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Transfer Student Courses in Political ScienceThis page was created at 7:21 PM on Mon, Jan 21, 2002. Winter Academic Term, 2002 (January 7 - April 26)Open courses in Political Science Wolverine Access Subject listing for POLSCI Winter Academic Term '02 Time Schedule for Political Science.
POLSCI 101. Introduction to Political Theory.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Elizabeth R Wingrove (ewingrov@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Primarily for First and Second Year Students. (4). (SS). Credits: (4). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. An introduction to some classic accounts of politics in the Western tradition, and to some critiques thereof. Readings include: Plato, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Arendt, and King. Among the themes to be addressed: What, if anything, makes state authority legitimate? Do people benefit from political participation, or is it inevitably corrupting, confusing, irritating, and/or tiresome? What constitutes a public rather than a private concern?
POLSCI 111. Introduction to American Politics.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Daniel P Carpenter (dancarp@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Primarily for First and Second Year Students. (4). (SS). Credits: (4). Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dancarp/ps111.htm This is a broad survey of government and politics in the United States which explores a wide range of topics including public opinion, elections, interest groups, the presidency, Congress, and the courts. We will examine the basic structure of American government and politics, namely, what are the rules that govern this system? How have these rules changed over time, and to what ends? Some specific questions covered in the course are: What makes one set of interests more successful in the public sphere? Are political parties meaningful anymore? What accounts for swings in voting behavior and election outcomes from one time to another? What influences a member of Congress' voting decision? In what ways do presidents and bureaucrats affect public policies? This is not a comprehensive list but suggests the kinds of issues that are discussed in this course. There are two lectures and two discussion section meetings each week. Coursework involves readings and several written assignments; there will also be an in-class midterm and a written final examination. Readings for the Course: All books are available at Shaman Drum Bookstore. There is no coursepack.
POLSCI 160. Introduction to World Politics.
Section 001.Instructor(s): James D Morrow (jdmorrow@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Primarily for First and Second Year Students. (4). (SS). Credits: (4). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This course analyzes world politics from a broad and general perspective, explaining and exploring the principles involved in the functioning of the global political system and illustrating these principles with contemporary material. The course begins by presenting basic concepts like national power and reviewing well-known theories such as realism and liberalism. A strategic approach based on the combination of power, preferences, and perceptions will be explained. That approach is used to understand a variety of issues in world politics, including war, alliances, domestic politics and foreign policy, and international political economy. These issues will be presented both in general terms and applied to understand specific key events. The course requires two short papers, a midterm, and a final.
POLSCI 300. Contemporary Political Issues.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Gregory B Markus (gmarkus@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: (4). (SS). Credits: (4). Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gmarkus/syllabus.html Political Science 300 examines a number of issues that are the focus of contemporary political debate in the United States, such as taxes and spending, poverty and welfare reform, the politics of race, healthcare policy, public education, and public safety. We will emphasize the place of the active and informed public – that is, us – in influencing policies that affect us all. Politics is not just something we watch on TV or read about. It's something we do. Curiosity, skepticism, initiative, and a willingness to examine ideas and "facts" critically are the essential prerequisites of the course. We will read, listen, discuss, write, and do a lot in PS 300, consistent with its four credit-hour value. Class discussions often move freely from assigned readings to the latest news. Because the course's subject matter is by its nature something of a moving target, we may decide as we go along to modify the course plan somewhat. "We" means all of us, together. Grading is on a standard, no-curve 100-point system. You will write eight 750-word papers over the course of the term, worth 80 percent of your grade, altogether. The other 20 percent of your grade is based on your contribution to learning in your discussion section. You must attend lectures and your discussion sections. You may be asked to attend relevant events outside of our scheduled meeting times. In sections, you must be current in the readings and prepared to engage in informed, critical discussion each and every time. If you do that, we will all learn a lot and enjoy the experience. If you aren't really interested in assuming that much responsibility for your learning – and the learning of your classmates – then this is probably not the course for you.
POLSCI 353. The Arab-Israeli Conflict.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Mark Tessler (tessler@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: (4). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($30) required. Credits: (4). Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($30) required. Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This course will present both factual and interpretive material about the Arab- Israeli conflict, an international dispute that has lasted for almost a century and whose significance extends far beyond the Middle East. After providing background information about Israel and the Arab world, including the Arabs of Palestine, the course will trace the historical development of the conflict from its origins in the 19th century until the present. The course will also examine the most important issues associated with the conflict, giving special attention to the competing territorial claims advanced by Israelis and Palestinians and to the rights of self-determination asserted by each. Attention will be given as well to relations between Israel and the Arab states. In discussing the many controversial issues associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict, the course will strive for objectivity and balance and will encourage the evaluation of differing points of view, including not only the competing views of Israelis and Arabs but also the important differences existing within Israel and the Arab world. The instructor for the course has attended university and subsequently conducted research in both the Arab world and Israel, having spent over four years in the former and almost three years in the latter. He visits the area frequently and regularly collaborates with Israeli and Arab scholars. Reading:
POLSCI 402. Selected Topics in Political Theory.
