Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Methods and practices of interest groups trying to influence legislative and administrative decision making; methods and practices of public agencies trying to influence governmental policies; the military industrial complex and other cases on federal and state levels.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

What is the next "version" of government? How will emerging technologies impact how governments at all levels function? What are government leaders (elected and otherwise) doing to transform the way government operates? This course will cover the historical applications of technology in government, pointing to various models used by all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). National and international e-Government examples and case studies will be examined to show the most and least effective implementations. It will primarily be a discussion about what Gov 2.0 has meant and will mean as new technologies emerge.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines women's issues and roles in the public policy process. Topics will include policies that affect women, such as child care, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, women's health care and reproductive issues. Emphasis will also be placed on women's roles in the policy process, as citizens, voters and public officials.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines the dynamic evolution of the debates on International Security as well as the transformations in the main global and regional security institutions such as UN and NATO. Based upon International Relations perspectives, it analyzes the traditional definitions of security at the national, regional and international levels of analysis since 1945. Likewise, it studies how states and international institutions have revisited the concepts, policies and strategies of security since the end of the Cold War and after the September 11 events, from realist perspectives to the Copenhagen School of security studies.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

An analysis of the origins and the local, regional, and international dimensions of the Palestinian-Israeli-Arab conflict, this course will examine the conflict through the eyes of the major protagonists and the roles played by them from the early twentieth century to the present: Zionists/Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs, British, Americans, Soviets. We will also explore the questions of why this conflict has captured the world's attention and why it has gone unresolved since World War II. Finally, we will examine the possibilities and attempts for resolution of what appears to be an intractable human tragedy.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines the main political, economic and social trends in the European Union, Latin America and the United States as well as the multiples interactions among them since the end of the Cold War. The readings are structured in two main sections. After briefly reviewing the historical development of these three partners on both sides of the Atlantic in the past five decades, the first section identifies the key processes that are defining the main characteristics of Europe (deepening vs. widening), United States (isolationism vs. internationalism) and Latin America (democracy vs. social equality). The second part of the course explains the tendencies and contradictions in the construction of the external relations of the European Union towards the United States and Latin America, from the cooperation and competition in development of a safe and free Europe in the 1990s to the acrimonious debate about the 2003 Iraq invasion and the prospects of the 2006 EU-Latin America Vienna Summit, among other important events.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The overall goal of this course is to understand why 1968 is considered one of the most tumultuous years in the 20th century as regards the news media; music and theater; television and film censorship; and in the shift in culture and mores of an entire subset of the population. The course will focus on specific touchstones that elucidate the communication to both the mainstream public, know broadly as the Silent Majority, and the new emerging 'boomers', whose values and attitudes still drive the media ten years into the 21st century. Students will learn how a single year of media can change forever how one part of a culture views itself, while at the same time discovering how another part of that same culture continues to resist those changes 40 years later. Students will learn how many of the seeds of ideas they take for granted in 2011, including educational and sports equality (Title 9) for women; environmental sensitivity, and gay rights were planted in the print, films and music of 1968, but didn't bloom until the years which followed. Guest speakers, films and lectures will be used to reinforce material from the texts.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The rise of the Green Party, from its grass-roots beginnings to participation in the federal government. Background on the development of "green" consciousness in Germany and Europe since the early 20th century. Present governmental policies and programs (e.g., alternative energy sources, organic farming, recycling, dismantling of nuclear power).

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Everything needed to design, carry out, and interpret a political survey. Topics covered include questionnaire design, sampling, interviewing, coding data, and univariate and bivariate analysis of the results. Multivariate analysis will be discussed but not studied in depth. An actual survey will be conducted as a class project. Prerequisites: Open to graduate students, seniors, and juniors; previous course in political science research methods, or comparable course in another discipline and consent of instructor.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course provides and overview of the legal system in the United States of America, in connection with the role of the Federal and State government and their policy. This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students. During the semester, we will explore a variety of issues involving the legal system of the United States and how it effects local and federal government.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

A country's popular culture offers significant and accurate insights into the political values, attitudes, and beliefs of its own people at a given time. One form of popular culture, films, can be a powerful disseminator of political messages. This course will examine a number of different eras and political themes as they have been reflected through films in the U.S.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Policies of present United States health care system critically analyzed and compared with other national systems. Current reform proposals receive special attention.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Public policy's impact on Blacks, Chicanos, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other minority groups; how public policy has contributed to racial oppression; policies for attaining racial equality; political strategies of minority groups.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Public Policy-makers interests in formulating and implementing policy in the areas of environmental protection, consumer protection, equal employment opportunity, health care, taxation and competition with a focus on business responsibility will be critically analyzed. Costs and benefits to the public and business will be evaluated.

Term Offered

Course Types

Social Science

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

From Rio to the Boston Harbor Project, this course examines the polices and politics of the environment. It examines the origins of the environmental movement in the United States focusing on the development and present function of government and non-government organizations responsible for the development and implementation of global, national, state and local environmental policies.

Term Offered

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course represents a unique opportunity for students to develop a general understanding of the relationship between politics and the community; a systematic and holistic way of viewing and analyzing the impact of community-based, community-wide organizations and efforts.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines fundamental framework, legislative oversight of the Executive Branch and basic functions of the Massachusetts Legislative. Special emphasis will be placed on gaining a practical understanding of the Massachusetts legislative process. Students are encouraged to explore the methods by which major legislative measures are undertaken, various roles of legislative leaders, committee hearings and the procedures that are used under the Massachusetts General Laws.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Contemporary state court processes, progress and problems including trial and appellate court practice, procedure and participants; plea bargaining, alternative dispute resolution; policy making.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

In this course we will examine the latest developments in interest group politics, including trends in grassroots organization, mobilization, and lobbying: fundraising; advocacy by nonprofit organizations; the growth of issues management"; changing regulations; ethical considerations; and the evolving relationships between advocacy and electoral organizations. We will make extensive use of amateur and professional advocates and lobbyists as guest speakers. Students will be expected to write a research paper on some aspect of the current politics of advocacy and lobbying.

Term Offered

Course Types

Social Science

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The structure and functioning of legislatures. Particular emphasis on the U.S. Congress, how it works and how it compares to other legislatures. The role of legislatures in a democracy.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Perspectives on the role and problems of the presidency in American political life; the nature and difficulties of the presidential influence and effectiveness, presidential authority within our system of government, and the impact of presidential character.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This class will examine the role of lobbyists and the media in influencing state and national decision makers and public policy. Focusing primarily on current issues relating to energy and environmental policy, we will discuss and critically examine all sides of today's hot topics- renewable power, climate change, sustainability and others. The goal is not to determine who is right and who is wrong, but rather to "get behind the headlines" and separate fact from hype and discuss how and why certain policy decisions are made and how policy makers are influenced. You'll gain an appreciation as to how public opinion, lobbyists and the media (and even celebrities!) can actually change government priorities- and not always for the better, as rising public opinion and political pressure often collides with well established scientific evidence.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

A critical analysis of whether our constitutional system is adequate to effectively resolve the new and complex problems of governance in this century. The strengths and weaknesses of governmental structure created by the U.S. Constitution will be examined. Past and current amendment proposals will receive special attention.

Term Offered

Course Types

Social Science

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Historical overview of party development in the U.S. and of ideological and political trends as reflected in voting behavior. Recent developments in party structure, electoral strategies and political style. The party "crisis" vs. the "art" of political campaigning.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will explore the influence of media on contemporary political issues and public opinion; and the use of media in political campaigns, advertising, etc. Topics may include the impact of "talk radio", the issue of media bias, the role of television, the "Hollywood connection".

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course provides an introduction to the study of the role of the United Nations System in the globalization era. The course is divided in two main sections. The first is based on a series of readings, lectures and discussion on the rules, principles and norms which govern the relationship among states and the UN system; it also covers traditional topics such as the sources and subjects of international law, the jurisdiction of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the use of force and the legal personality of international actors, human rights, humanitarian intervention, global environment, use of armed force, as well as economic relations. the second part of the course is based on a required study trip to the UN headquarters in order to experience a direct contact with policy-makers within the UN system in a diversity of areas such as security, aid and peacekeeping areas.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The objective of this course is to analyze the mechanisms and processes of diplomacy. It provides a sense of the evolution of statecraft, and it seeks to assess the utility of different approaches to the development and implementation of foreign policy and to examine the successes and failures of these approaches in different circumstances.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course explains the main components of the international legal system. It begins by exploring the rules, principles and norms that govern the relationship among states, the different cultural and philosophical legal perspectives and the history of the international legal system. The second part of the course covers the study of the sources and subjects of international law, the jurisdiction of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the use of force, and the legal personality of international actors. The third part of the course addresses a number of significant topics derived from the process of globalization legal norms: human rights, humanitarian intervention, law of the sea, environmental law, and economic relations.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course explores the institutional structures, political processes, and impact of international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. It analyses their increasingly prominent role in efforts to resolve a wide range of global problems and contribution to strengthen the current system of global governance. While the course covers the problems of international security, global distribution of wealth, deterioration of the environmental system and threats to social walfare, it focuses on the interactoin between the United Nations System and regional organizations, on the one hand, and the role of non-governmental organizations in cooperating or someting to solve specific problems in the area of international relations.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines the intertwined nature of the globalization and regionalization processes from the perspective of global political economy. The first part of the course provides the basic elements and indicators to understand the main challenges the international economy is facing such as crisis, protectionism, and underdevelopment, inter alia. The second part presents the evolution of globalization and regionalism in the past decades. The third and final section compares how the distinct regions in the world are dealing with local and global problems; particularly attention is paid to the European Union, NAFTA, Mercosur and APEC.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This class examines the political ramifications of social movements primarily but not exclusively within the United States. It looks at ideology, beliefs, and mechanisms of mobilization. Another important focus is an analysis of non-white social movements in this country and their impact on domestic politics. Among the movements to be examined are: the Pan-African movement 1919 to 1939 which will, to some extent, take us outside this country; the U.S. Civil Rights Movement 1955 to 1969 which covers the rise of the Black Power movement; and the U.S. Labor Movement 1900 to 1955 in terms of non-white influence on its programmatic goals.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Previous relevant knowledge/experience desirable Course will meet Jan 18 - April 4, 2008

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This seminar will explore actors and issues in the context of the United Nations system in connection with humanitarian governance challenges. We will examine theoretical, political, legal issues and institutional issues, then analyze protection, civil-military relations in peace operations. UN and other peace operations and "responsibility to protect" will be analyzed, and hard choices for all those who wish that "globalization" should be more humane, and who are interested to confront moving targets and evolving challenges of humanitarian governance, including dilemmas "of not doing harm, when intending to do good", in international humanitarian engagement. With humanitarian action's new power comes knowledge that even the most well-intentioned projects can create as many problems as they solve. Are unforeseen consequences, blind spots, and biases of humanitarian work--from focusing too much on rules and too little on results? Students are expected to actively participate in interactive, visual and practical simulation exercises and role plays of humanitarian emergency operations

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

An examination of human rights at the end of the 20th Century. Attention will be given to the origin and expansion of the concept of human rights, the place of human rights in different political systems, the link between culture and human rights, and the means and mechanisms for safeguarding rights with particular reference to the United Nations system.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

In this course, students will have an opportunity to examine the basic foundations of the democratic theory and practice. Specifically, the course focuses on the building blocks of a democratic relationship between people and government, including transparency, accountability, accessibility, and opportunities for effective advocacy and participation. Both classical and modern authors who weighed in on these issues will be discussed.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

A decision-making approach to understanding the domestic and institutional context of US foreign policy. Includes analysis of continuity and change since WWII using case studies of critical decisions, e.g., Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, etc.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

How are elections administered in the United States? Do Americans have confidence in the electoral process? Should they? Why or why not? This course will examine elections in the United States in detail -- from how they are funded to how they are administered to how voters behave. Students will have a choice of either serving as poll workers during the November election or organizing and conducting research of protential voters. Students will gain hands-on experience in actual research design, election administration, and non-partisan get-out-the-vote activities. In addition, students will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between attitudes, opinion, and voting behavior in American politics and institutions.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Why did 17 European countries surrender the sovereign control of their currency and create the Euro? Will Turkey become a member of the European Union? Will Europeans continue free riding the security protection of the United States? Is the integration process another layer of bureaucracy or an institutional instrument to deal with the permanent crises in Europe? These are some of the questions guiding the discussions in this class.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The political development of Africa in colonial and post-colonial periods. Analysis of the evolution of governmental institutions includes economic, social and personal factors; political forces at work in present day Africa.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Interlocking themes making the contemporary Middle East an area of chronic conflict: Big Power rivalries; social and political change within individual countries; unity and rivalry involved in Arab nationalism; the Palestinian-Israeli-Arab dispute.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Examines the social and economic conditions and current political trends in the Caribbean and in selected Central American nations. Emphasis will be placed on comparative analysis of public policies in the region, as well as on external factors which impact on politics in the Caribbean and central America. Students will use academic sources for the background of their analysis.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Emphasis on a particular approach to the problems of economic modernization and political development. Historical background; the revolutionary movement; present political structures and current issues.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of how the contemporary Middle East evolved. Thus, in addition to an examination of power, class, and statecraft, the central theme of this course is an analysis of the development of the political, economic, and social nature of the Middle East by considering such issues as its geopolitical significance in international relations, the political economy of the region, imperialism, nationalism, wars, and Islamic resurgence.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines the Canadian model of incorporating divers communities into its constitutional and political framework, including the founding British North American Act of 1867, the 1982 Constitution Act, and two later attempts at constitutional reform. Canada's role in balancing two official languages, English and French, is discussed, as is its recognition of a "First Nations" native-governed territory in the Arctic. This course introduces students to the Canadian polity and compares its parliamentary system with the U.S. separation of powers system.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Introduction to the government and politics of contemporary Mexico, with special attention to social and economic institutions, parties and social movements, and the influence of Mexico's revolutionary heritage. There will be some analysis of the interaction of US/Mexico relations and the impact of NAFTA on Mexican workers and the economy.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will explore the role played by the United States in the Middle East in the twentieth century, with emphasis on the period since World War II. Our study will begin with a decision-making approach to understanding the domestic and institutional context of America's policy toward the region, followed by an examination of that policy as it confronted radical nationalist, socialist, and Islamic movements, Soviet influence, and specific contemporary problems - the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Lebanese civil war, the Iranian revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and the Gulf War.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will examine political and economic institutions of newly independent entities from Kazakhstan to the Baltics. It will include historical roots of the Soviet Union from the Russian Revolution through the Gorbachev years. Attention will be paid to Marxist theory and non-Marxist challenges for the economy of the area as well as the state. While some attention will be paid to foreign relations of the former Soviet Union and the current regimes with Western Europe and the U.S. and elsewhere, the major emphasis will be on domestic policy issues and analysis of the impact of domestic policy on citizens of the former Soviet Union.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course explores the political and cultural history of Islam, with emphasis on the contemporary Islamic resurgence in Muslim countries. The origins and causes of this resurgence, its aims, and its effects on domestic, regional, and world politics will be examined. Cultural Diversity B

Term Offered

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt B

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The course will survey various theories of nationalism and ethnic conflict and test their applicability to a number of contemporary cases. After a look at the sources of ethnic conflict within a particular country we will examine the way in which the international system reacted. Special attention will be paid to conflicts that have or have had a U.S. diplomatic dimension, namely Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestinian Territories.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This internship option is recommended for students seeking careers in professional politics or international relations. Typically, an internship will involve supervised work at a professional level in a political campaign, on a legislative staff, in an international non-governmental organization, or in a legislative relations for a governmental agency or private organization. Internship placement must be approved by the student's advisor, and will typically require at least 20 hours of work per week for the duration of a semester and the completion of a research paper based on the internship experience. The research paper must be approved by a departmental committee.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines the politics of making public policy. How is policy made? Who is involved? What kinds of information do policy-makers rely on to make their decisions? How do political opportunities shape potential for policy change, shifts or stasis? We will examine how policy decisions are made and how policy makers cope and adapt to a diverse set of constraints. We will also focus on what political strategies can be used to improve policy-making processes and outcomes. Students will be required to interview policy makers about a specific policy and write a comprehensive policy analysis. The course is intended to have both theoretical and practical value.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. Students will read and discuss current research on legislative politics and organization, including committees, interest groups and lobbying, legislative voting and decision making, and other topics. Students will conduct their own research and present it to the seminar. Prerequisites: Open to graduate students only; at least one previous course in legislatures or interest groups, or consent of the instructor.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

At least one course in elections, voting behavior, or political parties.

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. Students will read and discuss current research on campaigns and elections, voting behavior, and political parties, and will conduct their own research and present it to the seminar.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the concentration in North American Politics. This course will examine the key concepts of an approaches to world politics. Special attention will be given the application of these concepts and approaches to the relations among the nation-states of North America.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course introduces students to the study of international political economy (IPE). It addresses the interactive relationship between politics and economics in the historical and contemporary international system by exploring the effect of political factors on international economic relations as well as the impact of economic factors on domestic and international politics.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will focus on three main areas: a) United Nations and NGOs; b) Current Relevant Issues, and c) Regions, examining current issues and debates in each area. The courses is team-taught by full-time faculty specializing in each area.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. The purpose of campaigns is to win, while the purpose of elections is to maintain democracy. This course will focus on the tension between these two goals, on the assumption that a healthy democracy needs a well-developed ethical sense among political professionals. The course will combine consideration of fundamental ethical principles with class discussion of hard cases. Each student will be asked to study a case and present it to the class.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructor's consent.

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the MS in Political Science, Professional Politics track. The aim of the course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with a emphasis on relevant topics such as voting behavior, elections, polling, legislatures, and public policy. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered including, archival research, legislative documents, election data, and multivariate analysis.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another disciline or instructor's consent.

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for Spring admits of the MS in Political Science, Professional Politics and International Relations Tracks. The aim of this course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with an emphasis on topics relevant to professional politics: elections, legislatures, and public policy. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered, including archival research, legislative documents, election data, and multivariate analysis.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructor's consent.

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Core course for the MS in Political Science, International Relations track. The aim of the course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with an emphasis on topics relevant to the field of international relations. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered, including archival research and the use documents and data from a variety of sources.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This class will examine the techniques used to market political candidates, parties, issues, interest groups and think tanks in the modern American polity, as well as in Canada and the EU. The class will examine the causes and impact of the change that many observers have seen in the American polity from a civil to a consumptive political culture and question the extent to which this is a U.S. based versus more global phenomenon. At the same time, the class will aim to provide the student will a hands-on understanding of the way in which various marketing techniques are employed to sell politics. The techniques will include message development, branding, micro-targeting, and political marketing campaign strategy by looking at a series of cases from around the world. Cases examined will include the Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton and John McCain campaigns from 2008, the effort to brand the Conservative Party and New Labour in the United Kingdom.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Requires instructor's consent

Course Credits

3.00

Description

An intensive off-campus experience, normally of two-weeks duration, arranged through a qualified agency in Washington, D.C. Topics vary. Students will be graded by both an on-site evaluator and an assigned Government Department faculty member. Students are normally required to keep a journal of the off-campus experience and to write a significant research paper based on the topic of the academic seminar upon their return. ECR

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course focuses on the historical origins, evolution, and current trajectory of the North Korean state. Topics include history, social structure, the interplay of culture and ideology, political economy, humanitarian issues, security, and the politics of North Korean domestic and foreign policy. We will spend considerable time analyzing North Korea's relationship with regional and world powers and examining the origins, history, and implications of their nuclear weapons program. Students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to apply theoretical and historical knowledge toward analyzing the rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary issues related to North Korea.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Defamation, privacy, copyright, pornography, incitement to lawless conduct and harassment are six areas in which first Amendment freedoms historically have been constrained to some degree. The constraints have been worked out largely through judicial decisions issued over the last century. This course would look at the traditional interests that were balanced to produce the constraints, the Internet's impact on those interests and whether the impact suggests the need for rebalancing.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Focus is ont he federal budget process, political interactions, and public policy outcomes. The budget represents nearly one-quarter of GDP making those decisions central to the functioning of our democracy and the health of our economy. Emphasis is on the Congressional budget process, appropriations process, and revenue decision-making because the Constitution establishes Congress as the guardian of the nation's purse strings.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

A course about how the constitution, common law and statutory law provide for environmental protection and pollution prevention. Students will learn basic skills needed to understand how environmental law works, including constitutional clauses and amendments, landmark civil litigation, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, landmark civil litigation, and hazardous waste law.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course focuses on the Congressional leadership, parties in Congress and their impact on political interactions, and public policy. The course will examine the relationship between the leadership in the Congress and the powerful elements in the House and Senate such as committee chairmen and the party caucuses as well as the media and lobbyists. Emphasis is on the decades long trend toward greater political polarization and its impact on the ability of the institution to respond effectively current national problems.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will examine the changes in the US Congress in recent years, as both party unity and party polarization have grown, with particular attention to the evolution of Senate rules as the need for a 60-vote majority has become a given.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will explore legal issues affecting campaigns and elections. Among the topics covered will be the legal requirements to qualify for the ballot, campaign finance laws, challenges to candidates and ballot questions, and election recounts. Special emphasis will be given to the 2000 Presidential Recount in Florida.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This basis of this course will be in depth examinations of various conspiracies in American Politics and Culture, beginning with the Salem Witch Trials through the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy and the Sacco & Vanzetti case through the present day. Present day conspiracies will include an examination of the JFK and RFK Assassinations, the Pentagon Papers case, the Watergate Conspiracy, the Iran/Contra scandal, Whitewater and the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy,"" the World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City Bombing, Global Warming, and the 9/11 Investigation.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course examines how American governmental institutions, political actors, and processes have both shaped and responded to one of the most significant and complex issues of public policy facing the nation: immigration to the United States. This class will explore a number of intriguing and difficult policy topics related to the almost unprecedented level of immigration that the U.S. has been experiencing. The focus of the class will include the following: admissions, citizenship, deportation and detention (including that of suspected terrorists), refugee/asylum law, and highly contested issues of today, such as definitions of citizenship, immigrant rights, and border enforcement. A major objective of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to conduct their own original research in American politics by delving into some aspect of immigration as a public policy issue.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course begins with the premise that leadership is a continuous process, and that leadership can be studied, analyzed, and learned, across the public (as well as private for profit, and private non-profit) sectors. The first half of the course will, following the Northouse, Burns, and Gardner texts, delve into various theories of leadership, including the traits, skills, style, and situational approaches. We will also cover gender differences in leadership studies, and leadership ethics. The second half of the course will deal with transformational leadership, and real life (historical and recent) examples of political leadership, including Nelson Mandela, J. Robert Oppenheimer, George Washington, Margaret Thatcher, and others. There will also be in-class discussions on current challenges in public policy, asking students to envision what leadership skills they have studied that could come into play in solving these public policy challenges. During the second half of the course, students will be required to interview a leader of their choice, and, utilizing the material covered during the course, write a paper based on the interview.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will teach the students the importance of legislative advocacy to effect political and policy change and the important role advocacy plays in making our democracy transparent and accessible. The course will explore the various role and interplay between the political branches and the functions they perform individually as part of the overall democratic/political system. Through a combination of lecture, guest speakers, observation attendance at legislative sessions and hearing; and journal keeping, students will learn and see first-hand how local government, grassroots organizations, media, and one citizen can bring about change, solve problems, and make a positive contribution to our community.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Covers the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, known as the "Reconstruction amendments." This course focuses upon these three critical amendments, with an eye towards their importance in framing race-based rights, and the 14th with regard to gender-based rights. It emphasizes the politics of these amendments' language, ratification, and impact (including their 130-year interpretation by the Supreme Court.) The course treats the U.S. Constitution dynamically, as a political and social educator. It also examines the extent to which the Constitution could be viewed as "race-" or "gender-blind."

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

The object of this course is to teach the students the history of the District and Municipal Courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the important role they play in their respective communities throughout the state. The course will explore the various departments within each court and the functions they perform individually and as part of the overall court system. Through a combination of lecture, guest speakers, courtroom observation and journal keeping, students will learn and see first-hand how the local community courts dispenses justice, solves problems and makes a positive contribution to the communities they serve.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Political campaigns aim for votes, but they run on money. This course will introduce students to the basic elements of political fundraising: how to identify potential donors, small personal appeals through events to direct mail, along with the basic legal rules about fundraising, such as contribution limits, record keeping and reporting requirements. Students in this course will also examine the influence of money and PACs on politics and public policy, and will consider the relative advantages and disadvantages of other possible systems of campaign finance, both as practiced today in other countries and as proposed by reformers in the United States. Open to graduate students only.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

When the German Democratic Republic was founded in 1949, observers in the West viewed it as an artificial construct created to serve the needs of the Soviet empire. The self-image of the GDR as created by its leadership revolved around the idea of an anti-fascist German state designed as a bulwark against any revival of National Socialism. Over a generation after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is possible to undertake a dispassionate analysis of the forty-year history of the "other" German state as manifested in its cultural identity and political role during the Cold War.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of Comparative Politics and International Relations, this course will focus on a critical analysis of contemporary forms of resistance politics, such as those culminating in popular struggles for peace, democracy, human rights, economic justice, gender equality, environment, and the rights of indigenous peoples.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course will examine US relations with East Asia through the lens of leading International Relations theories. We will analyze the growing regional influence of China, and will also examine the foreign policies of major regional powers including South and North Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. By exploring the economic and political factors that are working to shape the dynamic East Asian regional order, we will gain an understanding of the challenges faced by the US in this economically and strategically pivotal region.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

What is the relationship between philosophy and Islam? Does the divine law (Shari'a) need to be supplemented with purely rational reflections on the nature and purpose of political life? What is the place of toleration and individual rights in the Islamic legal and philosophic tradition? We will explore these and similar questions by focusing on two particularly fertile periods of Islamic thought--the encounter of Islam with Greek philosophy in the classical period and its encounter with modern secular West in late modernity.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

What is the role of the international community in nation building? Who are the key nation building actors? Who should pay for nation building? How long should it take? And what are the main reasons for success and failure in nation building? This course will investigate these questions, looking especially at the cases of the former Soviet Central Asia and Afghanistan. Students will learn about one of the most pressing issues of the contemporary world, with an eye toward helping students navigate a globalized world.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course discusses terrorism and extremism in South and Central Asia as forms of political violence and its effects on the security of the region and the world. Students will develop a working definition of terrorism and extremism and analyze tenets of states security policies. They will study the history of origin, political, economic and social causes of terrorism, the nature of Islamist terrorist organizations, their strategic goals, motivations, and the threats they pose to peace and development from the point of view of international relations and comparative politics. On the base of case studies and class discussions, students examine theories and instances of ideological, religious, and political extremism as a foundation for terrorism. Through thorough investigation of different cases students will acquire unique knowledge of the Al-Qaedan threat in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia, as well as activities of groups as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Individual program of reading, research and writing on an approved topic, under the supervision of a member of the department. Topic and assignments are to be determined by the faculty member and student.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

An intensive off-campus experience, normally of two-weeks duration, arranged through a qualified agency in Washington, D.C. Topics vary. Students will be graded by both an on-site evaluator and an assigned Government Department faculty member. Students are normally required to keep a journal of the off-campus experience and to write a significant research paper based on the topic of the academic seminar upon their return.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Students must see the professor to get required Washington Center Application

Course Credits

3.00- 6.00

Description

An opportunity to do an internship through the Washington Center at either the Republican National Convention or the Democratic National convention. Graduate students will learn what goes on behind the scenes and interact with important public figures that are influential in setting public policy at various levels of government. They will spend a week prior to the convention studying the electoral process, familiarizing themselves with convention operations and preparing for their convention fieldwork assignments. In addition they will hear from a wide variety of speakers, including members of the media, party officials, and other political personalities. Students are then assigned as volunteers to assist with the work of the convention the second week. Normally offered every four years.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

completion of all other course work for the MSPS/ thesis option, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and permission of the department's Director of Graduate Studies.

Course Credits

6.00

Description

Intensive reading, under the guidance of a faculty member, of advanced scholarly literature in the subfield of the student's intended master's thesis.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Specially arranged study trip to a foreign country for the purpose of obtaining knowledge through direct experience and observation. Includes pre-arranged site visits, meetings, required reading and written assignments. Offered as opportunities arise.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Instructor's consent and approval of the Director of Graduate studies required.

Course Credits

3.00

Description

Individual program of reading, research and writing on an approved topic, under the supervision of a member of the department. Topic and assignments are to be determined by the faculty member and student.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

3.00

Description

This course is fast-paced, highly interactive, multi-media and thought provoking. We apply the traditional academic requirements at The Washington Center, while adding the unique elements that allow you to connect with students at other universities. This course offers interesting guests, lively discussions, thoughtful debates, historic video from C-SPAN and the National Archives. As we examine and analyze the political, legislative and social issues facing our country, we will take an in-depth look at the issues and events shaping the agenda for next Congress & the next round of elections. Our focus will also include the historical process of public policy making, as well as an intense examination on the changing role of media, especially social media, in shaping public opinion.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

GVT 907

Course Credits

6.00

Description

Completion of a Master's thesis. Students interested in writing a thesis should consult the department about requirements of the thesis option Government 957 can only be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Term Offered

Prerequisites

Course Credits

0.00

Description

0 credit course for graduate students who are writing a thesis or internship report that need to be considered full-time. They will be charged for 1 credit, but earn 0 and are not graded.

Term Offered