This course provides an introductory overview of American government through study of the principal public documents, speeches, and constitutional law cases that define the American political tradition. By tracing the development of U.S. political institutions from the founding to the present, the course examines the ways in which American political ideals have become embodied in institutions as well as the ways in which practice has fallen short of these ideals. The course introduces students to contemporary ideological and policy debates, and prepares them for the role of citizen. 

A concise survey of the history of political philosophy. Intended to introduce students to some of the major alternative philosophic answers that have been given to the fundamental questions of political life, such as the nature of the good political order and the relation of the individual to the community. Authors to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche.

A comparative analysis of political processes and institutions in Western liberal democracies, Communist and post-Communist states, and developing nations. The course focuses on alternative models of economic and political modernization and on the causes of and prospects for the current wave of democratization throughout the world. 

This course introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and postcolonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty.

A two-semester course that examines the ways in which the Constitution has been defined over time by the Supreme Court. Topics include formation of the Constitution; separation of powers, judicial review, congressional and presidential authority; citizenship, suffrage and representation; and individual liberties. Emphasis is placed on the nature of legal reasoning and judicial process. 

This course concentrates on two central questions: 1) how and why judges decide cases as they do; 2) how judges should decide cases. Do judges decide cases on the basis of which litigant presents the stronger factual evidence and the best controlling precedents? Do they rule according to what “the law says?” Or are the evidence and controlling precedents sufficiently ambiguous to allow for the influence of factors external to the law, and if so, what are these factors? Put differently, to what extent do judges decide cases according to their personal values? To what extent are they influenced by other judges? By legal norms? By concerns for the institutional place of their Court? By the values and attitudes of their particular region? By the way in which they were selected?

An examination of the emergence, organizational dynamics, and effectiveness of political and social movements. Key questions: Under what conditions do protest and reform movements arise? Are such movements necessary to achieve change in a democratic political system? What dilemmas do participants face? What strategies have they employed, and what determines their success? How do protest and reform groups translate successful mobilization into effective policy? The course will include case studies of major American social movements from recent decades. 

This course addresses the role of race in American political processes and institutions. Drawing heavily on the perspectives of African-Americans, the course surveys the history of race in American politics from the era of emancipation to the present. Topics include black political culture, political behavior, and rhetoric; race and the media; black women in politics; and varieties of black nationalism and conservatism.

How does policy innovation occur in an American political system that seems designed to produce gridlock? This course examines public policymaking in the United States, with emphasis on institutions and actors at the federal level. Case studies are used to illustrate the dynamics of the policy process. Possible areas of focus include health care, taxes, education, and foreign trade. 

This course studies the presidency as an office that shapes its occupants just as profoundly as specific presidents have shaped the character of the office. The course traces the historical evolution of the presidency from the founding to the present. Among the topics considered are: presidential selection, the president as party leader, war powers and the president as commander in chief, the president as the nation’s chief administrator, and the president as legislative leader.

This course studies the United States Congress as a constitutional institution, beginning with the American founding and the intent of the framers in designing a bicameral legislature with enumerated powers. The course reviews Congress’s evolution over time in response to changing political conditions, and examines key aspects of Congress today including electoral dynamics, partisanship, the committee system, leadership, budgeting, and the meaning of representation and deliberation. 

This course studies the United States Congress as a constitutional institution, beginning with the American founding and the intent of the framers in designing a bicameral legislature with enumerated powers. The course reviews Congress’s evolution over time in response to changing political conditions, and examines key aspects of Congress today including electoral dynamics, partisanship, the committee system, leadership, budgeting, and the meaning of representation and deliberation. 

This course reviews the historical development of the modern bureaucratic state and examines the dilemmas of governance associated with it. Particular attention is devoted to the modern attempt to separate politics from administration, and to the accommodation of bureaucracy to the American context of federalism and separation of powers. The course draws on a variety of case studies at the national, state, and local levels. 

This course introduces students to the role that communications and the mass media play in American political life. The course is divided into four sections. In the first section, students examine several models and theories about the influence of the communication process. The second section examines the news: how it is created, possible biases, and the impact that news coverage may have on individuals. The third section focuses on media coverage of elections, with special emphasis on presidential elections. The final section focuses on media and governing, including similarities and differences between news coverage of domestic and foreign affairs, and the introduction of new media technologies. 

This course introduces students to events, personalities, and concepts of particular significance for understanding China's 20th-century history. It covers the period from 1911 through the present in some detail through a variety of documentary sources, interpretive accounts, and literature.

