Course: |
PS 105 Introduction to Comparative Politics |
||
Professor: |
Omar Encarnacion |
||
CRN: |
90018 |
Schedule: |
Tue Thurs
12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Olin
201 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Global & International Studies
(PS core course) 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.
Course: |
PS 109 Political Economy |
||
Professor: |
Sanjib Baruah |
||
CRN: |
90019 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 8:30 AM - 9:50
AM Olin 202 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
22 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: 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.
Course: |
PS 115 Introduction to Political Theory |
||
Professor: |
Mie Inouye |
||
CRN: |
90577 |
Schedule: |
Tue Thurs 3:50 PM - 5:10 PM |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
22 |
Credits: |
4 |
(PS
core course) This course offers a survey of Western
political theory from ancient Athens to modern Europe and North America. We
will explore the themes of justice, freedom, democracy, equality, and social
change through the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Karl
Marx, Rosa Luxemburg, Frederick Douglass, and others. In each case, we will
attend to the problems and experiences, including revolution, civil war,
capitalism, and slavery, to which these thinkers responded. We will also consider
new problems and experiences of the twenty-first century, and how they might
shape our own theories of politics.
Course: |
PS 207 Global Citizenship |
||
Professor: |
Michelle Murray |
||
CRN: |
90021 |
Schedule: |
Mon Fri 8:30 AM - 9:50
AM Olin 203 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis D+J Difference and Justice |
Class cap: |
22 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Global & International Studies (Core Course);
Human Rights
(HRP core course) 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.
Course: |
PS 210 American Political Thought |
||
Professor: |
Simon Gilhooley |
||
CRN: |
90022 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 10:20 AM - 11:40
AM Olin 310 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
18 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to American
Political Thought. Drawing upon material from across the entire span of
American history, we shall attempt to develop an understanding of concepts such
as democracy, liberty, individuality, and republicanism, and to discuss how
understandings of each of them have influenced political and social choices in
what is now the United States. Readings will include Thomas Jefferson, Abraham
Lincoln, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Emma Goldman, among others.
Course: |
PS 214 United States Latin American Relations |
||
Professor: |
Omar Encarnacion |
||
CRN: |
90551 |
Schedule: |
Tue Thurs 3:50 PM
- 5:10 PM Olin 201 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies; Global &
International Studies; Human Rights; Latin American / Iberian Studies
Since proclaiming the Monroe Doctrine, in 1823, the United States has
pursued a project of economic, political, and cultural hegemony towards its
southern neighbors in Latin America. This course employs a wide range of
theories and concepts in international relations--especially imperialism,
moralism, and realism--to understand the main factors underpinning American
behavior towards Latin America. Along the way, the course also provides a
window into how the nations of Latin America have responded to US military
interventions and political interferences intended to protect American
interests in the region. The majority of these military interventions and
political interferences took place in the 19th century and the
early part of the 20th century in Mexico, the Caribbean, and
Central America, when the United States was in the midst of a full-blown
imperial expansion, and during the Cold War (1945-1991), in reaction to the
rise of Marxist-inspired revolutionary governments and guerrilla
movements. The concluding part of the class examines the main issues that
bring the United States and Latin America into conflict since the end of
the Cold War: trade, immigration, drug-trafficking, and human rights.
Course: |
PS 2251 Dissent!
Politics, Justice, Dignity |
||
Professor: |
Pinar Kemerli |
||
CRN: |
90576 |
Schedule: |
Mon Fri 12:10 PM – 1:30 PM Olin 204 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
22 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American
Studies; Global & International
Studies; Human Rights; Middle Eastern Studies
Why do citizens rebel? When is it legitimate to break the law?
What makes resistance just? This course surveys modern theories of dissent and resistance.
We will examine the characteristics, justifications, and limitations of major
forms of resistance including decolonization and civil disobedience, and focus
on liberal, republican, and radical perspectives on what makes such resistance
necessary and just. We will also study how contemporary technological
transformations have changed the forms and means of resistance and what we
perceive as justice and injustice. Our goal is to acquire a historically
grounded understanding of key concepts in discussions and justifications of
dissent including political obligation, independence, conscience, dignity,
civility, refusal, and violence/nonviolence, and learn to form connections
between theoretical debates and our contemporary political dilemmas. In addition
to textual resources, the course includes analysis of several movies and
documentaries including Malcolm X (1992), The Square (2013), and Chi-raq (2015).
Course: |
HR/PS 243 Constitutional Law |
||
Professor: |
Peter Rosenblum and Roger Berkowitz |
||
CRN: |
90139 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 3:50 PM - 5:10
PM Reem Kayden Center 103 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
40 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies; Philosophy
This course will provide an introduction to constitutional theory and the
evolution of constitutional law in the United States The course begins with a look at the history
and theory of constitutionalism with a particular focus on the writing of
Aristotle, Montesquieu and Arendt. We
then explore the advent of written constitutions in the United States and the
Federal Constitution, before diving into developments in US Constitutional law
from the founding through the New Deal.
Finally, we will explore some key issues in emerging constitutional law
that wrestle with core concepts of constitutionalism, including voting rights,
campaign finance and the administrative state.
