Courses

• CAS PO 370: Soviet Politics, 1917-91
  Meets with CAS IR 363. 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 363.
• CAS PO 371: The Politics of Post-Communist Russia
  (Meets with CAS IR 364.) 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 364.
• CAS PO 372: Russian and Post-Soviet Foreign Relations
  Meets with CAS IR 375. Decisive factors in the foreign relations of Russia and the other former Soviet republics, including historical continuity and change, survival and change of ideology, domestic politics, economic and geographical factors, military and external political considerations. The future of arms control, nuclear weapons, the economy, and relations among the former republics are also examined. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 375.
• CAS PO 377: Africa in International Politics
  Meets with CAS IR 351. Introduction to the international relations of post-colonial Africa. Core themes include the politics of post-independence international alignments, the external causes and effects of authoritarian rule, and Africa's role in the global political economy. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 390.
• CAS PO 378: International Human Rights: Applying Human Rights in Africa
  Meets with CAS IR 352. Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. Topics include universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and issues in human rights enforcement. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 587.
• CAS PO 382: International Conflicts and Cooperation
  Is world politics "winner take all" or mutual gain? Do individuals count? Why do nations expand? Does it pay to fight? How do friends become foes and foes friends? Can swords become plowshares? Can we make a better world? Organizing for peace and human rights. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 370.
• CAS PO 383: Making Sense of the World: Conceptual Foundations of International Relations
  (Meets with CAS IR 360.) Introduction to various analytical approaches for understanding the dynamics of global interaction. Explores the variety of "worlds" made visible through the lens of theory. Fosters critical thinking about how conceptual tools shape our understanding of the world and attempted solutions to global problems. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 372.
• CAS PO 384: Global Governance and International Organization
  Meets with CAS IR 373. Provides an overview of major theoretical perspectives on the creation and function of international organizations, comparative case studies of selected organizations, and an examination of present and future roles of international organizations in selected issue areas. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 385.
• CAS PO 391: Classical to Early Modern Political Theory
  A text-oriented study of the principal political ideas of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Machiavelli.
• CAS PO 392: Modern Political Theory
  Intensive study of the political philosophy of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, and Nietzsche. Classes are generally a combination of lecture and discussion but also include formal debates, guest lectures, and films.
• CAS PO 393: The European Enlightenment
  Survey of the intellectual and social transformation of Europe from the 1680s to the French Revolution. Readings draw on both eighteenth-century sources (including Voltaire, Diderot, Condorcet, Lessing, Smith, and Hume) and recent work by historians. Also offered as CAS HI 215. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 395.
• CAS PO 394: Catastrophe & Memory
  Examines the ways in which catastrophes, both natural and social, enter into cultural memory. Goal is to understand how events that seem to defy comprehension are represented in works of art and given a place in the memory of a culture. Also offered as CAS HI 221. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 397.
• CAS PO 425: Seminar: State Building and Failure in the Developing World
  Considers the political significance of failed and fragile states in the developing world in the post-9/11 era. Students analyze historical patterns of state formation and its relevance in contemporary society. Also offered as CAS SO 439.
• CAS PO 491: Directed Study in Political Science
  Directed study conducted under the supervision of a faculty member in Political Science.
• CAS PO 492: Directed Study in Political Science
  Directed study conducted under the supervision of a faculty member in Political Science.
• CAS PO 493: Independent Work in Political Science
  Open to upper division concentrators. Students have a minimum GPA of 3.2 with a 3.4 in the major plus the ability to do independent work in the judgment of the major faculty advisor. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 401.
• CAS PO 494: Independent Work in Political Science
  Open to upper division concentrators. Students have a minimum GPA of 3.2 with a 3.4 in the major plus the ability to do independent work in the judgement of the major faculty advisor. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 402.
• CAS PO 500: The Politics of Education
  Overview of the origins of public schooling, the purpose of public education, and controversial educational policies and research. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 548.
• CAS PO 502: Political Analysis: A Primer
  The logic and methods of empirical analysis in political science. Includes discussion of experimental, observational, ethnographic, and mass survey research designs. Recommended for students pursuing Honors reserach or considering graduate work in political science.
• CAS PO 503: The U.S. in the Middle East
  Meets with CAS IR 503. Examines the historical development and present status of the United States' association with the Middle East: American commercial, economic, political, military, and humanitarian interests in the area and their interaction. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 570.

Back to full list of College of Arts & Sciences