99252 |
PS 104
A International Relations |
Jonathan Cristol |
M . W . . |
12:00 -1:20 pm |
OLIN 204 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) Cross-listed: GIS, Human Rights This course will focus on the major theories and
concepts in international relations. We will start the semester looking
at the major schools of international relations theory: realism,
liberalism, and constructivism. What are the implications of these
theories for foreign policy decision making (and for the future of the
world!)? The course will also look at international organizations,
including the UN and WTO, and how foreign policy is carried out. We will
end the semester by looking at some of the “hot” issues in the world today
including: terrorism, preventive war, the rise of China, and the spread of
democracy. The goal of the class is to see how (or if) theories of
international relations can explain how organizations function and how foreign
policy is made and to see what answers theory can provide for how to deal with
the problems of a “post 9/11 world.” Authors to be read include:
Thucydides, Morgenthau, Russett, Huntington, and Mearsheimer, among many
others.
99246 |
PS 104
B International Relations |
Sanjib Baruah |
M . W . . |
10:30 -11:50 am |
OLIN 201 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) See
above.
99254 |
PS 105 Comparative Politics |
Omar Encarnacion |
M . W . . |
12:00 -1:20 pm |
OLIN 301 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) Cross-listed: GIS
The basic intellectual premise of comparative politics is that we can
better understand the politics of any country by placing it within a broader,
global context. This comparative
“method” allows us to address some of the most fundamental questions in the
study of politics, such as what makes democracy possible, how is political
representation organized around the world, and why some nations are more
successful than others at generating wealth and prosperity, while contributing
to the building of theories about the nature and evolution of states, interest
groups, civil society, and the dynamics of political processes such as
revolution, modernization, and democratization. Class lectures and discussions will cover developed and
developing states, as well as democratic and non-democratic ones.
99261 |
PS 115 Introduction to Political Thinking |
Elaine Thomas |
. . W . F |
12:00 -1:20 pm |
ASP 302 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) From
Plato to Hannah Arendt, great thinkers in the Western tradition have asked
about the nature and practice of political action. Thinking about
politics is, knowingly or not, conducted against the background of this
shared tradition. This is no less true of political thought that aims to
break away from “the classics” than of political thought that finds in
them a constant resource for both critical and constructive thinking. This
course explores fundamental questions of politics through a core body of
readings by thinkers including Plato, More, Machiavelli, Rousseau, Marx,
and Arendt. Looking comparatively at texts from ancient to recent
times, we will compare more “utopian” with more cynical or “realist”
approaches to political thinking while reflecting upon key political
concepts such as justice, democracy, and “the individual”. We will also
explore such enduring questions as the relationship between the state and
the individual; the conditions for peaceful political order; and the connection
between morality and politics.
99251 |
PS 134 Constitutional Law |
Roger Berkowitz |
. T . Th . |
2:30 -3:50 pm |
OLIN 203 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Human Rights (core course) This course provides an introduction to
constitutional legal systems including but not limited to the United States.
99468 |
PS 208 Political Economy |
Sanjib Baruah |
M . W . |
1:30 - 2:50 pm |
OLIN 203 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) Cross-listed: GIS
The term Political Economy refers to the interrelationship between
politics and economics. However, political scientists and economists do not
always use the term in the same sense. Even within these two disciplines the
term has multiple meanings. The course will review the ideas of a few major
thinkers such as Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Karl Polanyi, Thorstein Veblen, John
Maynard Keynes, and John Kenneth Galbraith, and will introduce students to two
subfields in particular: international political economy and the political
economy of development. Among the questions we would ask are: Why are some
countries rich and others poor? What is development? What are the prime movers
of globalization? Is the US an empire given its influence and power in the
global economy? How can development be redefined to tackle the challenge of
climate change? Among issues that we will look at closely is the role of
organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the
World Trade Organization in managing the global economy and the current debates
about reforming these institutions.
99255 |
PS 214 US-Latin American Relations |
Omar Encarnacion |
M . W . . |
3:00 -4:20 pm |
OLIN 205 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: GIS, LAIS Despite common origins as off springs of European
colonialism and close economic and political ties during their respective
period of independence and state-building, conflict rests at the heart of the
relationship between the United States and the nations of Latin America.
