Course Schedule

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Course Schedule for POLITICAL SCIENCE - Fall 2013

Class No.	Course ID	Title	Credits	Type	Instructor(s)	Days:Times	Location	Permission Required	Dist
2296	POLS-102-01	American Natl Govt	1.00	LEC	Chambers,Stefanie	TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: This section of POLS 102 is methodologically focused.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-years.
		How do the institutions of American national government shape our politics and policies? This introductory course examines the nation’s founding documents (including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers), the goals they sought to achieve, and the institutional framework they established (including Congress, the Presidency, and the courts). It then evaluates the extent to which these institutions achieve their intended aims of representing interests and producing public goods, taking into account the role of parties, interests groups, and the media. Throughout the course, we will attend to the relevance of race, class, religion, and gender. We will draw on the example of the 2012 presidential election and other current events to illustrate the functioning of American government and politics.
2297	POLS-102-02	American Natl Govt	1.00	LEC	Chambers,Stefanie	TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: This section of POLS 102 is methodologically focused.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-years.
		How do the institutions of American national government shape our politics and policies? This introductory course examines the nation’s founding documents (including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers), the goals they sought to achieve, and the institutional framework they established (including Congress, the Presidency, and the courts). It then evaluates the extent to which these institutions achieve their intended aims of representing interests and producing public goods, taking into account the role of parties, interests groups, and the media. Throughout the course, we will attend to the relevance of race, class, religion, and gender. We will draw on the example of the 2012 presidential election and other current events to illustrate the functioning of American government and politics.
2659	POLS-102-03	American Natl Govt	1.00	LEC	Williamson,Abigail Fisher	TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: 15 seats will be reserved for first-year students.
		How do the institutions of American national government shape our politics and policies? This introductory course examines the nation’s founding documents (including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers), the goals they sought to achieve, and the institutional framework they established (including Congress, the Presidency, and the courts). It then evaluates the extent to which these institutions achieve their intended aims of representing interests and producing public goods, taking into account the role of parties, interests groups, and the media. Throughout the course, we will attend to the relevance of race, class, religion, and gender. We will draw on the example of the 2012 presidential election and other current events to illustrate the functioning of American government and politics.
2066	POLS-103-01	Intro Compar Politics	1.00	LEC	Messina,Anthony M.	MW: 1:15PM-2:30PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: This section of POLS 103 is methodologically focused.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-year students
		This lecture course examines major themes and approaches within comparative politics. Its purpose is twofold: First, it provides the necessary theoretical and conceptual foundation for upper-level classes within this subfield. To this end, a broad array of key classics and recent works within comparative politics will be examined. Second, students will learn about the political and economic institutions that undergird foreign countries within a comparative framework. Readings will draw from various regions of the world, including Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Questions that will be discussed include, but are not limited to, the following: What role, if any, can the government play in promoting economic growth? Why do civil wars occur and what is the role of ethnicity in perpetuating conflict?
2567	POLS-103-02	Intro Compar Politics	1.00	LEC	Bourbeau,James R.	TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-year students.
		This lecture course examines major themes and approaches within comparative politics. Its purpose is twofold: First, it provides the necessary theoretical and conceptual foundation for upper-level classes within this subfield. To this end, a broad array of key classics and recent works within comparative politics will be examined. Second, students will learn about the political and economic institutions that undergird foreign countries within a comparative framework. Readings will draw from various regions of the world, including Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Questions that will be discussed include, but are not limited to, the following: What role, if any, can the government play in promoting economic growth? Why do civil wars occur and what is the role of ethnicity in perpetuating conflict?
2298	POLS-104-01	Intro Intl Relations	1.00	LEC	Kamola,Isaac A.	MW: 2:40PM-3:55PM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: This section of POLS 104 is methodologically focused.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-years.
		This course traces the evolution of the modern state system from 1648 to the present. It examines issues and concepts such as the balance of power, collective security, the nature of warfare, the role of international organizations and international law, globalization, human rights, overpopulation, global environmental devastation, etc.
2299	POLS-104-02	Intro Intl Relations	1.00	LEC	Carbonetti,Benjamin C.	MW: 8:30AM-9:45AM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: 15 seats reserved for first-years.
		This course traces the evolution of the modern state system from 1648 to the present. It examines issues and concepts such as the balance of power, collective security, the nature of warfare, the role of international organizations and international law, globalization, human rights, overpopulation, global environmental devastation, etc.
3216	POLS-105-01	Intro Pol Philosophy	1.00	LEC	Maxwell,Lida E.	MW: 1:15PM-2:30PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 45
		Not open to seniors.
		NOTE: This section of POLS 105 is methodologically focused.
		NOTE: 10 seats reserved for first-year students.
		An introduction to the philosophical study of political and moral life through a consideration of various topics of both current and historical interest. Topics include environmentalism, ancients and moderns, male and female, nature and nurture, race and ethnicity, reason and history, and reason and revelation.
