Course Descriptions
Politics (POL)
To view the complete schedule of courses for
each semester, go to
Cardinal Station.
POL 111: Introduction to American Government
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the basic institutions and principles of American government with particular attention to constitutional foundations, historical development, and the linkages between those institutions and the public. Required.
POL 112: Introduction to Comparative Politics
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the basic principles of government as exemplified by the developed countries of Europe, the post-communist states of Eastern Europe, and developing countries elsewhere. Depending on the instructor, will examine themes of democratization, institutional design (presidential vs. Parliamentary systems, electoral systems), parties and party systems, and/or in the impact of social and economic change on the conduct and evolution of modern political systems. Required.
POL 211: Introduction to Political Theory
3.00 Credits
An introductory survey of Western political thought from Plato to modern times, defining the fundamental issues of politics and their relation to the enduring problems of civilization. Required.
POL 212: Introduction to International Relations
3.00 Credits
An analytical approach to the understanding and evaluation of contemporary world politics. Familiarizes the student with the central concepts and developments in the fields of international relations. World Politics.
POL 220: Introduction to Law and Politics
3.00 Credits
Topics include the nature and function of law, theories of justice, constitutionalism, the Supreme Court and legal reasoning, and varieties of law, such as statutory and regulatory law, common and civil law, and public and private law. American Government.
POL 226: Introduction to Peace Studies
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the theory and practice of peace making and conflict resolution. Introduces major theories of conflict at local, national, and international levels; introduces theory and techniques of negotiation and conflict resolution; and examines successful and unsuccessful efforts at nonviolent conflict resolution at local, national, and international levels. Required for Peace Studies subconcentrators.
POL 250: Politics of Latin America
3.00 Credits
An introduction to major issues in recent Latin American politics. Looks at a variety of countries and touches on the causes of the military coups of the 1970s, the democratic restorations of the 1980s, the revolutionary movements in Central America, and recent political and economic reform. World Politics.
POL 285: American Literature and Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 300: Introduction to Asian Politics
3.00 Credits
Characteristics of politics in East Asian nations, namely China, Japan, and Korea. Highlights of geopolitical foundations. Religious-cultural traditions and their influences on political patterns. The impact of the Western penetrations into East Asia, and divergent developments in the three nations. Special role of the United States in East Asia since World War II. Issues of nationalism, Communism, democracy, economic development in contemporary East Asian politics. Major features of interactions among these states and with the world. Problems and prospects. World Politics.
POL 302: Contemporary Issues of Public Policy
3.00 Credits
Permits students to apply the analytical tools acquired in previous courses to the analysis and evaluation of selected current issues of political significance in either domestic or foreign affairs. American Government.
POL 305: Person and Polity
3.00 Credits
Political theory courses usually begin with a given thinker's political or governmental ideas, referring to assumptions about the human person only subsequently, if at all. This course reverses the process and begins by reviewing different conceptions of the human persons; from these understandings, various politics emerge. Texts vary but will include novels, some philosophical anthropology, and works of contemporary political theory concerned with questions of persons and community. Prerequisite: 211. Political Theory.
POL 307: Global Issues
3.00 Credits
Major issues in the global community (environmental, human rights, arms control, drug trafficking problems, etc.), and the different perspectives by which they are viewed. World Politics.
POL 308: Transnational Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 310: The US Presidency
3.00 Credits
A study of this uniquely American institution with attention given to the intentions of the Framers and the importance of the Presidency in articulating national values and shaping American priorities. Emphasis on historical, constitutional, and institutional evolution of the office. American Government.
POL 310A: Islam and the Modern World
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 311: Changing Western Europe
3.00 Credits
Examines the changing politics of Western Europe, with attention to a united Germany and a uniting European community. Considers the impact of current influences, including religion, hegemony, and the role of the United States. Surveys characteristics of political life in major nations of Western Europe. World Politics. Staff.
POL 312: The Civil Rights Movement
3.00 Credits
An immersion and service-learning course in the Peace Studies program. Students and faculty go on a one-week road trip to various sites in the history of the civil rights movement and participate in service learning projects. Weekly course meetings examine the academic and historical literature on the civil rights movement. World Politics.
POL 313: Urban Government & Politics
3.00 Credits
Analysis of urban governance in contemporary America. Examines urban institutions and economic, cultural, and political contexts as well as processes for resolving conflict and distributing resources. Macro and micro phenomena and approaches to urban life also covered. American Government.
POL 314: American Ethnic Politics
3.00 Credits
Considers the persistence of ethnicity in the American political culture and its influences on the basic structures and processes of public life. Explores the durability of patterns in the historical experience of the United States and the contemporary agendas of American ethnic groups. American Government.
POL 316: The Congress
3.00 Credits
Focuses on the institutions that contribute to congressional lawmaking and representation. Concentrates on the electoral connection, constituency representation, incumbency, partisanship and leadership, committee power and purpose, and institutional development. American Government.
POL 317: American Public Opinion
3.00 Credits
Examines the evolving nature of public opinion in the United States, including the formation of political attitudes, continuities and discontinuities in American public opinion, the myths and realities of polling, and the effects of public opinion polls on the operations of the American polity. American Government.
POL 319: Politics of Canada, Belgium and Germany
3.00 Credits
Constitutional and Political Change in Federal Politics: Nothing is more political than tampering with a country's constitution. Yet Canada, Germany and Belgium are currently engaged in such an endeavor. Each of these three countries is a federal polity undergoing profound changes in its political, economic and constitutional landscape. The simultaneous timing of this reassessment raises questions about the origins and uniqueness of these pressures. We will spend the first half of the semester becoming acquainted with each country's politics. Then we will spend the second half of the semester engaging in a broader comparative discussion about the differences and similarities in these cases. We will end by considering if/how "globalization" is influencing the constitutional reform process in these countries, whether these pressures are purely home grown, or whether there is some truth to each proposition
POL 320: Comparative World Media
3.00 Credits
Examines the impact of the mass media on the politics and policy of major nations around the world, including the United States, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China. Particular attention to the political role of global media like VOA, BBC, CNN, and Radio Moscow. World Politics.
POL 321: Legal Issues in Communications
3.00 Credits
Acquaints students with American's constitutional heritage of free expression - in particular, its application to the government's involvement with broadcast and print media, as well as with "new technologies." Primary attention to practical issues that affect media professionals, including libel, invasion of privacy, access to government information, open and closed courts, and the powers of the Federal Communications Commission.
POL 323: Constitutional Law I
3.00 Credits
Using a case-law approach, examines the development of leading constitutional doctrines by the Supreme Court, with an emphasis on the policy consequences of court decisions and on the court as a political body. Concentrates on federalism, separation of powers, property rights, and privacy. American Government.
POL 324: Constitutional Law II
3.00 Credits
Using a case-law approach, examines the development of leading constitutional doctrines by the Supreme Court, with an emphasis on the policy consequences of court decisions and on the court as a political body. Concentrates on free speech and freedom of the press, the religious clauses, and the equal protection clause. Students who have not had 323 should see the instructor. American Government.
POL 325: The Future of Europe
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 331: Globalization & Social Movement
3.00 Credits
Deals with the most prominent and persistent of all factors of social change: revolutions and social movements around the world, and the changes in society which precipitated them. Study of how dramatic events in the twentieth century resulted in concerted efforts of large groups of people to bring about change. Theoretical and empirical aspects of social movements research.
POL 333: Democracy and Democratization
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 342: British Government and Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 350: Latin American Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 356: Contemporary Islamic Political Theory
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 359: Ancient & Medieval Poitical Thought
3.00 Credits
A survey of the theorists who formed the tradition of Western political thought, utilizing representative selections from their works. Thinkers include Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Political Theory.
POL 360: Modern Political Thought
3.00 Credits
The history of modern political thought based on selected readings from the authors themselves. Thinkers include Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. Political Theory.
POL 361: American Politics in Film
3.00 Credits
In this course, we will study how films have portrayed, opposed, and even shaped American political institutions and culture. We will examine how films can capture political beliefs or criticize existing policies. Such films as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, High Noon, The Exorcist, I Robot, and various others from a broad spectrum of genres will be used to explore how politics is reflected in or condemned by popular media. The course will touch on various political topics, including campaigns and elections, political machines, conspiracy, political institutions and offices, and idealistic approaches to politics. Grading for the course will include discussion, several short writing assignments, and a final exam.
