POLISCI 237M: Politics and Evil (ETHICSOC 237M)
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the political theorist Hannah Arendt wrote that ¿the problem of evil will be the fundamental question of postwar intellectual life in Europe.¿ This question remains fundamental today. The acts to which the word ¿evil¿ might apply¿genocide, terrorism, torture, human trafficking, etc.¿persist. The rhetoric of evil also remains central to American political discourse, both as a means of condemning such acts and of justifying preventive and punitive measures intended to combat them. In this advanced undergraduate seminar, we will examine the intersection of politics and evil by considering works by philosophers and political theorists, with occasional forays into film and media. The thinkers covered will include: Hannah Arendt, Immanuel Kant, Niccolò Machiavelli, Friedrich Nietzche, and Michael Walzer.
Last offered: Spring 2013
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
POLISCI 237S: Civil Society and Democracy in Comparative Perspective (ETHICSOC 237)
A cross-national approach to the study of civil societies and their role in democracy. The concept of civil society--historical, normative, and empirical. Is civil society a universal or culturally relative concept? Does civil society provide a supportive platform for democracy or defend a protected realm of private action against the state? How are the norms of individual rights, the common good, and tolerance balanced in diverse civil societies? Results of theoretical exploration applied to student-conducted empirical research projects on civil societies in eight countries. Summary comparative discussions. Prerequisite: a course on civil society or political theory. Students will conduct original research in teams of two on the selected nations. Enrollment limited to 18. Enrollment preference given to students who have taken
PoliSci 236S/
EthicSoc 232T.
Last offered: Spring 2015
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 238: Political Disagreement
Disagreement is a permanent and ubiquitous feature of political life. Furthermore, political disagreement can stem from a wide range of sources. Perhaps most importantly, democratic citizens disagree at the level of values: they disagree about the proper form of the good life as well as the human interests that political laws and institutions ought to serve. This course will focus primary attention on the implications of such value-based disagreement for how we should think about political justice.
Last offered: Spring 2013
POLISCI 238C: Governing the 21st Century World
How is our world governed, and by whom? How are decisions made on the most important issues of our time, including climate change, global inequality, and protection of human rights? A traditional answer to these questions is that only official governments have the power to govern -to set and enforce rules on these and other issues. In contrast, this class explores the emerging roles ofnnon-state actors, including NGOs, for-profit corporations, informal social movements, and international institutions, in governing our world and making decisions on these and other key issues. We will also study the ways that the governance by non-state actors challenges our ideas of democracy, legitimacy, and justice. The class thus seeks to bring together perspectives and tools from both empirical social science and political theory in order to better understand this important phenomenon.
Last offered: Winter 2014
POLISCI 238T: History of International Relations Thought (INTNLREL 136)
In this course, we will examine the intellectual origins of contemporary theories and approaches to international politics. In particular, we will trace the classical and early modern roots of contemporary realism, idealism, and cosmopolitanism. We will also address some of the enduring normative and empirical questions about international politics: (1) What is the basis of political power and authority? (2) What rights and obligations do individuals have? (3) What rights and obligations do states have? (4) What are the causes of conflict? (5) What are the prospects for enduring peace? Thinkers covered may include: Thucydides, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Grotius, Hobbes, Kant, Morgenthau, and Waltz.
Last offered: Winter 2014
POLISCI 239: Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory
May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors:
Brady, D. (PI)
;
Chapman, E. (PI)
;
Cohen, J. (PI)
...
more instructors for POLISCI 239 »
Instructors:
Brady, D. (PI)
;
Chapman, E. (PI)
;
Cohen, J. (PI)
;
Cox, G. (PI)
;
Grimmer, J. (PI)
;
McQueen, A. (PI)
;
Ober, J. (PI)
;
Rakove, J. (PI)
;
Reich, R. (PI)
;
Sievers, B. (PI)
;
Weingast, B. (PI)
POLISCI 240C: The Comparative Political Economy of Post-Communist Transitions
Dominant theoretical perspectives of comparative democratization and marketization; focus is on the political economy of transition in Eastern Europe and Eurasia while comparing similar processes in Latin America and Asia. Topics include: meanings of democracy, synergy between democracies and markets, causes of the collapse of communism, paths to political liberalization and democracy, civil society, constitutions, parliaments, presidents, the rule of law, electoral systems, market requirements, strategies of reform, the Russian experience of market building, exporting democracy and the market, and foreign aid and assistance.
Last offered: Autumn 2011
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
POLISCI 240T: Democracy, Promotion, and American Foreign Policy
Theoretical and intellectual debates about democracy promotion with focus on realism versus liberalism. The evolution of these debates with attention to the Cold War, the 90s, and American foreign policy after 9/11. Tools for and bureaucratic struggles over how to promote democracy. Contemporary case studies.
Last offered: Spring 2014
POLISCI 241A: An Introduction to Political Economy of Development
This course is an upper-level undergraduate seminar providing an introduction to the political economy of development. This course explores sources of economic growth, inequality, poverty, and other aspects of development with a particular focus on political institutions. We first explore the patterns of development in the world and then overview basic theories of development. Second, we review the key areas of debate within the study of development, including the role of the state, the consequences of corruption, the effects of natural resources, and gender. The course consists of lectures on theoretical and empirical approaches and the discussion on the literature and cases.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
Instructors:
Takagi, Y. (PI)
POLISCI 241C: Campaigns and Elections in Israel (JEWISHST 271C)
Employing a theoretical and comparative framework, this seminar focuses on campaigns and elections in Israel. The seminar is divided into two interrelated sections. In the first section, we will cover voting behavior. Here we will look at Israel¿s election laws, its political culture, socialization and cleavages, turnout, political sophistication, ideology, partisanship and issue voting. In the second half of the semester we will examine elections from the perspective of candidates and campaign strategists. The topics we will focus on include election laws, public and private campaign finance, campaign strategy, media, polling, and advertising. In examining these topics, we will cover a variety of elections campaigns since Israel¿s birth, with an emphasis on the most recent ones.
Last offered: Winter 2014
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