72 courses with the subject PO, 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.
PO 110American Government
This course introduces students to the American political system and thus it will be an exploration of American republican democracy. We will attempt to understand the way that the political system operates by examining Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, federalism, political parties, interest groups, elections, civil liberties and civil rights, and policy issues relevant to Americans. We will explore the way that institutional arrangements facilitate debate, which ultimately leads to policy changes. Our objective in this class will be to understand the workings of American democracy.
An introduction to Comparative Politics and International Relations. In this course, students will learn how different countries around the world govern themselves and how they interact with each other. Topics may include democratic and non-democratic regimes, theories of war and peace, global political cultures, and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations.
This course introduces students to the field of political theory by focusing on some of the major works and concepts such as democracy, freedom, liberty, and justice.
This course introduces the fundamentals of the American legal system. Primary topics will include the sources of law; constitutional interpretation; the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government; federal and state judicial systems; civil and criminal law; legal ethics; and questions of power, authority, justice, inequality, individualism, and the community. Students will also learn the fundamentals of legal research, such as locating the texts of statutes, regulations, and court decisions on specific subjects; reading and analyzing statutes and case law; and developing techniques for legal writing and oral presentations.
What are the responsibilities of citizenship? How do we define community? What are the ways we can participate in civic life? This course in civic learning and civic engagement will help prepare individuals for effective democratic participation, which in turn promotes growth of healthy communities, global economic vitality, social and political well-being and democratic human interactions. Through a variety of readings and experiential activities, students will be introduced to the four core pillars in the Civic Engagement field: Civic and Democratic Knowledge, Civic and Democratic Skills, Civic and Democratic Values, and Civic and Democratic Action.
Theory and practice of international security (realism and internationalism) and international political economy (liberalism and protectionism) in their historical context. [Applicable to the Global Studies Concentration.]
This course will focus on the political ramifications of globalization upon sovereign states, governance, elections, international institutions, and ordinary people. Using this organizing theme, we will explore theories of globalization, the history of globalization in international politics, the impact of globalization on the sovereign state, and international institutions. In addition, we will focus on the political economy of globalization, as well as the impact of globalization on democracy, human rights and international law. The role of transboundary phenomena such as terrorism, corruption, human trafficking, public health, migration, and global environmental politics will also be highlighted.
A practical and thematic examination of the relevance of the concepts of gender to war and peace. Students will become familiar with multiple, feminist approaches to topics such as: militarization, gender and armed actors, wartime violence, the impact of war on gender relations, peace activism, peace processes, and peacekeeping. Classes will also cover the emergence of new norms adopted by the UN system to address these issues, as well as the emergence of feminist foreign policies. We will examine cases drawn from across the globe.
This course examines how women have gained access to formal politics in the US and internationally. Using intersectional feminist theories and theories of political participation, mobilization, and representation, we will examine why women and which women are excluded from formal politics, how women have exercised political power formally and informally, which women benefit most from expanded participation, and whether women's political representation is linked to better outcomes for ordinary women across different groups.
Why are some countries rich, and some poor? What causes these global inequalities, and do we have effective policy solutions? Does aid work? In this course, we will examine the political economy of development across the globe. We will examine how concepts like "poverty" are defined and measured, competing explanations for development, and the efficacy of international responses to poverty alleviation. Importantly, we will center the experiences and perspectives from the Global South.
This course will select a major ongoing international conflict to frame a comprehensive investigation of the domestic and international politics surrounding combatant countries and/or non-state actors. Topics may include how and why wars occur, the historical background of the conflict, claims and counterclaims used to legitimize or delegitimize state action, the role of democracy and autocracy, the dynamics of international intervention, the role of international institutions, instances of war crimes and human rights abuses, the impact of technological change on warfare, the conflict resolution process (including ceasefire and peace negotiations), post-conflict rebuilding, and the long-term impacts of war.
This class introduces students to the ideas and concepts found in the works of ancient and classical political theorists. We will read major works by theorists like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Mill, Hobbes, the Federalists, and Rousseau. Emphasis will be placed on how theorists justify the existence of government and how its conception has evolved over time. We then trace fundamental principles, such as democracy, liberty, and justice and show how these ideas are encapsulated in the US Constitution.