POL 362: Christian Political Thought
3.00 Credits
Aims to acquaint students with the basic themes of Christian political thought. Locating the headwaters in Biblical Judaism and in New Testament other-worldliness, traces the two dominant, and conflicting streams of Christian political understanding: one from Augustine to the Protestant Reformers to Niebuhr, the other from Aquinas to Maritain and Simon. Political Theory.
POL 363: Politics of the 60's
3.00 Credits
Examines the major events and personalities of this turbulent decade which continues to affect American politics and institutions to this day. Particular attention to the civil rights movement, the rise of the New Left and the New Right, the deaths of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and the Vietnam War. American Politics.
POL 364: Cold War Politics and the Politics of Terror
3.00 Credits
An examination of how the Cold War influenced United States foreign policy, domestic politics, literature, and film from 1945-1991. Particular attention to key Cold War figures, including Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan. American Government.
POL 370: Russian Politics: Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin
3.00 Credits
Analyzes the rise and fall of the USSR, 1917-1991, and surveys post-Soviet developments in the Russian Federation. World Politics.
POL 371: Politics of New East Europe
3.00 Credits
A comparative analysis of recent developments in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine, including their respective exits from communism, post-communist political and economic institutions, and post-Cold War relations with West Europe, the USA, and the world
POL 375: Government and Politics of Canada
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 388: Christianity and Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 400: American Political Parties
3.00 Credits
Examines the vital role political parties play in the American polity. Three aspects of parties are carefully examined: their roles in shaping how governments operate, how party organizations (such as the Democratic and Republican National Committees) lend institutional support to candidates, and how party conditions frame electoral politics. American Government.
POL 401: Media & American Politics
3.00 Credits
This course examines the pervasive influence of the mass media on American politics. Students will learn about the role of the media in agenda setting, influencing campaigns, media effects on political institutions, and how political leaders use the media to promote their goals. American Government.
POL 402: The Values Divide:American Politics & Culture in Transition
3.00 Credits
This course explores the shifts in American values that have occurred since the 1960s, why values matter in U.S. politics, the divisions between Democrats and Republicans in their responses to these values shifts, and how the present values divide is expressed in not only our political life, but in our social and cultural lives. American Govt.
POL 403: Poverty, Social Welfare, and Public Policy
3.00 Credits
Examines the historical and contemporary origins of poverty in the United States and beyond, the circumstances surrounding the development of the modern "welfare state", and alternative response to the problems of poverty and social welfare around the world. Students required to participate in a service learning experience as part of the course work. American Government, World Politics.
POL 404: Law and Morality
3.00 Credits
Is it wrong for the law to enforce morality? Can you have a right to do wrong? Should the Constitution be interpreted in the light of morality, or be condemned for its moral flaws? Serious disputes about law revolve around these questions. A survey of leading legal theorists finds that their answers imply distinctive understandings of moral truth, human nature, and even the nature of ultimate reality. Formerly titled "Jurisprudence." Political Theory.
POL 405: National Elections
3.00 Credits
Offered in the first semester of national election years, looks at presidential and congressional elections by examining the role of voters, parties, candidates, and the media, with particular emphasis on recent elections. American Government.
POL 406: Environment & Development
3.00 Credits
Considers how economic development, and the policies that support it, affects the environment, both in the United States and Latin America. The course surveys a variety of environmental issues, with special attention to citizen action to address them. Topics may include recent efforts to combat the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay and other restoration projects, the politics of energy and the impact of alternative energy and transportation choices on the environment, grassroots responses to hazardous waste issues, community managed resource exploitation, and urban planning. Students will be expected to participate in Washington-area efforts to address environmental questions as a service learning project in connection with the course. American Politics, World Politics.
POL 407: U.S. Political Leadership to 1912
3.00 Credits
An examination of the backgrounds, philosophies, and careers of major U.S. political leaders including Washington, Adams, Marshall, Clay, Jackson, Polk, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. American Government.
POL 408: The Separation of Powers
3.00 Credits
Examines the theoretical and historical origins of the constitutional separation of powers, the legal and theoretical meaning of the separation of powers, and the historical and political consequences of the constitutional structure for interbranch relations and policy making. Topics include divided government, statutory interpretation, control over bureaucracy, and presidential power. American Government.
POL 410: American Political Thought I
3.00 Credits
Survey of American political thought from the colonial period to the Age of Jackson. Special attention to the Constitutional period. Authors include Winthrop, Penn, Wise, Edwards, Boucher, Jefferson, Paine, Hamilton, Adams, Madison, Henry. Political Theory.
POL 411: American Political Thought II
3.00 Credits
Survey of American political thought from the Age of Jackson to the present. Special attention to democratic thought and its critics. Authors include Tocqueville, Whitman, Thoreau, Calhoun, Sumner, Ward, Twain, Santayana, Dewey, and Lippmann. Political Theory.
POL 412: National Policy-Making Processes
3.00 Credits
Focuses on presidential, congressional, bureaucratic, and judicial policy-making processes in the federal government. Selected case studies from foreign and domestic policy show approaches to policy development in the national government.
POL 412A: Homeland Security
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 413: Power, Morality and Culture
3.00 Credits
Can politics be reconciled with virtue? The Machiavellian problem; morality versus moralism; the role of the imagination. Works of political theory and fiction compared and related to actual politics.
POL 413A: Power in American Politics
3.00 Credits
The course examines the nature and role of power and influence in American politics. Topics include theories of political power, power and American political culture, the establishment of constitutional government, the power and influence of political institutions, political participation, and economic status and inequality. American Politics.
POL 414: Reading Marx
3.00 Credits
Aims to develop a critical reading of the works of Karl Marx. Special attention to the implications of Marx's thought for politics and political theory, although the focus is on Marx's more philosophical texts. Political Theory.
POL 415: International Organizations
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the work and role of international organizations. The theory and practice of international organization, mediation, and negotiation. World Politics.
POL 416: Comparative Political Development
3.00 Credits
Provides a comprehensive overview of the process of political, social, and economic change in the developing nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. After a review of the theoretical literature, analyzes the historical record of development. Principal issues include the politics of modernization; dynamics of political participation; crisis of authority; breakdown of democracy, and transitions from authoritarian rule. World Politics.
POL 417: Politics of Development
3.00 Credits
An introduction to major issues in development, along with exposure to a variety of development experiences in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. World Politics.
POL 418: Ecology and Political Theory
3.00 Credits
Considers the implications of the natural environment for questions of civilization, the political community, rights, and government. Incorporates classical and contemporary texts of political theory with empirical analyses of the environment, technology, population and industrial patterns, and resource usage. Special attention to questions of ecological justice, such as rights of future generations, equity issues between haves and have-nots, the rights of nature itself, property rights, and so forth. Prerequisite: 211. Political Theory.
POL 419: Interest Groups & American Politics
3.00 Credits
Investigates the origins, maintenance, and behavior of interest groups operating in the American political system; includes the political theory of interest groups, the determinants of group influence (membership, financial capability, and leadership and electoral resources), the tactics of influence, and the effects of interest groups on national governance. Particular focus on the dilemmas for a democracy posed by interest groups. American Government.
POL 419A: Public Administration and Public Service
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 420: Contemporary Issues in Congress
3.00 Credits
This undergraduate course uses field research, participant observation and reading and is designed to foster and enable our understanding of the process of government, legislation and representation through attention to theory and practice, information and data collection, institutional and organizational analysis and the use of interviewing and focused reading on contemporary issues in Congress.
POL 422: Religion and Public Policy
3.00 Credits
Designed to provide an introduction to the relationship between religious values and public policy in the American context. Both historical aspects and contemporary issues will be examined.
POL 423: Politics & Military Strategy
3.00 Credits
Examines the meaning of national security during and after the Cold War, with special emphasis on the evolution of U.S. national security policy.
POL 424: Contemporary Issues in State and Local Government
3.00 Credits
Examines the constitutional foundations of subnational governance and explores the executive, legislative, and judicial consequences of national, state, and local interactions regarding regulations and resources. American Government.
POL 425: Just War:Morality & International Conflict
3.00 Credits
An examination of attempts to construct a moral code governing the use of force in international politics, including discussion of the theory of aggression (jus ad bellum), the war convention (jus in bello), and the particular dilemma of nuclear deterrence. World Politics, Political Theory.
POL 427: US Leadership Since 1912
3.00 Credits
This course will make extensive use of biography, history, and political science to study U.S. political leadership since 1912. Selected Presidents, Congressional Leaders, and Supreme Court Justices will be assessed in depth for their impact in shaping the institutions, debates, and policies of their day. Prerequisites: Not open to students who have completed Politics 520.
