34 courses with the subject POL, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
POL 110POLITICAL ISSUES: THE QUEST FOR JUSTICE
This beginner’s course in political science provides an introduction to politics through a critical examination of a full range of political issues and of classic and contemporary texts that illuminate the ongoing human—and American— “quest for justice.” Classic works of political reflection, political literature, speeches and writings by statesmen, as well as contemporary American political debates on domestic and foreign policy will 206
This course is an introduction to the principles, institutions, and processes of American government. It focuses on our political principles, such as liberty, democracy, and equality, especially as reflected in our government institutions—Congress and the Executive and Judiciary branches— and in our extra-governmental institutions, such as political parties and interest groups. Consideration will also be given to major contemporary issues—free speech, racial and sexual equality, privacy—as expressions of debates over our principles. (Fall, Spring)
A comparative analysis of major types of ancient and modern political systems, with an emphasis on the Western European liberal democracies of Great Britain and France and on the 20th century experience of totalitarian despotism. Open to all students, this course counts as a Forum course in the Foundations Program. (Fall, Spring)
This course is an introduction to the nature and place of political philosophy in the political thought and life of Western Civilization. It examines the basic principles of political philosophy according to thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, and Marx. (Fall, Spring)
An investigation into the fundamental principles that informed the founding of the American political order and have subsequently oriented the American way of life. In seeking to understand those principles, we also examine the political and philosophical tradition that preceded the founding. (Fall)
This course explores the U.S. judiciary as an institutional force in American politics. Beginning with the foundations of the judiciary and continuing through its prominent position in the interpretation and sometimes formation of policy and law today, the course considers the place courts do and should occupy in the constitutional scheme, how effective they are in producing social change, why their role has changed and how other branches of government react to them. Students will consider major Supreme Court cases and political controversies that illustrate the effect of the federal judiciary on American government.
The role of the Supreme Court in the American political system. Constitutional powers and limitations, with primary emphasis on judicial interpretations of the 1st and 14th amendments.
This course examines selected major contemporary national problems of the U.S. and the federal policies designed to deal with them. Particular problems considered might include poverty, welfare, the economy, education, health, transportation, consumer protection, environmental protection, and energy. It considers the interaction between parts of the government and between government and interest groups, in formulating and executing public policy. It evaluates the thinking of those who have advocated and opposed the expansion of government responsibility for a large range of social action.
The purpose of this course is to clarify the tradition of political economy, to understand its foundations and historical permutations, and to study its relationship and pertinence to pressing public policy concerns of our time. The relationship between “political” and “economic” phenomena and analysis will be investigated. The course focuses on the origins of political economy in moral and political reflection rather than in abstract “scientific” considerations. Authors to be studied include Smith, Marx, Keynes, de Jouvenel, Hayek, and Berger. (Fall)
The Middle East stands at the crossroads of three continents and three major world religions. For millennia, it has been the source of both hope and conflict. This course will provide historical context on current issues such as religious sectarianism, colonialism, terrorism, ethnic rivalry, revolution, democratic development, and the political economy of oil. It will examine well-known Israeli-Palestinian and Saudi-Iranian conflicts, as well as lesser-known regional rivalries, such as the Russian-backed conflict in Syria. It will also explore intra-regional co-operation, from OPEC to Ba’athist Pan-Arabism and beyond.
This course has as its focus the nation, as a unique form of political organization, and nationalism as the unique movement which gives that form its primary expression. Distinctions will be drawn between moderate and patriotic forms of nationalism and that extreme form known as fascism. It will analyze the rise of major manifestations of nationalism in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the 21st century challenges posed to the sovereignty of the nation by multinational corporations, intergovernmental organizations, terrorism, transnational bodies (the EU), and even individuals.
Scholars who have studied the 20th century say that far more people were killed by their own governments during this time than by foreign enemies in wars. This course examines this phenomenon and compares selected major cases of political mass murder, including the Jewish holocaust, great state induced famines under Stalin and Mao, the killing fields of Cambodia, genocide in Rwanda and Sudan and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. It considers how outside powers, especially the U.S. and U.N, have responded, when they intervene and how effectively; when and why they refrain from acting; and whether moral principles or international law permit or oblige states to intervene. (Fall) Dobski/Three credits.
