Political Science

In modern times, ideological debates have revolved around capitalism, socialism, and democracy and were intensified during the Cold War by the U.S.-U.S.SR. rivalry. Focusing on the development of capitalism and socialism in the West and their relationship to democracy, students examine different conceptualizations of democracy, the global impact of Western developments, and arguments on the compatibility of capitalism with authoritarianism.

Credits: 4

An examination of historical events, social movements, and intellectual ideas that have shaped modernity from 1500 to the present. The focus is on the evolution of ideas that have influenced both Western and non-Western civilizations.

Credits: 4

An introduction to the institutional and ideological components of the American political system, with an emphasis on the broad spectrum of values and sources of power that, when taken together, support and challenge the foundations of American pluralism. Films, field trips, and guest lectures complement the standard classwork.

Credits: 3

Develops a basic understanding of concepts used in comparative political analysis. Compares political structures, electoral and party systems, the role of elites and interest groups in public policy decision-making. Examination across diverse international settings provides a deeper perception of political structures.

Credits: 4

An introduction to current political systems. The course examines political structures and processes (e.g., parliaments, political parties, elections, legislation, and formation of governments in different political systems) and analyzes the ideological foundations of these systems (e.g., liberalism, socialism). Discussions include social, economic, and political priorities set in each system; their strengths and weaknesses; and the impact of structural constraints.

Credits: 4

Examines contemporary international relations from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Topics include East-West conflicts and the Cold War; the balance of power; colonialism, the Vietnam War, and the North-South issues; and the emerging new world order.

Credits: 4

Theoretical, historical, and empirical analyses of the relationship between women’s private roles and socialization, and their integration into politics. Topics include changes in the laws affecting women, the impact of feminism on the quality of political discourse and political action, and the vexing problem of the “gender gap."

Credits: 4

Using African novels and social science literature, both the insights of the artist and the analytic models of the social scientist are employed in the discussion of African politics and political systems. Topics include the impact of Western colonialism and imperialism on traditional African societies, the evolution of new African cultures, the widening gulf between elites and masses, and the role of the African storyteller in articulating African issues.

Credits: 4

An introduction to the impact of environmental laws and policies on the fair treatment of people of different races and incomes in the U.S. Global climate change, nuclear energy, and public responsibility for the environment constitute the center of a political and legal analysis of the relationship of citizens and government to the environment.

Credits: 4

Focusing on South Asia and the Middle East, this course examines how postcolonial Islamic states currently use “Islamic laws” to negotiate power and control with their citizens. Examples include Hudood, Zina, and blasphemy laws, which result in fatwas (religious decrees) that sometimes lead to extrajudicial killings.

Credits: 4

When a politician invokes the concept of freedom, what do they mean? Or, when an activist lodges claims in the name of justice, to which standard do they appeal? How have “essentially contested concepts” of liberty, equality, justice, right, security shaped our politics, both historically and in the present moment? This course will offer a survey of canonical political theory, from the ancient polis to today’s digitally networked world, in an effort to interrogate the meaning and influence of political concepts, ideas, and values across time in ways that continue to impact how we see, speak of, and engage with our current world.

Credits: 4

Decades after the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the United States remains a nation beset by racial inequalities, divisions, and tensions. This course examines some of the major issues in U.S. race relations today and their political expression.

Credits: 4

An examination of the media’s impact on political life in the U.S. and its role in shaping public opinion. Both electronic and print media are surveyed and analyzed in terms of their impact on power, legal rights, and ethical obligations. Attention is also given to the media’s influence on political parties and how it shapes political attitudes and influences elections.

Credits: 4

In Islamic societies, heresy charges against women and men are leveled for different reasons, including Islamists’ opposition to democracy, modernity, and women’s education and their employment. Instances of heresy leveled by Muslims against Muslims are studied.

Credits: 4

The judicial process and the function of the courts in a modern democratic system. Using Supreme Court cases, documents, and readings from academic journals, the course examines how judges, lawyers, and litigants act and react to create both law and public policy.

Credits: 4

Examines American social and political history during the last half of the 20th century and the early 21st century as represented in films. Such topics as dissent, censorship, war and peace, and the role of government as creator and arbiter of culture serve as the conceptual center of the discussion.

Credits: 4

The Muslim world examined via films on race, gender and politics with the focus on the polarization of secular and theocratic spaces. Global and historical Muslim communities, leaders, governance, security, immigration, colonization and post-colonial society are studied, while art and culture are also considered.

Credits: 4

Although health is typically treated as a biological issue, health, illness, and wellness are social and political conditions. The politics of health policy as it is experienced, administered, and made accessible to men, women, and gender non-conforming healthcare seekers, and the activism that leads to more equitable treatment from medical professionals, insurance providers, and government service providers, regulators, and legislators is examined. Access to the health care system, poverty, Medicaid/Medicare, managed care, breast cancer, reproductive justice, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, transgender care, disability, and medical research are investigated from an intersectional feminist perspective that foregrounds issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality.