POL 428: Conservatism and American Politics
3.00 Credits
The ideas of conservatism with special reference to contemporary American politics, including foreign policy. Relates conservatism to the American political tradition, the U.S. Constitution, and the two parties. Varieties of American conservatism compared to liberalism and leftism. Theory, American Government.
POL 429: Modern Irish Politics
3.00 Credits
An exploration of political, economic and social developments in Ireland since independence (1922). Among the issues to be examined are: Northern Ireland and the peace process, Ireland and the European Union, the Irish political system, the institutions of the State, current issues in domestic and foreign policy, Ireland's relationship with the United States, the emergence of the "Celtic Tiger" economy and the modernization of Irish society.
POL 430: Chinese Government & Politics
3.00 Credits
Geopolitical foundations: Confucian statecraft. Traditional China and the West. Modern political developments. Nationalist and Communist movements. Governmental structures and procedures. Problems and prospects. World Politics.
POL 431A: East Asian Security
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 432: Russian Foreign Policy, 1968 - 2008
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 433: Politics of Food
3.00 Credits
The Politics of Food will examine the ways in which politics shapes the production and distribution of food and other agricultural commodities and the ways in which systems of food production in turn shape politics. The course starts with a historical overview of the relations between agricultural and political development, then looks at contemporary issues in both the United States and the developing world. Such issues include land tenure, agricultural subsidies (and the sort of agriculture they promote), food safety, and corporate influence over food systems through land ownership, agri-chemical production, seed patents and genetic engineering, and food processing and distribution. Finally, the course looks at developing alternatives to the current food system, including organic agriculture, local and niche marketing, and agro-ecology, and the political and economic forces that are helping to shape them.
POL 435: Constitutional Politics Europe
3.00 Credits
This course is an intermediate to upper level undergraduate course. We consider how European and international sources of political and economic pressure are reshaping domestic political landscapes and generating demands for constitutional reform in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The course seeks to highlight the similarities and divergences across these countries with emphasis placed on European integration and developments since the Cold War.
POL 445: US Foreign Policy
3.00 Credits
An introduction to the institutions, processes, and debates of United States foreign policy making. Formal constitutional powers as well as informal types of power exercised over foreign policy by the various branches of government; theories of how the foreign policy making process works; the decision making process; tensions between democracy and foreign policy; the media and U.S. foreign policy; current debates in U.S. foreign policy. World Politics.
POL 446: European Integration
3.00 Credits
Covers the developments of European integration after World War II. The history, the institutions, and the policies of EC-EU with special focus on institutions and their interplay in the decision-making mechanism. Future prospects of EU with regard to its enlargements to Eastern European countries. The future of transatlantic relations. World Politics.
POL 447: War & Peace in the Nuclear Age
3.00 Credits
Based on the thirteen-part PBS series with the same title. Stresses the evolution of American thinking on the role of nuclear weapons in peace and war and the impact of nuclear weapons on political and military affairs. World Politics.
POL 448: Varieties of Capitalism
3.00 Credits
Our general understanding of capitalism tends to reflect a one-dimensional view that suggests that there is but one form and one set of rules according to which a capitalist economic system functions. Political, social and historical factors have shaped the development of capitalism across countries, so that German capitalism functions quite differently from American, Swedish or even French capitalism. We will explore the "varieties of capitalism" thesis, which suggests that capitalism is not a monolithic set of principles, but a set of institutional arrangements that varies in form across countries. Finally, we will assess arguments that economic globalization is pressuring countries toward economic "convergence," undermining the pluralism of capitalist and economic diversity that lies at the very heart of our investigation in this course. Prerequisite POL 112 and POL 212 or permission from instructor.
POL 452: The American Federal System
3.00 Credits
An examination of the intergovernmental relations in the United States, including consideration of constitution, administrative, and financial aspects. Particular attention to their significance for public policy and its implementations and to contemporary issues in the federal systems. American Government.
POL 453: Courts and Public Policy
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 455: American Political Development
3.00 Credits
An examination of political change and institutional development in American national government. Topics include theories of American political development; the origins of Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court, and significant changes in each over time; and how the political interactions between institutions have shaped their development and that of the American state
POL 462: Principles of the American Founding
3.00 Credits
Course aims to equip students to answer such questions as: What first principles, if any, give form to the American political order? What way of life or vision of human character was or is our constitutionalism supposed to foster? What relevance or authority do such founding commitments have for us now? American Government, Political Theory.
POL 463A: Russia Under Yeltsin, Putin, and Beyond
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 464: Topics in Congressional Politics
3.00 Credits
Advance study of selected topics in congressional studies. Possible subjects include the historical origins and development of the United States Congress, the internal institutional organization and leadership of the Congress, and congressional elections and constituent relations. American Government.
POL 465: American Political Culture
3.00 Credits
Consideration of the cultural dimension of American political thought and action. Examines changes in and expressions of political ideology and commitments in American political history from the revolutionary period to the twentieth century. American Government.
POL 466: From Riots to Revolution
3.00 Credits
Through this course, students will examine "contentious politics," those political phenomena carried out by non-state actors who challenge the government in unconventional ways. These include terrorist attacks, protests, rallies, riots, strikes, revolutions, and insurgencies carried out by civil rights activists, members of environmental organizations, separatists, nationalists, and crime syndicates. We consider the grievances, resources, and political opportunities that give rise to these events and government responses to them. Both violent and nonviolent contention is studied.
POL 467: Hegel, Marx, Weber
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 469: Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Civil Liberties after 9/11: European and U.S. Approaches an
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 472: National Security Processes
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 478: Environmental Politics
3.00 Credits
This undergraduate course will introduce students to some of the major problems and issues in environmental politics and policy, and to the different national and theoretical perspectives by which these issues are viewed.
POL 479: Iran Since Islamic Revolution
3.00 Credits
Iran & Iraq (undergrad)
POL 489: Comparative politics: Non-Western Politics and Culture
3.00 Credits
Survey of political, economic, and cultural dimensions of several non-Western nations. World Politics.
POL 490: Politics of Reconstruction and Reparation
3.00 Credits
This course looks at the politics of reconstruction, reparation and reconciliation in the wake of political disaster. Topics include the sorts of political settlements that emerge from such national catastrophes; the roles of international actors in shaping, enforcing and financing those settlements; the vexed questions of retaliation, reconciliation and reparation for the crimes of the past; the distribution of pain and rewards in post-conflict reconstruction; and the roles of state and "civil society" in recovery. Cases for research may include: Afghanistan today; Angola after the defeat of UNITA; Argentina after the generals; Bosnia under the Dayton Accords; Cambodia after the UN-brokered peace accords; Chile after Pinochet; East Timor at Independence; El Savador since 1992; Guatemala today; Indonesia after the fall of Soeharto; occupied Iraq; Mozambique after the peace accords; Rwanda after the genocide; Serbia and the breakup of Yugoslavia; and South Africa after apartheid. Students will develop and report on their own research projects centered on one aspect of one or more cases. World Politics.
POL 498: Senior Honors Thesis
3.00 Credits
For qualified students, with permission of the department. Faculty supervision in the researching and writing of a major research paper.
POL 499: Senior Honors Thesis
3.00 Credits
For qualified students, with permission of the department. Faculty supervision in the researching and writing of a major research paper.
POL 501: Globalization
3.00 Credits
This course considers the heated debates over Globalization. What is it? Is it desirable or devastating? Is economics overshadowing politics, or is globalization just an updated form of imperialism? Is globalization inevitable? What impact does globalization have on politics and the state, on economics, the environment, human rights, labor, culture, borders, security, and policy? How do local government and politics fit into a global age, and where do political accountability and authority lie? Is the state withering away? What will the future institutions of governance look like? Is foreign policy dead, because it is no longer "foreign?"
POL 502: Democracy and Its Critics
3.00 Credits
Competing notions of democracy and their critics. Constitutional popular rule and plebiscitary democracy. Moral and cultural implications and preconditions. Historical sources. The American Framers and J.J. Rousseau. The state of Western Democracy. Political Theory.
POL 503: Image of Utopia in Film
3.00 Credits
Representations of the ideal city and the ideal society. Dystopias. Image as a reflection of values and world outlook. Film as instrument of persuasion, policy, and social change.
