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  • CAS PO 334: Political Violence
    Explores the concept of political violence and the dynamics of violent political behavior. Critically examines the causes and consequences of political violence around the world. Topics include civil war, government repression and disciplining, electoral violence, riots and demonstrations, vigilante and intercommunal violence. Comparative perspectives with a particular emphasis on the Global South. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Critical Thinking
  • CAS PO 336: Voting Rights
  • CAS PO 341: European Politics
    Comparative study of politics in member states of the European Union, with emphasis on political development, institutions, major issues in contemporary politics, and the impact of European integration. Selective references to original and new member states of the EU.
  • CAS PO 343: Europe and International Relations
    Provides an overview of European affairs. Topics include the foreign policies of European nations, the dynamics of European integration, NATO, international migration and ethnic conflict, and European relations with the United States, Russia, and neighboring countries.
  • CAS PO 344: Democracy: Its Origins, Breakdown and Outcomes
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS PO 151 or CAS SO 100.
    How do political scientists explain the emergence of democratic regimes? And what factors explain their breakdown? We look at these questions across a range of countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions of the world.
  • CAS PO 346: Bombs and Bombshells: Gender, Armed Conflict, and Political Violence
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore, junior, or senior standing.
    Interdisciplinary course surveying women's relationship to political violence with a focus on the evolution of women's international participation in non-state, religiously-motivated groups. Women's roles in political violence throughout Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East are explored.
  • CAS PO 350: The Making of Asia
    Explores the diverse experiences of modernization and development in China, Japan, Korea, as well as the countries of Southeast Asia. Also examines the domestic and international impacts of growing social-economic ties, as well as the complex security challenges among Asian states. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS PO 351: China: from Revolution to Reform
    Introduction to modern Chinese politics including the development of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the political development of the PRC since its founding in 1949. Focus is on the party's official policy and its changing relationships with the people of China. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS PO 352: Rise of China
    China's political, economic, and strategic development since the late nineteenth century, with emphasis on the period since 1949. Examines three questions: In what ways is China rising? How did it happen? What are the impacts of China's rise on the U.S. and the global system? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS PO 353: Political Economy of East Asia
    Examines the interactions of politics and economics within and among the major economies of Northeast and Southeast Asia. Considers how the activities of governments and businesses affect patterns of development, economic policy, trade, investment, and regional cooperation.
  • CAS PO 354: Southeast Asia in World Politics
    Examines Southeast Asia as an important emerging political, economic, and security region in world politics. Background materials, including the region's history, cultural diversity, and geo-strategic position, are given weight in the course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Critical Thinking
  • CAS PO 355: International Relations of South Asia
    Introduction to South Asia and regional conflict and cooperation. Focus on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka inter-state relations; great power interventions; power distributions; norms; political, military, and economic conflict and cooperation.
  • CAS PO 356: Nuclear Security
    Provides students with the foundation for understanding nuclear security in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the American Cold War experience, the growing threat of nuclear proliferation, the renaissance of civilian nuclear power, safeguards, and nuclear weapons under budget constraints. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS PO 357: Causes of War and Peace
    War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen? This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 358: International Nuclear Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
    This course examines politics, history, and technologies surrounding nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. It foregrounds the "global atomic marketplace" with emphasis on the challenges and opportunities for nuclear proliferation and nonproliferation. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Writing- Intensive Course.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 360: Introduction to Latin American Politics and International Relations
    Examines patterns and complexities of Latin American politics and foreign policies. Focuses on a range of Latin American political and historical experiences, from colonization to global inequality to the impact of Indigenous, Black, feminist and other social movements in the region. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS PO 362: The Changing Politics of Europe
    Examines major trends in European politics from 1945 to the present. Analyzes the division of Germany, the establishment of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe, and the evolution of East/West political systems. Traces the development of the European Community and events up to the reunification of Germany.
  • CAS PO 368: Introduction to Middle East Politics
    Employs social science theories to explain the political development of the Middle East since World War I. Part 1 examines state formation and competing explanations for authoritarianism. Part 2 analyzes social movements ranging from Islamist groups to mass mobilization.
  • CAS PO 370: Soviet Politics, 1917-91
    Analysis of the structure and functioning of major political institutions - government bureaucracy, Communist party, and others - and polity-society relations during the 74 years of the USSR's existence. Prime focus is institutional rather than historical and deals with the Soviet political "game" as it was played.
  • CAS PO 371: The Politics of Post-Communist Russia
    Analysis of the emergent political forces, institutions, and alliances in the post- Soviet Russian Federation, against the background of the unresolved economic, ethnic, and social problems that are the USSR's legacy to the "new Russia"; prospects for stabilization are assessed in the context of the multiple crises facing Russia today.

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