2303	POLS-241-01	Emp Pol Mthd & Data Anal	1.00	LEC	Laws,Serena	TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM	TBA		NUM
		Enrollment limited to 30
		An introduction to the design and execution of empirical political research involving computer analysis. The course covers the normative and empirical arguments at the foundation of the science of politics and the methods evolving from these arguments, and it trains students in the use of computers and statistical software. Course work includes reading, discussion, and completion of a research project in which the theory learned in class is put into practice. No programming experience required.
3221	POLS-253-01	Authoritarianism in Eurasia	1.00	LEC	Matsuzaki,Reo	MW: 2:40PM-3:55PM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 25
		More than half of the countries in the world are authoritarian or mixed regimes. Yet the study of authoritarianism—specifically, how authoritarian regimes function, and sources of their resilience and collapse—has long been neglected in political science. Authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria, all widely regarded as models of resilience right up until their demise, turned out to be strikingly and unexpectedly fragile. Conversely, analysts have predicted the collapse of North Korea for decades, only to witness its survival through war, famine, economic collapse, and potentially destabilizing leadership transitions. In this course, we will examine the nascent scholarship on authoritarianism, especially as it pertains to Eurasia—namely, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East and Southeast Asia.
2478	POLS-301-01	American Political Parties	1.00	LEC	Evans,Diana	TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 30
		Prerequisite: C- or better in Political Science 102.
		NOTE: This course is methodologically focused.
		An analysis of American political parties, including a study of voting behavior, party organization and leadership, and recent and proposed reforms and proposals for reorganization of existing party structures.
3322	POLS-316-01	Con Law II:Civ Lib & Civ Ri	1.00	LEC	Fulco,Adrienne	MW: 1:15PM-2:30PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 30
		Prerequisite: C- or better in Public Policy 201, Public Policy 202, or POLS 102, or Permission of Instructor.
		An analysis and evaluation of decisions of courts (and related materials) dealing principally with freedom of expression and equal protection of the laws.
3219	POLS-322-01	Intl Political Economy	1.00	LEC	Kamola,Isaac A.	TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 35
		Prerequisite: C- or better in Political Science 104.
		This course examines the interplay of politics and economics in the current world system since the European expansion in the 16th century. Focus will be on the penetration and colonization of Latin America, Asia, and Africa; economic relations in the industrialized world and between the north and the south; the role of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; the role of international trade and transnational corporations; the changing division of labor in the world economy; and current problems of the world economy.
3313	POLS-348-01	Social Inequal United States	1.00	LEC	Laws,Serena	F: 1:15PM-3:55PM	TBA		SOC
		Enrollment limited to 40
		Prerequisite: C- or better in Political Science 102 or permission of instructor.
		This course considers the implications of social inequalities for American politics. Income and wealth disparities in the United States have grown rapidly since the 1970s, overlapping with social exclusions based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. The course explores the causes, consequences, and solutions to rising economic inequality at the national and local levels, examining particular instances from Connecticut and contextualizing them within a broader global context. We will pay particular attention to the role of public policies in creating or potentially mitigating inequalities among citizens. Throughout the course we will consider the implications of social inequality for American politics and discuss how the persistence of different forms of inequality squares with enduring ideals of equality and equal opportunity in the American political system.
2657	POLS-369-01	Intl Human Rights Law	1.00	LEC	Carbonetti,Benjamin C.	TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 30
		This course offers a comprehensive survey of the evolution of international human rights law, focusing on the major actors and processes at work. Which rights do individual human beings have vis-a-vis the modern state? What is the relationship between domestic and international legal processes? Are regional human rights mechanisms like the European system more influential than international ones? More generally, how effective is contemporary international human rights in securing accountability and justice? We use specific cases and contemporary debates to study a range of treaties and emerging institutions, including ad hoc war crimes tribunals and the International Criminal Court.
3254	POLS-373-01	Law, Politics and Society	1.00	LEC	McMahon,Kevin J.	TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM	TBA
		Enrollment limited to 25
		This course examines the role of law in American society and politics. We will approach law as a living museum displaying the central values, choices, purposes, goals, and ideals of our society. Topics covered include: the nature of law; the structure of American law; the legal profession, juries, and morality; crime and punishment; courts, civil action, and social change; and justice and democracy. Throughout, we will be concerned with law and its relation to cultural change and political conflict.
3419	POLS-386-01	Political Trials	1.00	LEC	Maxwell,Lida E.	MW: 2:40PM-3:55PM	TBA
		Enrollment limited to 30
		Political trials are often seen as dangerous challenges to the rule of law: politics trumps law, theater trumps reason, and collective concerns supersede judgment of the individual on trial. However, bringing politics, theater, and collective concerns into the courtroom can also sometimes support the rule of law, as we have seen in contemporary efforts at transnational justice in countries like South Africa and Rwanda. In this class, we will look at several political trials (from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries) in which politics in the courtroom appear ambivalent—as not only dangerous to law and the justice it is supposed to promote, but also as potentially promising. Through examining these trials, we will ask what the relationship between politics and law should be: is "politicizing" law always dangerous, or might it sometimes be important to sustaining law? Do drama and theatricality impede justice, or might they sometimes aid it?
