Courses
Course Archive
Courses Spring 2002
Please find below a list of courses offered by the department during the Spring 2002 quarter.
21200. Congress, Bureaucracy, and U.S. Public Policy. This course investigates the political dynamics of Congress and the U.S. federal bureaucracy with an eye toward how these institutions interact to produce public policies. We explore a world in which Congress passes laws that cannot be implemented, agencies actively oppose Congressional mandates, and bureaucracies become political actors with interests, providing the genesis for some of the laws they eventually enforce. We evaluate incentives in Congressional elections, inter-institutional conflict, policy ambiguity, and interest-group activity as possible explanations for this apparent chaos. We conclude by critiquing popular proposals to reform Congress and bureaucracy and formulate our own approaches to the problems endemic to these institutions. M. Heaney.
21300/31300. Freedom, State and Society. There are a number of possible ways to understand the relationship between freedom and the institutions, associations, and communities that stand between the individual and a central state family, religious community, ethnocultural community, local and provincial levels of government, and so on. They may be the sites where free lives are led, or they may be sites of local tyranny. They may provide protection against a central state, or through competition promote internal liberalization; or they may provide local havens of unreflective tradition that slow the growth of freedom. This course will be structured around the question of how secondary institutions relate to freedom, and around debates between those who provide different answers. We will draw on history, economics, law, political science, and, especially, political theory. In examining the freedom-promoting effects of federalism and of competing jurisdictions, as well as in studying the status of voluntary associations in the United States today, we will be considering some quantitative empirical findings, but no prior knowledge of statistics or economics is required. J. Levy, S. Rudolph. (A)
22500. The American Occupation of Germany (1945-1949): Political Issues and Moral Dilemmas. The course will offer students the opportunity to study the complexities of political transitions from authoritarian regimes to democracy. The German case was further complicated by the Holocaust, which became a central obstacle for the development of simplistic blueprints for political action. The issues of political responsibility for the Nazi crimes - e.g. individual or collective, civil or military, spontaneous or institutional - the fate of the victims and the perpetrators, and the often contradictory and mutually exclusive requirements and constraints of democratization and denazification were some of the problems that gave social texture and political context to the American agenda in Germany. The course will explore the political and moral dimensions of the problems faced by the US Office of Military Government (OMGUS) in the American Zone of Germany and the American Sector of Berlin, in the context of domestic American policy, the fluid international situation, and the changing nature of the American-Soviet relations. The students will become acquainted with some of the key political events that shaped the second half of the 20th century, and acquire a better understanding of the difficulties involved in putting into practice political agendas. C. Goldstein.
22700 Happiness (HUMA 24900, PHIL 21400, GNDR 25200). From Plato to the present, notions of happiness have been at the core of heated debates in ethics and politics. Is happiness the ultimate good for human beings, the essence of the good life, or is morality somehow prior to it? Can it be achieved by all, or only by a fortunate few? Is the individual the best judge of what will conduce to his or her own happiness? Can it be defined in terms of objective goods or is that even meaningful? Is it applicable to the non-human animal world? What if the notion is ideologically fraught and/or historically relative? What types of gender issues does it raise, given the masculinist tendencies of much past philosophizing about ethics and politics? How plausible and important are recent studies suggesting that modern societies such as the U.S. suffer from a serious "loss of happiness"? What would a "cure" for such a loss look like? Could a culture actually do without some notion of happiness? These are some of the questions that this course will engage, with the help of both classic and contemporary texts from philosophy, literature, and the social sciences. The course will also include various video presentations and other materials stressing visual culture. R. Schultz.
23200. China in the World. Enrollment will be limited to 25. Today China is being viewed in sharply divergent terms. Some see reformist China becoming a global citizen while others view China's growth with alarm and believe a rising China will challenge the existing global order. In this course we combine theories of international relations with the history of China's interactions with the world. The emphasis is on developments in the past two centuries, with special attention to the implications of China's rise in the global economy. Requirements include short papers, class presentations, and a final. D. Yang.
