COURSE OFFERINGS

111fs    Introduction to American Government and Politics    How does the American government work? An examination of the relationships among American values, politics, government institutions, and public policy. Priority to first-year students; open to others majoring in government with permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.  S.    MACKENZIE, MAISEL

131fs    Introduction to International Relations    An introduction to the major issues within the field of international relations and the theoretical approaches that have been developed to understand these issues. Four credit hours.  S.    MARCUS, QUIRK, RODMAN

151fs    Comparative Politics: An Introduction to Politics Outside the United States    A comparative analysis of politics in liberal democracies, communist and post-communist political systems, and developing countries. Important concepts in the field of comparative politics are introduced. The overriding theme is that of democracy and the challenges of democratization. Four credit hours.  S, D.    MARCUS, YODER

171fs    Introduction to Political Theory    A discussion of the basic terms, concepts, and principles of modern political science, with particular focus on modern liberalism and its critics. Topics include sovereignty, individual rights, equality, nationalism, socialism, and revolution. Readings from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Burke, Marx, and others. Four credit hours.  S.    CORRADO, REISERT

[211]    The American Presidency    The organization, powers, and actions of the executive branch of the American government examined in historical and contemporary perspective. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

[212]    The American Congress    The Congress is the "first branch" of the American national government, but most of us know little about it. The course will focus on elections to Congress and the functioning of the modern Congress. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

213j    United States Senate Simulation    A month-long simulation of how the United States Senate, particularly in its committee system, functions. Students are assigned the role of actual senators, executive branch officials, interest group representatives, and members of the media. Students will then "play" their roles throughout the policy making process. Open to all classes. Three credit hours.  S.    BREWER

[214]    Parties and the Electoral Process    An analysis of partisan politics and elections in the United States, emphasizing the role of parties and dealing with candidates, their staffs, the electorate, and the media. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

[231]    United States Foreign Policy: The Cold War    An analysis of the major events facing the United States during the Cold War and the controversies surrounding them. Academic and policy debates over national security doctrines, the proper place of ideology in foreign policy, the role of economic factors, and domestic political institutions. Topics include the origin of the Cold War, nuclear weapons strategy, the Vietnam War, containment and detente, and the end of the Cold War. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours.    

[233]    International Relations in East Asia    An introduction to the evolution of the international order, distribution of power, and security concerns in Asia-Pacific. The great power competition (China, Japan, the United States, and the Soviet Union) in the vast region. Case studies include the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, the Pacific War, the Korean War, the United States-Vietnam War, and the Sino-Vietnam War. The changing international relations in the post-Cold War era. Prerequisite: Government 131 or 151. Four credit hours.  D.    

235s    Sustainable Development    Listed as Environmental Studies 235 (q.v.). Four credit hours.    MARCUS

[237]    Justice and War    An examination of scholarly controversies surrounding the issue of when war and the means of waging it are considered legitimate. Among the cases covered are the Persian Gulf War, humanitarian intervention in Bosnia, Hiroshima, the ethics of nuclear deterrence, guerrilla warfare, terrorism, the question of whether the Nuremburg precedent in trying war criminals can be extended to contemporary conflicts in South Africa, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, and Cambodia. Four credit hours.  S.    

251j    Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation    The roots and the evolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Themes include the origins of Zionism and Palestinian nationalism; the British mandate over Palestine; the creation of Israel and the birth of the Palestinian refugee problem; the Arab-Israeli wars; stereotyping and prejudices; the intifada and its impact on the conflict; the origins, content, and significance of the September 1993 agreement between PLO leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the September 1995 Oslo II agreement; and the "Peace Process" since the election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel. Scholarly analyses and firsthand accounts, essays, and documentaries depicting the attitudes and emotions that have sustained the conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Palestine-Israel region throughout the 20th century. Three credit hours.  S, D.    DENOEUX

[252]    Politics of the Middle East    An introduction to the internal politics of Middle Eastern countries, centering on the two main forces that currently play themselves out in this region: the intertwining of religion and politics, and the growing tension between the authoritarian nature of Arab regimes and increasing popular pressures for democratization. The origins of modern Arab states, the challenges of modernization and political development, leadership styles, strategies of political control, and the politics of economic and political liberalization. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.  D.    

[253]    Latin American Politics    An introduction to major political institutions, actors, and processes in the region as well as some key concepts and controversies affecting discussions of Latin America today. Specifically, an effort to find answers to the following questions: 1) What are the sources of political instability in Latin America? 2) What are the basic patterns of state-society interaction in the region? 3) Is it possible to "make democracy work" in Latin America? Prerequisite:  Government 151. Four credit hours.  D.    

[254]    Latin American Politics in Film    The study of Latin American politics approached from a fresh and creative perspective. An introduction to major political topics in Latin America through the interrelated analysis of feature films and readings. Films are in English or Spanish/Portuguese with subtitles. Topics include human rights, social movements, discrimination, and political violence. Three credit hours.  S, D.    