POL 503A: Tocqueville's Political Thought: Hope, Religion, and Democracy
3.00 Credits
Following a presentation of Alexis de Tocqueville's life and work, this course aims to generate a reflection on the political, social, and morale characteristics of modern democracy in the West. The course will unfold in four parts: a description of the basic principles of a democracy as a political and civil society; the role of faith and religion in a democratic society; a comparative approach of the advent and development of modern democracy in France and in the U.S.; a critical assessment regarding the loyalty of our society to the original democratic principles and values defined by Tocqueville. This course is of particular relevance at the beginning of a new presidency that, for many reasons, also represents a new chapter in the history of American democracy.
POL 504A: Regional Economic Growth
3.00 Credits
Well-planned and executed growth can result in long-term, sustainable economies and an enhanced quality of life. This course will use a case study to approach and assess the theoretical and practical aspects, as well as the success and failures, of fostering economic growth at the local and regional levels.
POL 505: Comparative Politics (Leuven)
3.00 Credits
Principal features of the political systems of the European Community member states; constitution, executive, public administration, political culture, role of political parties.
POL 505A: Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice
3.00 Credits
What is distinctive about the polity in which we live? What are the most important elements that created and sustain it? Can it be exported? Why should we care? We will consider these questions in historical and theoretical perspective, focusing on key influences and observers, such as early liberal and republican thinkers, the American framers, Tocqueville, the Progressives, and modern social science, ideology and law.
POL 505B: Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice (UH)
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 506: Politics & the Imagination
3.00 Credits
Defines and assesses the role of the imagination in shaping political thought and action. Political implications of literature and art. Relates types of imagination to types of character and society. The imagination and the historical sense. Escapism. Considers works of political philosophy, fiction, poetry, and other art. Political Theory.
POL 507: The Supreme Court
3.00 Credits
This course will cover the composition, structure and practices of the Supreme Court, with an emphasis on the selection of justices and the impact of leading justices past and present on constitutional law., politics and public policy. Intended for graduate students and undergraduates who are completing the prelaw sequence.
POL 508: The United States Presidency
3.00 Credits
A study of the men who have held the office and an analysis of the office itself as it exists today and will exist in the future.
POL 509: Contemporary Issues in Urban and Ethnic Politics
3.00 Credits
An exploration of urban and ethnic political issues and governmental approaches in pluralistic societies. Analysis of various rhetorics and topics, and the significance for domestic and foreign policy of urban settlement and ethnicity.
POL 510: Property Rights and Environmental Policy
3.00 Credits
In a crowded, complex world of scarce resources, private property rights are seen as anachronism by many, while others defend them as essential to free society. Considers the justifications for property rights and the growth of the regulatory state, implications of environmentalism for liberal property rights, and impact of property rights on environmental law and policy. American Government.
POL 510A: Oil and Gas Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 511: Irish Society and Politics (Dublin)
3.00 Credits
Irish society and politics since independence. Social and economic problems, class structure. Family and demographic trends. Industrialization, religion, culture, and national identity. Social and political aspects of partition. Political institutions, the electoral system, parties and representation, the media. Relations with Britain, Europe, and the world community. Current issues in domestic and foreign policy. Ireland in the European Economic Community. Offered in Dublin.
POL 513: Bureaucratic Politics and Administration
3.00 Credits
Focuses on organizational, bureaucratic, and administrative politics within the executive branch of government. Topics include the role of President as manager; selection and utilization of the Cabinet; executive branch organization; impact of institutional structure on policy making; development of civil service; role and character of federal executives in public service; distinctions between public and private sector management.
POL 514: The New Political Anthropology
3.00 Credits
Authority and community, persuasion and communication, coercion and loyalties in transitions to the post-modern "new world order" form the subject of this course. It examines cultural constructions of "community" in the contemporary world, ethnic violence, transnational networks and cultural heritage politics that have come to comprise the anthropology of politics. This "new political anthropology" pays particular attention to organizations, forms and settings that are problematic for classical approaches to freedom and order, domination and resistance, religious activism and community, and made all the more so by the communications revolution.
POL 516: Irish Parliament Internship (Dublin)
6.00 Credits
Internship as a research and professional aide to a member of the Irish Parliament (Dail or Seanad). Involves three days of work each week during the semester in such areas as issue research, constituency relations, representation and party liaison, preparation of legislation, etc.
POL 518: American Political Parties and the Political Process
3.00 Credits
An advanced study of the history and functions of political parties in the American polity using classic texts in the field that study the role of party-in-the-electorate, organizational theories of parties, and the ability of American political parties to establish and implement a governing agenda.
POL 519: Science Policy Issues: Environment
3.00 Credits
United States government recognition and encouragement of pure and applied science. Major policy issues related to energy, pollution, resources, behavior control, etc. Technology assessment and impact analysis. Role of science and technology in policy decisions.
POL 519A: East Asia: International Order for the 21st Century
3.00 Credits
This course will establish the historical and conceptual framework for considering East Asia¿s place in the global international order of the 21st Century by developing an understanding of Asian culture, patterns of behavior and thought to obtain sensitivity to the world as perceived from the perspective of Asian peoples and policymakers. In a research seminar setting, students will play the role of a diplomat of a country preparing for the East Asian Summit to be held in Singapore in November 2007.
POL 520: United States Political Leadership
3.00 Credits
Historical, biographical, theoretical, and psychological perspectives on political leadership in Congress, the Supreme Court, the Presidency, and the diplomatic arena.
POL 520A: Lincoln and Political Leadership
3.00 Credits
This course will focus on Abraham Lincoln's development as an individual and as a political leader. We will look at his brief stint in the Blackhawk War, his days as a self-taught lawyer in Illinois, his service as a legislator in Springfield, the influence of Henry Clay on his early political development, and his term in Congress. We will then look at Lincoln's campaigns for the U.S. Senate and Presidency. Detailed attention will be given to Lincoln's tenure as President of the United States, including his use of the Cabinet as a forum for advice and decision-making, his extraordinary use of executive power during the Civil War, and his detailed management of military and political affairs as President.
POL 521: The Presidency and the Congress
3.00 Credits
Examines the structures and functions of Congress and the presidency, their origins and historical development, and their interaction in administration, policy making, and political leadership. Readings from both historical and contemporary sources. Emphasis on recent conflicts between the presidency and Congress and the prospects for the future.
POL 522A: Elections of 2008
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 523: Voting and Elections
3.00 Credits
Studies elections in the United States with special attention to the seminal works in the field. Among topics are who votes and why, the definition of voter choice, the nature of political conflict, the forming of political coalitions, the technology of campaigning, and whether voting really matters.
POL 524: The War on Terrorism
3.00 Credits
In response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the President and Congress have declared a war on terrorism. This class will examine this "new kind of war." The course will address the rising power of non state actors and trans sovereign threats in a period of globalization; the political, economic, and military policy options available to combat terrorism, and the effectiveness of these options; "smart security" models from other countries and the private sector for increasing security without sacrificing civil liberties; and the institutional challenges posed by the underside of globalization.
POL 525: Insurgency, Civil War and Nationbuilding
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 527: Parliamentary Studies (London)
3.00 Credits
Tutorial in British Parliamentary practice offered as part of Leeds - CUA Congressional Parliamentary Exchange.
POL 528: Congressional Internship
3.00 Credits
A combination of lectures, discussions, and internships arranged for students in congressional offices and committees.
POL 528A: Congressional Internship
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 529: Liberalism and Its Critics
3.00 Credits
An exploration of the problems of modern liberalism through the writings of its critics and defenders. Special attention to the central dilemma of contemporary liberal pluralism; the tendency to undermine the moral and philosophical foundations on which respect for individual rights is based.
POL 530: Classics of Political Economy
3.00 Credits
A reading of seminal works in the theory of political economy. Authors include David Hume, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, J.S. Mill, Karl Marx, Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Joseph Schumpeter, F.A. Hayek, John Keynes, and others.
POL 531: Introduction to the Institutions and Policies of the European Community (Leuven)
3.00 Credits
Examines the notion of European union and theories of European integration, functionalism, federalism, neo-functionalism, and intergovernmentalism. Other topics include the institutions of the European Community, the Commission, Council of Justice, and ancillary bodies such as the Court of Auditors and the Economic and Social Committee, attitudes of the member states to European cooperation, legal foundations of the European Community, policies such as the common agricultural policy and internal market. Offered in Belgium.
