Political Science
Note: the courses on this page reflect Summer Term 2008 offerings.
Please check back on December 15 for a list of courses available during Summer Term 2009.
College of Arts and Sciences
CAS PO 101 Introduction to Political Science
Overview of political science and its subfields: American politics, public policy,
comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. Focus on
core questions and issues in the discipline. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 191 Utopias and Dystopias
A study of the more famous fictitious political communities: Plato's Republic,
Machiavelli's The Prince, More's Utopia and Orwell's 1984. Issues include the
nature of the good society, the tension between political ideals and political
realities and the role of imagination in political theory and political practice.
(Summer only.) 4 cr.
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CAS PO 211 Introduction to American Politics
Undergraduate core course. Study of the national political structure;
emphasis on Congress, the executive, administrative agencies, and the judiciary.
Relations between formal institutions, parties, and interest groups. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 241 Introduction to Public Policy
Undergraduate core course. Analysis of several issue areas: civil rights,
school desegregation, welfare and social policy, education and urban housing,
energy and the environment. Characteristics of policy systems in each issue
area are analyzed to identify factors which may affect the content and implementation
of public policies. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 251 Introduction to Comparative Politics
Undergraduate core course. Examines different patterns of political
development and contemporary politics in Western Europe, Latin America, Africa,
and the former Soviet bloc. Introduces the comparative method in political science
and competing theories of political development and political change. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 271 Introduction to International Relations
Undergraduate core course. Study of basic factors in international
relations, Western state systems, balance of power, nationalism, and imperialism.
Primarily for concentrators. Meets with CAS IR 271. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 291 Introduction to Political Theory
Examines classic and current views on the nature of authority, liberty,
and justice. Topics include civil disobedience, freedom of expression, abortion
rights, and affirmative action. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 300 Special Topics in American Politics
Summer 2008 Topic: Race and Politics. Examines contemporary American
politics through the lens of race. Explores conceptual and methodological issues,
while focusing on how racial identity shapes, and is shaped by, the American
political system. Topics may include group participation, political representation,
public opinion, voting behavior, the possibilities for coalition building, and
majority backlash. Consideration of the causes and consequences of mobilizing
around race and how changing patterns of political incorporation (or alienation)
of racial groups have impacted their political power. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 312 American Political Culture
An examination of how Americans think about politics--specifically,
of the values, beliefs, norms, and separate ideologies that constitute American
liberalism. Where did this political culture originate? How does it condition
political behavior and public policy? How does it differ from other political
cultures? 4 cr.
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CAS PO 317 Presidential Leadership
Presidential power and functions; relations with Congress, political
party, and the public; personality and leadership; and comparative study
of selected presidents. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 324 Media and Politics in the United States
Examines changes over time in the American polity's assumptions
about what the press ought to do. In particular, relates our understanding
of the
press's role to contemporary media developments including technological changes,
corporate media ownership, and the re-amateurization of journalism. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 352 North-South Relations
Employs a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the relations between
the industrialized nations of the "North" and the developing nations
of the "South." Addresses historical and current issues in North-South
relations, including trade, investment, migration, regional economic integration,
and the environment. Meets with CAS IR 395. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 367 Introduction to Latin American Politics and International
Relations
Introduction to the patterns and complexities of Latin American politics
and foreign policies. Focuses on the distinctive Latin American political experience
and alternative explanations for it, including colonization, the international
economy, and human and material resource capacity and utilization. Meets with
CAS IR 367. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 369 China: From Revolution to Reform
Explores the economic, political, and social upheavals that followed the Chinese
revolution in 1949 and the cause of subsequent inauguration of reform in the
late 1970s. Analyzes the tensions that brought about the 1989 upheaval in Tiananmen
Square, as well as the implications of China's emergence as an economic power.
Meets with CAS IR 370. 4 cr.
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CAS PO 548 The Politics of Education
Overview of the origins of public schooling, the purpose of public
education, and controversial educational policies and research. 4 cr.
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Courses of Related Interest
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