In this course students will explore the political, historical, philosophic and economic foundations of liberalism. First, the class will focus on distinguishing the various principles which define classical liberalism, including political equality, private property, rule of law, constitutionalism, state/society distinction, secularism, privacy, etc. We will read not only the major sources of these principles, but also historical sources of their criticisms. We will then turn to the contemporary debates about and within liberalism, focusing on such issues as the role of the state, communitarianism, discursive models of legitimacy, and multiculturalism. 

This course examines how gender issues have been treated in the history of political philosophy. Students explore questions about the status of the family, the equality of the sexes, and the relationship between public and private spheres of human life. The course also considers how gender issues intersect with other political considerations. 

Close study of several works by major classical political thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Aristophanes, and/or Cicero. Focus on such central themes as the nature of justice, the relation between politics and science, the variety of political regimes, and the possibilities and limits of political reform. 

Close study of works by several major modern political philosophers such as Bacon, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Burke, Hume, and Nietzsche. Central themes include the rise and political consequences of the modern project of “mastering” nature; the political effects of commerce; the replacement of virtue by freedom and/or security as the goal of politics; the relation of political philosophy to history; and the Nietzschean critique of modern egalitarianism. 

Analysis of major recent works on political philosophy by such Anglo-American writers as John Rawls, Robert Nozick, Alasdair Macintyre, Richard Rorty, Irving Kristol, and Harvey Mansfield. Topics include the relation among liberty, equality, and justice; the grounds of moral judgment; and the meaning of justice in the American constitutional regime. 

Examination of fundamental problems of political life through the study of literary works such as Aristophanes, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Swift, Melville, and Faulkner. Themes include the effects of various forms of government on human character; the central ethical conflicts of political life; and the problem of race in the American polity. 

This course examines the philosophic foundations of several highly influential trends of contemporary thought: idealism, historicism, and social-science positivism. Readings include Kant's Foundations of the Metaphysic of Morals and writings on history; Hegel's The Philosophy of History (excerpts); Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil; and writings by Max Weber and Leo Strauss. 

This course focuses on some of the most important texts setting forth the principles underlying the founding of the American regime, as well as the subsequent development of those principles up to the pre-Civil War period. Two non-American writers (Locke and Tocqueville) are included because of the influence of their works on American political thought. Other writers and works studied include the Puritans, Jefferson, The Federalist, and the Antifederalists.

This course traces the development of American political thought from the slavery controversy and the Civil War up to the present. Major themes include: Lincoln’s refounding of the American regime; the transformation of American liberalism by Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt; and New Left and neoconservative thought.

A comparative study of political institutions and processes in selected Latin American countries, and an analysis of theories that attempt to explain Latin American development and underdevelopment. Examination of Latin America’s experience with authoritarianism, democracy, revolution, and civil war, and of contemporary political challenges including drug trafficking, environmental degradation, human rights abuses, regional integration, and economic globalization. 

A two-semester sequence dealing with Soviet/Russian politics and policies from the 1917 Revo-lution to the present. The first semester begins by examining the ideological bases of the Bolshevik Revolution, then proceeds to an examination of Soviet government under Lenin and Stalin, with emphasis on the political and ethical dilemmas associated with rapid modernization of a backward country. The second semester addresses the evolution of Soviet/Russian politics and society from Stalin’s death in 1953 until the present. Major topics in the second semester include the Khrushchev reforms of the 1950s and 1960s, Gorbachev’s campaign for perestroika and the revolutionary processes of economic, political, and social change it unleashed in the 1980s, and the prospects for a successful transition to democracy and a market economy in post-Communist Russia. 

How can the world’s less-developed countries best achieve human development and material progress? In what ways are these countries affected by their colonial past and their present-day position in the international system? This course examines alternative concepts and theories of development, and assesses the options available at the national and international levels for promoting development. 

This course assesses competing theories of the historical conditions and processes most likely to lead to the establishment of democratic regimes by comparing instances of successful and unsuccessful democratization in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Key issues to be explored include the role of elite pacts and the effect of truth commissions on democratization, the question of whether political democracy and economic redistribution can be pursued simultaneously, the relative advantages of presidential vs. parliamentary forms of government, and the implications of alternative types of electoral systems. 

An examination of the process of establishing political order and providing for change in contemporary Africa. Topics to be considered include: problems of decolonization, national integration and mobilization, parties, ideologies, elites, and political symbols. 

