Political Theory

V53.0100 - Political Theory (Core Course)
Introduces students to some outstanding theories of politics. The theories treated offer alternative conceptions of political life, and they are examined from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Among the theorists included are Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Mill, and Marx.

Syllabus: [Landa F07]  [Manin F01]

V53.0110 - Topics in Premodern Political Philosophy
Prerequisite: V53.0100
Intensive introduction to the major themes of Western political thought through a careful analysis of classical and medieval works. Among the authors studied are Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Formerly Political Thought from Plato to Machiavelli.

V53.0120 - Modern Political Thought: 1500 to the Present
Prerequisite: V53.0100
Examines the development of political thought from Machiavelli to Nietzsche through a careful study of primary works. Authors include Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche.

V53.0130 -- Ethics, Politics, and Public Policy
This course will provide students the ability systematically to evaluate ethically controversial public policy issues using concepts from normative political theory. We consider four overarching questions: Should public officials be responsible to universal laws of morality? By what criteria do we evaluate the ends of public policy? Are the intentions and internal psychological state of the public official morally relevant? How do we evaluate moral choices when outcomes depend on the decisions of more than one individual? In the first half of the course, we consider the means by which policy is implemented: Under what conditions, if any, might we permit political actors to "do bad in order to do good?" In the second half, we consider the ends of public policy: What is it we want the state to accomplish, and at what cost? Topics for this semester include the decision to drop the atomic bomb in World War II, the treatment of terrorist suspects, lying in office, racial profiling, the analysis of environmental policy, health care allocation, social welfare policy, capital punishment, international intervention in humanitarian crises, and collective responsibility in office.

Syllabus: [Gordon S05]

V53.0140 - Socialist Theory 
Concentrates on those socialist schools-Christian socialism, utopian socialism, Marxism, Fabianism, and anarchism-that have proved to be the most successful. Aims to present their major theories and to examine the usefulness of such theories in helping us to understand and, in some cases, alter the world in which we live.

Syllabus: [Ollman F07]

V53.0150 - Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict
Prerequisite: V53.0100
This course will focus on ways to understand nationalism and ethnic identification and the conflict that they sometimes stimulate. Readings will be from varied perspectives. This course is a discussion seminar.

Syllabus: [Hardin S07]

V53.0160 - Democracy and Dictatorship
Prerequisite: V53.0100
Democracy and dictatorships have traditionally been analyzed in terms of their apparently different institutional characteristics and legal foundations. Examines these traditional interpretations but leans heavily toward ideological and contextual factors. Challenges traditional distinctions between democracy and dictatorship.

Syllabus: [Erbal Sum07]

V53.0170 - American Political Thought
4 points   -- Prerequisite: V53.0100
Study of American political ideas and debate from colonial times to the present. Topics include Puritanism, revolution and independence, the Constitution framing, Hamiltonian nationalism, Jeffersonian republicanism, Jacksonian democracy, pro- and antislavery thought, Civil War and Reconstruction, Social Darwinism and laissez-faire, the reformist thought of populism, progressivism and socialism, legal realism, the New Deal and 20th-century liberalism, modern conservatism, civil rights, and war protest. Readings and discussion are based on original and interpretative sources.

V53.0195 - Undergraduate Field Seminar: Political Theory
Prerequisite: V53.0100
Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in political theory. The specific topic of the seminar is announced each year.

Syllabus: Constitution-Making [Pasquino F07]
              Justice [Hardin S07]
              Dialectical Methodology [Ollman S07]

V53.0994 - The Constitution in the Age of Terror
Prerequisite: V53.0300
This course will examine in depth the legal, moral, social and political context for counter-terrorism.  It will attempt to frame issues of strategy and policy within the moral tradition of just war doctrine and the constitutional values embraced by the Supreme Court of the United States and the international courts in the Nuremberg tradition. We will read widely in journalism, philosophy, policy and law, with a number of classes devoted to court decisions.

Syllabus: [Gerety S07]

American Politics

V53.0300 - Power and Politics in America (Core Course)
Analyzes the relationship between the distribution of power and the process of politics in the United States. The cultural setting, constitutional foundations, and basic principles of American politics are stressed. Examines the policymaking process in terms of both the relevant institutional organs and the theories purporting to define what public policy should be. Attention is paid to national security policy and to how administrative action shapes important domestic policy problems.

