• 2009-2010 Courses:
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Fall 2009

• POSC 120: Comparative Political Regimes

  An introduction to the fundamentals of government and the variety of ways politics is practiced in different countries. Capitalist democracies, transitional states and developing nations are compared. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010 -- C. Heurlin, A. Montero

• POSC 122: Politics in America: Liberty and Equality

  An introduction to American government and politics. Focus on the Congress, Presidency, political parties and interest groups, the courts and the Constitution. Particular attention will be given to the public policy debates that divide liberals and conservatives and how these divisions are rooted in American political culture. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- R. Keiser, S. Schier

• POSC 160: Political Philosophy

  Introduction to ancient and modern political philosophy. We will investigate several fundamentally different approaches to the basic questions of politics--­questions concerning the character of political life, the possibilities and limits of politics, justice, and the good society--­and the philosophic presuppositions (concerning human nature and human flourishing) that underlie these, and all, political questions. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- L. Cooper, J. Schlosser, K. Smith

• POSC 203: Political Communication: Election Campaign Advertising and Public Opinion*

  Cross-listed with POSC 303. How does political advertising influence the electorate? Do "negative ads" turn voters off? Can advertising be used strategically to influence turnout, decreasing the participation of one of the major parties, while increasing the likelihood that others will vote? Election ads along with the six second "sound bite" are now among the major forms of political communication in modern democracies. We will study how ads are created and "work" from the standpoint of political psychology and film analysis. The course includes a research experience. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- B. Allen

• POSC 207: Urban Politics in a Global Era

  Are cities microcosms of state or nation? How has the role of immigrant-port-of-entry affected the politics of cities? What has been the impact of population shift to the suburbs? Are African-Americans and Latinos fighting over an inconsequential hole-in-the-doughnut in Chicago and Los Angeles? What is the significance of living wage and gay rights movements in cities? Why do European and American cities seem so different, and are there signs of convergence in the era of globalization? 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- R. Keiser

• POSC 216: The Initiative, Referendum and Public Policy

  Cross-listed with POSC.316. This course focuses on the direct democracy tools of initiative and referendum. What are the origins of these institutions and in what historical circumstances do citizens turn to them? Policy conflicts over gay marriage, regulation of tobacco, financing of sports stadiums, and the externalities of economic development will be among our topics. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- R. Keiser

• POSC 229: International Institutions

  Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and citizens are all entities that shape the governance of international and global issues. This course focuses on both international organizations (IOs) and international institutions that include formal treaties and informal rules, norms, and strategies. We will study key theoretical concepts and analytical frameworks through case studies and the literature on formal organization and collective action. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- T. Myint

• POSC 230: Methods of Political Research

  An introduction to research method, research design, and the analysis of political data. The course is intended to introduce students to the fundamentals of scientific inquiry as they are employed in the discipline. The course will consider the philosophy of scientific research generally, the philosophy of social science research, theory building and theory testing, the components of applied (quantitative and qualitative) research across the major sub-fields of political science, and basic methodological tools. Intended for majors only. Prerequisite: Mathematics 115 or 215. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Spring 2010 -- G. Marfleet

• POSC 264: China on the Rise: The Politics of Contemporary China

  This course examines the political, social and economic transformation of China over the past thirty years. Students will explore the transformation of the countryside from a primarily agricultural society into the factory of the world. Particular emphasis will be placed on economic development and how this has changed state-society relations at the grassroots. The class will explore these changes among farmers, the working class and the emerging middle class. Students will also explore how the Chinese Communist Party has survived and even thrived while many other Communist regimes have fallen and assess the relationship between economic development and democratization. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- C. Heurlin

• POSC 268: International Environmental Politics and Policies

  International environmental politics and policy is the most prominent field that challenges traditional state-centric ways of thinking about international problems and solutions. This course will cover five arenas crucial to understanding the nature and origin of international environmental problems and policymaking mechanisms: (1) international environmental law; (2) international political orders; (3) human-environment interactions through politics and markets; (4) paradigms of sustainable development; and (5) dynamics of human values and rules. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- T. Myint

• POSC 271: Constitutional Law I

  Covers American constitutional law and history from the founding to the breakdown of the constitution in secession crisis. Extensive attention will be paid to the constitutional convention and other sources of constitutional law in addition to Supreme Court cases. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- K. Smith

• POSC 303: Political Communication: Election Campaign Advertising and Public Opinion*

  Cross-listed with POSC 203. How does political advertising influence the electorate? Do "negative ads" turn voters off? Can advertising be used strategically to influence turnout, decreasing the participation of one of the major parties, while increasing the likelihood that others will vote? Election ads along with the six second "sound bite" are now among the major forms of political communication in modern democracies. We will study how ads are created and "work" from the standpoint of political psychology and film analysis. The course includes a research component and students enrolled at the 300 level will conduct more extensive analysis of data for their seminar papers. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- B. Allen

• POSC 309: The American Presidency*

  A study of the contemporary Presidency, with a focus on the development of the institutional Presidency, presidential personality and the presidency's relations with other structures in the American political system. The equivalent of a large research paper will be among the requirements for this course. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- S. Schier

• POSC 322: Political Economy of Latin America*

  A research seminar that focuses on politics and economic development Latin America. Topics include: macroeconomic crisis and industrialization, poverty and inequality, regional integration, state reform and decentralization. Students work on individual research projects of their choosing. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- A. Montero

• POSC 347: America and Its Wars*

  War has a special place in American history and this course will look at the changing role of armed conflict in American foreign policy. The course will be based on a series of case studies and the class will look at "large wars" such as World War II and smaller "limited engagements" in Asia and Latin America. Students will examine the debates about strategies and tactics in each of these conflicts and then merge their insights from the case studies with arguments from the larger theoretical literature about war and its role in foreign policy. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- R. Grow, B. Levin

• POSC 350: Political Philosophy and the Book of Genesis*

  Much of the moral and political architecture of the post-modern, secular world traces back to pre-modern, religious scriptures--especially Genesis, the first book of the Bible. For this reason alone Genesis deserves attention. But there are even stronger reasons: With its accounts of creation, humanity’s relation to nature and the divine, human aspiration and failure, the origins of community, and the good life for both individuals and societies, Genesis offers enormous riches even for those who approach it from an "external" philosophic standpoint (as we will in this class) rather than an "internal" religious one. Readings include Genesis and commentary. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009 -- L. Cooper

• POSC 400: Integrative Exercise

  6; S/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- Staff

Winter 2010

• POSC 120: Comparative Political Regimes

  An introduction to the fundamentals of government and the variety of ways politics is practiced in different countries. Capitalist democracies, transitional states and developing nations are compared. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010 -- C. Heurlin, A. Montero

• POSC 122: Politics in America: Liberty and Equality

  An introduction to American government and politics. Focus on the Congress, Presidency, political parties and interest groups, the courts and the Constitution. Particular attention will be given to the public policy debates that divide liberals and conservatives and how these divisions are rooted in American political culture. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- R. Keiser, S. Schier

• POSC 160: Political Philosophy

  Introduction to ancient and modern political philosophy. We will investigate several fundamentally different approaches to the basic questions of politics--­questions concerning the character of political life, the possibilities and limits of politics, justice, and the good society--­and the philosophic presuppositions (concerning human nature and human flourishing) that underlie these, and all, political questions. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- L. Cooper, J. Schlosser, K. Smith

• POSC 170: International Relations and World Politics

  A survey of factors in international relations of a geopolitical, commercial and ideological character; systems of international relations, including bipolar deterrence, polycentrism, and international organization; and dynamics of international relations, including war, diplomacy, and international economic and social development. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- R. Grow, T. Myint

• POSC 209: The Power of Citizenship: Neighborhood Mobilization

  Neighborhood-based community organizing can be an effective form of action for citizens at the same time that it reinvigorates democratic practices. In this course we will explore concepts of democracy, power and identity as we examine cases of community organizing in the U.S. When and why do people in a neighborhood come together to take political action? What are the obstacles to community-based political action? What are its limits? Possibilities? What is the role of experts? What should it be? What about the role of government? How do governmental structures, particular circumstances, and social expectations interact? 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- P. Cavanaugh

• POSC 219: Protest, Power & Grassroots Organizing: American Social Movements

  Why do protest movements form and who joins? How do grassroots movements achieve their aims? This class examines the strategies of grassroots political actors as they organize protest movements in civil society, forge coalitions, and give a voice to the voiceless. Comparisons are drawn between the U.S., European, Asian, and Latin American experiences. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- C. Huerlin