The course confronts the role of a constitution in the state and the
particular challenges of a written constitution enforced by courts. In addition to theoretical and historical
materials, the course will include substantial case law readings as well as
legal writing by contemporary scholars.
Course: |
PS 247 American Foreign Policy Traditions |
||
Professor: |
Walter Russell Mead |
||
CRN: |
90558 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 8:30 AM - 9:50
AM |
Distributional Area: |
HA Historical Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
This course prepares students to analyze contemporary
American foreign policy issues by offering an introduction to the historical
development of the distinctive foreign policy tradition of the United States.
Readings will examine the ideological foundations of American foreign policy
and the history of American involvement in different regions around the world
to put current developments in perspective.
Course: |
PS 264 U.S. and the Modern Middle East |
||
Professor: |
Frederic Hof |
||
CRN: |
90024 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 8:30 AM - 9:50
AM Olin 305 |
Distributional Area: |
HA Historical Analysis |
Class cap: |
18 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies; Global & International
Studies; Historical Studies; Middle Eastern Studies
This class will focus on the relationship of US foreign policy to the Arab
states of the modern Middle East: the Arab countries of the Levant,
Mesopotamia, the Arabian Peninsula, plus Egypt. The first part of the course
will put this relationship in its historical perspective. We will discuss the Ottoman Empire before,
during, and immediately after World War I, the postwar treaties that stripped
the Empire of its Arab holdings and established European rule in much of the
Arab World through the League of Nations mandate system, the creation of
independent Arab states, the pivotal year 1948, the rise of Arab nationalism
(Nasserism and its rivals), the June 1967 war, and the rise of political Islam,
among other topics. The second part of
the course will focus on the official American relationship with the Arab World
from post-World War II until the present day.
Topics to be discussed include: securing petroleum resources; the Cold
War; the security of Israel; dealing with political Islam and terrorism; the 2003
Iraq War; and the 2011 Arab Spring and its aftermath.
Course: |
PS 268 Beyond Elections: Revitalizing Democracy
Through Citizens’ Assemblies |
||
Professor: |
David Van Reybrouck |
||
CRN: |
90555 |
Schedule: |
Tue
Thur 5:40 PM - 7:40
PM Olin 204 |
Distributional Area: |
MBV Meaning,Bbeing, Value |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
2 |
Cross-listed: Human Rights
This is a special 2 credit workshop taught
by the Hannah Arendt Center and National Endowment of the Humanities Distinguished
Visiting Fellow, David Van Reybrouck. This
course explores how electoral democracies can be enriched with a whole new set
of procedures of citizen’s participation. The course is both a practical,
hands-on experience on how to design deliberative democratic processes with
local politicians, and an exploration into the theory and philosophy of sortition, or lottery-based democracy. We will work as a group, we will learn together and will have the
opportunities to exchange with two local mayors from Dutchess County and other community leaders.” Students will
have the opportunity to present their work at the annual Hannah Arendt Center
Conference on October 14-15. This course meets September 14th
– October 12th.
Course: |
PS 270 All Politics is Local |
||
Professor: |
Jonathan Becker and Erin Cannan |
||
CRN: |
90514 |
Schedule: |
Mon 3:50 PM - 5:10
PM Barringer Global Classroom + once a week for an internship session of
three to six hours |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
12 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies
This
course focuses on the study of, and engagement with, local politics and is
animated by the question: why does local government matter? Local government
is often overlooked, but plays a critical role in the day-to-day life of
citizens. In spite of this, the structure and activities of local government
are poorly understood. The course will seek to answer the following
questions: What role does local government (village, town, and county) play in
the day-to-day lives of citizens? How do local politics intersect and differ
from state and national politics. What experiments in local governance can
inform national discourse on democracy? The course is an Engaged Liberal Arts
and Sciences Course and is organized around an internship/practicum. Students
will commit to a semester-long internship with a government office or agency, that normally meets four hours per week. Students
will also participate in a series of seminars and attend meetings with village,
local, and county officials, attend sessions of local government bodies, and
read primary and secondary sources concerning the issue of local governance.
The class will meet twice each week: (a) once for a classroom session of one
hour and twenty minutes and (b) once for an internship session of three to six
hours. Students in the class may also be asked attend some public meetings,
like Town Board meetings. At both locations, we strive to link the classroom to
the world. Interested students must email Erin Cannan
at civic@bard.edu before registration and complete a brief interest form to help
match students to internship sites.
Course: |
PS 323 Migration Citizenship and Work |
||
Professor: |
Sanjib Baruah |
||
CRN: |
90026 |
Schedule: |
Mon 2:00 PM - 4:20
PM Olin 310 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Asian
Studies; Human Rights
Large-scale migration has long been integral to global processes that have
shaped the modern world. The modern history of international migration begins
with European colonization of large parts of the New World, Africa and Asia. The
forced migration of millions of Africans to the Americas is also a legacy of
this era. Flows out of Europe had dominated international migration until the
early twentieth century. The direction
began to change only in the middle of that century when Africa, Asia, and Latin
America became a growing source of international emigration. Starting with a historical overview of
international migration, the course will focus on the modern territorial order
of formally sovereign states, which is premised to a significant extent on the
disavowal of migration. Since employment eligibility is tied to citizenship
status, significant segments of the work force in many countries are now
undocumented.
