Program Requirements: Government and International Relations

Undergraduate Requirements
The major provides a broad introduction to the study of politics as well as the opportunity to gain depth in a subfield of particular interest to each student.The three subfields are: American politics and public policy; comparative politics; and international relations. Students must take 14 courses, with leeway to choose particular courses. Most courses are in the Government Department; a few from other disciplines complement the study of politics and explore the relationships between government and other sectors of society. The 14 required courses—11 in government, one in economics, one in history and one from another related discipline—are divided into two categories.

General requirements for the government major: seven courses, including one subfield introductory course (in addition to the introductory course in one’s chosen subfield); the economics course, ECON010 Economics and the World Economy; one government course in normative political theory (GOVT155,203 or 260); one course in research methods and skills, GOVT107; and three government courses from outside one’s chosen subfield, one of these must be a 200 - level course.

Subfield specialization requirements: five courses in Government and two related courses in other departments.The Government courses include the introductory course to thesubfield (GOVT050 Introduction to American Government, GOVT070 Introduction to Comparative Politics or GOVT069 Introduction to International Relations); four additional government courses inthe subfield (at least one of thesemust be at the 200 - level and one must be from Public Policya seminartaken in the junior or senior year).The two related courses outside the Government Departmentinclude one in History and one selected from a list of courses in the Student Handbook. These two courses should be chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.

Subfield Descriptions

American Politics and Public Policy: The analysis of the U.S. political system in all its complexity, e.g., government institutions; public opinion; federal, state, and local politics; the politics of the courts and law; urban politics; political parties; women and politics; interest groups; social movements; elections; media and politics; and public policy making and implementation broadly and in specific areas, such as environmental policies and housing and community development policies.

Comparative Politics: The analysis both of the trends in and workings of the political systems of the world’s approximately 190 countries (excluding the U.S.) through in-depth investigation of particular societies or regions and of transnational phenomena, such as transitions to democracy, revolution and political violence, land and politics, child labor, women and politics, and race and ethnicity.

International Relations: The analysis of political dynamics between and among countries, e.g., trade politics, international political economy, foreign policy, national and international security, the politics of waging war and making peace, the politics of international organizations, and international law. General Courses

GOVT090 and 100 - 102 First-Year Seminars
GOVT107 Research Methods
GOVT155 Roots of Political Thought
GOVT203Political Theorists and Their Theories/Seminar
GOVT206 Recent Political Theory
GOVT260 Democratic Theory/Lecture, Discussion
GOVT297 Senior Honors Thesis in Government and International Relations
GOVT298 Internship
GOVT299 Independent Study

American Politics and Public Policy
GOVT050 Introduction to American Government
GOVT091 The Gender Gap and American Politics/First-Year Seminar
GOVT154 The Politics of Public Policy in the United States
GOVT157 The Politics of Environmental Issues
GOVT170 American Political Thought and Behavior
GOVT171 Urban Politics: People, Power and Conflict in U.S. Cities
GOVT172 Suburbia: People and Politics
GOVT175 Women and U.S. Politics
GOVT204 The American Presidency
GOVT205 U.S. Campaigns and Elections
GOVT209 The United States since 1968
GOVT213 Policy Analysis in the United States
GOVT215 State and Local Government and Politics
GOVT221 Urban PolicySeminar and Internship
GOVT223 Suburban Policy Issues Seminar
GOVT251 U.S. Social Movements and Interest Groups
GOVT252 U.S. Political Parties
GOVT253 U.S. Judicial Politics
GOVT255 The Politics of U.S. Congress

GOVT272 U.S. Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties
GOVT273 U.S. Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers
GOVT274 The Supreme Court in American Society
GOVT276 Environmental Law
GOVT281The Politics of Policy Implementation/Seminar
GOVT282 Housing Policy and Politics
GOVT291 Lawyers and American Politics/Seminar
GOVT293Constitutional Democracy/Seminar
GOVT296Advanced Topics in American Politics/Seminar

Comparative Politics
GOVT070 Introduction to Comparative Politics
GOVT090 Political Science Fiction/First-YEar Seminar
GOVT094 Dictators and Revolutionaries in Latin America/First-Year Seminar
GOVT103 Africa and the World
GOVT110 Introduction to Women’s Studies
GOVT117 Revolution and Political Violence
GOVT125 Tales from the Far Side
GOVT136 Sub-Saharan Africa: Issues and Problems
GOVT173 Introduction to Latin-American Politics
GOVT177 Transitions to Democracy
GOVT178 South Africa: History and Contemporary Politics
GOVT179 Comparative Foreign Policy
GOVT186 Upheaval in Eastern Europe
GOVT208 Comparative Politics of Women
GOVT210 Violence in the Middle East
GOVT212 Politics, Culture and Society in Latin America
GOVT214 Mass Murder and Genocide Under Communism
GOVT216 Comparative Environmental Politics
GOVT219 Politics and Development of Southern Africa/Seminar
GOVT227 Global Politics of Development
GOVT228 Comparative Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Gender
GOVT230 Armenian Genocide
GOVT232 Politics and Religion in the Balkans
GOVT233 State Building in the Middle East and the Balkans
GOVT256 Russian Politics: From Dictatorship to Democracy and Back Again
GOVT257 Comparative Courts and Laws
GOVT286 Advanced Topics in Comparative Politics/Seminar
GOVT290 U.S. - Latin American Relations/Seminar

International Relations
GOVT069 Introduction to International Relations
GOVT092 Women and War/First-Year Seminar
GOVT093 International Human Rights/First-Year Seminar
GOVT103 Africa and the World
GOVT146 The U.N. and International Law
GOVT147 World Order and Globalization
GOVT179 Comparative Foreign Policy
GOVT192 Asian Political Economy
GOVT211 International Cooperation
GOVT226 International Political Economy
GOVT238 U.S. Foreign Policy
GOVT240 Human Rights and International Politics
GOVT241 History of Human Rights
GOVT242 Human Rights and TransnationalJustice
GOVT247 Seminar in Global Capitalism
GOVT250 U.S. National Security
GOVT268 Peace and War
GOVT280 Super Power Surrendering? Russia and the World
GOVT284 The Vietnam War
GOVT285 Special Topics in Peace Studies/Seminar
GOVT289 Advanced Topics in International Relations/Seminar

GOVT295 Globalization and Democracy/Seminar