Syllabus: [Gordon F07] 

V53.0306 - Public Policy
Prerequisite: V53.0300
Introduction to public policymaking in American federal government. The issues politicians address at election time often have little to do with what they actually do in office. Looks at the operations of the government in the terms Washingtonians use. Examines the roles of Congress and the bureaucracy; the procedures of budgeting and regulatory agencies; and the issues in several concrete areas of policy, mainly in the domestic area. Excellent preparation for students planning to take the Washington Semester Program.

Syllabus: [Mead F07]

V53.0310 - The Presidency
Prerequisite: V53.0300
Study of the American presidency, its origins and roles, including those of commander in chief; director of foreign policy; leader in legislation, administration, and party affairs; manager of the economy; and dispenser of social justice. The president is also viewed as a decision maker and compared with the heads of other governments. Readings include the works of presidents and their associates, analytical commentaries by observers of the presidency, and biographies.

Syllabus: [Kim S07]

V53.0320 - Congress and Legislative Assemblies
Prerequisite: V53.0300
Origin, structure, functions, and dynamics of legislatures in the United States. Although some attention is given to state legislatures and municipal lawmaking bodies, the major emphasis is on the Congress. Readings include a textbook, official sources such as the Congressional Record and Congressional District Data Book, and the new behavioral studies and commentaries.

V53.0330 - The American Constitution
Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution through the reading of Supreme Court opinions. Distribution of constitutional power among Congress, the president, and the federal courts; between the national government and the states; and among the states. Constitutional law and American political and economic development. Cases are read and discussed closely for their legal and philosophical content.

Syllabus: [Kawar F07]  [Rajsingh S07]  [Harrington F06]

V53.0332 - Civil Liberties
Interpretation of the Bill of Rights, the Civil War Amendments, and other rights in the U.S. Constitution through the reading of Supreme Court opinions. Topics include freedom of speech and press; free exercise of religion and separation of church and state; the right of privacy; rights of the criminally accused; equal protection of the law against race, gender, and other discrimination; and the rights of franchise and citizenship. Cases are read and discussed closely for their legal and philosophical content.

Syllabus: [Rajsingh S06]

V53.0333 - The United States Supreme Court
Prerequisite: V53.0300
This course provides an introduction to current research on Supreme Court decision making. Specifically, the primary focus of the course is on why the Justices decide cases in the way that they do. However, we will also look at the Justices� decisions on writs of certiorari, and at the process by which the Justices are nominated and confirmed to the Court.

Syllabus: [Harvey S07]

V53.0334 - American Law and Legal System
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Introduction to law and the legal system through the reading of actual cases. Topics include the adjudication of conflict, the structure and functions of trial and appellate courts, civil and criminal procedure, judicial remedies, judicial decision making, and the limits of judicial relief. Uses tort, contract, property, divorce, and other law for illustration.

V53.0335 - Law and Society
Identical to V97.0335 and V99.0372
Critically examines the relationship between law and political and social movements such as the civil rights movement, the women's movement, and the labor and environmental movements. Emphasis on law as a political process and legal remedies for racial and gender discrimination and class action torts. Deals with the politics of rights and the limits and possibilities of law as a process for social change.

Syllabus: [Harrington F06]

V53.0336 - Gender in Law
Identical to V97.0336
Examines the relationship between gender politics, legal theory, and social policy. Studies the role that the legal arena and certain historical conditions have played in creating, revising, and protecting particular gender identities and not others and examines the political effects of those legal constructions. Analyzes the major debates in feminist legal theory, including theories of equality, the problem of essentialism, and the relevance of standpoint epistemology. In addition to examining how the law understands sex discrimination in the workplace and the feminization of the legal profession, also addresses to what extent understandings of the gender affect how law regulates the physical body by looking at the regulation of reproduction and of consensual sexual activity. In light of all of the above, considers to what extent law is or is not an effective political resource in reforming notions of gender in law and society.

V53.0340 - Political Parties
Prerequisite: V53.0300
Background, structure, operation, and definition of the party systems. Development of the two-party system in the United States from its origins to the present. Formal organization of parties on the national and state levels and control of the parties within the state. Party politics in the South, political machines, ethnic politics, nominations for public office, and pressure groups on the party system. The national election from first stirrings of potential candidates through the general election.

