38 courses with the subject POSC, 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.
POSC 110American Political System4
Operation of American political processes and governmental institutions. Political culture of American democracy, political philosophy of the Constitution, relationship between organization of the economy and political power, linkages between mass public and governing elites, and operation of institutions of national government. (M4) (PTK - SCI) (Equity and Inclusion)(Quantitative Reasoning)
This course is meant to acquaint students with the analytical approaches, concepts, processes, issues, and actors in world politics. The class is anchored in class discussion and exchange of ideas. We will study the continuum of theoretical traditions and analytical approaches used in the study of international relations/world politics/international politics, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, and feminism. We will explore the roles of key actors in global politics including governments, international institutions, and a variety of non-state actors. Additionally, we will examine key global issues such as global security, war and peace, human rights, global economics and trade, poverty and development, and environmental issues. The course will draw on historical and contemporary cases to help students draw connections between theories and world events and to be equipped with how to best explain and understand the world. (M4) (PTK - Global Connections)(Public Speaking)
How can we ask better political questions and provide better political answers? This course introduces students to the habits of mind of famous thinkers across the centuries: Plato, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, de Tocqueville, Students for a Democratic Society, and Hannah Arendt. Topics include personal choice, democratic citizenship, justice, and totalitarianism. (M3) (PTK - HUM) (Ethical Deliberation) (Critical Reading)
A thematic approach to the study of politics in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. It exposes students to the diversity of the modern world, teaches methods for studying other countries comparatively, and emphasizes critical analysis. Topic selection varies by semester. (M5) (PTK - SS) (Equity and Inclusion)(Intercultural and Linguistic Competencies)
This course provides an introduction to national security, regional security, and politics in the East Asian region. The course will focus primarily on the major and middle Northeast Asian powers (China, Japan, Russia, the Koreas, Taiwan, and the United States); however, there also will be substantive reference to South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. It will consider a series of selected issues, including historical background; political economy; national and regional security; human rights; culture; and transnational linkages such as drugs, disease, oil, and war. (M5)
Issues of freedom of speech and expression. Supreme Court interpretations of the First Amendment, including major cases that have defined parameters of free speech in America. Philosophical debate about value of free expression in a democratic society. Topics include subversive speech and political dissent, protest speech, prior restraint, obscenity, libel, symbolic speech, hate speech, and provocation.
South Korea is a rich and thriving country known for its cutting edge technology, popular culture, and exciting cuisine. Our destinations include Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island. In Seoul, we will visit places like the Blue House, Gyeongbok palace, Dongdaemun market, and the DMZ. In Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, we will stroll along the Haeundae Beach, shop at Jagalchi Fish market, and tour around the historic streets of Gamcheon Culture Village. Lastly, in Jeju Island, designated as a UNESCO world heritage site, we will explore the Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak and hike the Halla National Park. In a series of class meetings prior to departure, students will gain a basic understanding of the brief history of Korea, including Japanese colonialism, the Korean War, its rapid economicdevelopment, and the democratization movement. Moreover, students will receive an introduction to language, etiquette, food, currency, and popular culture. Specifically, students will have the opportunity to learn useful Korean phrases as well as do hands-on practice with the Hangul alphabet. Students from all disciplines are welcome.
What does “working for a living” mean today? What are prospects for good jobs in a world dominated by labordisplacing technology? Who should control the shape and purpose of technology? Do some people deserve better working conditions and more fulfilling jobs than others? How have workers organized to protect themselves? Should corporations have “rights”? What conditions prompt or retard class awareness and organization among workers, including bonds across national borders? Do global market forces produce the best outcomes for workers? Course addresses these and related questions. (M4)
Why should we obey the law? What makes state violence legitimate? Close textual investigations of the works of great modern political theorists such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Marx, and Mill, with an emphasis on the social contract and its limits as a form of political foundation.
Scope and method of political science as a discipline. Defines the boundary of the political, surveys the major contemporary approaches to study of politics
Role of the Supreme Court and its relationship to legislative and executive branches of the American political system. Attention to judicial decisions of constitutional and historic significance in development of American government. Recommended: Political Science 110 or Sociology 216.
