This course introduces students to American politics, that sometimes maddening and at other times stimulating subject which always affects our lives. The course assumes no prior knowledge of the subject matter and is intended to acquaint students with various aspects of government and politics in the U.S. It is not comprehensive. The selection of topics is guided by three course objectives. FIRST, at it's most down to earth level, this course is designed to highlight politics in everyday life, as it affects us and as we maybe affect it. If you don't already, you should begin reading a good newspaper to enhance your familiarity with current events. Accomplishing this objective should provide a better appreciation of everyday political events, especially the process and the politics of the presidential election, and equip us to interpret them even after the course is over. SECOND, the course is designed to familiarize students with the formal and informal institutions of government, the conventional and unconventional means of citizen participation in politics, and the consequences that are forthcoming from each. Here we will review the organization and function of such familiar institutions as the Constitution, mass media, political parties, presidency, and the impact that voting, interest groups, and protest movements have upon them. THIRD, and most important, the course is designed to raise the questions, "What is democray?"and "How closely does American politics conform to democratic ideals?" Providing answers to these two questions is the primary goal of this course.

This course will examine the problematic relationship between American citizens and their government. We will come to understand the origins and consequences of Americans’ doubts and suspicions about the political elite, the process by which they are selected, and the capacities and motivations of government. We will examine such questions as why trust in government is so dismal, and why Americans express profound doubts about developing political solutions to social problems and why American vote turnout is unusually low. We will also examine relevant current events. We will do so by learning about several aspects of American politics, public opinion and political behavior. One aspect is American political history, and the way it has helped create intractable divisions in the way we think about politics. The class will look at the evolution of the political ideas that have lead to a distrust of politics and government, and a general sense of disengagement. Within this focus, five topics central to the development of American politics (and closely related to each other) will be examined. One is the issue of race - particularly the role that the legacy of our racial history has played in American political life. The second will be the development of the dynamics of the current party system. The third will be the role of money and social class in American politics. The fourth is the particular way in which policy is developed and implemented in the American political system. Finally we will look at the tendency for American citizens to feel disengaged from their own capacities and responsibilities as citizens.

This class examines the concept of power, resistance, and powerlessness from an interdisciplinary theoretical perspective. The readings for this class include material from Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, and Religion. Films are also an essential source for the study of power. Power is conventionally defined as a formal legal authority of the state or other political organization. Yet power is often informal and symbolic, for example, feminists argue the personal is political. We shall analyze the formal and informal manifestations of power. Four themes will be investigated and discussed: the politics of race, motherhood, resistance, and terrorism. Students are expected to engage in critical thinking, creativity and in group oral presentations.

This course will examine the development and current state of America's preeminent political institution: the U.S. Congress. We will talk about ways that congresspersons are elected and the institutional rules, habits and procedures by which they govern. We will talk about the institution of Congress as a product of the goals and motivations of the members - including the motivation of good policy, the goal of re-election and the pull of partisan struggle.

This course focuses on the concept of political culture. Political culture in political science refers to culture main social and cultural attitudes toward politics in a given country. However our approach to this concept is interdisciplinary. We shall read and analyze four books and articles from different disciplines such as Anthropology, Social History, Political Science and two novels. Four themes will be investigated: Why we have different traditions, the manipulation and invention of political traditions, alienation and cultural resistance in the Middle East, American Ethnocentrism, and making sense of American culture now.

This course is meant to be a comprehensive overview of the American Legal System. It will cover the American court system, the Attorney-Client relationship, alternative dispute resolution, and the broad areas of Criminal law, Tort law and Contract law. Students will be introduced to the language of law, taught how to dissect case opinions and will learn how to form and confront legal theories. After taking this course, students will have a general concept of how civil and criminal legal proceedings are initiated, have a general understanding of where our law comes from, how it continues to evolve and the method in which it is practiced in the United States. This is an introductory course and therefore no pre-law experience is necessary.

This course examines a selection of the most profound and influential works of Western political theory from the origins to democracy to the present day. We will study what different thinkers have had to say about the meaning of justice, order, the good life, the common good, freedom, and democracy. The objective of this course is to understand and critically evaluate the arguments of different theorists about the nature and scope of politics, and to reach your own reasoned positions on the issues raised by them.

