Courses

As well as offering introductory and in-depth instruction in many areas, the Department of Political Science offers a wide range of courses in a variety of specialties.

Summer Quarter 2008 Courses (Word document download click here)

Political Science 201A: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY
Days/Time: MW 9:40-11:50 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Lambacher, J Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: This course is intended to give students a survey introduction to important texts in the history of political theory from Plato to the 20th Century. It is organized around the question of political legitimacy – whether governments have a right to rule and citizens an obligation to obey. Under what circumstances, if any, can we say that these conditions apply? What happens when they don't apply? In studying the fascinating range of responses to these questions we will necessarily examine themes of freedom, equality, democracy, conflict, peace and justice. Students will learn to critically and comparatively engage the core arguments of different theorists and come to their own reasoned accounts of political legitimacy. Particular attention will be given to ways in which political theory offers conceptual resources for understanding contemporary issues and the political challenges of living in a globalized world.
Readings will include Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Mill, Gandhi, and Barber.

Political Science 202A: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS
Day/Time: MW 2:20-4:30 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Roberts, C Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: This course is an introduction to the study of American politics. The course will provide a broad and critical examination of the ideas, institutions, processes, and public policies that are central to the American system of government. Students will not only develop an understanding of the mechanisms of American government, but be introduced to the concepts and issues that drive contemporary American politics. Beyond preparing students for advanced study within the multiple sub-fields of American politics, the course will facilitate informed citizenship and participation in the democratic process
Class Assignments and Grading: Assignments: Two short (5-6 page) papers, weekly quizzes and final exam. Each week there will be required readings from each of books. Readings should be done for the day they are assigned. The complete, week-by-week reading list will be posted on the course website.

Political Science 202B: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS
Day/Time: MTWTHF 9:40-11:50 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Merry, M Poague Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: This course will provide an introduction to the workings of the American political system. We will examine the major institutions of government, paying particular attention to the ways in which government officials and extra-governmental actors--i.e., citizens, interest groups, and the members of the media--interact within those institutional boundaries. A central issue guiding this course will be the extent to which the American political system lives up to democratic ideals. We will tackle this issue from several directions, as indicated by the following questions. Should members of Congress vote primarily on the basis of their constituents' views? Is it ever justifiable for members of Congress to "vote against" public opinion? What purpose(s) do political parties serve? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a two-party system? Why is voter turnout so low in the United States? Is low turnout a problem for democratic governance? The class should provide you with a good working knowledge of the political system we live in and should equip you with skills and habits that will foster a continuing engagement with American politics.

Political Science 203A: INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Days/Times: MTWTH 2:20-4:50 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Datta, R Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: This course introduces the principles and foundations of international relations. Special attention will be given to: the actors in the current international system, theories of power, conflict and cooperation, and the debates surrounding military conflict (conventional and unconventional), economic development, human rights, international law, the global environmental commons, and the problems and promise of the globalization of economy and rights.
Texts: Charles W. Kegley and Eugene R. Wittkopf, World Politics: Trend and Transformation, 8th ed., Bedford Books, 2001. There will be outside Internet-based reading linked to the course website.
Assignments and Grading: Your grade will be based on a combination of in-class exams, analytical papers, and participation in class discussions. The percentages are as follows:
Midterm exam: 25 %; Final Exam: 35 %; Papers: 25 %; Participation: 15 %.

Political Science 203B: INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Day/Time: MTWTH 2:20-4:50 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Taedong, L Introductory Course
Individual and Society
Description: The purpose of this course is to provide theoretical explanations for the problems and issues of world politics. Current international relations poses unprecedented challenges and opportunities including war and peace, war on terrorism, economic cooperation/conflict and globalization as well as the role of international law and institutions in the international system. By evaluating the basis of international relation theories, this class enables you to analyze and understand current and historical issues of international politics.

Political Science 204A: INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Days/Time: TTH 12:00-2:10 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Johnson, E Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: In this course, students will learn theoretical and empirical tools for the study of comparative politics. Through the comparison of diverse countries around the world, we will evaluate competing explanations of democracy and dictatorship, economic growth, and civil society and how governments evolve in response to domestic and international pressures. The same pressures, institutions, and movements that have made some countries more democratic have led to civil war and ethnic massacre in others. By the end of the course, students will have acquired a broad perspective of the comparative politics field and the ability to relate their own interests to existing concerns of scholars and policymakers.

Political Science 204B: INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Days/Time: MTWTH 5:00-7:30 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Lazardeux, S Introductory course
Individual and Society
Description: This course examines the origins and characteristics of various types of governmental structures. We will explore the ways in which institutions, the interests of various political actors, and political culture influence political stability and the policies implemented in different countries. Special attention will be paid to the issue of economic growth and economic development.
Texts: Kopstein and Lichbach, Comparative Politics.
Class assignments and grading: Assignments: Midterm and final exams, book review.
Grading: Midterm: 25%, Final: 35%, Book review: 20%, Participation: 20%, Assignments and grading criteria subject to change by the first day of class.

Political Science 273A: THE CONCEPT OF POLITICAL POWER
Days/Times: TTH 9:40-11:50 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Park, S Field A
Individual & Society
Description: Course description not available at this time. The following is taken from the UW General Catalog:
How to understand and explain relationships of power. Readings from Marxism, Weberian sociology, anarchism, classical political philosophy, and contemporary political science. May also include works of fiction.

Political Science 304A: AMERICAN PRESS AND POLITICS
(Joint w/COM 304A)
Days/Time: MW 7:00-9:20 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Lagos, T Field A
Individual & Society Evening Degree Course
Description: Journalists role in elections and public policy. Course also looks at current climate of press-state relations as it affects public participation in civic affairs, the influence of emerging new digital technologies in this process and what impact press-state links have on the democratic experiment.
Text: Breaking up America by Joseph Turow; Modernity and Self-Identity by Anthony Giddens; Culture Code, Clotaire Rapaille; PR: Social History of Spin by Stuart Ewen; American Soul by Jacob Needleman.

