91201

PS 104 International Relations

Michelle Murray

M . W . .

11:50 -1:10 pm

RKC 103

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies, Human Rights This course provides an introduction to competing theories about the structure, functioning and transformative potential of the international system. Part 1 deals with the traditional problem of international life, maintaining order among relatively equal states in a condition of anarchy. Part 2 calls the assumption of anarchy into question by looking at hierarchical power relationships in a variety of issue areas. Part 3 addresses contemporary challenges to the states authority and the problems of governing in an increasingly global community. Throughout the course an effort will be made to illustrate the relevance of theoretical disagreements for the real world. Students will be evaluated on their understanding of the assumptions and logics of competing theories as well as their ability to apply those theories to historical and contemporary global problems. Class size: 22

91392

PS 105 Comparative Politics

Ken Haig

M . W . .

10:10 - 11:30 am

RKC 102

SSCI

(PS core course) Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies 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. Class size: 22

91390

PS 109 Political Economy

Sanjib Baruah

M . W . .

1:30 -2:50 pm

RKC 101

SSCI

PS core course) Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies 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. Class size: 22

92115

PS/AFR 110 Introduction to African States and Societies

Robert Tynes

. T . Th .

11:50 1:10 pm

ASP 302

SSCI/DIFF

This course introduces some of the most prominent social, political, historical and cultural narratives regarding the continent of Africa. The goal is to untangle what many politicians and policymakers see as the dilemma of the African state. The class explores several overarching questions: what are the assumptions embedded in the notion of African thought and society? How do these assumptions shape the social, political and economic dynamics within and between the fifty-four plus African countries existing today? We will explore key ideas of thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Leopold Senghor and investigate how their notions of being African compare. We will consider the definition of African state and consider how it fits into the international relations arena. Why has democratization been so difficult for many of the countries on the continent? Are notions such as famine, conflict and genocide accurate summations of the African state, or are these concepts empty frames that over-simplify the situation(s)? By the end of the course we might not have definitive answers for these questions, but we will have a more complex intellectual picture of African states and society.

91717

PS 115 Introduction to Political Thinking

Ian Storey

M . W . .

3:10 -4:30 pm

OLINLC 206

SSCI

From Plato to Nietzsche, 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 writings.  This is a Core Course in Political Studies. Class size: 22

91404

PS 122 Introduction to American Politics

David OConnell

. T . Th .

11:50 -1:10 pm

OLIN 202

SSCI

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. Class size: 22

91566

PS 222 Latin American Politics & Society

Omar Encarnacion

M . W . .

11:50 -1:10 pm

OLIN 303

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies, Human Rights, LAIS In contrast to the United States and Western Europe, Latin Americas political experience is characterized by an inability to hang on to stable democratic government. Throughout the 20^th century, Latin America gravitated between democracy and variety of non-democratic regimes (caudillos, military juntas, and revolutionary governments), with the last wave of democratization occurring in the last three decades. At the present time all the Latin American nations (save Cuba) operate under democratic rules, but the quality of democracy leaves a lot to be desired, leading many scholars to qualify contemporary Latin American democracy as low-quality, delegative and even illiberal. Understanding the social, economic, and political roots of this political trajectory is the main concern of this course. The course is organized in three main sections. The first section provides a broad historical overview of patterns of political development in Latin American from the independence period to the present. The second section examines theories of political development in Latin America, with an emphasis on the major schools of thought: cultural approaches that focus on Latin Americas Iberian heritage, economic approaches such as the Marxist inspired dependency theory, which views domestic politics in Latin America as intimately tied to European and American imperialism, and political approaches that emphasize the weakness of the post-independence state and the disorganization of civil society. The third and final section examines democratic development in selected Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela). These countries are selected for their importance in suggesting paradigmatic political junctures of political development in Latin America, such as corporatism, populism, and bureaucratic-authoritarianism. Class size: 22

91399

PS 235 The Modern American Presidency

David OConnell

. T . Th .

4:40 -6:00 pm

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies This class explores the major dynamics affecting the office of the president of the United States, and, by extension, the workings of American politics.  Using the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns as a point of reference, we examine historical patterns of change in party coalitions, electoral and policymaking strategies, and the institutional capacities of the presidency.  Particular attention is paid to changes in the scope of presidential power in the context of such events as the Great Depression, World War II and the Cold War, civil rights mobilization, the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the September 11 attacks. Other topics include divided government, the impact of the 1994 Republican Revolution in Congress, and the political manipulation of scandals. Class size: 22

91765

PS 239 The United Nations and Model U.N.