This course is intended as introduction to the principles and foundations of international relations. As such, it will focus on basic concepts such as nations and nationalism, the nature of the interstate system, anarchy, and power. The primary modes through which nation-states interact--diplomacy, trade economic sanctions, war, alliances, cooperation--will also be examined. The course will try to help the student understand how the elements of international society are emerging, as illustrated in the accretion of international law, norms, and such common understandings. Finally, we will focus significant attention on climate change as it relates to states security and other aspects of International Relations.

Students who take this course should expect to gain three types of knowledge by the conclusion. First, they should understand the historical emergence of the nation- state and the trend toward democracy during the 20th century. Second, they should expect to understand important differences between states and specifically the challenges posed by globalization to existing states in the late twentieth century. The same pressures and institutions that have made some of the countries more democratic have also led to civil war and ethnic massacre in others. Third, students should come to understand that comparative politics as the discipline employs a stylized account of the history and institutions called "cases" to discuss political values and possibilities. The name "Britain," "Russia," and "Japan" are not the only places; they are also shorthand for understanding twentieth century politics. Students in this course may choose to participate in service learning. Service learning students will have the opportunity to engage in active learning through service work at one of several local organizations concerned with refugee, immigrant, or labor issues.

This course provides a general introduction to the United States Constitution and its enormous influences over American Jurisprudence. Concepts treated during the courses include the nature and sources of the Supreme Court's authority and both the framework of and preconditions for federal judicial review; a basic overview of constitutional issue arising from the federal nature of our government including the development and use of the Commerce Powers of the federal government, the constitutional limitations on state regulation of commerce, and federal preemption of state authority; a brief overview of the separation of power within the federal government; and an introduction to the constitutional protection of individual rights which focuses on both the 14th Amendment and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure pursuant to the 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Analysis and interpretation of trends in American foreign policy since WWII. After a discussion of contending theories of foreign policy and a review of developments during the Cold War, we will focus on current issues in American foreign policy, including arms control, nuclear proliferation, human rights, regional intervention and conflict management, foreign aid, environmental policy and relations with other great powers, including German and European Community states, Japan, Russia, and China.

Since their charter in the 1948 Universal Declaration, Human Rights have become increasingly important not only in international relations but at all levels of governance. The human rights record of a particular government or nation increasingly affects their legitimacy, and documented human rights violations are one of the very few widely recognized—though still controversial— justifications for the organized (often military) crossing of sovereign borders. This course will trace human rights from their conceptual and institutional origins—introducing students to the UN and its role in codifying what is probably the most widely referenced account of human rights—to current examples of their deployment, theoretical puzzles that pit human rights against sovereignty, and the work human rights are invoked to do in contemporary politics.

In the period following September 11, 2001, the idea that certain people are evil has taken a central place in American political rhetoric-helping to justify two foreign wars and doctrine of pre-emption, perhaps the most dramatic shift in American foreign policy since the first world war. It is clear that defining a person or a group of people as evil can be a powerful political maneuver-one that opens up possibilities for actions and policies that would not otherwise be possible. This course examines the long human tradition of thinking about evil and labeling people as evil. We will look at the religious origins of the western concept of evil, and the way thinking about evil changed with the Protestant revolution. The bulk of the course will examine the way ideas about evil became integrated into modern politics. We will do this by looking at political theorists that have thought about evil, particularly Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and Arendt. We will also look at political events that have centered upon rhetoric about evil, including the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, Nazi Germany, the cold war and the red scare and finally contemporary rhetoric about terrorism and Islam.

Ancient societies, among them Near-Eastern and Greco-Roman, grappled with fundamental questions of human freedom—both in relation to the supernatural and in the realm of politics. Tracing this trajectory, we will focus on freedom and its limits, beginning with the early concepts of fatalism and divine preordination, and an early form of causal determinism. We will then transition to political freedom, and explore the dynamic between different forms of government and the degree of freedom citizens were allowed within them. Along the way we will ask how these two types of freedom are related to one another, and raise questions about how limitations on our freedoms affect the degree to which we are responsible for our actions.