23400/32800. Capitalism in Modern Europe (=HIST 23300/33300). This course investigates the emergence of capitalism in Europe and the world as a whole between the early sixteenth and the late eighteenth centuries. We discuss the political and cultural as well as the economic sources of capitalism and explore Marxist, neoclassical, and cultural approaches. W. Sewell. (C)
24500/35900. Gandhi (=FNDL 24900, ENST 24500). Course readings deal with Gandhi's life (including his autobiography), texts that articulate his thought and practice, and critical and interpretative works that assess his meaning and influence. Topics include nonviolent collective action in pursuit of truth and justice, strategy for cooperation and conflict resolution, and alternatives to industrial society and centralized state. L. Rudolph. (A)
26200/36200. Women and Political Theory (=GNDR 26200/36200). This course reads some of the major writings of modern political theory in which sexuality and gender issues are thematically related to political values of citizenship, equality and freedom -- including works of Rousseau, Wollstonecraft and Mill. It also reads some contemporary feminist interpretation of these and other modern political theorists. The course then proceeds to consider some works of contemporary feminist political theory engaging themes such as gender and democracy; intersections of gender and racial positioning in politics; justice, gender and sexuality; normative analysis of women and public policy issues. Among writers who may appear in that segment of the course are Anne Phillips, Patricia Hill Collins, Carole Pateman, Anna Marie Smith. I. Young. (A)
26300/39300. Comparative Politics of the Middle East and North Africa. This course examines major theoretical concerns in comparative politics using cases from the Middle East. It investigates the relationships between political and economic change in the processes of state-building, economic development, and national integration. The course begins by comparing the experience of early and late developing countries, which will provide students with a broad historical overview of market formation and state-building in Europe and will cover the legacies of the Ottoman empire, European colonialism, and the Mandate period in the Middle East. The course then explores topics such as: the failure of constitutional regimes and the role of the military, class formation and inequality, the conflict between Pan-Arabism and state-centered nationalisms, the role of political parties, revolutionary and Islamicist movements, labor migration and remittances, and political and economic liberalization in the 1990s. L. Wedeen. (C)
26600. History of Philosophy III: Kant and the Nineteenth Century (=PHIL 27000). PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in humanities. This course studies a number of important moral and political philosophers of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Kant, Bentham, Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, and others may be read. C. Larmore.
28300. Seminar on Realism. Enrollment will be limited to 25. The aim of this course is to read the key works dealing with the international relations theory called "realism." J. Mearsheimer.
28500/48500. Quantum Social Science. Enrollment will be limited to 25. The scientific study of society has long been based on the ontological and epistemological assumptions of classical physics. In the 20th century quantum mechanics revolutionized physics and other natural sciences, but it has been though irrelevant to social science because quantum effects are significant only at the micro-physical level, washing out at the macro-level of reality of interest to social scientists. Some recent work in neuroscience, however, has suggested that mind or consciousness--the foundation of social life and normally understood in classical terms--may be a quantum mechanical phenomenon (may, since this remains highly speculative). On the heroic assumption that this conjecture proves to be correct, this course explores possible implications of quantum consciousness for social science and society. After reviewing the essentials of quantum philosophy and consciousness, topics addressed will include the nature of human agency, free will, rationality, individualism vs. holism on social structure, the possibility of group minds, the debate between positivism and interpretivism over the proper methodology of social inquiry, and normative implications for political theory. Basic familiarity with social theory or philosophy of social science is essential; background in physics desirable but not necessary. A. Wendt. (A)
29200. Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (=LLSO 24000). PQ: PLSC 28800 or equivalent and consent of instructor. This course examines selected civil rights and civil liberties decisions of U.S. courts with particular emphasis on the broader political context. Areas covered include speech, race, and gender. G. Rosenberg.
30700. Introduction to Linear Models. This course will provide an examination of statistical methods employed in political science. We will begin with an introduction to general regression models and their use in subjecting theoretical claims to empirical tests. We will discuss the least squares regression model, the assumptions that underlie it, the problems that arise from violating these assumptions, and ways we can restore the ability to draw valid inferences from least squares models. This course will have a decidedly different approach than typical statistics courses. I intend to emphasize intuitive understanding and practical application of statistical tools and to develop students' ability to choose and employ the appropriate tool for particular research questions. Topics to be covered include: multicollinearity, non-linearity and non-additivity, autocorrelation, heteroskadasticity, logit, probit, experimental methods, simultaneous equations, and structural equations. M. Harris-Lacewell. (E)
32100. Machiavelli's Florentine Histories (=SCTH 31700). PQ: Enrollment limited. Open to undergraduates with consent of instructor. An introductory reading of Machiavelli's Florentine Histories with attention to such themes as the following: rhetoric; faction; war and foreign policy; tyranny and liberty; morality and religion, leaders and peoples; and the character and purpose of historical writing. Some familiarity with The Prince and the Discourses on Livy would be helpful. N. Tarcov. (A)