LASC Categories: USW Colonial origins to the era of the Spanish-American War. The sources and development of United States foreign policy in that period. [Cross-listed with HI-211.] Every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
The nature and function of the United States Congress, including the complexities of the lawmaking process, Congressional elections, the relationship between individual members of Congress and their constituencies, major issues of public policy, and institutional relations between Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary.
LASC Categories: CON, HBS, USW The development of constitutional history as seen in decisions of the United States Supreme Court and their effects, from 1789 to 1921. [Cross-listed with HI-218.] Every 2-3 years.
This course provides a comparative study of European government and politics, with a focus on major countries such as Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Russia. Special emphasis will be placed on learning about the structure of political power within the state and on important institutions that form the link between state and society, such as political parties and interest groups. Diverse nationalistic responses to the European Union will also be considered.
This course provides students with an analysis of selected political systems of the countries of Asia. Students will have the opportunity to learn about major theories in comparative politics, which will be applied to the understanding of countries in the Asian region. Topics will include communist and post-communist transitions, democratization, social movements, and economic reform.
This course provides a comparative study of the government and politics of contemporary Latin America. It will explore the political systems of various countries, as well as how political dynamics, such as democratization, authoritarianism, and crisis situations, have affected political, economic, and social policies throughout the region.
This course will analyze the relationship between citizens' opinions and the mass media through a focus on political campaign and governmental communication strategy. Specific attention will be given to the history of the relationship between politicians and the media. We will also study political campaign advertisements. We will analyze how political candidates and governments communicate with voters, how they shape their images and manage crises, and ultimately attempt to determine how effective politicians are in influencing public opinion.
This course provides students with an analysis of selected political systems of the countries of the Middle East. Students will have the opportunity to learn about major theories in comparative politics, which will be applied to the understanding of countries in the Middle Eastern region. International rivalries in the area are also discussed. [Cross-listed with HI-330]
This course examines political campaigns and elections in the United States, with a focus on the candidate nomination and electoral process, campaign structures and strategies, voting, political participation, public opinion, the media, political behavior, and the role of political parties.
This course will focus on how recent political philosophers have responded to questions such as what constitutes liberty, freedom, and justice. In turn, students will be prompted to consider questions such as when is it necessary for government to constrain freedom, and how can conflicts between the rights of the individual and the rights of the community be adjudicated. This class will allow for engagement with these concepts through the works of modern political theorists such as Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Arendt, and contemporary political theorists such as Rawls, Nozick, Dworkin, Berlin and Strauss.
This course explores a selection of the various organizations that are relevant in contemporary global politics. Special attention will paid to the United Nations, as well as to organized political movements that challenge, and/or offer alternative visions for, global governance. Concepts, practices, and processes that will be covered in this course include: sovereignty, democracy, human rights, global capitalism, and political resistance/pre-figurative politics.
This course examines the political development and the political processes of America's cities. The actors in this story include machine bosses, reformers, immigrants, bureaucrats, politicians, average citizens, the rich, the poor, and the marginalized. Particular attention will be given to the political institutions of city government, structures and strategies of city elections, local party organizations, governing strategies of mayors, evolving urban populations and interests, and enduring problems such as racism, prejudice, discrimination, poverty, crime, education, economic decay and exploitation.
PO 250Doing Political Science: an Introduction To Research Methodology
This course introduces students to the research process in Political Science. There will be an emphasis on both quantitative and qualitative methods of generating and analyzing social science statistics and other data in order to answer research questions about the political world around us. In this course students will learn what makes Political Science a "science." No previous experience in math, statistics, or programming is required.
This course introduces students to how American public policy is formulated and how public policies can be evaluated. These theoretical and structural frameworks are then applied to a series of case studies of public policies to examine the role of politics in how the policy process works and to develop a fuller understanding of the political and ideological debates over contemporary public policy issues such as welfare, social security, heath care, education, labor, criminal justice, and the environment.
This course examines the evolution of American political thought as a means to better understand the role of political ideology in contemporary politics. Through a close reading of mainly primary source documents in political theory spanning the colonial period through the present era, students will critically engage topics such as American iterations of Republicanism and Democracy, American character, slavery, race, women's rights, ethnicity, class, and immigration. These topics will reveal challenges to core American values which would shape American political development. We will also examine how different varieties of liberals and conservatives confront these political questions.