This course presents and examines two themes: the meaning of myth and epics and their global and cultural significance for human traditions. They will be explored through selected individual cases and the interaction among societies. Myths and epics matter to all human societies. As Joseph Campbell, the scholar of myth, succinctly stated, "Myths harmonize our lives with reality. “Interpreting the politics of myth and epics requires a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary approach, which includes philosophy, religion, economics, films, and history. This approach will not only broaden your understanding but also stimulate your intellect. With a better understanding of the complexities of cultural traditions, we aim to enable you to discover some of the great world myths and epics and their lasting effect on our modern world. We also aim to engage students in seeing and better understanding the interconnections among world societies through the cases of the Crusades and the World System of the 13th and 14th centuries.

As new understandings of self and individualism evolved through the Renaissance, a heightened appreciation for individual liberties also emerged. This course will track this emergence through authors who were pessimistic about individual liberties, those who were adamant defenders of them, and those who believed that the focus on individualism came at the cost of valuable social relations. We will also consider the relationship between individual liberties and rights, as well as the tenuous balance between individual liberty and equality well-known in debates about distributive justice.

This course will explore various political, legal and religious traditions through various lenses. Legal traditions found in religious texts, political traditions that have influenced famous legal cases and religious traditions that have influenced political events will be discussed. This course reflects a commitment to think globally, to acknowledge that the range and richness of the human experience carries beyond the narrow, binary scope of a worldview that too easily separates East from West.

This course will explore some of the traditions of constitutionalism and how these traditions are connected to broader political cultures from which they have emerged. This course will focus on the similarities, differences and interconnectedness of constitutional ideas found throughout the world and will cover topics such as whether faith placed in current models of democratic constitutionalism is well founded, what is meant by “the judicialization of politics”, what are some enduring and current challenges to democratic ideals and the numerous ways with which legalism can erode popular sovereignty.

This course focuses on one central theme: European colonial domination, racial genocidal ideology, and the making of the modern world system. It is not a traditional historical survey nor a comprehensive outline of world history. Instead, it has two conceptual and historical objectives. The first objective of this course is to introduce students to critical thinking about the production of knowledge and the cases of Eurocentrism, colonialism, and genocide. The second objective is to make students globally aware of the hidden interconnections and linkages that have tied colonial genocide to the Holocaust and other cases of genocide in the 20th century. We will accomplish our objectives by investigating the following sub-themes: conceptualizing empire and genocide, roots of Colonial racism and genocidal ideology, Conrad and the colonial Conquest of Congo, Black Athena and the Debate over Eurocentrism, and Arendt and the colonial roots of the Holocaust.

This course aims to introduce the regions of the Middle East and North Africa to curious students. We will watch and discuss a number of documentaries and dramatic films which touch on historical, social, and cultural aspects of what is known today as the Arab World. Among the major themes of the course are the following: socio-cultural diversity, colonialism, orientalism, resistance, patriarchy, gender relations, and war.

This course focuses on the revival since the mid 1970s of political Islam and what has come to be called "Islamic fundamentalism," especially in the Middle East. What is the nature and variety of political Islam today, and how does this resurgence compare to those in the past? What are its causes, and what are its implications for the Islamic world as well as for the rest of the world, the U.S. included? (For example, is it a "threat" to us and our interests?) What can be said about the compatibility Islam and democratic politics? What are the truth and implications of the assertion that "not all Islamic fundamentalists are political activists, and not all Islamic political activists are radical and prone to violence?" There are no prerequisites, although a basic course on the Middle East politics, history, etc., is a good idea. Suitable for non-majors with some background in political science.

This course will focus on how the development of modern politics in the West has gone hand in hand with radical changes in the ways that people think about families and live their familial lives. Questions we will examine are whether modern politics can exist without the modern family, whether the decline of religious sentiment and local community has forced ideas about the family to carry new burdens, why changes in ideas about family seem so political threatening to some groups, and whether the ideas about authority and freedom that drive politics are rooted in the family. This course will then examine the contemporary politics of the family in the United States. We will examine the ways that ideas about the family underlie conservative and liberal worldviews, debates about family values, and the way changes in the composition of the modern families reverberate in politics. Readings from the class will include selections from: Wollstonecraft. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Rousseau. The Confessions, Emile, Julie. Nietzsche. Ecce Homo, Twilight of the Idols. Tocqueville. Democracy in America Christopher Lasch. Haven in a Heartless World: The Family Besieged. George Lakoff. Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think. Dorothy Dinnerstein. The Mermaid and the Minotaur.

