Courses
Spring 2012
EAS 329/POL 357Politics of Japan(SA)This course serves as an introduction to Japanese politics. It will, address in some detail Japan's political institutions as well as the historical moments and choices that have shaped them. It will examine the incentives and interests that continue to hamper the reforms that virtually all observers believe that the government needs. In addition, it will go beyond the core institutions of governance to consider broader issues: the relationship between the government and the governed, and the distinctive shape of the ties between state and society in contemporary Japan.David R. Leheny
EAS 338/POL 354International Politics in Hollywood: American Wars in Asia on Film(SA)American cinema has long been one of the world's most important sources of entertainment, and has been examined both at home and abroad for the political messages embedded in its films. This course investigates the presentation of American engagement in Asia over the past half-century, examining depictions of the United States and of Asian allies and opponents alike. Our focus will be on public representations of international relations--particularly through war and economic conflict--but we will also ask how changing images of the United States, as well as evolving practices in the film industry itself, shape how Asia appears on film.David R. Leheny
EPS 300/POL 384European Politics and Society in the 20th Century(SA)The course aims to cover the critical developments of twentieth-century Europe and the consolidation of democracy in European countries. It will deal with the legacy of the two world wars, Nazism, Stalinism, the Cold War, the legacy of colonialism and decolonization, the birth and development of the European Community, the development of the welfare state, the problems confronting the European Union (immigration, enlargement, political institutions, military role, and the single currency), and the varieties of democratic institutions in Europe.Harold JamesEzra N. Suleiman
LAS 318/WWS 498/POL 471Passive Aggressive Diplomacy: US-Latin American RelationsThis seminar surveys US-Latin American diplomatic relations. The focus will be on old or recurrent historical myths and disparate perspectives on the nature of hemispheric links. Key Cold War crises will be reviewed, specially as they affect the present. Topics covered: The Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations' approaches to democracy, security, and economic policies; and new issues in relation to the larger emerging countries (Mexico and Brazil) and Andean governance in the context of the current crisis of globalization and evolving crosscurrents of power in the international system.Ricardo V. Luna
POL 210Political Theory(EM)The course explores ideas about justice, authority, freedom, and revolution in the work of classical and modern authors from Plato to Marx. It will be both thematic and historical in nature - and introductory.Alan RyanKevin A. Wolfe
POL 230Introduction to Comparative Politics(SA)This course surveys institutions of government and explores the role of government in economic and social affairs in developing as well as advanced industrial countries. The overarching theme is the relationship between capitalism, democracy, and economic development. The course also provides an introduction to the comparative method: using some major books in Comparative Politics as examples, we will explore how different scholars use cross-national comparison to gain insight into political dynamics.Grigore Pop-Eleches
POL 240International Relations(SA)This course is an introduction to the causes and nature of international conflict and cooperation. We critically examine various theories of international politics by drawing on examples from various historical eras as well as across security and economic affairs. Topics include the causes of war, the pursuit of economic prosperity, the sources of international order and its breakdown, and the rise of challenges to national sovereignty.Marzenna JamesDavid B. Carter
POL 303Modern Political Theory(EM)This course offers an overview of classic texts in modern political theory, focusing on the social contract tradition. Readings include selections from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, and Rawls.Anna B. Stilz
POL 305/SOC 320/GER 312Radical Political Thought(EM)This course will examine traditions of political thought--mostly, but not only, on the Left--which challenge mainstream conceptions of liberal democracy and modern capitalist society. The main focus will be on Marxism, anarchism, feminism, religious radicalism, ecological thought, and critiques of alienation in everyday life. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between political and cultural criticism, and to the philosophical anthropologies underlying different theories as well as the mechanisms for social change they envisage. We also ask if liberal democratic thought can effectively respond to radical challenges.Jan-Werner Müller
POL 306/PHI 360/CHV 306Democratic Theory(EM)This course will introduce students to the principal historical figures in thinking about democracy: Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Mill, Schumpeter and others. But the rationale of the course is philosophical rather than historical. Let democracy require that government be of the people, by the people and for the people: that the people be the ultimate governing authority, that they be the agents by whom government is conducted, and that they be the beneficiaries in whose interest government is exercised. The aim of the course will be to see whether there is a plausible and appealing sense in which those conditions can be fulfilled.Philip N. Pettit
POL 314American Constitutional Development(SA)A survey of the development of American constitutionalism, considered historically as the product of legal, political and intellectual currents and crises. Coverage includes the Founding, the Marshall and Taney eras, the slavery crisis, the rise of corporate capitalism, the emergence of the modern state, the New Deal crisis, and new forms of rights and liberties. Topics include the growth of Supreme Court power, the Court's relation to the states and the other federal branches, and the influence on constitutional understandings of economic developments, reform movements, wars, party competition, and legal and political thought.Keith E. Whittington
