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The Department of Political Science Undergraduate Studies |
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Political Science Major Requirements |
POLS 100: National Politics
in the US [plus lab] Content: Introduction to American national government. Course will cover the constitutional framework of American government, the social and cultural context of American politics, as well as public opinion, parties, elections, interest groups, Congress, the presidency and the courts. Particulars: POLS 110: Introduction to International Politics [plus lab] Content: The primary purpose of this course is to help the student understand the world politics of today and tomorrow. It will explain and develop the fundamental concepts and materials essential to an intelligent analysis of international political behavior. The course will focus first on what the condition of anarchy, defined as the
absence of political rule, means for state behavior at the international level. The course will then address the strategies states use in coping with the consequences of anarchy in dealing with contemporary transnational problems. Particulars: POLS 120: Introduction to Comparative Politics Content: This course provides an introduction to the comparative study of modern political systems. It outlines the major concepts and methods of comparative political analysis and applies them to a selection of advanced industrial democracies, communist and post-communist states, and developing countries. In each case, we will examine the key institutions and patterns of political behavior, as well as the historical and social contexts of present-day politics. Particulars: POLS 169: The Arab-Israeli Conflict Content: This is an introductory survey course to the history, politics, and diplomacy of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The first half of the course will deal with the historical, ideological, and social origins of the conflict to 1918-1949. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the composition of Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine and their interaction with the British. The second half of the course focuses on political, social, economic, and diplomatic aspects of the conflict, including the evolution and development of Palestinian national identity, Middle Eastern wars, the Israeli quest for normalization, and the various diplomatic efforts, especially those of the United States, aimed at resolving the conflict. Reading, analyzing, and discussing key documents related to the conflict's 100-year history is a central feature of the course. Texts: Bickerton, Ian, and Carla Klausner, A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, NY: Prentice Hall, 5th ed., 2005; Quandt, William B., Peace Process: American Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict Since 1967, Washington, DC; Brookings Institute, 2001; Segev, Tom, One Palestine, Complete Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate, NY: Henry Holt & Co., 2000; Stein, Kenneth, W., Heroic Diplomacy: Sadat, Kissinger, Carter, Begin and the Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, NY: routledge, 1999; Stein, Kenneth W., and Samuel W. Lewis, Making Peace Among Arabs and Israelis: Lessons from Fifty Years of Negotiating Experience, Washington, DC: Institute of Peace, 1999 (to be distributed by the professor). A documents book must be purchased. It will be distributed by the professor at the beginning of the semester. Particulars: Grading - midterm (30%), discussion (20%), and final (50%). Students will be expected to attend three lectures per week and one discussion session. POLS 190: Freshman Seminar: Political Science Content: This freshman seminar is an introduction to the three most important approaches to mathematical modeling in political science: (1) statistical modeling, (2) systems modeling, and (3) rational choice / game theory modeling. This introductory treatment is the best way to become familiar with these approaches to political science research, and this seminar is perfect for those who may be thinking about pursuing the "very cool" joint major in political science and mathematics. The only prerequisite for this course is that a student either must be concurrently enrolled in Math 111 (Calculus I) or have received a score of 4 or 5 on either the Calculus AB or BC Advanced Placement exams. Students are encouraged to work together, and class grades are based on regular assignments and attendance. There are no tests. Check out the syllabus at www.courtneybrown.com. POLS 190: Freshman Seminar: Political Science Content: We will explore the theme of loyalty in a variety of settings: the decision of Elia Kazan to "name names" of old friends as fellow communists before the Un-American Activities Committee; the betrayals of friends and family by such people as Linda Tripp and Bill Clinton during the impeachment scandals; Socrates' decision to die rather than to flee Athens; loyalty to a religion or ethnic group versus loyalty to the state, and others. Texts:
John LeCarre, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold Plato, The Crito Sophocles, Antigone The Book of Job Arthur Miller, The Crucible We will also watch several movies, including "On The Waterfront" and "A Man for All Seasons"
Particulars:
Papers - several short papers during the semester, one major paper POLS 190: Freshman Seminar: Political Science Content: This Freshman-only seminar will use narrative literature as the vehicle to consider fundamental issues of comparative and international politics. It will focus on important concepts and issues such as ideological diversity and conflict, relations of the individual to the collectivity, the organization of collective action, political participation, ideological underpinnings for different structures of the state, political mobilization, transitions to democracy and civil war and revolution. While such topics are typical for a class in comparative politics, this seminar will be different in
