Undergraduate Study
Fall 2020 Courses
All information in this guide is tentative and subject to change. Check the Political Science Department Office for updates. Information on rooms and times for the classes listed can be obtained from the university-wide Time Schedule of Classes or from the Political Science office.
“Cross listed” Courses: These may applied to a Political Science major or minor without a petition, regardless of the departmental prefix. For example, if you take African-American Politics as AAS 306, you do not need to petition to apply it to your Political Science major.
"Meets With” Courses": If you take a “Meets With” course under a departmental prefix other than PSC, you will need to petition to count that course towards your Political Science major or minor.
Courses with international content are designated with an asterisk [*].
Current information on rooms and times for classes can be obtained on your MySlice or from the Political Science office.
PSC 121 m100 American National Government
and Politics
Instructor: TBD
Class #: 10597
Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm - 2:55 pm
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
This course is required for all students who are
majoring in Political Science.
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 10921 (Section 101) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 21777 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35
am-11:30 am
Discussion # 21778 (Section 103) Thursdays
11:00am-11:55am
Discussion # 10922 (Section 104) Fridays
8:25am-9:20am
Discussion # 10923 (Section 105) Thursdays 3:30
pm-4:25 pm
Discussion # 10924 (Section 106) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Course Description
How does the American political system operate?
This course provides an introduction to American political ideas, institutions,
behaviors, and processes. Topics include (among other things) public opinion,
elections, Congress, the presidency, the mass media, civic participation, the
Constitution, federalism, and public policy. Although we will cover the “nuts
and bolts” of American government, our focus is on political science rather
than civics, which means our task is to analyze and interpret political phenomena.
PSC 121 m200 American National Government
and Politics
Instructor: Christopher Faricy
Class #: 11246
Offered: M/W 10:35 am-11:30 am
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
This course is required for all students who are
majoring in political science.
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 11247 (Section 201) Thursdays 3:30
pm-4:25 pm
Discussion # 11248 (Section 202) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Discussion # 11249 (Section 203) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 11250 (Section 204) Fridays 8:25 am-9:20
am
Discussion # 11926 (Section 205) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 11927 (Section 206) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40
pm
Course Description
How does the American political system operate?
This course provides an introduction to American political ideas, institutions,
behaviors, and processes. Topics include (among other things) public opinion,
elections, Congress, the presidency, the mass media, civic participation, the
Constitution, federalism, and public policy. Although we will cover the “nuts
and bolts” of American government, our focus is on political science rather
than civics, which means our task is to analyze and interpret political phenomena.
PSC 123 m100 Comparative Government and
Politics *
Instructor: Margarita
Estevez Abe
Class #: 11928
Offered: M/W 11:40 am - 12:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 11929 (Section 101) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 11930 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35
am-11:30 am
Discussion # 11931 (Section 103) Thursdays 8:00 am-8:55
am
Discussion # 11932 (Section 104) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Course Description
Why are some countries democratic and others
authoritarian? Do democracies provide citizens a better quality of life? Why do
civil wars happen in some countries? What are the relations among history,
culture, the economy and politics? These are some of the questions that we will
cover in class. This is a course intended to introduce students to politics
around the world in a comparative perspective. We will examine some of the pressing
issues in politics today, and survey the social science literature to see how
the theories it develops helps us understand politics better.
PSC 124 m100 International Relations *
Instructor: Terrell Northrup
Class #: 10598
Offered: M/W 10:35 am - 11:30 am
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 10925 (Section 101) Fridays 12:45
pm-1:40 pm
Discussion # 10926 (Section 102) Thursdays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 10927 (Section 103) Thursdays 3:30
pm-4:25 pm
Discussion # 10928 (Section 104) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Discussion # 11278 (Section 105) Fridays 10:35
am-11:30 am
Discussion # 11279 (Section 106) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Meets with PSC 139 m001
Course Description
This course introduces students to the main issues
and actors in contemporary international relations, organized around three
major topical perspectives: world structure and theoretical views of that
structure; international political economy; and international conflict,
cooperation and security. It will focus on current debates around global topics
such as human rights, economic interdependence, nationalism, the global environment,
and economic disparities. During section meetings, students are encouraged to
explore and discuss how states, international institutions, and non-state
actors shape current international affairs and future forms of global
governance.