Study of the origin and principles of political philosophy in the works of Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle. Relevant works by Roman-era philosophers and historians (Cicero, Plutarch, Seneca, Sallust, Tacitus and Livy) may also be studied.
POL 352EARLY MODERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: MAKING NATURAL RIGHTS
This course will explore the major philosophers of the period, from Machiavelli to Rousseau. These figures made the modern world through their claim that each individual is best positioned to know what is right for that person. This is the origin of natural rights.
A study of modern revolutions and their connection to “ideologies” which promise a fundamental transformation of political life. We examine the political history of the French and Soviet Revolutions to understand the originality of ideological revolution as distinct from traditional political revolutions which have had more limited aims. The course also compares totalitarian tyrannies with traditional forms of dictatorship. The anti-totalitarian Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe are also considered.
Is Machiavelli a teacher of tyrants, as so many today like to think? Or is he a benefactor of humanity, responsible for the freedoms that we have come to associate with the modern world? What if the answer to both questions is "yes"? To address these questions, we will engage Machiavelli's enormously influential Discourses on Titus Livius, a study that will shed light on his deeply complex presentation of princely politics and classical republicanism.
Alexis de Tocqueville has been called the greatest observer of democracy and the greatest observer of America. In 1831, Tocqueville spent nine months in America, seeking to understand why democracy had succeeded in America when it had failed in his native France. But Democracy in America is more than a vivid, insightful and often humorous chronicle of American culture, one that remains highly relevant today. It is a journey through the possibilities and dangers of democracy. Can we enjoy political liberty without being dragged down to a lowest common denominator? Tocqueville shows us how.
A study of the policy of the United states regarding important areas and problems in the contemporary world, and the development of the American involvement in foreign affairs from the Roosevelt-Truman era of World War II to the present time. Legalist, moralist, realist and revisionist interpretations of American foreign policy are evaluated.
Perhaps transcending the distinction between philosopher and poet, Shakespeare has given the world dramatic portrayals of the most enduring human problems. This course focuses on one of those problems through a careful reading of some of Shakespeare’s British histories. To be more precise, it explores Shakespeare’s portrait of Britain’s development from a tribal kingship under the political and spiritual influence of “Rome” into a constitutional monarchy whose separation of church from state prepared the way for its modern republican character.
POL 409Senior Seminar (Always in the Fall, Wednesdays Elective 300-level (Fall or Spring)
2:30-5:00) ADVISING TIPS FOR THE MAJOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE ● Although 11 courses are required for the major, students may take up to 14 Political Science classes. ● Students are encouraged to explore the major by taking POL 110 as early as possible, though it is not a required class. ● 200-level courses (POL 201, 203, 205, 207) do not have prerequisites. Majors must take these 200-level intermediate courses before or in conjunction with relevant 300-level offerings and are thus usually taken during Freshman and Sophomore years. There is no prescribed order in which the 200-level offerings need to be taken. ● More than one 200-level course can be taken at the same time. ● As a general practice, all 200-level intermediate courses are offered every semester. ● POL 350 and POL 358 count towards the minor in Core Texts and Enduring Questions (CTEQ). ● The special topics course (POL 399ST) can, depending on its theme and content, fulfill any of our upper division course requirements. Students should consult with the Department chair. ● Students thinking about pursuing a career in the law may want to consider minoring in Law, Ethics, and Constitutional Studies (LEX), an interdisciplinary minor between Philosophy and Political Science. As a general practice, the four required courses of this seven- course minor are offered every other year. ● The Senior Seminar (POL 409) is only offered during the Fall and only on Wednesdays from 2:30-5:00. ● The Department typically does not accept on-line classes for credit. ● To maintain the academic integrity of the major, transfer courses are approved under strict conditions. Students should consult with the department chair before registering for courses outside the day school of Assumption University. TO WHAT CAREERS DOES A MAJOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE LEAD? An education in Political Science affords students the skills, training, and intellectual disposition to effectively pursue a variety of fulfilling vocations. Recent Political Science graduates have begun their careers in the State Department, the FBI, and the White House, as well as in posts throughout our national, state, and local governments. In addition to public service, our graduates also pursue careers in international affairs, graduate study, journalism, media, law, teaching, publishing, and business. The Political Science program consists of basic courses, open to all students, and advanced courses for all students except first-year students. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS _______________________________________________
