Courses in Political Science
Course listings are taken from the 2006-2008 Wagner College Undergraduate Bulletin. Courses added since this bulletin are partially listed in the Registrar's section of this website.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introductory
102 Politics and Governments. Politics is not just elections. We can study politics in novels, films, biographies, and students will find that it is much more interesting and relevant than they perhaps thought. In this class we will explore a variety of introductory political issues, such as socialism, libertarianism, and welfare liberalism, and also examine key political institutions from a comparative perspective. The emphasis is on developing critical thinking and intelligent opinions about politics broadly conceived. Offered fall and spring semesters.
103 American Government and Politics. The structures and underlying principles of the American political system are studied: judiciary, Congress, the presidency, political parties and movements, and the role of public opinion. Selected current issues will be discussed. Offered fall and spring semesters.
American
205 Urban Politics. An analysis of the structure and operations of the operations of urban government and politics focusing o the unique problems of the urban environ ment. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
207 New York Politics . A study of the government and politics of New York City and State. An analysis of the processes, val ues and problems of contemporary New York and of the relationships between the city and the rest of the state. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
211 Public Administration. A study of the policy making process within the context of the American political system. Emphasis will be placed on administrative and organizational theory; selected cases of the practice of administration at the federal, state, and local levels, and the differences between public and private administration. Offered fall semester.
212 Congress and National Policy Making: the Legislative Process. The structure, activities, and policies of the congressional system. The role of Congress in public pol icy making. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
213 The Presidency. An examination of the institution of the chief executive of the United States in its historical evolution, focusing on Article II of the Constitution, theories of presidential function, and the relationship of the presidency to other segments of the body politic. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
215 Law and Justice in America. An assessment of the American judiciary and an examination of the relationship between the legal and political systems. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
217 Parties, Elections, and Mass Media. The origin, organization, and activities of political parties in the United States. Current political campaigns, issues, and techniques will be stressed. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
218 Topics in the History and Politics of Gender. An introduction to the history of gender relations in America, including a discussion of feminist theories, gender in contemporary culture, and the politics of gender. (Cross-listed as History 226.) Offered as required.
225 Democracy and Diversity. This course focuses on the relationships among democracy, community, and American pluralism. In addition to considering several distinct theoretical approaches to democracy, students will be asked to read a variety of texts exploring ethnic, racial, gender, class, and other forms of social diversity. How do we define democracy, community, and diversity? Are they supportive or antagonistic to one another? Must “communities” be homogenous and exclusive? Is democracy capable of honoring differences while building ideals and forms of active citizenship that bridge differences around common purposes? These and similar questions will be explored in this course. In addition to a variety of writing and reading assignments, all students will engage in roughly three hours per week of community-based learning in New York City, all of which will be incorporated into the class discussions. This course is restricted to first-year students and all students must register for the entire learning community to which this course is allied. Offered fall semester.
236 Politics in Literature and Film. This introductory-level class examines the political themes in various films and works of fiction. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, terrorism, poverty, war, dictatorship, genocide, feminism, corruption and dystopia. In general, the course materials present a distinclty pessimistic view of politics. The course is based on the seminar format: i.e. students will discuss each week's readings and film with only infrequent lectures. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
240 Volunteer Service and Poitics Abroad. This course combines volunteer work (over a period of roughly two weeks in January) in various locations in Latin America and Africa, as well as academic study. The volunteer work will typically involve working for service organizations such as orphanages, shelters, and schools. The coursework, which will be conducted prior to and after the trip, will focus around the recent political history of the country, as well as social and development issues. Students will be evaluated, in part, on their ability to incorporate their learning experiences from the volunteer work into their understanding of the academic subject matter. Site will vary. Offered every intersession.