POL 532A: Russian Foreign Policy, 1968 - 2008
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 533: Elements of Political Analysis: The Policy Approach
3.00 Credits
The nature of policy science. Input information, cognitive maps and values in decision making. Models of decision making, rational and incremental. Decision networks, intersystemic decision making, metapolicy, societal goals, and alternatives; planning theory and social control. Evaluation research.
POL 534: Security after the Cold War
3.00 Credits
The changing definitions and requirements of security in the aftermath of the Cold War, including environmental security and economic security; the relationship between security and democracy; the role of nuclear weapons in the post-Cold War world; weapons proliferation; arms control; ethnic, nationalist, and regional conflicts; conflict resolution methods; post-Cold War force structures appropriate to the changing nature of threats to security; collective security; and prognoses for the future.
POL 535: U.S Foreign Policy
3.00 Credits
A systematic analysis of American foreign policy since the beginning of the Cold War, with particular emphasis on the intellectural, cultural, and political factors which have shaped American policy during this period and on the effects of contemporary revolution in international politics on America's foreign relations. World Politics.
POL 536: Comparative Politics(Leuven)
3.00 Credits
Leuven, Belgium.
POL 537: International Political Economy
3.00 Credits
A survey of major theoretical efforts to relate economic and political behavior. Outstanding policy issues in world political economy. Atlantic relations and North-South issues addressed. The utility of theoretical contributions weighed in the light of historical evidence and contemporary policy trends.
POL 538: Topics in International Political Economy
3.00 Credits
Includes the political environment of multinational corporate activities, international trade policies, the politics of monetary relations, future world order models.
POL 539A: Comparative Politics of the Middle East
3.00 Credits
Comparative Politics of the Middle East looks at the modern development of various political trends in the Middle East region through a focus on analysis of relevant themes and various case studies. Some of the major concepts that will be explored in this course include the introduction of the modern nation-state system into the region, Arab and state nationalism movements, the political economy of natural resources, growth in political Islam, theories of global religious terrorism, and influence of US foreign policy in the region. The class will also look at various cases of state development including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and Palestine, Lebanon, and Algeria. Student requirements will include short papers, presentations on reading materials and class topics, and a final paper coordinated in conjunction with the instructor.
POL 540: New Issues in Old Europe
3.00 Credits
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's recent comment that France and Germany represent the "Old Europe" reflects a certain degree of truth. Since the end of the Cold War these countries have been struggling to redefine their goals for the European project. The construction and development of the European Union owe much, if not all, to the Cold War. This course will explore the changing dynamics of the EU since 1989 and will ask if, from the perspective of European integration, the Cold War did not end too soon. From the international perspective, we will look at the institutional mechanics of an expanding EU under Maastricht, NATO's role in Europe's identity, and efforts to construct a European constitution. From the comparative side, we will look at contending objectives of "old Europe" with regard to the "New Europe."
POL 541A: British Parliamentary Internship
6.00 Credits
Internships in London as research assistants/personal aides to members of the British Parliament. Full-time voluntary professional work for ten weeks during the late spring and early summer.
POL 542: British Politics
3.00 Credits
Examination of British Constitutional tradition and practice: the Office of Prime Minister, Cabinet, Civil Service, Parliament Parties, Ideologies, and Issues.
POL 542A: London Parliament Internship
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 545: Contemporary Issues in the UK
3.00 Credits
Reading and tutorial offered in conjunction with 542, for students in Leeds-CUA Congressional Parliamentary Exchange.
POL 545A: Congress and Parliament
3.00 Credits
Reading and tutorial in comparative legislative theory and practice. Offered to students in the Leeds-CUA Congressional Parliamentary Exchange program.
POL 547: Nation Building
3.00 Credits
This is a research seminar for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. It looks at the problems of nation building both historically and in contemporary cases, with particular attention to the problem of accommodating competing elites, factions and ethnic groups and the long-term consequences of different strategies for doing so. The course will consider theories of nationbuilding in political science and political sociology, but the main focus will be on case studies. Students will develop case studies, present them and critique one another's work over the course of the semester. Undergraduates will have the opportunity to develop a senior thesis in the course of their works, and graduate students may begin to elaborate or complete a seminar paper via the seminar.
POL 548: Contemporary Political Theory
3.00 Credits
Selective review of major trends in contemporary political theory. Recent courses have examined the thought of German and French critical theorists, structuralism and post-structuralism, phenomenology, deconstruction and language theorists. Authors include Nietzsche, Heidegger, Arendt, Foucault, MacIntyre, Habermas, and Schutz.
POL 549: European Parliamentary Internship
3.00 Credits
An internship in the European Union Parliament including Research Aide, Public Administrative, and Public Finance Assignments (Belgium).
POL 550: European Parliamental Internship
6.00 Credits
An internship in the European Union Parliament including Research Aide, Public Administration, and Public Finance Assignments (Belgium).
POL 551: American Constitutional Development - The Politics of Changing Consitiutional Meaning
3.00 Credits
This course is designed to examine constitutional history in the light of changing constutional meaning. While the course includes scholarship on the role of the Supreme Court in constiutional interpretation, the focus will be on constitutional politics of the courts. Specific attention will be paid to the interaction and conflict between institutions and how this alters the American constitutional order. The course will be an advanced seminar for the upper level undergraduate and graduate students and all students must have a familiarity with American political and legal institutions.
POL 553: Constitutional Theory and Interpretation
3.00 Credits
Considers the legitimacy of judicial review and the difficulties in interpreting constitutional text. Topics include the meaning of language, originalism and the search for fundamental values, and the moral, epistemological, and political implications of different theorists and schools of thought.
POL 554: Constitutional Political Economy
3.00 Credits
The constitutional economy of politics is defined as how politics is structured to achieve public purposes in light of uncertainty, disagreement, and resource constraints, with examples drawn from American government and public policy. Considers the relative merits of alternative arrangements for organizing politics, constraining administration, and protecting rights and community choice.
POL 555: Conservatism
3.00 Credits
Examines varieties of modern conservative thought from Edmund Burke to the present, with particular emphasis on American thinkers. Relates the ideas of conservatism to the classical and Christian tradition and modern historicism, and distinguishes them from competing currents of thought. Formerly 556.
POL 556: The Moral Problem of Politics
3.00 Credits
The meaning of morality in politics. Idealism versus realism. Machiavelli's challenge to the classical and Christian traditions. The things of Caesar. The ethics of power. Constitutionalism. Democracy. A historicist conception of morality.
POL 557: Contemporary Military Strategy
3.00 Credits
The impact of nuclear weapons on American military strategy and policy; strategic and extended deterrence; coercion and compellence; arms races and arms control. Formerly offered as 536.
POL 558: Just Peace
3.00 Credits
When wars end, how do polities resolve issues of justice related to the conflict while building post-war peace? Examines war crimes tribunals, truth commissions, amnesty, and other ways polities balance issues of justice with other needs in ending conflicts. Considers both internal and international wars.
POL 559: The Media and Foreign Policy
3.00 Credits
The "CNN effect" had become a cliche, but is often assumed and rarely systematically studied. To what extent does the media influence foreign policy, and to what extent are governments able to manipulate media coverage of foreign policy? How can the media affect foreign policy, over what types of issues are they more likely to exert an influence, and with what effect on the outcome of foreign policy? How do governments deal with the media coverage of foreign policy, and how effective are various media strategies? Freedom of speech and of the press are important components of democracies, yet secrecy may often be necessary for the successful conduct of foreign policy. How can these seemingly opposed concerns be reconciled? This course will use case studies to examine these issues, with a focus on US foreign policy (although not exclusively).
POL 560: Issues in United States Foreign Policy
3.00 Credits
The end of the Cold War has brought a resurgence of debate over United States foreign policy. The opening of societies, the opening of economies, and the opening of technologies present new challenges and new opportunities for U.S. foreign policy. This course begins with an examination of debates on current foreign policy issues, turning to a regional focus, to see how the issues develop in foreign policy toward particular regions.
POL 562: Seminar: American Political Development
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 563: Politics of Post-Soviet Russia
3.00 Credits
An examination of Russian political and economic development and foreign policy under Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin. Junior standing.
POL 563A: Russia Under Yeltsin, Putin, and Beyond
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 568A: Comparative Foreign Policy
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 570: Seminar in Contemporary Irish Studies
3.00 Credits
Team-taught interdisciplinary seminar on the political, economic, social, and cultural characteristics of contemporary Irish society.