Civil liberties of Americans as delineated in the Bill of Rights. Issues of freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, right to counsel, searches and seizures, self-incrimination, cruel and unusual punishment, and fair trial. Judicial policy-making and problem of individual freedoms in conflict with federal and local police powers.
This course delves into the remarkable success stories of the Asian Tigers, encompassing Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. We will investigate how they have achieved the renowned “East Asian Miracle” by outperforming economies in other parts of the world. This extraordinary economic growth in East Asia is distinguished by the unique challenges these countries have faced, such as imperialism, partition, and the dominance of the United States in the region, as well as their reliance on state-led growth. We will explore the role of the state in formulating and executing export oriented development strategies, the interdependence of these countries and the complications arising from the interconnectedness, the impact of financial crises on their accumulation strategies, and the current human rights and environmental issues stemming from their development.
Organization and operation of legislative and executive branches; interaction between them. Attention to the rise of the administrative state and struggle for control of public policy. Writing-intensive.
This course provides an understanding of politics and policy in Africa that is devoid of common stereotypes. Students will gain an appreciation of the many success stories on the continent and of the lingering challenges. We will draw from a variety of readings, books, articles, reports, documentaries and news reports. Topics to be discussed include the colonial state; the postcolonial state; elections, democratization and political change; political economy and development; gender and politics; religion and politics; ethnicity and politics; conflict and violence; African international relations.
POSC 110 or POSC 115 or POSC 120 or POSC 125 or POSC 127 Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 235Cont European Politics4
Efforts to set up, organize, and implement the European Union, from the end of World War II to the present. Review of political, economic, and social factors that have influenced these efforts. Topics include national interests of the larger countries (Germany, France, and Great Britain); role of smaller countries; reunification of Germany; relations with the United States and Japan; recent enlargement of the EU to include central and eastern European countries. Special attention given to the creation, implementation, and meaning of the euro, the EU’s common currency. (M4)
Principles and practice of public administration in the U.S. Organization and operation of executive branch and its role in formulation and implementation of public policy. Topics include organization theory, bureaucratic discretion, power and accountability, administrative process, budgeting, theories of decision-making, regulatory policy. (M4)
Contemporary American politics and policy on environmental issues. Current controversies in legislative and regulatory areas. Examination of environmental issues and the political process.
Juniors and Seniors only Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 241International Security4
This course provides students an understanding of the traditional and non-traditional discourses surrounding security affairs and conflict internationally, transnationally and sub-nationally. We will explore realist, liberal, constructivist, critical, and feminist understandings of international security affairs in the areas of great power conflict, terrorism, revolutionary war, internal conflict, and civil-military relations. We will also examine other non-traditional security areas such as environmental degradation, resource/livelihood conflicts, global pandemics and economic woes that threaten the physical safety of individuals and groups.
POSC 110 or POSC 115 or POSC 120 or POSC 125 or POSC 127 Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 245The Politics of The Middle East4
Focuses on the politics and conflicts in the Middle East including Israeli-Palestinian conflict, oil politics, Islam, U.S. policy in the region, with attention to Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Spring. Two 70-minute periods. (M5)
An introduction to contemporary Chinese politics. Using scholarly articles, literature, journalistic accounts, and films, the course presents an overview of China in world history and then moves on to issues, groups, and individuals that animate current Chinese politics, including economic and political reforms, social and cultural problems, quality of life dilemmas, the new generation of leaders, foreign policy, and China’s future. (M5)
Will China rule the world, replacing the United States as the global hegemony? Will China’s rise change the rules of the game of today’s international system and global economy? The course examines the implications of China’s rise for global economy, governance, security, resources, environment, technology, and culture, as well as for the United States. Drawing on International Relations and Globalization theories, the course focuses on China’s glowing presence in the global economy/international institutions, its global reach as a foreign-aid donor and investor in Africa and the Middle East, its global propaganda efforts/pursuit of soft power, its association with North Korea, its rapid military build-up, and its ambition to rejuvenate the nation.
POSC 115 or POSC 125 or POSC 127 Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 249Two Koreas: Democracy Authoritarian4
Authoritarianism and democracy are fundamentally different, but what distinguishes them? Do democracies perform better than authoritarian political systems? Can democracy and authoritarianism coexist in a hybrid form? This course aims to address these questions by focusing on the two Koreas in East Asia. Despite the armistice between North and South Korea, the two nations remain in a state of war, posing a significant threat to global peace beyond Asia. Throughout the course, we will explore how the division of the two Koreas came about, why democracy emerged in South Korea while dictators retained power in North Korea, and how South Korea, despite being poorer than the North, has outpaced its northern neighbor and now ranks as the world’s 10th largest economy.
This course is designed to familiarize students with fundamental principles and contemporary discussions regarding the role of law and the function of courts in both well-established and emerging democracies. The course is broadly divided into two main sections: (1) the study of judicial institutions and (2) an exploration of judicial decision-making behaviors. The initial portion will revolve around acquiring a foundational understanding of legal structures and court-related institutions, encompassing topics like the rule of law, legal systems, judicial review, and judicial independence. The latter segment will delve into the world of legal experts and civil society. Students will learn to scrutinize diverse models of judicial decision-making and the potential influence of non-legal factors, including demographic characteristics, reputation, and empathy, on the judicial process and its outcomes.
Course explores the history and politics of women’s rights in China, Japan, and Korea through readings, discussions, writing, interviews, videos, and debates. Focus will be on cultural and gender differences and the politics concerning women that emerge from the different written and visual sources covered. Writing-intensive. (M5)
LINC101 - First-Year Seminar OR WRIT100 - Writing 100 Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 260Critical Gender Studies4
This advanced-level political theory course introduces students to scholarly texts, activist writings, and historical documents pertinent to feminist theory and masculinity studies. Selected readings also address multiculturalism, race, class, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity. Theories studies will vary by semester. This class exposes students to diverse approaches to the politics of sex and gender.
This course is meant to acquaint students with the pertinent issues affecting the developing world and the challenges faced by developing nations. In an interconnected world, the challenges of developing nations affect us all. The course will provide an overview of the analytical frameworks used to study the politics of the developing world. We will explore the question of development and underdevelopment. Why are some countries not developed? We will examine the global context in which the developing world is situated and the power dynamics that shape current political and economic realities of developing nations. Additionally we will discuss how the issues of globalization, gender, violence, governance, poverty, natural resources, and many others unfold in the developing world and how they are perceived by both developing and developed nations. The course will draw on historical and contemporary examples from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East while exploring some countries in depth. The class will be run as a seminar and is anchored in class discussion and exchange of ideas. (M5) Writing-Intensive. Writing.
How cultural processes structure comprehension and evaluation of American politics; the relationship between culture and political power; how cultural beliefs and values are manifest in the U.S. political agenda. Topics can include discussion of consumerism, nationalism, race, ethnicity, gender and religion in American politics. Spring, alternate years. Writing-intensive. (M4)
Explores how contemporary society uses energy and how its use is shaped by politics and public policy, especially how energy consumption and choices of energy technologies shape patterns of human settlement, structure of social life, distribution of income, and allocation of political power. Examines implications of energy choices for the viability of the environment, levels of personal freedom, and possibilities of democratic government. (U1)
A thematic approach to Chinese politics and cultural movements. Using scholarly articles, literature, journalistic accounts, films, and other materials, the course addresses particular topics each term, including political culture and pop culture, politics and the cinema, art and politics, culture and politics, politics and literature, and symbolic politics and social movement in China over the last century. Writing-intensive. (M6) Fischler
LINC101 - First-Year Seminar OR WRIT100 - Writing 100 Credit Type Code: Letter Grade
POSC 355WI: Utopias, Dystopias, Manifestos4
This course introduces students to visionary political writing, including Thomas More’sUtopia, Theodore Herzl’s The Jewish State, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel’s The Communist Manifesto, and Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. We will think about political theorists as writers and also engage in original writing. The work of this course culminates in the creation of original student political visions. (U2)