Section 001 – Twentieth-Century Political Theory.Instructor(s): Anne M ManuelPrerequisites & Distribution: Pol. Sci. 101 or 400 or 401. (4). (Excl). Credits: (4; 3 in the half-term). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This class will examine six different themes in contemporary political theory: liberalism, Marxism, feminism, race/post-colonialism, consumerism, and ethics. On each theme we will look at an older, roughly early twentieth-century text by a well-known theorist, and at a recently published, late twentieth-century text by a theorist engaged with the older text. This two-pronged approach will allow us to consider both questions of substance – namely, what contemporary political theory is – as well as questions of method – namely, how contemporary political theory is done today. In addition to the theoretical readings, we will read one novel, Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, and see one film, "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy," to help illuminate the themes we will explore. Be forewarned that this course has a heavy reading load and some of the reading will be difficult. The assignments will consist of take-home essays and some group work.
POLSCI 414. The Politics of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Francene M Engel (fengel@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Two courses in political science. (4). (Excl). May be repeated twice, for a total of six credits. Credits: (4; 3 in the half-term). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. The course is concerned with civil rights and civil liberties in the American constitutional system. It will focus on decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, but will also draw on literature from other sources. The primary substantive aim of the course is to help students develop a theoretically informed understanding of civil liberties and of the institutional devices for enforcing them. Additional aims include helping students to read and criticize political texts, to assess constitutional arguments, and to think and write more rigorously. Some of the topics that will be discussed include racial discrimination, rights to privacy, free speech, religious freedom, and rights of the accused, as well as others. Students are expected to have read assignments before class and to be prepared to discuss them. Students also will be expected to participate in a moot court exercise. Methods of instruction: lecture (3 hours) and discussion section (1 hour); you must register for both the lecture and discussion section. A basic understanding of American institutional politics and American history is assumed. Some exposure to political theory is helpful, but not required. Text: American Constitutional Law. Louis Fisher. ISBN:0-89089-759-X.
POLSCI 444. Government and Politics of Russia.
Section 001.Instructor(s): William Zimmerman (wzim@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Two courses in political science. (3). (Excl).
Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. Is Russian democracy an oxymoron (like postal service) or a genuine possibility? This course focuses primarily on the evolution of political processes and institutions since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 in order, primarily, to address that question. The course covers the political economy of the transition from the Soviet system, voting and other forms of political participation, the role of external actors inluding the United States and various NGOs and IGOs, relations between Moscow and Russia's regions, and high politics in a strongly presidential system. All students will have the same assignments. Students will write a book review, a short op ed piece for the New York Times, and a term paper. In doing the latter, students are strongly encouraged, though not required, to do collaborative papers and to use one or more of several data sets about Russian attitudes that I will provide (I and the teaching assistant will provide assistance in learning the basics of data analysis.) There will be an in-class midterm, and a take-home final distributed on the last day of classes.
POLSCI 469. Politics of International Economic Relations.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Jude C Hays (jchays@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Pol. Sci. 160. (3). (Excl). Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. With the end of the Cold War and the acceleration of international economic integration, political scientists interested in international relations have increasingly turned their attention to the politics of global trade and finance. This area of study, known as international political economy (or simply IPE), focuses on the familiar connections between power and wealth, states and markets, and economics and politics in order to gain a better understanding of the political underpinnings of the global economy as well as the influences that international economics has on national and international politics. Are free trade and multipolarity compatible? Does economic globalization undermine democracy and popular sovereignty? Along these lines, an important focus of this course is whether the institutions that currently govern international economic activity are robust enough to survive important political and economic changes that are currently taking place in the world. For example, we will consider whether the domestic political coalitions that have traditionally supported free trade are breaking up as a result of increased international capital mobility and whether the international cooperation necessary to manage the global economy can survive significant changes in the international distribution of power.
POLSCI 489. Advanced Topics in Contemporary Political Science.
Section 001 – Introduction to Political Economy. (3 Credits).Instructor(s): Robert J Franzese Jr (franzese@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Two 400-level courses in political science. (1-3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Credits: (1-3). Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~franzese/SyllabiEtc.html The course explores the intersection of politics and economics, the impact of politics on the economy, and of the economy on politics. We approach this broad subject matter positively as opposed to normatively. That is, we seek to ascertain empirically and to understand theoretically certain systematic relationships between several key features of the socio-politico-economic environment, rather than to comment on the justness of those relationships. For example, does the periodicity of elections induce cycles in economic policy and perhaps thereby outcomes, and, if so, how, and how might such cycles vary across democracies or over time? The course proceeds via an in-depth reading of six classic or recent books spanning the substantive realm of political economy.
