92030

PS 109

Political Economy

Sanjib Baruah

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies; Global & International Studies; Human Rights (PS core course) 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

92033

PS 115

Intro to Political Theory

Kevin Duong

T Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

HEG 201

D+J

SSCI

(PS core course) This course offers a survey of Western political thought. We will examine themes like justice, freedom, and equality by exploring the writings of thinkers stretching from Plato to Malcolm X. In each case, we will attend to the particular crises these theorists addressed in their work, like civil war, revolution, democracy, and capitalism. We'll also learn how authors used their concepts and ideas to address the problems of their day, and how we may draw on them in our own political struggles. Class size: 22

92036

PS 122

American Politics: Issues and Institutions

Simon Gilhooley

T Th 8:30 am-9:50 am

OLIN 203

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies (PS core course ) 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. This course is part of the “Difficult Questions” cluster of courses; students will be expected to attend parts of the Hannah Arendt Center Conference “Real Talk: Difficult Questions about Race, Sex, and Religion” on October 20-21. Class size: 22

92155

PS 124

Case Study: International Policy in Russia

Walter Mead

T 7:00 pm-9:20 pm

(six classes, first class 9/13/16)

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Russian 1 credit This course uses Russia as a case study to introduce the dynamics and difficulties of American Foreign policy. After a brief introduction to core concepts of American global strategy, the many factors that policymakers must take into account, including Russian motivations and policies, and the internal situation in countries like Ukraine and Syria, from political and economic points of view will be studied. We will also look at the role of actors like the EU, Turkey, China, Japan and Iran, the military equation and the nature of American interests as they are affected by Russia. Readings, lectures and conversation with Russian and American experts will give you a sound foundation from which to understand both the forces at work and the nature of American debate about policy options. With this background, students will look at current U.S. policy and the leading alternatives. In their final paper, students will be challenged to apply the skills and insights they have developed in the course to proposing an American strategy for Russia. Class size: 22

92040

PS 142

The Political Life of Mourning

Samantha Hill

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 305

MBV

HUM

There has been a swell of interest around themes of loss, grief, and mourning within contemporary political theory. This course is designed to explore and critically engage with some of these questions. Can we transform moments of loss into an opportunity for democratic politics? Are those losses already political? How are these formative moments of loss—the death of a son, 9/11, the murder of Eric Garner—constitutive of a collective politics?

The course will explore the political life of mourning within the tradition of western political thought. Drawing together texts from Sophocles, Freud, Butler, Derrida, Douglas, Du Bois, Morrison, and Moten we will look at examples from contemporary historical experience including the struggle for queer rights in Butler’s work on melancholia, the question of precarity in the attacks of 9/11 and second war in Iraq, and the tradition of mourning within the African American community from W.E.B. Du Bois to the formation of the Black Lives Matter movement. This course is part of the “Difficult Questions” cluster of courses; students will be expected to attend parts of the Hannah Arendt Center Conference “Real Talk: Difficult Questions about Race, Sex, and Religion” on October 20-21. Class size: 18

92034

PS 145

Human Rights in Global Politics

Omar Encarnacion

M W 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

OLIN 205

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights (core course) (PS core course) This course aims to familiarize students with the main actors, debates, and explanations behind the rise of human rights in global politics. The course is divided into three core sections. The first explores the philosophical foundations of the notion of human rights and its contested universality, and the historical developments that propelled human rights to the forefront of international politics, especially the atrocities of World War II committed by Germany's Nazi regime. The second part of the course focuses on the evolution of the so-called “international human rights regime,” or the main actors and institutions in the human rights arena responsible for promoting and policing human rights--from the basic legal framework of human rights (the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights), to major multilateral human rights institutions, such as the UN Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, and the European Court of Human Rights, to prominent non-state actors such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and the International Center for Transitional Justice. The third part examines the evolution of human rights, especially the shifts from “first generation” human rights (political freedoms) to “second generation” human rights (social and economic rights, such as housing, employment, and education), to “third generation human rights” and beyond (cultural self-determination, economic sustainability, and sexual freedoms, among others); and the means by which these shifts have come about and have spread around the globe, such as international socialization, globalization, and policy diffusion. Class size: 22