This class will analyze the relationship between the United States government and racial and ethnic groups and explore the way that race is utilized in American politics. We will focus on issues affecting racial and ethnic communities in the United States, the politics behind racial and ethnic classification, and the use of racial and ethnic appeals in American political campaigns. The readings for this course will cover topics such as affirmative action, criminal justice reform, and civil rights. It will offer students an opportunity to analyze political speeches and advertisements that utilize race and ethnicity.
This course examines Black hair as a site of racial, political, and cultural contestation, tracing its significance from enslavement and colonial legislation through the Black Power movement to contemporary debates over natural hair discrimination and the CROWN Act. Credit cannot also be granted for HI-288.
Special Topics in Political Science at the introductory and intermediate level, offering an overview of a particular subject that is not regularly offered in the course catalog; appropriate for students at any level.
An examination of international law through the lens of international relations. This course will focus on international humanitarian law (the law of war), international human rights law, and territorial law (border disputes). We will examine contemporary and historical cases, such as genocide in Myanmar, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the expansion of human rights to women and Indigenous peoples, and China's claims to the South China Sea. Students will also learn about the courts and legal instruments involved in enforcing each area of international law.
Investigation of the factors that determine the formation of public policy on the environment with consideration of the roles played by federal, state, and local regulatory agencies in the United States. Case studies will include global climate change, air and water pollution, energy, land use, brownfields, waste management, endangered species, and population growth.
Examination of the process and factors that influence formulation, implementation and modification of health policy in the United States. Topics will include health ethics, insurance, finance, prescription drug regulation, Medicare/Medicaid, epidemics, private markets, public interest, distributive justice, and the role of government.
This course explores the political issues relevant to the American educational system. The focus of the course will be the contemporary political debates and public policy attached to both the American public school system and the system of higher education. We will analyze federal and state educational policy, trace the development of federal involvement in the education system, and explore the current political issues related to the American education system. Special attention will be given to issues of race, sex/gender, and class.
PO 318Constitutional Law of Government Powers And Constraints
A critical analysis of key US Supreme Court decisions addressing the horizontal allocation of power among federal government branches and institutions, and the vertical allocation of power between federal and state governments. Attention will also be given to unresolved constitutional issues between the legislative and executive branches, the Massachusetts state constitution, and to the theoretical foundations of the United States Constitution (such as Locke, Montesquieu, and the Federalist Papers).
PO 319Constitutional Law of Civil Rights and Liberties
This course will provide students with an analysis of law pertaining to civil liberties and civil rights in the Unites States, with attention also given to Massachusetts. Following the historical development of constitutional law in the United States, we will begin with pre-Civil War law to see how fundamental civil liberties and civil rights have been applied to the states.
Explores the history and meaning of citizenship in the United States, including discrimination, rights struggles and changing citizenship criteria. [Cross-listed with HI-320.]
Examines the theories fo nationalism, the development of the modern Nation-state, and its effect on global politics. [Cross-listed with HI-322. Applicable to the Global Studies Concentration.]
Theories and models of colonization, the reaction of colonized peoples, and the way historians analyze imperialism from 1400 to 1920's. [Cross-listed with HI-323. Applicable to the Global Stuydies Concentration.]
This course examines the evolution of modern political orders in Israel and Palestine, tracing the historical foundations, institutional developments, and ideological debates that shape governance and political identity in each society. It investigates the origins and trajectories of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including competing national movements, cycles of violence and diplomacy, and the interaction of political, territorial, legal, and humanitarian issues. Particular attention is given to how war, terrorism, occupation, resistance, negotiations, and international involvement have reshaped political institutions, social relations, and everyday life. The course concludes by evaluating prospects for an enduring peace in the region.
An interdisciplinary study of the impact that members of the Kennedy family have had in American politics, public policy, history, and culture. Topics for close analysis may include Civil Rights, Health Care, the Peace Corps, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Media, and Political Campaigns. In addition to traditional coursework, students will have the opportunity to engage in original research at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, the JFK Library, and other public history archives. The course uses the Kennedy Legacy as a template for students to gain knowledge and values to assume the roles and responsibilities of citizenship. Other or on demand and other or on demand. 3
PO 327Global South Leadership in the United Nations
Global South individuals and countries have been instrumental and creating and sustaining the United Nations. In this course, we examine how the Global South has used the UN to foster action on issues such as human rights, decolonization, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. In this course, students will get to experience these issues through a field trip to UN headquarters and a Model United Nations simulation.
Discusses liberation of North African countries from imperialism; politics of independence, nation- building, and international rivalries in the area. Every year.
PO 334Environmental Crisis and Management in China
This course will examine the history of the relationship between Chinese society and culture, economic development, state power, scientific theories, and the environment. Recent media reports have highlighted a worsening environmental crisis in China while at the same time reporting on China as a new leader in the development of alternative energy sources. This course will trace the political, economic, social, and scientific history behind this environmental crisis, and will evaluate the role of local, regional, and national levels of the government, domestic and international non-governmental organizations, urban and rural activists, scientific studies and discourses, and evolving political ideologies. [Cross-listed with HI-334.]
PO 361The Rise of the Right: Conservative Politics From Goldwater to Today
This course will critically trace the development of conservative politics in the United States from the 1960s to today. Students will analyze various influential conservative activists and thinkers like Barry Goldwater and Charles Murray to consider their influence on the political campaigns and strategies of figures like Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump. We will read the texts of key conservative thinkers on welfare, race, and foreign relations to analyze their lasting impact on American politics.
This course examines radical political thought and movements across the ideological spectrum. Students analyze how thinkers and activists challenge existing political institutions through theories such as Marxism, anarchism, and anti-democratic critique. The course evaluates both the historical impact of these ideas and the practical outcomes of the movements that advanced them.
This course will investigate the relationship between music, politics, and political thought. We will analyze music across diverse genres and eras to examine how music has both instigated political change, challenged power structures, and reflected political and cultural shifts. Students will be asked to listen to various examples of music, analyze the lyrics and structure, trace genre development, and see how music has shaped politics and, conversely, how politics has shaped music.
This is a course about taking literature seriously as a political instrument. Students read works of fiction, poetry, prose, and drama -- from classic novels to contemporary voices -- and use them as lenses for understanding power, inequality, democracy, and justice in ways that complement traditional Political Science works. Students discover that some of the most powerful political arguments ever made were not written in policy memos or philosophical treatises; they were written as stories. Students observe how novelists, playwrights, poets, and essayists expose corruption, imagine revolution, and challenge power in ways that change minds and move history.
We live in a time when the line between political reality and political theater has never been thinner. This course helps students make sense of this moment by examining how television and film have shaped, and have been shaped by, the political world around us. From presidential thrillers and dystopian tales to campaign documentaries and prestige political dramas, this course treats the viewer's screen as a political arena in its own right, asking what these stories reveal to us about power, leadership, inequality, identity, freedom, democracy, and the fragile institutions that hold society together.
This course examines the causes, dynamics, and consequences of terrorism and political violence. It introduces major political science debates on defining terrorism, the influence of state narratives and propaganda, and tensions between security and democracy in comparative perspective. The course analyzes the causes and evolution of international terrorism, including contemporary transnational forms, and examines the United States' War on Terror and its effects on domestic politics and foreign policy. It also explores counterterrorism strategies and the use of terrorism and political violence as instruments of state policy. The course may be team-taught.
Special Topics in Political Science at the advanced level, offering a discipline-specific examination of a particular subject that is not regularly offered in the course catalog; appropriate for more advanced students who have previously taken courses in Political Science.
PO 401Senior Research Seminar in Political Science
A capstone research seminar for Political Science majors in which students integrate their training as political scientists in terms of research, analysis, and evaluation of recent and seminal scholarship in one or more of the major subfields, culminating in a large scale original research paper that uses appropriate methods to answer emerging questions in the discipline.
Directed study offers students, who because of unusual circumstances may be unable to register for a course when offered, the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with agreement from a faculty member.
Internships in government agencies, political parties, election campaigns, non-governmental organizations, the news media, and other institutions in the public and private sectors. Students will perform a variety of tasks in a professional setting, combining the academic study of politics with practical work experience.
Internships with Courts, Law Firms, the District Attorney's office, the Public Defender's office, Legal Aid societies, and other institutions involved in the practice of law. Students will perform a variety of tasks in a professional legal setting, combining the academic study of Pre-Law with practical work experience.
An intensive independent research project that serves as a capstone experience for students majoring in Political Science. Students may opt either to (1) write a traditional formal thesis, or (2) complete an alternative large scale experiential project in applied political research, political action, or creative political arts. The Senior Thesis/Capstone Project may be used to substitute for the Senior Research Seminar requirement in the Political Science major.