This course analyzes African and African-American political and social thought by examining selected writings. It explores these ideas within their socio-historical context in connection with related movements: Pan-Africanism, the Negritude movement, the African national liberation movement, the American civil rights and Black Power movements. This course will compare and contrast the African and African-American protest/liberation struggles. 

Explores the relationship between states and citizens in Western Europe, with particular focus on Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. Major topics include the nature and sources of nationalism, the ongoing transformation of national identity, revolutionary and reactionary traditions in European politics, the politics of immigration, the political effects of economic modernization, and the politics of European integration.  

An examination of politics in Eastern Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union). In studying the communist era, our primary aim will be to understand how different forms of communism emerged across the region and how East European communisms differed from the Soviet variety. In studying the post-communist era, we will examine the legacies of communist rule, the development of democratic institutions and practices, and the influence of the West on Eastern Europe. Post-communist case studies include Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia.

What is the meaning and impact of politics seen from the perspective of those at the bottom of the pyramid of political power rather than from the usual focus on the actions and perceptions of political elites? In what ways do “the masses” become involved in politics? Under what circumstances are they likely to be successful in bringing about change? This course will address these questions by exploring political power, political participation and political change from a broad historical and cross-cultural perspective—but always focusing on a view of politics from the bottom up. Cases to be studied include peasant protests and city mobs in preindustrial Europe, the creation of the industrial working class and the rise of labor politics in Britain and the United States, peasant revolution in the 20th century (with particular emphasis on the Chinese case), and the dynamics of contemporary Third World nationalist movements, as well as their counterpart in the American Black Power movement. 

The purpose of the course is to examine the historical and contemporary relationship between Africa and the rest of the world. Though Africa has been influenced by and acted upon by other peoples, it and its peoples have also had a significant influence on the course of history and development in the world. The course will deal with Africa’s relationships with the European world, Africa and the United States, Africa and the Socialist world, Africa and the Middle East and Africa’s search for Pan-African unity. 

An examination of politics in selected Middle Eastern countries. The course begins with a brief overview of the rise and spread of Islam in the region and the establishment of Muslim empires, then turns to an exploration of the role of European colonialism in post-independence Middle Eastern politics. We will analyze various explanations for the difficulty of establishing durable democracies in the region, explore the political implications of religious identity and secular nationalism, and assess prospects for peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

This course is a continuation of Political Science 272. We will examine the relationship between religion and politics in Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Egypt in order to answer several key questions. Are there particular sociopolitical or economic circumstances which particularly facilitate the rise of conservative religious groups? Do certain types of political institutions tend to augment the power of such groups? To what extent, if at all, is the incorporation of religion into state law compatible with democracy, and have more secular Middle Eastern governments been better protectors of democracy and liberty than avowedly religious ones? Why do women - their behavior, their dress, their roles in society and the family - play such a central role in the discourse of both conservative Jewish and conservative Muslim groups? 

This course examines several leading theories of nationalism and cases of nationalist sentiment and movements in Western Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. The course is structured around one central question: do national identities emerge “naturally,” or are they “constructed” through specific policies and institutional practices? To answer this question, we will compare Western European and anti-colonial nationalisms, examining the methods used by states to facilitate the emergence of national identities and the roles that religious identity and social class play in the development of political allegiances. 

This course is designed to be an introduction to international political economy. The course provides an overview of theories of international political economy, a historical review of the international political economy in light of these theories, and an application of the theoretical approaches to issues of trade, monetary relations, finance, and development. Throughout the course, the readings and discussion will focus on issues of conflict and cooperation; the relationship between the international system and domestic politics; economic growth, development, and equity; and the connections between the study of economics and politics. 

This course examines the relationship among the United States, Israel, and the Arab countries of the eastern Mediterranean: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Libya. After a brief introductory section, the course focuses on U.S. relations with the countries of this region since 1945 and how U.S. foreign policy has affected, and been affected by, political developments in the region including the Arab-Israeli conflict. 

An introduction to major theoretical debates in international relations. The course surveys the field's leading paradigms including realism, liberalism, institutionalism, constructivism, and feminism. It examines problems of theory construction, causality, explanation, and empirical confirmation and disconfirmation as they relate to international political phenomena.