92045

PS 207

Global Citizenship

Michelle Murray

M W 8:30 am-9:50 am

OLIN 204

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights What does it mean to be a global citizen? This question has gained increasing salience as the world has become more globalized. With globalization new problems surface that cut across national borders and fall outside the jurisdiction of individual nation-states. In response new forms of political organization have emerged to address these problems, which challenge the state as the primary locus of political authority and ultimate source of individual rights. In particular, these individuals and groups have appealed to a kind of global citizenship from below to call for action on and demand redress for the harms created by globalization. This interdisciplinary course critically examines the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the concept of global citizenship and investigates how the idea might work in practice. We begin by considering the conceptual, philosophical and historical debates about citizenship. What does it mean to be a citizen of a particular state? What obligations and responsibilities accompany citizenship? How have understandings of citizenship changed and expanded over time? What is global citizenship and how does it differ from national citizenship? Next we evaluate these ideas about citizenship in the context of globalization and the new problems created by an increasingly interdependent world. Topics covered may include: migration and refugees; the environment and resources; (in)security and borders; health and infectious disease; and development and inequality. We conclude by assessing the role (if any) global citizenship can play in global governance and consider how the international system might be transformed to better address the challenges of globalization. This course will be taught concurrently at Bard's international partner institutions. Students will benefit from collaboration with peers at these institutions. Class size: 22

92035

PS 222

Latin America: Politics and Society

Omar Encarnacion

M W 11:50 am-1:10 pm

OLIN 308

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights; LAIS This course examines politics in contemporary Latin America. Much of the emphasis is on the evolution of democracy across the region, including examining such questions as why it has taken so long for democracy to take root in Latin America, at least in contrast to the United States and Western Europe, and why does the quality of democracy varies so greatly across the region. Although some democracies are among the most developed in the world, such as Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica, the region is also home to some notorious “illiberal” democracies, such as Guatemala, and one of the world’s few remaining Communist states, Cuba. The course is organized in three main sections. The first provides a broad historical overview of patterns of political development in Latin America from the independence period to the present. The second part highlights theoretical approaches to Latin American political development drawn from cultural analysis, Marxism, and state-centric perspectives. The third and final section examines democratic development in five Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela). Class size: 18

92150

PS 239

United Nations and Model UN

Jonathan Becker

F 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 205

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights

1 credit* This is a year long course which focuses on learning about international affairs through role paying. The course emphasizes the study of international institutions, including the United Nations, research, and public speaking through the conduct of in-class simulations of international meetings. Students are regularly assigned countries which they then research and “represent” in negotiations over contemporary political issues. Students taking the course will be expected to participate in a Model United Nations or related role-playing activity, such as Model Arab League. Students wishing to enroll should e-mail [email protected] with 1-2 paragraphs indicating why they would like to participate. Class size: 22

92472

PS 261

voting and elections

Jonathan Becker

T Th 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

PRE 110

Voting is an essential democratic right, yet in the United States the voting process is largely governed by a patchwork of state laws that are enforced by local officials. The first part of the course will concentrate on voting in the United States in the run-up to the 2016 elections. The focus will be on the history of voting in the United States from the founding of the Republic to the present, including voting rights, the spread of the franchise, strategies of disenfranchisement, and contemporary challenges to the process of registration and voting. The post-election portion of the course will use comparative approaches, including the experience of other countries, to explore a variety of themes ranging from the structure of electoral systems to the future of electronic voting. The course is designed as an Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences course, meaning that it will feature class visits from political officials and candidates and their representatives, and that all students will be required to engage with the election process outside of the classroom. The course will meet at the same time as PS 265: Campaign 2016, and include joint classes featuring guest speakers. Class size: 22

92037

PS 265

Campaign 2016

Simon Gilhooley

T Th 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 310

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies This course is on the manner in which modern American political campaigns are conducted. It will seek to integrate actual experience of campaigns within a broad study of scholarly discussions of the nature of democracy and the mechanisms of modern campaigns. Topics to be explored will include the role of campaign finance, the idea of “the permanent campaign,” the invisible primary, the role of media in campaigns, and the potential for activist organization within the modern political system. Alongside and integrated into the discussions of scholarly materials will be active engagement in the 2016 electoral cycle which will reach its peak in the Fall. Students will be required to design and undertake a collective project engaging the local electoral campaign(s). This could be in the form of monitoring and reporting on the local congressional race via a website and podcast or through the creation of an issue campaign related to local politics. Students will define their aims for participation in the first weeks of the course and then undertake an assessment of their project after the elections in November. (This course is a part of the Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences (ELAS) series of the Center for Civic Engagement.) Class size: 22

