Schedules

This course introduces the constitutional framework, political culture, branches of government, political behavior, and nongovernmental institutions (e.g. political parties, media, or interest groups) that dynamically shape American politics.  Approaches vary by instructor, potentially including some mix of simulations, class debates, offsite observations, and comparative and critical examinations, but share a common set of objectives: 1) cultivating a broad and conversational understanding of key ideas, issues, and problems particular to American politics through classic and contemporary readings; 2) stimulating further inquiry into how American politics works and why it matters and 3) developing students' own reasoning, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills. This course is principally designed for beginning political science majors and non-majors who have not taken an AP course in US Government and Politics.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

In Comparative Politics we use comparison to analyze political outcomes within and across countries, Why do Mexican presidents exercise strong centralized authority while Brazilian presidents must contend with powerful governors? Why do Muslims and Hindus fight in some Indian states but not in others? Why does Rwanda have such a high proportion of female legislators whereas the U.S. has such a low proportion? When confronted with large-scale protests in their cities, do state security forces in China, Russia, and the United States respond with similar methods or do they differ? Through comparative analysis, students will learn to describe diverse political institutions, to propose explanations for divergent outcomes, and to evaluate scholarly and popular arguments about politics.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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/SD/N 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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

An examination of the evolution of influential political concepts and theories from ancient cultures to the present day, by those writing in/from/to the West. Introduction through textual analysis to historical and contemporary understandings of key terms such as authority, legitimacy, liberty, republicanism, democracy, revolution and "the good." Additionally, the course provides an introduction to political theory methods of analysis and critique, through the development of skills in reading, critical thinking, and writing.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Analysis of institutions and procedures such as parties and elections, and also informal activities such as social movements, interest groups, and community action.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The readings and assignments in this course are designed to help students understand how social policies and programs contribute to Americans' lived experiences.  We will examine various theoretical justifications for the policies that constitute the American welfare state, then confront and dissect major strands of the American social safety net to better understand how political institutions and policy mechanisms contribute to both diversity and inequality in individuals' social, economic and political outcomes (based in race, class, gender, dis/ability, region, political jurisdiction, etc.).

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is designed to introduce students to global governance. It begins with a discussion of the concept of global governance. It then turns to some of the central features of contemporary global governance, including the changing status of the state and of international/world organizations and the role of global civil society. The emphasis here is on how patterns of global governance have changed and are changing and on 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. Prerequisite(s): POLI 120 recommended