[255]    Introduction to Chinese Politics    The political system of China since 1949, including political institutions, the policy-making process, political culture, and the relationship between state and society. The main focus is on the post-Mao era reforms beginning in 1978. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.  D.    

257f    Introduction to the Politics and Government of West Europe    An examination of the development of Western European forms of democratic governance, particularly in France, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain. Political cultures and institutions in contrasting national settings and implications of the European integration process for democracy in Western Europe. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.    YODER

[258]    Introduction to the Politics and Government of Eastern Europe    An investigation of the political, cultural, and institutional legacies of Soviet-style communism in Eastern Europe today. The course briefly examines the rise and fall of communism in the region and then analyzes the political, economic, and social transformation processes underway in several cases. Consideration of Western influences on the public policies of post-communist countries, and implications for the integration of Eastern and Western Europe. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.    

[261]    Introduction to Japanese Politics    The political base of post-war Japan's economic development, the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese government institutions, and Japan's emerging global role. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.  D.    

[262]    German Unification and the Challenges of West-East Integration    A look at the institutional and cultural integration of the two German states since their formal unification in 1990. The course will use relevant texts, novels, and films to examine the political, economic, and social dimensions of the merger. Prerequisite: Government 151. Three credit hours.    

[263]    The Balkan Crisis    The nature of political and ethno-cultural tensions during the transition to pluralism in South-Eastern Europe. Nationalism considered as the main successor ideology to communism; films and novels studied to better understand the dynamics of political cultures in the region. Prerequisite: Government 151. Three credit hours.    

271s    Classical Political Theory    A survey covering major works by Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Augustine and their varied understandings of justice, the design of the best regime, the relation of human nature to the shape of political institutions, the limits of human knowledge, the obligations of citizenship, the relation between political theory and political practice, as well as the role of religion and philosophy in defining a political order. Prerequisite: Government 171. Four credit hours.    REISERT

[272]    Modern Political Theory    A survey of major works by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche. Modern understanding of the social contract, the individual and the state; psychology; religion and politics; knowledge and political power; and the definition of freedom. A continuation of political theory building upon, but not requiring, Government 271. Prerequisite: Government 171. Four credit hours.    

[273]    American Political Thought    A survey of the fundamental principles of American political thought as presented in primary source documents and writings. General themes include the notion of republican government, the concepts of liberty and equality, the role of commerce in a democratic society, and the foundations of social justice. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

281s    Introduction to Research Methods for Political Science    An examination of the research methods used by political scientists, with emphasis on understanding the relationships among political variables and on designing research projects to explore those relationships, using basic tools of both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Required for the honors program. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.  Q.    MAISEL

297Af    African Politics in Comparative Perspective    The fall of the Berlin Wall opened new opportunities for Africa's diverse countries to experiment with democratization and increased freedoms. Innovative attempts are being made at sustainable development. At the same time struggling economies are crumbling and the quality of life has been decreasing for many. An exploration of politics in Africa as it relates to nationalism and ethnicity, democracy and dictatorship, economics and class, relating these topics to the continent as a whole through select country studies to draw more broadly applicable lessons. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.  S, D.    MARCUS

297Bf    Urban Government and Politics    An overview of the government and politics of cities and metropolitan areas in the United States, beginning with an examination of the rapid growth of American cities in the second half of the 19th century, with a focus on the rise of machine governments, and progressing chronologically, with discussions of the Progressive Era reforms of urban government, urban politics in the middle of the 20th century, and the turbulent politics of cities during the 1960s and 1970s. Particular attention will also be devoted to the relationship between urban areas and the federal government. Finally an examination of present-day urban government and politics, discussing such issues as service provision, policing, environmental racism, economic development, and government consolidation. Four credit hours.  S.    BREWER

297Jj    Politicians and the Media    An examination of critical issues of the relationship between media and politicians. After initial discussions concerning the nature of this relationship, including what level of truth politicians owe the media, and what level of support the media owe the government, the attention will switch to case studies ranging from the U-2 incident to the Cuban Missile Crisis to Vietnam to Clinton's impeachment, moving from the theoretical to the practical as students learn how to write press releases and speeches appropriate for political contexts. Nongraded. Three credit hours.  S.    KAPLAN

298s    Religion and Politics in the United States    An examination of the variety of ways in which religion and politics intersect in the United States, including but not limited to: religion and the first amendment, religion and electoral behavior, religion and social capital, religious groups as interest groups, civil religion in the United States, the United States as a religious nation, religious groups and social change, and religion and violence. Four credit hours.    BREWER