POL 572: Political and Military Problems of Developing Nations
3.00 Credits
An analysis of the main political and military challenges confronting the developing countries and the possible courses of action open to them as they try to cope with the inevitability of change and the need for modernization in the contemporary world. World Politics.
POL 573: United States-Latin American Relations
3.00 Credits
Examines competing theories of U.S.-Latin American Relations through historical examples and a close look at recent experiences. Includes consideration of the development of the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America and the U.S. and of the Inter-American System.
POL 575: International Politics: Atlantic Alliance
3.00 Credits
Treats the history of United States relations with Western Europe since World War II in its political, economic, and military dimensions, structural and collective goods theories of alliances, and the transition to the post-Cold War world.
POL 576: Ethics and Public Policy
3.00 Credits
Examines the major ethical topics within contemporary politics, including capital punishment, just war, nuclear deterrence, world justice, affirmative action, abortion, and control of biomedical technology.
POL 577: Political Theory of the American Framing
3.00 Credits
Considers the political theory of the origins of the United States Constitution and its implementation in the American government. Readings include The Federalist, various writings of the Anti-Federalists, writings of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, excerpts from the records of the Constitutional convention, as well as major secondary sources.
POL 578: Advanced Topics in Public Law
3.00 Credits
For seniors who have been admitted to law school or are planning to attend in the near future. Focuses on a particular area of constitutional or administrative law; taught as a similar course would be taught in law school.
POL 578A: Natural Rights and Natural Law
3.00 Credits
This course will explore the origin and nature of natural rights within the context of the debate over their ancient/medieval (pre-modern) and/or modern origin. This will include discussions concerning the relationships between natural rights, the natural moral law, revelation, and civil law and the liberal political order.
POL 579: Capitalism
3.00 Credits
Surveys major theoretical contributions to understanding of economic, political, social, cultural, and ethical issues within capitalist systems. Uses advanced industrialism, developing countries, and newly industrializing countries as case studies.
POL 580: Grassroots Politics in Latin America
3.00 Credits
Examines grassroots politics in recent Latin American history, emphasizing the base Christian community movement, grassroots women's groups, and grassroots economic organizations. Topics include democratization, revolution, and economic development.
POL 583: Comparative Political Development
3.00 Credits
Surveys the major theoretical and descriptive literature on the subject of economic and political development. Topics include political culture, socialization, political parties, ideologies, regional, and decision-making process of selected developing countries.
POL 583A: The Individual and the Modern State: Philosophical Origins
3.00 Credits
Considers the political and educational works of Locke and Rousseau in view of the evolving relationship between the individual and the state. How does the growth of individualism account for the seeming paradox of modern statism? Discusses how the changing political role of the family, as the union of individual and collective interests, may shed light on this question.
POL 584: Jurisprudence
3.00 Credits
Explores leading theoretical answers to questions such as: What is the relationship between the authority of law and the authority of justice? What is the difference between legal reasoning and moral reasoning? What role can or should moral psychology play in adjudication? Is moral criticism of the law appropriate? Who should undertake it?
POL 585: Constitutionalism in Comparative Perspective
3.00 Credits
Exposes students to constitutional redesign issues in Canada, Israel, and post-communist Europe, as a springboard for reflection on fundamental theoretical questions implied by constitutional change in these countries and elsewhere. Students pursue original research into constitutive issues in particular countries, and consider conceptual material drawn from Aristotle, Rousseau, and the Bible.
POL 590: Contending Civilizations
3.00 Credits
The clash of civilizations in the post-cold war world, as articulated by Samuel P. Huntington and others, as distinguished from the "end of history" as seen by Francis Fukuyama. Eastern, Western, Islamic, and other civilizations in history and today. Shifting balance of Confucian and Christian civilizations and the emergence of a new world order. The radicalization of Islamic civilization combating a Judaic state and the Western world. The cultural/civilizational reconfiguration of contemporary world politics and economy. Pax America, Asian co-prosperity sphere, and the Islamic world. The future of civilization and world peace.
POL 591A: State-Minority Relations in Asia
3.00 Credits
State-Minority Relations in Asia (upper-division course) This course explores state-minority relations throughout this ethnically and religiously diverse region. Focus is on government policies toward minority communities, why these policies are chosen, and the effects they have on internal stability and international relations. We will also discuss social mobilization of minorities, their assimilation or acculturation into dominant society, and cross-border relations with ethnic kin. Students will consider whether violent contention is "ethnic" or "religious" war, or conventional confrontations over power, resources, and justice.
POL 593: Washington Internship
3.00 Credits
The Washington Internship is a seminar offered in conjunction with an approved internship which is typically 12-15 hours at the site each week. Students write descriptive, analytical and reflective essays and present progress reports regarding their internships which assess managerial problems and dilemma solving techniques, policy issues and conventional explanations in light of the practices and rationales observed at the internship.
POL 594: Washington Internship
3.00 Credits
The Washington Internship is a seminar offered in conjunction with an approved internship which is typically 12-15 hours at the site each week. Students write descriptive, analytical and reflective essays and present progress reports regarding their internships which assess managerial problems and dilemma solving techniques, policy issues and conventional explanations in light of the practices and rationales observed at the internship.
POL 595: Independent Study
3.00 Credits
Requires departmental approval. Staff.
POL 596: Independent Study
3.00 Credits
Requires departmental approval.
POL 597: Internship by arrangement
0.00 Credits
no description available
POL 599: Northern Ireland: Conflict and Culture
3.00 Credits
Follows the origins and development of the Northern Ireland conflict from the 1960s to the present and explores the cultural (especially literary) renaissance proceeding in tandem with that conflict. Through the double focus of "poetry and politics," looks at the work of such writers as Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Derek Mahon, and others, while taking due account of the "Troubles" in political terms--the IRA, Protestant paramilitaries, the politics of the British and Irish governments, and the emergence of a new political system for Northern Ireland in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
POL 600: Irish Parliament Internship (Dublin)
6.00 Credits
Internship as a research and professional aide to a member of the Irish Parliament (Dail or Seanad). Involves three days of work each week during the semester in such areas as issue research, constituency relations, representation and party liaison, preparation of legislation, etc.
POL 601: Executive Branch Policy Making
3.00 Credits
Examines the roles of the White House staff, Cabinet, National Security Council, and executive agencies in the formulation and implementation of foreign and domestic policy. Special attention to the organization and management of policy-making processes in the executive branch.
POL 601A: The President and National Security
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 603: The Psychology of Foreign Policy Decisions
3.00 Credits
An examination of political psychology theories (cognitive, behavioral decision theory, belief systems, personality, etc.) of foreign policy decision making and their application to historical cases.
POL 604: Topics in Legal and Social Theory
3.00 Credits
Topics may include theories of distributive justice, the tension between rules and discretion in judicial decision making and policy implementation, the art and science of legal reasoning, and other normative and institutional issues.
POL 605: Political Science & the American Polity
3.00 Credits
A consideration of the foundations, development, and challenges to liberal democracy, and the role of political and social science in a liberal polity. Examination of major schools and disputes in political science, with applications to eras and institutions of American politics.
POL 606: Introduction to International Affairs
3.00 Credits
An introduction to International Relations theory, including major theories and research on the causes of war, the bases for international cooperation, and the character of the post-Cold War world.
POL 607: Graduate Introduction to Comparative Politics
3.00 Credits
Theories and research on comparative political institutions, political culture, political development, and political violence.
POL 608: Rethinking United States Foreign Policy Institutions
3.00 Credits
The structures of United States foreign policy institutions developed to deal with issues of the past. How can this machinery be recreated or retooled to better address the issues of the future? Historical evolution of U.S. foreign policy institutions, changing requirements of international problems, obstacles to and incentives for institutional change.
POL 609: Contemporary Problems in American Military Strategy
3.00 Credits
Surveys major issues in American military strategy; for students with some background in world politics, United States foreign policy, or related fields. Topics include the relationship of national strategy, military power, and the use of force; evolution of military doctrine and technology; future requirements for military forces and the division of resources; nuclear strategy, arms control and strategic defense; the notion of a distinctly American "way of war." World Politics. Staff.
POL 610: Graduate Introduction to Security Studies
3.00 Credits
The impact of nuclear weapons on military strategy and policy; strategic and extended deterrence; coercion and compliance; proliferation and strategic defense.
POL 611: Economic Issues and National Security
3.00 Credits
A review of major economic trends which have significant impact on the security of major Western and non-Western powers. Topics include raw material supplies, productivity, economic warfare, and informal penetration.
