Spring 2025 Electives
Catastrophe, Crisis, and Emergencies: Making Policy in the Middle of Disaster
- 4 credits
- PUBPOL 3210
- David Silbey
- Syllabus
- Tuesday 6:30pm – 9:50pm
Many policy decisions are made in the middle of crisis and disaster, at short notice and
under severe pressure. There are a variety of kinds of crises, from natural disasters to human-made ones, from international catastrophes to local ones, from slow-motion crises to split-second ones, and they all require different kinds of policy preparations and responses. To understand this kind of policy, this course will examine a variety of different kinds of crises, how they shaped the responses and the policy-making that came afterwards, and what kind of preparation was put in place for future crises. It will look at crisis leadership, emergency preparations, and disaster responses by examining a number of cases studies of catastrophes both modern and historical.
American Defense Policy & Military History from the World Wars to the Global War on Terror
- 4 credits
- HIST 1571/6571; GOVT 1571
- David Silbey
- Syllabus
- Friday 1:00pm – 4:20pm
America has fought two wars in the 21st century, in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have been the longest wars in American history and have ended badly, amid much ambivalence about the defense policies that created them. Those wars and policies are part of the long history of the war that America has fought as a global power and the policies that shaped those wars and shaped that global power. This course will look at US defense policies and military experience over the long 20th century, from the earth-spanning conflicts of WorldWar I and II, to the nuclear tension of Cold War conflicts, and finally to the global war on terror.
Constitutional Law
- 4 credits
- PUBPOL 3270/5270
- Ronald Christie
- Syllabus
- Thursday 9:30am – 12:50pm
In this course, we will examine one of the most important documents in American history – our Constitution. Course topics will include the historical background of the document from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. We will look at the creation of the Constitution, including the conflict between strong supporters of this proposed new Constitution (Federalists) and their opponents (Anti-Federalists). How did the Founders resolve their differences and what led the States to adopt a document limiting and balancing the powers of the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? We shall look at the constant tension (from the beginning to the present) over the balance of power between the three co-equal branches. We shall discuss the role of the Constitution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives and look at how it has evolved from 1788 to the present day. Special attention will be paid to the use of Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights, to address events/circumstances unforeseen by the drafters. Finally, the course will discuss critical cases where the Supreme Court defined and redefined what the Constitution meant.
Being Native in the 21st Century: American Indian & Alaska Native Politics, History, and Policy
- 4 credits
- PAM 3020/5020; AMST 3024; GOVT 3051/6051
- Nick Courtney
- Syllabus
- Monday 6:30pm – 9:50pm
The course examines the historical political landscape of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S. and the interplay between tribal interests, politics, and the federal government. The course also looks at contemporary Native issues, federal policy and programs, tribal governance, relations between Tribal Nations and states and between Tribal Nations and the federal government. Finally, the course will explore Indigenous pop-culture and its influence on federal policy.