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course explores the causes, character and consequences of the two world wars through the disciplinary lenses of both History and International Relations. Among the topics it covers are the origins of the wars, the grand strategies of the major belligerent powers, the political economy of the wars, war crimes and genocides, the “decisive battles” or turning points in the wars, and the world order that emerged out of (and in response to) these conflicts. It will also explore some of the ways in which the two wars have been represented and made meaningful in film, poetry and literature.Among the questions we address are:Why did the wars break out, and what does this tell us about the causes of war more generally?What was the character of the wars? How were they fought? How did they end? And what does this tell us about the relationship between economics, culture, technology and war?How did the wars transform the societies that fought them? And what does this tell us about the relationship between war and political development?How did the wars transform the international system? How did they set the stage not only for the Cold War, but also the ‘minor’ wars running throughout the twentieth century? And what does this tell us about the impact of war on global political life?This course will address these questions through a reading of both primary and secondary sources.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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, the end of the South African apartheid regime, and Russia’s post-Cold War shift toward both democratic elections and new strands of authoritarianism. Building on the literatures on transitions, consolidation, civil society, and constitutional design, the course then examines democratic impulses in Iran and the Middle East. Finally, the course culminates in an assessment of the shaky state of democracy in the United States and Europe.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course deals with the liberal and conservative currents(s) running through the Western tradition of political thought from the time of the French Revolution to today.  Its main goal of to provide a solid introduction to these two bodies of philosophical speculation.  Through a close reading of texts and commentaries, we will critically (though empathetically) examine the relevant works of thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Paine, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill, John Henry Newman, Russell Kirk, William F. Buckley Jr., Leo Strauss, John Dewey, Friedrich von Hayek, Irving Kristol, Michael Oakshott, and Alasdair MacIntyre.  The focus of our inquiries will be upon topics such as "how should I lead my life?" (ethics), and "how should we lead our lives together?" (politics). Important secondary goals of the course include: familiarizing students with the various "languages" or "idioms" of conservative and liberal political thought; helping students understand the great political debates between conservative and liberals; applying both conservative and liberal political frames/concepts to a range of contemporary "hot-button" social and political issues. As an intermediate-level offering, this course is designed primarily for Political Science majors and non-majors in cognate fields (such as Philosophy) who have some experience in the discipline.  The course has no pre-requisites, however, and is therefore suitable for all students seeking to satisfy an interest in liberal and conservative political thought.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course will equip you with the skills and intuition to think about politics in a more critical and organized way.  You will practice the scientific method - identifying a problem worthy of study, developing testable hypotheses, designing a research strategy, gathering data, analyzing data, and interpreting your results - and contemplate the philosophical conundrums that underlie our efforts to describe, explain, and interpret complex phenomena.  Every Semester. (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: POLI 272, SOCI 269, SOCI 270, SOCI 275. 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.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The course examines the range of persuasive language strategies and symbol use in Presidential or congressional elections. Students design a comprehensive communication plan for a real candidate running for office. Students produce campaign rhetoric such as 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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Why do people protest? Against whom or what is protest directed? To achieve what ends? What strategies and tactics do protesters use? Making these questions central to the study of American politics, this class uses protest to interrogate the meaning and vitality of American democracy and citizenship. We begin with an overview of contending explanations for how, when and why social and protest movements emerge. Then, we compare various protest movements in U.S. history to newer forms of social activism on the political Left and Right. Such cases allow us to study grassroots political activism in relation to political governance, institutions and culture. We also consider dissent as a form of both conventional and contentious politics. Throughout the course, we aim to empower students – as citizens and scholars – to enact political change.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Buildings and the landscape are all around us, but often we take them for granted. This class examines the built environment--the buildings, streets, parks, and communities that we have created--from a political perspective. We explore how architecture embodies the ideals and political tensions of the individuals and societies that create them, and how the physical landscape then shapes the political world. The course includes a survey of themes and landmarks in architectural history, and discussion of cases including 19th century Paris, Nazi Germany, political protests, and contemporary surveillance. Written work will include student explorations around the Twin Cities.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Can one individual ever speak for another? What are the politics of self-representation? Who even has the chance to speak in the first place? What does it mean that political systems often entail some people to representing others’ perspectives? How should academic communities grapple with the representational power of scholarship? This course addresses these questions through the lenses of decolonial theory and feminist/queer practices of writing and speaking. We will leave aside most of the traditional questions political theorists ask, questions like “who is saying what, and to whom, and why?” Rather than focusing on content, argument, audience, or motivation, we will look at forms representation, relationality, and creation in political theory. The seminar will be organized around analyses of texts that aim to “represent” as well as authors who seek to speak with and alongside, rather than for, marginalized communities. We will also question this distinction. Over the course of the semester, our goal will be to develop methodologies for decolonizing individual and collective practices of political theoretic writing.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The Arab Spring was an epoch-making event, but what sort of epoch did it create? In 2011, a vast wave of popular mobilization toppled dictators and shook monarchies throughout the Arab world. Yet as of 2018, only Tunisia has transitioned to constitutional democracy, while other countries have suffered a so-called Arab Winter, succumbing to civil wars and strengthened authoritarian regimes. In this course we draw on theories of social movements, revolution, democratic and authoritarian transitions, civil-military relations, and civil war to explore this complex series of events. We will address questions such as: Who were the protesters, what did they want, and how did they organize? Why did their efforts succeed (even if temporarily) in some countries, but fail in others? And how did defenders of autocracy in Arab countries regroup and launch their counterrevolutionary projects? Students will gain a multifaceted understanding of Middle Eastern politics, past, present, and future.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed landmark health reform legislation into law. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) contained a complex array of new policies and programs that aimed to expand insurance coverage, curb health care spending, and improve the delivery of health care for all. For eight years since, Republican leaders have called for its repeal and replacement and, under President Trump, passed legislation to significantly reform it. Did Republican efforts undermine or solidify the ACA? Why did the ACA pass and how has it impact access to and delivery of health care since? Globally, how does both the American health care system and ACA compare to other industrialized countries’ systems and own reform efforts? While focus of this course will be on US health care reform, but we will also examine the relations of the government and medicine in other areas, such as medical research and drug policy, and the ways in which politics and political institutions – from Congress to interest groups to federal agencies – shape the formulation and implementation of health care policy. We will explore all of this together through a variety of mediums and avenues, from class discussions to guest speakers to journal articles, podcasts, and books from the nation’s leading health policy experts and journalists. Course assignments include a policy simulation, policy memo(s), and final policy roundtable or symposium.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This is a course designed to introduce 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. While not an exhaustive survey, this course provides a solid introduction to the contemporary study of international security. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of international relations theory as an academic discipline. It is intended to prepare students for graduate work in the field, but should be appropriate for those merely seeking to satisfy an interest in international relations theory. The course is intended primarily for advanced political science majors and non-majors in cognate fields who have significant experience in the discipline. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The research seminar is designed to fulfill partially the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. It is expected that students will 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. The Seminar is premised on the assumption that students will 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. It is also premised on the assumption that students will take responsibility for managing their own self-directed learning processes. The Senior Research Seminar will normally involve one or more faculty members "coaching" students through the process of defining a significant and important political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, and writing a substantial portion of a draft Honors thesis or senior independent project. Following successful completion of the Seminar, students participating in the Honors Program are required to enroll in political science independent project. Students not participating in the Honors Program who nevertheless wish to continue with their research should enroll in POLI 614.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The research seminar is designed to fulfill partially the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. It is expected that students will 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. The Seminar is premised on the assumption that students will 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. It is also premised on the assumption that students will take responsibility for managing their own self-directed learning processes. The Senior Research Seminar will normally involve one or more faculty members "coaching" students through the process of defining a significant and important political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, and writing a substantial portion of a draft Honors thesis or senior independent project. Following successful completion of the Seminar, students participating in the Honors Program are required to enroll in political science independent project. Students not participating in the Honors Program who nevertheless wish to continue with their research should enroll in POLI 614.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The research seminar is designed to fulfill partially the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. It is expected that students will 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. The Seminar is premised on the assumption that students will 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. It is also premised on the assumption that students will take responsibility for managing their own self-directed learning processes. The Senior Research Seminar will normally involve one or more faculty members "coaching" students through the process of defining a significant and important political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, and writing a substantial portion of a draft Honors thesis or senior independent project. Following successful completion of the Seminar, students participating in the Honors Program are required to enroll in political science independent project. Students not participating in the Honors Program who nevertheless wish to continue with their research should enroll in POLI 614.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The research seminar is designed to fulfill partially the capstone experience requirement for political science majors. It is expected that students will 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. The Seminar is premised on the assumption that students will 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. It is also premised on the assumption that students will take responsibility for managing their own self-directed learning processes. The Senior Research Seminar will normally involve one or more faculty members "coaching" students through the process of defining a significant and important political science research question, developing a thesis, designing an appropriate research program, and writing a substantial portion of a draft Honors thesis or senior independent project. Following successful completion of the Seminar, students participating in the Honors Program are required to enroll in political science independent project. Students not participating in the Honors Program who nevertheless wish to continue with their research should enroll in POLI 614.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

