This course will analyze the US political system and its governance, which is built upon the ideas of federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances. We will study the country’s development, its legal and policy-making system, the dynamics between the various actors, and the struggle for power and policy. Within this, we’ll cover political parties, participation, interest groups, social movements, media, campaigns and elections to make sense of the factors that make the USA what it is today.
Note: This course is offered at both the 200 and 300 level.
Prerequisites: a background in politics/ international relations/ history
The European Union started in 1951 as an attempt to prevent a new World War in Europe. No other region has displayed similar willingness to give up important parts of national sovereignty in pursuit of a stronger global competitive positioning.
The European Union keeps pressuring the integration-process at a pace which is too fast for some and too slow for others. This integration has a direct impact on the daily lives of all citizens in Europe. The accession of the new Central and Eastern European Member-States poses new challenges for the EU. The East-West labour migration, which is driven by wage differentials creates both opportunities and problems. The free movement of people, and the current refugee crisis, has strained social welfare systems in some of the richer Member-States. Political pressures and the credibility of the EU integration system question the present forms of integration. Pressure such as Brexit, the Eurozone crisis and the related high-unemployment figures make national sovereignty more attractive for some voters.
The course offers a comprehensive coverage of the key political and economic policy areas of the European Union with analysis of the different approaches to regional integration throughout the history of the European Union. The course analyses the historical, political and economic bases for the rise of the European Union from its origins in the post-World War II recovery, to its historic enlargement in 2004 and 2007. Most of the present tensions inside the EU directly relate to the economic integration process and reflect on all other fields of European integration.
Further attention is paid to the protection of human rights within the European integration process. A comparison between the European and UN-framework for the protection of human rights will be made and practically applied to specific cases.
The course will give students an in-depth look at the European legal, economic and political landscape. The course contains academic classes around these themes, as well as field trips to a number of relevant institutions.
This intensive course includes two course related field trips to Brussels and The Hague.
This course presents the specific structural and phenomenological aspects of the various types of mafia operating in Italy and internationally. Topics analyze contemporary criminal, social, cultural, and political features of mafia-related groups and explore traditional and emerging illegal markets. The course describes main Italian and international law policies and legislations to contrast this type of organized crime and the experiences of leading individuals and groups developing a culture of legality to combat the mafia.
This course discusses the origins and development of the Mafia in the context of Italian politics, economics, and society from the nineteenth century to the present day. It analyzes the nature of Mafia activities and their international relevance. Special focus will be given to judicial procedures against the Mafia and the experiences of key individuals and groups contrasting their illegal activities.
Basic institutions and processes of democratic politics. Treatment of themes such as constitutionalism, representation, participation, and leadership coupled with particular emphasis on the American case.
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Contributions of sociology to study of politics, including analysis of political aspects of social systems, social context of action, and social bases of power. P/NP or letter grading.
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Role of race and ethnicity in the U.S., including interplay between racial and ethnic structures and meanings. Special attention to comparison of African American and European American experiences and to transformation of Asian American and Latino communities and the nation generally, wrought by renewal of mass migration in second half of the 20th century. P/NP or letter grading.
This module explores contemporary issues and debates that shape world politics today. It starts by introducing International Relations (IR) theory before turning to two broad themes that dominate IR: conflict and peace. We will apply these themes to a case study of the Northern Ireland conflict exploring the key political developments and the transition to a post conflict settlement. This module will also include a workshop that examines the use of wall murals to articulate conflict/post-conflict identity in Northern Ireland.
Excursion(s): This module includes a day trip to St Andrews, where we’ll undertake a tour of Scotland’s Secret Bunker – an underground compound built to safeguard Scotland during the Cold War.