POL 612: Post Cold War Intervention
3.00 Credits
In the Post Cold War era, there are increased opportunities for intervention as states collapse into internal violence; there is decreased consensus over when, if ever, to use tools of military or humanitarian, unilateral, multilateral, or United Nations intervention. Course surveys problems of state failure, theories of sovereignty, and the rise of non-sovereign actors playing increasing roles in interventions. Examines international ramifications of state collapse and internal conflict; considers various means of international interventions.
POL 613: Tradition andModernity: The Urban Experience
3.00 Credits
Examines the ancient city and the historical notions of city that developed in Europe. Also examines the American urban scene and assesses the contemporary urban policies of other nations, as well as the various ideological approaches to urban change and civic order in the Third World.
POL 614: Seminar: American Ethic Politics
3.00 Credits
An inquiry into the origins and current practices related to the participation of American ethnic groups in social, political, economic, and cultural institutions of the United States.
POL 615: Theories of Interpretation and Critique
3.00 Credits
Considers hermeneutics, Frankfurt School critical theory, and deconstruction as each relates to questions of political theory.
POL 616: American Electoral Behavior
3.00 Credits
Examines how and why people vote, participate in, and think about politics. Special attention to the most recent election, putting it into the context of political research on previous elections and political attitudes.
POL 618: The Problem of Sovereignty
3.00 Credits
Since the Peace of Westphalia, sovereign states have been the fundamental units of the international system. Yet many argue today that sovereignty is being undermined both from above and below. Globalizing forces of open markets, open societies, and open technologies undermine sovereignty from above. Simultaneously, many sovereign states are under siege or collapsing due to the pressure of ethnic, nationalist, and/or demographic forces from below. Is sovereignty dead, dying, or changing? International law is based upon the concept of sovereignty, yet it was also created to overcome the problems associated with sovereignty. Is sovereignty without limits or responsibilities? The humanitarian crises since the end of the Cold War have caused many voices across the idealogical spectrum to argue that sovereignty must be kept in its place. What does that mean? This course will consider these debates concerning sovereignty: its history, definitions, prospects and limitations, and future evolution.
POL 620: Constitutionalism: Ideas and Institutions
3.00 Credits
Considers the nature and function of constitutionalism, and the structuring of political and social relations to compensate for human nature, constrain choice, and institutionalize knowledge, values and practice, with particular reference to the American experience. Topics include political culture, the public-private distinction, political and administrative discretion, federalism and decentralization, and the limits of rationality.
POL 622: Hegel to Nietzsche
3.00 Credits
A review of the political theories of nineteenth-century European political thought with a special emphasis on the continental tradition. Utilizes selected texts from various authors, including Hegel, Proudhon, Marx, Stirner, Bergson, Dilthey, Weber, and Nietzsche. Particular attention to questions of right and the political order. Prerequisite: 652.
POL 624: Graduate Seminar on Congress
3.00 Credits
An in depth look at the major political science literature and research trends on the modern Congress.
POL 625: Graduate: Introduction to American Politics
3.00 Credits
Studies the principal approaches in political science to the organization of American government, with particular emphasis on the Presidency, Congress, political parties, and the Supreme Court.
POL 626: Graduate Constitutional Law
3.00 Credits
An intensive overview of the development of leading constitutional doctrines by the Supreme Court, including federalism and separation of powers, property and privacy rights, the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause.
POL 627: Seminar: The American Presidency
3.00 Credits
An intensive review of the major literature on the U.S. presidency including Skowronek on political development, Tulis on the rhetorical presidency, Barber on presidential character, Jones on separation of powers, McDonald on historical development, and Burke on institutionalization of the executive.
POL 628: United States Military Interventions
3.00 Credits
An examination of United States military interventions, deployments, and humanitarian interventions. When is the use of force effective, necessary, justifiable?
POL 629: Separation of Powers
3.00 Credits
The focus of this seminar is on constitutional conflicts among the branches of the national government. Topics to be examined are: presidential war powers and foreign policy, covert operations, executive orders, presidential signing statements, executive privilege, budgetary control, independent regulatory commissions, among others.
POL 630: Seminar: American Political Development
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 631: Theories of International Politics
3.00 Credits
An analysis of the impact of modern thought upon international relations theory. Examines concepts such as the level of analysis problem, international systems theory, political realism, and liberal institutionalism, within the framework of the history of the twentieth century and the evolution of international politics as a specialized subfield of political science.
POL 632: Foreign Policy Decision Making
3.00 Credits
Conceptions of decision making, bargaining theory, incrementalism, organizational theory, bureaucratic politics, crisis management, and cognitive processing.
POL 633: Electoral Politics in Russia
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 634: Research Design: Strategies and Skills
3.00 Credits
A basic course in research design for theoretical political analysis. Explores a variety of methodological approaches. Formerly titled "Theory Construction and Research Design."
POL 635: Statistical Methods
3.00 Credits
A graduate-level introduction to basic statistical methods and research design. The course is designed for those planning to use quantitative methods in their research, or who wish to better evaluate statistical studies in political science. Topics include sampling, probability theory, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and bivariate and multivariate statistics.
POL 636: History of the Presidency
3.00 Credits
An intensive review of the major literature on the U.S. presidency including Skowronek on political development, Tulis on the rhetorical presidency, Barber on presidential character, Jones on separation of powers, McDonald on historical development, and Burke on institutionalization of the executive.
POL 638: Asian Security
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 641: Contemporary Theories and Research in Comparative Politics
3.00 Credits
An advanced survey of the major topics and important research traditions in comparative politics, with emphasis on theory and research design.
POL 643: Foundations of Christian Political Thought
3.00 Credits
Examines the historical and theoretical bases of Christian political and social thought. Surveys leading representatives of the Christian tradition from earliest Christianity to the heights of medieval theology and philosophy.
POL 644: Modern Christian Political Thought
3.00 Credits
A study of writings by leading twentieth-century Christian thinkers on politically significant problems, including the social and moral obligation of the modern state, the relationship between man and the state, the good political order, types of political representation, and the relationship between Church/churches and political society.
POL 645: Classical Political Thought
3.00 Credits
Examines one or more basic texts of ancient political thought, such as Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics, or Aristotle's Ethics. Explores ancient alternative to modern political theory.
POL 651: Political Theory I
3.00 Credits
Examines fundamental issues of politics with special reference to seminal thinkers from Plato to modern times. Part I gives particular attention to Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, and Machiavelli.
POL 652: Political Theory II
3.00 Credits
Examines fundamental issues of politics with special reference to seminal thinkers from Plato to modern times. Part II emphasizes such figures as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, and Marx. These courses can be taken separately but are structured to be taken in sequence. Particularly students without background in political theory are advised against taking them out of sequence. Required for students in the Ph. D program.
POL 653: Marx and Political Theory
3.00 Credits
Reviews Marx's basic texts and surveys a broad range of secondary literature concerned with questions of Marxism and political theory. Secondary authors include Lukacs, Berlin, Bottommore, Althusser, Sartre, Adorno, and others.
POL 659: Ideas and Identity in International Relations
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 662: Interdisciplinary Empirical Theory and World Politics
3.00 Credits
A critical assessment of the origins, content, and significance of the scientific study of world politics. In addition to examining the principal behavioral approaches to international relations, introduces the policy student to a variety of theorists whose approaches may be relevant to the understanding of world politics. Prerequisites: 631, 634, or Permission of Instructor.
POL 663: The Cold War and Soviet Archives
3.00 Credits
An examination of Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War based on Russian archival materials released after the breakup of the USSR. Emphasis on the roles of revolutionary ideology and power politics in Soviet international conduct.
POL 666: Environment and Development in the Americas
3.00 Credits
Considers how economic development, and the policies that support it, affects the environment, both in the United States and Latin America. The course surveys a variety of environmental issues, with special attention to citizen action to address them. Topics may include recent efforts to combat the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay and other restoration projects, the politics of energy and the impact of alternative energy and transportation choices on the environment, grassroots responses to hazardous waste issues, community managed resource exploitation, and urban planning.
POL 680: Seminar on Latin American Politics
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 681: Graduate Survey American Political Thought
3.00 Credits
Relates developments in political theory to the institutional arrangements characteristic of different periods of American political history.