V53.0342 - American Public Opinion
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
What do Americans think about politics?  Why do they hold these beliefs?  And does it matter?  This course grapples with these three questions, which lie at the core of our understanding of the health of American democratic society.  In doing so, the class will give students the tools they need to critically assess the construction, conduct, and reporting of public opinion surveys.  

Syllabus: [Egan F07]

V53.0344 The Election Process
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Provides an understanding of election processes in the United States through different theoretical approaches to the study of campaigns and elections and the testing of empirical hypotheses. Analyzes campaign strategies of political candidates, the use of polls and media in campaigns, and the effects of issues and personalities on election outcomes. Evaluates the role of presidential primaries and elections in the functioning of a democracy.

Syllabus: [Morton F06]

V53.0350 - Bureaucracy and Public Policy
Prerequisite: V53.0300
Bureaucracies are inescapably embedded in the American political environment, and political conflicts within administrative agencies are ubiquitous. In this course, we will examine the major questions political scientists ask about public bureaucracies: How have they evolved to their current form? Why do bureaucrats engage in behavior that many of us consider pathological or arbitrary? How can unelected government officials be made more accountable to their elected counterparts and to citizens? In addressing these questions and others, we will draw on cases of government in action in a number of different public policy areas. 

Syllabus: [Gordon S07]

V53.0353 - The Military and Defense in American Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Role of the military establishment in the exercise of power and in contemporary American politics. Development of the military as a potent participant in American politics. The military officer analyzed in terms of professionalism and bureaucratic theory. The military hierarchy: its relationship to the executive and legislative branches of the government, including decision making and budget processes. The defense industry and its links with the military and Congress. Appraisal of the military-industrial complex.

V53.0354 - The Politics of Administrative Law
Examines legal, political, and economic issues in government regulation. Covers such classic debates and issues as the historical origins of regulation, the legal philosophy of administrative regulation, the relationship between courts and agencies, the political and social conflicts surrounding regulatory politics, and the role of law in state formation. Formerly Law and Administrative Regulation.

Syllabus: [Turem F07] [Harrington S06]

V53.0360 - Urban Government and Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Identical to V99.0371
Study of politics and politicians in the contemporary American city. Evolution of local party organizations, the rise and fate of party "bosses," and the predicament of the ordinary citizen in the urban community. Patterns of city politics against the background of American social and cultural history, including the impulse toward reform and the effects of reform efforts on the distribution of power in the community. Conceptions of effective leadership in urban politics and the role of the police, the press, and "good government" groups in local political life.

V53.0364 - Government of New York City
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Identical to V99.0370
Examines the exercise of power in New York City and its relationship to policymaking. The roles of mayor, city council, unions, and the bureaucracy as they interact with one another. Ethnic, racial, and other interest group questions. Who governs the city, if anyone, and the consequences of power relationships on the allocation of rewards. Analyzes the effectiveness of this system of power and decision making. Alternative arrangements for governing the city and what has been done in other cities in terms of urban rejuvenation.

V53.0380 Minority Representation in American Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
This course is an exploration of whether and how racial and ethnic minorities are able to organize effectively and press their demands through the American political system. Specifically, we will focus on the political behavior of minority citizens, the relative strength and effect of these groups at the polls and in political office, the theory and practice of group formation as it applies to minority groups, the responsiveness of elected officials, and the legal and constitutional obstacles and instruments that provide context and shape these phenomena.

Syllabus: [Morton F06]

V53.0382 - The Politics of Poverty and Welfare
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Poverty and welfare problems in the United States and the controversies aroused by them. Concentrates on the causes of poverty and dependency among the controversial working-age poor, the history of programs and policies meant to help them, and the enormous impact these issues have had on national politics.

Syllabus: [Mead S06]

V53.0385 - Political Economy: The United States in Comparative Perspective
Prerequisite:  V53.0300 or V53.0500
Examines various aspects of the role of the American government in the economy. In addition to that of the United States, the political economies of several other advanced industrial nations are examined, including those of Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Japan. Explores the institutional structure of the political economy, with particular emphasis on government, business, and labor.

V53.0395 - Undergraduate Field Seminar: American Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0300
Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in American politics. The specific topic of the seminar is announced each semester.

