DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES - FALL Page 1 of 18

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1 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC An introduction to political systems in both the developed and developing world. The course will focus on key political structures and the determinants of political behavior, including constitutions, ideologies, elections, legislatures, courts, and executive-legislative relations. Country cases will be used as examples and discussed in the context of thematic issues. Emphasis will be on learning to understand and analyze the politics of diverse countries and political systems as expressions of common motivations shaped by history and context. Multi-disciplinary thinking-including the examination of the interaction of politics, history, sociology, and economics-will be encouraged. A student earning credit for PLSC 113 may not earn credit for PLSC 118 or SOC 118. Course appropriate for first year students. PLSC Introduces major topics in the study of world politics including the role of power in international relationships; the importance of the state in the international arena; sources, causes, and consequences of war; international political economy; international diplomacy and institutions; and current global conflicts. Also introduces students to the social scientific approach to understanding these issues. Course appropriate for first year students. Page 1 of 18

2 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC Explorations of the sources of public opinion and political behavior through primarily psychological theories about personality, cognition, attitudes, learning, social influence and group dynamics. Topics covered include public opinion, political obedience, political tolerance, political communication and persuasion, political involvement and protest, group cooperation and conflict, and decision making. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. PLSC This course will examine the actors and processes that shape US Foreign policy. The goal of this course is for students to become comfortable assessing and evaluating arguments found in the literature, as well as developing a better understanding of contemporary issues confronting US foreign policy makers. To accomplish this goal students will become familiar with the various international and domestic influences that contribute to shaping US foreign policy. Students will also examine how the influence of such forces differs across various issue areas. The course will focus primarily on understanding the evolution of US foreign policy over the course of the 20th century and into the present. Open to Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Page 2 of 18

3 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC Examines the decisions of the United States Supreme Court dealing with individual rights and civil liberties. The cases dealt with include those governing the right to privacy, the rights of the criminally accused and discrimination, among others. No previous knowledge of the courts or constitutional law is assumed. Open to Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Prerequisites: PLSC 111 OR PLSC 382M PLSC This course covers political and economic transformation and development in the states that emerged in the wake of the Soviet collapse. There will be four primary areas of focus: the Soviet collapse, heterogeneity among successor states, parties and elections, and the political economy of the economic reform. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. PLSC Academic credit for a formal seminar taken in conjuncton with a structured, off-campus internship program (e.g., SUNY Brockport's Washington Program, New York Assemby of Senate Internship Programs). Prerequisites: political science major; three related courses in political science; junior standing at the start of the internship; and an overall GPA of 3.0. Corequisites: PLSC 392 and PLSC 394. Page 3 of 18

4 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 380B This course is an introduction to international political economy, the study of the interaction between politics and economics, government and market. We will explore how political processes impact economic decisionmaking and how economic forces influence political decisions and outcomes. More specifically, the course will focus on such topics as: theories of political economy, foreign economic policies, international monetary policy, globalization and international trade, international organizations (the World Trade Organization the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund); multinational corporations (MNCs), economic development, and economic power. A special goal of this course will be to teach students how to critically assess and evaluate economic policies and a variety of concrete issues in the contemporary political economy environment. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. PLSC 380Q This course examines how violent conflict arises, how it is resolved, and how sometimes it is avoided altogether. The focus is on interstate and intrastate war. The course will simultaneously explore historical material and theories of conflict behavior. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Page 4 of 18

5 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 380Y Starting with the third wave of democratization, we have seen remarkable democratic movements in all regions of the world, including the once communist Eastern Europe and marginalized Africa. However, human right abuses, corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech, poverty of millions of citizens still continue unabated in many of these newly democratic countries. Even if electoral democracy has prevailed, challenges to democratic consolidation, such as the weakness of civil society, civil-military relations, threats of economic reforms, institutional weaknesses have created new variants of democracy that widely diverge from our understanding of Western democracy. In this class, we will examine the concept of democracy and hinge upon the measurement problems in the literature; we will study core theories on democratization, with an emphasis on how each views the causes and consequences of transition and lastly we will cover the challenges to democratic consolidation, picking case studies that will reflect Page 5 of 18