A workshop for students pursing honors projects in the political science department. S/N grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course introduces the constitutional framework, political culture, branches of government, political behavior, and nongovernmental institutions (e.g. political parties, media, or interest groups) that dynamically shape American politics.  Approaches vary by instructor, potentially including some mix of simulations, class debates, offsite observations, and comparative and critical examinations, but share a common set of objectives: 1) cultivating a broad and conversational understanding of key ideas, issues, and problems particular to American politics through classic and contemporary readings; 2) stimulating further inquiry into how American politics works and why it matters and 3) developing students' own reasoning, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills. This course is principally designed for beginning political science majors and non-majors who have not taken an AP course in US Government and Politics.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The premise of this course is that well-educated people should be critical consumers of public discourses. We should be aware of the claims that surround us and be able to respond critically and coherently to them. Aspiring to those goals, we will study argumentation as a practice of inquiry, reflection and evaluation, as a method of sound reasoning and critical thinking, as an act of persuasion and advocacy, and as a strategic tool for problem-solving and decision-making. We will also pay special attention to the ethics of argumentation - how people ought to argue - in a culture that seems inundated with "fakery" and robbed of reality.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

In Comparative Politics we use comparison to analyze political outcomes within and across countries, Why do Mexican presidents exercise strong centralized authority while Brazilian presidents must contend with powerful governors? Why do Muslims and Hindus fight in some Indian states but not in others? Why does Rwanda have such a high proportion of female legislators whereas the U.S. has such a low proportion? When confronted with large-scale protests in their cities, do state security forces in China, Russia, and the United States respond with similar methods or do they differ? Through comparative analysis, students will learn to describe diverse political institutions, to propose explanations for divergent outcomes, and to evaluate scholarly and popular arguments about politics.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

