Courses

Courses

Fall 2008

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010. The Pursuit of Peace
Allen Springer T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
Examines different strategies for preventing and controlling armed conflict in international society, and emphasizes the role of diplomacy, international law, and international organizations in the peace-making process.

011. The Korean War
Christian Potholm M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war” because it is overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War, yet many important aspects and results of it are mirrored in the contemporary world. Korea is still divided and its situation as a buffer state between China, Russia, and Japan continues to have important policy ramifications for the United States. The course focuses not just on the course of the war, but on the foreign policy assumptions of the two Korean governments, the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and Russia.

020. Global Media and Politics
Henry Laurence M 2:30 - 3:55, F 2:30 - 3:55
Examines the impact of media including the internet, newspapers, and television, on politics and society in cross-national perspective. Asks how differences in the ownership and regulation of media affect how news is selected and presented, and looks at various forms of government censorship and commercial self-censorship. Also considers the role of the media and “pop culture” in creating national identities, perpetuating ethnic stereotypes, and providing regime legitimation; and explores the impact of satellite television and the internet on rural societies and authoritarian governments.

026. Fundamental Questions: Exercises in Political Theory
Jean Yarbrough T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55
Explores the fundamental questions in political life: What is justice? What is happiness? Are human beings equal or unequal by nature? Do they even have a nature, or are they “socially constructed”? Are there ethical standards for political action that exist prior to law and, if so, where do they come from? Nature? God? History? Readings may include Plato, the Bible, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Marx, Mill, and Nietzsche.

028. Human Being and Citizen
Paul Franco M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
An introduction to the fundamental issues of political philosophy: human nature, the relationship between individual and political community, the nature of justice, the place of virtue, the idea of freedom, and the role of history. Readings span both ancient and modern philosophical literature. Authors include Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Hegel, Mill, and Nietzsche.

150. Introduction to American Government
Jeffrey Selinger M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
Provides a comprehensive overview of the American political process. Specifically, traces the foundations of American government (the Constitution, federalism, civil rights, and civil liberties), its political institutions (Congress, Presidency, courts, and bureaucracy), and its electoral processes (elections, voting, and political parties). Also examines other influences, such as public opinion and the mass media, which fall outside the traditional institutional boundaries, but have an increasingly large effect on political outcomes.

160. Introduction to International Relations
Olya Gayazova M 8:30 - 9:25, W 8:30 - 9:25, F 8:30 - 9:25
Provides a broad introduction to the study of international relations. Designed to strike a balance between empirical and historical knowledge on the one hand, and theoretical understanding on the other. Designed as an introductory course to familiarize students with no prior background in the subject, and recommended for first- and second-year students intending to take upper-level international relations courses.

204. Congress and the Policy Process
Janet Martin M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
An examination of the United States Congress, with a focus on members, leaders, constituent relations, the congressional role in the policy-making process, congressional procedures and their impact on policy outcomes, and executive-congressional relations.

205. Campaigns and Elections
None None M 9:30 - 10:25, W 9:30 - 10:25, F 9:30 - 10:25
Introduces current theories and controversies concerning political campaigns and elections in the United States. Takes advantage of the fact that the class meets during the run-up to the 2008 presidential primary season. The primary goal is to use concepts from the political science literature on elections to develop insight into the battle over control of Congress and the White House. Readings are organized around two themes. First, students are expected to follow journalistic accounts of the fall campaigns closely. A second set of readings introduces political science literature on campaigns and elections. These readings touch upon a wide range of themes, including presidential primaries, campaign finance, voting behavior, polling, media strategy, incumbency and coattail effects, the Electoral College, and trends in partisan realignment.

209. Introduction to Political Behavior
None None M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
Examines the political behavior of ordinary citizens. Begins with a broad focus on the importance of citizen participation in a democracy, and the debate over how much or how little participation is best. Examines the reasons for citizen (non)participation, and focuses on the effects of campaigns and social capital on different forms of participation.

210. Constitutional Law I
None None T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55
Examines the development of American constitutionalism, the power of judicial review, federalism, and separation of powers.

214. Environmental Policy and Politics
DeWitt John T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25
Examines alternative ways to protect our environment. Analyzes environmental policies and the regulatory regime that has developed in the United States; new approaches such as free-market environmentalism, civic environmentalism, environmental justice, sustainable development; and environmental policies and politics in other countries, especially China.