38500. Recent Literature on the Courts. PQ: PLSC 37000. This course examines new and recent literature in public law broadly defined. It aims to bring participants in touch with the newest and most exciting work in the public law field and to identify the most promising questions for future research. Topics covered range from recent jurisprudential work (Bork, Dworkin and Ackerman) to agenda-setting (Perry, Provine) to public opinion (Marshall) to judicial policy (Rabkin, Morgan). G. Rosenberg. (B)
38900. Political and Legal Development in China. This is a research-oriented seminar for graduate students interested in learning about current research on China and in conducting their own research. No attempt is made to provide complete coverage of all aspects of China's political economy. Topics covered include state building, constitutionalism, rights, state-society relations, corruption, and the prospects for democratization. Grading is based on class participation, presentations, and a research paper. It is essential that students come to class having read the required readings. Students are required to present a draft of the research paper in the final session. D. Yang. (C)
41400. Race, Gender, and Politics. PQ: PLSC 35000. C. Cohen. (B)
42000. Augustine: City of God (=RETH 52000, FNDL 26200). J. Elshtain. (A)
45100. Comparative Capitalisms II. PQ: Completion of PLSC 45000 is encouraged but not required. This course will address key empirical and theoretical controversies involving matters of economic and industrial adjustment in advanced industrial economies. Literature on the welfare state, regions, corporate governance, industrial relations and industrial organization will be examined in comparative context. G. Herrigel. (C)
45600. Ralph Ellison (SCTH 41700). This seminar will explore the novels and essays of Ralph Ellison with a view, especially, to their analyses of democracy and democratic citizenship. We will explore the question of the relationship between literature and politics also, and such Ellisonian categories as the tragi-comic and topics like the place of anger, laughter, and public ritual in politics. D. Allen. (A)
45700. Deliberative Processes in World Politics (INRE 39800). As far as most IR theory is concerned, most world politics could be conducted in silence. Talk is cheap or it doesn't matter at all. But it also is a truism that language is what distinguishes humans from other animals, and nearly all human interaction takes place through the medium of talk. This course is about talk understood as deliberation and how it matters in international relations. International deliberation takes place among states, and between states and other actors in the global system. It takes many different forms: bargaining, arguing, rhetoric, persuasion, threats, and promises, to name a few. To talk implies actors are not going to shoot one another at least not now and it implies some recognition that actors might find a cooperative solution. This seminar explores the phenomenon of international deliberation at the level of theory, and then considers concrete applications. Among the applications we might consider are: constructing the national interest; peace processes; crisis bargaining; conference diplomacy; formal international institutions; reparations; apologies; war crimes tribunals; epistemic communities; world public opinion; and declaratory law. J. Mitzen.
45900. Theories of Equality (=LAWS 92402). This course will discuss some of the major debates in political theories of equality that have occupied philosophers, political theorists and legal theorists in recent decades. We will consider Ronald Dworkin's arguments for equality of resources over equality of welfare, along with responses to this theory by writers such as Gerald Cohen, Amartya Sen, and Richard Arneson. We will consider critiques of this debate that focus on its treatment of the status of so-called disability by writers such as Elizabeth Anderson, Eva Kittay and Steven Smith. We will think about political equality and equality of recognition through writers such as Charles Beitz and Anne Phillips. Finally, we will consider issues of whether equality must mean evaluating people according to the same norms, or whether equality can take account of social difference, as these have been debated by feminist legal theorists and critical race theorists. I. Young. (A)
46600. Jurisprudence (=LAWS 76001). After a brief introduction to some major schools in the history of legal thought, this course will be devoted to twentieth-century philosophical jurisprudence, including Hart, Fuller, Raz, Dworkin, Finnis, and Kelsen. We will explore questions including what law is, the relationship between law and morality, the relationship between law and politics, and the idea of rights in a legal system. J. Levy. (A)
47800. Rethinking Democratic Practice. This course explores some of the vast literature in comparative politics and political theory on "democracy" and "democratization." Among the issues we shall investigate are the meanings of these terms, the relationships between economic development and political change, and the conditions of possibility under which democratic transformations take place. We shall examine the roles particular institutions play, such as legislatures and political parties. We shall ask questions such as how important for contemporary democracy are sufficient economic resources or mobile capital? How critical is the existence of elections? What about the presence of a large middle class, politicized workers, civic associations, committed democrats, and/or a shared understanding of what democracy means? What are the relationships among nation-building, state sovereignty, and democratic practice? How do specific historical pasts affect the neo-liberal present? Students will take a final exam or write a research paper. L. Wedeen. (C)
48200. Contemporary Theories of Justice (=PHIL 41200, LAWS 77801). This course focuses on four contemporary classics - Rawls' A Theory of Justice, Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Walzer's Spheres of Justice, and Sen's Inequality Re-Examined. C. Larmore. (A)
48400. Workshop on International Security Policy. This workshop aims to provide interested members of the Chicago community with an opportunity to meet and discuss a wide range of international security topics. Special emphasis will be placed on looking at important policy issues that lend themselves to social science research. Relevant topics include: 1) NATO expansion, 2) America's grand strategy after the Cold War, 3) the rise of China, 4) nuclear proliferation, 5) the state of Russia's military, and 6) stability in the Persian Gulf. Speakers will include policymakers, as well as scholars and graduate students doing policy-relevant research. C. Glaser, J. Mearsheimer, R. Pape.