that literature from the humanities will help the students think about and analyze such issues. Texts: Particulars: POLS 190: Freshman Seminar: Political Science Content: Why are the politics and culture of “rebellion” such a prominent theme in contemporary Latin America? Conversely, why do we not see even more “rebellion,” in formal politics and social movements as well as in film and literature? In this course we will critically rethink the politics and culture of dissidence, social movements, mass protest, armed insurrection, the “politics of anti-politics,” and other manifestations of rebellion. Students will develop multidisciplinary analytical skills as we examine the political language and content of literary sources, music and films—as well as their political and historical contexts. (And along the way, we'll better understand the persistent symbolic power of the name Túpac: from the "Last Inca" of the 16th century, to a pair of 18th century mestizo rebels, to a 20th century guerilla organization, and a slain African-American hip-hop artist.) Texts: POLS 301: Classical Political Thought Content: This course will be devoted to a careful examination of the greatest book about war ever written, Thucydides' The War of the Peloponnesians and Athenians. Through narrative and directly quoted speeches, Thucydides teaches us to think seriously about the serious questions that arise in and through war, above all that of the fate of justice in the face of necessity Particulars: POLS 302: Modern Political Thought Content: This course examines in depth several of the most profound and influential political theorists of the modern age. Our major emphasis will be upon the content of their theories but we shall also consider their relevance to an understanding of contemporary politics. Texts:
Particulars: POLS 304: Major Texts in Political Theory Content: An intensive analysis of Plato’s Republic, the most famous work of political philosophy in history. The theme of the Republic is justice. Is a just life choiceworthy? Is it superior to a life of injustice? How can one understand the tension between service to the common good and one’s own private good? Can the question of justice be divorced from the question of religion and death? What would a perfectly just city look like? Why should philosophers rule, and why don’t they want to rule? These are some of the questions we will discuss through a slow and close reading of the text of the Republic.
Particulars: POLS 310: Statistical Modeling
Brown, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 20 Content: This course introduces students to quantitative methods as they are employed in the social sciences. The course is designed to be particularly useful to thesis writers, pre-law students who desire the capability to understand statistical matters relevant to court cases, students going into public health careers or graduate school, undergraduates who may wish to pursue graduate study in political science, and undergraduates in general who seek a working knowledge of common statistical approaches to data analysis. Here we examine descriptive statistics, frequency tables, regression, and logistic regression, all using real data sets. You can check out the syllabus at www.courtneybrown.com (to be updated before the end of the term). POLS 311: International Conflict Resolution Content: This course will consider the roots of global conflict and the various means that actors try to resolve their disputes. A large component of the course will be focused on understanding the theories behind war initiation and termination, paying special attention to how states interact with each other strategically. We will also rely on in-depth case studies of historical conflicts and group simulations of present conflicts. Texts: Particulars: POLS 317: Global Human Rights Content: This course introduces students to global human rights. The topics that will be covered in the first half of the course include; the normative and philosophical foundations of human rights, their codification in international law and institutions, the roles of a variety of actors in furthering human rights, U.S. foreign policy and human rights, and international accountability for human rights violations. The second half of the course will examine three specific human rights issue areas. These include genocide, women’s rights and terrorism. Particulars: POLS 319: International Political Economy Content: This course examines the politics of globalization of the world economy, focusing on political problems in international trade, investment, and finance. Topics include commercial rivalry among great powers, the integration of developing countries into the global economy, the rise and role of multinational corporations, the trend toward economic regionalism, management of the world financial system, coping with regional economic crises, the role of international economic institutions like the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, and more. Texts: Particulars: POLS 326: Western European Politics Content: This course begins with an examination of how institutions shape politics in democratic states. We first concentrate on the political “inputs,” such as individual voters, interest groups, and the like, and we consider their aggregation in the form of political parties and how different rules affect the ultimate composition of parliament. The second part of the course considers policy outputs, and it discusses in particular the development of the European welfare state. While the focus will be on Europe, the theories you will discuss should be applicable to other nations as well. The final part of the course adds another layer complexity, namely the development of the European Union and its role in domestic politics. POLS 332: Latin American Revolutions Content: Survey of major theories of revolution and in-depth analysis of Mexican, Nicaraguan and Cuban cases. Texts: Particulars: POLS 344: American Political Leadership Content: This course will examine the politics of political leadership in the United States. First, we will consider different approaches to understanding leadership in the social sciences and how these differ from traditional perspectives on political leadership. Second, we will examine how American political institutions and American political culture define distinctive opportunities and limits for political leaders. Third, we will discuss some important American political leaders and some of the different settings within which political leadership is exercised in the United States. Among the leaders we will discuss are Martin Luther King, Jr., Huey P. Long, Lyndon B. Johnson, Newt Gingrich, Abraham Lincoln and George W. Bush. Each member of the class will conduct independent research on an American political leader of his or her choosing. Particulars:
8-10 page research paper Mid-term and final POLS 346: African American Politics POLS 347: The South in National Politics Texts:
Particulars: POLS 352: Constitutional Law Content: A study of the non-civil liberties sections of the United States Constitution as interpreted by the U. S. Supreme Court. Topics include: the separation of powers; federalism; the government's authority to regulate commerce, to tax and to spend; substantive due process, the impairment of contract obligations; and the taking of private property for a public purpose. Texts:
POLS 354: Criminal Justice Content: An examination of the criminal justice process in the United States and the constitutional rights extended to the criminally accused Texts: Particulars: POLS 360: Public Policy Process Content: What does government do and what difference does it make? The principal objective of this course is to examine the processes through which individuals, organizations, and political institutions interact to shape government policies. We will focus on how variations in the nature and scope of public issues, institutional structures, and decision making processes affect the capacity of governments to act (or not to act) to solve important public problems. While we will focus extensively on American national government, examples will also be drawn at the state and local level as well. Cases and illustrations will be drawn from a variety of domestic policy areas including welfare, health, housing and urban development, education and training, transportation, crime, and fiscal policy. Texts:
Particulars: POLS 370: Community Building and Social Change [Written permission from the instructor required. Prerequisite for admission to the The course and its assignments have five primary goals: (1) introduce students to the principles that support community building as an approach to addressing important public problems in metropolitan communities; (2) provide students with a set of analytic perspectives for examining problems and fostering social change; (3) assist students in identifying the interconnections among demography, culture, economy, and polity, and the global, national, state, regional, and neighborhood forces affecting metropolitan communities; (4) lay a foundation for students to engage in critique, introspection, and reflection about the need and means of community building and fostering social change; and (5) prepare prospective Community Building and Social Change Fellows to recognize, understand, and contribute to the eventual resolution of real world issues in metropolitan communities POLS 385: Special Topics: Political Science Content: This course analyzes the political and economic developments in South Asia over the past 50 years from a historical, political institutional, and policy perspective. Possessing 20 percent of the world's population, this region will play an increasingly important role in international affairs in the future. POLS 385: Special Topics: Political Science Content: One of the dominant schools of thought in international relations is Realism, which claims that the central fact of the relation between nations is not morality but power – might beats right. We will explore the philosophical roots of Realism in the works of Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Thucydides. Particulars: POLS 385: Special Topics: Political Science Content: Nonprofits are not political actors. Not true, and in this course we will challenge the claim that nonprofits are apolitical organizations in urban society. Through case studies, books, films, journal articles, and guest speakers, we will determine the ways in which the nonprofit sector has and continues to foster citizen participation, promote social responsibility, and inform public policy. Our review of the political acts of nonprofits will cover political parties, churches, foundations, think tanks, and social service providers, as well as a few others, exploring how these nonprofit institutions affects public policy debates in cities (e.g., welfare reform and school reform). Our main concern is to identify how the nonprofit sector affects politics and governance in American cities, especially big cities. Key topics will include trust and altruism; public good and collective responsibility; church and state relations; social movements; and government-nonprofit interdependence at the municipal level. POLS 385WR: Special Topics: Political Science Content: An intermediate course designed to acquaint students with the basic concepts of American environmental policy. This course will begin by putting environmental policy in an historical perspective, and then briefly discuss the basics of public policy analysis, before moving on to current environmental policy. Topics such as the following are included: Federal Environmental Policymaking, Environmental Policy Tools, Controversies in Environmental Policy, US Environmental Policy in the age of Globalization. A Friday Lab is scheduled for this course. Attendance is required at three lab sessions which will involve field trips to environment related facilities. POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: This seminar will examine the politics of Particulars: POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: This seminar will ask how democracy and the market economy are related. Democracy refers to a political system based on political rights, participation, and competition, and a market economy is one which protects property rights and free exchange of resources. We will address a series of questions about how these political and economic institutions interact. Does the economic liberalization, that is, expanding the role of market forces in an economy at the expense of state control, reinforce or undercut political democracy? What happens when an authoritarian state undertakes economic liberalization and privatization? How is democracy related to social well-being? Does economic liberalization exacerbate poverty and inequality? Can political institutions resist the corrupting influence of wealth and inequality? How does international economic integration affect development, inequality, and poverty? Texts: Particulars: POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: Analysis and critical evaluation of democracy in Latin America, focusing on institutional development, political culture, elections and political leadership. Course examines the extent to which recent transformations may endure, or become vulnerable to authoritarian reversals. Texts: Particulars: POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: This course is a senior seminar on the institutional choices that new democracies must face after regime transitions. The course is divided into two parts. The first looks at democratic transitions. We start by trying to understand why some countries become and stay democracies, reviewing various approaches to the study of transitions from macro historical explanations to rational choice approaches. In the second part of the course, we examine the constitutional choices that new democracies make. The goal here is to investigate to what extent the choice of rules governing elections, executive powers, and center-periphery relations (among other institutions) is affected by the self-interest of constitution-makers, the pressure of domestic constituencies, international factors, and historical legacies. POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: The debate about “globalization” is really a debate about whether policy-makers face new challenges and constraints when economies become more open. This seminar examines how politics differs in open economies from closed ones. It begins with a discussion about what makes an economy “open.” It then considers the effects of increasing goods, capital, and labor mobility on a variety of political economy variables, such as interest group lobbying, political party preferences and strategies, fiscal and monetary policies, and environmental politics. The course also evaluates whether political institutions affect the choices policy-makers face in open economies. The focus is on countries in Western Europe, North America, and industrialized Asia, although the class will debate how the industrialized/industrializing dichotomy matters when discussing open economy politics. Particulars: POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: Texts: Particulars: POLS 490S: Advanced Seminar Content: In this course, students will gain an understanding of the historical and methodological significance of experiments in political science. Using the work of Harold Gosnell, Samuel Eldersveld, Paul Sniderman, Shanto Iyengar, Donald Kinder, Donald Green, Alan Gerber and others, students will learn the utility of field-, survey-, and laboratory- based experimental methods to answering critical political science questions. They will then put this knowledge to practice as they conduct their own experiments for a final project. POLS 490SWR: Advanced Seminar Content: This is a writing seminar for students who wish to do research in modern southern politics. The topics will be chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Possible topics include recent elections in the region, presidential politics, the role of African Americans in southern politics, the roles of women in southern politics, and the changing composition of the Democratic and Republican parties. Texts: Particulars: POLS 490SWR: Advanced Seminar Content: Why are there so few women (of any race) or people of color (male or female) in public office? How have candidates’ race and gender affected their chances of obtaining public office? What difference does the election of more women and people of color really make? Would it mean that women and people of color are better represented? What does it mean to represent women and/or people of color? This course will address these questions from the perspective of legislative politics in the United States, at both the national and state levels. We will begin with a theoretical or philosophical examination of the meaning and value of political representation. Then we will explore the research on the politics of race, gender, and representation as it relates to: candidate recruitment, elections, legislative behavior, the policymaking process, and civic engagement. Possible texts include: Hannah Pitkin, Concept of Representation; Anne Phillips, Politics of Presence; David Lublin, The Paradox of Representation; Kathleen Dolan, Voting for Women; Michele Swers, The Difference Women Make; David Canon, Race, Redistricting, and Representation; Kerry Haynie, African American Legislators in the American States; Beth Reingold, Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California; and numerous articles and essays. Course Particulars:
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University, Atlanta, Georgia
The Department of Political Science, 327 Tarbutton Hall, 1555 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-727-6572 phone, 404-727-4586 fax
For web comments or questions, contact polisci@emory.edu. Last update
October 19, 2009