POL 690: After the Fall: The Politics of Reconstruction and Reparation in Post-Conflict Societies
3.00 Credits
This course looks at the politics of reconstruction, reparation and reconciliation in the wake of political disaster. Topics include the sorts of political settlements that emerge from such national catastrophes; the roles of international actors in shaping, enforcing and financing those settlements; the vexed questions of retaliation, reconciliation and reparation for the crimes of the past; the distribution of pain and rewards in post-conflict reconstruction; and the roles of state and "civil society" in recovery. Cases for research may include: Afghanistan today; Angola after the defeat of UNITA; Argentina after the generals; Bosnia under the Dayton Accords; Cambodia after the UN-brokered peace accords; Chiles after Pinochet; East Timor at Independence; El Salvador since 1992; Guatemala today; Indonesia after the fall of Soeharto; occupied Iraq; Mozambique after the peace accords; Rwanda after the genocide; Serbia and the breakup of Yugoslavia; and South Africa after apartheid. Students will develop and report on their own research projects centered on one aspect of one or more cases.
POL 695: Independent Study
1.00-6.00 Credits
no description available
POL 701: German Idealism and Its Aftermath
3.00 Credits
German Idealism defined a shift in modern philosophical and political thought that is still being absorbed. The continuity between Hegel and Marx has exemplified the connection with the moderm ideological movements. John Rawl's identification of Kantian morality has confirmed the descent into liberal political thought. Now we have the postmodern recognition of the idealists as the source of their own "metaphysics beyond the metaphysics of presence." No one of these avenues is sufficient to comprehend the rich philosophical profusion that constituted German idealism, an outburst that can well be regarded as the core of the self-understanding of the modern world. This seminar will initiate such a reconsideration through the reading of KAnt, Hegel, Schelling, Kierkegaard, and Nietzche.
POL 702: Seminar:Philosophy and History
3.00 Credits
An examination of the symbolic forms of philosophy and history in their Greek and Hebraic origins, as well as a reflection on the interrelationship between philosophy and history, the problems of meaning in history, and the meaning of history.
POL 703: Seminar: International Political Economy
3.00 Credits
An advanced seminar dealing with issues of theoretical and practical concern.
POL 704: Seminar: International Politics of the Atlantic Relationship
3.00 Credits
Begins with an overview of outstanding issues confronting the NATO allies. Students will prepare seminar papers on an agreed topic for presentation before the completion of the term. Military, political, economic, or technological issues considered as acceptable areas for research.
POL 705: Seminar: Hegel
3.00 Credits
A study of Hegel as the philosophically most competent and historically most knowledgeable of the moderns. Focuses on Hegel's political thought within the context of his whole philosophical system.
POL 706: Seminar: Voegelin
3.00 Credits
Examination of the work of Eric Voegelin, with particular attention to the philosophy of consciousness that forms the basis for his conception of political philosophy.
POL 707: Seminar: Comparative Urban Politics
3.00 Credits
Beginning with an examination of urbanism and modernity grounded in the American political reality, uses the concept of city from its ancient articulation into the present to probe the experience of urbanization in European, Asian, African, and South American countries.
POL 708: Seminar: Political Development
3.00 Credits
An advanced writing seminar on issues in political development, designed to explore contemporary research questions and to enable students to undertake extended research on related topics and present their findings to a knowledgeable audience.
POL 709: Seminar: Topics in International Political Economy
3.00 Credits
Studies of special issues relating to the global political economy. May include a focus on trade, investment development, and major economic trends in the international system.
POL 710: Seminar: Rousseau and Kant
3.00 Credits
Leads students through a reading of Immanuel Kant's philosophy and political writings in the context of a reflection on Rousseau's critique of the Enlightenment.
POL 711: Seminar: The American Presidency
3.00 Credits
A broad overview of the constitutional, historical, and institutional development of the American presidency, and the contributions and leadership styles of individual presidents.
POL 712: Heidegger and Political Theory
3.00 Credits
Considers Heidegger's philosophy from the perspective of political theory.
POL 713: Advanced Topics in Constitutional Design
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 716: Seminar: American Electoral Behavior
3.00 Credits
Examines the voting history of United States presidential elections, including the coalitions that parties have historically assembled. Also studies how parties construct their voting coalitions and how voters respond to these partisan appeals.
POL 718: Advanced Seminar on Aristotle andAugustine
3.00 Credits
Aristotle advocates the political formation of virtue while Augustine reduces the primary task of the state to providing peace. The tension between these politics may illuminate parallel tensions in modern and contemporary political theory. Close reading of the Ethics, the Politics, and the City of God, accompanied by exploration of recent interpretations and uses of these thinkers' insights.
POL 719: Political Thought of the Reformation Tradition
3.00 Credits
Explores the tradition of political thinking connected to the theology of the Protestant Reformation. Beginning with St. Paul and Augustine, traces this expression in Luther, Calvin, and European Anabaptism; follows its development in Winthrop, Penn, Williams, and Wesley; and considers its modern extension in figures like Kuyper, Dooyeweerd, Niebuhr, and Ellul. Considers the relation of this tradition to contemporary spokesmen for Protestant political thought and activism.
POL 720: Seminar: Historicism
3.00 Credits
The historical nature of politics and civilization. Universality and particularity. Individuality and creativity. Concrete experience as normative. Political morality. Universality as evolving. The flight from history.The possibility of value-centered historicism.
POL 721: Seminar: Third World Development
3.00 Credits
An advanced writing seminar on the problems of and prospects for Third World political, economic, and social development, designed to enable graduate students to undertake extended research on related topics and to present their findings to a knowledgeable audience.
POL 722: Seminar: Irving Babbitt
3.00 Credits
A critical assessment of the ideas of Irving Babbitt and their relevance for the political and cultural problems of modern civilization.
POL 723: Seminar: Politics and the Imagination
3.00 Credits
Defines and assesses the role of the imagination in shaping political thought and action. Political implications of literature and art. Relates types of imagination to types of character and society. The imagination and the historical sense. Escapism. Considers works of political philosophy, fiction, poetry, and other art.
POL 724: Seminar: Russia, New/Old Europe, United States of America
3.00 Credits
This seminar reviews the post-Cold War politics of the Eastern half of Europe as well as contending European and American views of transatlantic relations and contemporary world politics. It requires independent research projects on topics related to interactions among Russia, the East and West European states, and the United States of America.
POL 726: Advanced Topics in Constitutionalism and Public Law
3.00 Credits
An in-depth study of selected topics in constitutional law, theory, interpretation, and institutions.
POL 736: Seminar: International Politics
3.00 Credits
Primarily concerned with the security dilemma, its impact on national policies, and efforts to escape from the constraints that it imposes. Special attention to preventive and pre-emptive war, methods of fostering cooperation, and the impact of institutions on international relations. Formerly titled "National Security and International Security."
POL 740: Varieties of Capitalism
3.00 Credits
The Varieties of Capitalism thesis contends that capitalism varies across countries in ways similar to democracy or federalism. Capitalism rests on legal and cultural foundations that vary according to a countrys political, social, and economic history. Some proponents of this thesis contend that economic globalization is eroding these varieties of capitalism and leading toward the convergence around the neo-liberalism. This course examines the argument and explores its validity.
POL 753: Seminar: Political Theory Heidegger
3.00 Credits
An in-depth examination of a major thinker, trend, or concept in the development of political thought. Political Theory.
POL 756: Political Theory of Nietzsche
3.00 Credits
Devoted to close reading of Nietzsche's work. Basic Nietzschean themes--such as will to power, eternal recurrence, death of God, and overman--are explored for their significance for questions regarding order and authority, freedom and meaning, history and polity. Recommended: Some familiarity with contemporary Continental thought and some proficiency in reading German.
POL 762: Seminar:Religion and the American Founding
3.00 Credits
How does religion properly figure in the constitutional framework of the American republic? This seminar equips students to assess competing answers to this question via historical, structural and theoretical analysis.
POL 786: Seminar: Russia, Europe and World
3.00 Credits
Research problems related to the domestic politics and foreign policy of post-Communist Russia and post-Cold War Europe.
POL 807: Habermas Seminar
3.00 Credits
no description available
POL 991: Independent Study
3.00 Credits
Staff.
POL 992: Independent Study
3.00 Credits
Staff.
POL 993: Directed Readings
3.00 Credits
Staff.
POL 994: Directed Reading
3.00 Credits
Staff.
POL 995: Thesis - Masters
0.00 Credits
no description available
POL 996: Thesis - Masters
0.00 Credits
no description available
POL 997: Dissertation - Doctoral
0.00 Credits
no description available
POL 998: Dissertation - Doctoral
0.00 Credits
no description available
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