312 Public Policy. An examination of case studies that focus on the influence of the American constitutional and legal system; the role of political institutions; changing social, economic, and political conditions and values; and the historical development of the process of management and organizational structure. The case studies include those of historic importance and those presently under consideration. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
313 Ethics and Public Policy. This course will examine the relationship between ethical theory and political decisions, practices, and polices. The meaning of ethics will be discussed, and the differences between morally right and other criteria of right action will be explored. Theory analysis and case studies will enable the student to make informed and intelligent value judgments concerning a number of issues. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
314 The Politics of Urban Policy Development. Intensive consideration of selected urban policy problems such as housing, law enforcement, pollution, and health, and the roles of various political actors in dealing with them. Questions of community power, federalism, regional planning, and the relative roles of the private and public sectors will be addressed. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years.
316 Constitutional Law. An analysis of constitutional thought and practice concerning: the powers of the president, Congress, and the courts; their interrelationships; federalism; First Amendment rights; the rights of defendants in criminal cases; and the rights of racial and sexual minorities. minorities. Offered fall semester of even-numbered years.
Comparative
230 Introduction to Comparative Politics. Comparison is the key to understanding and explaining politics. Why do the Western European democracies have more generous welfare states than the United States? Why are some nations rich and others poor? Why has the U.S. never had a major socialist party? Were Hitler and Stalin more similar than different? By exploring such questions, we learn crucial techniques for analyzing politics. This course will pay special attention to examining the effects of voting systems and political institutions. Offered spring semester.
232 Comparative European Politics. A comparative study of parties, political ideologies, public policy processes, and governing institutions in Europe. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
234(I) History and Politics of East Asia. This course provides an overview of politics in China, Japan, and Korea from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. It deals with political history, institutions, the political process, political economy, and culture (Cross-listed as History 234.) Offered as required.
242(I) African History and Politics. This course provides an overview of the political, economic, and social history of Africa with a view towards understanding the challenges which have developed in creating the image of Africa and its peoples. An early historical survey will be given which sets the tone for an examination of such topics as the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and African resistance to imperialism. Equally important is the focus on the political forces influencing contemporary African regimes such as the emergence of modern forms of African nationalism, democratization, and the constraints to development in the post- independent era which will be highlighted. (Cross-listed as History 242.) Offered as required.
246 Comparative Politics in the Third World. Don’t just study the familiar. What is the “non-Western” world like? How did it get that way? This course studies politics in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It explores the Third World’s problems and their causes, and inltroduces theories of political and economic development. Specific topics include state-society relations, political institutions, polit ical behavior, political instability, and exter nal shocks. Case studies are used to make clear the similarities and differences of Third World politics. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
247(I) History and Politics of Latin America. Examines post-1492 political events and movements, as well as historical processes and themes, in at least two of the following areas: the Caribbean, Central America, South America. Specific topics include colonialism, indigenous peoples, U.S. military interventions, authoritarianism, political mobilization and revolution, gender relations, and the current movement towards more democratic political institutions and increasing economic integration. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
340 Comparative Politics Seminar. Explores current research in Comparative Politics including, but not limited to, rational choice theory, the military in politics, democratizaton, transitional economies, state-society relations, and theories of political change. Specific topics will vary. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
International
249 US in Latin America. This course explores some controversial issues and political history, focusing on US military intervention in Latin American politics in the 20th century. Focusing mostly to Central America, we will analyze the motives, actions and effects related to United States' attempts to forcibliy affect the politics and economics of teh region. We will evalute these interventions regarding the definition, nature and effects of im perialism. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
251 International Politics. Interested in international issues, or think you may be? War and trade are the defining features of the international system, and are the focus of this course, which prepares students for advanced and specialized courses in the study of international relations, and is quite appropriate for non-majors. The course examines the major schools of thought in international politics, introduces three levels of analysis, discusses the evolution of the modern international system, and elaborates on the major aspects of international studies: security and political economy. Offered fall semester.
