Courses

• CAS PO 300: Special Topics in American Politics
  Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different.
• CAS PO 301: Presidential Leadership
  Presidential power and functions; relations with Congress, political party, and the public; personality and leadership; and comparative study of selected presidents. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 317.
• CAS PO 302: Congress and Its Critics
  Is Congress the "broken branch"? Can it be fixed? How congress works; legislative process; interactions with other branches; congressional elections; campaign finance; how Congress has changed and may evolve in the future. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the title "The Legislative Process in America" that was previously numbered CAS PO 311.
• CAS PO 304: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 315. (Offered alternate years.)
• CAS PO 306: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 324.
• CAS PO 309: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 342.
• CAS PO 313: The Politics and Policy of HBO's The Wire
  HBO's television series The Wire is used to explore politics and policy. A number of interdisciplinary topics are covered, including the war on drugs, urban elections, bureaucracy, rational choice theory, and the decline of American cities. Also offered as CAS AA 313.
• CAS PO 321: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 343.
• CAS PO 324: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 341.
• CAS PO 325: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 302.
• CAS PO 327: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 333.
• CAS PO 328: North-South Relations
  Meets with CAS IR 395. 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 352.
• CAS PO 329: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 355.
• CAS PO 330: Special Topics in Comparative Politics
  Topics vary. Topic for Fall 2016: Europe in Crisis. With slow growth, the rise of anti-EU parties and secessionist movements, the very nature of the European Union and its member states is at stake. Is the Euro to blame? Where is the EU headed?
• CAS PO 332: Global Justice
  Charts the historical course of human development and inquires why the quality of life varies so dramatically in the world today. Geographic, economic, and political factors are explored.
• CAS PO 341: 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 361.
• CAS PO 343: Europe and International Relations
  Meets with CAS IR 250. Provides an overview 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 382.
• CAS PO 344: Democracy: Origins and Breakdown
  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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Comparative Political Development" that was numbered CAS PO 357.
• CAS PO 350: The Pacific Challenge
  (Meets with CAS IR 275.) The dynamic growth of the Pacific Rim countries poses an impressive array of challenges for the U.S. and the world. Analyzes Japanese trade and defense policies, the rise of the "mini-dragons" (Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and "new mini-dragons" (Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia), "Confucian capitalism," democratization (and its failure in China), and legacies of the Indochina war. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 365.
• CAS PO 351: China: from Revolution to Reform
  (Meets with CAS IR 370.) 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. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 369.

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