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

The course introduces students to the study of argumentation or systematic reasoning about questions of public policy. How should we govern ourselves? Who gets to be a citizen? What limits should a society place on its citizens' behaviors? What freedoms should a society allow? Because these are questions over which reasonable people may disagree, coming up with mutually agreeable answers requires extensive public discussion and debate. The citizen who can discover reliable evidence, make sound arguments, and reason well in the face of strong counter-arguments also embodies the very notion of a liberally educated person. Students will develop their argumentation skills by focusing on congressional debates that have powerfully shaped the United States, including slavery, Indian removal, woman's rights, war powers, and impeachment.  The course is well suited for students who wish to develop their analytic, oral, and written communication skills.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

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:
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

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:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

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:
Writing WA
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

An exploration of the structure of the American Political System as seen through the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. The central topics include the development of the federal-state relationship, the separation of powers in the national government, the limits of government power over the economy, and the role of the judiciary. This course takes in the sweep of American history from 1789 to the present. Prerequisite(s): POLI 100 recommended.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides 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 will explore the tandem rise of the modern environmental movement and profound new environmental legislation in the U.S. and internationally. Topics investigated will include: deforestation, hazardous wastes, climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity.

General Education Requirements:

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

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 in greater detail 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.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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 history of American water development, we will turn our attention to issues around sanitation, food production, gender and privatization in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 120, ENVI 133, or ENVI 232.

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

A study of how presidents, politicians, and social movement activists worldwide use language and persuasive symbols to increase their influence and bring about social and 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. This course is well-suited for students wanting to undertake a significant research project and develop their skills in academic writing. It fulfills the department's research methods requirement.

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 look at forms of representation, relationality, and creation in political theory. Of particular concern will be the ways higher education and other spaces reflect and/or resist the legacies of colonialism, imperialism, and domination. 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. Counts as a core course for the Critical Theory Concentration.

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

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course introduces students to the development of US foreign policy, with an emphasis both on how US foreign policy is made and on the contemporary security issues the US faces in the post-Cold War era. Among the topics it covers are the collapse of the Soviet Union, the aftermath of 9/11 and contemporary Chinese-US relations. The primary course objective is to encourage students to think critically about the actions and decisions taken by individuals, administrations and institutions during the formation of US foreign policy. This course is designed for students with an interest in policy analysis and the US role in global affairs.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Over the past century the world has witnessed incredible changes in the ways that information is produced, distributed, and consumed. Through tutorials, seminar discussions, and individual projects, this course explores the policy problems and conflicts at the cutting edge of the global Information Society. Topics include secrecy, transparency, access to information, surveillance, privacy, intellectual property (such as copyrights and piracy), freedom of expression in a digital world, and the regulation of technology. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

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

Can the evolution of Occupy Wall Street help us anticipate the trajectory of the Movement for Black Lives?  How did the Arab Spring and Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement deploy a similar tactical repertoire, yet provoke different outcomes?  Did partisanship lead the peace movement to resist Bush's "War on Terror" but shrug at Obama's drone war?   And does mobilization of identity explain how indigenous Bolivians ejected U.S. corporations and scored lasting victories against the white power structure?  This advanced research seminar engages theories that explain the origins and development of movements struggling for subsistence rights, labor rights, gender and sexuality rights, social rights, and racial and ethnic rights.  Students planning to conduct social movements research while studying away may write a research prospectus to launch that field research project. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

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

The course introduces students to the study of argumentation or systematic reasoning about questions of public policy. How should we govern ourselves? Who gets to be a citizen? What limits should a society place on its citizens' behaviors? What freedoms should a society allow? Because these are questions over which reasonable people may disagree, coming up with mutually agreeable answers requires extensive public discussion and debate. The citizen who can discover reliable evidence, make sound arguments, and reason well in the face of strong counter-arguments also embodies the very notion of a liberally educated person. Students will develop their argumentation skills by focusing on congressional debates that have powerfully shaped the United States, including slavery, Indian removal, woman's rights, war powers, and impeachment.  The course is well suited for students who wish to develop their analytic, oral, and written communication skills.

