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Undergraduate courses
Graduate courses
PSC 101 Introduction to Comparative Politics
This course will introduce students to comparative politics – the study of domestic political institutions, processes, and outcomes across and within countries. These important themes and concepts of contemporary comparative politics include the vibrancy of democracy, the centrality of political and electoral institutions, the possibility of revolution and the power of ethnicity. Cases will be drawn from different countries and historical periods to give students a grounding in the method of comparative analysis. This course is recommended for those thinking about a major, minor, or cluster in political science and others who are simply interested in learning more about the politics of developed and developing countries.
This course is an introduction to the study of political science and comparative politics. It focuses on how citizens may be able to control public policies in different modern democracies. The course begins by applying some of these ideas briefly to the American political system. It then turns explicitly to the politics of contemporary Britain, Russia and Germany, examining the political culture, the basic institutional arrangements, the party system, the voters' choices, and the policymaking system in each country. These systems will be compared to each other, to the United States and, occasionally, to other democracies. This course is recommended for those thinking about a major, minor, or cluster in political science and others who are simply interested in learning more about the politics of democracies.
The 2004 election is one of the most intense and divisive elections in the nation's history. Whether George W. Bush or John Kerry is inaugurated in January, we will long remember this election season. Is America truly divided? How real and deep are the differences between the "red states" (which regularly vote Republican in presidential elections) and the "blue states" (the Democratic strongholds)? This course examines some of the great debates and crises that have shaped the American political system since its founding. These crises include revolution and civil war, progressive reform and conservative reaction, battles for civil and human rights, and scandals in Washington. We will analyze episodes of great national division, and we will examine the current state of American politics. Thinking historically, we will learn about the basic institutions of American government--the Constitution, Congress, the presidency, courts, bureaucracy, political parties, interest groups, state and local government, protest groups, the media--and consider how and why political institutions have changed during these moments of crisis. This course is designed for freshmen considering a major or cluster in Political Science or History, but it is also appropriate for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want a basic foundation in American political history and government and who are interested in the past and current state of this nation's politics.
This course is most aptly called Thinking About Politics. It aims to examine a range of contemporary issues and to explore the political and philosophical conflicts and controversies that those issues raise. So, for example, we might examine the concepts of patriotism and explore the tensions that arise between it and such other concepts as democracy or freedom or dissent or security. Readings will be drawn both from contemporary sources and classic political thought.
This course will introduce students to the foundations of American government. Students will examine important political institutions and the linkage mechanisms that connect institutions, political actors, and ordinary American citizens. This course is appropriate for majors and non-majors with an interest in understanding how and why the American political system works as it does. Students will be graded on two midterms, a comprehensive final exam, and short writing assignments.
This course provides students with the background and conceptual tools they need to understand contemporary international relations. The course will introduce students to the wide range of issues that make up the study of international relations, including the workings of the state system, the causes of international conflict and violence, and international economic relations. Students will be introduced to the literature in a broad way, to make them familiar with the main theoretical traditions in the field. Students will be asked, as much as possible, to read original texts, rather than a textbook. Time permitting, we will also examine topics of particular current interest, such as the evolving nature of power in the post-Cold War environment as well as special global challenges like nation-building and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
This course introduces students to positive political theory, a rigorous set of tools that helps clarify key questions in political science. Through examples drawn from all aspects of the political process (from elections to lawmaking to regulation) as well as from everyday life (where should we go for dinner?) and Hollywood (Russell Crowe and Reese Witherspoon as political scientists?), we will study how the rules of the game affect the decisions politicians make as well as the policy outcomes we observe.
This course introduces students to positive political theory, a rigorous set of tools that helps clarify key questions in political science. Through examples drawn from all aspects of the political process (from elections to lawmaking to regulation) as well as from everyday life (where should we go for dinner?) and Hollywood (Russell Crowe and Reese Witherspoon as political scientists?), we will study how the rules of the game affect the decisions politicians make as well as the policy outcomes we observe.
How do political institutions affect economic growth? How do economic conditions affect political decisions? This course is an introduction to the history of thought and current debates in political economy. We review great texts in the history of political economy (by Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and others), present an introduction to the modern tools used in the field, and show their applications in the context of democratic and nondemocratic politics.
Democracy literally means "rule by the people." This seminar in political theory will explore various questions that this basic definition raises in the context of 20th-century American politics. What can we expect of "the people"? How, indeed, do we even envision "the people"? What is the role of communication, especially modern media, in creating and sustaining "the people"? How might we think about the ways in which power and communication intersect in modern democracies? In many respects this course is experimental. It aims to draw connections between texts and theorists that have not been made before. So we will be exploring new terrain. Students will learn what it means to think like a political theorist. Enrollment is restricted to freshmen - no exceptions. Grades will be based on class participation - given that this is a small seminar, be prepared to talk! - and several short papers (meaning about five pages each) on assigned topics that emerge from the readings and class discussion.
This course examines how race has shaped and influenced the development of American political institutions. In what ways has race shaped our notions of citizenship and our legal system? How have various presidential actors responded to racial conflict in American society? How have political parties responded to racial conflict? And how has race affected the development and implementation of social policy?
Home to Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and George Eastman, upstate New York has been the seedbed for many of the most important events in American history. In this seminar, students will discover the rich history of Rochester as well as learn about current debates over political organization, racial and economic segregation, suburbanization, and economic change. The course will emphasize five major themes: urbanization and religious revivalism in the 1820s and 1830s; movements for abolition and women's rights; reform initiatives during the Progressive Era; economic and racial changes in the 20th century; and city politics in the 20th and 21st centuries. As part of the course, students will visit sites in and around the city as well as meet and talk with political figures active in the city today.
An introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis. No prior computer or statistical expertise is expected. PSC 200 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
An introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis. No prior computer or statistical expertise is expected. PSC 200 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
An introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis. No prior computer or statistical expertise is expected. PSC 200 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
An introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis. No prior computer or statistical expertise is expected. PSC 200 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
This course introduces students to data analysis in political science. We begin by learning how to describe political data, and then move on to making inferences about political phenomena. Along the way, we address the "science" in political science and the development of hypotheses about political behavior. We will read published research from political science journals that use the techniques we discuss in class. No mathematical knowledge beyond high school algebra is assumed. PSC 201 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in Political Science.
Students generally take PSC 202 in their sophomore year, but the course is also open to juniors and seniors. The course introduces students to the questions, concepts, and analytical approaches of political scientists. This version of the course focuses on the tension between majority rule and minority rights in the American political tradition. Issues include tyranny of the majority, slavery, individual rights, civic engagement, parties and interest groups, international diplomacy, legislative organization, and representation. Readings are drawn from classic texts in American thought--the Declaration of Independence, "The Federalist," Tocqueville's "Democracy in America," the Gettysburg Address--as well as from books and articles written by contemporary political scientists..
Students generally take PSC 202 in their sophomore year, but the course is also open to junior and seniors. The course introduces students to the questions, concepts, and analytical approaches of political scientists.
Is the mass media really biased? Does abortion lower the crime rate? Does the "No Child Left Behind" Act encourage cheating? Providing convincing answers to these hot-button political issues requires good research design. In this class, we learn the techniques behind designing research studies that allow political scientists and economists to answer exactly these kinds of questions. While PSC 200 or 201 is strongly recommended, this is not a course in data analysis or statistics. Rather, we focus on setting up problems so that data analytic techniques, when applied, provide the correct answers. We will draw examples from throughout political science as well as from Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.
This course is designed to introduce the issues that concern political scientists (especially) and economists about interest groups in American politics. The goal of the course is to provide a better substantive understanding of interest groups specifically and the political system more generally. Foci include the historical development of the interest group system, the formation of organizations, the relationship between associations and formal political institutions, money and politics, and policy-specific case studies. Instruction is primarily though lectures, although class participation is strongly encouraged.
The two-party system is America's greatest contribution to free government. Yet, as the nation prepares for congressional elections, popular dissatisfaction with the two major parties is high. In this course, we examine the emergence of mass democracy in the United States and the origin and persistence of two-party politics. Topics include the anti-party attitudes of the nation's founders, the organization of the nation's first two political parties, the establishment of a two-party system, and the subsequent crises and voter revolutions that have remade the parties and American government. We will examine party realignments, changes in party identification and voting behavior, party reforms, and the decline of political parties in the twentieth century. Course requirement for most students: occasional short papers (1-2 pages) on the reading, midterm, and choice of final exam or final paper. Course requirements for upper-level writing students: several short papers (2-3 pages) on the reading and final paper.
Through lecture, readings, and discussion, we will consider major questions involving public opinion and voting. How much do citizens know about government and politics? Does participation make a difference? Do elected officials do what the public wants? We will pay special attention to generational matters. Today's young people (that's you) are said to be uninterested and uninvolved in politics, yet voluntary community service has never been higher. How do we reconcile these facts, and what do we make of it? We will also cover sampling techniques and the interpretation of poll results: when you hear that 70% of the respondents to a national survey support gun control, can you believe it? What else do you need to know in order to interpret results?
This seminar will study leading constitutional law cases decided by the United States Supreme Court and their impact on the evolution of the Court, the balance of powers among our three governmental branches, relations between the federal government and the states, and individual express and implied rights. The seminar is intended to introduce students to legal reasoning and will make use of casebook and teaching methods typical of law schools.
This course offers an overview of the legislative branch of the United States government. We will discuss the electoral process, the nature of representation, legislative organization, the committee system, floor procedure, congressional parties, and inter-branch relations. We will examine theories of lawmaking and the impact of institutional and electoral rules on legislative behavior and outcomes.
This upper level seminar examines the modes, scope, and theoretical perspectives of political participation in the United States and in other societies. Topics include political participation from the perspective of social statification (race, class, and gender), psychological dynamics, organizational behavior, contextual effects, and rational choice perspectives. Further, it examines institutionalized forms of political participation as well as political protest. The course also considers how actors who live under various systems of domination engage in covert and overt forms of political action. Restriction: Open only to junior and senior political science majors
This semester, special attention will be paid to the 2004 presidential and 2006 congressional elections. Campaign finance reform is also a timely topic. We will examine the role of money in elections and strategies for regulating its use. Other issues of current concern will include party polarization in Congress, the decrease in the number of elected moderates, congressional redistricting, and term limits for state legislatures.
This seminar will examine Congress in its dual roles as both a national lawmaking institution and as the nexus of public representation in the policymaking process. We will survey some of the major theories and concepts used to understand and explain the operation of Congress and the behavior of its members. Students will gain a basic understanding of Congress through an examination of the role Congress plays in policymaking and representation, the formal rules that govern its operation, and the interaction that takes place between Congress and other political actors. This course is writing intensive and is most appropriate for juniors and seniors. Students will be graded on class participation, short writing assignments, and a research paper.
This course analyzes how public opinion is formed through the media. It also examines the interaction of public opinion, mass media, and political leadership. Lecturing will take up the first segment of class, followed by discussion. In several of the sessions an entire campaign will be analyzed, with commercials produced for the candidates shown, followed by discussion and comment. Students will be asked to watch TV, read popular press, etc., for the class discussion.
Through intensive reading and discussion, we will analyze major issues in congressional history and legislative institutions. We will examine the basic institutions of the House and Senate--committees, parties, leaders, and rules. We will also examine the development of careerism, the seniority system, and the relationship between legislative behavior and electoral concerns. The course is designed to introduce students to the principal approaches used by political scientists to study Congress, with special emphasis on the development of congressional institutions over time. This is an advanced seminar, appropriate for juniors and seniors with substantial background in political science, economics, and history.