310s    Interest Group Politics    Organized interests have always been an important constituent of American political life. How have changes in government and electoral politics affected the role of interest groups? Are these groups an essential aspect of good government? Do they exert too much influence in modern politics? An examination of the activities of interest groups in American politics, including their formation, behavior, and evolution in recent decades. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    CORRADO

313f    Constitutional Law I: Federalism    An examination of major themes in American constitutional law, focusing on the period from the founding to the New Deal. Topics include constitutional interpretation and judicial review, the role of an independent judiciary, the structure and powers of the national government, and the rise and fall of substantive due process and economic rights. Readings of major U.S. Supreme Court decisions and related documents. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    REISERT

314s    Constitutional Law II: Individual Rights    Legal, moral, and political controversies involving the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Particular attention to the period from the New Deal to the present. Cases examined deal with freedom of expression; the "right of privacy" and protections for contraception, abortion, and homosexuality; and affirmative action and the status of women and minorities under the law. Readings of major U.S. Supreme Court cases and related works of moral and political philosophy. A continuation of constitutional law building upon, but not requiring, Government 313. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    REISERT

[316]    Presidential Electoral Politics    The procedural and strategic environment of presidential general election contests and the strategic decision making that takes place in presidential campaigns. An introduction to recent controversies concerning polling techniques, the role of the media in covering elections, negative advertising, and candidate debates. A case study of recent elections. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

317f    The Policy-Making Process    An examination of the policy-making process, including agenda setting, program formulation, consensus building, implementation, and the use and misuse of policy analysis. Special attention to methods and techniques of policy evaluation. Primary focus on policy making at the national level in the United States government. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    MACKENZIE

320s    The Rights Revolution and Its Discontents    The changing role of the national government in American society since the beginning of the 20th century, especially government involvement in defining and protecting individual and civil rights. Critical analyses of the movements that led to those expansions, the government programs that resulted, and the opposition and reaction they inspired. Prerequisite: Government 111 or History 132. Four credit hours.    MACKENZIE

[332]    International Organization    The structure, politics, and current operation of international organizations within the nation-state system. Topics include conflict resolution, nonproliferation, human rights, and international economic cooperation. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours.    

334f    International Environmental Law    Listed as Environmental Studies 334 (q.v.). Four credit hours.    QUIRK

[335]    United States-Latin American Relations    The evolving relationship between Latin America and the United States from the 1790s to the present. Analysis will focus on the continuities and changes in U.S. policy toward Latin America as well as Latin American perceptions and policies towards the United States; special attention to U.S. policy in Central America during the Cold War. Post-Cold War issues such as hemispheric economic integration, drug trafficking, and immigration. Prerequisite:  Government 151 or 253. Four credit hours.    

[336]    International Relations Theory    An examination of the major paradigms and theoretical problems in the analysis of international relations. How do we explain and predict the shape of world politics? Theoretical approaches include realism, liberalism, constructivism, cognitive analysis, feminist theory, rational choice, and game theory. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours.    

[351]    United States Policy Toward the Middle East    An overview of the Middle East policy of successive administrations from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton. The motivations and world views that have guided United States policy toward the region. Topics include American interests in the Middle East; the origins of U.S. involvement in the region; American policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict and toward Arab and Iranian nationalism; the "special relationship" between Israel and the United States; the American debacle in Iran; the United States response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; and the challenges of U.S.-Middle East policy in the post-Cold War era. Prerequisite: Government 252. Four credit hours.  D.    

[353]    Promoting Democracy in Transitional Countries    Introduction to key concepts and modes of analysis used by organizations that seek to promote democratization and good governance. Students learn how to assess democratic performance; how to identify opportunities for, and constraints on, democratization; how to highlight overarching problems in the democracy/governance area; and how to infer assistance strategies designed to enhance prospects for participatory, accountable, and transparent forms of government. Students are encouraged to think as practitioners in the field. Four credit hours.    

[359]    Political Ideologies    An exploration of the major ideological currents and movements in the contemporary world. Theoretical underpinnings of democracy, as well as issues within, and challenges to, democracy in the late 20th century. Ideologies examined against the background of important political changes such as the Bolshevik revolution, the rise of fascism and the Third Reich, and the collapse of Soviet-style communism. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.    

[371]    Foundations of American Constitutionalism    An examination of the philosophical foundations of the constitution and American political thought at the time of the founding, through an analysis of Revolution era documents and the writings of Locke, Montesquieu, and selected Federalist and anti-Federalist essays. Prerequisite: Government 111. Four credit hours.    