This course unpacks the historical and ideological roots of that conflict, how
it has developed over the course of the years, and what possibilities exist for
its resolution in the future. The course is divided into three main
sections. The first one covers the years between the Spanish-American War
of 1898 and the events leading to World War II. It emphasizes U.S.
attempts at creating a "sphere of influence" over Latin America,
highlighted by numerous military interventions in places like Mexico, Central
America, and the Caribbean, as well as Latin American responses to what they
perceived to be an American project of imperialism. The second section
focuses on the dynamics of the Cold War as played out throughout Latin
America. It emphasizes the real and perceived fears by U.S. policy-makers
about the advent of Marxist-inspired revolutions in Latin America, which led to
interventions in Cuba, Chile, and Guatemala, among other nations, and the high
toll that the Cold War exacted upon the peoples of Latin America. The
third and final section looks at the most salient issues in contemporary
U.S-L.A. relations: economic integration, the illicit drug trade, and Latin
American migration to the United States.
99469 |
PS 220 American Politics: Issues and
Institutions |
Mark Lindeman |
. . W . F |
10:30 - 11:50 am |
OLIN 203 |
SSCI |
(PS
core course) Cross-listed:
American Studies, Social Policy This
course introduces students to the basic institutions and processes of American
government. The class is meant to provide students with a grasp of the
fundamental dynamics of American politics and the skills to be an effective
participant in and critic of the political process. During the semester, we
will examine how the government works, interpret current political developments
and debates, and consider how to influence the government at various
levels.
99470 |
PS 225 West European Politics and Society |
Elaine Thomas |
. T . Th . |
2:30 -3:50 pm |
OLIN 301 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: French Studies, German Studies, GIS,
Human Rights, Social Policy This
course will be of especially great interest not only for those concerned about
contemporary Europe, but also for those concerned about globalization,
democratic political reform, acceptance of cultural diversity, developments in
social policy, or the viability of socialism.
Western Europe has been a key arena for some of the most remarkable
late-20th and early-21st-century ventures and experiments
in each of these areas. We will look at
what brought these experiments into being, their relative historical success,
and how they have fared in the face of new global and international
challenges. Focusing on Britain, France
and Germany, the course examines the often dramatic transformation of
Western European political life from the Great Depression, the rise
of fascism, and World War II in the 1930s and 1940s to our contemporary
period, including the present day conflicts and challenges facing the
region. We will be especially concerned with the future prospects of
European welfare states which, in contrast to the United States, provide most
or all citizens benefits like free health care, childcare, and even free
university education. We will also
trace the influence of the Greens and other radical or unconventional
parties; political leaders’ often troubled efforts to develop a ‘European
Union’ conducive to peace, prosperity and human rights; and changing
responses to immigration, particularly from the Muslim world. The
course will draw on both a range of readings and selected European films.
This course addresses issues of social class, globalization, nationalism,
and social justice and therefore fulfills the Rethinking Difference
requirement.
99250 |
PS 239 United Nations and Model UN |
Jonathan Becker |
. . . . F |
3:00 – 4:20 pm |
OLIN 202 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed:
GIS, Human Rights 1 credit*
The course will be divided into two parts. The first part will explore the
history of the United Nations and will introduce students to its structure and
principal aims. It will also focus on the role of specialized agencies and the
ways in which alliances impact on the UN’s day-to-day operations. The second
part of the course will focus on an assigned country (for each Model UN, each
college is assigned a country to represent. It will entail a study of the
country’s history, politics and economics and will conclude with the writing of
‘position papers’ that reflect that country’s approach to issues confronting
the UN. In addition, there will be a public speaking component. Students taking
the course will have the opportunity to participate in a Model United Nations. Students wishing to participate should
e-mail [email protected] with 1-2 paragraphs indicating why they would like to
participate. *One credit per semester, two-credit course. Students must
take both halves to obtain credit.