253 The Politics of Terrorism. An examination of the growing phenomenon of the use of terror as a form of political expression. The course will investigate terrorism from institutional and historical perspectives. Topics include state-sponsored terroiism, the IRA, and the role of terrorism in domestic and international arenas. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
350 International Political Economy. If you don’t understand the connection between international politics and economics, you don’t know how the world works. This course presents several major theoretical perspectives, and examines such issues as trade, finance, and multinational corporations. Students analyze the interaction between the state and the market, and exam ine major global economic problems, such as oil, poverty, and the environment. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years.
354 Middle Eastern History and Politics. This course provides an overview of the political, economic, and social histories of the Middle East since the 19th century with a view towards understanding the challenges which have developed in creating the image of the region and its peoples. Special emphasis is placed on colonialism, the resistance to imperialism, intra-Arab relations, the Arab-Israel conflict, and the role of the great powers in contemporary Middle East politics. (Cross-listed as History 356.) Offered as required.
355 United States Foreign Policy. The institutions, processes, and politics which shape United States foreign policy formulation and implementation. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
356 U.S.-China Relations. This course approaches the evolving relationship between China and the United States from historical and theoretical perspectives. Focusing on the relationship during and after the Cold War, it explores major issues, including security, economic relations, mutual perception, and Taiwan. Offered as required.
Theory
272 Feminist Politicat Thought. Introduction to major concepts in modern and contemporary feminist political theory. Critical analysis of key texts that address feminist topics from a variety of perspectives. Examines many issues raised by African-America, Third world, postcolonial, poststructuralist, and transnational thought.
273 Ancient Political Thought. A study of three different vocabularies of western political thought originating in Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome. Concepts such as law, order, leadership, democracy, membership, liberation, and independence are defined quite differently in these three respective traditions from which eastern political identity has emerged. Analyzes works by Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Euripides, Cicero, Seneca, Augustine, and Aquinas as well as the Bible.
317 Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Examines the relationship of constitutional law to politics and society, with particular emphasis on the conflictual values of liberty and equality in the Bill of Rights. Analyzes controversial issues such as abortion, freee speech, capital punishment, affirmative action, and the "war of terrorism." Explores the concept of human rights from a philosophical, political, legal, moral, and global perspective.
371 Modern Political Thought. The major political theories of Western Civilization will be studied. Theorists from Machiavelli to Marx will be examined in detail. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years.
372 History of Marxism. A study of the theory and practice of Marxism and related left-wing movements in the Western world from the early nineteenth century to the present, including non-Marxian socialisms, anarchism, revolutionary Marxism, communism, and Eurocommunism. (Cross-listed as History 374.) Offered as required.
373 Contemporary Political Theory. An intensive examination of some of the most controversial and important ideas in politics today. In analyzing a variety of authors, we will argue about gay rights, the relevance of socialism, the importance of property rights, racial discrimination, different definitions of feminism, and the effects of personal selfishness, among other topics. This course will be conducted as a seminar, which means that the students are responsible for conducting the discussions. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years.
Wagner in Washington, D.C. Program
Academic Seminars
292 Inauguration: Transition in Presidential Power. An examination of the presidential transition process. Through lectures, discussion and site visits, students will learn about the transition process and the prospects for the new administration. The course is conducted in Washington, D.C. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Offered spring 2005.
293 Pursuit of the Presidency. Discussion of the issues, candidates, and strategies of Presidential politics. The mechanics of presidential selection, campaign finance, and media strategy will be examined. Offered spring 2008.
294 Congress and the Presidency. The process and politics by which Congress and the Presidency compete and cooperate in order to make policy. The response of the institutions to interest groups and constituencies will be emphasized. Offered spring 2005.
295 Presidential Convention. An examination of the National Conventions and their place in American politics. Through a combination of seminars, discussion groups, workshops, and fieldwork, students will be exposed to the major (or minor) party conventions. As part of the course, students will be assigned a fieldwork assignment at the convention. This is a 2-unit course offerered summer, 2008.
