Political Science

The academic discipline of political science contributes to a liberal education by introducing College students to concepts, methods, and knowledge that help them understand and judge politics within and among nations. A Bachelor of Arts degree in political science can lead to professional or graduate school in various disciplines, or contribute to careers in such fields as government, journalism, politics, education, business, and law.

Courses. A concentration in political science requires eleven courses: nine political science courses and two additional social sciences courses from outside of political science. Two of the nine political science courses may be selected from courses offered outside of political science that are clearly related to the student's area of interest and have a significant political science content or focus. Prior approval of the concentration chair is required. Students are strongly advised to use this opportunity to take two quarters of the Western civilization sequence or a non-Western civilization sequence.

Course Distribution. The Department of Political Science believes that an undergraduate education in politics should include some familiarity with theoretical approaches to politics, with the politics of one's own country, with the politics of other countries, and with politics among nations. It therefore requires that of the nine political science courses required, at least one course be taken in three of the following four subfields. To identify the subfields, refer to the boldface letter at the end of each course description.

A. Empirical and Normative Political Theory: the history of ancient and modern political philosophy, the history of American political thought, and several varieties of contemporary political theory

B. American Politics and Public Policy: American political institutions, behavior, opinions, development, and public policy

C. Comparative Politics: the politics of particular foreign countries and regions and the comparative study of particular political phenomena such as leadership or state formation

D. International Relations: theoretical approaches to the study of politics among nations, the international relations of particular regions, the foreign policies of particular countries, and such topics as international political economy and military security

*Attendance is also required at two meetings with the B.A. preceptors and concentration chair during the spring quarter of the junior year.

Grading. Two of the nine required courses in political science may, with the consent of the instructor, be graded P/F.

Reading and Research Courses. For students with a legitimate interest in pursuing a program of study that cannot be fulfilled by means of regular courses, there is the option of devising a reading and research course, to be taken individually and supervised by a member of the political science faculty. Such a course requires the approval of the political science concentration chair and the prior consent of the instructor with whom the student would like to study. Political Science 297 is a general reading and research course for independent study not related to the B.A. paper or B.A. research. Political Science 299 is a reading and research course related to B.A. research and B.A. paper preparation. Please note that only one reading and research course may count toward the concentration requirements.

Junior Year. During the spring quarter of the junior year, all prospective political science concentrators are required to attend two meetings with the B.A. preceptors and the concentration chair (these meetings will be widely publicized). The first meeting will provide a general introduction and information on the B.A. paper process. The second meeting will focus on doing research in political science. These meetings are designed to encourage initial thinking on the B.A. paper. By the end of the eighth week of the spring quarter of the junior year, all concentrators must have chosen a faculty adviser and received written approval from the faculty adviser and the preceptor for the B.A. paper proposal. A copy of the approved proposal must be filed with the department (P 401). Failure to attend the meetings and have an approved B.A. paper proposal by the deadline will prevent a student from concentrating in political science. Students not in residence in the spring quarter prior to their fourth year should be in correspondence with the concentration chair about their plans for the B.A. paper before the end of the spring quarter.

B.A. Colloquium and B.A. Paper. All concentrators must register for and participate in the B.A. Colloquium (Political Science 298) in the autumn and winter quarters of their senior year. This colloquium, which may be organized along methodological or field lines, is designed to help students carry out their B.A. paper research. It will meet weekly in the autumn quarter and biweekly in the winter quarter. The final grades for the colloquium will be based on the grade given the B.A. paper by the faculty adviser, and a grade assigned by the B.A. preceptor based on the student's contribution to the colloquium. The final deadline for submission of the B.A. paper is the Friday of the eighth week of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate (see honors deadline below). This deadline represents a final, formal submission; students should expect to submit and defend substantial drafts much earlier. One copy of the B.A. paper must be submitted to the department office (P 401) for delivery to the appropriate faculty adviser. The B.A. paper page requirement is thirty to fifty pages, with the upper limit being firm.