Jonathan Becker

. . . . F

1:30 2:50 pm

OLIN 201

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies , Human Rights 1 credit* This is a year-long course, 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 UNs 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 countrys history, politics and economics and will conclude with the writing of position papers that reflect that countrys 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.

91407

PS 247 American Foreign Policy Traditions

Walter Mead

. . W . F

11:50 -1:10 pm

OLIN 101

HIST

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies (PIE core course) This course, which normally requires some background in American history, invites students to examine the questions facing American foreign policy today through several lenses: global geopolitics, economics, resource issues, culture and ideology, and regional politics. The course will stress the connections between domestic and international policy and help students understand the leading alternative schools of thought currently contending to shape the foreign policy agenda of the Obama administration and of various critics and opponents. The readings will include essays and books by leading scholars and practitioners. Class size: 22

91393

PS 251 Human Rights in Asia

Ken Haig

. T . Th .

1:30 -2:50 pm

OLINLC 120

SSCI/DIFF

Cross-listed: Asian Studies, Global & Intl Studies, Human Rights (core course) This course challenges assumptions about cultural relativism by comparing and contrasting the different ways in which societies in East, Southeast, and South Asia have confronted increasing social diversification and changing norms about class, gender, ethnic, and religious minorities. In addition to comparing the varied extent to which human rights protections have been incorporated into domestic legal institutions, we will also consider efforts to build regional and trans-national dialogue on these issues. Though the course is broadly concerned with making cross-national comparisons, students will be encouraged to pursue their own thematic or country-specific interests in their research papers. Class size: 22

91202

PS 254 Security & International Politics

Michelle Murray

M . W . .

10:10 - 11:30 am

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies; Global & Intl Studies; Human Rights Security is one of the foundational concepts in the study of international politics. As the principle rationale for war, the quest for security influences both states behavior in the international system as well as the structure of state and society relations in domestic politics. Too often, however, the meaning of security is taken for granted in the study of world politics, with individuals, societies and states homogenized into one coherent model. This course will interrogate the concept of security in an attempt to denaturalize the taken-for-grantedness of the traditional understanding of security. Some of the broad theoretical themes covered include challenges to the mainstream approach to security, the construction of dominant discourses of security and its representation in international politics, critical and discursive approaches to security and the politics of threat construction. The aim is to assess the validity of these alternative approaches and highlight their value-added to security studies. We will then (re)consider some contemporary security problems in light of these alternative conceptualizations of security: migration, the environment, health, development, the war on terror, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, among others. The course ends with a discussion of the ethics of national security by looking at the politics of torture, human rights and the suspension of civil liberties in the state of exception. Class size: 22

91406

PS 264 The US and the Modern Middle East

Jonny Cristol

M . . . .

1:30 -3:50 pm

OLINLC 210

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies This class will focus on the complex and contradictory relationship  between the United States and the geographical area from Morocco to  Iran.  The first half of the course will examine Americas historical  role in the Middle East in the context of her larger grand strategy.   We will look at the creation of the Arab nation-states, the pivotal  years 1948 and 1967, Nasserism, the Cold War, and the first Gulf War,  among other topics.  The second half of the course will examine  current issues and challenges for the United States in the Middle  East.  These will include:  Irans pursuit of nuclear weapons; the  Iraq war; oil; Islamic fundamentalism; terrorism; and the new Arab  media, among others.  The goal of the class is to provide students  both with a general overview of Americas historic role in the Middle  East, and with an understanding of the complex and intertwined issues  facing the US in the Middle East.  The class will be grounded in  international relations theory, and thus PS104 or a good knowledge of  the mechanics of American foreign policy is preferred for entrance to  the class, but is not formally required.  Class size: 22

91391

PS 288 Water, Power & Politics

Sanjib Baruah

M . W . .

