POLS 295 Topics in Politics
Topics in Politics. Can be repeated once for credit if topics differ. NOTE: Different topics may satisfy different Core Program requirements.
Comparing Colonial Legacies
A comparative analysis of colonial governing practices, processes and modes of decolonization, and their long-term effects on the states and societies of the postcolonial world. Critical questions focused on in this course will include the relative political legacies of different types of colonialism (i.e. settler, exploitative, internal) and different colonial powers, the effects of colonial policies regarding ethnic boundary-making, and the implications of enduring ties of various kinds between the post-colonial states and the former metropole. The geographical scope of this course will be broad, including, but not limited to, Latin America, the former Soviet Union, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia. Core Requirement Met: Global Connections.
Politics of Development
A comparative analysis of the politics and economics of states in the “developing world”, including an introduction to theories that link variation in political systems to levels of economic development. This course will also analyze questions such as the relationship of natural resource dependency to political regime characteristics, the determinants of foreign aid allocations, and the origins and roles of international development organizations. The geographical focus of the course includes Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union. Core Requirement Met: Global Connections.
Politics of Immigration
Immigration is one of the most hotly contested issues in American politics, and has been for some time. Much of the debate about how to craft immigration policies has come from politicians at the national level in the U.S. Congress, which has the responsibility to create policy, but important voices in the debate also come from state legislatures and community organizations. In this class, we will learn about the central issues regarding immigration that have emerged in both the body politic and in scholarly discourse. Topics addressed will include: why people migrate, why anti-immigrant sentiment is prevalent, the politics of immigration control policies, demographic trends, and notions of exclusion and inclusion. Our goal in the class is to come to a better understanding of the political process regarding immigration and why it matters. Core Requirement Met: United States Diversity.