POLSCI 489. Advanced Topics in Contemporary Political Science.
Section 002 – The Politics of Fascism and Right-Wing Movements. (3 credits). Meets with German 493.001.Instructor(s): Andrei S Markovits (andymark@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Two 400-level courses in political science. (1-3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Credits: (1-3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted.
POLSCI 489. Advanced Topics in Contemporary Political Science.
Section 003 – Political Parties with the EU. (3 credits).Instructor(s): Anton PelinkaPrerequisites & Distribution: Two 400-level courses in political science. (1-3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits. Credits: (1-3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. The seminar will focus on the party system of the European Union. The growing importance of the European Parliament and the general development of the European integration led already to the formation of transnational European Parties and a European Party System. The following topics will be especially discussed in the seminar:
The following questions will be especially raised:
POLSCI 490. Game Theory and Formal Models.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Kenneth W Kollman (kkollman@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: (3). (Excl). Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This course introduces students to the use of game theory in political science. Game theory is the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between rational decision makers. The course will emphasize the fundamental assumptions behind game theory models of politics and will expose students to models of legislatures, voting and elections, international relations, and political participation. Students should have a useful facility with algebra before taking the course. Course requirements include homework, two midterms and a paper.
POLSCI 494. Senior Honors Proseminar.
Instructor(s): John C CampbellPrerequisites & Distribution: Open only to senior Honors concentrators. (4). (Excl). No more than four honors credits may be elected as part of a concentration plan in Political Science. (INDEPENDENT).
Credits: (4). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This is a seminar for seniors who are working an on honors thesis. Students must be admitted to the honors program before enrolling.
POLSCI 496. Undergraduate Seminar in American Government and Politics.
Section 001 – Political Participation and Voting Behavior.Instructor(s): Cara Wong (cjwong@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This course is a seminar on voting and elections in the U.S., with an emphasis on presidential and congressional campaigns. We will examine elections from the perspectives of candidates, political parties, interest groups, the media, and voters. In addition, we will address some basic questions about election laws and processes, as well as the role of elections in American politics. Why do so many Americans fail to vote? How can turnout be increased and is low voter turnout a problem? Why do incumbents tend to win reelection at such high rates? How do the media and campaign finance laws influence electoral outcomes? And, does racial redistricting advance or undermine Black representation?
POLSCI 496. Undergraduate Seminar in American Government and Politics.
Section 002 – Theories of Diversity.Instructor(s): Scott E Page (spage@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice.
Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. In this course, we will study diversity and its impact in political, economic, social, and physical environments. We will cast a wide net touching on subjects as varied as racial segregation, what people wear and eat, genetic diversity, comparitve economic advantage, product diversity, ideological diversity, social networks, and measurements of intelligence. Students should have an interest in politics and public policy and be willing to learn the sort of mathematical models used in MBA programs, law schools, and graduate social science programs, e.g., simple game theory and complex systems models. The point of this course is to understand why we see diversity, and how and why homogeneous and heterogeneous systems differ.
POLSCI 497. Undergraduate Seminar in Comparative and Foreign Government.
Section 001 – Canadian Politics.Instructor(s): Stephen Brooks (sabrooks@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. There are three important reasons for Americans to study Canadian politics. Seymour Martin Lipset, much of whose career has been devoted to understanding the variations between Canada and the United States, argues that the study of Canada – the other country produced by the American Revolution – provides crucial insights into the nature of American politics. North America is, he has long argued, the ideal laboratory for students of comparative politics, allowing one to compare two societies that resemble each other enormously in terms of language, economics, culture, and shared history, but whose politics are different in significant ways. The study of Canadian politics helps Americans to better understand their own political system, providing a perspective that is not available to those whose knowledge and understanding of America have never been challenged by comparison to the society most like their own, but which has remained stubbornly different for well over two centuries since their common history as British colonies. The second reason is the huge and undeniable importance of Canada to the United States. Canada – not Mexico, China, or Japan – is America's largest trading partner. Total U.S. trade with Canada is almost as great as that between the U.S. and Mexico and Japan combined. Trade with Canada is about four times as great as U.S. trade with China. Beyond the economic intimacy between Canada and the U.S., whose economies have been formally integrated in many ways since the Free Trade Agreement of 1989, there is also a personal intimacy. How many people know that Canada is the sixth largest country of origin for immigrants to the U.S. since the early 1800s; the third ranking country for foreign-born Americans; the second most important source of temporary workers in the U.S.; and the fourth largest source of illegal aliens? The third reason is the sheer glamour and pizzaz of Canada. Stereotypes aside, can a country that has given America and the world Mike Myers, Jim Carey, Pamela Anderson, Neil Young, and Peter Jennings really be such a dull place? This course will examine the politics and government of America's largest trading partner. It will cover all of the essential elements of the Canadian political system, including political culture, the constitution, parties and elections, interest groups, and the media, from a perspective that constantly asks how and why these features of the Canadian political scene are similar to or different from what one finds in the United States. The format for classes will be centered around discussion of assigned readings (about 30-40 pages per week) and several videos that will be shown from time to time. I will invite Canada's longest-serving member of Parliament and current cabinet minister, Herb Gray from Windsor, to visit the class sometime during the term. Andrew Malcolm, member of the editiorial board of the Los Angeles Times and author of The Canadians, has agreed to participate in a conference call with the class at some point in the term. This course should provide good preparation for those students who subsequently register in the Ottawa internship course offered by the Department of Political Science. Intent to apply for the internship is not, of course, a necessary condition for registering in this course.
