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Political Science Courses
POLSCI 101 Introduction to Politics +
Description:
This course introduces and explores the conceptual vocabulary of politics. Though concerned with problems of political theory, it is designed not for theorists but for anyone who thinks, talks, or worries about the public world. A series of brief case studies is used to show how real-world outcomes are affected by our political ideas and assumptions. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 102 Government and Politics of the United States +
Description:
An introduction to the structures, processes, and results of the American governmental system. The course focuses on the national government and national political behavior, although state, regional, and local structures and issues are also introduced. Topics include institutions of government, political principles and ideologies, public opinion, political socialization, political parties, mass media, elections, interest groups, civil rights and civil liberties, public policies and policy making. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 103 Introduction to Political Theory +
Description:
This course consists of close readings of three texts considered foundational to the history of Western political thought: Plato's Republic, Machiavelli's The Prince, and Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto. It will examine the characteristic questions and problems raised by these texts concerning the nature of politics and justice, and examine what roles moral and epistemological knowledge might play with regard to both. Also considered will be questions of genre, history, and rhetoric, with special attention given to questions regarding authorial intent, readership, and audience. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 202 Comparative Politics +
Description:
This course serves as an introductory course to comparative politics. Students will learn the core concepts and methods in comparative politics including the comparative methods, states and regimes, regime types and democratic transitions through studying both developing and developed countries such as China, India, Russia, Mexico, Germany and United Kingdom. The second part of the course focuses on political institutions. Students will learn the different forms of democracies and autocracies by examining the institutions and political processes. The course seeks to understand the mechanisms through which the political institutions and processes affect citizens, behaviors and political outcomes while comparing developing and developed countries. The third part of the course discusses political issues and policy outcomes including challenges to democracies, women and politics, social cleavages, and inequality and redistribution. Throughout the course, students will develop informed and coherent arguments on relevant topics through discussions, debates, simulation games, and research. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 203 Public Policy (A) +
Description:
The process of policy making and the manner and effects of policy implementation in states and localities. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 220 International Relations (B) +
Description:
This course focuses on basic patterns and concepts which explain interactions among nations. Special attention is given to the role of ideologies, international organizations, conflict resolution, the impact of multinational corporations, underdevelopment, the international dimension of human rights, ethnic, ''racial,'' religious, and gender differences, and the dynamics of globalization. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 251 Ancient and Medieval Political Thought (D) +
Description:
The origins and the early development of the main political ideas of the West. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 252 Modern Political Thought (D) +
Description:
The history of Western political ideas from the time of Machiavelli to that of Marx and Nietzsche. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 265L World War II Internment of Japanese Americans (A) +
Description:
The US Government in 1942 commenced the internment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. This course considers political, economic, legal, sociological and historical matters in the examination of this chapter in American life. The course encompasses experiences beyond the internment, including early Japanese immigration, the battle for redress and reparations, and the current status of Japanese and Asian Americans. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 310 Money in Politics +
Description:
This course will examine the role of money in American politics and the various ways in which political actors participate in the financing of campaigns. The course will examine the development of the modern campaign finance system by reviewing the major constitutional, statutory, and regulatory decisions that form the framework of the system. The course will pay particular attention to ''dark money'' - money that is given through legal structures that allow the identities of the givers to be kept secret from the general public. Finally, it will consider alternatives for reform. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 318 The Legislative Process (A) +
Description:
The function of national and state legislatures, and the role played by political parties and interest groups in legislatures. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 320 Women, Politics, and Policy +
Description:
This course exposes students to the field of ''women and politics'' in U.S. American politics. It investigates what a gender perspective adds to evaluations and understandings of politics and policy as well as ways in which gender influences policy outcomes, political perspectives, and political experiences. Collective action for, and on the behalf of, groups of women is a major focus as is the perspective of women of various races, social classes, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. The course covers: baseline trends and debates related to women and politics; gender movements and women's organizing from a historical perspective; political participation and public opinion; and, public policy. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 325 Public Administration (A) +