8:30 -9:50 am

OLIN 205

SSCI

Cross-listed: Asian Studies, Environmental & Urban Studies, Human Rights; Science, Technology & Society Water conflicts are as old as human history (it is not a coincidence that the English word rival has its roots in Latin 'rivalis' one who uses the same stream as another).  But water conflicts domestic and international --  have multiplied and intensified in recent years due to growing pressure on fresh water resources.  The situation is expected to get worse with climate change.  In response, countries are trying to reform their water sector, i.e. redesign the legal and political institutions governing water rights.  In the international arena too there are efforts to have our agreements on shared rivers and watercourses.  The course will provide a general introduction to these issues but with a focus on water conflicts growing out of the hydropower projects undertaken by India and China on the rivers in the Himalayan mountain range.  Readings will include primary sources such as international water conventions and treaties, and World Bank and government reports, as well as books and articles by water experts, environmentalists and river activists. Class size: 22

91698

PS 335 The Politics of Human Rights

Omar Encarnacion

M . . . .

3:10 5:30 pm

OLIN 303

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies; Human Rights (core course) This seminar looks at the intersection of human rights and the discipline of political science, with an emphasis on the questions and concerns that human rights poses for students of political theory, international relations, and comparative politics. Among these questions are the following. Are human rights a misguided form of liberalism as argued by the Marxist scholarship; or worst yet, a new form of Western imperialism that allows affluent nations to impose their values upon the rest of the world? Why have nations embrace human rights knowing that it would undermine established principles of national sovereignty? What made the United States the leading advocate of human rights within the international community and what is the legacy of this advocacy? Why have nations differ so significantly in how they deal with gross human rights abuses--such as genocide, dirty wars, and the wholesale repression of political and civil liberties--and what might explain these differences? And, finally, what is the connection between human rights and development, democratization, and globalization? The seminar is designed for social science/human rights majors and for human rights majors with a keen interest in politics. Class size: 15

91408

PS 365 Gods Country? Foreign Policy and Religion in the United States

Walter Mead

. . . Th .

1:30 -3:50 pm

OLIN 306

SSCI/DIFF

Cross-listed: Global & Intl Studies; Human Rights (PIE core course) The United States is an intensely religious country profoundly affected by an individualistic form of Christianity with roots in the British isles and the Protestant Reformation.  Both religious and non-religious people today have been shaped by this heritage, and Americas engagement with the world continues to reflect the ideas and values of that past.  This course will examine the ideological, cultural and social consequences of that influence on American foreign policy.  Class size: 15

91398

PS 366 American Political Development

David OConnell

. T . . .

1:30 -3:50 pm

OLIN 306

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies Since the early 1980s, political science has witnessed an explosion of research falling under the purview of the study of American political development (APD). APD is more than just political history. Rather, it uses history as data, aiming to systematically explore institutional change and the trajectories of U.S. public policy. APD has commonly accepted methodologies and a number of central topics, most prominently the state, liberalism and the impact of timing and sequencing (i.e. studies of path dependence). This course will provide students with a critical introduction to the APD body of research. In order to do so, the class will be organized around a guiding theme- the influence of ideas and emotions in American politics. Put one way, if APD mainly adopts institutions and policy as dependent variables, this class will treat ideas and emotions as the important independent variables. The first half of the class will focus on the role of ideas in APD. Units will cover, among other topics, populism, liberalism (both political and Lockean), conservatism and religion. The second half of the class will concentrate instead on the role of emotions. Units will be structured around topics like disappointment, racism, fear and political passion. Class size: 15

91389

PS 420 Hannah Arendt Center Seminar

Roger Berkowitz

. T . . .

4:40 -7:00 pm

Arendt Cntr.

HUM

Cross-listed: Human Rights, Philosophy This course is dedicated to reading some of Hannah Arendt's seminal works with a particular focus on her thinking about politics and leadership as these two human activities relate to the human condition. In addition to close readings of some of Arendts most important books and essays, we will also explore the challenge to political leadership in an age of democracy and transparency. In conjunction with the 2012 Arendt Center Conference on " Does the President Matter?" we will ask how Arendts work helps us to think what it means to insist upon courage, truth-telling, and risk-taking in an age of spin, handlers, and focus groups. In addition to Bard undergraduates, the participants will include post-doctoral and other visiting fellows at the Hannah Arendt Center. The course is also open to select students from the Center for Curatorial Studies (CCS). Beyond scheduled class meetings, students are expected to attend the Fall Conference, Arendt Center lectures and other events sponsored by the Arendt Center and CCS. Class size: 15