PSC 124 m200 International Relations *
Instructor: Audie Klotz
Class #: 10599
Offered: M/W 9:30 am - 10:25 am
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
Note: All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 10959 (Section 201) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Discussion # 10960 (Section 202) Thursdays 3:30
pm-4:25 pm
Discussion # 10961 (Section 203) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 am
Discussion # 10962 (Section 204) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40
pm
Discussion # 12281 (Section 205) Thursdays 3:30
pm-4:25 pm
Discussion # 12282 (Section 206) Thursdays 5:00
pm-5:55 pm
Course Description
This course introduces students to the main issues
and actors in contemporary international relations, organized around three
major topical perspectives: world structure and theoretical views of that
structure; international political economy; and international conflict,
cooperation and security. It will focus on current debates around global topics
such as human rights, economic interdependence, nationalism, the global
environment, and economic disparities. During section meetings, students are
encouraged to explore and discuss how states, international institutions, and
non-state actors shape current international affairs and future forms of global
governance.
PSC 124 m300 International Relations *
Instructor: Francine
D’Amico
Class #: 10976
Offered: M/W/F 11:40 am-12:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
Note: Restricted to first-year students residing in
the International Relations Learning Community, Day Hall 3. For information on
joining a learning community, please contact the SU Office of Learning Communities by email
or phone at 315-443-2079.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the main issues
and actors in contemporary international relations, organized around three
major topical perspectives: world structure and theoretical views of that
structure; international political economy; and international conflict,
cooperation and security. It will focus on current debates around global topics
such as human rights, economic interdependence, nationalism, the global
environment, and economic disparities. Students
are encouraged to explore and discuss how states, international institutions,
and non-state actors shape current international affairs and future forms of
global governance.
PSC 125 m001 Political Theory
Instructor: Glyn
Morgan
Class #: 11753
Offered: T/Th 5:00 pm-5:55 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly Prerequisites: None
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 13048 (Section 002) Fridays 8:25
am-9:20 am
Discussion # 13049 (Section 003) Fridays 9:30
am-10:25 pm
Discussion # 13050 (Section 004) Fridays 10:35
am-11:30 am
Discussion # 13051 (Section 005) Fridays 10:35
am-11:30 am
Discussion # 13052 (Section 006) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40
pm
Discussion # 13053 (Section 007) Fridays 2:15
pm-3:10 pm
Meets with PHI 125
Course Description
This course focuses on the works of four great
political thinkers—Socrates, Plato, Thomas Hobbes, and John Stuart Mill. We
will draw out their views on fundamental questions of political theory,
including: what is the relationship between justice and happiness? What can the
state do to make us happy? Why do we even need a state? Is the family a
desirable social unit? Does the state or parents have ultimate authority over
children? Does human freedom require democracy?
PSC 139 m001 International Relations
(Honors) *
Instructor: Terrell
Northrup
Class #: 11756
Offered: M/W 10:35 am-11:30 am; Th 9:30 am-10:25
am
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Meets with PSC 124 m100
Course Description
This course explores diverse world views and
theoretical perspectives on issues in contemporary international relations, including
foreign policy, global political economy, international conflict and
cooperation, international law & organizations, and global issues such as
health and the environment. Lectures, readings, analytic writing, case
analysis, and group discussion. This course is offered ONLY for students
currently enrolled in the Syracuse University Renee Crown Honors Program.
Students not enrolled in the Crown Honors program must enroll in PSC 124
International Relations. Academic credit is given for PSC 124 or PSC 139, but
not both.
PSC 202 m100 Introduction to Political
Analysis
Instructor: Simon
Weschle
Class #: 11340
Offered: M/W 11:40 am-12:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: None
This course is required for all students who are
majoring in political science.
All students must also enroll in a
discussion section listed for this course.
Discussion # 11341 (Section 101) Fridays
10:35-11:30 am
Discussion # 11342 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35-11:30
am
Discussion # 11343 (Section 103) Fridays
12:45-1:40 pm
Discussion # 11344 (Section 104) Fridays
12:45-1:40 pm
Course Description
The purpose of this course, required for political
science majors, is to build skills for conducting, interpreting, and presenting
political science research. These skills include: basic research and data
collection practices, techniques for measuring political science concepts
quantitatively, hypothesis testing, interpretation of statistical evidence, and
the presentation of findings in a clear and compelling manner. Tying these
components together is a thematic focus on important political science concepts
such as democracy, power, or representation.
PSC 300 m101 Policy Implementation
Instructor: Zach Huitink
Class #: 12747
Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm-3:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Meets with PST 300.002
Description
This course explores how governments put public policy into
action, with particular attention toward how tools like regulations, grants,
vouchers, and public-private partnerships are used to address increasingly
complex societal problems. What are the
trade-offs of alternative strategies to achieving a given public policy goal –
whether reducing poverty, improving education, protecting the environment, or
preventing terrorism and cyber attacks – and why do governments have such mixed
records achieving these goals? What roles
do businesses, nonprofits, and individual members of the public play in the
policy implementation process? How can
these stakeholders work effectively with one another to achieve policy
impacts? How do we assess whether
policies have had their intended impacts on people and communities? How can we make public services easier to
access and use? Students will consider
these questions through a mix of discussion, case studies, and hands-on
exercises, and develop knowledge and skills in areas such as implementation
analysis and project planning.