Political scientists define social revolution as a radical social, economic, and political change. This course begins with a survey of three major theories of revolution, and then the analysis of three late twentieth century cases: the Iranian, the Nicaraguan, and the South African revolutions. In each case the focus will be on three phases: the crises of the old regime, the causes of the revolution, and the outcome of the revolution. Critical thinking, creativity, and in-class discussions and team presentations are essential requirements of this course.

This course focuses on legal and law-related issues that arise in public K-12 schools. Awareness of the legal structure of education with respect to local, state, and federal governments will be fostered while emphasizing the knowledge and skills needed to effectively analyze legal situations that occur within schools. We also will explore how politics affect education law, since public schools as public institutions, supported by taxpayers' dollars, essentially become polotical foci.

This course will cover the political and economic dynamics of the world economy; its historical and theoretical roots; international trade and monetary relations and the impact of hegemony, interdependence, regimes, and domestic politics. Some specific issues the course will investigate include trade, debt, international financial institutions, and the dynamics of dependency and development.

This course will offer an in-depth exploration the role of law in the design and implementation of public health programs and the protection of the health interest of individuals and groups in society. It is designed for students who do not have prior experience or education in law, and covers the structure, concepts, and process of decision-making on health matters in legislative, administrative and judicial bodies.

War is a constant feature of international relations, and while it rarely has any positive outcomes, people continue to pursue violent conflict with one another. This course examines basic theories of warfare from a variety of mainstream and critical perspectives and also examines the impact of warfare on societies. The issues of why we fight and how war can be prevented are examined through readings from a variety of disciplines, including political science, philosophy, psychology, and history. Films will also be used to explore certain issues in more depth.

This course will explore some of the major forces with which democracy has long existed in tension. To understand the distinctness of these trends and their mechanisms we will read classic definitions and diagnoses—including works by Max Weber and Hannah Arendt—as well as current scholarship and contemporary analysis of the uses to which they are being put today. The course is comparative not only in virtue of “taking history seriously” but in encouraging careful comparisons along both geographic and temporal axes. We will thus investigate similarities and dissimilarities among various occasions of ‘democratic retreat,’ and work toward a better understanding of our current geopolitical moment.

History and Politics in Morocco introduces students to the forces shaping contemporary Morocco through lectures combined with immersive, place-based learning in Tangier. Students explore how historical legacies intersect with current political structures, constitutional developments, economic change, and Morocco’s expanding regional influence. Field visits to cultural institutions, community organizations, and historically significant sites allow students to observe political and social dynamics first-hand and connect course concepts to students’ lived experiences. The course offers an engaging, on-the-ground understanding of Morocco’s modern identity and its evolving role in the world.

PSC 3XX Topics in Political Science: The subject matter of this course varies from year-to-year and is based on the interests and expertise of the faculty who teach the course. For information about the topic of the course in a particular semester, please contact the faculty member who is teaching the course. No pre-recs.

This course introduces students to the work of the United Nations and gives them first-hand experience in how that work is achieved. The UN was established at the end of World War II as a grand experiment - an attempt to create international unity and establish a lasting peace. Although it sometimes struggles to live up to its mandate, in the end may be our only choice for resolving many of the global problems that plague the world. This course provides students with hands-on experience by participating in the National Model United Nations conference in New York where they will represent one of the UN member countries on various committees, debating issues currently facing the UN. Students are advised to complete at least one introductory course in international relations or comparative politics prior to taking the class. Participation in this course is by permission of the instructor.