397f    Campaign Finance:Applied Policy Studies    An examination of the role of money in the political process and the policy debates surrounding a variety of campaign finance reform options. Special emphasis on campaign finance issues as they relate to faith-based and ethnic-based or minority communities. Students will participate in research projects related to the Colby College Campaign Finance Reform Project. Prerequisite: Government major, with preference to seniors. Four credit hours.    CORRADO

398s    Comparative Environmental Politics    Listed as Environmental Studies 398 (q.v.). Four credit hours.    QUIRK

[412]    Tutorial: The Politics of Presidential Elections    The procedural and strategic environment of modern presidential elections and the decision making that takes place within presidential election campaigns. Case studies and analyses of the 2000 presidential campaign. The development of electoral college strategies, the use of political advertising, the role of candidate debates, and press coverage of general elections. Prerequisite: Government 111 and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    

[413]    Seminar: Policy Advocacy    Intensive study of selected public policy issues and the techniques of policy advocacy; emphasis on oral presentations of policy positions. Prerequisite: Government 317. Four credit hours.    

414f    Seminar: Ethics in Politics    A discussion of critical ethical issues faced by American and other national leaders. Case studies of 20th-century decisions, including those involved with violence (e.g., Truman's decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki), deception in government (e.g., Oliver North's decision to lie to Congress about Iran-Contra), disobedience of those in authority (e.g., Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers), policies regarding life and death (e.g., abortion and euthanasia laws), and others. Prerequisite: Government 111 and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    MAISEL

415f    Tutorial: The Way We Vote    A small group of students will work collectively to analyze the strengths and weaknesses in current American voting procedures and to develop a program of recommendations for improving the efficiency, accuracy and participation levels in American elections. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a government major and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    MACKENZIE

[419]    Money and Politics    A seminar examining the role of money in the political process, with particular emphasis on the conflicts that may exist between our methods of financing political campaigns and the democratic values that serve as the basis for our system of government. This broad concern is addressed through a discussion of election laws, current campaign finance practices, recent legal controversies, and various proposals for political reform. Four credit hours.    

432s    Seminar: United States Foreign Policy    An advanced seminar dealing with major theoretical and policy issues in the study of American foreign policy since World War II. The specific topic of the seminar will be announced each year; possible topics are multinational corporations and foreign policy; Soviet-American relations; levels of analysis; and international organization. Prerequisite: Government 131 and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    RODMAN

[450]    Seminar: Democratization in Latin America    Understanding key problems such as the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the role of various actors in this process, and the challenges for the consolidation of democracy. A theoretical analysis of these issues will be combined with an in-depth study of specific cases to understand how democracy re-emerged and how it works in Latin America. Prerequisite: Government 151 or 253. Four credit hours.    

451s    Seminar: Political Violence, Revolutions, and Ethnic Conflict    Students familiarize themselves with the vast literature on revolutions, political violence, and ethnic conflict and are exposed to a variety of theoretical perspectives and case studies. How to draw on theoretical approaches to make sense of specific instances of political turmoil and, conversely, how to use case studies to assess the validity of different theories. Prerequisite: Government 151. Four credit hours.    DENOEUX

[452]    Seminar: Chinese Foreign Policy    An analytic overview of China's foreign policy issues. The changing patterns of Chinese foreign policy since 1949, the political economy of China's turn outward in recent years, and the formation of foreign policy. China's relations with the United States, U.S.S.R. (Russia), Japan, and the Third World as well as China's role in the post-Cold War period. Four credit hours.    

[472]    Seminar: Modern Political Philosophy    A careful analysis of a single major writing or a single author's thought, such as Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America or the works of Rousseau. Prerequisite: Government 171 or 272. Four credit hours.    

[474]    Seminar: Plato and Rousseau    What is justice? In the individual and in society? What political institutions would a just society require? Is a perfectly just person or society possible? Is justice compatible with the flourishing of a society or the happiness of an individual? What obligations do we owe, in justice, to ourselves? to our families and our friends? to fellow-citizens and strangers? to God? A careful comparison and analysis of these and related issues in Plato's Republic and Rousseau's Emile. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    

475f    Seminar: Law, Liberty, and Morality    May the state legitimately use the law to impose a certain conception of morality on its citizens? Or must the state aim, rather, to remain "neutral" when its citizens disagree strongly about the best way of life, protecting its citizens' freedom to choose their own visions of the good life? An examination of these issues as they are developed in works by Rawls, Dworkin, Sandel, Raz, George, and others as well as in selected Supreme Court opinions. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.    REISERT

483f, 484s    Honors Workshop    Individual and group meetings of seniors and faculty participating in the government honors program. Prerequisite: Admission to the honors program. Three or four credit hours.    FACULTY

491f, 492s    Independent Study    A study of government through individual projects. Prerequisite: Government major and permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours.    FACULTY

498s    Seminar: African Politics    What is right with Africa? More than a quarter of the countries in the world today are in Africa. The continent's great diversity offers us valuable lessons about the way in which people try to reach collective decisions and come to common policies. Students will read scholarly analyses, fiction, and work of their own choosing, in order to explore aspects of African political institutions and life such as state formation and collapse, conflict, democratization, human rights, and conservation and development. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours.    CANCELLED