48900. The American Presidency. This is a course on the American presidency, with attention to the historical change and continuities in the executive branch. We will address major controversies in the field such as the importance of constitutional, psychological, and structural determinants of presidential behavior; methodological approaches to presidency research; the utility of the notion of a "modern" (post-FDR) presidency; and normative theories of the power of the executive vis--vis other political actors and institutions. P. Conley. (B)
50900. Comparative Case Study Method. This course will examine the core epistemological and methodological issues surrounding the case study method. J. Mearsheimer. (E)
51000. Sovereignty and the Origin of the Nation-State (=LAWS 93002). This year-long seminar will read books and articles concerning the transition from medieval feudal society to the "Westphalian" territorial nation-state. We will explore how international politics and international law changed during this period, and we will examine the implications of these changes for modern claims that the Westphalian paradigm is dissolving. The seminar will meet three times per term, probably outside the law school. The reading will be heavy (approximately one book or book-length assignment per session). Students will be expected to write short reaction papers in advance of each meeting. Writing credit will be awarded. Interested students should petition, via email, Professor Goldsmith for entry into the seminar, stating pertinent background and interest in the subject. J. Goldsmith.
52000. Political Theory Workshop (=SCTH 52000). The workshop is a forum for the presentation of new research in all varieties of political theory and political philosophy, including work in the history of political thought; contributions to normative political philosophy; theoretical engagements with problems in contemporary politics and public policy; and theoretical reflection on fundamental political concepts or phenomena. Our weekly seminars include presentations of work in progress by graduate students, as well as University of Chicago faculty, faculty at other Chicago-area institutions, and a small number of invited guests from around the country. Graduate students serve as discussants for all presentations. The Workshop subscribes to no particular methodology or political ideology, and welcomes participants from all departments and disciplines. D. Allen, C. Larmore, J. Levy, N. Tarcov, I Young.
54500. Workshop on American Politics. This workshop explores recent work in a variety of the subdisciplines of American politics. Our agenda is as diverse as the interests of our participants, ranging from the "new institutionalism" in both its historical and formal varieties, to studies of agenda setting, to quantitative studies of the electoral process. We are catholic in our substantive and methodological approaches. Sessions include paper presentations by workshop participants, readings and discussions of important new work, and several presentations by visiting scholars. J. Brehm, C. Cohen, M. Dawson, G. Rosenberg.
54600. Workshop on East Asia (=ECON 57100). This workshop focuses on current social science research on East Asian societies, including the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Presentations are by university faculty and advanced graduate students who conduct research on these societies, throughout the social science disciplines. Two to three outside speakers are hosted each quarter. D. Yang, B. Silberman.
55100. Seminar: Plato Menexenust and other Funeral Orations (=GREK 45100, SCTH 45100). D. Allen. (A)
55500. Workshop on Comparative Politics. This workshop invites scholars whose work is historical, sociological, anthropological, and political to cultivate a forum that is highly interdisciplinary in nature. We have addressed issues such as state building, democratic theory, economic policy, the welfare state, and cultural cleavages in past years. We invite graduate students with area expertise to raise theoretical issues about their data and interpretations that would be of interest to a wider circle of social scientists. As in the past, there will be no particular geographic or temporqal focus in the workshop. S. Kalyvas, L. Medina, S. Stokes, L. Wedeen.
55600. Workshop on Social Theory (=HIST 98100). This workshop explores issues in social theory across a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. The emphasis is less on developing social theory per se than on exploring in a sustained fashion the social theoretical implications of the participants' substantive work. Themes to be addressed are likely to include the relationship between social and cultural transformations; questions of the public sphere, civil society, and democracy; as well as the relations between modernist and postmodernist forms of social theory. W. Sewell.
55900. Workshop on Theory and Practice in South Asia. L. Rudolph, S. Rudolph.
59500. Workshop on International Relations. Part of the Program on International Politics, Economics, and Security (PIPES), this is a yearlong workshop for advanced graduate students engaged in their own research projects in international relations. PIPES meetings provide a forum for advanced graduate students, university faculty, and outside guests to present their research. Topics include the full range of international politics and theory, including political economy, security studies, foreign policy, international law and organizations, international environmental issues, critical international relations theory, and a wide variety of regional issues. This work is methodologically diverse, encompassing historical research, mathematical modeling, quantitative studies, and interpretive approaches. C. Lipson, D. Snidal.