PSC 300 m102 Creation of the U.S.
Constitution
Instructor: Dennis
Rasmussen
Class #: 21666
Offered: M/W 2:15 pm-3:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course will examine the creation of the basic
framework for America’s government and laws, the U.S. Constitution. The first
half of the course will focus on the debates at the Philadelphia Convention
of 1787, which formulated and proposed the Constitution, and the second
half will focus on the ratification debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
in 1787-88. A study of these debates allows us to see the choices
that were made—as well as the arguments behind the choices that were made—in the creation
of the world’s longest-lasting and most influential national constitution.
PSC 300 m103 Education Policy
Instructor: Ying Shi
Class #: 21669
Offered: W 9:30 am-12:15 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Meets with PAI 300.001
Course Description
This course introduces students to
the education policy landscape in the U.S. We begin with an overview of how
schools work and the roles of key actors at the federal, state, and local
levels. We then discuss the standards of evidence alongside empirical tools and
data sources that are relevant for identifying policy problems. Next the course
walks through a set of education policy issues, including school funding and
accountability reforms. Students will have the opportunity to investigate
specific dimensions of education policy such as low-performing schools and
achievement gaps, use evidence to diagnose potential problems, and develop
solutions.
PSC 300 m104 U.S. Intelligence Community
Instructor: Robert Murrett
Class #: 21489
Offered: M/W 2:15 pm-3:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Meets with PAI 300.003 and IRP 300.001
Course Description
This course will focus on the practice, structure and
governance of the intelligence field, and material that has a direct bearing on
its current posture. Students will study
the functional elements of intelligence tradecraft (human intelligence, signals
intelligence, imagery analysis, etc.), and engagement with international
counterparts. The course will review
governance and oversight of the Intelligence Community (I.C), and in order to
understand the full range of today’s intelligence activities, students will
examine the evolution of the I.C. since its inception in 1947 through the
present day. Key phases and specific
events will be explored, including I.C. efforts throughout the Cold War, The
Cuban Missile Crisis, The Vietnam Conflict, the Church Committee, the Balkans
Conflicts, pre and post-9/11 operations, the 911 and WMD Commissions and the
subsequent executive and legislative changes implemented over the past
decade. The class will participate in
case studies, in which the students will evaluate, provide briefings and
recommend decisions in realistic scenarios, both in terms of analysis and
intelligence-driven decision-making on policy and operational matters.
PSC 300 m201 Politics and Society of Japan
*
Instructor: Margarita Estevez-Abe
Class#: 13066
Offered: M/W 5:15 pm-6:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course is about Japan’s economy, politics and
society. It focuses on: (i) Japan’s
extreme demographic aging—its origins and current & future problems; and
(ii) changing geopolitics in East Asia.
PSC 300 m202 Modernization &
Democratization in South Korea*
Instructor: Frederick
Carriere
*Canceled*
PSC 300 m203 Money & Politics
Instructor: Simon
Weschle
Class#: 21667
Offered: M/W 2:15 pm-3:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
Money and politics are inextricably
linked. Citizens in many countries are regularly asked for bribes to get basic
government services. Interest groups or wealthy individuals try to use money to
influence political decisions. Politicians, in turn, need resources to finance
election campaigns, or they use their position to enrich themselves. And voters
are thought to be more likely to vote for candidates who run expensive
campaigns or hand out gifts. In this course, we will look at political science
research on money and politics in different countries around the world. We will
try to answer the following questions: How much money is there in politics, and
how can we measure it? What is the money used for? What influence does it have?
What are the consequences? And finally, should we try to reduce money on
politics, and if so what ways to do so can be successful?
PSC 300 m204 Politics of North & South
Korea *
Instructor: Frederick
Carriere
Class #: 12587
Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm-3:20 pm
Frequency
Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course explores the impact
of the unprecedented flurry of summit diplomacy during 2018-2019 on the
unfolding relations between North Korea and South Korea. It includes an
in-depth comparative study of the politics of these two states, which emerged
from the crucible of the Cold War over half a century ago and are locked in a
competition for legitimacy as the sole representative of the Korean Nation.
Their guiding developmental paradigms of ‘democratization’ and ‘marketization’
are contrasted along with their ‘love-hate’ relationships with the United
States. The goal is to assess the prospects for an eventual resolution of the
intractable conflict between these two states on the Korean Peninsula.