216. Maine Politics
Christian Potholm M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
An analysis of politics in the state of Maine since World War II. Subjects covered include the dynamics of Republican and Democratic rivalries and the efficacy of the Independent voter, the rise of the Green and Reform parties, the growing importance of ballot measure initiatives, and the interaction of ethnicity and politics in the Pine Tree state. An analysis of key precincts and Maine voting paradigms is included, as well as a look at the efficacy of such phenomena as the north/south geographic split, the environmental movement, and the impact of such interest groups as SAM and the Roman Catholic Church. Students are expected to follow contemporary political events on a regular basis.

220. The Politics of Development: Poverty, Prosperity, and Political Change
Ericka Albaugh T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55
Examines the meaning of development from economic and political perspectives. Considers various theories and practices of development that have been applied to newly independent states in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Investigates why trajectories of economic growth and political stability have been so uneven in different regions of the world. Incorporates views from both external and internal actors on issues such as foreign aid, multilateral institutions, good governance, and democratic participation.

222. Politics and Societies in Africa
Ericka Albaugh T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
Surveys societies and politics in sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to understand the sources of current conditions and the prospects for political stability and economic growth. Looks briefly at pre-colonial society and colonial influence on state-construction in Africa, and concentrates on three broad phases in Africa's contemporary political development: 1) independence and consolidation of authoritarian rule; 2) economic decline and challenges to authoritarianism; 3) democratization and civil conflict. Expects no prior knowledge of the region.

228. Chinese Foreign Policy
Olya Gayazova M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25
An analytical survey of the sources, substance and significance of contemporary Chinese Foreign Policy. Emphasis is on understanding Beijing's distinctive diplomatic voice by unpacking the growing web of China's diplomatic relations with states as diverse as the United States and India, Germany and Brazil, South Africa and Russia, Saudi Arabia and Israel. In the course of the semester, students will outline and interpret Beijing's recent initiatives in the areas of international investment, trade, energy, education, and civilian and military technology.

232. Japanese Politics and Society
Henry Laurence M 9:30 - 10:25, W 9:30 - 10:25, F 9:30 - 10:25
Comprehensive overview of modern Japanese politics in historical, social, and cultural context. Analyzes the electoral dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party, the nature of democratic politics, and the rise and fall of the economy. Other topics include the status of women and ethnic minorities, education, war guilt, nationalism, and the role of the media.

238. The Politics of East Central Europe
Laura Henry M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
Surveys political developments in East Central Europe from the interwar period to the present. How did these states become part of the Soviet bloc? Why did they experience democratization in the late 1980s? How can we explain divergent political and economic outcomes in the postcommunist period? How has participation in the European Union affected new member states and their relations with non-members to the East and South? Students are encouraged to investigate these questions by engaging in comparative research.

240. Classical Political Philosophy
Jean Yarbrough T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
A survey of classical political philosophy focusing on Plato’s Apology and Republic, Aristotle’s Politics and Nicomachean Ethics, and St. Augustine’s City of God. The course examines ancient Greek and early Christian reflections on human nature, justice, the best regime, the relationship of the individual to the political community, the relationship of philosophy to politics, democracy, education, and religion.

246. Religion and Politics
Paul Franco M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
Examines the relationship between religion and politics—the so-called theological-political question—primarily in modern Europe and America. Focuses first on the tension between and eventual separation of church and state in the early modern period. Then considers the implications and complications of this historic separation, looking at recent Supreme Court cases, as well as contemporary discussion of the relationship between religion and politics. Comparisons with the treatment of this issue in the Islamic world are made throughout the course. Authors include Machiavelli, Luther, Calvin, Spinoza, Locke, Jefferson, Madison, Tocqueville, as well as a variety of contemporary and Islamic writers.

260. International Law
Allen Springer T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
The modern state system, the role of law in its operation, the principles and practices that have developed, and the problems involved in their application.

309. Public Policy and American Political Development
Jeffrey Selinger T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
This seminar will examine how the United States developed from a modest, agrarian republic into a “modern,” mass democracy. How have the forces often associated with the process of modernization (e.g. the expansion of commerce and new media, the growth of industry, the rise of a welfare and regulatory state) changed the shape of America’s representative institutions and the nature of American political culture? Readings focus on the development of the electoral system, the emergence of a “modern” bureaucratic establishment, and the rise of the presidency as the focal-point of party politics. Seminar discussion will examine how these and other developments have shaped America’s liberal democratic values and transformed its political institutions.

321. Social Protest and Political Change
Laura Henry M 10:00 - 11:25, W 10:00 - 11:25
Analyzes the role of social protest in generating political change on issues such as civil rights, environmentalism, women’s rights, indigenous rights, and globalization. Begins by considering different theoretical approaches to understanding the emergence and effectiveness of social movements and non-governmental organizations. Then engages in comparative analysis of social protest in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and elsewhere, paying particular attention to the advantages and risks of the increasingly transnational nature of social activism.