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:

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:
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

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

An examination of civil liberties and rights in the U.S., focusing on the cases decided by the Supreme Court. Central topics include the First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, and religion; privacy and reproductive freedom; and the Fourteenth Amendment protection of equality as it affects discrimination, affirmative action, and voting rights.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides 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 will explore the tandem rise of the modern environmental movement and profound new environmental legislation in the U.S. and internationally. Topics investigated will include: deforestation, hazardous wastes, climate change, population growth, and loss of biodiversity.

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

This course will help you answer questions about politics and economics in the developing world. For example: What explains global disparities in peace and prosperity? Is democracy good for the poor? Does foreign aid work? Our main objective is to use social science to describe and explain development outcomes. Although we will also address what can be done to solve problems such as poverty and civil war, this course will not provide any panaceas. If you finish the term unsatisfied and frustrated, you will have done something right! You will have begun to understand the complexity of development issues, which will equip you to contribute in a sophisticated way to ongoing scholarly and policy-oriented debates.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course will help you answer questions about politics and economics in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example: Why have the "artificial" borders of African states hardly changed since independence? Why do many new African democracies revert to authoritarianism? Why is poverty so widespread in Africa? By the end of the semester, students who invest an honest effort in the assignments and actively participate in class will be able to: describe political institutions and behaviors in diverse African contexts; use social scientific methods to propose explanations for variation in outcomes such as democracy, war, and economic growth; evaluate and critique arguments about African politics in popular discourse; and enter into conversations with professionals in a variety of fields, including government, international NGOs, and academia. Prerequisite(s): POLI 140 is recommended as a prerequisite.

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:

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 counts as an intermediate course and fulfills the practicum requirement of the political science major. Contact the political science department for a full description and application. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

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 counts as an intermediate course and fulfills the practicum requirement of the political science major. Contact the political science department for a full description and application. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course provides opportunities for students to develop their skills in informal political speaking and formal political speechwriting – skills essential to effective citizenship and democratic participation. During the first half of the semester, students learn about effective oral communication principles and practice speaking for the political contexts in they are most likely to find themselves in their lives – as engaged citizens, as employees in NGOs or government bureaucracies, as staffers for political candidates or elected officials, or as political leaders themselves. The second half of the term is devoted to a study of formal political speechwriting on behalf of others. Students will learn to write in another person's "voice," to identify the recurring contexts in which remarks are made, as well as the unique norms of particular communication context, and to adapt the prepared remarks to those constraints, norms, and expectations.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Why do countries (states) behave the way they do in the international system? What are the theories that account for the foreign policies of states? How are foreign policy decisions made? This course introduces students to the development of foreign policy across different countries. The course utilizes differing theories of foreign policymaking drawn from the wider field of International Relations. In particular, it will explore the role of individuals, bureaucracies, the media, normative influences, and external factors on the foreign policy process. It will explain how foreign policy decisions are made, and then outline how the policy is implemented. For example, why do some states opt to go to war while others avoid it, or how international diplomacy is conducted. The objective of the course is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to obtain the analytical tools necessary to understand and explain any state’s foreign policy.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

How and why does race matter politically in Canada, Mexico, and the United States? What are the historical, ideological, and cultural roots of the racial politics we observe today? Which political theories and interpretive frameworks help us to best understand the many ways race matters? How does race intersect with other internal or external markers of identity? How does understanding processes of racialization better help us act politically in the present? At the center of this course is the idea that race is a political, historical phenomenon that is an inescapable part of present day political contexts. We start with the historical and social roots of present-day systems as they relate to race. We will study major theoretical approaches to understanding race and how it operates in our world as one among many intersectional identities. More specifically, our objects of study will be the philosophical and empirical implications of what Charles Mills dubs the "Racial Contract," and bell hooks terms "white supremacist capitalist patriarchy." In other words, we'll be studying how race was created--out of the intersection of settler-colonialism, chattel slavery, colonial rule and expropriation, orientalism--and what this implies for us as we encounter the contemporary manifestations of those phenomena. Rooted in the settler-colonial context in North America and with an emphasis on twentieth and twenty-first century racial politics, the course will include readings from, among others, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, queer, NB, and feminist writers and practitioners, as well as opportunities to interact with activists, artists, and academics working on these questions. We will also bring in questions about diasporic identity, cultural appropriation, methodology, and the status of race and racialization in academia. Texts will include writings from political theorists, analytic philosophers, historians, anthropologists, cultural theorists, sociologists, artists, playwrights, and activists, as well as films, visual, and performance art.