Syllabus: Congressional Elections [Nagler S08]
              The Politics of Judicial Decision Making [Harvey S07]
              Minority Representation in American Politics [Morton S07]
              Welfare Politics [Mead S05]
              

Fall 2008 Seminar: Representation and Accountability- Landa
The aim of this seminar is to explore the relationship between political representation and accountability. We will do so by engaging a number of literatures that develop theoretical and empirical accounts of the key features of political representation, including definitions of constituency, mechanisms of accountability, and the effects of different electoral systems, as well as a number of prominent policy proposals for the reform of policy-making and electoral institutions, including term limits for elected officials, requirements of descriptive representation, transparency in the policy-making process, and others. The focus of the empirical work we will consider is representation in the context of American electoral politics, though we will seek to make use of both the research design and the broad substantive conclusions of these studies to address the relevant issues of representation in the comparative political context.

V53.0396 Honors Seminar: Politics and Finance
Prerequisites: V53.0300, three other politics courses, Junior or Senior standing, 3.5 GPA and one course in Economics. 
This seminar examines how legislation and regulation influences the structure of financial markets and how players in these markets intervene in the political process to create or modify legislative and regulatory outcomes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the United States. International comparisons will also be present. The class will assume that students have had exposure to microeconomics and finance but not to political theory. A brief introduction to political theory will be provided. The approach will be similar to that used in microeconomics, except that transactions will be made through voting institutions rather than through economic exchange.

Syllabus: [Rosenthal F07]

Comparative Politics

V53.0500 - Comparative Politics (Core Course)
Major concepts, approaches, problems, and literature in the field of comparative politics. Methodology of comparative politics, the classical theories, and the more recent behavioral revolution. Reviews personality, social structure, socialization, political culture, and political parties. Major approaches such as group theory, structural-functionalism, systems analysis, and communications theory and evaluation of the relevance of political ideology; national character; elite and class analysis; and problems of conflict, violence, and internal war.

Syllabus: [Tucker F07]  [Laver S06]

V53.0505 Elections and Voting
Prerequisite:  V53.0300 or V53.0500
Perhaps no other political activity is as important for public policy in democratic (and even quasi-democratic) countries as voting and elections, which determine who the ultimate policy makers will be.  Thus if we ever hope to understand why governments produce the policies they do, we have to
begin by asking why people vote the way they do.  Why do certain parties and candidates lose elections, while others win?  How important is the economy in influencing election results?  And why do some people choose not to vote at all?  As democracy in its various forms spreads across the globe, more and more people are voting.  In response, this course studies elections and voting as a truly international phenomenon.  Topics closely related to voting and elections - such as political parties, electoral rules and systems, and partisan identification - are explored as well. Students will also use to learn political science methods based on logic and evidence to explore competing explanations for these and other questions.  

Syllabus: [Tucker S07]

V53.0510 - Western European Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Identical to V42.0510
Study of the politics of Britain, Ireland, France, and the German Federal Republic. Compares the historical origins of these systems and analyzes their institutions as manifestations of their social and political culture and traditions. Treats each country's current politics and political trends. Attempts to introduce the basic concepts of comparative political analysis in developing cross-cultural theory.

Syllabus: [Schain F07] [Rama S04] 

V53.0511 Immigration and Politics in Western Europe
Prerequisite: V53.0500
In this course we will explore immigration and patterns of immigrant incorporation in Western Europe in comparative perspective (mostly with the United States). Since the early 1960s immigration has transformed European countries into multi-racial and multi-ethnic societies. We will first explore how public policy contributed to this transformation, how it was structured by different concepts, traditions and laws on citizenship, and how it was related to transformation of the party system and the emergence of the extreme right and “identity politics” in Western Europe.

Syllabus: [Schain S07]

V53.0512 - Italian Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Presents a study of post-World War II Italian politics and society in comparative and historical perspective. Seeks explanations of Italian political development in specific historical factors such as the 19th-century patterns of state formation and the experience of fascism. Comparative analysis seeks to show how the social structure, political culture, and party systems have shaped Italy's distinct development. Current and recurrent political issues include the problem of integrating the south into the national economy and state response to social movements, particularly terrorism.

V53.0514 - British and Irish Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Identical to V58.0514
Introduction to the politics and society of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Traces the political and social development of the historic countries of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; the growth of British hegemony and imperialism; the politics of decline and decay; and the promise of rebirth. Studies contemporary political institutions and processes in detail for their functioning on the context of massive transformation over the past 50 years. Examines the continuing conflict and terrorism in Northern Ireland and dynamics of change in the Thatcher era and beyond.