Credits: 4

Introduces the historical and political debates that resulted in the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Case law and collateral readings relevant to the construction of the U.S. constitutional government are used to explore theories of jurisprudence, structures of courts, aspects of litigation, the nature and scope of judicial review and constitutional adjudication, and the role of the judiciary in the maintenance of national power.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: POL1570 Or POL2360

A study of American foreign policy since the end of World War II. U.S. involvement in Vietnam serves as a case study for studying the Cold War, the war in Iraq, and the issue of terrorism, and analyzing how foreign policy has been formulated. Topics include the powers of the president vis-à-vis Congress in the formulation of foreign policy and the role of public opinion.

Credits: 4

Women make up roughly one half of the world’s population, yet globally despite the quest for equality; women’s experiences are fraught with the realities of patriarchy, domination, marginalization, and exclusion. This course will examine the complexity of forces that shape, maintain and challenge the role and place of women in societies around the world. It is designed to give students an understanding of the intricate interplay between the politics and culture that undergird Women’s experiences across borders. It introduces students to issues and research about women in different cultural and political context.

Credits: 4

The legal and political dimensions of race and sex discrimination are examined beginning with the 14th (1868) and 19th (1920) amendments to the US Constitution, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as landmark Supreme Court decisions such as Plessey v. Ferguson (1896), Brown v. the BOE (1954), Roe v. Wade (1973), and Rajender v. University of Minnesota (1982). The way law is shaped by the politics of race and gender is considered. Topics discussed include the intersection of white supremacy, misogyny, capitalism, and the law from perspectives offered by legal studies, critical race theory, and feminism.

Credits: 4

Students explore lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social and political movements and how they have fought for and achieved certain social, political, and legal rights in the U.S.

Credits: 4

Examine the evolution of American immigration and the related policies that governed, shaped, and restricted immigrant flows, and immigrants’ interactions with key institutions of American life, e.g., labor, education, and politics, along with the impact for the United States. We will discuss the impact of immigration policies on the lives of immigrants and their children on American institutions, e.g., education, labor, social services, and nonprofits and will explore the multiple levels at which immigration and immigrant policies operate. To provide a foundation for the hands-on research project, the theoretical and empirical literatures on immigrant political incorporation broadly speaking, probing the experience of the myriad immigrant and native-born minority groups in New York, will be explored in-depth.

Credits: 4

An introduction to the constitutional doctrines of rights and liberties as they have been articulated through First Amendment decisions of the Supreme Court. Relevant political analyses of the impact of court decisions and federal legislation on individual rights are included.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: POL1570 Or POL3050 Or POL2360

An examination of the institution of the American presidency, its relationship to the other branches of government, and the significance of particular presidents’ “stamp” on the office and U.S. policy. Topics include the impact of the media on the presidency, executive privilege, psychological explanations of presidential character, and the changing role of the president’s spouse.

Credits: 4

People produce enough food to feed the world’s population, yet thousands of children die every day due to malnutrition and other poverty-related factors. This course studies the scope and distribution of global poverty. Topics include political and cultural factors that cause or aggravate the problem in developing countries; economic and political aspects of globalization; and the impact of international organizations, development strategies, and relief efforts.

Credits: 4

An examination of how notions of gender and sexuality are defined in the postcolonial Islamic state. Laws, customs, and cultural practices that enforce control are investigated in South Asian and Middle Eastern contexts.

Credits: 4

Provides an understanding of international politics and security questions. Globalization and new forms of international relationships may be changing the way states and non-state actors think and respond to problems of security. Examines changes in the balance of international power, weapons of mass destruction, migration, ethnic conflict and environmental change.

Credits: 4

The United Nations (UN) was founded to maintain peace and security, promote economic and social development, and guarantee human rights. As the epicenter for multilateral and intergovernmental affairs since 1945, the UN has evolved into becoming a preeminent global political institution with significant responsibility for responding to an ever-increasing array of international problems such as diplomacy, gender empowerment, sustainable development, human rights, peacekeeping, climate change, global health, counterterrorism, international criminal prosecutions, and transitional justice. In learning the complex architecture of the UN, students will ask how effective the United Nations is in meeting its objectives and mandates.

Credits: 4

A survey of major political upheavals and belief systems that have shaped and shaken the modern world. In addition to the origins, social foundations, and variants of liberalism, socialism, communism, anarchism, fascism, and feminism, discussions include examples of anti-imperialist, antiracist, and nationalist movements and ideologies from Third World countries and ethnic minorities in the West.

Credits: 4

A study of memoirs by male and female authors, politicians, activists, and ordinary citizens describing childhood, communities, social changes, and revolutions. Works are drawn from South Africa, South America, Asia, Cuba, and the U.S. The rubric is the non-West’s interaction with the West, a north-south divide.

Credits: 4

An exploration of the extent to which linkage can be made between self-development and a radical concept of democracy. Relationships among personal identity, social location—race, gender, and class—and locality of political action in the U.S. are analyzed so as to develop a definition of an embodied politics that renews the promise of political action.

