POLS-BC3417 Sovereignty and Its Challenges. The assumption that states maintain control over their sovereign affairs is still widely held in international relations theory and practice, yet in our era a variety of external actors regularly violate state sovereignty, pressure governments and/or otherwise challenge their domestic policy autonomy and authority. The politics surrounding sovereignty remains contentious: advocates of global governance often champion the spread of international norms and standards, support the political conditions imposed by international organizations and champion the universal liberal values diffused by transnational activists and non-governmental organizations. On the other hand, nationalists and populists decry globalism and the array of external influences that scrutinize or constrain domestic policymaking.

This course explores the many ways in which the traditional political, economic and security functions of states are contested and reconfigured by contemporary external actors and pressures. In some cases, states quite willingly choose to cede their sovereignty, whereas others have conditions and policies externally imposed upon on them. The course investigates why the question of state sovereignty becomes politically salient in some eras but not others, explores how it influences international policymakers and domestic politicians, and considers how these debates about sovereignty and sovereign influences impact the ongoing transformation of the US-led liberal international order and global governance.

The first part of the course examines the political pressures on contemporary states exerted by international rankings and ratings, democracy monitors and Western NGOs and advocacy organizations. The second part concentrates on economic challenges to sovereignty, including the growing use of sanctions by the United States and its Western allies and China’s growing overseas investment and development assistance through its Belt and Road Initiative. The third part examines security issues including the politics of regional security organizations, the politics of overseas military bases and the ongoing global reaction and response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1601 Introduction to International Relations or
equivalent

Time: Mondays 10:10 AM - 12:00 PM

POLS-BC3117 American Political Thought. This course is a study of the development of American political ideas, through critical analysis of the writings of intellectuals and political leaders from the American Founding to the present. As our central theme, we will focus on the traditions of American Political Thought (APT) as simultaneously theorizing freedom and liberty on the one hand, and intense, often violent forms of domination on the other, especially domination on the basis of race. Consequently, we will devote time to both classic readings in APT (the Founders, Tocqueville, Lincoln, etc.) and to multiple strands of US political thinking that challenge the dominant narratives of APT. In analyzing the competing traditions of equality and inequality in theory, we will also explore the connections between this theory and practices of equality and inequality.

Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1101 Introduction to Political Theory or
equivalent

Time: Tuesdays 4:10 - 6:00 PM

POLS-BC3315 Theories of Punishment and the American Carceral State. Why do we punish? How do we justify it? Is punishment, ultimately, good? In this course, we will examine a range of philosophical treatments of punishment, texts in political theory and contemporary case studies (involving issues like corporal punishment, symbolic punishment, outgroup alienation) in order to better triangulate the very function of punishment in society. We will begin with the thesis that punishment, as a whole, is good: the rehabilitative and restorative traditions, along with relevant readings from thinkers like Kant and Hegel, articulate the moral and social benefits of punishment. As the semester proceeds, we will look to more instrumental utilizations of punishment, as referenced by utilitarian and deterrent traditions along with readings from Bentham and Machiavelli. Finally, we will look to historical genealogies of punishment coming out of Nietzsche and Foucault, which argue that our received understandings of punishment are predicated on a contingent history of conflicting narratives that ultimately has come to deny or exploit us. As we confront this broad spectrum of viewpoints, from 'punishment as a possibility for righting the soul' to 'punishment as a vector of power exerted upon us', we will continually revisit the questions of why we punish and to what end we punish.

Questions relevant to contemporary politics to highlight: What political ramifications does punishing someone have? What effect does the rally-round-the-flag effect have? What happens when we punish other groups symbolically or physically? Can punishment be justified even if the accused is innocent? What forms of punishment are defensible? What does a philosophy of punishment have to do with mass incarceration? Should prisons be abolished? 

Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1101 Introduction to Political Theory or
equivalent

Time: Fridays 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM

POLS-BC3445 Gender and Public Policy. In this course, we will examine how notions of sex and gender have shaped public policies, and how public policies have affected the social, economic, and political citizenship of women in the United States over time. We will think in depth about equality what this concept means in the context of gender and politics, to what extent it should be the primary goal of gender-related policy, and the role of government in its promotion. Course materials consider challenges faced by those who identify as women as compared to men, and also diversity of experiences among self-identified women. Students are also encouraged to think critically about how the questions we ask and the answers we get might change if we move beyond the gender binary. We’ll also take a step back and consider how we know what we know, what might be missed by the way we currently measure and study gender and politics, and how important events and people are understood, taught, and remembered. By the end of the semester, students should acquire a broad understanding of gender and public policy in the United States as well as knowledge and tools to consider how the field might evolve moving forward.

Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1201 Introduction to American Politics

Time: Mondays 2:10 - 4:00 PM

POLS-BC3801 Politics of Economic Development in the World. This undergraduate colloquium aims to study political and social factors behind economic development and exam empirical cases of the success and failure in economic growth to understand the key features as well as causes and consequences of the development processes.

 In the last two centuries, some countries successfully achieved economic growth and development, while others failed to do so. Even in the post-WWII period, the world has witnessed the rise and decline of economies around the world. Why do nations succeed or fail in economic development? How do political institutions affect economic outcomes? Is a strong state necessary for economic development? What are the ways in which the state and market interact and influence each other? Can democracy be considered a cause of development, an outgrowth of development, or neither and to which extent? How do external factors such as foreign aid encourage or discourage development? We will try to examine these questions by taking a historical-institutional and comparative approach and take a critical look at the role of political and other institutions by applying theoretical guidelines and empirical cases. We will explore competing explanations for the successes and failures of economic development in the world.

Prerequisite Course: POLS- UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics or 
equivalent

Time: Wednesdays 4:10 - 6:00 PM

POLS-BC3118 Problems in International Security. This course focuses on the military and security-related actions and relationships of powerful states in the international system. It examines how and why states use tools, including wars and invasions, alliances, economic sanctions, nuclear weapons, and cyber conflict, to attempt to preserve their own security or enhance their power, and what the (sometimes unintended) effects of their actions are. While we cannot cover the full gamut of relevant topics in the time available, this colloquium begins to approach these issues by analyzing selected current and recent events, using theories drawn from social science and the policy world. The course's primary goals are to use examples of current international security issues to develop students' ability to analyze and critique competing cause-and-effect arguments, and to pose their own causal arguments based on independent research of the existing secondary-source literature.

Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1601 Introduction to International Relations or
equivalent

Time: Tuesdays 10:10 AM - 12:00 PM

POLS-BC3428 Foreign Policy of India. India is an aspiring major power with the world’s largest population, fifth largest economy, and third largest military. The country is pivotal to the shifting geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region and has emerged as a key (albeit reluctant) U.S. partner in its competition with China.
 
This course explores India’s relationship with the world. It is divided into two main parts. The first part will focus on the origins, logic, and drivers of India’s foreign policy, including domestic politics, leadership, and institutions. The second part will examine India's salient challenges in its quest to become a "leading" power in global affairs, including nuclearization, the Sino-Indian rivalry, and the Indo-U.S. partnership.

Pre-Requisite Course: POLS-UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics or
equivalent

Time: Mondays 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM

POLS-BC3554 Politics, Violence, and Conflict in South Asia. This class examines key questions in the study of political order and disorder in South Asia, with a focus on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. The course has three main parts. We examine the factors that explain variation in state formation, political order, and regime type across these cases. Second, we examine various forms of internal conflict in South Asia, including state repression, ethnic riots, civil wars, and insurgencies, to shed light on their sources and drivers. The third section examines key issues in regional security, including inter-state rivalry, and nuclear deterrence. 

Pre-Requisite Course: POLS-UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics or
equivalent

Time: Tuesdays 4:10 - 6:00 PM