This course explores major themes in U.S. foreign policy, focusing on the longstanding and ongoing debate between international engagement and isolationism. Topics discussed include the historical evolution of U.S. foreign policy, the roles played by specific institutional and societal actors in the formulation of policy, the problem of crisis management, and contemporary issues facing the United States including international trade and finance, proliferation and regional security, the resort to force, human rights, and humanitarian intervention.

Despite the emphasis customarily placed on conflict and discord in the international system, it is clear that states in fact regularly seek to facilitate cooperation and mutual restraint. What motivates these efforts? How successful are they in overcoming the effects of international anarchy? This course addresses these questions by examining the institutions through which states attempt to organize their relations with each other. Topics include the history, functions, and relevance of international law, the role of international organizations (including but not limited to the United Nations), and contending approaches to the problems of world order and conflict management. 

This course analyzes the roles of national governments, international institutions, and non-state actors in managing global and cross-border environmental problems. Principal topics include the process of international environmental negotiation, the nature of existing international environmental agreements, and the theoretical and practical problems involved in environmental protection and regulation at the international level. International Relations. 

The U.S. and countries throughout the world have experimented widely in their quest to address common environmental problems. This course undertakes a comparative study of the development of domestic and international environmental policies in three advanced industrial states (the U.S., U.K., and Germany), as well as providing an overview of developing country environmental policies. The focus of the course is on three questions. How do national differences in institutions, political culture, regulatory style, and economic structure shape domestic and international environmental policies? What impact do these differences have on the ability of states to achieve cooperative solutions to common environmental problems? What influence do international environmental interactions have on domestic environmental policy? 

This course focuses on contemporary national security problems faced by the United States as it seeks to manage the post-Cold War international order. Topics include relations with other major powers, arms control, weapons proliferation, and the dangers posed by ethnic conflict and political disorder in the Third World. Particular attention is given to the domestic dimensions of U.S. security policy, including the politics of weapons procurement and the implications of the absence of domestic consensus regarding America’s principal national interests. 

This course examines the relationship of the American legal system to certain critical social and political processes. After a survey of existing law on civil liberties and rights, the role of groups in bringing test cases and the dynamics of civil liberties litigation will be discussed, using case studies involving political surveillance, racial equality, church-state issues, consumer rights, women’s rights and other issues. Implementation of court decisions will also be assessed. American Government. 

This course examines the role women have played in the American political system. It begins with an examination of women's attempts to take their private concerns into the public realm. It then turns to the relationship between the feminist movement and women's political organization. Other topics include women in the electoral and public policy arenas, and elite and grassroots women's politics. The course will also examine two new areas in the study of women's politics: the relationship between women and the media, and the role of minority women in American politics. The course concludes with an examination of the politics of contemporary young women. 

Many classical liberals as well as contemporary democratic theorists emphasize the importance of a well-educated populace in order to secure the conditions for liberty and the capacity for self-governance. One must therefore consider how one might transform children, who are dependent upon and subject to the authority of adults, into independent, rational adults capable of living among equals, without establishing in them habits either of subservience or dominance. If indeed well-educated citizens are required in order to achieve democracy rather than "mob rule," then what exactly is the role of the state in shaping the characters and preferences of its citizens? In considering what a "well-educated populace" might mean, we must address the tension that exists between the goal of a radically independent intellect and the goal of good citizenship. In a liberal republic, it should be possible in principle for these two goals to converge. Are there limitations to putting this principle into practice? Readings from Locke, Rousseau, Dewey, Freire, Oakeshott and others. 

In this course students examine some of the core concepts, questions and tensions that cut across various strands of contemporary feminism. Topics to be explored include: What is feminist political theory trying to explain, and how might we go about it? Why is it that feminist inquiries into political matters so often lead to questions about the foundations of knowledge? What are the political implications of feminist struggles to combine unity and difference? How have questions of race and class transformed feminist theory? This course also applies various feminist perspectives to specific policy debates.

This course explores the historical and ideological roots of 20th-century political violence, as well as undertaking in-depth case studies of several of its contemporary manifestations. Cases to be studied include: the French Revolution, Russian anarchism in the 19th century, Third World national liberation movements (Algeria and South Africa), the Zapatista revolt in Mexico, left-wing ideological terrorism in Italy, and right-wing militias in the United States, Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, and ethnic/religious conflict in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.  Topics to be discussed include the psychological/sociological profile of revolutionaries or terrorists, the causes of and justifications for political violence, the internal dynamics of revolutionary or terrorist movements, explanations for their success or failure, and the ways in which states have attempted to deal with the aftermath of mass political violence.