Course: |
PS 352 Political Violence and Terrorism |
||
Professor: |
Christopher McIntosh |
||
CRN: |
90027 |
Schedule: |
Mon 10:20 AM - 12:40
PM Olin 301 |
Distributional Area: |
SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights
The September 2001 terrorist attacks irrevocably
changed US politics and foreign policy, giving rise to nearly two decades of
war, expanded surveillance domestically and abroad, the use of torture and
indefinite detention and a targeted killing policy conducted primarily via
drone strikes around the globe. More recently, the January 6th
attacks on the US Capitol evidenced what can happen when white nationalism,
hate, and right wing ideologies are perpetuated by powerful political
actors. While neither is a new phenomenon, it’s only relatively recently that
terrorism and right wing violence have come to dominate the US national
security agenda. Political violence, terrorism, and the propagation of
hate-based ideologies have a long history in the United States This
seminar will provide a theoretical and empirical examination of this type of
violence as a political phenomenon. The first part of the course explores the
conceptual and theoretical debates surrounding political
violence within the United States and abroad typically characterized
as terrorism. Topics discussed will include the distinctions between
terrorism and other forms of political violence, individual and group
motivations for using 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 and individual acts of
violence like hate crimes. The second part of the course will address the
challenges of government responses, including the strengths and weaknesses of
counterterrorist tools such as military force, diplomacy, intelligence and law
enforcement, the relationship between violence and democracy, and the role of
the international community. In the final part of the course we will situate
the contemporary US experience with terrorism, right wing violence and hate
crimes in a comparative and historical perspective.
Course: |
PS 358 Radical American Democracy |
||
Professor: |
Roger Berkowitz |
||
CRN: |
90028 |
Schedule: |
Tue 2:00 PM - 4:20
PM Olin 307 |
Distributional Area: |
MBV Meaning, Being, Value |
Class cap: |
12 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: American Studies; Human Rights; Philosophy
This seminar is an exploration of radical American democracy. While most
characterizations of democracy see it as a form of government, this course
explores the essence of democracy as a specifically modern way of life. To do
so, it turns to some great thinkers of American democracy such as Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Ralph Ellison, W. E. B. DuBois, and
Hannah Arendt. What unites these radical democrats is the conviction that
democracy is a practice of individuals rather than an institutional form of
governance. As an ideal of radical individualism, American democratic thought
offers, perhaps surprisingly, an aristocratic critique of the limits of
democratic government even as it, seen from another side, makes possible our
culture of narcissistic consumerism. Our aim is to understand the democratic
spirit of radical individualism that has proven so seductive and powerful since
its modern birth in the American revolution. Texts will include Emerson's
essays The American Scholar and Experience, Thoreau's Walden, Ellison's
Invisible Man and Arendt's On Revolution.
This course is part of the College Seminar on Crises of Democracy;
students will be required to attend parts of the Hannah Arendt Center
Conference "Crises of Democracy."
Course: |
PS 392 The Political Thought of W.E.B. Du Bois |
||
Professor: |
Mie Inouye |
||
CRN: |
90572 |
Schedule: |
Thurs 10:20 AM - 12:40 PM |
Distributional Area: |
MBV Meaning, Being,
Value |
Class cap: |
12 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Africana
Studies; American Studies; Human Rights; Philosophy
This
seminar explores the political thought of the sociologist, organizer, and
political theorist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois.
We will trace the development of Du Bois’s political
thought on the themes of organization, race, class, leadership, democracy, and
freedom over the course of his long career. Throughout, we’ll consider the
relationship between Du Bois’s experiences of
political organizing in the Niagara Movement, the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, and the Socialist Party and major developments
in his political thought. Finally, we will consider the relevance of Du Bois’s political thought to today’s black freedom struggle.
Cross-listed courses:
Course: |
CC 102 A Citizenship as Exclusion |
||
Professor: |
Michelle Murray |
||
CRN: |
90508 |
Schedule: |
Mon Fri 12:10 PM - 1:30
AM Olin 205 |
Distributional Area: |
MBV Meaing, Being, Value SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
15 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Political Studies
Course: |
CC 102 B Citizenship in the Contemporary United States |
||
Professor: |
Simon Gilhooley |
||
CRN: |
90511 |
Schedule: |
Mon Wed 2:00 PM - 3:20
PM Olin 202 |
Distributional Area: |
MBV Meaing, Being, Value SA Social Analysis |
Class cap: |
18 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Political Studies
Course: |
SOC 144
Introduction to Political Sociology |
||
Professor: |
Karen
Barkey |
||
CRN: |
90569 |
Schedule: |
Tue
Thurs 3:50 PM – 5:10 PM Olin 203 |
Distributional
Area: |
SA Social
Analysis |
Class
cap: |
22 |
Credits: |
4 |
Cross-listed: Political
Studies