Honors. Students who have done exceptionally well in their course work and have written an outstanding B.A. paper are recommended for special honors in political science. Faculty readers will nominate B.A. papers that appear to be of particular distinction. If the Honors Committee concurs and the corresponding grade point average is 3.25 or better in the concentration, the student may graduate with special honors; there is no required overall grade point average. To be considered for honors, students must submit two copies of their B.A. paper by Friday of the fifth week of the quarter in which they expect to graduate.

210. Environmental Ethics (=EnvStd 242, NCD 215, PolSci 210, PubPol 242). This course traces the historical and theoretical foundations of environmental philosophy and introduces students to ethical debates that frame contemporary problems in environmental policy. Included are the concepts of biocentric and ecocentric versus anthropocentric ethics; deep ecology; the granting of legal and moral standing to nature; animal rights and vegetarianism; instrumental versus intrinsic value; preservationism and conservationism; duty to present versus future generations; non-Western environmental values; and ecological versus economic rationality. The political and international ramifications of these issues are considered further in PolSci 211. M. Scully. Winter. (B)

211. Environmental Politics (=EnvStd 243, LL/Soc 245, NCD 211, PolSci 211, PubPol 243). Major domestic and international environmental issues are analyzed from a variety of theoretical perspectives: democratic values and public opinion, law and governmental regulation, institutions and regimes, environmental justice and human rights, environmental movements and activism, ecological sustainability, rights to development, and environmental security. Judicial decisions, treaties, and international declarations are used as illustrative cases. M. Scully. Spring. (B)

212. Is Development Sustainable? (=BigPro 234, EnvStd 244, HiPSS 234, LL/Soc 246, NCD 273, PolSci 212, PubPol 244). PQ: Fourth-year standing and consent of instructors. This is a discussion course intended for senior students without an environmental background. Taught by a political scientist, a computer scientist, and a biologist, its aim is to develop skills in analyzing "big problems" which surpass the scope of traditional disciplines and single paradigms. Big environmental problems include human population growth, the unintended consequences of technology, the conflict between economic development and the preservation of our habitat, and choices regarding the allocation of resources to present versus future needs. M. Scully, T. Steck, W. Sterner. Spring. (B)

214/324. World Politics in the Nineteenth Century. This course provides an overview of major developments in nineteenth-century history: wars, revolutions, diplomacy, economic development, imperial expansion, and international trade and investment. We cover key elements of international history needed for further study of international politics and IR theory. Besides diplomatic relations among the Great Powers, the course examines long-term trends in economic development and military force. Specific topics include the settlement after the Napoleonic Wars, the failed revolutions of 1848 to 1849, European imperialism, the industrial revolution, and the origins of World War I. C. Lipson. Autumn. (D)

215/325. World Politics in the Twentieth Century. The course provides a survey of major wars, the development of states' military and financial capacity, the course of imperial expansion and retreat, diplomatic alignments and alliances, arrangements for international trade and investment, as well as efforts to create international institutions. This course covers the period from the World War I through the cold war. The course deals with key elements of international history needed for further study of international politics and IR theory, including long-term trends in diplomacy, economic development, and military force. C. Lipson. Winter. (D)

217. The Politics of Social Movements (=LL/Soc 249, PolSci 217). The goal of this course is to introduce students to the study of social movements in both contemporary and historical contexts. Although classroom discussion covers theoretical traditions in the literature, the readings primarily emphasize empirical cases such as agrarian and labor protest, the civil rights movement, and feminism. Since the object of the course is to learn to analyze concrete cases in a theoretically informed manner, a substantial amount of class time is devoted to discussion. J. Kenny. Winter. (C)

218. Global Governance (=LL/Soc 250, PolSci 218). This course examines the international system from a governance perspective. The term "governance" encompasses questions of basic social order and effective joint problem-solving, as well as more normative or evaluative questions of membership, justice, responsibility and accountability. Realists tend to be pessimistic about the possibilities for sustained cooperation among states, much less governance. Liberals tend to see governance in terms of contracting issues and solving collective action problems. This course looks at three broad issues: membership, intervention, and political participation. J. Mitzen. Spring. (D)

