Online courses directory (28)

This course examines various topics related to the American presidency and the executive branch. Unit 1 begins with an introduction to the origins of the office and the early debates amongst the framers of the Constitution surrounding the institution of the presidency. The course will then focus on the components of the Constitution that pertain to presidential powers. A historical analysis of the expansion of these powers concludes the unit. Unit 2 and Unit 3 examine the relationship between the president and the other two branches of the federal government (Congress and the judiciary, respectively). Unit 4 assesses the presidency as it relates to national security, international diplomacy, and foreign policy. Unit 5 transitions into a broader discussion about the executive branch as an institution. It discusses the key players in the media spotlight (the vice president and cabinet), as well as the lesser-known, but essential, federal bureaucracy. This unit also discusses different models of White House orga…

Americans are known for their competitive nature.  Whether between two sports teams on a field or between candidates in the political arena running for office, competition is a fundamental part of the American culture.  For this reason, campaigns and elections are among the most exciting events in American politics.  In this course, you will explore campaigns and elections, learning their purpose and significance and observing the impact that they have on the American political system. Unit 1 will provide you with a basic understanding of the American electoral process by focusing on the history and evolution of elections and voting laws in the United States.  Unit 2 will look closely at what compels individuals to run for office and the many factors that must be considered when launching a campaign: strategy, organization, fundraising, themes, and messages.  In Unit 3, you will learn how political parties and interest groups play into the political drama of elections.  Units 4 and 5 will introduce yo…

Students of political science should understand how ethics, culture, religion, and morality help to shape public debate, policymaking, and policy execution. This course will provide you with an overview of the role that ethical, cultural, religious, and moral principles play in the formulation and execution of public policy by lawmakers and other public officials. After studying the foundational theories of ethics and morality in politics, you will review arguments about existing issues in domestic and international policy, studying each dilemma from a variety of perspectives.  Common themes seen in ethics debates include justice, equality, fairness, individual liberty, free enterprise, charity, fundamental human rights, and minimizing harm to others. These themes are integrated into various decision-making models, such as the Utilitarian Approach, the Fairness and Justice Approach, and the Rights Approach. In the execution of public policy, it is impossible to do no harm to others; often, public policy…

How might you define, understand, and uphold justice in a global and globalizing world?  That question forms the focal point of this course.  It leads to an examination of whether or not global justice is impossible because of a chaotic and extremely diverse world, or to varying degrees, whether or not justice by its very nature demands a global context and scope of applicability.  Justice, whether considered in abstraction or applied contexts, is fundamentally about human rights.  We will begin this course with an exploration of human rights, a subject that grounds the entire course.  Embedded in the human rights context is an analysis of the political theories of justicethrough a cursory review of some of the seminal texts on global justicealong with an examination of applied and distributive justice focusing on specific issues or problems that have arisen in contemporary global dynamics.  Thus, gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity, genocide, self-determination, environmental concerns, class, and particip…

This course will introduce you to the field of international political economy.  International political economy combines two very important aspects of international relations: politics and economics.  The goal of this course is to make you aware of the ways in which economics and politics influence each other when it comes to creating policy.  It explores the interrelated nature of both economics (via its emphasis on markets) and politics (via its emphasis on power).  This course is thus both an economics and a politics course.  However, please note that though we will review some economics concepts, this course is not an econometrics course and does not require a background in economic methods. Economic policy can be an important instrument of statecraft and diplomacy between countries.  For example, countries often use trade relationships, promises of aid, loans, and investments to build goodwill.  On the other hand, countries can also use economic policy to punish or express disapproval towards o…

In this course, you will learn fundamental principles of international law and examine the historical development of these laws. The nature of international law differs in many respects from local, state, and federal law. International laws are formed by either customary international norms or by treaty or multilateral agreements by organizations like the United Nations. Within the community of nations, regional alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) may also enter into agreements for collective security that have the force of law. The body of international law today includes treaties and conventions, as well as rules governing diplomatic relationships between countries. For example, the legal immunity extended to diplomats serving in other countries is considered a part of international law. Some critics do not consider what is termed “international law” to be law at all, as, unlike domestic law (where there is a police force and a judicial system to manage those who break the…

The study of public policy is intended to offer every citizen an understanding of the various and vast roles played by the different branches of the U.S. federal government as well as by state, county, and local governments in various areas of contemporary American life.  It is also a field that focuses on the priorities of American society as portrayed in the public policy choices that elected representatives make on the part of citizens and the size of different interest groups that advocate on behalf of particular policy goals.  This course looks at the process of making public policy from beginning to end and in a wide array of particular policy areas that are of importance to contemporary American society.  Moreover, because the process of public policymaking is best explored by examining particular instances of public debate over a wide array of specific policy areas, this course will adopt a case study approach to explore particular topics. Unit 1 will introduce this case study approach as well va…

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. While much of the reading will focus on court cases, it is not a course on the law or on the courts. Rather, this is a course on constitutional politics. The focus will center on understanding how a free society governs and controls itself. The material will address evolving opinions and doctrines of the United States Supreme Court that focus on the civil liberties and rights of both individuals and groups. This material will emphasize cases with particular relevance to political controversies of both the past and present such as the following: the civil liberties in a post-September 11th country, same-sex marriage, racial equality, gender equality, pornography, as well as speech and privacy in general. The design of this course will encourage students to take a historical view to understand contemporary issues. As mentioned above, this course primarily will explore the doctrines of the Court. T…