In Comparative Politics we use comparison to analyze political outcomes within and across countries, Why do Mexican presidents exercise strong centralized authority while Brazilian presidents must contend with powerful governors? Why do Muslims and Hindus fight in some Indian states but not in others? Why does Rwanda have such a high proportion of female legislators whereas the U.S. has such a low proportion? When confronted with large-scale protests in their cities, do state security forces in China, Russia, and the United States respond with similar methods or do they differ? Through comparative analysis, students will learn to describe diverse political institutions, to propose explanations for divergent outcomes, and to evaluate scholarly and popular arguments about politics.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

An examination of the evolution of influential political concepts and theories from ancient cultures to the present day, by those writing in/from/to the West. Introduction through textual analysis to historical and contemporary understandings of key terms such as authority, legitimacy, liberty, republicanism, democracy, revolution and "the good." Additionally, the course provides an introduction to political theory methods of analysis and critique, through the development of skills in reading, critical thinking, and writing.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Students are introduced to the issues and challenges confronting American cities today, and the public policy options and remedies city governments employ to address urban problems.  Using a historical approach, we trace the origins of machine politics and campaigns against their rule, the evolution of the "urban crisis" of the twentieth century, and the rise of the fragmented urban metropolis.  Next, we explore how persistent economic and racial segregation, interurban rivalries, fiscal constraints, and identity politics shape power relationships and local governmental capacities to deliver services and revitalize neighborhoods.  Along the way, in simulated challenges, we ask students to present and defend their own policy proposals to urban problems (e.g. fair elections, downtown development, affordable housing, urban sprawl) and, in a longer research paper, investigate how one or two cities have struggled with or successfully addressed an urban challenge. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100 recommended

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The course examines the American public policy process through a case study apparoach. Attention wil be paid to issues of policy formation and implementation with a forcus on the role and interaction of national and state institutions. The United Sates government is a large, complex system of multiple institutions that share power and authority and govern across multiple issue dimensions. To understand the policy process in this context we will 1) Discuss foundational theories of the policy process; 2) Examine several case studies designed to engage these theories and debate their practical application, and 3) Become "experts" in a particular policy area as each student prepares a presentation on that topic and presents politically viable solutions.   This course will focus on writing for a variety of audiences and leave students well-prepared to apply for policy-oriented scholarships, fellowships and jobs.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course explores the significance, possibilities and limits of litigation as a way of shaping public policy and society. Focusing mainly in the American context, the course connects two braod areas of interest: the rise of rights movements in the 20th century (from the NAACP to contemporary movements such as gay rights) and the use of class action lawsuits and tort law to compensate people for injuries or risk, especially in matters affecting public health (e.g. asbestos, tobacco). Related subjects discussed include the historical roots of litigation as an approach to social problems and government regulation as an alternative to litigation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100 recommended. Course not available to First Year students.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is intended to introduce 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 from year to year, but it is expected that regions of pressing interest or greater significance to international peace and security will be covered most regularly. This course is designed for political science majors, but is also suitable for others who need to fulfill a distribution requirement in the social sciences or who simply want to satisfy an interest in a specific regional conflict or international politics/security more generally. Prerequisite(s): POLI 120 recommended

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. This class employs an innovative system of qualitative assessment. Students take the course "S/SD/N 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-presure atmosphere. This ungraded course has been approved for inclusion on major/minor/concentration plans in Political Science, Latin American Studies, and Human Rights and Humanitarianism.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course deals with the political thought of Latin Christendom (Western Europe) during the later Middle Ages (c. 1050 - c. 1550). This body of thought is worthy of sustained study for two reasons. First, it is one of the glories of human civilization. In seeking to answer the timeless question "how we should live our lives as individuals" and "how we should live together in peace and justice" late medieval political thinkers produced a body of political thought second to none in the history of human philosophical speculation. Second, late medieval political thought is worthy of study because it gave rise to many of the concepts that continue to shape our collective lives today (including state sovereignty, separation of church and state, constitutionalism, just war, property rights, "the people," nationalism, democracy, rule-of-law, and human rights). Indeed, it is impossible to really understand contemporary political life without delving deeply into the way in which late medieval thinkers engaged with the big political issues of their day. The main goal of this course is to provide a solid introduction to the political thought of this crucially important era in human history. In it, we will critically examine the relevant works of thinkers such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, John of Paris, Marsilius of Padua, Bartolus of Sasseferato, and Baldus de Ubaldi. To the extent that they shed light on late medieval thought, we will also touch on classical political theorists such as Aristotle and Cicero as well as Muslim and Jewish thinkers such as ibn Sina, Moshe ben Maimon, and ibn Rusd.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course will equip you with the skills and intuition to think about politics in a more critical and organized way.  You will practice the scientific method - identifying a problem worthy of study, developing testable hypotheses, designing a research strategy, gathering data, analyzing data, and interpreting your results - and contemplate the philosophical conundrums that underlie our efforts to describe, explain, and interpret complex phenomena.  Every Semester. (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: POLI 272, SOCI 269, SOCI 270, SOCI 275. 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.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q3