Description:
A study of the bureaucratic process, emphasizing organizational behavior, changes in administrative institutions and theories, and the political role of bureaucracy. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 329 American Constitutional Law and Theory (A) +
Description:
The development of the United States Constitution, chiefly through decisions of the Supreme Court. Emphasis on the origin and nature of judicial power, the way it inhibits and facilitates operation of the political process, and the search for standards by which to judge the judges. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 330 Presidential Elections (A) +
Description:
The course examines systematically the process by which the President of the United States is chosen. Presidential recruitment, campaign financing, delegate selection, electoral procedures, media use and involvement, conventions, strategies and tactics, and other aspects of the presidential election process are covered. Most of these discussions take place within the context of recent elections. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 332 Civil Liberties in the United States (A) +
Description:
An analysis of the constitutional rules governing civil liberties in the American system, primarily through decisions of the Supreme Court. Emphasis on five areas: freedom of the press and speech, freedom of religion, criminal procedure, reproductive rights, and school desegregation. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 333 Terrorism +
Description:
This course examines fundamental questions about the political phenomenon known as terrorism: What is terrorism? Who engages in it? What do they hope to achieve? Who supports or opposes terrorism? What are the effects of terrorism and counter-terrorism on society? The class considers these questions from a variety of perspectives, drawing from political science, psychology, sociology, and primary sources. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 335 Law and Public Policy (A) +
Description:
The main objective of this course is to expose students to (1) different theoretical perspectives on law and public policy (concentrating on law and the courts), (2) some important substantive areas of law and public policy, and (3) broader questions regarding the study and practice of public policy in the United States. Although the focus is on ''judicial'' policymaking, the broader phenomenon of institutional development and interaction with societal forces is of special concern in this course. Class discussion and assignments are geared toward developing students' analytical skills so that they are able to examine policy issues from multiple theoretical angles and, thereby, to gain a critical perspective. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 340 Boston: Cooperation and Conflict in the Urban Environment (A) +
Description:
The course helps students become familiar with the historical backgrounds of Boston's social systems, which leads to investigation and discussion of the city's contemporary political and social problems. The materials for this course consist of scholarly writings, journalists' reports, government documents, judicial opinions, biographies, films, and slide lectures, all focused on Boston and the metropolitan region. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 343 Feminist Political Thought +
Description:
Understood as a political theory, feminism consists of two basic principles: freedom and equality. It is feminist because it is believed that these political principles must be realized within the context of gender - the human categories men and women. In this course, we will critically interrogate the principles of freedom and equality and what they mean within the terms of gender. The notions of women and men will also come in for critical scrutiny. Finally, we will consider the practical applications of these ideas in areas like politics, race, class, marriage, motherhood, family, work, rape, sexual harassment, sex work, the body, desire and sexuality. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 344 Problems of Urban Politics (A) +
Description:
Some of the issues raised by urbanization - are cities necessary? Is the relatively democratic structure of American cities responsible for some of their problems? Has there been a revolution of rising expectations in urban life? - considered in historical and comparative perspectives. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 345 Sports, Politics, & Policy +
Description:
This course examines the intersections between sports and politics - for good and for bad - primarily in the American case. It examines how questions of identity, solidarity, difference, opportunity, power, subjugation, social justice, the law, development, violence, race, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, pay, and labor practices play out in American politics, public policy, and sports culture. It is a course for those who love sports but hate politics, those who love politics and hate sports, those who love sports and politics, and all derivations in between. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 350 Political Research Methods +
Description:
This course provides exposure to the major approaches to studying politics and is designed so that participants develop the skills necessary to both conduct their own research and critically evaluate the research of others. To facilitate these goals, the course is divided into four sections: (1) the politics and ethics of research; (20 conceptual issues in research ; (3) quantitative data collection and analysis; and (4) qualitative data collection and analysis. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 365 Japan and the United States +
Description:
This course explores the international relationship between two of the most influential countries in the 21st century. Careful observers of the relations between these two countries rarely fail to remark on the extent to which each misunderstands and perceives contradictions within the behavior and attitudes of the other. The importance of this international relationship suggests that each can benefit from nurturing some sympathy for the other. The course will introduce students to the history of international relations between these two countries. It will also examine a series of international problems that these nations must confront together as it touches on dynamics of race, class, gender, and culture in their relationship. The course concludes with a discussion of the future prospects of the Japan-US relationship. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 368 Immigration Politics in Comparative Perspective +
Description:
This class explores how and why migration occurs and what political consequences it has for the host countries and for the countries that immigrants leave behind. It explores how states attempt to manage immigration flows, which range from human rights abuses to direct encouragement. The class will also analyze theories explaining anti-immigrant attitudes, the reasons behind open or restrictive migration policies throughout the developed world and why these can lead to human rights abuses. In addition, the class considers the impact that host countries have on migrants' political attitudes and on issues on assimilation both social and economic. The emphasis will be on migration flows moving to Europe and the United States, but will also include, to a lesser extent, Australia, Japan and Latin America. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 369 Politics of the Middle East (C) +
Description:
This course traces the creation and transformation of Middle Eastern states, focusing on the development of their political systems and on their transition towards democracy. It explores the diversity of Middle Eastern states and analyzes the factors that contribute to the predominance of authoritarian regimes among them. In this respect, it examines the role of ideologies, -in which Islam and nationalism play key roles-, the nature of the party and family politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the ways in which economic developments impact political structures. It also focuses on the domestic, regional and international forces pushing for democracy in the region, central among which is the role of civil society and the changing pattern of foreign intervention in the region. The course pays attention to central themes such as modernization, development, democratization, state/society., state/military relations, all of which are key to any course in comparative politics and political development, two core categories in any political science program More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 370 Human Rights, Immigration and Gender in Mexico +
Description:
This course looks at two interrelated topics with which the Mexican state has an extremely poor track record: the well-being of women and treatment of immigrants. Women continue to have worse prospects in education, employment, and access to healthcare, and face a spike in gender violence that has touched every social class and corner of the country. As a result, social movements continue to hold the state to account. Likewise, the Mexican government has an abysmal history in its treatment of migrants crossing the country to reach the United States. Its approach to migrants, which has vacillated between tacitly welcoming to extremely repressive, has taken on new salience in recent years and speaks to issues central to the Us-Mexico relationship and international relations more broadly. All courses will be taught in English. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 371 Latin American Poltc +
Description:
An analysis of social structure and political behavior of various groups in Latin America, of a variety of political participation at grass roots and national levels, and of the influence of technologically advanced countries on the politics of Latin America. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 372 Central American Politics (C) +
Description:
The study of the political and economic antecedents of the political situation in Central America, with emphasis on Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. The foreign policy of the United States and of other Latin American states toward the region is discussed, but emphasis is given to domestic politics. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 375 Third World Development (C) +
Description:
Investigation of theories of interdependence, dependency, and neocolonialism. Special attention to North/South relations, various approaches to development and forms of assistance provided by the industrial countries, resource problems, and other political and developmental issues facing North and South. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 377 Special Topics in Politics +
Description:
Intensive study of topics in politics. Course content varies each semester. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 380 Theories of International Relations +
Description:
This course surveys the most prominent themes in philosophical and scientific thought about international relations. It gives special consideration to the historical evolution of international relations scholarship, and to the most prominent debates among scholars, to facilitate understanding of the fundamental problems countries face and the broad patterns of their interactions with one another. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 387 The Government and Politics of China (C) +
POLSCI 390 A Comparative Analysis of Inequality and Redistribution +
Description:
For the past several decades, the world has witnessed a substantial increase in inequality. Two typical cases are the United States and China. The United States has had the highest level of inequality in the industrial world for the past few decades, and China has experienced dramatic increase in inequality and has become one of the most unequal countries in the world. This course will compare these two countries and will provide a broad overview of the causes and consequences of the rising inequality in the United States, China and globally. This course will also compare and analyze social and welfare policies in the United States, China and globally. The first part of the course will focus on the United States, the second part will focus on China, and the third part will look at inequality and redistributive policies comparatively and globally with a focus on the equal countries Sweden and Germany, and the unequal countries South Africa and Brazil. The topics we will cover include measurements and data of inequality; inequality in different aspects; causes of inequality; public opinions towards inequality; and the implications of rising inequality for democracy, autocracy and governance with a focus on redistributive policies. We will also touch on questions of why inequality should be studied in the first place - that is, why should anyone care about the growing gap between the rich and the poor; and what is the ideal level of inequality? More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 402 World Politics and World Order (B) +
Description:
The study of recent developments in international law and organization, regionalism, the politics of economic interdependence, and arms control, with emphasis on the United Nations systems and the European communities. Examination of strategies for dealing with international conflict. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 404 The Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict +
Description:
This course examines the Arab-Israeli conflict from a national and international perspective. It considers the competing historical and moral claims to the land, the creation of political ''facts'', the rise of national consciousness and institutions, the influence of regional politics and the role of international forces in shaping the nature of the conflict and the means to resolve it. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 406 Politics of Food Security +
Description:
There is enough food on the planet to feed everyone, and yet currently approximately 800 million people go hungry. Why is this the case? This course explores the politics of international food security, dividing the semester into four sections to examine food through the lens of development, human rights, governance, and security concerns. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 407 US-Latin American Relations +
Description:
To what extent has the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America shaped both regions' political reality? This course will use IR theory to explain the foreign policy dynamics of the region. It will explore issues in the multilateral agenda prior to the end of the cold war and how American foreign policy has changed (or not) over time. It will also examine current inter-American sources of tension including drugs, immigration, and free trade. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 410 Pol Intrnatnl Econ +
Description:
This course studies the relationship between the structure of the international political system and the structure of the international economic system, examines the reciprocal links between domestic political and economic policies of governments and their international behavior, and analyzes the socio-political choices which support the development and operation of such transnational institutions as the World Bank, the IMF, multinational corporations, cartels, and trading systems. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 421 War (B) +
Description:
An advanced course in international relations exploring the problem of war from many points of view, theoretical and practical. These include the history, nature, and causes of war, strategy in the course of war, legal and ethical questions, as well as proposals to avoid war (arms control, disarmament, social revolutions, etc.). More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 422 Nationalism (C) +
Description:
The politics of nationalism viewed through a theoretical examination of its origins and development; focus on nationalism and patriotism, political violence, national character, nation, communications and state. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 424 American Foreign Policy (B) +
Description:
Examines United States foreign policy in the post-World War II period. Focuses on both historical and institutional matters. Current issues are also given ample consideration. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 435 Foreign Policy Analysis +
Description:
This course examines the way countries make their foreign policy. It considers the international, domestic, and even interpersonal settings in which policymakers pursue their goals in different countries. Understanding these goals and the constraints on their pursuit helps to explain why policymakers sometimes choose policies that, in retrospect, turn out to be unproductive or even damaging to their own or their country's interests. This course explores the ways that seemingly irrational policies can nevertheless be explained in rational terms, but it also encourages students to view the temptation to ''rationalize'' critically in their own analyses of foreign policy. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 439 Thinking Islamophobia and the War Terror +
Description:
Islamophobia is a longstanding part of American history and culture that takes specific forms in our current moment. This course will traverse the history of Islamophobia in the United States, paying particular attention to its 21st century incarnations via a critical and genealogical accounting of the ''War on Terror,'' which will be considered as an extension of US empire and settler conquest as well as a project of racialization that constructs Islam and Muslims as innately ''terrorist.'' More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 450 Decolonial Theory +
Description:
This upper level political theory course is designed to introduce students to decolonial theories, broadly understood. We will explore foundational texts of post-colonial theory, the subaltern studies tradition, afro-pessimism, and critical indigenous studies, among other approaches. This course seeks to challenge the hegemony that western political theory continues to hold in the ways in which the political has been theorized, by privileging the voices, knowledges, and practices of those resisting from various counter-hegemonic locations. From Frantz Fanon and Edward Said to Saidiya Hartman, Mar?a Lugones, and Frank Wilderson, this course is of interest to students seeking to learn about the ways in which settler colonial capitalism has shaped and continues to shape our lives and our political imaginaries. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 451 Queer Theory & Politics +
Description:
Queer Theory is a field of study that critically examines sex, gender, sexuality, and sexual desire from a dissident and ''gay affirmative'' (Sedgwick) perspective. Its primary aims are the de-naturalization of (hetero)sexuality and (hetero)normative gender categories, identities, and expression. This course in queer theory is specifically focused on politics, and as such will trace the academic development of queer theory in tandem with and as a response to the historical development of US queer/LGBTQ social movements. The intention is to read queer theory as both a scholarly and an activist project. The course will provide an overview history of queer/LGBTQ politics and social movements alongside a reading of central texts, documents, manifestos, interviews, and other primary sources. Although the ''theory'' of queer theory will be foregrounded in this course, with primary emphasis placed on mastery of the content and arguments of the theoretical texts, and intellectual understanding of texts alone will be incomplete without also situation that understanding within the history and context of these texts' emergence. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 453 Democratic Theory (D) +
Description:
This course explores ancient and modern theories of democracy in historical context. Topics include theories about leaders and their ends; the bases of representative democracy; the linkages between democracy and revolution; the relationship of democracy and economics; the issues related to democracy and difference; and the challenges for democracy in the twenty-first century. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 455 Problems in Political Thought (D) +
Description:
This course explores Marx' political thought and contemporary marxist political theory. It will address class intersectionally, that is, by exploring the ways in which capitalism both produces racial and gender differences as it also abstracts from concrete forms of labor in order to create value. The course will focus on an interrogation of Marx' theory of value and an analysis of the problem of political subjectivity. We will investigate problems related to class consciousness and concepts like those of the multitude, racial capitalism, and the capitalist unconscious. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 456 Political Thought of Lincoln (D) +
Description:
This course will explore the intellectual journey of Abraham Lincoln and place him in the ranks of serious philosophers on the nature of man, God, and government. We will examine Lincoln's assertion that his entire political philosophy could be traced to the Declaration of Independence and its doctrine of natural law, consider his desire to preserve the Union in light of his conception of the immorality of slavery, and explore his constitutional understanding. Our reading will include a close examination of Lincoln's speeches and writings, as well as secondary sources. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 458 From Biopolitics to Necropolitcs +
Description:
This course investigates the theoretical tradition that moves political theory from a juridical emphasis on the legal problem of sovereignty, to a broader interrogation of various technologies of power invested in the regulation of life and death. In this course we explore both, the foundational texts of Hannah Arendt and Michel Foucault, as well as the reception, further development, and complication of their theories in the works of other contemporary political theorists, such as Giorgio Agamben, Roberto Esposito, and Achille Mbembe. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
POLSCI 478 Independent Study +
POLSCI 479 Independent Study +
Description:
A course of reading and investigation designed to supplement regular departmental offerings. Topics are worked out by instructor and student. Regular papers are required. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 488 Field Work in Politics +
Description:
Carefully supervised field work, available only to a limited number of qualified students in any one semester. Written prospectus of the project, periodic conferences with a faculty advisor, and appropriate written work required. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 489 Field Work in Politics +
Description:
Carefully supervised field work, available only to a limited number of qualified students in any one semester. Written prospectus of the project, periodic conferences with a faculty advisor, and appropriate written work required. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 490 Special Issues +
POLSCI 491 Special Issues +
POLSCI 492 Directed Readings in Politics +
Description:
Reading of four to six books on a special topic and preparation of a 10-15 page critical analysis. Lists of topics and pertinent readings are prepared by individual faculty members. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 495 Field Practicum in Politics +
Description:
Full-time work in a government or political agency to help students integrate course work with practical training. More Info
Offered in:POLSCI 499L Seminar in International Relations (B) +
Description:
A research seminar designed for two categories of students: a) political science majors with an interest and strong background in international relations; and b) students completing the International Relations Program (for whom the seminar will provide the context and guidance to carry out a ''Senior Project'' aimed at integrating their study of international relations). In either case, students spend most of their time researching, writing, and presenting a substantial paper. More Info
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