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. Every semester. 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 various sub-fields. The purpose of these courses is threefold: 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 a range of practical competencies (esp. research/writing skills) essential to further scholarly inquiry within the discipline of political science.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism
Writing WA

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:
Internationalism
Writing WA

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. 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 various sub-fields. The purpose of these courses is threefold: 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 a range of practical competencies (esp. research/writing skills) essential to further scholarly inquiry within the discipline of political science.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

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:
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences
Writing WC

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