Credits: 4

The course revolves around the international political and economic dynamics that have existed historically between the U.S. and Cuba. Although the course emphasizes the post-1959 era (the Castro years), readings introduce students to the imperial relationship that evolved in the early 20th century. Topics include foreign policy, war, human rights, the U.S. embargo, and the politics of Fidel Castro.

Credits: 4

Why does health care cost so much? Why are so many people without health insurance? Why do so many racial/ethnic disparities in health exist in the U.S.? These and other questions are examined as the current crisis in the U.S. health care system is investigated and proposals for reform are evaluated.

Credits: 4

Examines the politics of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kashmir, and Afghanistan. The British occupation from 1857 to 1947 is studied, together with the partition of Pakistan and India. Issues of religion, caste, gender, and militarization are an additional focus. Nuclear states, Pakistan, and India are also part of class discussions.

Credits: 4

While providing a comprehensive understanding of Congress, this course specifically examines the oversight and investigative role of Congress, the influence of political parties, and how elections and partisanship influence decision-making. The following five themes will be explored to analytically probe into congressional activity: internal structure; member incentives; supermajorities/filibustering; divided government/gridlock/productivity; partisan polarization. Instances of extreme conflict that have erupted in the separation-of-powers system over the last century will also be addressed.

Credits: 4

Whether banning LGBTQ+ books, taking a knee during the National Anthem, panic over the gender identity of an M & M candy, or the exhortation for young voters to “Pokemon Go… to the polls,” popular culture is a perennial source of political appropriation and contestation. Comprising a guide on the model of an “art of war,” students examine specific episodes in the Culture Wars, from the late 20th century to the present, to investigate how culture informs political identities and party affiliations, mobilizes electoral politics and social movements, contours the socialization of the electorate, and affects shifts in public opinion and policy preference.

Credits: 4

Students explore decision-making procedures and apply the public policy process model to at least two contemporary issues. Students will identify the key stakeholder(s) on policy issues of their choosing, critically analyze theories of policy making, and assess their relevance to American politics.

Credits: 4

Although human rights have become a significant theme in international relations, ethnic slaughter and political repression continue to afflict the world. This course examines relevant theoretical issues and practical problems, including: How are human rights viewed from different cultural, political, and religious perspectives? In a multicultural world, can common ground be found to address human rights? What is the relationship between sovereignty and the pursuit of human rights?

Credits: 4

An exploration of various perspectives on human rights. Students examine some modern nation states in relation to geographies of identity and human rights. Global literature is read in colonial and postcolonial contexts that describe state control through the infringement of citizenship and rights of speech, thus violating basic human rights.

Credits: 4

Ever since Homer sang the rage of Achilles, storytelling has helped mediate the tension between politics and violence. To better understand this relationship in contemporary life, modern theories of political violence from thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Franz Fanon, Walter Benjamin, Georges Sorel, and Judith Butler are paired with the literature of modern authors such as Reinaldo Arenas, Herman Melville, Langa Mandla, Toni Morrison, and Arundati Roy. Topics discussed include ideological violence and state power, armed and non-violent resistance, and the possibilities for and limitations of literary narrative to remediate the relationship between politics and violence.

Credits: 4

Religion in America has been at the heart of politics from the Puritans to the Christian Coalition. This course addresses the historic role of religious thinking as a significant part of American political traditions (e.g., natural rights, civil liberties, liberal individualism). Students also investigate the contemporary emergence of religion-based political interests as formidable players in the construction of the nation’s political agenda.

Credits: 4

An analysis of the politics of Israel and Palestine. The struggle between Israel and Palestine and the involvement of Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia are covered, as well as the role of the U.S. Issues and potential solutions are discussed.

Credits: 4

The meaning of democracy is examined in European and other democratic states. The course investigates who controls the sources and instruments of power and how public policies are made. The limits and problems of contemporary liberal democracies are studied, as is the problem of democratization in developing countries.

Credits: 4

A springboard to preparation for the senior project that integrates (a) critical thinking in research—developing appropriate topics, grappling with supporting evidence, and working on hypothesis testing and probabilities; (b) writing—understanding what a research paper is, how it is developed and organized coherently, with emphasis on developing an outline, introduction, and literature review; and (c) conducting research—learning data-gathering techniques and analytic skills with emphasis on conducting interviews, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and using primary data. The use of surveys, participant observation, and multiple research practices is also discussed.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: (POL1570 Or POL2360 ) And POL2110

In this scholarly community of political science majors in their senior year, ideas and methodologies relevant to specific senior-project topics are probed. Two semesters are required (POL 4885 and 4890). Limited to political science majors.

Credits: 1

COREQ: SPJ4990

In this scholarly community of political science majors in their senior year, ideas and methodologies relevant to specific senior-project topics are probed. Two semesters are required (POL 4885 and 4890). Limited to political science majors.

Credits: 1

COREQ: SPJ4991

PREREQ: POL4885

Offers an in-depth focus on a specific sociological issue, which varies each semester. Includes research, readings, and writings on a topic related to the particular expertise of the faculty member.

Credits: 4