V53.0520 - Government and Politics of the Former Soviet Union
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Introduction to the study of the politics of the Soviet Union and its successor, the Commonwealth of Independent States. Considers the origins and evolution of the political and economic systems, the distribution of political power, the degree of mass participation, and the sources of change and continuity in Soviet politics and society. Also deals with contemporary issues, including the politics of economic reform, the resurgence of ethnic politics, and the collapse of Communism and its aftermath.

V53.0522 - East European Government and Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Introduction to the politics of Eastern and Central European countries. Considers political, social, and economic developments in these countries during the post-Versailles period. Subjects include the Communist takeover at the end of World War II, uprising during the de-Stalinization era, and the collapse of Communism at the end of the 1980s. Also deals with contemporary issues, including the process of democratization.

Syllabus: [Rama S03]  

V53.0525 - Modern Greek Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Introduction to the politics of modern Greece. No prior knowledge of modern Greece, Greek history, or Greek politics is assumed. Places Greece in a wider comparative and theoretical context. Focuses on domestic politics with an emphasis on political history, party politics, and political economy, as well as the relation between contemporary politics and society.

V53.0527 - Politics of Southern Europe
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Introduction to the politics of Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece. Based on a comparative perspective rather than a case-oriented approach. Focuses on the political institutions of the four countries, their party systems, their political economies, and the relation between state and civil societies. Examines their authoritarian experiences, their transitions to democracy, and the consolidation of their democratic polities.

V53.0530 - Politics of Latin America
Analysis of how political power relates to social structure, economic change, and international pressures in Latin America. Presents case studies of three to five Latin American nations at distinct levels of social modernization. These comparative cases illustrate trends including the struggle for democracy, military interference in politics, and party competition. Covers political conditions in Caribbean nations.

Syllabus: [C. Mitchell S06]

V53.0532 - The Politics of the Caribbean Nations
Identical to V11.0532
Analysis of the political culture and institutions of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Concentration on the study of specific countries is possible and requires a research paper in addition to other requirements. Attention to the communities of Caribbean nationals in the United States to the extent that the study of these communities is relevant to internal political processes.

Syllabus: [C. Mitchell F06]

V53.0540 - Politics of the Near and Middle East
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Identical to V77.0750
Historical-political background of the Middle East and its contemporary social and political problems, including the impact of the West; religious and liberal reactions; conflict of nationalisms (Arab, Iranian, Turkish, and Zionist); and revolutionary socialism. Specific social, political, and economic problems-using a few selected countries for comparison and analysis-including the role of the military, the intelligentsia, the religious classes, the legitimation of power, urban-rural cleavages, bureaucracy, and political parties.

Syllabus: [Peker S07] [Zubida S06]

V53.0545 - Politics and Society in Iran
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Examines the relationship between the state and society in modern Iran by focusing on the social bases of politics. Recurrence of certain historical and cultural themes and their political implications from the Constitutional Revolution (1906-1909) to the current period. Topics include the rise and demise of the Pahlavi dynasty; the interaction of the Pahlavis with nationalist and religious forces; the Mosaddeq era; the politics of oil nationalization; the Shah's White Revolution and politics, culture, and economics in the 1960s and 1970s; the process leading to the revolution of 1978-1979 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic; the hostage crisis; export of the revolution and the Iran-Iraq war; and Iran's current regional and international role in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Syllabus: [Kazemi F07]

V53.0560 - East Asian Politics: China and Japan
Identical to V33.0560
Introduction to the workings of the political systems of China and Japan. Examines the impact of tradition, demands of modernization, ideology, role of the elite, and social dynamics as well as political institutions and processes. Compares the Chinese and the Japanese "models" of development with a view to evaluating their relevance to other areas.

Syllabus: [Hsiung F06]

V53.0562 Comparative Politics of South Asia
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
This course is an introduction to the comparative politics of South Asia. We will analyze the politics of South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, individually and in a comparative framework. The readings are chosen from across disciplines, including political science, anthropology, economics and history. The course will also use novels and films on South Asia to illustrate themes highlighted in the readings.