99259 |
PS 253 Latin American Politics |
Pierre Ostiguy |
M . W . . |
3:00 -4:20 pm |
OLIN 204 |
SSCI/DIFF |
Cross-listed: LAIS (core course), GIS, History This course is an introduction to the politics of Latin
America. We will focus on the political
regimes, social actors, and historical processes that have characterized and structured
the political life of Latin America.
The course is divided in two complementary parts. The first focuses on the widely different
political regimes that have marked the continent in the 20th century
up to today, and on the reasons for the transition from one type of regime to
another. It thus provides a broad and comprehensive picture of the very
distinct political phases and regimes that have characterized Latin American
societies. Students will become
familiar with: “oligarchical liberalism”, “neo-patrimonialism”, “populism”, revolutionary
socialism (through guerrilla warfare), “bureaucratic-authoritarianism”, and
liberal democracy. Since the return to
electoral democracy in the 1980s, the region has undergone major sociopolitical
shifts, first to the neoliberal right in the 1990s and then, this decade, to
the left. We will pay attention to issues of inequality, class, race (or
color), and representation, with the unifying theme of the “incorporation of
the popular sectors.” The second part
of the course examines the political history of some of the most representative
countries of Latin America, from the most developed countries to the poorest
ones. We will cover Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile (Allende/ Pinochet), Peru,
Nicaragua or Cuba, and Venezuela (here, especially under Chavez). The course
will either provide an overview of the broad political history of such
countries during the 20th century or focus on one key political
event or process that has contributed to make some of those countries
well-known politically.
99249 |
PS 255 The Politics of Russia & the Soviet Successor States |
Jonathan Becker |
M . W . . |
10:30 - 11:50 am |
OLIN 307 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: GIS; Russian/Eurasian Studies This course examines the
monumental political, social and economic changes that have swept Russia since
1985. We will ask a number of inter-related questions: Why did Communism
collapse? What political, economic, social and historical factors explain the
relative difficulties of Russia’s post-Communist transition? Where is Putin’s
Russia heading? What role did the United States play in the collapse of
Communism and the apparent failure of Russia’s transition? In answering these
questions we will examine political, social and economic structures, the mass
media, legal systems, and societal attitudes. We explore the transformation of
Russia not only through academic books and articles, but also through
literature, film, and the speeches and writings of political figures. The
course attempts to put the Russian transformation in perspective through a
selective examination of changes in neighboring countries, including Ukraine,
Belarus, Georgia, and the Baltic States.
99257 |
PS 260 Environmental Politics in the United States |
Mark Lindeman |
. . W . F |
3:00 -4:20 pm |
OLIN 305 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: American Studies; Environmental
Studies, Social Policy Environmental
politics involve many crucial themes in American politics: How does government
regulation work and fail to work? How do competing interests and values shape
policy outcomes? How do federal, state, and local governments interact? How do
policymakers grapple with (or evade) complex technical issues? Why is political
powerlessness hazardous to one's health? What role does the United States play
in international politics, and why? What do the American people really value,
and what do they really understand? How do social movements and activists try
to change "the system"? We will consider major issues in American
environmental politics, including toxic waste and environmental justice,
climate change and energy policy, wilderness conservation, endangered species
protection, and others.
99546 |
PS 279 Hannah Arendt Reading Seminar |
Roger Berkowitz
|
. . W . . |
4:30 – 6:50 pm |
RKC 200 |
|
Cross-listed:
Human Rights 2 credits This course is dedicated to reading some of
Hannah Arendt's seminal works. In addition to Bard students, the
participants will include visiting fellows from the Hannah Arendt Center for
Ethical and Political Thinking. Beyond scheduled class meetings, students are
expected, whenever possible, to attend lectures and other events sponsored by
the Arendt Center. The seminar will meet every other week.
99263 |
PS 311 Immigration & Citizenship |
Elaine Thomas |
M . . . . |
1:30 -3:50 pm |
OLIN 302 |
SSCI/DIFF |
Cross-listed:
GIS, Human Rights, Social Policy, SRE; Related interest: French Studies, German Studies This course examines the ways that
responses to immigration have affected existing policies and practices of
citizenship. The course will focus primarily on the post-World War II
experience of developed countries and the practical and theoretical issues it
has raised. One of the challenges that migration to these countries has
presented has been that of politically integrating culturally and religiously
diverse new social groups of immigrant origin. The course will explore the
often contrasting ways in which different countries have confronted this task
and the historical, social, and intellectual roots of variations in their
approaches, and levels of enthusiasm. Topics addressed include
multiculturalism, minority rights, visions of state and nationhood, nationality
law, alien voting rights, migration-related social movements, and citizenship
of the EU.