This course explores the emergence of social movements in the United States. Although the course considers a variety of social movements that evolved in the twentieth century, it will concentrate on the mechanics of social movements rather than the histories of movements' leaders and organizations. The thrust of the course is the application of theoretical concepts to particular cases. The central questions to be asked are: (1) why do movements emerge and why do they decline? (2) what kinds of resources are mobilized on behalf of movements? (3) how do marginal groups construct world views to challenge their oppression? and (4) how does the political system respond to movements when they challenge formal structures of power? The first quarter of the course covers theoretical concepts that will be raised throughout the course. The other sections of the course will illuminate these perspectives by surveying the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the women's movement, and other movements for social change.
In this course, we will examine the philosophical foundations of the American Revolution by examining the political theory which lies behind the revolution itself and which underlies the foundations of the Constitution, while keeping an eye at the historical contexts that shaped the philosophy. We will begin by looking at the important predecessors to the revolution, particularly the works of John Locke, Montesquieu, and David Hume. We will then consider important works from the period surrounding the revolution, including works by Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. Finally, we will look at the debates surrounding the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, including the Federalist Papers and important anti-Federalist works.
This course introduces the major topics and theoretical perspectives in the study of the U.S. presidency. Topics include: rationales for and effects of separation of powers; the presidency in comparative perspective; the nature and origin of the president's influence on policy; the president's role in lawmaking and the veto; presidential management of the executive branch; war powers and the president's role in national security.
In this course, through the lens of the Constitution and Supreme Court cases, we examine the essential structure of the American legal system (both separation of powers at the federal level and the authority of, and relationship among, states and the federal government), as well as the essential nature of civil rights of citizens vis-à-vis the political order. Topics covered include the nature of the Supreme Court's authority; separation of powers; federal limits on state powers; and individual rights, including economic rights, certain of the rights embraced by the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments, and equal protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The ability to read and discuss (as well as place in perspective and disagree with) Supreme Court opinions is an essential part of the course.
In this course we examine a broad range of individual constitutional rights and liberties. Among the topics taken up are freedom of speech, the right of privacy and personal autonomy, property rights, the right of business to be free from arbitrary regulation, the right of a woman to terminate her pregnancy with an abortion, the right to the free exercise of religion, discrimination on the basis of race and gender, and the prohibition against government endorsement and support of religion. These issues are placed in their historical and political contexts. In addition, the course examines different theories of constitutional interpretation and addresses the question of the proper role of the Supreme Court in our democratic-republican system of government. The course also seeks to help students learn the skills of interpreting and critiquing Supreme Court opinions and to help students learn the art of making a coherent legal argument. Experience shows the regular completion of reading assignments and regular course attendance are important for realizing a solid performance in the course. Students will be called upon in class to discuss the reading; these discussions between the professor and student and among the students are a vital part of the learning experience of this course. The course is not recommended for freshmen.
This course will examine the relationship between African Americans and the American political system in order to provide students with a broader perspective on the American political process. We will address issues of organizational resources and approaches, political leadership, representation, integrationist and separatist ideologies, and various strategies for African-American political empowerment.
Despite gains made by racial and ethnic minorities in the areas of civil and voting rights, race remains a major source of cleavage in American politics. This upper-level course introduces students to the concepts, theories, and methodological approaches that political scientists use to examine the intersection of racial politics and political representation in the American political context. We will examine democratic theory, the Voting Rights Act, public opinion and electoral behavior, elected officials and public policies, and the effect of electoral rules and districting decisions on minority representation in Congress. This course has considerable reading, writing, and discussion requirements and may best suit experienced juniors and seniors.
This course explores the origins and development of black power radicalism and its impact on American politics. During the decade following the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, radical intellectuals enjoyed considerable influence within black public life. This course examines black power's origins in civil rights militancy and examines seminal figures, like Ella Baker, Malcolm X, Robert F. Williams, and Frantz Fanon, and their varied contributions to the evolution of black power nationalism. We will also explore various ideological tendencies within the black power movement, including ethnic pluralism, cultural nationalism, radical black feminism, and revolutionary nationalism.
Competition and compassion--two values often at odds with each other--have long dominated New York's political culture. Using the Professor's book, New York Politics and Government: Competition and Compassion, we will examine the effects of these values on the contemporary electoral politics, political institutions, and public policies of the Empire State. This course, open to juniors and seniors, meets once weekly for lectures and discussions, and includes guest appearances by local and state politicians.
In one of his most famous observations, African-American intellectual W.E.B. DuBois lamented that the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line. While DuBois's words resonated throughout that century, whether race is Americas central social crisis at the start of the new millennium is debatable. What is race? What is ethnicity? Is racism a psycho-social, ideological and/or institutional phenomenon? In part one of this course, we will consider these and other core theoretical questions. Part two examines the intersection of race, ethnicity and the American dream. Some of the questions we will address include: Why do some racial/ethnic groups appear to have enjoyed greater upward social mobility than others? Is the relative mobility or stagnancy of certain groups a result of internal factors- i.e. individual drive and effort, group cultural traits, etc. or external forces, such as economic conditions, public policy or social structures and practices? The final leg of the course will explore the prospects for racial equality and group empowerment stemming from political incorporation. In so doing, we will critically probe the applicability of the ethnic paradigm to racially marginalized groups. We will conclude by considering the efficacy of movement-style activism and multi-racial coalitions for addressing conditions of inequality at the beginning of the 21st century.