Syllabus: [Chandra F06]

V53.0570 - Political and Economic Development in Comparative Perspective
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Introduction to the political processes of change and development. Survey of classical and contemporary theories of political and economic development ranging from neoclassical to structural to recent endogenous growth theories. Focuses on institutions and governance as conditions for growth and development. Examines the relationship between political and economic change in selected countries as well as global patterns.

V53.0575 -- The Political Economy of Institutions
This course examines the relationship between economic incentives and the creation and maintenance of political and economic institutions. Topics include, but are not limited to, the creation and assignment of property rights, the rule of law, and the creation of markets. The course focuses on theories that advance an economic rationale for institutions and relies on the methodologies of game theory and rational choice, of which no prior knowledge will be assumed.

Syllabus: [Hafer S05]

V53.0580 - Collective Action: Social Movements and Revolutions
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Analyzes patterns of collective action by socially subordinate groups. Survey of theoretical approaches to social movements and revolutions. Focuses on the evolution of forms of collective action and the conditions for the emergence of revolutionary social movements from social protest. Examines closely several case studies such as the civil rights movement in the United States, revolutionary social movements in Central America and southern Africa, and the French and Chinese revolutions.

Syllabus: [Zubida F05]

V53.0994- Political and Bureaucratic Corruption
Prerequisite: V53.0500
Political and bureaucratic corruption affects the quality of public policy, and indirectly the well-being of millions of people. Empirical evidence shows that corruption slows economic development, biases government expenditures, and reinforces income inequality. What do political science and economics know about the phenomenon? This course surveys the recent literature on the political economy of corruption.  Theoretical and empirical perspectives are introduced. Corruption can be understood as the collusion between special interests and politicians, against citizens.  Possible causes (cultural traditions, the design of political institutions, the distribution of resources in a society) and motives (e.g., private greed, the need to finance political parties) are explored. Some attention is also paid to the possible solutions: transparency, electoral accountability, a free media market, independent prosecutors, and better pay for public servants.

Syllabus: [Stanig S08]

V53.0595 - Undergraduate Field Seminar: Comparative Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500
Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in comparative politics. The specific topic of this seminar is announced each year.

Syllabus: Politics and Economics of Institutions [Eggertsson S08]
              Political Economy of Institutions [Hafer S07]
              Comparative Political Economy  [Stasavage S06]
              Civil Wars and Negotiated Settlements [Wood F03]

V53.0596 - Honors Seminar: Comparative Politics
Prerequisite:  V53.0500, three other politics courses, Junior or Senior standing, 3.5 GPA.
Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in comparative politics. The specific topic of this seminar is announced each year.

Syllabus: Ethnic Identity Politics and Democracy [Chandra F07]

V53.0714 - Soviet and Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
Prerequisite:  V53.0500 or V53.0700
See description under "International Politics," below.

V53.0385 - Political Economy: The United States in Comparative Perspective
Prerequisite:  V53.0300 or V53.0500
See description under "American Government and Politics," above.

International Politics

V53.0700 - International Politics (Core Course)
Analysis of state behavior and international political relations; how things happen in the international state system and why. Emphasizes the issue of war and how and in what circumstances states engage in violence. Topics include different historical and possible future systems of international relations, imperialism, cold war, game theory and deterrents, national interests, and world organization.

Syllabus: [Satyanath F07]

V53.0710 - U.S. Foreign Policy
Prerequisite: V53.0700
Analysis of the sources of U.S. foreign policy and the major international problems facing the United States today. Considers the role of national interest, ideology, and institutions in the making and executing of U.S. foreign policy.

Syllabus: [Peker S06]

V53.0712 - National Security
Prerequisite: V53.0700 
Starting with the traditional arena of national security and U.S. military policy, students analyze how national security decisions are made in this country, as well as the past and current military strategies used to carry out those decisions. From there students examine the particular national security concerns and policies of Russia, China, Germany, and Japan. This class also looks at new thinking on national security, asking to what extent international trade and competition, immigration, illegal drugs, and the environment should be considered national security issues.

Syllabus: [Peker S06]

V53.0715 - American Primacy
Prerequisite: V53.0700
This course addresses the question: How did the United States become the world's dominant nation?  We presume that America differs from most other countries in fundamental ways.  But what are these?  To seek answers, we range further back in history than most IR courses.  American primacy builds on the earlier ascendancy of Britain and Western Europe.  We will consider several theories of European, British, or American dominance organized under the general headings of geography, economics, sociology, and political science.