PSC 300 m205 Islam, Law & Politics
Instructor: Jeannette Jouili
Class #: 22153
Offered: T/Th 9:30 am-10:50 am
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Meets with REL 300.003 and MES 300.002
Course Description
The emergence of modern Islamic
political movements worldwide has not only had a profound impact on
contemporary global geo-politics but has also triggered heated debates around
the question of the compatibility of Islam with liberal democracy. This course
investigates the "vexed" relationship between Islam and politics,
profoundly influenced by the experience of colonialism, and standing in complex
relationship to concepts such as the modern nation-state, democracy,
liberalism, or secularism. The course combines empirically grounded studies on
the multiple facets of past and contemporary Muslim politics in Muslim-majority
and minority contexts with a more theoretical investigation of modern Islamic
political thought; here we examine the intellectual origins of Islamic
politics, its arguments, and the challenges it poses to its liberal
counterparts, but also its conundrums and contradictions.
PSC 300.m401 Capitalism: For & Against *
Instructor: Dennis
Rasmussen
Class #: 20433
Offered: M 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course
Description
Are capitalist societies just or are they full of inequality and exploitation?
Do they give people freedom or oppress them in one way or another? Do they
encourage virtue or vice, excellence or mediocrity, happiness or misery? Are
there other types of society that would be preferable? What might be done to
improve capitalist societies? This course will address these questions through
an examination of some of the seminal philosophical discussions of commerce,
private property, and economic inequality. It will focus principally on the
works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek, John
Rawls, and Robert Nozick.
PSC 305 m001 U.S. Congressional Politics
Instructor: Maraam Dwidar
Class #: 21672
Offered: M/W 3:45 pm-5:05 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course
Description
This course is about
the politics of the United States Congress. We will discuss the historical and
contemporary functions of the U.S. Congress, with a focus on representation,
elections, political parties, special interest groups, inter-branch relations,
and the changing character of legislative politicking and policymaking. As we
do so, we continuously consider the questions of how and why certain
policy topics rise and fall on the agenda of the U.S. Congress over time.
PSC 308 m001 Politics of U.S. Public Policy
Instructor: Sarah Pralle
Class #: 21651
Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm-3:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course examines the process of policymaking in
the United States. We will ask such questions as, how do particular issues
become framed as public policy priorities and placed on the political agenda.
How are certain policy alternatives chosen for consideration to the exclusion
of others? Why are some issues
considered to be appropriate for government action, and others left to market
forces? How do democratic institutions
shape the policymaking process? And we'll consider how policies can be designed
so that they play a positive role in solving problems and shaping our society.
As we grapple with these concerns, we will focus on a number of case studies.
While these questions are often approached in a technical fashion, as if public
policy was created and implemented in a scientific laboratory, our approach
will acknowledge that public policy is inherently political and cannot be
understood apart from the political processes and institutions in which it is
created and implemented.
PSC 309 m001 Interest Group Politics
Instructor: Maraam Dwidar
Class #: 21673
Offered: M/W 5:15 pm-6:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course is about
the politics of organized interests in the United States. We will discuss the
formation and role of organized interests in U.S. politics — both historical
and contemporary — with an emphasis on equality and representation, collective
action, competition and cooperation, political and policy influence, and social
movements. As we do so, we will continuously call into question the power that
these groups allegedly enjoy, and will make regular connections to current
events, including the role of special interests in salient debates over climate
change, public health, and social and economic justice.
PSC 310 m001 Refugees in International
Politics *
Instructor: Lamis
Abdelaaty
Class #: 20024
Offered: T/Th 9:30 am-10:50 am
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course deals with the global politics of
refugee issues, broadly defined to include the movement of people displaced by
persecution, conflict, natural or human-made disasters, environmental change,
or development projects. It is grounded in the international relations
subfield, but students are expected to engage with ideas from a variety of
disciplinary perspectives. Topics covered include historical trends in,
analytical approaches to, and the international legal framework-governing
refugees. We also explore the causes, consequences, and responses by state and
non-state actors to refugee flows. A series of examples from recent and current
events are examined, including a case study on refugees and the Syrian civil
war.
PSC 312 m001 The New Deal & American
Politics
Instructor: Steven White
Class #: 21227
Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm-4:50 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
The
New Deal transformed American politics, setting the framework for modern day
debates about the role of the federal government in American society. This
course examines the New Deal and its aftermath from a range of historical and
theoretical perspectives, as well as original source materials. Among other
topics, we will consider the crisis of the Great Depression; the international
context of fascism, Nazism, and Communism; the development of major public
policies like Social Security; the role of labor unions and business; the role
of southern Democrats in “limiting liberalism,” especially when it seemed to
involve issues of race; and the Second World War. We will also examine how the
New Deal set into motion important shifts in party politics that still shape
American politics today.
PSC 317.001 Local Internship
Instructor: Grant Reeher
Class #: 10600
Offered: M/W/F 11:40 am-12:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Every semester
Prerequisites: The internship program is intended
for juniors and seniors only
Course Description
The course is based on a local internship
experience in politics, public affairs, or the law. Placements are found at the
beginning of the semester based on a list provided by the professor. Students
also meet once a week in the classroom for organizational discussions, Q&A
sessions with local political figures, and advice from professional development
experts. Interested students are advised to review a FAQ sheet and recent
syllabus, which can be found in 100 Eggers Hall or by contacting the professor.
PSC 318 m001 Technology, Politics, and
Environment
Instructor: Harry Lambright
Class #: 21658
Offered: M/W 8:00am-9:20am
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course analyzes the relation of government to
policymaking in the domain of environment, where technology and politics
intersect in many crucial ways. Attention is given primarily to politics and
administration of environmental policy in the US at all levels of government.
Comparative and international aspects of the problem are also examined. Particular
emphasis is given to the processes by which policy is formulated, implemented
and modified.
PSC 319 m001 Gender & Politics
Instructor: Jenn Jackson
Class #: 21662
Offered: M/W 2:15 pm-3:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course examines the intersection of gender and
politics in the United States with an emphasis on women and formal political
processes like elections, political institutions and legislation, public opinion
formation, running for elected office, and political participation. We will
begin the course by examining gender formation, the history of gender in
political struggle, gender as an organizing category for both politics and
Political Science, and the work of conforming to or transgressing gender norms
in electoral politics. In the remainder of the course, we will cover the
following topics: gender in society; media, politics, and gendered expectations
and stereotypes; women’s social movements; gender and power, political
engagement and political participation; voice, choice and party identification;
the gender gap in running for office; political representation and
policy-making; the effects of public policy on gender; and the political
intersection of gender with race, class, sexual orientation, and embodiment.
In this course, we will use gender and identity
politics as a way to enter debates about inclusion and democracy in political
life. Although gender is the primary lens through which we will examine efforts
of underrepresented groups to achieve equality, students are encouraged to
examine how gender is mediated by multiple and overlapping identities such as
race, class, sexuality, and religion both within the U.S. and in other national
contexts.
PSC 324 m100 Constitutional Law I
Instructor: Tom Keck
Class #: 11030
Offered: T/Th, 3:30 pm- 4:50 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
Does the US Constitution authorize Congress to
enact a law requiring all Americans to have health insurance? Does it require
all states to allow same-sex couples to legally marry? Does it permit local
governments to combat violent crime by banning the possession of handguns? Does
it give the President free rein, as commander in chief of the US military, to
authorize warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists? If you are
interested in any or all of these questions, then this course is for you. In
Constitutional Law I, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about
the development of the American constitutional system from the founding through
the mid-twentieth century. In Constitutional Law II, offered in the Spring, we
will continue this inquiry right up to the present day. Recent versions of the
syllabi are available on the instructor’s website, though there
will be a number of updates for the coming year.
PSC 329 m100 The Modern American Presidency
Instructor: Margaret Thompson
Class #: 21434
Offered: T/Th, 12:30 pm- 1:50 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with HST 341.001
Course Description
This course will analyze the
evolution of the modern presidency and its present operation. The focus of our
attention will be on the years since the Second World War, and especially on
those since 1960. The decision making process and operation of presidential
administrations from Kennedy to Barack Obama will be studied in detail; we will
also discuss the Trump administration
to and through the 2020 election. We shall consider the various roles that the
president plays in government, politics and society. The presidency as an
institution and as an individual office will be examined to identify factors
that have contributed to the successes and failures of particular
administrations. This course shall also examine the roles and influence of
unelected officials (esp. senior White House staff), and popular attitudes
toward both the symbolic and the practical presidency—especially as they have
been shaped by the traditional mass media and the “new media” (especially
online interactivity). We will consider what lasting effects, if any, events
during the last quarter century have had upon the presidency as an
institution. Finally, we will leave
space for discussion of breaking news and unexpected developments, especially
those related to presidential politics.
PSC 338 m001 Race, Ethnicity, & American
Politics
Instructor: Steven White
Class #: 21228
Offered: T/Th 5:00 pm-6:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course examines
race and ethnicity in American politics, with particular attention to African Americans, Latinos, and
Asian Americans as voters, activists, and policymakers.
PSC 344 m001 Politics of the Middle East *
Instructor: TBD
Class #: 12567
Offered: T/Th 5:00 pm-6:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with MES 344
Course Description
Our core objective in this course is to learn about
the politics of the Middle East and different factors that have coalesced to
shape the current political landscape of the region. For the past century,
Middle Eastern politics has been marked by coups, revolutions, interstate wars,
and sectarian conflict. The cost of political instability has been exorbitant
for the countries in the region and most have witnessed episodic interruptions
in their march toward social and economic progress. A conventional view
attributes the predicament of the Middle Eastern countries to their culture,
religion and geographical structures. The main purpose of this courses is to
critically examine the above assumption by analyzing the role of political
actors – domestic and international - and institutions in shaping the political
trajectory of the Middle East.
PSC 354 m001 Human Rights & Global
Affairs *
Instructor: Lamis
Abdelaaty
Class #: 21653
Offered: T/Th 12:30 pm-1:50 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
The idea of human rights has become
a powerful tool in struggles against oppression and discrimination. This
growing popularity of claiming inalienable rights has also led to a formidable
backlash both against the very idea of rights and the groups that claim to
advance them. The course introduces students to the history of human rights since
1948, highlights the role of international institutions and non-governmental
organizations, and discusses current human rights issues. Students will conduct
their own original human rights research and describe both root causes of
violations and the solutions that are most likely to address contemporary human
rights challenges.
PSC 355 m001 International Political Economy
*
Instructor: Daniel
McDowell
Class #: 21655
Offered: T/Th 11:00 am-12:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
From the rise of Donald Trump’s economic populism to Great
Britain’s “Brexit” from the European Union, it is impossible to deny the
tenuous political underpinnings of economic globalization today. To borrow from
Prof. Jeffry Frieden,
globalization is a choice, not a fact. That is, the global economic integration
we observe today is the product of governments’ policy decisions over a period of many decades. This
course introduces the student to the field of international political economy
(IPE). IPE studies how politics impacts the global economy and, in return, how
the global economy impacts politics. There are two central questions that we
will wrestle with in this class. First, what explains the international
economic policy choices governments make? Second, what are the effects of those
policy choices both within and across countries? Over the course of the
session, we will engage with a number of key topics in IPE including: international
trade, economic development, multinational corporations, international capital
flows, exchange rates, sovereign debt, and financial crises. We will rely on
two primary analytic tools: basic economic principles to explain how economic
policies influence the distribution of income and political economy theories
that explain how politicians set policies. Together, we will use these tools to
help understand historical and contemporary phenomena.
PSC 360 m001 Sustainability Science and
Policy
Instructor: Sherburne
Abbott
Class #: 12566
Offered: M/W 12:45 pm-2:05 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with GEO 360.001
Course Description
Sustainability—improving the well-being of the
present and future generations in ways that conserve the planet’s life support
systems—is a central challenge of the 21st century. This course consists of a
combination of lectures, guest lectures, discussions, and team projects that
are designed to facilitate an in-depth understanding of a complex, contemporary
or “grand” challenge of sustainability that spans science (and technology),
communications, and public policy, while considering advances in the underlying
theory of sustainability science and its practice. This fall course will
examine the grand challenge of climate change and sustainability—what is known
about climate change and its impacts, what motivates public understanding,
attitudes, and behaviors about climate change, what actions are possible to
avoid or manage its impacts, and what contributions these actions have made
toward achieving goals for sustainability.
PSC 364 m001 African International Relations
*
Instructor: Horace Campbell
Class #: 12288
Offered: T/Th 9:30 am-10:50 am
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisite: None
Cross-listed/Meets with AAS 364 & PAI
500
Course Description
The content of the course will explore both the
place of the African peoples in the International System as well as the
specific case of the impact of the decolonization of Africa, especially the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. In so far as the Congo in the central part of
Africa borders over nine countries, the relations between the Congo and her
neighbors will feature prominently in this course. In particular, the relations
between the Congo and Angola in the Cold war and the militarization of the
region will be analyzed. A historical framework will be developed to grasp the
linkages of Africa in the international system from the period of the Berlin
Conference and the genocidal practices set in motion from that period. The
continuity in violence and genocide will be traded from the period of King
Leopold down to the Rwanda Genocide of 1994, the issues of the militarism,
genocide and international organizations relevant to the subject such as the
OAU and the UN will be analyzed. The second part of the course will survey
issues of war and peace in international relations in the context of the
current search for peace in Africa. What is the meaning of contemporary forms
of peacekeeping? The experiences of the United States in the Congo and in
Somalia will be the basis for analyzing contemporary ideas of humanitarianism
in Africa. In so far as the process of militarization accelerated in the cold
war, there will be an examination of the legacies of the investment in military
entrepreneurs such as Jonas Savimbi during the period of "constructive
engagement" in Southern Africa. The battle of Cuito Cuanavale as well as
the place of Cuba in Southern Africa will highlight the essence of the
differences between sovereignty of states from the point of view of the
colonized and this concept from the point of view of geo politics. The issues
of Africa in the era of globalization and the controversy over the patenting of
life forms will be the subjects of the concluding section of the course.