220. Applied Ethics and Public Policy. The aim of this course is to assess some of the important issues currently under debate in the field of ethics and public policy. These issues are ones that, for the most part, you are already familiar with, such as freedom of speech, affirmative action, multiculturalism, environmental degradation, animal reights, punishment, just was theaory, abortion and euthanasia. All of these topics remain hotly contested and present us with some of the most crucial political dilemmas of our time.Through the quarter we assess the empirical and normative aspects of these comlex issues. We examine these topics with the help of two dominant contemporary ethical theories - Utilitarianism and Human (Moral) Rights. This goal is not to arrive at definite answers, but rather to refine our understanding of the issues, questions, arguments and solutions offered in contemporary debate. Upon completing the course you will be better able to identify the foundations, strengths and weaknesses of the ethical positions that underlie the moral debates you observe in politics and encounter in everyday life. D. van Mill. Autumn. (A)

221. The Philosophy and Politics of John Locke. In this course we examine in depth the works of John Locke. While Locke remains one of the most central figures in the history of ideas, he also speaks to many of the issues of importance within contemporary political and philosophical debate. During the course fo the quarter we eamine his ideas on freedom, epistemology, goverment, justice, education, toleration, and property. D. van Mill. Autumn. (A)

223. American Law and the Rhetoric of Race (=Law 598, LL/Soc 243, PolSci 223). This course examines the ways American law has treated legal issues involving race. Two episodes are studied in detail: the criminal law of slavery during the antebellum period and the constitutional attack on state-imposed segregation in the twentieth century. The case method is used, although close attention is paid to litigation strategy and judicial opinion. D. Hutchinson. Spring. (B)

225. Law and Society (=LL/Soc 281, PolSci 225). This course examines the myriad of relationships between courts, laws, and lawyers in the United States. Issues covered range from legal consciousness to the role of rights to access to courts to implementation of decisions to professionalism. G. Rosenberg. Winter. (B)

226. Federalism in a Compartive Perspective. Federal states are prominent in many parts of the world and come in a variety of forms. This course focuses both on the essential characteristics of federalism and on the actual differences between existing federal states. After a discussion of the defining characteristics of federalism and its political and economic consequences, we will look at the experience in three established federal states (the United States, Canada, and Germany), and in two "new" ones (Russia and the European Union). For each case, we will focus on the federal organization of the policy-making process and its consequences in specific policy areas, and on current debates about possible reforms of and future prospects for each of these federal state organizations. P. van Houten. Winter. (C)

229. Critical Issues in Education (=Educ 267/367, PolSci 229). This course focuses on a central policy question: How can urban public education systems be redesigned to improve school performance? We examine this question from an institutional-political perspective, with particular attention to three sets of concerns: (1) accountability in the complex institutional-political context in which urban schools are situated; (2) distribution and division of tasks in a multilayered policy organization; and (3) equity issues in the urban school setting. K. Wong. Spring. (B)

230. Policy Analysis in Education (=Educ 266/366, PolSci 230, PubPol 260/384). This course serves as the analytical foundation for students who are interested in education policy. It introduces various analytical perspectives in the study of public policy, with particular emphasis on education. Among the approaches are institutional analysis, the bargaining model, the rational actor paradigm, the organizational bureaucratic model, and the "policy typology" school. K. Wong. Autumn. (B)

232. Political Sociology (=PolSci 232, PubPol 236/336, Sociol 235/335). PQ: Prior general social sciences course. This course provides analytical perspectives on citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory, bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of political sociology. Local, national, and cross-national analyses are explored. T. Clark. Spring. (B)

235. Public Choice (=Econ 269, PolSci 235, PubPol 258). PQ: Knowledge of microeconomics. This course is an introduction to the literature that seeks to apply the economic notion of rational choice to the context of politics and social choice. Some of the authors covered are Samuelson, Arrow, Schelling, Olson, and Downs. H. Margolis. Winter. (B)

236/336. Leadership: Ancient and Modern (=Fndmtl 282, PolSci 236/336). A reading of two of the classic treatments of political leadership: Machiavelli's The Prince and Xenophon's The Education of Cyrus. We consider such issues as the qualities needed to acquire, maintain, and increase political power; the relations between leaders and their followers; the relations between political and military leadership or, more broadly, between war and politics; the roles of morality and religion in politics; and the differences between legitimate and tyrannical rule. N. Tarcov. Autumn. (A)

237. Sartre (=Philos 212, PolSci 237). The focus of the course is on sections from Being and Nothingness dealing with the nature of consciousness, subjectivity, and interpersonal relations. Attention is also given to the novel Nausea, as well as to Sartre's later writings in social philosophy. C. Larmore. Autumn. (A)

240. Nineteenth-Century European Political Thought. We will examine the development of European political theory and philosophy in the aftermath of the French Revolution, with particular attention to the development of liberal and democratic ideas and their intersection with such themes as nationalism and the state, imperialism, gender, and class. Readings will include Kant, Hegel, Tocqueville, Mill, Marx, and other. P Markell. Winter. (A)

241. Security Studies. This course will introduce students to the study of how states provide for their security through the use of military force. The course will first explore the origin and nature of threats to states' security. It will then examine the key military strategies that states employ in attempting to deal with these threats. Finally, the course will study several historical cases of military conflict in light of its earlier theoretical and strategic findings. P. Kapur. Autumn. (D)

243. Globalization and Its Discontents. This course examines the political causes and effects of globalization, a term, referring to the cluster of political, economic, and technological changes that have greatly reduced barriers to exchange. It starts with attempts to define the globalization phenomenon, looks at the historical build-up to the reduction of international barriers, and then examines the effect of globalization on both the developed and developing world. Specific topics include: the effects of unfettered capital flows on nation-states; the validity of race-to-the-bottom phenomena; the rise of global NGOs; the question of cultural homogenization; and whether globalization is reversible. D. Drezner. Autumn. (D)

247. Asian Security. This course examines the international security environment in Asia, applying the understandings gleaned from the international relations theory, strategic studies, and regional histories to the analysis of present-day problems. Topics covered include: China's role as a possible regional hegemon; the military balance on the Korean peninsula; the India-Pakistan conflict and arms race; and Japan's staus as a past aggressor, current U.S. ally, and potential great power. P. Kapur. Winter. (D)

249. Problems of Public Policy Implementation (=PolSci 249, PubPol 223, Sociol 340). This course is a systematic examination of the interplay among the executive, the administrator, the legislator, and the public as these relationships affect policy and its undertaking. The emphasis is on the politics of administration, as well as those political forces that organize around the implementer of public policies. R. Taub. Spring. (B)

256. Urban Policy Analysis (=PolSci 256, PubPol 248/348, Sociol 256/329). This course addresses the explanations available for varying patterns of policies that cities provide in terms of expenditures and service delivery. Topics include theoretical approaches and policy options, migration as a policy option, group theory, citizen preference theory, incrementalism, economic base influences, and an integrated model. Also examined are the New York fiscal crisis and taxpayer revolts, measuring citizen preferences, service delivery, and productivity. T. Clark. Autumn. (B)

258. Losers. This is a course that reads and analyzes some of the texts of nineteenth- and twentieth-century writers who wrote on social, political, and economic problems and were important in their own time and who have had significant influence on their successors but are not included in the "canon." Writers include DeMaistre, LaSalle, Frederick Douglas, Sidgewick, Spencer, William James, Sorel, and Hannah Arendt. B. Silberman. Winter. (A)

261. To Hell with the Enlightenment: The Rise of the Aesthetic State. This course's aims are twofold: (1) to introduce the student to some of the writings attacking the Enlightenment in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and (2) show how these writings created a concept of political modernism and a theory of the aesthetic state. Among others, we read Schiller, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Croce, Mead, Mussolini, and A. Rosenberg. B. Silberman. Autumn. (A)

262. Women and the Law. PQ: PolSci 288 or equilvalent and permission of instructor. G. Rosenberg. Spring. (B)

270. Theories of International Relations. A. Wendt. Spring. (D)

273. Philosophy of Social Science and Democratic Practice (=PolSci 273, SocSci 273). This course provides an introduction to some of the most fundamental debates concerning the nature of social scientific explanation and its relationship to normative claims about the good or just society. Key issues to be addressed include the nature of political power; the viability of radical, deliberative democracy; the manufacture of consent; the ideology of work; and the social responsibility of social scientists to engage in critical opposition to prevailing political ideology. R. B. Schultz. Winter. (A)

274. Politics of Industry in Advanced Industrial States. This course surveys the experience of industrial development in the three major developed regions of the world in the twentieth century. Key themes are struggles over the control of the corporation (separation of management and ownership, codetermination, and stakeholder capitalism), differences in corporate structure (Konzern and multidivisional company, and Zaibatsu/Keiretsu), role of small and medium size firms in the economy, the development of industrial relations systems, industrial policy, and welfare state institutions. G. Herrigel. Spring. (C)

275/375. Organizational Decision Making (=PolSci 275/375, PubPol 335, Sociol 350). This course is an examination of the process of decision making in modern complex organizations such as universities, schools, hospitals, business firms, and public bureaucracies. The course also considers the impact of information, power, resources, organizational structure, and the environment, as well as alternative models of choice and other implications. J. Padgett. Autumn. (B)

278/384. Introduction to Chinese Politics. This course offers a historical and thematic survey of Chinese politics in the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to the formation of the party-state, the imposition of central planning, the Great Leap forward, the Cultural Revolution, reform and liberalization, and prospects for democracy. The discussion is framed in terms that allow comparison with other countries. D. Yang. Autumn. (C)

282. Politics and Policy (=PolSci 282, PubPol 221). PQ: PubPol 221-222-223; may be taken in sequence or individually. Public policy choices interact with politics in obvious ways (for example, elections) but also in subtler ways, turning especially on how organizations work and what governs persuasion and belief. This course surveys some key aspects of these interactions. H. Margolis. Autumn. (B)

286-287. Field Research Project in Public Policy I, II (=PolSci 286-287, PubPol 262-263/390-391). PQ: Open to non-public policy studies concentrators with consent of instructor; students must register for both quarters. Students work on a research team to prepare a report on an important public policy problem for a governmental agency, large public-interest group, or community-based organization; this project includes development and implementation of a research strategy designed to answer the policy questions. The objective is preparation of a publishable report. Projects in recent years have focused on refugee resettlement, welfare reform, and community development on the South Side of Chicago. Staff. Winter, Spring. (B)

289/399. Strategy. R. Pape. Winter. (D)

290/398. Introduction to International Relations. This course introduces the main themes in international relations, including the problems of war and peace, conflict and cooperation. The course begins by considering some basic theoretical tools used to study international politics. It then focuses on several prominent security issues in modern international relations, such as the cold war, nuclear weapons, arms control, and nationalism. The last part of the course deals with economic aspects of international relations. It concentrates on issues where politics and economics are closely intertwined: world trade, foreign investment, environmental pollution, and European unification. C. Lipson. Autumn. (D)

293/490. Politics and Society in the Soviet Union. This course, based on two weekly lectures and discussion of common readings, looks at key moments in the development and decline of the Soviet Union: the revolutions of 1917, Stalinism, problems of reform, the nature of "totalitarianism," and the Gorbachev "revolution." We investigate the relationship of politics to society, the difficulties of legitimizing an authoritarian regime, and the role of ideology. R. Suny. Spring. (C)

294/374. International Relations: Perspectives on Conflict and Cooperation (=IntStd 294/374, PolSci 294/374, SocSci 204). PQ: Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students with third- or fourth-year standing. This introductory course provides multiple perspectives on international conflict and cooperation. Initial lectures provide a basic grounding in international relations theory. Subsequent lectures provide contrasting perspectives on major themes in international politics and IR theory. These lectures are offered by different members of the university faculty, introducing major topics of their research and teaching. The course is a combination of lectures (one per week) and seminar discussions (one per week). C. Lipson. Autumn. (D)

295/397. International Relations: Transnationalism in a Post-Colonial World (=IntStd 295/397, PolSci 295/397, SocSci 205). PQ: PolSci 294 strongly recommended. Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students with third- or fourth-year standing. Dominant conceptions in international relations privilege states by treating them as natural and exclusive actors in international relations; privilege the Western world by treating it as the center; and privilege the balance of power and deterrence by treating military force as the primary means of self-help in allegedly anarchical space beyond state frontiers. This course focuses on national and transnational civil society as the arena of action. We address a variety of topics such as nationalism; transnational identities generated by migration and refugee flows; environmentalism; human rights; cyber space; religions; and internal wars. R. Khalidi. Winter. (D)

297. Independent Study/Reading Course. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and concentration chair. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This is a general reading and research course for independent study not related to the B.A. paper or B.A. research. Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

298. B.A. Colloquium. PQ: Required of fourth-year political science concentrators. The colloquium, which may be organized along methodological or field lines, meets weekly in the autumn quarter and biweekly in the winter quarter to provide students with a forum within which research problems are addressed, conceptual frameworks are refined, and drafts of the B.A. paper are presented and critiqued. Staff. Autumn, Winter.

299. Independent Study/Reading Course. PQ: Consent of instructor and concentration chair. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This is a reading and research course for independent study related to B.A. research and B.A. paper preparation. Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

311. Institutionalization of Human Rights. (=HR 205/305). This course is designed to familiarize students with the international policy area of human rights. At the center of the course are the human rights institutions of the United Nations and their evolution since 1945. A theory session at the beginning provides studrnts with analytical tools to subsequently explore the various aspects of the policy area. In the following sessions, particular attention is given to the U. N. and regional human rights mechanisms as well as the transnational non-govermental human rights movement. Important underlying themes such as the effectivness of human rights protection, the issue of cultural relativism, or different levels of institutionalization are discussed. H. Schmitz. Autumn. (D)

315. Political Philosophy: Aristotle (=Fndmtl 292, LL/Soc 292, PolSci 315). PQ: Consent of instructor. The course is a detailed study of Aristotle's Politics. J. Cropsey. Winter. (A)

317. Pragmatism (=Philos 310, PolSci 317). PQ: Advanced standing. This course focuses on the classic texts of the American pragmatists (Peirce, James, and Dewey). We examine their distinctive conceptions of belief, meaning, truth, inquiry, and community. Some attention is given to recent appropriations of pragmatist thought (Quine, Rorty, and Putnam). C. Larmore. Autumn. (A)

339. Human Rights I (=Hist 293/393, Law 412, LL/Soc 251, Philos 316, PolSci 339). This course deals with the philosophical foundations of human rights. The foundations bear on basic conceptual and normative issues. We examine the various meanings and components of human rights and the subjects, objects, and respondents of human rights. We ask questions such as: Who has the rights? What they are rights to? Who has the correlative duties? What methods of argument and implementation are available in this area? The practical implications of these theoretical issues are also explored. A. Gewirth. Autumn. (A)

340. Human Rights II (=Hist 294/394, Law 413, PolSci 340). This course is concerned with the historical evolution of the modern human rights regime. It discusses human rights origins as a product of the formation and expansion of Western nation-states. It juxtaposes the Western origins with competing, non-Western systems of thought and practices or rights. It assesses in this context the "universality" of modern human rights norms. The course proceeds to discuss human rights in its two prevalent modalities. First, it discusses rights as individual protection of personhood and the modern, Western notion of individualism entailed therein. Second, it discusses rights as they affect groups or states and limit their actions via international law (e.g., formal limitations on war). M. Geyer. Winter. (A)

341. Human Rights III (=Hist 295/395, IntRel 579, Law 479, Pathol 465, PolSci 341). This course examines the main features of the contemporary human rights system. It covers the major international treaties, and the mechanisms, international, regional, and national, established to implement them. We also discuss the uses and limitations of the international treaty system, and the relationship between international obligations and domestic implementation. Problems of rights implementation are related to issues of evidence, professional ethics and political feasibility. Legal and medical concepts are applied to topics such as torture, political repression, war crimes and genocide, refugees, women's rights, children's rights, violations of human rights within the United States, and medical ethics. J. Bhabha, R. Kirschner. Spring. (A)