• POSC 227: Agenda Setting through Speeches and Debates

  Can political speeches like the State of the Union Address really set the agenda for the Congress and the country? How do election campaign speeches set an agenda and control the discourse among journalists, citizens, and candidate? What about campaign debates? Do they set an agenda for candidate and country? What do debates and speeches reveal about the political psychology of candidates and office holders: about how they process information and make decisions. These are a few of the questions we will address in our survey of political psychology and communication literature. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- B. Allen

• POSC 251: Modern Political Philosophy

  Modern political philosophy initiated many of the ways of thinking about politics that remain salient today: balancing individuality and community; negotiating liberty and equality; and questioning the relationship of politics and morality. In this course we will focus on the Continental tradition of modern political philosophy from Kant to Hegel to Marx, which has had particular influence on politics and culture in Europe, Latin America, and China. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- J. Schlosser

• POSC 265: Politics of Global Economic Relations

  This course examines the interaction of national politics and international economic activity. Topics include the relationship between national and international finance, global competitiveness, and economic development. Case studies drawn from every continent. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- A. Montero

• POSC 266: Urban Political Economy

  Cross-listed with POSC.366. City revenue is increasingly dependent on tourism. Cities manufacture identity and entertainment, whether we think of Las Vegas or Jerusalem, Berlin or Bilbao, the ethnoscapes of Copenhagen or the red light district of Amsterdam. As cities compete in the global economy to become playgrounds for a transnational tourist class, what is the role of urban residents? Who governs? Who benefits? Short essays or exams will be required. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- R. Keiser

• POSC 272: Constitutional Law II

  Covers American constitutional law and history from Reconstruction to the contemporary era. Extensive attention will be paid to the effort to refound the American constitution following the Civil War as manifest in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and to the successive transformations which the Supreme Court worked in the new constitutional order. Political Science 271 is not a prerequisite. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- K. Smith

• POSC 281: Global Society: An Approach to World Politics

  One of the features of the Post-Cold War world has been the increased salience of issues such as terrorism, the environment, the influence of transnational corporations, the world-wide AIDS epidemic, the drug trade, and the crisis of refugees. The proliferation of such problems illustrates the limitations of state-centric international relations theory. This course examines new theoretical approaches to global politics that seek to understand how non-state actors and structures influence emerging patterns of global governance. We will debate as a class the extent to which a global society approach to world politics helps us to understand these transnational problems. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- B. Allen

• POSC 289, 293: Washington D.C. Program: Seminar

  A study of national and international political institutions and processes conducted in Washington, D.C. Seminar participants include national and international reporters, foreign diplomats, members of Congress, career civil servants, White House staff, political party leaders, and interest group representatives. Program participants will also earn four credits from directed reading during the winter break and six credits from a Washington internship, and six credits for the seminar during winter term. Senior political science majors may elect to take this seminar as a 3 credit course along with 3 credits of comps. (293 S/CR/NC) 9 or 12; S/CR/NC; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- S. Schier

• POSC 328: Foreign Policy Analysis*

  Foreign policy analysis is a distinct sub-field within international relations that focuses on explaining the actions and choices of actors in world politics. After a review of the historical development of the sub-field, we will explore approaches to foreign policy that emphasize the empirical testing of hypotheses that explain how policies and choices are formulated and implemented. The psychological sources of foreign policy decisions (including leaders' beliefs and personalities and the effect of decision-making groups) are a central theme. Completion of a lower level IR course and the stats/methods sequence is recommended. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- G. Marfleet

• POSC 361: Approaches to Development*

  The meaning of "development" has been contested across multiple disciplines. The development and continual existence of past civilizations has been at the core of the discourse among those who study factors leading to the rise and fall of civilizations. Can we reconcile the meaning of development in economic terms with cultural, ecological, political, religious, social and spiritual terms? How can we measure it quantitatively? What and how do the UNDP Human Development Indexes and the World Development Reports measure? What are the exemplary cases that illustrate development? How do individual choices and patterns of livelihood activities link to development trends? 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- T. Myint

• POSC 366: Urban Political Economy*

  Cross-listed with POSC.266. City revenue is increasingly dependent on tourism. Cities manufacture identity and entertainment, whether we think of Las Vegas or Jerusalem, Berlin or Bilbao, the ethnoscapes of Copenhagen or the red light district of Amsterdam. As cities compete in the global economy to become playgrounds for a transnational tourist class, what is the role of urban residents? Who governs? Who benefits? A research paper will be required. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010 -- R. Keiser