PSC 377 m001 Religion & Politics
Instructor: Mark Brockway
Class #: 22141
Offered: T/Th 5:00 pm - 6:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisite: None
Cross-listed/Meets with REL 300.004
Course Description
Religions
and governments are arguably the two most important and powerful forces that
connect people and societies. Religious ideas garner the following of billions,
political leaders have transformed nations, and each wields incredible
influence over the thoughts and actions of individuals. As two powerful forces,
they often cooperate and collide with momentous consequences. We begin by
examining the tumultuous relationship between religion and politics in the
United States, asking if the nation's efforts to separate these two fundamental
human experiences has been successful or worthwhile. In the second part of the
course, we examine the wide variety of strategies that religions and
governments pursue to coexist throughout the world. From the theocracies of
Iran and Vatican City to the militant secularism of France and China,
governments use religion (or irreligion) to influence individuals, justify
policies, and bolster claims to their own legitimacy. How governments and
citizens navigate religious and political institutions and identities is at the
heart of our investigation.
PSC 382 m001 Contemporary Political
Philosophy
Instructor: Verena Erlenbusch-Anderson
Class #: 12649
Offered: T/Th 11:00 am-12:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisite: None
Cross-listed with PHI 417
Course Description
This course examines the works of prominent
contemporary theorists of politics through the lens of basic issues central to
the organization of social and political life. In particular, we will consider
the costs and benefits of digital technology with regard to the democratic
process as well as its effects on equality and fundamental rights like freedom
and privacy. Readings will include both theoretical works and immediately
relevant political case studies.
PSC 387 m001 Ethnic Conflict
Instructor: Seth Jolly
Class #: 21656
Offered: T/Th 11:00 am-12:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisite: None
Course Description
This course examines ethnicity and its effects on
politics. Our primary goals are to
understand what ethnicity is, how it ignites both domestic and international
conflict, and what political tools exist to manage these conflicts. We will begin the semester by exploring
various definitions of ethnicity. Then
we will study the many manifestations of political conflict, such as ethnic
riots and genocide, that can be attributed to ethnic divisions within a
society. Finally, we will evaluate
possible means of mitigating and managing ethnic conflict. In all three segments of the course, we will
draw material from around the world, in particular Africa, Asia, Europe, and
North America.
PSC 391 m001 Revolutions in the Middle East*
Instructor: Hossein
Bashiryeh
Class #: 21675
Offered: M/W 5:15 pm-6:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with MES 391.001
Course Description
Whereas revolutions are more or
less abating in other regions of the world today, the Middle East still finds
itself in the throes of revolution. A new wave of revolutionary upheavals has
begun since January 2011 and continues to shape the politics of the region. In
theoretical terms, four aspects of these political revolutions need to be
studied: 1) Taxonomy; 2) Etiology; 3) Morphology, and 4) Teleology. Hence, in
the first few weeks of the course we will study the major theories of
revolution. Then in light of the theoretical discussion, we will explain the
new wave of revolutions in the Middle East in terms of their causes and
consequences. In every historical case we will discuss the following sequence
of processes:
1- The pre-revolutionary
authoritarian stability;
2- How crises emerge and provide
opportunities for collective action;
3- Oppositions, and their modes of
mobilization;
4- The complex interactions between
authorities and oppositions including the possibility of repression,
accommodation, and revolution;
5- Post-revolutionary power
struggles.
PSC 393 m001 Middle Eastern Political
Systems *
Instructor: Hossein
Bashiryeh
Class #: 12569
Offered: M/W 3:45 pm-5:05 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with MES 393.001
Course Description
What are the factors that hinder the development of
well-functioning political systems in the Middle East? This is the main
question of the course. Political development is usually defined in terms of 1)
national unification and the consolidation of national identity; 2) the
development of legitimate authority; 3) the development of channels of popular
participation in politics and the rise of a civil society; 4) political and
administrative efficiency; 5) equitable distribution of resources or the
development of a basic welfare state. In trying to answer the main question, we
argue that several factors impede political development in the region. These
include: 1) Structural ones like geographical/geopolitical, demographic,
historical, and religious factors; 2) Social forces, particularly the landed
classes, tribes, ethnic groups and sects. In the first part of the course, we
will discuss these obstacles in general across the region; in the second part,
we will explain the political systems in the region in terms of the impact of
various obstacles.