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

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

What does it mean to be American? To answer this question, we will study culture – specifically political culture – as a source of both unity/inclusion and division/exclusion. Using comics, graphic novels, films and zines, we will focus on how superhero/supervillain stories illuminate the connections between American politics and culture. We will examine the core political values, beliefs and understandings that enable Americans to claim a shared sense of belonging. Beyond the “American Creed,” we will investigate the ideological disputes and subcultures that challenge the notion of an exceptional and unitary American-ness. Key themes of this class are: post 9/11 anxieties and the “War on Terror”; responsibility, evil and power; misogyny, gender and reproductive rights. Bridging the disciplines of Cultural/Media Studies and Political Science, this class enables students to develop media literacy while learning to analyze elements of cultural production such as narrative, myth, imagery and symbolism.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This advanced research seminar explores the politics and policy of K-12 education in the United States. Several theoretical lenses are explored and competing perspectives are advanced. The workload will be intense, akin to a graduate level course. Students will compose a 20-25 page original research paper on an education topics of their choice. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore-standing; previous coursework in American politics or public policy as well as research methods is recommended.

General Education Requirements:

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

In a notable turn around, a significant number of African societies, in recent years, have experienced both economic growth and renewal of the spirit of women and men acting as citizens. These are commendable achievements. Yet, old quotidian urgencies such as precarious personal safety, hunger, poor health, and political disorder are still prevalent. This is the dialectic of development. This course explores these contradictions. Most of the attention will be given to the concepts of power, politics, and development in contemporary Africa. The course concludes with each student submitting a research paper on a specific problem (e.g. environment, economic, social, cultural, political) confronting one country of the student's choice. Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

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

This advanced seminar will examine foundational and recent texts in disability studies, queer theory, and critical race theory with the aim of helping students develop theoretical and practical toolkits for incorporating anti-ablist perspectives into their theory and practice and understanding diversity and inclusion as necessarily anti-ablist. We will consider questions of representation, classroom practice, and political belonging, as well as forms of academic and cultural production. Throughout the semester, we will be investigating the limits of theories of subjectivity that fail to foreground race, gender, and ability and our own implication in experiences of subjective erasure. Texts will largely draw from writings in English, and will include Jasbir Puar, Ato Quayson, Nirmala Erevelles, Jack Halberstam, Dean Spade, Mel Chen and student-recommended texts. It is recommended that students have significant prior engagement/experience within disability/gender/race, and/or critical theory approaches to intersectional questions.

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

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course offers students a comprehensive and critical approach to the intersections of technology and international politics. In particular, the course explores the main technological debates of the contemporary international security environment. Technology impacts international security in all its aspects, such as how conflicts unfold, ethics, and international law. The course explores a broad variety of technocentric topics, such as how Artificial Intelligence will impact interstate relations, how drones are used during warfare, and how social media can be used as a disrupting force by state and non-state actors. The objective of the course is to provide students with an advanced understanding of how technology shapes global politics and the human race.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Energy justice builds on the concepts of environmental and climate justice, with a focus on the visible and invisible infrastructures that produce, deliver, maintain and transform our economies and societies. Topics will include pipelines (Standing Rock), waste disposal (Yucca Mountain nuclear storage), and issues around the fracking (Bakken). Among many things, we will read Tim Mitchell's book Carbon Democracy and Sara Wylie’s Fracktivism. The course will also focus on art as a tool for revealing injustice and promoting justice, such as the work of the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science, a non-profit that develops open source, Do It Yourself tools for community based environmental analysis. Students will develop an independent major research project over the semester. This course will substitute for ENVI/POLI 335: Science and Citizenship. Prerequisite: ENVI/POLI 215 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

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