POL 316Civil Liberties(EM)An inquiry into the value of liberty and of particular civil rights and liberties. The course considers competing theoretical justifications for rights and liberties generally, as well as particular problems concerning freedom of speech and the press, religion, sexuality, abortion, and discrimination. Supreme Court opinions regarding the constitutionality of legislation in each of these areas will be discussed and criticized.Russell K. NieliRobert P. George
POL 318Law and Society(SA)An examination of courts as unique legal and political institutions with distinctive approaches to resolving disputes and formulating law and public policy. Emphasis is on American and international courts.Paul Frymer
POL 327Mass Media and American Politics(SA)This course considers the role of the mass media in American politics and the influence of the media on Americans' political attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. We will examine the nature of news and news making organizations, the role of the news media in electoral campaigns, how the media shape the behavior of politicians once in office, political advertising, and the impact of the media on Americans' political attitudes.Martin I. Gilens
POL 352Comparative Political Economy(SA)This course forms part of the political economy core, and it introduces political economy models in the context of comparative politics. The course will emphasize the interaction between political institutions and economic goals and it will illustrate the application of the analytical and empirical methods developed in the other core courses in political economy. The course will apply the tools of political economy to understand the reasons for the differences among countries' levels of economic and political development, and to explain the interconnectedness of political and economic outcomes.John B. Londregan
POL 367/LAS 367Latin American Politics(SA)The course analyzes twentieth century Latin America. The course maintains a thematic focus - presenting competing theoretical arguments about democracy and development in the region. The readings and lectures evaluate these arguments in the context of six cases: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.Deborah J. Yashar
POL 378Politics in India(SA)This course will introduce students to politics in the large subcontinental country of India. Themes discussed during the course will be those that are both important to India and to a general study of politics in a developing country. The following questions will help organize the course: How does one make sense of democracy in a poor, multi-ethnic setting? How has democratic politics shaped and been shaped by a society divided along numerous lines such as caste, class, and linguistic and religious identities? And how well has a democratic state fared in promoting economic development, both growth and equity?Atul Kohli
POL 379Intelligence, National Security and the Constitutional Democracy(SA)This course treats intelligence and constitutional issues essential to evaluate controversies in national security and civil liberties in a democracy. We examine tensions through history, statute, technology, public opinion, the media and current events. Can we implement effective security and not adversely impact our constitutional rights? What is the "correct" relationship between intelligence and law enforcement? Should information be shared and/or protected? Technology threatens or protects? Is post 9/11 reform on track? You decide if government is making the right choices "for the country and individuals" based on this critical material.Diane C. Snyder
POL 380Human Rights(SA)A study of the politics and history of human rights. What are human rights? How can dictatorships be resisted from the inside and the outside? Can we prevent genocide? Is it morally acceptable and politically wise to launch humanitarian military interventions to prevent the slaughter of foreign civilians? What are the laws of war, and how can we punish the war criminals who violate them? Cases include the Ottoman Empire, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Bosnia, and Rwanda.Gary J. Bass
POL 385International Political Economy(SA)This course explores the following questions: who wins and who loses from globalization of trade and finance? Who sets the rules under which the game of international capitalism is played? How powerful are international organizations like the WTO or the IMF, nation-states, or NGOs? These issues are explored with reference to economic and political theories, history and contemporary events.Tyson L. Roberts
POL 392American Foreign Policy(SA)This course analyzes the formation and conduct of foreign policy in the United States. The course combines three major elements: a study of the history of American foreign relations since 1865; an analysis of the causes of American foreign policy such as the international system, public opinion, and the media; and a discussion of the major policy issues in contemporary U.S. foreign policy, including terrorism, civil wars, and economic policy.Dominic R. Tierney
POL 410Seminar in Political Theory: Executive Power(SA)This seminar examines an important conundrum associated with the theory of executive power. Political theorists have long recognized that as the laws cannot foresee every contingency, men and women must rule when necessity demands. However, entrusting men and women with such discretionary power is problematic because they might abuse it. We will study how prominent theorists of executive power, including Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Publius have attempted to solve this conundrum. Drawing on secondary literature as well as documentaries and news reports, we will also analyze the feasibility of their solutions in the modern world.Rahul Sagar
POL 411/CLA 411/HLS 411Seminar in Political Theory: Greece and Rome as Political Models(SA)What political models do ancient Athens, Sparta, and Rome represent, and how have these models been interpreted and used in the subsequent history of political thought? Half of this course is devoted to understanding the political institutions of ancient Greece and Rome by reading major historical writers of the time such as Thucydides, Livy, and Plutarch, as well as modern scholars. The other half explores the significance of Greece and Rome for political theory, including case studies of authors such as Machiavelli, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, and modern democratic theorists.Melissa S. Lane
POL 417/CHV 417Indigenous Peoples and Historic Injustice (EM)In many colonial countries, indigenous peoples were displaced as part of the settlement process. Their descendants remain part of our society, reduced in number and often economically and culturally vulnerable. What is the proper way for settler societies like the US to respond to this history? Does it owe indigenous peoples special rights, reparations, or a symbolic apology? In considering the answers to these questions, we will examine some important topics in political philosophy, including rights over property and territory, the importance of preserving indigenous cultures, and claims to self-determination and self-government.Anna B. Stilz
POL 420Seminar in American Politics: Presidential Power: Strategies of Governance(SA)This course examines how presidents use power, focusing on the strategic context of the presidency and the tools of presidential governance: what they are, how they work, how to use them effectively, and with what consequences. The emphasis is on the "nuts and bolts" of what modern presidents do. Students conduct case studies of presidential power in action.Charles M. Cameron
POL 432Seminar in Comparative Politics: The Politics of Race in Comparative Perspective(SA)This seminar will explore the causes and consequences of race politics around the world, using theories and methods from political science to elucidate substantively important questions. We will begin by considering the very concept of race, and how it compares with the related notion of "ethnicity". We will study the making and unmaking of white supremacy, "racial democracy", and other racial orders, including the cases of South Africa, the United States, and Brazil. Other topics include conflict over census categories; preference policies; and the effects of racial diversity on trust.Evan S. Lieberman
WWS 301/POL 308/CHV 301Ethics and Public Policy(EM)The course examines major moral controversies in public life and differing conceptions of justice and the common good. It seeks to help students develop the skills required for thinking and writing about the ethical considerations that ought to shape public institutions, guide public authorities, and inform the public's judgments. The course will focus on issues that are particularly challenging for advanced, pluralist democracies such as the USA, including justice in war, terrorism and torture, paternalism, markets and distributive justice, abortion, the law of marriage and the place, if any, of religious arguments in politics.Stephen J. Macedo
WWS 306/POL 329Public Leadership and Public Policy(SA)This course will review key Presidential policy decisions on issues such as the Iraq wars, the Watergate tapes, the Voting Rights Act and the Cuban missile crisis, and will consider the ethical, legal, and operational frameworks for effective, responsible public leadership. Students will review relevant literature from history, psychology and politics, discuss the central policy issues in each case, and evaluate the decision-making process in view of these frameworks.Nathan B. Scovronick
WWS 336/POL 326/GSS 451Inequalities(SA)This seminar examines various types of human inequalities and considers several thought-provoking explanations for their occurrence. The focus is primarily conceptual and philosophical, although the discussions will include references to current instances of inequality and policies designed to alleviate them. The readings include both classics in political theory and more contemporary works.Nannerl O. Keohane
WWS 337/POL 398International Institutions and Law(SA)This course will focus on the continual tension between international law and international politics. It will examine the impact of this tension on issues of intervention and also on other issues of substantive importance, including environmental protection, trade, human rights, laws of war applicable to the "war on terror," and crimes of state. It will discuss recent developments affecting international institutions and recent changes in international law, such as the changing conception of "sovereignty."Robert O. Keohane
WWS 461/POL 399China's Foreign Relations(SA)This course will review and analyze the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the present. It will examine Beijing's relations with the Soviet Union, the United States, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Third World during the Cold War, and will discuss the future of Chinese foreign policy in light of the end of the Cold War, changes in the Chinese economy, the post-Tiananmen legitimacy crisis in Beijing, and the continuing rise of Chinese power and influence in Asia and beyond.Thomas J. Christensen
WWS 470/POL 391/CHV 470Comparative Constitutional Law(SA)This course will introduce students to the variety of forms of constitutional government and the way that human rights are understood and enforced by courts around the world. We will trace the emergence of a global constitutional culture and focus more directly on the constitutions of South Africa, India, Germany, France, Hungary, Israel and Canada We will give primary emphasis to the rights provisions in national constitutions, but will also take transnational constitutional regimes through examining decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.Gábor HalmaiKim Lane Scheppele
WWS 475/POL 393Special Topics in Public Affairs: Grand Strategy(SA)Military strategy was defined by Clausewitz as the use of battle to achieve the objectives of war. Grand strategy is broader, encompassing the attempted use by political leaders of financial, economic, and diplomatic, as well as military, power to achieve their objectives in peacetime and in war. This seminar will examine the theory and practice of grand strategy both to illuminate how relations among city-states, empires, kingdoms and nation states have evolved over the centuries and also to identify some common challenges that have confronted all who seek to make and execute grand strategy, from Pericles to Barack Obama.Aaron L. Friedberg