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Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, terrorism, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.

Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, terrorism, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.

The role and importance of the ideal of democracy in the evolution of the American political system. American political institutions (the Presidency, Congress, and the Court) and political processes (the formation of political attitudes and voting) are examined against the backdrop of American culture and political history. The major areas of public policy in the current practice of the ideal of democracy.

The structures, functions, and processes of the governmental system of the U.S.: American culture and political history; the branches of American government (Congress, the presidency, and the courts); and the institutions Americans use to interact with their government including interest groups, political parties, and the media.

Focus is on the ideal of a just society, and the place of liberty and equality in it, in light of contemporary theories of justice and political controversies. Topics include financing schools and elections, regulating markets, discriminating against people with disabilities, and enforcing sexual morality. Counts as Writing in the Major for PoliSci majors.

Why are some countries prone to civil war and violence, while others remain peaceful? Why do some countries maintain democratic systems, while others do not? Why are some countries more prosperous than others? This course will provide an overview of the most basic questions in the comparative study of political systems, and will introduce the analytical tools that can help us answer them.

Some 20 years after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States confronts a dizzying array of foreign policy challenges. The world in which we find ourselves is complex, contradictory, and highly uncertain. What role can and should the United States play in such a world? What are the major international challenges with which U.S. policymakers and the American people will have to contend in the immediate future and over the longer term? Given that the power of the United States is limited, how should we determine our priorities? Under what conditions should the United States be prepared to use force, and when is force inappropriate? What lessons have we learned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Can¿and should¿the United States provide the kind of global leadership that our political leaders tell us that we must? In this course we will explore the substance of U.S. foreign policy as well as the political considerations that influence both the making and the actual conduct of American diplomacy. Topics will include the challenges to policy associated with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, failing and failed states, and regional, interstate, and intrastate conflict. We will also examine how the changing distribution of power in the international system is likely to impact the United States and its allies. Finally, we will consider how domestic political considerations influence both the framing and the implementation of this country¿s foreign policy. In addition to the readings, students, operating in teams of three, will research and write a short policy memorandum on a topic the instructor designates. Students, each of whom will be assigned a particular role, will also take part in a 48-hour crisis simulation at the end of the course.

Preference to freshmen. In 1994, more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu Rwandans were killed in the most rapid genocide in history. What could bring humans to carry out such violence? Could it have been prevented? Why did no major power intervene to stop the killing? Should the U.N. be held accountable? What were the consequences for Central Africa? How have international actors respond to the challenges of reconstructing Rwanda? What happened to the perpetrators? Sources include scholarly and journalistic accounts.