Courses

• 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. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
• 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. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
• CAS PO 251: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  Undergraduate core course. Meets with CAS IR 251. 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.
• CAS PO 271: Introduction to International Relations
  (Meets with CAS IR 271.) Undergraduate core course. Study of basic factors in international relations, Western state system, balance of power, nationalism, and imperialism. Primarily for concentrators. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
• CAS PO 291: Introduction to Political Theory
  Major works of political philosophy are considered, to address fundamental questions of political life. Looks at different conceptions of authority, justice, liberty, and equality, including how they justify and define government, law, and rights and how they pertain to current issues. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
• CAS PO 300: Special Topics in American Politics
  Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different. Topic for Fall 2012: Election Campaign Practicum. Analysis of contemporary American election dynamics using the 2012 elections as a case study. Students must devote at least 7 hours per week to an electoral campaign or other election-related activity beginning no later than the second week of classes and concluding with the week of October 29. Topics for the post-election period will be generated during election week on the basis of the election period experience and study.
• CAS PO 302: Campaigns and Elections Around the World
  Meets with CAS IR 302. Electoral campaigns in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Changes in campaigns over time; role of international political consultants; influence of party systems, electoral systems, campaign finance regulation, vote buying, and mass media; campaign effects on voting behavior and public opinion.
• CAS PO 309: America at War: The Response to 9/11
  Meets with CAS IR 309. Investigates America's wars against terrorism, focusing on Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, from 9/11 to the present. Traces the decisions that led to the wars, the military strategies employed, and the political ramifications of these conflicts in the U.S. and abroad.
• CAS PO 315: The Judicial Process
  Introduction to the judicial process. Topics include the role of lawyers and judges, the structure of the court system, juries, and legal reasoning. Primarily intended for students who have little or no exposure to law courses. (Offered alternate years.)
• 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.
• 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.
• CAS PO 333: Non-State Actors in International Relations
  Meets with CAS IR 333. Examines the important role of non-state actors in international relations. Non-state actors include subnational governments, international organizations, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, violent groups, for-profit security firms, social movements, and grassroots organizations.
• CAS PO 341: Comparative Public Policy
  Meets with CAS IR 340. Comparative study of the public policies of advanced societies in such areas as health training, unemployment, poverty, and budget. Explores why countries develop different solutions to policy needs, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various national approaches.
• CAS PO 342: Women and Politics
  (Meets with CAS WS 350.) Readings, discussion, and field research on issues of women?s relationship to the processes of political influence, change, and empowerment. Analysis of public policy related to women and children.
• CAS PO 343: Foundations of American Public Policy
  Investigates the social and political roots of U.S. policy solutions. Cross-national comparisons and historical perspectives are used to shed light on seemingly unique American solutions to pressing social and economic problems.
• CAS PO 351: The Politics of Race and Ethnicity
  Definitional hypotheses of race and ethnicity based on cultural, sociological, and biological determinants tested against concrete examples of plural societies in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Correlations between racial/ethnic differentiation and sociopolitical stratification and cleavages examined.
• 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.
• CAS PO 355: International Political Economy
  (Meets with CAS IR 390.) Emphasizes the dynamic interaction between politics and economics to understand and explain historical and contemporary issues in international political economy, including international monetary, trade, investment, financial, and environmental relations. Considers emerging challenges and structures in the international political economy.
• CAS PO 360: British Political Institutions
  Meets with CAS IR 359. The institutions of British democracy and political participation. Voting patterns, interest groups, and political parties; the role of Parliament, the cabinet, the monarchy, and civil service.
• CAS PO 361: European Politics
  Meets with CAS IR 362. 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.

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