2252	POLS-399-01	Independent Study	1.00 - 2.00	IND	TBA	TBA	TBA	Y
		Enrollment limited to 100
		Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment.
2658	POLS-402-01	Sr Sem:Amer Govt Dem Rep	1.00	SEM	Evans,Diana	W: 1:15PM-3:55PM	TBA		WEB
		Enrollment limited to 15
		Course open only to senior Political Science majors.
		This seminar consists of an investigation of the nature and processes of representation of individuals and groups at the level of American national government, especially within the U.S. Congress. Topics dealt with include the concept of representation, the goals of representatives and represented, means by which government is influenced from the outside, and the implications for representation of recent campaign finance and congressional reforms. Enrollment limited.
3220	POLS-408-01	Sr Sem: Racial & Ethnic Pol	1.00	SEM	Chambers,Stefanie	F: 1:15PM-3:55PM	TBA	Y	WEB
		Enrollment limited to 15
		Course open only to senior Political Science majors.
		This course examines the role of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans in all areas of the American political system. We study each group and their roles as voters, party activists, candidates and public officials. By exploring the socio-historical context within which each group acts, we will also consider the non-traditional forms of political participation embraced by some of these groups and the reasons that minority groups have resorted to such strategies. The process of political socialization will also be considered, as will the political behavior, attitudes, and public policy opinions of these groups. Finally, we will also explore theories of racial and ethnic political coalitions and conflict.
3312	POLS-418-01	Sr.Sem:State Form & State-Bld	1.00	SEM	Matsuzaki,Reo	M: 6:30PM-9:30PM	TBA		WEB
		Enrollment limited to 15
		Course open only to senior Political Science majors.
		This seminar is organized around two themes. First, it will examine the origins of the modern state in China and Western Europe, as well as the cause of diversity in state institutions across the globe. In particular, the consequences of Western imperialism on the development of African and Asian states will be explored. Second, we will discuss historic and contemporary attempts at transferring Western institutions to the global periphery—a phenomenon commonly known as state-building. Students will debate the strategic, developmental, and humanitarian merits and shortcomings of this policy. Questions that will be discussed include the following: What explains variation in the structure of political authority across different states? What is the legacy of colonialism? Can stable democracies be built through foreign occupation?
2253	POLS-466-01	Teaching Assistant	0.50 - 1.00	IND	TBA	TBA	TBA	Y
		Enrollment limited to 100
		Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment.
2254	POLS-490-01	Research Assistant	1.00	IND	TBA	TBA	TBA	Y
		Enrollment limited to 100
		Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment.
3314	POLS-496-01	Senior Thesis Colloquium	1.00	SEM	Maxwell,Lida E.	W: 6:30PM-9:30PM	TBA		WEB
		Enrollment limited to 20
		This is a required colloquium for senior political science majors writing theses. The class will proceed in part through course readings about research methods and aims, and in part through offering students the opportunity to present and discuss their thesis projects. All students will be required to write a (non-introductory draft) chapter by semester's end.
3459	POLS-497-01	Senior Thesis	1.00	IND	TBA	TBA	TBA	Y
		Enrollment limited to 100
		For honors candidates (see description of Honors in Political Science following the “Areas of Concentration” section). Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment in honors.
2337	INTS-212-01	Global Politics	1.00	SEM	Baker,Raymond W.	TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM	TBA		GLB5
		Enrollment limited to 15
		NOTE: 5 seats are reserved for sophomores.
		This discussion course, taking the entire globe and all its peoples as unit of study, will examine the unifying elements of the contemporary world system. Emphasis on struggles for justice, democracy, and basic human needs and rights in our global age. Particular attention to global crises originating in the Middle East.
3158	INTS-213-01	Worldly Islam	1.00	SEM	Baker,Raymond W.	TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM	TBA		GLB
		Enrollment limited to 15
		NOTE: 5 seats are reserved for sophomores.
		This course explores the diverse domestic, regional, and international politics of the Islamic world. A rich historical perspective illuminates contemporary political struggles for justice, democracy, and basic human rights and needs. (Also offered under Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies.)
3333	PBPL-331-01	Immigration/Integration Policy	1.00	SEM	Williamson,Abigail Fisher	TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM	TBA	Y	SOC
		Enrollment limited to 25
		Prerequisite: A grade of C- or better in either Political Science 102 or Public Policy 201 or permission of instructor.
		Critics of immigration argue that a growing foreign-born population endangers economic health, threatens democratic traditions, and undermines cultural unity. Proponents respond that immigration is central to America’s national identity and crucial for prosperity. This course examines popular and scholarly debates over immigration and immigrant adaptation and analyzes the efficacy of U.S. policies aimed at managing this process. Topics include U.S. border security, the increased state and local regulation of immigration, and the DREAM Act, a proposal that would offer certain undocumented youth a path toward legal status. Course assignments will emphasize persuasive writing and communication for a policymaking audience, including memos and briefings.

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