This course addresses two questions that are related to the contemporary structure of the global system. One, what are the processes that have created a world economy with integrated systems of production and trade that now cover the entire globe? Two, how is it that this economically united world has become so divided and fragmented along ethnic, national, political, and cultural lines? The course examines these questions from a historical perspective by focusing on selected times, places, and events. Scholars agree that an economic system that covered a large part of the globe was formed for the first time in the thirteenth century. This system was centered in Asia and existed for about one hundred years. In the first part of the course, we will study the rise and the fall of this early world system and try to explain why, rather than surviving into the modern era, this system was eclipsed in the fifteenth century by a new one that was centered in Europe. The rest of the course is devoted to the study of the growth, expansion, and various economic and political setbacks the Euro-centered world system experienced since the fifteenth century. We will discuss which of the economic, political, and cultural factors played a determining role at crucial points in this history. One of our purposes will be to uncover the features of this world system that gave it unprecedented dynamism and longevity. This course does not study the history of the world. It uses history to explain economic, political, sociological, and cultural realities of the two global systems it studies. During the course, particular events, dates, and places will enter into our discussions only to the extent that they have had an impact on the structure of the global system in question. Throughout, our focus will always be on the connections that linked places and people over long periods and large spaces at different points in time with varying consequences.

Students who undertake internships in politics and government may obtain academic credit if such activity is accompanied by academic work of an analytical nature. It is essential to discuss plans for any such activity with member of the faculty prior to the internship. It is essential to work closely with a member of the faculty in completing the academic elements of the internship program. Credit cannot be earned for the internship if credit has been granted previously, at UNE or at another institution, for the same experience. Max of 4 credits.

International Organization Terrorism, acid rain, SARS, and bootleg DVD's all have one aspect in common- they are all transnational problems. In an effort to solve or control some of these problems, international actors have resorted to a variety of methods-ranging from treaties to warfare-some more sucessful than others. Success often depends on a strong commitment to cooperation from states, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and a host of other actors. The purpose of this course is to explore how international organization is achieved to solve such problems. To understand this, we will first explore who the various actors are and how their perceptions of reality shape the outcome of attempts at cooperation. We will then look at individual issues in-depth and what solutions have been proposed.

This course will teach the basics of trial advocacy with an overview of the trial process including opening statements, direct examination, exhibits, cross examination, expert witnesses, closing arguments and objections. The American Mock Trial Association's hypothetical legal problem will be the foundation for this course. Students will apply legal analysis and critical thinking. They will learn the practical application of knowledge and skills and experience the pressures of the legal field. Students are expected to participate in at least one sponsored mock trial competition during the semester.

This course will begin by exploring various schools of contemporary feminist theory. We will then ask how proponents of these schools analyze and criticize specific institutions and practices. Throughout the semester, attention will be paid to the ways gender relations shape formation and interpretation of specifically political experience.

The senior seminar, in conjunction with the integrative essay, is the capstone of a major's course work in the study of Political Science. The seminar's purpose is to engage the Department's students and faculty in sustained consideration of significant political questions. It does not seek to secure agreement on a body of substantive conclusions. Rather it aims to examine various strategies that may be employed in making sense of the issues discussed. For example, the seminar will explore the following question: What are the implications of the terrorism for the conduct of contemporary politics? The requirements for all participants in the senior Seminar are as follows: 1.)Attendance at all seminar meetings;2.) Completion of all reading prior to the meeting for which those materials have been assigned; 3.)Informed participation in discussion;4.)Submission, at the beginning of every other week's seminar meeting, of a paper which shall be not less than three and not more than four pages; 5.)Submission, during weeks when a paper is not submitted, of at least two carefully-crafted questions or a brief provocative paragraph regarding the assigned reading; 6.) Presentation of a brief oral argument explaining your integrative essay topic and submission of a written statement of that argument; and 7.) Completion of preliminary draft of your integrative essay (not less than 10 pp.).

Integrative essay topics need not to relate directly to the theme of the seminar. However, like the seminar, they must be "integrative" in character. That is, they must demonstrate serious and sustained effort to draw together the subject matters and investigative strategies of various departmental courses, as these are brought to bear on a question you find of interest. To insure that work on this project proceeds in a timely manner, each student must adhere to the following schedule: Students looking to graduate with "honors" must produce a thesis which, although similar in form and content to the integrative essay, is substantially longer and of significantly better quality. In order to graduate with honors, the members of your examining committee must collectively agree that your essay as well as your oral examination merit a grade of a B+ or better. Failure to meet this standard on either the written or the oral portion of the examination will remove a student from honors candidacy.

This course will offer an in-depth exploration the role of law in the design and implementation of public health programs and the protection of the health interest of individuals and groups in society. It is designed for students who do not have prior experience or education in law, and covers the structure, concepts, and process of decision-making on health matters in legislative, administrative and judicial bodies.