POLSCI 497. Undergraduate Seminar in Comparative and Foreign Government.
Section 002 – Comparative Constitutional Design.Instructor(s): Jennifer L Bednar (jbednar@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. Constitutions define the rules by which we are governed. When we write our constitution, we make a contract with one another and with our future selves; we define possibilities and we close doors. This course takes an interest-based approach to the study of constitution-building: through comparisons of nearly a dozen cases we will consider how founders balance short-term (adoption) and long-term (stability) goals. We will examine how different institutional structures create winners and losers in society, and how well founders understand the effect of their designs at the time of adoption. We will study compromises made, evaluating them in terms of both short-term and long-term goals (United States, Israel). We will study constitutional change, thinking about the advantages of meeting the changing needs of society, but also its drawback; the importance of consistency, reliability, legitimacy (Canada, France) We will look at cases where a constitution was imposed upon a society (Japan, Weimar Germany) and where a society borrowed another country's institutional design (Mexico, Argentina), to better understand how local interpretations affect the meaning of the constitution. We will consider the growth of legitimacy as a constitution evolves slowly, and is sometimes not even written (Great Britain, European Union). Many of our cases are federal: one knotty issue is asymmetrical arrangements between the center and the regions (Russia, Canada, European Union). Throughout the course, we will consider the role of courts, of legislatures, and of peoples as interpreters of the constitutional document. Texts:
POLSCI 497. Undergraduate Seminar in Comparative and Foreign Government.
Section 003 – Contemporary German Politics.Instructor(s): Martin ThunertPrerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This is a course in Contemporary German Politics. Please see the Political Science website http://polisci.lsa.umich.edu/ for more information about course and professor.
POLSCI 497. Undergraduate Seminar in Comparative and Foreign Government.
Section 004 – Ethnicity, Nationalism and Politics in the Former Soviet Union.Instructor(s): Zvi Y Gitelman (zvigitel@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This seminar explores concepts of ethnicity, nations, and nationalism and their interaction with politics. We examine Marxist-Leninist conceptions of nationality and how they were applied in the Soviet Union. After tracing the evolution of Soviet nationalities policy, we examine ethnic policy in areas such as language, religion, and the military. We look at how politics affected ethnic relations in the Soviet Union and its successor states. The role of ethnicity in the dissolution of the USSR is discussed, followed by a study of the ethnic policies, and their consequences, of the post-Soviet states. Requirements include extensive reading, several short (2-3 page) papers, class participation, and a major research paper. There are no examinations.
POLSCI 497. Undergraduate Seminar in Comparative and Foreign Government.Section 005 – The Politics of the European UnionInstructor(s): Neil NugentPrerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. No Description Provided Check Times, Location, and Availability POLSCI 498. Undergraduate Seminar in International Politics.
Section 001 – History and Politics of Chemical and Biological Warfare Disarmament. Meets with RC Social Science 460.002.Instructor(s): Susan Presswood Wright (spwright@umich.edu)Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing, primarily for seniors concentrating in political science. (3). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice. Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. See RC Social Science 460.002.
POLSCI 499. Quantitative Methods of Political Analysis.
Section 001.Instructor(s): Jeffrey L BernsteinPrerequisites & Distribution: (3). (Excl). (BS). Credits: (3). Course Homepage: No homepage submitted. This course is an introduction to empirical models of political theories and tests of those theories against data. Emphasis is placed on formulating hypotheses and creating research designs that help us obtain evidence to use in hypothesis testing. This is not primarily a statistics course, although we will be talking about and using statistical concepts as a tool in testing models of political phenomena. Course grades will be based on exercises, three shortish papers, a final examination, and class participation. Everyone is expected to be prepared and to participate in the discussions. This course will be restricted to juniors and seniors. No background in statistics is required
POLSCI 688. Selected Topics in Political Science.Section 006 – Policies and Policy Process of the European UnionInstructor(s): Neil NugentPrerequisites & Distribution: (Excl). No Description Provided Check Times, Location, and Availability This page was created at 7:21 PM on Mon, Jan 21, 2002.
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