V53.0720 - Diplomacy and Negotiation
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
Analyzes the theory and practice of diplomacy, with special emphasis on bargaining strategies that nations use to try to settle their differences and avoid wars, including the use of mediators, arbitrators, and institutions like the United Nations. Applies game theory to analyze the use of exaggeration, threats, and deception in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Supplements case studies of international negotiation, especially in crises, with studies of domestic bargaining used in the formulation of foreign policy.

V53.0730 - International Organization
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
This course covers the formal theory of international cooperation including the reason why countries choose to cooperate, bargaining over and enforcement of international agreements, and multilateralism. The remainder of the course discusses empirical examples including peacekeeping, collective security, economic and environmental cooperation, human rights treaties and arms control.

Syllabus: [Lutmar F07]  [Gilligan S06]

V53.0736 - Business and American Foreign Policy
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
Examines competing theories as to the relationship between business and government in the conduct of foreign policy. Assesses the applicability of these theories to case studies in East-West trade, the defense procurement process, intervention in the Third World, human rights, the effect of trade and investment on the American economy, security of supply of natural resources, and economic development in the Third World.

V53.0740 - International Law
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
The norms that govern states in their legal relations and the current development of law among nations, based on cases and other legal materials relating to the nature and function of the law; recognition of states and governments; continuity of states and state succession; jurisdiction over persons, land, sea, air, and outer space; international responsibility and the law of claims; diplomatic privileges and immunities; treaties; regulation of the use of force; and the challenges posed by new states to the established legal order. Emphasis on the case-law method, as used in law school instruction.

Syllabus: [Hsiung F07]  [Carneiro F06]

V53.0741 - War, Peace, and World Order
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
This course explores the conditions that lead to the initiation, escalation, spread, termination, and consequences of international conflict as well as the circumstances that promote, preserve, or restore peace.  The main objective is to identify strategies that promote cooperative solutions to international disputes and to evaluate those strategies in terms of their historical effectiveness. The course emphasizes the application of models of strategic rational action as tools for assessing relations between nations, coupled with statistical and historical analysis of classes of events. 

Syllabus: [Smith F07]  [Bueno de Mesquita S07] [Smith F08]

V53.0742 - Terrorism
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
Comparative study of terrorism as a domestic political phenomenon. Examines foundational issues, economic, psychological, strategic, and social theories of terrorism as well as theories of the cessation of terrorist violence, government negotiation with terrorists, the relationship between terrorists and nonviolent political actors, and the internal political economy of terrorist organizations. Considers terror in the Middle East (especially emphasizing Hamas), nationalist terror (ETA and the IRA), and Maoist revolutionary terror (with emphasis on the Shining Path).

Syllabus: [Zubida F05]

V53.0760 - International Politics of the Middle East
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
Identical to V77.0752
Systematic study of the international politics of the Middle East, emphasizing the period since World War II. Emphasis on the relationship among patterns of inter-Arab, Arab-Israeli, and Great Power politics and on the relationship between domestic and external politics. Attempts to relate the Arab-Israeli conflict to interregional politics, the place and role of Turkey and Iran, and the problems in the Persian Gulf.

Syllabus: [Marji Sum08]  [Erbal Sum07] 

V53.0770 - International Relations of Asia
Identical to V33.0770
The relations of and between the principal Asian national actors (e.g., China, Japan, India) and the relationship of the Asian "subsystem" to the international system. Covers the traditional Asian concepts of transnational order, the impact of external interventions, the modern ideological conflict and technological revolution, the emergent multilateral balance beyond Vietnam, the changing patterns of relations in the Asian subsystem traced to the international evolution from bipolarity to multicentrism, and the U.S. role in Asia.

Syllabus: [Hsiung F07]

V53.0775 - International Political Economy
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
This course serves as an introduction to the workings of the contemporary international political-economic system and introduces students to some of the main analytical frameworks which political economists use to understand this system. Finally, the course familiarizes students with analytical tools that serve to gain a better understanding of the current problems and opportunities facing actors in today's international political economy.