99258 |
PS 327 American Religion and Politics |
Mark Lindeman |
. . . Th . |
9:30 - 11:50 am |
OLIN 301 |
SSCI/DIFF |
Cross-listed:
American Studies, Religion; Social Policy This course illustrates the application of
various research methods to a major theme in American politics: the impact of
religious identities, movements, and divides – including the apparent
contemporary cleavage between religious and secular Americans. We will
consider, for instance, Supreme Court rulings, oral history and other
historical accounts, quantitative public opinion analysis, and empirical tests
of hypotheses about how divergent religious beliefs play out in public policy
debates. Topics include the role of religious beliefs and institutions in major
social movements such as the civil rights and anti-abortion movements; and
contemporary debates about the proper relationship between “church and state.”
Texts will include portions of George Lakoff’s Moral Politics, James
Morone’s Hellfire Nation, Stephen Carter’s The Culture of Disbelief,
Pat Robertson’s The New World Order, Donna Minkowitz’s Ferocious
Romance, Bruce Bawer’s Stealing Jesus, Kristin Luker’s Abortion
and the Politics of Motherhood, and others. Students will write
responses to readings and make oral presentations about topics relevant to the
major theme of the course. Students will also write research papers,
which (by arrangement with the instructor) may treat any topic in American
politics.
99260 |
PS 348 Political Representation and Social Differences |
Pierre Ostiguy |
. T . . . |
7:30 -9:50 pm |
OLIN 202 |
SSCI/DIFF |
Cross-listed:
Social Policy, Sociology What are the main lines of political
division in the U.S. and in countries around the world? How does the divide between liberals and
conservatives relate to questions of class, gender, race and regions, if at
all? Are values independent from social positions? This seminar crosses borders
between political sociology, electoral analysis, identity formation and what
political scientists call “spatial analysis.” We will examine the conflicts
associated with political representation both from the subjective angle of
identities, as they relate to “self” and “experience,” and from a
macro-sociological perspective on society.
In other words, we will examine the relation between political divides,
historical social transformations, “values,” and collective identities. Do
party systems mirror social differences or have they become disconnected from
society? How can we tell? What are the electoral strategies of political
parties when they compete for votes, within a “space”? Along the way, we will look at topics in
political sociology such as electoral sociology, social movements, and identity
politics, while from a political theory perspective we will analyze the
relational and discursive mechanisms of identity formation.
99253 |
PS 349 The Nature of Power |
Jonathan Cristol |
. . W . . |
3:00 -5:20 pm |
OLIN 306 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: GIS; Human Rights Hans
Morgenthau, one of the preeminent international relations theorists, wrote in
his “Six Principles of Political Realism” that “power may comprise anything that
establishes and maintains control of man over man. Thus power covers all social relationships which serve that end,
from physical violence to the most subtle psychological ties by which one mind
controls another.” This seminar will
investigate “physical violence,” “subtle psychological ties,” and everything in
between in an attempt to understand the nature and role of power in the
international system. At West Point, it will also examine the
implications of power for contemporary foreign policy. The seminar will focus on the great books of
international relations that explore power in all of the major schools of
international relations theory. Each
week we will read and discuss one of the major books on power and the
international system, including: Morgenthau’s Politics Among Nations, Mearsheimer’s The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, Zakaria’s From Wealth to Power, Nye’s Soft
Power, Keohane’s Power and
Interdependence, and Kagan’s Of
Paradise and Power, among others. Our debates on the nature and use of
power will benefit from joint sessions with Professor Scott Silverstone and his
students at the United States Military Academy, West Point. (Approximately one third of class meetings
will be with West Point cadets.)
Prerequisite: Either PS 104, BGIA
306, or BGIA 310 and/or the permission of the instructor.