The civil rights movement that unfolded in the 1950s unleashed cataclysmic changes in U.S. political, social, and cultural life. In this seminar, we'll draw on an exciting range of primary sources - films, organizational records, memoirs - as well as new histories of the "long 1960s" to chart the trajectory of the civil rights movement from the late 1940s to the 1970s. We shall explore the diversity of strategies and ideologies that comprised the civil rights movement. We shall also assess the movement's profound consequences for political organizing more generally, studying the process through which other movements - antiwar, feminism, gay and lesbian liberation, neighborhood rights, ethnic nationalism, and even grassroots conservatism - laid claim to the rhetoric and tactics of the civil rights movement. Assignments include reading and rigorous class discussion, one book review, the preparation of occasional discussion questions, and a 10-15 page research paper. This seminar will meet twice weekly.
This seminar will examine the role of money in the U.S. political process. Topics include the historical development of campaign finance law, the electoral effects of campaign spending, the effects of campaign contributions on public policy outcomes, and various reform proposals (including the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act). The institutions responsible for the creation, enforcement, and interpretation of campaign finance law will also be analyzed. Students will be asked to think critically about concepts such as equality, liberty, and representation, which drive the questions and debates in this area.
We focus broadly in this seminar on economic and neighborhood development policy at national, state and local levels, and more narrowly on community development dynamics in selected American cities. The course features class discussions based on common readings; talks by community leaders; and a local community development field trip. A special aspect of the seminar is field research by student teams in Rochester's neighborhood sectors. Two papers that integrate data from primary (field research, public documents) and secondary sources are required. Oral presentations by students on their field research are also required.
An examination of major policy issues at the federal level. The normative justifications for governmental actions are discussed as well as the limitations imposed by bureaucracy and the decision-making process. Governmental processes that affect the poor are examined in detail, with special attention paid to an assessment of their impact and alternatives now under consideration.
In this course we will use the tools of political science and economics to study how corporations affect and are affected by politics. Each meeting will feature a general topic as well as in-depth analysis of cases related to that topic. We will cover a broad range of issues affecting the business world, including regulation, lawmaking, campaign finance, the mass media, interest group mobilization, corporate social responsibility, and ethics. Cases will be drawn from areas such as antitrust, transportation, international trade, the environment, and the internet. Course meetings will generally begin with a short lecture followed by extensive class discussion.
Together, we will use theory, data, case studies, and guest speakers to investigate what it means to be an entrepreneur and what characterizes the entrepreneurial society. The term entrepreneur conjures up the image of a risk-taking maverick, but many entrepreneurs are in fact risk-averse. It is important, then, to begin the course by working out a definition of entrepreneurship that captures the essential elements of this elusive concept. From there, we will discuss the role of the entrepreneur in both economic transactions and in non-market environments such as politics. The rest of the semester will be focused on studying how institutions, such as the rule of law, foster or hinder entrepreneurship, and what the resulting impact is on economic growth and other measures of societal well-being.
Through analysis of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, we examine criminal procedure as elaborated by federal and state court decisions. Topics include arrest procedures, search and seizure, right to counsel, and police interrogation and confessions. We will discuss the theoretical principles of criminal procedure and the application of those principles to the actual operation of the criminal court system.
Through intensive reading and discussion, we examine the politics and history of American cities. The course emphasizes the ways in which ethnicity, race, and class shape battles over housing, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and governmental institutions. We examine the relationship between urban neighborhoods and suburbs, the sources of inner-city poverty and residential segregation, city services, economic constraints, and the nature of political alliances. In exploring these topics, we analyze how institutions--governments, party organizations, reform movements, churches and synagogues, city charters--shape the decisions that urban residents can make
This seminar will confront the legal and social conditions that promote injustice and the ways diverse communities yield to the judicial system's failings. Our inquiry will identify how the problem of injustice is situated at the local and national levels. Foundational legal doctrines will be mined, including the shift from lawyer-free to lawyer-driven trials, right to counsel, burden of proof, and the development of plea bargaining. We will then turn to the shapers of justice and examine the problem from the perspective of the prosecutor, police, defense attorney, and judge. In the end, a view of how the system works, and does not work, will emerge. And finally, we will ask what social forces perpetuate the misdiagnosis of this state of affairs.
An examination of environmental problems issues from a social scientific perspective. Topics covered include the reasons for environmental regulation, the history of environmental policy, the state of contemporary environmental policy, the role of state and local governments, the impact of environmental activists, and a comparison of domestic and international regulation of environmental affairs. Although there is considerable time devoted to lecture, students are encouraged to participate and part of the grade will be based on student participation. Each student will also develop and briefly present a research paper which investigates a relevant issue of interest.
The course will cover policies in such areas as social security, public assistance, health care, and social services for the elderly. The factual and philosophical assumptions underlying each policy will be examined, as will the division of responsibilities between public and private institutions and individuals. A variety of books, articles, and official publications that bear on the issues covered will be assigned.
This course will explore women's evolving roles in American politics. Topics include: a brief historical review of women's rights; women's roles in social movements; and women in electoral politics and as elected officials. Students will examine the quality of women's political leadership, comparing and contrasting it to the traditional gender-based models. Course readings will be supplemented by video presentations and guest lectures.
This course introduces students to the contemporary politics of the Middle East from both comparative politics and international relations perspectives. It starts with a brief historical introduction to the region, and focuses on patterns of decolonization and the formation of the state. Then the course looks at aspects of current domestic politics of three smaller regions within the larger Middle East: the Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa. Major attention is paid to regimes, institutions, ethnic and religious cleavages, and energy politics. The second part discusses the international linkages of the Middle East with major powers such the United States and the European Union, as well as with states that have an increased interest in the region, such as Russia and China. It finishes with a discussion on how the Middle East relates to non-traditional security threats such as international terrorism and illicit trafficking, and to larger forces of globalization, such as economic liberalization and identity politics.
This is a course on the American city. We examine issues of suburbanization, neighborhood change, political conflict, urban poverty, economic development, and the fragmentation of cities over the last century. We encounter these issues through the prism of sports. Industrialization, urbanization and population migration, which created the great cities of the 19th century, also created organized athletics. Race, class, and gender, which have circumscribed the worlds of American urban residents, have shaped the emergence and development of sport. And the decisions of sports franchises to build ballparks and stadiums, relocate teams, and seek governmental funding all reflect forces that drive urban politics.
Why are some democracies able to keep political conflict within constitutional boundaries while others are not? This problem is very closely related to the creation and survival of democratic regimes. Theories about the political setting and theories of choices made by citizens and leaders will be used to explore the nature of democratic conflict. The theories will be applied to the politics of several specific contemporary democracies, such as Germany, Italy, Russia, India, and Northern Ireland. A maximum of 10 students will be accepted for upper-level writing, which requires two additional papers.
Taking the post-communist decades as a point of departure, this course explores the roots and fates of different varieties of nationalism in Central Europe. We will start with the development of national identities in Europey in the 19th century and analyze the impact of World War II in crystallizing particular varieties of recent nationalisms. The main part of the course will focus on varieties of nationalism under communism, i.e. Romanian mythologies of Ceausescu, official anti-Semitism in Poland, and pan-Yugoslavianism contrasted to the Serbian, Croatian, and Muslim nationalisms. We will end with discussinn of the most recent rediscovery of old nationalism and the so called "old hatreds" In addition to readings from different disciplines, the course uses documentaries and feature films as source materials. Grading based on: participation, one presentations, one short paper, and a final.
The course meets once a week for three hours and is conducted seminar-style. The content is an analysis of the Canadian political system. Comparisons with the United States and Britain are important parts of the course. There will be a text used primarily as a reference.
This seminar examines the nature of political parties and political competition across democracies in the developed and developing worlds. Issues analyzed include the formation of different types of parties, their role in agenda-setting, policy-making and representation, and their transformation in the post-World War II era.
What are the challenges and prospects facing Europe today? The European Union is the realization of a bold vision: a large economic and political space with free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. Yet rigid markets, overregulation and reform resistance make it hard to adapt to globalization, the process of Eastern enlargement has created great divergence, and some economies in the West perform disappointingly. This course will examine the European Monetary Union, the Lisbon Strategy, and the challenges facing new entrants, with an eye toward analyzing the state of European integration. In examining Europe today, we will also consider the relation of Europe to Russia and compare the European model to the dynamic societies of China, India, and the United States. Special attention will be given to the economic rationale and political implementation.
The course will examine film as the dominant form of political expression under state patronage, with examples from the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and, after World War II, from Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the former Yugoslavia. The course will also examine the transformation of political film in post-communist Eastern Europe.
This course introduces theories in the field of comparative politics. We want to understand how the national and international environment, the political culture, the political institutions and the choices of citizens and leaders affect political performance. We explain democratization, stability, competition, citizen influence, and policy outcomes as consequences of the environment, culture and institutions--and human choices in these contexts. The theories of comparative politics offer such explanations. In this course we want to introduce some of the theories and evaluate their credibility, both through general readings and by seeing how they play out in some specific countries. We shall especially use politics in Germany to exemplify various theoretical features.
This course will provide an introduction to Poland's modern history: from the downfall of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th century, to the re-emergence of an independent Poland following World War I, to Poland's tragic experience during World War II, to the establishment of Communist rule, and finishing with the collapse of the Communist system in 1989 and the rise of an independent, democratic state. Poland's history will be placed in the context of broader regional developments, and comparisons with neighboring countries will be made where possible. Although special emphasis is placed on 20th century history, careful attention will be paid to key events and developments of the previous century. This course focuses primarily on political and social history, highlighting significant cultural phenomena and developments where appropriate.
The course will provide an introduction to Poland's most recent history, from the collapse of the Communist regime until the present. Political and social changes in Poland after the rise of an independent, democratic state in 1989 will be placed in a broader context of regional development and will be compared to the changes in neighboring countries. The focus will be put on three main issues: the struggle to become a member of NATO and the European Union as an important partner in international relations (including the role of Poland as a partner in the second anti-Iraqi coalition); Polish relations with neighboring countries, especially with Russia, Ukraine and members of the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia); and social policy changes in the context of joining the EU and against the background of communist welfare state policies. The course will provide an opportunity to understand the complexity and significance of post-transformation changes in Central Europe.
Why have some countries made a successful transition to democracy, while others have not? Why are some democracies more stable than others? Are some forms of democratic governance better than others at promoting stability or better governance? What are the trade-offs that different choices of democratic institutions entail? And how can countries that are already democratic improve the quality and effectiveness of their institutions? To answer these questions, this course offers a survey of the leading literature in comparative politics centered on the topic of democratization. The first part of the course will be devoted primarily to examining competing theories about the conditions and causes of the emergence and consolidation of democracy. The second part of the course examines theories about why different democratic institutions are chosen and how, once chosen, these institutions function. Among the topics addressed will be the merits of presidentialism versus parliamentary systems, the role of political parties, and various issues relating to questions of representation and accountability which affect the quality of democratic governance.
Democratic transitions are easy to see as they occur - they are often shown on CNN. But the consolidation of democracy is much trickier. It is difficult to measure, and even harder to determine its causes. As with many concepts in social science, many take the attitude that we know it when we see it. This course will examine a number of countries from across Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, and Ukraine), Southern Europe (Portugal and Greece), and Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, and Peru) that experienced democratic transitions as part of the Third Wave of Democracy to determine where we do and do not see democratic consolidation, and then use these cases to inform theoretical discussions of why democracy is consolidated in some places, but not in others. We will focus especially on the trajectories of electoral cycles and political competition, constitutional development, and political crises.
The course concentrates on U.S. policy toward Eastern Europe during the Cold War 1945 - 1989. Based on original American documents, it will provide analysis of the most dramatic and important moments - 1953 (Berlin), 1956 (Poland and Hungary), 1968 (Czechoslovakia), 1980-81 (Poland), 1989 (all Eastern Bloc) - and survey the American diplomatic and political response. We will also discuss American diplomacy and the problem of linkage between American policy and actions undertaken by Eastern Europe countries in the realms of international and domestic policy (including human rights).
This course provides an introduction to political institutions and institutional reform in contemporary Latin America. The central theme of the course will be to focus on the emergence and functioning of key political institutions in Latin America, including the presidency, the legislature, the system of electoral rules, political parties, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy. The course will draw on a broad range of theoretical perspectives to analyze institutional choice and performance. In addition, the course will consider competing definitions of institutions, evaluate the trade-offs posed by institutional choice, and consider the prospects for institutional reform in the region.
This course examines the implications of economic globalization for domestic and international politics. Emphasis will be given to the lessons of 19th-century globalization for politically relevant issues of the present such as the effect of greater factor mobility on income distribution, economic growth, political coalitions, policy-setting autonomy, and the viability of the welfare state. Classes will feature a short introductory lecture followed by active discussion of the week's topic(s) and readings.
This course examines courts from a comparative perspective. Although long a central focus of American politics, increasingly courts have become important political institutions around the world. Among the questions that we will examine throughout the course include: Why are some judiciaries more independent than others? What effect does independence have on economic development and democratic consolidation? What role do formal institutional guarantees play in shaping the role of courts? How accountable are judges to the public or elected officials? What factors account for judicial decision-making? Taking the U.S. experience as a starting point, the course will explore answers to these questions by drawing on the recent literature on judicial politics from Europe, Russia, Africa, and Latin America.
Typically offered: Every 2-3 years
This seminar deals with political institutions and their implications for the behavior of political actors and their effects on social outcomes. We will emphasize both theoretical ideas and empirical research on political institutions and consider some of the core topics of scientific inquiry in modern comparative politics. These include: electoral systems, political parties and party systems, legislatures, parliamentary government, government and coalition formation, presidential institutions, courts and judicial power, federalism, etc. In addition to examining existing institutional arrangements, questions of institutional design will also be emphasized where appropriate.
This course surveys the impact of race and culture on politics from a comparative perspective. It examines the formation of racial solidarity in the political sphere, state policies regarding racial inequality, and how race as a social construct operates as a political resource for racially dominated groups and for institutionalized political entities. The course will cover the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and other societies with a history of racial conflict. This is a junior and senior seminar course.
Why do European countries differ in terms of economic development and political institutions? Why do they want to pool sovereignty? How can we explain episodes of deadlock and progress? This course considers the past, present, and future of European integration. After a brief introduction to the major themes of the course, we will survey theories of European integration, focusing on explanations of conflict and cooperation. We will then study the governance of the EU, concentrating in turn on the institutional structures, policymaking processes, and the problems for political identity and democratic legitimacy at the European and national levels. Several classes will be devoted to studying public policy issues, including economic, and social issues, immigration, foreign and security policy, enlargement, and the draft constitution. Finally, we will consider individual country experiences more closely.
This course explores the concepts of identity, ethnicity and nationalism from a comparative perspective. Drawing upon theories from political science, anthropology, sociology and economics, we will examine how identity is defined and how societies use these constructions in, among other things, nation-building, war, and party competition. Theoretical readings will be supplemented with empirical studies from developed and developing countries across different time periods.
This course will focus on the internal politics of the Russian Federation in the post-Soviet period. After a brief review of the decline and fall the USSR, it will concentrate on Russian political development under the presidencies of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, especially on the power politics of elections, parties, and the executive. In mapping the emergence of Russia's political terrain, it will address some of the forces that have contributed to shaping it, including the results of economic transition and the growing significance of the energy sector, struggles over federalism (including the Chechen wars, but also less violent center-periphery issues), and also the interplay of Russia's foreign policy with domestic politics.
The last ten years or so have seen a major revolution in the social sciences. Instead of trying to discover and test grand "covering laws" that have universal validity and tremendous scope (think Newton's gravity or Einstein's relativity), the social sciences are in the process of switching to more narrow and middle-range theories and explanations, often referred to as causal mechanisms. Mechanisms play a crucial role in this new conception of theory in the social sciences. In this course we will examine one particular mechanism each week and see how it has been applied in international political economy and/or security studies. Students will be introduced to formal reasoning in an informal manner. We will explore several substantive themes, such as the "democratic peace," ethnic conflict and international trade to illustrate the mechanisms and cumulative potential of this research approach.
For the small countries of Eastern Europe, politics has always taken place in the shadow of larger actors, and continues to be decisively influenced by events beyond national borders. Meanwhile, the dramatic shifts in international affairs in the last century had their origins in domestic upheavals, often in Russia. The course will survey the politics and international relations of the region in the second half of the twentieth century, devoting roughly equal attention to the Cold War and post-Cold War periods.
How do we explain patterns of war and peace? Why do states with common interests often fail to cooperate? This course surveys theories of international relations, focusing on explanations of conflict and cooperation. In particular, it examines the roles of individual choice, strategic interaction, uncertainty, power, domestic politics, and anarchy. Students participate in an internet-based simulation of an international crisis. The course also serves as an introduction to game theory, and students will be expected to solve game theory problems in homework and exams. Students taking this course for writing credit register for PSC 272W and write a substantial research paper in addition to the other course requirements.
How do we explain patterns of war and peace? Why do states with common interests often fail to cooperate? This course surveys theories of international relations, focusing on explanations of conflict and cooperation. In particular, it examines the roles of individual choice, strategic interaction, uncertainty, power, domestic politics, and anarchy. Students participate in an internet-based simulation of an international crisis. The course also serves as an introduction to game theory, and students will be expected to solve game theory problems in homework and exams. Students taking this course for writing credit register for PSC 272W and write a substantial research paper in addition to the other course requirements.
How do we explain patterns of war and peace? Why do states with common interests often fail to cooperate? This course surveys theories of international relations, focusing on explanations of conflict and cooperation. In particular, it examines the roles of individual choice, strategic interaction, uncertainty, power, domestic politics, and anarchy. Students participate in an internet-based simulation of an international crisis. The course also serves as an introduction to game theory, and students will be expected to solve game theory problems in homework and exams. Students taking this course for writing credit register for PSC 272W and write a substantial research paper in addition to the other course requirements.
This course focuses on three East Asian countries, China, Japan, and South Korea, from the perspective of international political economy. The course will examine the postwar developmental strategies of these countries and how the globalized world economy has transformed their state-led economies. It will address the challenges posed for East Asian countries by the Asian Financial Crisis and how the financial turbulence has led to institutional and policy reforms in these countries. We will also discuss the international trade relations between these countries and the U.S. and explore the domestic and international political implications of their trade relations.
The contemporary world economy is characterized by its unprecedented level of integration. This course focuses on the politics of international economic relations in the globalized world economy. It addresses important themes in international political economy including international trade, international financial relations, multinational corporations and foreign direct investment, international organizations for trade and finance, globalization, and development. Particular attention will be given to the question of how international market integration affects domestic political and policy decisions and how nation-states can respond to and influence international markets. Students are expected to develop an understanding of the interaction between domestic and international politics and international economics.
As the world economy becomes increasingly integrated, local politics begins to take on global dimensions and international politics assumes new local significance. This course explores the consequences of international trade for domestic political alignments, the role of domestic institutions in promoting the rise and fall of nations, and a variety of other linkages between domestic and international political economy. Major topics covered include trade; monetary and fiscal policies; international debt and economic adjustment; international integration in the European Union; international environmental politics; and the role of international institutions in promoting international cooperation. Class format: lecture and discussion.
The Arab-Israeli conflict involves one of the most complicated and nuanced developments in world history. This course will introduce the chronology and context of the conflict, as well as the primary factors influencing the conflict, from the late 19th century onward. We will explore and analyze the role of religion, nationalism, politics, and culture as they relate to the various stakeholders in the conflict. The aim of the course is to analyze resource materials and view the conflict from the many perspectives of the stakeholders, utilizing sociological, political, religious, and anthropological lenses. In addition to exploring the history of the conflict, we will locate the conflict in the current international matrix and discuss failed and pending prospects for resolution. Although the course is limited in enrollment, there are no formal prerequisites. Students will be expected to critically engage in discussion and demonstrate proficiency in research analysis.
This course introduces students to contemporary debates about international security. It focuses on traditional and new security threats and on their impact on the relations between states and nations in a globalized world. The first part explores traditional approaches to international security, focusing on realism, liberalism and constructivism. Specific attention is paid to the concepts of balance of power, collective security, deterrence, and containment, and to the diffusion of norms. The second part discusses non-traditional security threats and how governments and international organizations face the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and small arms. The course further explores the link between conflict and immigration, epidemic diseases, manipulation of sex ratios, and energy and environmental scarcities. The third part examines how large theoretical frameworks discussed in the first part, and current policy challenges, discussed in the second, relate to existing security concerns in different regions of the world. Close attention is paid to the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union.
This course examines the development of warfare and the growth of the state from the French Revolution to the end of the Second World War. We examine the phenomenon of war in its broader socio-economic context, focusing on nationalism, bureaucratization, industrialization and democratization. We will go into some detail on the two major conflicts of the twentieth century, the First and Second World Wars. Students are required to do all the reading. Every student will make a presentation in class on the readings for one class (25% of the grade), and there will be one big final (75%).
Delegation is a pervasive feature of representative democracy. For instance, voters delegate public policy choices to elected politicians, elected politicians delegate choices of electoral strategy to party leaders, and elected politicians delegate the details of public policy to non-elected bureaucrats. This course introduces students to some of the big questions raised by political delegation, and to the basic tools that positive political theorists use to grapple with these questions. Finally, it surveys the use of these tools in a wide range of applications, including elections and electoral accountability, legislative politics, bureaucratic politics, federalism, and the politics of economic policy.
This course explores the rational choice approach to understanding political phenomena. The main results of social choice theory, game theory, and spatial modeling are presented through application to a broad range of political situations: voting, legislative politics, political campaigns, comparison of electoral systems, the evolution of cooperation, and international relations. While there are no formal mathematical prerequisites for the course, some familiarity with mathematical reasoning and formalism is a must.
This course explores the rational choice approach to understanding political phenomena. The main results of social choice theory, game theory, and spatial modeling are presented through application to a broad range of political situations: voting, legislative politics, political campaigns, comparison of electoral systems, the evolution of cooperation, and international relations. While there are no formal mathematical prerequisites for the course, some familiarity with mathematical reasoning and formalism is a must.
This course on the interactions between art and politics in the twentieth century will be conducted as an intensive and advanced seminar. Drawing on art history, literature and political theory we will explore the ways that politics and the practices of artistic representation intersect. Much of the course will treat questions of race and identity. Our focus will primarily include French and American examples including but not limited to the representation and theorization of torture, forced migration, lynching, globalization and racial categories. Students will be expected to look at art, read poetry and literary texts, analyze and understand political theory and participate in a series of speakers and symposia outside of the class. This course has been designed for students from across the humanities and the social sciences.
