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Political Science

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  • CAS PO 327: Non-State Actors in International Relations
    Examines the important role of non-state actors in international relations. Non- state actors include subnational governments, international organizations, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, violent groups, for-profit security firms, social movements, and grassroots organizations.
  • CAS PO 328: North-South Relations
    Employs a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the relations between the industrialized nations of the "North" and the developing nations of the "South." Addresses historical and current issues in North-South relations, including trade, investment, migration, regional economic integration, and the environment.
  • CAS PO 329: International Political Economy
    Emphasizes the dynamic interaction between politics and economics to understand and explain historical and contemporary issues in international political economy, including international monetary, trade, investment, financial, and environmental relations. Considers emerging challenges and structures in the international political economy. Effective Fall 2024 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 330: Special Topics in Comparative Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit providing the topic is different.
  • CAS PO 331: Comparative Political Economy
    Undergraduate prerequisite: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduces students to comparative political economy from a historical perspective, covering the early development of capitalism, industrialization, the welfare state, and the evolution of industry regulation, continuing to topics like deindustrialization, economic stagnation, and the rise of economic inequality. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS PO 332: Civil Wars
    Prerequisites: CASPO 171 or CASIR 271. - Civil wars are the dominant form of political violence in the world. This course draws on a methodologically diverse body of research to examine the causes, durations, and outcomes of civil wars. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU HUB areas: Critical Thinking, Social Inquiry 2.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 333: Democratic Erosion
    Trends in American and European politics have engendered fears about a turn toward authoritarianism where it was once unthinkable. This course explores the causes and consequences of democratic erosion, helping students to put recent developments into comparative and historical perspective. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 334: Political Violence
    Explores the concept of political violence and the dynamics of violent political behavior. Critically examines the causes and consequences of political violence around the world. Topics include civil war, government repression and disciplining, electoral violence, riots and demonstrations, vigilante and intercommunal violence. Comparative perspectives with a particular emphasis on the Global South. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS PO 336: Voting Rights
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS PO 111 or CAS PO 151 - Examines voting rights in the United States, including the social, legal, and political movements that have affected who has the right to vote; how that right is exercised; and current legal and political developments. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS PO 338: Urban Politics of the Global South
    The majority of the world's population now lives in cities. Course explores the origins and history of cities in global south (Latin America, Africa, Asia), with particular attention to colonialism and its effects on contemporary inequality and democracy. Looks at questions of citizenship, governance, informality, democracy, and the role of civil society, in dealing with challenges of urban inequality and climate change. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I .
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS PO 341: European Politics
    Prerequisites: CASPO 141 or CASPO 151/CASIR 251 - Comparative study of politics in member states of the European Union, with emphasis on political development, institutions, major issues in contemporary politics, and the impact of European integration. Selective references to original and new member states of the EU.
  • CAS PO 343: Europe and International Relations
    Provides an overview of European affairs. Topics include the foreign policies of European nations, the dynamics of European integration, NATO, international migration and ethnic conflict, and European relations with the United States, Russia, and neighboring countries.
  • CAS PO 344: Democracy: Its Origins, Breakdown and Outcomes
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO151 OR CASSO100) - How do political scientists explain the emergence of democratic regimes' And what factors explain their breakdown' We look at these questions across a range of countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions of the world. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS PO 346: Bombs and Bombshells: Gender, Armed Conflict, and Political Violence
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore, junior, or senior standing. - Interdisciplinary course surveying women's relationship to political violence with a focus on the evolution of women's international participation in non-state, religiously-motivated groups. Women's roles in political violence throughout Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East are explored. Effective Summer 2025 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS PO 350: The Making of Asia
    Explores the diverse experiences of modernization and development in China, Japan, Korea, as well as the countries of Southeast Asia. Also examines the domestic and international impacts of growing social-economic ties, as well as the complex security challenges among Asian states. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS PO 351: China: from Revolution to Reform
    Introduction to modern Chinese politics including the development of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the political development of the PRC since its founding in 1949. Focus is on the party's official policy and its changing relationships with the people of China. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS PO 352: Rise of China
    How has China risen economically in the last four decades' How different was the Chinese economic model compared to other Asian nations and western models' In what aspects has China's political system been changed or unchanged during its economic rise' what opportunities and challenges are presented with the economic rise of China in the region and in the world' The course offers foundational knowledge on China's economic reform, domestic politics, and global implications, evaluates public and policy debates, and applies the process and methods of social research. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS PO 354: Southeast Asia in World Politics
    Examines Southeast Asia as an important emerging political, economic, and security region in world politics. Background materials, including the region's history, cultural diversity, and geo-strategic position, are given weight in the course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS PO 355: War and Memory in the American Experience
    This seminar examines three questions: How do we remember (and forget) war' Who does the remembering' What is the relationship between war memory and war making' The relationship between war and memory is explored via the American experience. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Individual in Community, Creativity & Innovation
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Historical Consciousness
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS PO 356: Nuclear Security
    Provides students with the foundation for understanding nuclear security in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the American Cold War experience, the growing threat of nuclear proliferation, the renaissance of civilian nuclear power, safeguards, and nuclear weapons under budget constraints. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration

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