Syllabus: [McGillivray F02]

V53.0780 - Inter-American Relations
Prerequisite:  V53.0700
Examines inter-American relations in the 20th century. The role the United States has played in influencing economic and social policy in Latin America and the Caribbean is examined through the Good Neighbor Policy, the cold war, Alliance for Progress, National Security Doctrine, and the democratization wave. The Mexican Revolution; Import Substitution Industrialization policies; the Guatemalan, Bolivian, Cuban, and Nicaraguan revolutions and their effects on U.S.-Latin American relations are discussed along with U.S. social, political, and military intervention in the region and its effect on strengthening and/or hindering democracy. Heavy on readings, the course provides a historical, sociological, and economic background of Latin American political development in the 20th century. Formerly Latin America and the World.

V53.0994- Globalization, Governance and Development
Prerequisite: V53.0700
This class is will focus on issues of global governance and the role of international institutions in a globalized economy.  In particular, we will look at how the rise of multi-level trade governance in the current international trade regime affects economic development in those countries which are least able to take advantage of trade in a liberalized regime.  This class seeks to understand three facets of the globalized economy.  First, what led to the rise and diffusion of globalization and liberal trade policies?  Second, what are the characteristics and who are the actors associated with governance of this liberalized regime?  And finally, what are the consequences of the new rules in terms of social issues and the relative power of new actors?

V53.0795 - Undergraduate Field Seminar: International Politics
Prerequisite: V53.0700 
Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in international relations. The specific topic of the seminar is announced each year.

Syllabus: Political Economy of Development [Satyanath F07]
              Domestic Determinants of IR [Smith S07]

Spring 2008 Seminar: Solving Foreign Crises- BDM
Prerequisite: V53.0700 + 3 other politics courses

Solving Foreign Policy Crises is a seminar concerned to examine the use of logic and evidence, independent of personal opinion, partisanship, or ideology, to identify practical solutions to pressing foreign policy problems. We will learn and apply political economy-based methods to such issues as the conflict with Iran over its nuclear program, the conflict with North Korea over its nuclear weapons development, and the dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians. Other crises or conflicts (e.g., resolving the Iraq insurgencies, fighting the war on terrorism, etc.) may be substituted for these depending on student interest.

Readings will be drawn from Predicting Politics, War and Reason, journal articles and diverse sources of information regarding specific disputes. Students will be expected to identify the core issues behind each dispute and will be graded on the basis of their class participation and written analysis of at least one major current dispute.

V53.0796 Honors Seminar: American Empire
Prerequisite:V53.0700, three other politics courses, Junior or Senior standing, 3.5 GPA.
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad survey of the debate about American power and influence in international affairs, and to provide sufficient background for students to do a major research paper on the topic. Some view the American role today as creating an empire, while others view U.S. influence as just a reflection of the wealth and military might that Americans command. There are many other thoughtful perspectives as well.

Syllabus: [Denoon F07]

Honors, Internship, and Independent Study

V53.0950 Senior Honors I

Prerequisite:  Application and admission to the honors program. Given every Fall semester.

The purposes of this seminar is to provide students with the skills needed to design a feasible
research project in political science and to support students in the development of a detailed research proposal for the senior thesis.

V53.0951 - Senior Honors II
Prerequisite:  completion of Senior Honors I, V53.0950. Given every Spring semester.

The purpose of this seminar is to support honors politics students in the writing of a senior thesis.

V53.0970,0971 - Internships in Politics and Government I, II
2 or4 points
Not counted toward the major, normally limited to two internships. Prerequisites: open to junior and senior politics majors or minors; 3.0 GPA overall, and permission of the director of internship. Please submit an application.
Integration of part-time working experience in governmental agencies or other political offices and organizations with study of related problems in politics and political science. Relates certain scholarly literature in the discipline to observational opportunities afforded by the internship experience. The internships average 8-12 hours per week.

V53.0990 - Readings and Research
2 or 4 points
Prerequisite: written approval of student's departmental adviser, instructor, and director of undergraduate studies. Please submit an application.
Students with exceptional intellectual ability (3.0 average in at least three previous politics courses) are permitted to carry on supervised individual readings and research.

V53.0994 - Topics
Advanced undergraduate course, often to be given in seminar style, to accommodate professors and faculty in the department who wish to give a one-time or experimental course. Encourages department or visiting faculty to give courses on subject areas or issues not in the permanent course offerings.

Syllabus:  Political Economy of Institutions [Hafer S03]