This course deals with the role of vision and representation in current political thought. This is a broad theme. To explore it we will read a variety of critics and theorists such as John Dewey, Michel Foucault, and Susan Sontag. We also will explore efforts in a broad range of visual media such as graphics and photography to envision such matters as race and color, migrations and boundaries, material inequality, and so forth. By analyzing these resources, students will develop their skills, both oral and written, at formulating their own arguments on important political themes.
This advanced undergraduate course in political theory focuses on various topics in democratic theory such as the relation between democracy and other basic political principles (liberty, equality, justice), whether democratic institutions should best be aggregative or deliberative, and the role of referenda, lotteries and new telecommunications technology in democratic decision-making. Readings are drawn from both advocates and critics of democratic politics and will encompass historical and contemporary theorists. The class format will combine lecture and discussion.
The fundamental assumption of this course is that in most important political and social settings the ability of any actor to achieve her objectives is dependent on what she expects other relevant actors to do. This sort of interdependency is the defining feature of strategic interaction. We examine the implications of this basic assumption for a range of important political questions. To this end we focus on a range of concrete examples and explore them with sets of analytical models - drawn mostly from game theory and social choice theory. While the models necessarily are abstract and so are formulated in symbols, this is not a course in mathematics, and NO special mathematical knowledge is needed for this course. Instead, all that is presupposed is a willingness to address analytical concepts head on.
What determines the size of government, the extent and type of public good provision, the effect of interest groups and lobbying on legislators, and the connection between business and electoral cycles? These are the types of questions that this course will address -- questions that investigate the intersection of politics and economics. Other topics include regulation and bureaucracy, monetary policy and central banks, and taxation and redistribution. The course will draw on a broad range of theoretical perspectives from positive political theory, public choice, and economics. Therefore, although there are no formal prerequisites for the course, some exposure to basic game theory or microeconomics would be helpful.
Game theory, despite its frivolous-sounding name, gives us a unified approach to understanding social phenomena. It helps us understand not just the way people play games in the usual sense, like tic-tac-toe, chess or poker, but the way they behave in complex social situations as well. Examples of situations to which we will apply the theory include (but are not limited to): arms races, provision of public goods, competition between firms, electoral campaigns, voting, auctions, and bargaining. There are no formal prerequisites,but some aptitude for logical or mathematical reasoning is desirable.
The Constitution helps define, as it perhaps reflects, American society. In this scheme, religion has a special role. It, arguably uniquely, is given both Constitutional protection (free exercise) as well as Constitutional limitation (no establishment). Religion's placement in the Bill of Rights (as a part of the First Amendment) suggests its importance (both in protection and in limitation) to the founders, and religion's role in society today remains important and controversial. This course examines the historical forces that led to the adoption of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, the subsequent development of those clauses (importantly through the close reading of key Supreme Court opinions), and religion's role in modern American society.
This course will study the political philosophy of Rousseau and the French Revolution.
Despite Africa's cultural and ecological diversity, what nearly all African countries share is a post-colonial condition. European colonialism, ending around 1960 throughout most of Africa, dismantled local political structures and established modern state apparatuses, bringing African states into an international order of democratic and sovereign nation-states. However, the formation of state sovereignty, citizen subjects, nationalism, and a governing class has been anything but straightforward. This course will examine theories of post-coloniality, sovereignty, and the state, as well as anthropological accounts showing how state sovereignty is affected by international aid organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), transnational religious movements, and international law.
Why did parties emerge? How have political parties changed? Is politics today more candidate-centered than party-centered? If so, so what? If parties are losing their grip on the loyalties of the voters, why are parties growing stronger and more meaningful as organizations and in Congress? Is democracy workable without political parties? This is a reading course addressing these and related questions. Undergraduates wishing to take this course must discuss their interest with the instructor and secure his permission prior to registering. This course may be taken for upper level writing credit.
This seminar examines the scope, modes, and theoretical perspectives on political participation in the United States. We consider demographic and socio-economic theories on political participation (race, class, and gender) as well as how social context and rational decision-making influence individuals' decisions to participate in the political process. Students are required to write weekly summary papers and write a research paper.
Through intensive reading and discussion, we will analyze major issues in congressional history and legislative institutions. We will examine the basic institutions of the House and Senate--committees, parties, leaders, and rules. We will also examine the development of careerism, the seniority system, and the relationship between legislative behavior and electoral concerns. The course is designed to introduce students to the principal approaches used by political scientists to study Congress, with special emphasis on the development of congressional institutions over time. This is an advanced seminar, appropriate for juniors and seniors with substantial background in political science, economics, and history.
The United States Congress has always dominated the modern study of legislatures. In recent years, however, legislative scholars have paid increasing attention to the value of comparative studies. American state legislatures, in particular, offer a rich field for examining the impact (and origins) of institutional differences. In this course, we will look side-by-side at the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and the 99 state legislative chambers. We will consider the major institutions within a legislative chamber, including the role of committees, leaders, parties, and rules in legislative organization. But, taking advantage of this comparative approach, we will also gain insight into the effects of term limits, bicameralism, party competition, seniority systems, professionalization, careerism, ideological heterogeneity, money in politics, and links between campaigns and governance.
This course will survey recent research on the politics of bureaucracy. We will begin with a study of why and when elected politicians create bureaucracies and delegate authority to them. We will then study a series of topics regarding the operation and design of existing bureaucracies. Depending on the interest of students, topics may include: oversight and control of bureaucracies by elected politicians; bureaucratic capacity and performance; the political economy of regulatory bureaucracies; "red tape" and corruption; judicial control of bureaucracy; institutions and practices for the staffing of bureaucracies (e.g. patronage systems); advisory bureaucracies and bureaucratic expertise in policymaking; and military and intelligence bureaucracies. The course will draw heavily, but not exclusively, on formal theories and statistical evidence. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor, or at least one course in Techniques of Analysis at the 200 level or above and one course in Positive Theory at the 200 level or above. |