92041

PS 272

East Asian Security

Christopher McIntosh

M W 10:10 am-11:30 am

ASP 302

SSCI

Cross-listed: Asian Studies; Global & International Studies East Asia has always been imagined as an important area of concern for those studying international security. The awareness of the importance of the region and potential for instability animates much of American foreign policy, with the recently released 2015 National Security Strategy focused on the area in part due to the “security dynamics of the region” which “risk escalation and conflict”. What are these “security dynamics” that risk instability? This class will identify and address some of the primary security concerns animating the interest in the region and the ongoing calls for an American presence. We will cover the debates surrounding the “rise of China” and the implications that has for the US-China relationship, but we will also focus on intra-regional concerns such the proliferation and development of nuclear weapons and the potential remilitarization of Japan. As well, we will identify and explore the nature of some of the major regional maritime disputes (China-Japan, South China Sea), tensions between China and Taiwan, and multilateral security institutions. Finally, we will identify potential areas for security and cooperation within the region as well as with major players internationally. Class size: 22

92046

PS 273

Diplomacy in international Politics

James Ketterer

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 205

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights The course explores the history, complexity and changing nature of diplomacy and international development. Students will gain an understanding of the basic goals, constraints and structures of diplomacy: diplomatic corps, embassies, consulates, aid missions, attaches, envoys and the use of non-traditional diplomats. They will then examine the evolution of those components and contexts to include public diplomacy, cyber diplomacy, diplomacy in combat zones and the use of international development as a foreign policy tool. Using selected diplomatic crises as case studies, students will analyze the roles played by different government agencies, militaries, international & regional organizations, the media, public interest groups, private foundations, contractors, commercial interests, educational institutions, and law enforcement officials. Students will explore how nations communicate with each other in the 21st century (formally and informally) and will use in-class simulations and videoconferences with students across the Bard international network to explore the roles played by different actors in addressing immediate crises and longer-term diplomatic issues. This course will enhance students’ understanding of international relations, foreign policy formulation and implementation, and diplomatic history. Class size: 22

92031

PS 280

Nations, States and Nationalism

Sanjib Baruah

M W 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLIN 303

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights, Middle East The twentieth century was the century of nationalism and the century when the nation-state as a form of political organization became universalized. But the difficulties with the idealized model of the nation-state are quite apparent for all to see. For instance, various forms of ethno-national mobilization--based on solidarities both larger and smaller than the nation-state—have challenged official state nationalisms. The twenty first century opened with talk of moving beyond the nation-state. But at that time in certain parts of the world multi-national political spaces were getting reorganized along national lines. This was also when failing and collapsed states became top foreign policy concerns of major powers, and a new form of international regimes of intervention came into being. The course will examine the idea of the nation -- its historical and contemporary competitors -- the emergence of the nation-state system, and the challenges confronting this system. Our approach will be comparative and we will draw on the experiences of all world regions. Interested students should email Prof. Baruah prior to registration ([email protected]) with a short statement of why they would like to take this class. Class size: 15

92032

PS 290

Totalitarianism

Kevin Duong

T Th 8:30 am-9:50 am

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights “Totalitarianism” is a conceptual lodestar of twentieth century politics. It is supposed to point to everything that contemporary American and European political culture is not—terroristic, homogenous, authoritarian, ideologically manipulative, and unfree. At the same time, critics have used the concept to describe regimes as different as the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Maoist China, ISIS, and occasionally even the US itself. What is totalitarianism? This class engages this question by introducing undergraduate students to the history and theory of totalitarianism. We will study specific cases—especially Nazi Germany, Vichy France, and Mussolini’s Italy—alongside the theoretical frameworks scholars have used to understand these regimes. Students can expect to discuss themes such as religion and secularism, collaboration and resistance, the rise of human rights, and the role of historical memory in contemporary Europe. Class size: 22