Experiential Education
395 Washington Internship (35 hours). Theoretical approaches to public policy development through operation of the federal government in a working-learning experience. The course is conducted in Washington, D.C. Requirements include: forums, readings, and papers on current issues. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Corequisite: GOV 396. This is a 2-unit course offered fall and spring semesters.
396 Dynamics of American Government. In-depth experience in dynamics of actual public policy implementation in the federal government through direct involvement in the governing process. The course is conducted in Washington, D.C. Requirements include: on-site evaluation, written assignments, and reports. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Corequisite: GOV 395. This is a 2-unit course offered fall and spring semesters.
General
290 Political Science Workshop. Under faculty supervision, students will prepare for participation in political science simulations both on and off campus. Prerequisite: permissin of the instructor. Offered fall and spring semesters. (May be repeated twice).
291 Special Topics. A course to deal with political systems, theories, and issues not covered in the standard courses of the department; content varies in accordance with special interests of staff and students, and is noted in the registration schedule of courses when offered. Offered as required.
297 Research and Analysis. This course develops some of the skills that are important in the study of history and politics such as formulating, researching, and writing a clear and persuasive argument. The specific goals of the class are to improve students’ critical, analytical, and writing abilities and to increase understanding of and ability to conduct historical and social scientific research. Topics may include evaluating primary sources, logical fallacies, internet and library research, and citation methods. (Cross-listed as History 297.) This is a required course for both history and political science majors. It must be taken by the spring of the sophomore year. Offered fall semester.
390 New York State Government and Politics. 35 hours. Theoretical approaches to public policy development through operation of the state government in a working-learning experience in the state legislature. The course will focus on legislative politics, and is conducted in Albany. Intensive orientation by government officials under the direction of program and College faculty. Forums, readings, and papers on current issues are required. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Corequisite: GOV 391. Offered spring semesters.
391 New York Legislative Internship. Indepth experience in dynamics of actual public policy formulation and implementation in state government through direct involvement in the legislative process. The course is conducted in Albany and requires a working-learning contract between the student and the legislative sponsor. Requirements: weekly internship of no less than 30 hours in a legislative office working with staff; on-site evaluation; written assignments; and reports. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Corequisite: GOV 390. Offered spring semesters.
394 Practicum in Political Science. An opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of politics by participating in local government under supervision of faculty and practicing politicians. Course may be taken no more than twice. Consult department chair for further information. Offered fall and spring semesters.
397 Internship: Working in a Global Context. A faculty-coordinated internship at the United Nations or at organizations affiliated with the United Nations. Offered as required.
400 Senior RFT: Experiential Learning, Poitics and Policy. This course proceeds in several parts. First, we examine various criticism of the state of higher education, along with suggestions regarding possible remedies. Second, we discuss proposals to institute a service-learning component in undergraduate education, and appraisals of those programs where they have been put into effect. Finally, we will assess the various arguments that have revolved around Robert Putnam's contention that American community is collapsing due to a lack of "social capital." Offered as required.
490 Senior LC: Social Democracy in Comparative Perspective. This course will examine the issues of social democracy and social welfare by looking at several nations' public policies, as well as the United States "exceptional" status in this regard. First, we analyze the degree to which the United States is an outlier in terms of the provisions of and poitical support for social welfare, Second, we examine the politics of New York City as an exception to the generally conservative poitics of the United States. Third, we look in more detail at the welfare states that exist in Western Europe, and compare then to those in the United Stes. Offered s required..
499 Thesis. Intensive individual research on a topic of interest in the field of public policy and adminstration, terminating in a written report. Prerequisite: Senior standing wintin the public adminsitration major. Permission of the department chair.
593 Independent Study. An opportunity for the more advanced student to pursue an independent research project developed by the student and supervised by a departmental faculty member. The project must result in a research paper approved by the department chair and the supervising faculty member. Prerequisite: approval by the department chair.