6 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 382M In this course students will be introduced to the theories underlying American criminal law as well the essential principles. We will be exploring some of the explanations for criminal punishment and the students will learn to apply legal rules to factual situations. We will also examine and discuss other salient issues in contemporary criminal justice, public policy, and legal discourse. This course has three primary aims: (1) that the student attains a basic understanding of criminal law and the rationales underlying criminal punishment, (2) that the student attains an ability to critically analyze legal case law and apply legal principles to factual situations, and (3) that the student can discuss legal and policy issues in a disciplined and cogent manner. Open to Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. PLSC 387F This course will trace the evolution of major themes and issues in feminist political theory from their classical "male stream" roots. While it is undeniable that feminist political theory has made original and pathbreaking discoveries on its own, it is also true that feminist political theory has been largely shaped both by and against the political theories that preceded or coincided with it. In addition, this course will trace the genealogy of major debates within feminist political theory and explore the shortcomings as well as the unexplored possibilities in classical political theory. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Page 6 of 18

7 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 389K Power and political participation in Africa. The colonial background and its political consequences. The pre-colonial continuities in post-colonial politics. Class versus ethnicity in African politics. The one-party versus the multiparty state. Can there be a no-party state? Socio-cultural versus socio-economic ideologies. The gender question in African politics. The soldier and the state. The politics of HIV/AIDS. The African political experience in a global context. Africa s Triple Heritage, the role of Islam, and the politics of counterterrorism. Africa and globalization. Barack Obama s America and Africa after the Cold War. Open to Political Science, PPL, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. PLSC 389L Since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, environmental issues have been a major social and political issue in developed and developing countries, affecting internal political agendas and external relations, and generating diverse domestic and global social movements focused on ownership, control of access, and the institutional context of decision-making about how land, water and other natural resources are used. Examples include land struggles of indigenous peoples, formation of green political parties, and activism on behalf of animal rights, among others. This course will explore the social origins and impacts of movements and organizations shaped by environmental concerns, with an emphasis on their conflicting and converging goals, tactics, strategies, ideologies and constituencies. Open to Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Page 7 of 18

8 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC Advanced seminar devoted to the decision making on the Supreme Court, with classroom simulations of the agenda-setting process and decision making on the merits. Students will conduct original legal research of their own as they prepare for the classroom simulations and produce simulated legal memoranda. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. Prerequisite: PLSC 331 OR PLSC 333 OR PLSC 382M AND junior or senior standing. PLSC Examines the structure and functions of American political parties, their electoral and policy-making roles and their adaptations to changing legal environment. Readings and discussions will focus on the role that parties play in modern American politics at both the individual and governmental level. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. Page 8 of 18

9 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC American democracy promises to deliver fair and effective representation to all citizens. Equal voting rights are a prerequisite for making good on this promise. This seminar will trace the legal and political maneuverings that have taken place over two critical issues: (1) extensions of the franchise granting women, African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans their right to vote, and (2) assurances that all votes will be accorded equal weight ensuring that malapportionment, gerrymandering, and other manipulative techniques do not unduly interfere with providing effective representation. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. PLSC 485T Introduces students to major topics in the comparative political economy of industrialized democracies with an emphasis on the trade-off between equality and efficiency. Pays specific attention to institutions and the different arrangements between social coalitions, governments, and firms. We will then concentrate on changes in the strategies of firms, labor unions, and governments resulting from involvement in a global market. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. Page 9 of 18

10 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 486E This advanced undergraduate seminar focuses on the interaction between international economic integration and interstate conflict. Proponents of free trade argue that the exchange of goods and services benefits all and will lead to more peaceful relations among states. Skeptics point out that trade and investment may also be used as weapons, for example in the form of economic sanctions. Moreover, states may clash over the control of natural resources. We will explore these arguments and assess how well they are supported by evidence. Students will have the opportunity to critically evaluate historical and current cases of foreign policy-making. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. PLSC 486H This class will examine the impact the U.S. rivalry with the Soviet Union between 1945 and 1990 had on American political life. In addition to reading historical and social science research on the topic, students will examine changing American practices and attitudes on many political issues by watching a series of movies on these issues. The issues to be covered include military service, foreign aid, interventions, and internal security, among others. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. Page 10 of 18

11 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 486N The course explores international institutions (broadly defined) that have emerged in different issue-areas around the world, by closely examining each institution in its own right from a historical perspective and by comparing them with one another along different dimensions. The course also reviews major theories that have informed the study of institutions and the debates about their contemporary relevance. Open to juniors and seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors). Others permitted by petition. PLSC 389N The institutional setting that defines the rules of the political game in Israel is complicated, mostly unstructured, based on many veto players and agenda setters, showing a constant conflict between the dynamics of change and stagnation. The players in this setting (individuals and organizations alike) maneuver within political, social and economic crises, while trying to mitigate a society characterized with overlapping and crosscutting cleavages. Using the conceptual toolbox brought forth by rationalchoice institutionalism, this course studies the players interacting in the Israeli case (voters, activists, party elites, parties, members of Knesset and their factions, government ministers, premiers and judges) and the rules of the game that guide them (historical traditions, social identities, the basic laws and the electoral method). This analysis uses rational-choice institutionalism concepts, comparative data and in-depth empirical study (qualitative and quantitative) of the Israeli case. Page 11 of 18

12 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 485H Despite impressive achievements in terms of economic growth, low unemployment and continuous prosperity, Israel's political-administrative system has shown on-going weakness in policy design and implementation. This is manifested through elected governments being replaced every two years on average, decreasing levels of popular support for the government and its organizations, increasing level of delegation of authorities from elected politicians to bureaucrats and implementation of policies mostly if the bureaucrats desire them. The actual effect of all these factors is the lack of governments' ability to design and implement policies recognized as critical by Israel's political mainstream regarding social inequality, structural reforms and the Arab- Israeli conflict. We will study the Israeli case using empirical findings from comparative research regarding the interaction between politicians and bureaucrats, analytical models brought forth by public choice theory as well as qualitative and quantitative data PLSC Examines the nature and dynamics of public opinion in American politics with a focus on the major trends in public opinion since World War II. Students examine different approaches to measuring and understanding what drives public opinion. Moreover, they focus on the effects of public opinion on the political process, including public policy and elections. Open to Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors. Freshman and others admitted only with permission of instructor. Page 12 of 18

13 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 389E This course is designed to introduce Korean politics to students who are interested in understanding Korea, a divided country whose political fate has tightly been interwoven with American foreign policy. While the primary focus will be placed on examining the politics of contemporary period, this course will survey how the tumultuous history of modern Korea has contributed to the complexities of present political conditions, both in the north and the south. The course is structured to understand the questions of Japanese colonialism, the Korean War and national division, economic growth under military dictatorships, political democratization in the late 1980s, the intricacy of inter-korean relations, and the US involvement in the politics of the Korean peninsula. To facilitate students understanding of these complexities, this course incorporates readings, movies, and documentaries that depict the turbulent political experiences Korea underwent over the last several decades. PLSC 181A This is an interdisciplinary course which has two main objectives. The first is to serve as an introduction into Latin America, emphasizing its history, politics, economics, and culture. First, we begin Latin America in its Pre- Columbian era while shifting into the Colonial/Columbian Period of Colonization focusing heavily at how colonial legacies have shaped the region s political, economic, and cultural development. As such, an array of Latin American facets/components of history including but not limited to state formation, race/ethnicity, gender relations, religions/epistemologies, and new social movements will be focused on. Page 13 of 18

14 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC Writing Emphasis Course: This course is a broad survey of some of the major themes in African and African Diasporic experiences over the course of time. It centers on movements, systems, and ideas that have transcended national, continental and oceanic boundaries-including culture and identity, politics, religion and art, slavery and emancipation, colonialism and nationalism. The methods of organization are thematic and chronological. Overall, the course is an introduction to the making of the African world, from the standpoint of black experiences globally. PLSC 481R This course will explore some of the pressing legal issues that today confront American institutions of higher education. The course will focus upon how courts have attempted to balance the sometimes competing rights / responsibilities of institutions, faculty / staff and students. Issues to be explored include: first amendment rights of students, academic freedom of faculty, search and seizure issues in residence halls, affirmative action in admissions, regulation of athletics, privacy issues, religious freedom on campus, rights of students with disabilities and institutional liability for student behavior. Open to seniors only (Political Science, PPL, ENVI, Dual Diploma majors).others permitted by petition. Page 14 of 18

15 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 380V To help juniors, seniors, and graduate students understand the growth of the international community under law, this course examines issues of criminality by states and their leaders as presented first at the Nuremberg and Tokyo international war crimes trials and various national military commission trials held at the end of World War II. It seeks to probe issues of political justice and problems arising from the grant of immunity for officials and states engaged in violations of international criminal law and international humanitarian law. We focus on cases from World War II, the Vietnam War, and the two major U.S. wars and occupations of the post-cold war era, Afghanistan and Iraq. Format: This is a Composition course with weekly discussion of short (1.5 p.) reports on assigned readings plus three assessed essays (8 pages each) and opportunity to rewrite. Final grades are calculated on the basis of the three papers plus the quality of class preparation and participation. Page 15 of 18

16 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 281F This class will teach you how to form arguments, different styles of argumentation, how to speak in public, and about U. S.-Sino international relations in the areas of trade, human rights, weapons non-proliferation and Taiwan. You will also learn how to debate abiding to the Cross- Examination Debate Association and the National Debate Tournament's rules. Ultimately, the course allows students to compete two to a team against each other, proposing what the U. S. federal government should do in response to a given topic area. Traditionally, it requires teams to think of and research policy proposals, causing an in-depth knowledge of issues surrounding any given situation. In recent years, more alternative approaches have been taken by some debaters that call for individual, not governmental, action to solve problems. Prior knowledge of U. S. -Sino relations or philosophy is helpful but not needed since the course will provide all background information necessary to debate. Page 16 of 18

17 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION PLSC 281F This course offers an expansive view from the Renaissance from its origins in Italy to the first stirrings of the Enlightenment in the Netherlands. A study of the history of civilization, the course will relate cultural change to economic, social, political and religious developments. There will be special emphasis on the paradox of Italy's cultural influence and its political fragmentation, and upon the symbiotic relationship with other parts of Europe (chiefly western). The theme of study is the way in which changing (and not always evolving) views of the classical tradition have come to define our sense of "ancient", "medieval" and "modern" history. Format: Two lectures per week. Examinations: One mid-term and one final. Paper: One essay of c.2,000 words. Corequisites: N/A Reading: Clark, CIVILISATION; THE VIKING PORTABLE RENAISSANCE READER; Burke, THE RENAISSANCE; Dickens, THE AGE OF HUMANISM AND REFORMATION; Holmes, RENAISSANCE; ASTON, PANORAMA OF THE RENAISSANCE; Burckhardt, THE CIVILISATION OF THE RENA PLSC 382L This course is designed to familiarize students with issues pertaining to women who come in contact with the U.S. criminal justice system. It focuses on the inter-relationship between gender, ethnicity, race, class and sexual orientation/preference and on how these influence the causes for which women are arrested and incarcerated, the punishment they receive, the treatment they face once institutionalized and their responses to imprisonment. Required films/documentaries will complement required readings. Some required films/videos will not be available outside class times. You are, therefore, expected to be in class when they are scheduled to be shown. Page 17 of 18

18 DUAL-DIPLOMA PROGRAMS POLITICAL SCIENCE S - FALL 2011 DESCRIPTION Not: 400 Level courses are open to 4th year students ONLY! Page 18 of 18