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course explores ethnic nationalism's causes and consequences in Eastern Europe. Drawing on several disciplines, we begin by examining the core concepts and theories in the contemporary study of nationalism. We then explore both the historical roots of Eastern European nationalisms, and their implications for democracy, minority inclusion, regional stability, and European integration.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

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Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

The international community currently faces the most serious refugee crisis in over 70 years. Internal conflicts, environmental degradation, and state collapse in Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Myanmar, and Somalia have uprooted millions in recent years, while refugee camps in Palestine and Colombia stretch across decades and generations. This course examines the above cases in detailed study cycles. It also covers substantial theoretical ground, with special focus on the causes of individual-level decisions to migrate for economic or conflict-related reasons, and investigates the causes and impacts of migration on receiving regions and states. We will cover themes including frontiers and borderlands, climate change and migration, immigration regimes, the politics of immigration in Europe and the United States, immigration between less developed countries (for example, immigration between Bangladesh and India, or Central American immigration to and through Mexico), discourse about immigrants and refugees, the social and institutional world of refugee camps, and the interaction between violent or criminal actors and refugees.

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This seminar-style course explores vital questions in America's political development, focusing particularly on the moments with questions of law and the identity of people have been contested around economic issues. Topics vary but may include the evolution in property rights for women, the law of slavery, the legal status of Native Americans, and the evolution of welfare rights. The course employs tutorials, in which students tackle key questions through essays, which are then discussed in small groups in the instructor's office. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course explores the rapidly evolving field of transitional justice, examining how and why regimes respond to wide-scale past human rights abuses. Drawing on examples worldwide, it asks why states choose particular strategies and examines a variety of goals (truth, justice, reconciliation, democracy-building), approaches (trials, truth commissions, file access, memorialization, reparation, rewriting histories), actors (state, civil society, religious institutions), experiences, results, and controversies. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Human beings have defined themselves in relation to animals, plants, gods, and machines for a very long time. In addition, while many claim that they can explain “human nature,” there is a lot of disagreement in science, philosophy, religion, literature, art, and politics about what this “nature” is. At the same time, ecological and technological change continue to shape our understanding of the interdependence of human, animal, and plant life. Just as philosophers have argued for millennia about the most ethical and harmonious ways to structure human societies, twenty-first century theorists are asking about what it means to live in societies comprised of humans, animals, cyborgs, and possible hybrids of these. We shall join these thinkers in this project, examining relationships between humans and nonhuman entities from multiple perspectives. Our readings will range from the ancient to very contemporary. Along with historical and contemporary political philosophy and theory, our "texts" will include visual and performance art, dance, film, memoir, science and technology studies, and critical theories of disability, gender, affect, and the body. Among the questions we shall consider are the following: Who belongs to the political community? In what ways is the political community determined by relations of definition, exclusion, and representation? Why do non-human animals and other beings matter for politics? How do we understand the political subject or the idea of citizenship in an increasingly hybrid and technological world? How do human beings relate to other living and non-living entities? What is "posthumanism" and why might it matter politically? What forms of relationality are necessary to survive in the Anthropocene? And finally, how do the dynamics we identify and explore in class shape our ordinary lives, on and off campus?

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course is intended to introduce students to the relatively new subfield of “Religion and world politics”. It is divided into three sections. The first addresses the issue of the strange absence of religion from the field of International Relations (and, indeed, from the social sciences more broadly) and the consequences of this absence for our understanding of global politics. The second explores the various ways in which IR scholars have attempted to redress the absence by bringing religion into the study of International Relations Theory. The third and final section provides an overview of the ways in which IR scholars have explored the intersection of religion and world politics, especially in the areas of conflict, development, global governance, and law. As an advanced-level offering, this course is designed primarily for Political Science majors and non-majors in related fields (such as Religious Studies). The course has no pre-requisites, however, and is therefore suitable for all students seeking to satisfy an interest in the relationship between religion and world politics.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

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Course Materials

A workshop for students pursing honors projects in the political science department. S/N grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials