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Political ScienceCOURSES The political science curriculum is organized into the four traditional sub-fields of American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory. Foundations Courses: Courses numbered in the 100s are Foundations courses. These courses are designed principally for beginning political science majors, as well as non-majors seeking an introduction to the discipline’s sub-fields. Such courses have three purposes: To provide foundational knowledge of the key actors, structures, institutions and/or historical dynamics relevant to the respective sub-fields; to introduce the major theoretical trends, perspectives and debates that have shaped the evolution of the respective sub-fields; and to begin to develop research and writing skills essential to further scholarly inquiry within the discipline of political science. 100 US POLITICS An analysis of the major ideas, actors, institutions, and processes that shape the formulation and execution of public policy in the United States. Every semester. (4 credits) 101 ARGUMENT AND ADVOCACY An analysis of classic principles of argument and advocacy. Students analyze political arguments and engage in rational decision-making by participating in written and oral debates. Offered occasionally. (4 credits) 120 INTERNATIONAL POLITICS This course has three broad goals. The first is to develop the foundational knowledge and conceptual literacy necessary to engage with International Relations' multidimensional concerns. These include issues such as world order, power, hierarchy, political violence, international law, development, religion, human rights, gender, humanitarianism and international organizations (such as the United Nations). The second is to introduce students to the different perspectives or intellectual frameworks for making sense of international relations (also known as global or world politics), including realist, liberal, constructivist, historical materialist, postcolonial and feminist approaches. The third is to encourage students to reflect on some of the ethical issues inherent in both the study and practice of international politics. Emphasis will also be placed on developing a range of critical, analytical, research and writing skills required for the further study of international politics. The course is thus intended to prepare students for advanced work in the field, although it is also appropriate for those merely seeking to satisfy an interest in the study of global politics. Every semester. (4 credits) 140 COMPARATIVE POLITICS A survey of theories and methods employed in comparative political analysis. Every semester. (4 credits) 141 LATIN AMERICA THROUGH WOMEN’S EYES (Same as Latin American Studies 141 and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 141, unless offered through the First Year Program) Latin American women have overcome patriarchal "machismo" to serve as presidents, mayors, guerilla leaders, union organizers, artists, intellectuals, and human rights activists. Through a mix of theoretical, empirical, and testimonial work, we will explore issues such as feminist challenges to military rule in Chile, anti-feminist politics in Nicaragua, the intersection of gender and democratization in Cuba, and women's organizing and civil war in Colombia. Teaching methods include discussion, debates, simulations, analytic papers, partisan narratives, lecture, film, poetry, and a biographical essay. This class employs an innovative system of qualitative assessment. Students take the course "S/D/NC with Written Evaluation." This provides a powerful opportunity for students to stretch their limits in a learning community with high expectations, but without a high-pressure atmosphere. This ungraded course has been approved for inclusion on major/minor plans in Political Science, Latin American Studies, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. (4 credits) 160 FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL THEORY An examination of the evolution of fundamental western political ideas from the Greeks to the present. Every year. (4 credits) 170 THEORIES OF RHETORIC A study of classical and modern rhetorical theories throughout Western history. The course focuses on the relationship between communication and democracy, power, art, truth, emotion, and ethics. Every year. (4 credits) Intermediate Courses: Courses numbered in the 200s are Intermediate courses. These courses are designed for students who have taken one or more of the department’s foundations courses, although prerequisites (if any) are at the instructor’s discretion. Intermediate-level courses (a) introduce students to a specific topic or issue related to political life; and (b) develop further the critical, analytical, research and communication skills introduced in the foundations courses. Intermediate courses are an integral element of the political science major, but are also suitable for non-majors who need to fulfill a distribution requirement in the social sciences or who simply want to satisfy an interest in contemporary political life. 200 WOMEN AND AMERICAN POLITICS This course examines the evolutionary role of women in politics—as voters, citizens, candidates, and leaders—from the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to the present. Drawing from a variety of theoretical perspectives, we examine women’s historical and contemporary roles in U.S. politics, investigate and debate a variety of public policy issues of particular concern to women, and explore the intersection of race and gender in U.S. politics. Alternate years. (4 credits) 202 POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Analysis of institutions and procedures such as parties and elections, and also informal activities such as social movements, interest groups, and community action. Alternate years. (4 credits) 203 RACE, ETHNICITY AND POLITICS (Same as American Studies 203) Analysis of racial and ethnic factors and their implications for political processes and public policy. Alternate years. (4 credits) 204 URBAN POLITICS American urban politics, emphasizing urban policy problems, planning and decision-making. Political Science 100 recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 205 POLITICS AND POLICYMAKING Analysis of selected policy concepts, problems and processes. Special emphases may be announced each time the course is scheduled and may include such broad topics as human rights, social policy, environmental policy, educational policy, budget policy, labor policy, and health policy. Political Science 100 and 269 are recommended. Every year. (4 credits) 206 U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND THOUGHT An exploration of the structure of the American political system as seen through the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Topics include the separation of powers in the federal government, the scope of executive power, and the development of federal-state relations over the course of American history. The material also includes the nature of judicial review, economic rights and contemporary questions about the limits of government power. Political Science 100 recommended. Offered regularly. (4 credits) 207 U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES An examination of civil liberties and rights in the U.S., focusing on the cases decided by the Supreme Court. Central topics include the 1st Amendment freedom of religion, speech, and the press; the right to privacy and abortion; and the constitutional requirement of Equal Protection as affecting discrimination, affirmative action, and voting rights. Political Science 206 not required as a prerequisite. Offered regularly. (4 credits) 211 RE-ENVISIONING EDUCATION & DEMOCRACY (Same as American Studies 280 and Educational Studies 280) This course explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of public education policy as a primary means for engaging more active, inclusive and effective approaches to social inquiry and civic participation. Drawing from classic and contemporary theories of education and democracy, complemented by recent developments and controversies in public policy studies, students work to design innovative, principled, educationally sound and politically feasible responses to significant civic concerns. Fall semester. (4 credits) 212 LAW, LAWYERS, and LITIGATION This course takes an interdisciplinary look at the judicial process, focusing on the role of litigation as a political force. Does litigation enhance a democratic system by providing another route for political participation? We examine two general phenomena that emerged prominently in the 20th century: first, cause lawyering for rights, from the NAACP to contemporary movements such as gay rights; second, the use of class action lawsuits and tort law to shape public policy. Related issues include the legal profession in America, legal education, law firms, legal ethics, access to justice, and the impact of litigation in society. Alternate years. (4 credits) 214 CYBER POLITICS An analysis of innovations on the internet to assist candidates running for political office, enhance citizen participation, develop e-Democracy, and organize political protest. Offered occasionally. (4 credits) 215 ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY (Same as Environmental Science 215) An introduction to the field of Environmental Politics and Policy. Using a comparative approach, the course engages the meaning and development of environmental governance. We explore the tandem rise of the modern environmental movement and profound new environmental legislation in the U.S. and internationally. Topics investigated include: deforestation, hazardous wastes, climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity. Every semester. (4 credits) 216 LEGISLATIVE POLITICS This course explores legislative politics through a combination of academic theory and focused field experiences. Each student must simultaneously enroll in a credit-bearing internship at the Minnesota State Legislature. The class examines the basic structures, players and forces that shape legislative decision-making, the motivation or individual legislators, and their interactions with other political actors and institutions. Political Science 100 recommended. Every spring. (4 credits) 220 FOREIGN POLICY Analysis of influence patterns in foreign policy-making and issues on the foreign policy agenda past and present. Political Science 120 recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 221 GLOBAL GOVERNANCE This course introduces concepts of global governance by examining some of its central features, including the changing status of the state and of international/world organizations and the role of global civil society. The course emphasizes how patterns of global governance have changed and are changing and the implications of these changes for democracy, social justice, etc. The remainder of the course focuses on the areas of international peace and security, human rights and international humanitarian law, and economic governance. By addressing such topics as the International Criminal Court and the role of the IMF and the World Bank in economic development, these parts of the course highlight the contested nature of global governance in each of the three issue areas. Political Science 120 recommended. Every year. (4 credits) 222 REGIONAL CONFLICT AND SECURITY This course introduces students to the military, political, economic, cultural and/or diplomatic dimensions of various regional conflicts or “security complexes.” The specific region to be covered will vary, but regions of pressing interest or greater significance to international peace and security will be covered most regularly. Political Science 120 recommended, but not required. Alternate years. (4 credits) 241 THE HOLOCAUST: REPRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATIONS Using a plurality of approaches and sources, this course aims at a fundamental understanding of the Holocaust. It examines a variety of situations (Germany, Poland, France), a variety of actors (perpetrators, bystanders, helpers, resisters, victims), and a variety of perspectives (intentionalist, functionalist, relativist). Alternate years. (4 credits) 242 DEVELOPMENT POLITICS Analysis of theories, patterns, and policies of development in the Third World with emphasis on North-South political-economic and cultural relationships. Every year. (4 credits) 243 POLITICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (same as Anthropology 364) An analysis of various political structures and activities in diverse world societies. Emphasis is placed on pre-literate cultures, but the societies examined vary from hunting and gathering bands through agricultural tribes to the industrial state. Prerequisite: Anthropology 111. Alternate years. (4 credits) 244 LATINO POLITICS (Same as Latin American Studies 244) Comparative study of Latino and Latina political struggles in the United States. We explore the themes of subordination and empowerment through issues such as anti-immigrant ballot initiatives in California, the election of Latino mayors in Denver and San Antonio, Cuban dominance in Miami politics, multiracial violence in Los Angeles, and battles over labor conditions, affirmative action, bi-lingual education, and racial profiling. Student projects will involve field research among the Latino communities and organizations of the Twin Cities. Alternate years. (4 credits) 245 LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS (Same as Latin American Studies 245) Comparative study of political institutions and conflicts in several Latin American countries. Through a mix of empirical and theoretical work, we analyze concepts and issues such as authoritarianism and democratization, neoliberalism, state terror and peace processes, guerrilla movements, party systems, populism, the Cuban Revolution, and U.S. military intervention. Themes are explored through diverse teaching methods including discussion, debates, simulations, partisan narratives, lecture, film, and poetry. Latin American Studies/Political Science 141 recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 246 COMPARATIVE DEMOCRATIZATION (Same as Latin American Studies 246) This course focuses on theories of democratic breakdown, regime transitions, and democratization in Southern Europe, Latin America, and Post-Communist Europe. Some of the cases we will study include Pinochet’s coup and Chile’s return to elections, Fujimori’s “self-coup” in Peru, the rise of Solidarity in Poland, the breakdown and return of democracy in Spain, and the end of the South African apartheid regime. Building on the literatures on transitions, consolidation, civil society, and constitutional design, the course culminates in a simulation of institution building in Iraq. No prerequisites, but Political Science/Latin American Studies 141 recommended. Every year. (4 credits) 250 COMPARATIVE-HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY (same as Sociology 275) The course introduces students to principles of cross-national and cross-cultural analysis. The class begins with a survey of the basic methodological orientations that distinguish various modes of analysis in the social sciences. The lectures and discussions in this section provide a general introduction to the logic of causal analysis, explore the relative strengths and weaknesses of differing methodological approaches to understanding social phenomena, and specifically, consider the distinctive blend of theoretical, methodological, and empirical concerns that inform comparative-historical social science. The substantive topics of the course include: the Social Origins of the Modern State; the Sociology of Democracy and Authoritarianism; the Sociology of Revolution; and The Rise of the Welfare State. Alternate years. (4 credits) 252 WATER AND POWER (Same as Environmental Studies 252 and Geography 252) This course develops an interdisciplinary approach to studying water resources development, drawing from geography, anthropology, history, politics, hydrology, and civil engineering. With a focus on large river basins, the course examines historical and emerging challenges to the equitable and sustainable use of transboundary waters. After first exploring the American water development model, the course will examine the promulgation of this model in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Dam development for irrigation, electricity, navigation, and flood protection will be discussed. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 120, 133, or 232. Next offered 2012-2013. (4 credits) 260 CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THEORY Transition in the nature of domination from manifest coercion to cultural hegemony. The course will focus on critical theory, principally Marcuse and Habermas, but will also consider Marx, Weber, Freud, Gramsci, Lukacs and Foucault. Every year. (4 credits) 261 FEMINIST POLITICAL THEORY (Same as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 261) Analysis of contemporary feminist theories regarding gender identity, biological and socio-cultural influences on subjectivity and knowledge, and relations between the personal and the political. Alternate years. (4 credits) 262 AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT This course explores the diversity and development of ideas in the U.S. The course considers how individuals formulate political arguments and how those arguments are used over time given the context of social and economic conflicts that generate competing visions of the public good. Themes and topics may vary year-to-year, but may include democracy, equality, liberty, freedom, citizenship, revolution, utopianism, exceptionalism, constitutionalism, and the varieties of ideology captured by labels such as “liberal” and “conservative.” Alternate years. (4 credits) 265 WORK, WEALTH AND WELL-BEING Wealth has held an allure for many modern thinkers; the creation of a wealthy society often is associated with “civilization” itself. The relationships among work, wealth and well-being are a perennial concern and have been central to the study of political economy, since its inception in the mid- to late-18th century. How does work produce wealth for the individual and for society? How, or when, does individual and social wealth translate into individual and/or social well-being? And, how does the character of work affect individual well-being or happiness? This course will examine the answers given to these questions (and myriad corollary questions) by writers within the political economy tradition. Alternate years. (4 credits) 269 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH METHODS Strategies and tactics of design, observation, description, and measurement in contemporary political research. Prerequisite: at least one political science foundations course. Every year. (4 credits) Empirical Methods: The department requires its majors to take one course in empirical research methodology, preferably before their junior year. There are a number of courses that fulfill this requirement, including: Political Science 269 (Empirical Research Methods), Political Science 272 (Researching Political Communication), Sociology 269 (Science and Social Inquiry), Sociology 270 (Interpretive Social Research), Sociology 275 (Comparative-Historical Sociology). In some cases, research methods courses taken in other social science disciplines may be used to fulfill this requirement following approval by the political science department chair. (4 credits) 270 RHETORIC OF CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS The course analyzes persuasive language strategies and symbol use in American Presidential and congressional elections. Students design and implement a comprehensive communication plan for a candidate running for office, including a prospectus for institutional donors, press releases, direct mail appeals, bumper stickers, scripts for radio/television ads, scripts for fundraising phone banks, and a candidate stump speech. Alternate years. (4 credits) 271 POLITICS OF PUBLIC SPACE Comparative analysis of the rhetoric and politics of public space and their relationship to civil society, liberal democracy, and public deliberation. Focuses on the public sphere as a location for the management of public memory through the building or destruction of monuments and other commemorative art, as well as a site for protests, strikes, and satiric demonstrations. Also examines state practices of encouraging, managing, and policing citizen expression in the public sphere. Alternate years. (4 credits) 272 RESEARCHING POLITICAL COMMUNICATION A study of how presidents, politicians, and social movement activists worldwide use language and persuasive symbols to increase influence and affect political change. Students complete a semester-long project in which they analyze a significant political text utilizing descriptive-analytic, historical-contextual, critical, and interpretive research methods. Every year. (4 credits) Advanced Courses: Courses numbered in the 300s are Advanced courses. These courses are designed for advanced political science majors and non-majors in cognate fields who have significant experience in the discipline. Students should take relevant foundations course, a methods course, and at least one intermediate course prior to beginning an advanced course, although the prerequisites are at the discretion of the instructor. The goal of an advanced course is to provide students with an intensive and challenging learning experience while studying a specific issue or topic related to political life. Advanced courses will normally involve some combination of intensive research and writing, the close and critical reading of demanding political texts, and substantial engagement with sophisticated theoretical concepts and arguments. Important Note: At the discretion of the instructor, an intermediate-level course can be counted as an advanced course providing the student completes an additional substantial writing assignment. Consult the instructor and chair. The department’s list of advanced courses includes: 300 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS Analysis of the formal institutions of American governance, including the U.S. Congress, presidency, federal courts, and the bureaucracy. The course relies on extensive role playing to equip students with a hands-on understanding of the procedures utilized by all three branches of government, the complexity of public policy decision making, and the motivations and resources of various governmental actors. Alternate years. (4 credits) 301 LAW, ECONOMY, AND IDENTITY This seminar-style course explores American political development, examining how law, when influenced by economic ideologies or the focus of contests among economic interests, has had a significant impact on persons of identity. Topics include the property rights of women in early America, the law of slavery, and the legal development of Native American law, before reaching contemporary questions of inclusion and exclusion in law. Prior course work in American history, political science, or legal studies strongly recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 305 WOMEN’S VOICES IN POLITICS (Same as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 306) Examines significant women persuaders as a force in Western history and culture. Concentrates on women’s efforts to participate in public affairs and the social, political, religious, scientific, and rhetorical obstacles that have restricted women’s access to politics. The course analyzes how women have used speaking, writing, and protesting in attempts to overcome such obstacles, influence public policy and/or win elective office. Political Science 170 or 272 recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 320 GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Traces the evolution of global political economy as a peculiarly modern way of understanding and organizing global social life. Particular attention will be paid to how the distinction between the political and the economic is drawn and implemented in interconnected ways within nation-states and in international society. Course includes a detailed study of one of the key components of the international political economy: international trade, international finance, technological processes, etc. Political Science 120 recommended. Every year. (4 credits) 321 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY This course introduces students to global or world security studies as an academic field. It begins with a discussion of the various theoretical approaches to the study of international security (including traditional, critical and subaltern approaches). It then proceeds to explore a number of issues that are currently of interest to specialists in the field. Every year. (4 credits) 322 ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL THEORY This course is designed to introduce students to the theories of international relations as an academic discipline. It is intended to prepare students for graduate work in the field, but should be appropriate for those seeking to satisfy an interest in international relations theory. Students should have taken Foundations of International Politics, a methods course, and at least one intermediate-level international relations course prior to beginning this course. Alternate years. (4 credits) 323 HUMANITARIANISM IN WORLD POLITICS The past two decades appear to have been very successful ones for humanitarianism. Funding for humanitarianism has skyrocketed; humanitarian organizations have expanded their public support, as well as their activities; and, increasingly, humanitarian issues have found a place at the center of policy decisions. It is also generally agreed that humanitarianism is in crisis owing to the growing awareness of the sometimes harmful effects of aid; the expansion of the concept of humanitarianism to include human rights, development, and peace-building; and the increasing involvement of states in humanitarian operations. This advanced-level course explores the nature and dilemmas of contemporary humanitarianism. Every year. (4 credits) 335 SCIENCE AND CITIZENSHIP (Same as Environmental Studies 335) This course explores the dynamic relationship between science, technology and society. The course will examine how, and which members of, the public make controversial environmental decisions over topics such as endangered species, genetically modified foods, bioprospecting, climate change, and toxic waste disposal. Through these case studies, the course will critically examine concepts of risk and uncertainty, trust, credibility, expertise and citizenship. Next offered 2012-2013. (4 credits) 340 FASCISM A comparative exploration of fascism in Italy and Germany focusing on problems of modernization and interpretation. Alternate years. (4 credits) 341 COMPARATIVE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS (Same as Latin American Studies 341) Comparative study of social movements in Latin America and other world regions. This research seminar engages several major theories that attempt to explain the origins and development of movements struggling for subsistence rights, labor rights, gender and sexuality rights, social rights, and racial and ethnic rights. The course focuses principally on Latin American movements, but also engages cases from the United States and Europe through an examination of transnational advocacy networks and global activism. Political Science 140 recommended. Alternate years. (4 credits) 363 PARADIGMS OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP In this course, we will read a number of classical and contemporary texts that attempt to address the “big” normative issues related to (global) civic life: “How should we think about the boundaries of civic or political community?”; “How should human beings live together, and govern themselves, within their political communities?”; “What rights, duties, responsibilities and virtues are necessarily associated with democratic citizenship?”; “Is there such a thing as ’global citizenship?” ; and, if there is, “what is the relationship between human rights, cosmopolitan ethics and global citizenship?” The course approaches these questions from three normative perspectives: political liberalism, civic republicanism and cosmopolitanism. Although rooted in Western philosophical tradition, the course also draws on texts from other civilizations. Alternate years. (4 credits) 390 CHUCK GREEN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP In his 40-year career at Macalester, Professor Chuck Green functioned as a one-man ’leadership academy,’ inspiring and guiding students to make the transition from detached observers to engaged citizens. Through his teaching, mentoring, and example, Professor Green instilled in students a sense of confidence and optimism about their ability to engage proactively in the world. The Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellowship honors this legacy. Students with sophomore or junior standing may apply for this seven-month fellowship that includes a spring seminar and a full-time, fully-funded summer field experience. Chuck Green Fellows will study democratic engagement in social and organizational change, identify a client organization working for the public good with whom the student can analyze and address a problem, and then work with that client on a mutually agreed-upon solution. The Fellowship culminates in the early fall with an event in which Fellows, faculty, and clients have an opportunity to reflect on the fellowship experience. The Fellowship fulfills both the practicum and advanced course requirements of the political science major. Contact the political science department for a full description and application. Every spring. (4 credits) 400 SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR (Same as Latin American Studies 488 on occasion) The research seminar fulfills the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. Students should have taken the required foundations, methods and intermediate courses prior to beginning the seminar. The goal of the Senior Research Seminar is to launch students on a culminating academic experience organized around the supervised independent study of a political science topic of particular interest and relevance to them. Students should have a working familiarity with the foundational knowledge in the sub-field(s) relevant to their research project, a mastery of the practical skills introduced in the foundations courses and further developed in the intermediate courses, and a willingness to engage actively in a rigorous, sustained inquiry into an important topic. The Senior Research Seminar normally involves one or more faculty members “coaching” students through the process of defining a significant political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, writing a substantial independent research project, and publicly presenting the research findings. Every fall. (4 credits) 404 HONORS COLLOQUIUM A workshop for students pursuing honors projects in the political science department. S/NC grading. Every semester. (2 credits) 604 TUTORIAL Every semester. (4 credits) 614 INDEPENDENT PROJECT Every semester. (4 credits) 624 INTERNSHIP Every semester. (4 credits) 634 PRECEPTORSHIP Every semester. (4 credits) 644 HONORS INDEPENDENT Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Offered every semester. (1–4 credits)
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