92042

PS 352

Terrorism

Christopher McIntosh

T 10:10 am-12:30 pm

HDR 106

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights The September 2001 terrorist attacks irrevocably changed US politics and foreign policy, giving rise to more than a decade of war, expanded surveillance domestically and abroad, the use of torture and indefinite detention and most recently a targeted killing policy through the use of drone strikes around the globe. While only recently coming to dominate the US national security agenda, terrorism as a political activity has a long history. This seminar will provide a theoretical and empirical examination of terrorism as a political phenomenon. The first part of the course will explore the conceptual and theoretical debates surrounding terrorism. Topics discussed will include the distinctions between terrorism and other forms of political violence, why individuals and groups resort to terrorism to achieve political goals, the role of religion and ideology in motivating terrorist groups, and the importance of state sponsorship in supporting terrorist activity. The second part will address the challenges of counterterrorism, including the strengths and weaknesses of counterterrorist tools such as military force, diplomacy, intelligence and law enforcement, the relationship between counterterrorism and democracy, the role of the international community in stopping terrorism. Throughout the course special effort will be made to situate the US experience with terrorism in a comparative and historical perspective through an examination of prominent case studies drawn from different regions and time periods. Class size: 15

92043

PS / BGIA 354

Anglo-American Grand Strategy

Walter Mead

5:00 pm-7:20 pm

SSCI

The American world system that exists today can be seen as version 2.0 of the liberal capitalist world system first built by Great Britain. Both the British and the American builders of these systems developed a distinct style of strategic thought around the needs of a maritime, global and commercial system. This grand strategy involved domestic social organization as well as foreign policy and war. Students will study the grand strategies of these powers from the time of the Spanish Armada through the Cold War and analyze contemporary American policy in the light of the three centuries of Anglophone world power. Class size: 20

92044

PS 369

Great Power Politics

Michelle Murray

M 1:30 pm-3:50 pm

OLIN 303

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies This advanced seminar explores the military, economic and social sources of great power competition in international politics. We begin by examining how the major theoretical paradigms of international relations explain patterns of cooperation and conflict among great powers and consider the relative importance of material versus ideational variables in shaping great power politics. We then evaluate these perspectives in light of the historical record, to illustrate the varied dynamics of interaction among great powers under different political conditions. Historical cases covered include: the unification of Germany, World Wars I & II and the emergence of and peaceful end to the Cold War. Contemporary topics include the resurgence of Russia, the rise of China and the future of American power. The course aims to gain a better understanding of the relevance of great power politics to international order, to appreciate the importance and limits of historical analogies in understanding world politics, and to learn the art of using historical research in international relations. This course will benefit from several joint meetings with a similar class at the United States Military Academy at West Point throughout the semester. Class size: 15

92145

PS 378

The American Presidency

William Dixon

M 10:10 am-12:30 pm

OLIN 306

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies; Historical Studies This course examines the political and historical development of the US presidency from the founding until the present day. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part of the course, we explore the emergence of the modern presidency as the central institution of the American political system. In addition to the founding, we will give special attention to the Jeffersonian and Progressive Eras as well as the expansion of executive power under FDR. Throughout this first part of the course we will also examine how the presidency developed various powers beyond the formal constitutional responsibilities of the office, including party leadership, control of the executive branch, and relations with the public. In the second part of the course, we will critically explore the operation of the modern presidency from FDR to the present. In particular, we will see how modern presidents contend with multiple, and, at times, conflicting roles and responsibilities (party leader, chief executive, commander in chief, media celebrity) in an increasingly complex political environment. In the third part of the course, we will consider the problem of contemporary presidential power. In particular, we will ask whether presidential power is enlarged or diminished in the present era of divided government, hyper-partisanship, intensified media culture, economic and ecological volatility, and the shifting geopolitical environment confronting the United States. We will also ask what role presidential power and leadership should play in the life of contemporary American democracy. We will consider these questions in light of the Obama presidency and the 2016 election. Class size: 15

Courses cross-listed in Political Studies:

91999

EUS 325

Politics & Power in Global Food Production

Monique Segarra

W 2:00 pm-4:20 pm

HDR 101A

SSCI

92010

HIST 228

Turkey and Europe

Sean McMeekin

M W 11:50 am-1:10 pm

RKC 102

HIST

91759

LIT 318

Hannah Arendt: Political Thinking and the plurality of languages

Thomas Wild

T 4:40 pm-7:00 pm

HEG 308

MBV

HUM

92056

SOC 341

Capitalist and Secular?

Laura Ford

M 4:40 pm-7:00 pm

OLINLC 118

SSCI

92114

THTR 342

Performing Difficult Questions: RACE, SEX AND RELIGION ON CAMPUS

Roger Berkowitz

Jonathan Rosenberg

T Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

FISHER PAC RESNICK

MBV

D+J

HUM