PSC 394 m001 History of Islamic Political
Thought *
Instructor: Hossein
Bashiryeh
Class #: 11933
Offered: M/W 12:45-2:05 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: None
Cross-listed with MES 394.001
Course Description
The aim of this course is to study some of the
major issues and discourses in Islamic political thought, especially those of
more contemporary significance such as dissent, apostasy, intolerance, human
obligations and rights, women's status, the status of minorities, war and
peace, universal government and the idea of the Caliphate.
PSC 396 m001 European Integration *
Instructor: Glyn
Morgan
Class #: 21677
Offered: M/W 5:15 pm-6:35 pm
Frequency Offered: Irregularly
Prerequisites: Every other year
Cross-listed with GEO 396
Course Description
For twenty years (1985-2005), the process of
European Integration was a spectacular success. Europe added new member states,
expanded to include the former Communist states of Eastern and Central Europe,
and introduced a common currency and a common Schengen boundary. Then starting
in 2005, things started to go wrong.
This course focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the European
project---a project to build a common system of governance. We focus on such
issues as: Europe's Monetary Union; the Greek Crisis; the Refugee Problem;
Germany's economic superiority; demographic decline; the failure to incorporate
Europe's Muslim populations; the Geopolitical problems of dealing with Russia
and the United States, and Brexit.
PSC 400 m101 Poverty Policy
Instructor: Colleen
Heflin
Class#: 20012
Offered: M 9:30 am-12:15 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Meets with PAI 400.002/SOC 400.003
Course Description
This seminar will examine the nature and extent of
poverty in the U.S., its causes and consequences, and the antipoverty effects
of existing and proposed government programs and policies. The following
questions will be addressed: What is poverty? Why is poverty so persistent? Why
are poverty rates for minorities so high? What are the dynamics of rural
poverty? What are the goals and purposes of social welfare programs? How has
welfare reform changed the playing field? Is marriage a viable antipoverty
strategy? Is there a culture of poverty? How are immigration and demographic
trends changing the U.S. demographic profile? How do the current economic and
housing crises impact people in poverty?
PSC 400 m401 Field Research Methods
Instructor: Erin Hern
Class#: 21680
Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm-3:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Special Offering
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
This course is designed to lead students through
the process of designing a research project that includes original data
collection through field work. Students will learn the basics of how to conduct
surveys and interviews, work in archives, and conduct ethnography. The course
begins with how to select a research question, consider various explanations,
define and operationalize variables, and design the most appropriate research
strategy to answer those questions. The course focuses on balancing ideal
strategies with practicality, dealing with the unpredictability of the field
environment, and logistical planning in addition to the academic elements of
research design. The course is oriented toward practical instruction for
students who would like to conduct original research.
PSC 412 m001 Global Governance: The United
Nations System *
Instructor: Francine D’Amico
Class #: 13426
Offered: T/Th 2:00-3:20 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Meets with/Cross-listed with IRP 495/412. This course is open to official PSC seniors
only.
Course Description
The United Nations System. This course explores the
theory and practice of global governance and international diplomacy through an
in-depth study of the UN system. Class meetings analyze and critique assigned
readings and discuss current UN-related events in a seminar format. Each
student will undertake an in-depth research project to investigate one aspect
of the UN system, such as security, development, peacekeeping, or human rights.
Each student will submit an original research paper and present a formal
evaluation of that piece of the UN puzzle in a public presentation at the
conclusion of the semester. This course employs a professional development
model for academic research.
PSC 469 m001 Global Migration *
Instructor: Audie Klotz
Class #: 21654
Offered: M/W 12:45 pm-2:05 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: None
Course Description
People increasingly move across international
borders. Some seek jobs in more
prosperous regions; others flee political persecution, war, or ecological
disasters. What are the social, economic
and political consequences of these transnational population pressures? How should national governments and
international institutions meet these new challenges? Are immigration restrictions justified? Can international institutions provide better
or supplementary responses?
PSC 495 m001 Distinction Thesis I
Instructor: Emily Thorson
Class #: 11588
Offered: W 3:45 pm-6:30 pm
Frequency Offered: Yearly
Prerequisites: Permission from department – must
have an overall GPA of 3.5 for admittance
Course Description
The program requires the student to produce a
senior thesis that reflects an understanding of the contemporary literature
relevant to the thesis topic, advances an original argument, and presents
evidence appropriate to the underlying inquiry. The thesis should generally be
modeled after a typical academic journal article in the field of Political
Science. The thesis will be read and evaluated by a committee of three,
consisting of the main advisor and two additional readers. Two of the readers must be
members of the Political Science department. One of the readers may be a
graduate student in Political Science. An oral defense will determine if the
thesis meets the departmental requirements for distinction.