• POSC 400: Integrative Exercise

  6; S/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- Staff

Spring 2010

• POSC 122: Politics in America: Liberty and Equality

  An introduction to American government and politics. Focus on the Congress, Presidency, political parties and interest groups, the courts and the Constitution. Particular attention will be given to the public policy debates that divide liberals and conservatives and how these divisions are rooted in American political culture. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- R. Keiser, S. Schier

• POSC 160: Political Philosophy

  Introduction to ancient and modern political philosophy. We will investigate several fundamentally different approaches to the basic questions of politics--­questions concerning the character of political life, the possibilities and limits of politics, justice, and the good society--­and the philosophic presuppositions (concerning human nature and human flourishing) that underlie these, and all, political questions. 6; Social Sciences; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- L. Cooper, J. Schlosser, K. Smith

• POSC 170: International Relations and World Politics

  A survey of factors in international relations of a geopolitical, commercial and ideological character; systems of international relations, including bipolar deterrence, polycentrism, and international organization; and dynamics of international relations, including war, diplomacy, and international economic and social development. 6; Social Sciences; offered Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- R. Grow, T. Myint

• POSC 230: Methods of Political Research

  An introduction to research method, research design, and the analysis of political data. The course is intended to introduce students to the fundamentals of scientific inquiry as they are employed in the discipline. The course will consider the philosophy of scientific research generally, the philosophy of social science research, theory building and theory testing, the components of applied (quantitative and qualitative) research across the major sub-fields of political science, and basic methodological tools. Intended for majors only. Prerequisite: Mathematics 115 or 215. 6; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Spring 2010 -- G. Marfleet

• POSC 233: Corruption, Authoritarianism, and Democracy

  After three decades of democratization, most countries are democratic. But the quality of these democracies is questionable as many suffer from continuous problems of corruption, poor elite accountability, human rights violations, and even policies that can only be described as semi-authoritarian. This course investigates the classic regime types (totalitarianism, authoritarianism, democracy), transitions between them, and the problems of deviations from democratic norms and processes. Special attention will be paid to problems of democratic governance such as electoral fraud, campaign finance malfeasance, the corruption of the judiciary, political violence, and violations of human and civil rights. 6; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- A. Montero

• POSC 239: The Diplomat's Craft: Three Case Studies

  Diplomacy is the means by which states find common ground and resolve differences. Former ambassador Burt Levin uses three cases studies from his career to evaluate the relationships between diplomacy and policy implementation. 3; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- B. Levin

• POSC 253: Marxist Political Thought

  A discussion seminar introducing the economic and political themes in Marxist literature, concentrating on the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Mao. The course looks at theories of economic development, the role of the state, social conflict, political action, and revolution in the writings of each of these thinkers. 6; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- R. Grow

• POSC 259: Justice Among Nations

  This course will bring classic works of political philosophy into conversation with the central questions of international relations, questions concerning both the moral basis of power and the character of international politics. Using the thought of Thucydides and Herodotus as our starting point, we will think through problems of contemporary international relations theory in light of these earlier thinkers, attempting to use the lucid thinking of the past to illuminate the present. 6; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- J. Schlosser

• POSC 311: Topics in Constitutional Law*

  This seminar will explore selected themes in constitutional law, examining the historical development of doctrine, the philosophical issues raised by the issues and the contemporary political controversies surrounding the Court's decisions. Topics may include the separation of church and state, freedom of speech, reproductive rights, criminal justice, voting rights, and gender and sexuality in the law. Prerequisite: One of the following: Political Science 206, 270, 271. 6; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- K. Smith

• POSC 316: The Initiative, Referendum and Public Policy*

  Cross-listed with POSC.216. This course focuses on the direct democracy tools of initiative and referendum. What are the origins of these institutions and in what historical circumstances do citizens turn to them? Policy conflicts over gay marriage, regulation of tobacco, financing of sports stadiums, and the externalities of economic development will be among our topics. Students will be required to write a research paper. 6; Social Sciences; offered Spring 2010 -- R. Keiser

• POSC 400: Integrative Exercise

  6; S/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010 -- Staff