and economic development, national integration, interregional cooperation, linkages between internal and external affairs.

Development of major theoretical approaches to international relations.

Mercantilism, classical liberalism, imperialism, world systems theory, international trade and finance, multinational corporations, foreign aid, development, and integration.

Institutions, processes, and politics of the United Nations and regional international organizations.

The impact of European integration and globalization on domestic political economies (e.g. labor relations, welfare spending and Keynesianism); the rise of Green parties and right-wing populists; and long-term political development (e.g. causes of interwar fascism, social democracy and liberalism).

Theories and techniques of diplomatic decision-making, international negotiations during crisis and non-crisis events; computer diagnoses of conflict resolution.

Cultural and governmental forces influencing Presidential decisions, congressional activity and contemporary issues in the Post-Cold War period; theory and methodology of bureaucratic policy formation.

Importance of the Middle East; Big Powers historical, strategic, political and economic interest and rivalries, as well as their policies and actions, in the area; major interarea problems and conflicts, with special stress on the arab-Israeli conflict.

Evolution of Russian foreign policy in the post-Soviet period in its relations with the United States, Europe, and Asia and with its neighbors among the former Soviet republics; the historical roots of Russian policies; Russian foreign policy as a case study in theories of international relations.

Classical theory of nationalism; Marxist interpretation of nationalism; current national upsurge in Asia and Africa; possibilities of regionalism in Western Europe as the aftermath of World War II.

American Foreign Policy in the Middle East toward: (1) confrontation states, including Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon; (2) smaller Gulf states in the Arabian Peninsula; (3) Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The ways in which politics are studied, considering historical, topical, and policy viewpoints as well as such approaches as positivism, functionalism, and behavioralism, examining their underlying assumptions, methods, and value orientations.

Issues about the nature of the federal union, sovereignty, majority faction, the extended republic, representation, the branches of government, separation of powers, checks and balances, slavery, popular government and civic responsibility during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 and the Ratification Debates over the Constitution.

Examination of the theoretical and practical political concerns of political leadership in a free society, with emphasis on the political understanding and statemanship of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Attention to the issues of equality, sovereignty, liberty, and justice.