Home

Political Science

View courses in

  • CAS PO 503: The U.S. in the Middle East
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing. - 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.
  • CAS PO 505: Readings in American Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different.
  • CAS PO 507: Development of American Constitutional Law
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO111 & CASPO304) - A survey of the development of constitutional law and the exercise of power by the U.S. Supreme Court. The course is drawn entirely from decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and the principal theme is the development of national constitutions and power. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Historical Consciousness.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 508: The Judiciary and Civil Liberties
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - First Amendment rights of speech, press, assembly, religion; rights of defendants in criminal cases; and the constitutional protection of racial minorities. Supreme Court decision-making processes and modes of compliance with its decisions are also considered. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 515: American Politics and Use of Force
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO111) and junior standing, or consent of instructor. - Examines how domestic politics drive the use of force in the postwar United States. Explores how Congress, courts, interest groups, media, and public opinion define Presidential action in times of crisis, as well as the kinds of crises that evoke action.
  • CAS PO 516: Gender and Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or above. - Analyzes the relationship between gender and politics, law and policy primarily in the United States. Considers inequalities based on gender and sexuality, women's changing political, gender- and sexuality-based political action and social movements. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 517: Urban Politics and Policy
    Explores the impact of American urban politics on the implementation of local policy. Topics include deindustrialization, white flight, neighborhood effects, housing policy, schools, regionalism, and factors that constrain policy-making capacities. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 519: Inequality and American Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - This course examines the role of income inequality in shaping American politics and policy. Combining research from history, political science, economics, and public policy scholars, we will consider a range of important topics, including inequality in public voice, money and politics, and attitudes towards redistribution. We will apply this knowledge as part of a final paper project in metropolitan Boston. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 520: Readings in Public Policy
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different.
  • CAS PO 524: Local Policy Analysis Lab
    Experiential learning by doing research for local governments. In this class students will learn about local government and policy research and apply what they learn to help local government partners solve real problems through serious policy research. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS PO 528: Seminar: The Political Economy of Advanced Industrialized Societies
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO321 OR CASPO324) or consent of instructor. - Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing. - Surveys forces contributing to national differences in social and economic policy; identifies current challenges to state sovereignty, such as globalization and immigration; and examines how nations from different welfare state regimes are coping with these threats to the nation state.
  • CAS PO 529: Globalization and Contemporary Capitalism in Advanced Industrialized Nations
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Considers the impact of globalization on advanced industrialized nations. Explores global and regional governance of finance, trade, and multinationals. Examines changes in national economic practices in Europe, Asia, and the US, and their effects on jobs, inequality, welfare, and democracy.
  • CAS PO 530: Readings in Comparative Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different.
  • CAS PO 533: Globalization of Nationalism
    Focuses on the problem of nationalism, distinguishing types, examining origins, and analyzing political, social, and economic implications. Emphasis is on nationalism's spread into territories in Asia, specifically China, and under the cover of religion (e.g., ISIL) and secular social movements (e.g., "June Days" in Brazil).
  • CAS PO 535: European Integration
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Explores present, past, and potential future of the European Union. Investigates who is in charge and who matters in policymaking and politics. Examines a wide range of EU policies, including economics, security, and trade, and their impact on EU member-states.
  • CAS PO 536: Social Europe: Identity, Citizenship, and the Welfare State
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Meets with CAS IR 551. The past, present and future of "social Europe." Impact of European economic and political integration on national identities, cultures, politics, and citizenship; EU policies such as gender, human rights, migration and discrimination, plus the welfare state
  • CAS PO 539: Topics in European Politics and Culture
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing and consent of instructor. - Meets with CAS IR 452. Explores European politics through the lens of culture, focusing on critical moments and memory across time in Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Eastern Europe, Balkans, UK, and more, using materials from literature, film, the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
  • CAS PO 540: Prohibition
    The American experience of Prohibition is used to understand a variety of political and policy issues, including the War on Drugs, crime and law enforcement, bureaucracies, regulation, taxation, and social movements. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 542: Immigration: Politics and Policy
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Immigration has become a subject of much debate and controversy in democratic polities. This course explores the politics, economics, and social consequences of immigration policies across a number of countries, including European states and the United States. Effective Fall 2024 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS PO 546: People Power in Global Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor - Explores how everyday people shape global politics, drawing on classic studies of political anthropology as well as more recent examples of transnational and digital activism.

Related Bulletin Pages

Beyond the Bulletin