Political Science 306A: MEDIA, SOCIETY AND POLITICAL IDENTITY
(Joint w/COM 306A)
Day/Time: MTWTH 2:20-4:50 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Williams, M Field D
Individual & Society
Description: Course description not available at this time. The following is taken from the UW General Catalog:
Explores how society and culture are both represented in and shaped by communication technologies and media content. Media include film, advertising, news, entertainment television, talk shows, and the Internet. Explores how media represent and affect individual identity, values, and political engagement.

Political Science 313A: WOMEN IN POLITICS
(Joint w/WOMEN 313A)
Days/Time: MW 12:00-2:10 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Neff-Sharum, E Field D
Individual and Society
Description: This course offers a general survey of how women as a group have engaged politics including: as outsiders through political participation, as insiders in government, and as the subject of policy action. The goal of this course is to create a forum for exploration. The intent is to create an understanding of women as political players in society: their history as outsiders, their ability to gain political power (with special attention to the Democratic primary for the 2008 presidential election), and the evolution of a “women’s” public policy. The course engages women and politics in the American context.
This course is designed to investigate several questions. Should women be treated as distinct from other political actors or should this distinction not be made in the study of different facets of political life, in particular American political life? Does separate policy treatment for “women’s issues” make sense? Should women’s politics and women’s policy be synonymous with a feminist agenda or should this topic be something broader? And finally, is America ready for a woman president?
Grading: Grades will be based upon a series of discussion papers, participation, and a final exam.

Political Science 321A: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
Days/Time: DAILY 9:40-11:50 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Majeski, S Field C/D
Individual and Society
Description: The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the American foreign policy process so that he/she can critically evaluate current and future foreign policy decisions. Foreign policy decisions are the product of an historical context, a complex bureaucratic process, and an intertwined domestic and international political environment. We will examine each of these components and this is reflected by the set of required books.
Assignments: There will be some additional readings assigned, including a daily newspaper since we will discuss current foreign policy on a daily basis. Students can expect two exams and a set of short response papers.

Political Science 325A: THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
Days/Time: TTH 12:40-2:10 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Hattar, T Field C
Individual and Society
Description: This course analyzes the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a means of understanding identity conflict, particularly nationalist conflict, as a resilient and persistent structural feature of modern politics. The history will be taught in three distinct phases. The first phase lasted from about 1905 to 1948 and was primarily a conflict between Jewish immigrants and Palestinian Arabs to create basic institutions of a state. The second phase, from 1949 to 1984, was primarily a conflict between existing states. The third phase, from 1985 to the present has again become a conflict between a Palestinian community in the West Bank/Gaza and Israel over the creation of new state institutions.
Assignments: There are two midterm examinations and a final examination, valued at 15%, 35% and 50% of the grade, to encourage improvement. Students may opt to write a 10-20 page analytical research paper in lieu of the final examination.
Texts: Morris, Righteous Victims; Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict; Gellner, Nationalism; Schmitt, The Concept of the Political.

Political Science 327A: WOMEN RTS / HUMAN RTS
(Joint w/LSJ 327A)
Day/Time: TTH 4:30-6:50 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Yuksel, S Field C
Individual and Society Evening Degree Course
Description: Course description not available at this time. The following is taken from the UW General Catalog:
Women's rights in comparative perspective, focusing on varying settings that alter the meaning and practical application. Domestic level: areas including abortion politics to trafficking in women. International level: areas including equality claims before European supranational judicial bodies, rape as war crime in international law.

Political Science 331A: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE MIDEAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Day/Time: MW 5:00-7:10 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Sezgin, Y Field B
Individual & Society
Description: This course is designed to offer an introduction to the politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The course will present both a thematic and historical approach to the study of the region. The course will first start by problematizing the way we study and learn about the Middle East and Islam in the West. The discussion of “Orientalism” will be followed by a brief history of the region from 1914 to 1945. Here, the emphasis will be particularly on the impacts of the World War I which single-handedly changed the course of history in the region. Then, we will move to examine a number of issues of central importance in the contemporary politics of the region: The Arab-Israeli conflict, political Islam, and the impacts of oil on Middle Eastern politics and society. Upon the completion of these thematic discussions we will analyze the American foreign policy in the Middle East. The general discussion of American policy in the region will be followed by a more detailed analysis of the history of the US-Iran relations. In addition to the assigned course material, students will be required to watch relevant films/documentaries and follow the regional affairs by reading NYT on a daily basis.

Political Science 337A: COLLECTIVE VIOLENCE AND THE STATE
(Joint w/SIS 337A)
Days/Time: Daily 12:00-2:10 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Acuff, Jon Field B
Individual & Society
Description: This course examines the relationship between various forms of violence and the state. We shall analyze several types of violence, including organized crime, revolution, genocide, and ethnic conflict. We will evaluate the relative effectiveness of several theories that attempt explain the causes of collective violence. In conjunction with the social scientific analysis of collective violence, we will also not lose sight of the necessity of the normative judgment of its perpetrators. Finally, we will explore attempts at preventing or ameliorating societal conflict and the relative merits of each.
Several analytical claims and puzzles will be used to better focus our inquiry into the foundations and constitutive features of collective violence. First, we shall examine violent action as a continuum ranging from small sub-state groups to large ethno-national collectivities. Second, we will view conflict within and against such groups as structured by the interaction of both state and non-state organizations. Third, we are interested in variation in both outcomes and means. Specifically, why do some inter- and intra- group conflicts end in violence and others do not? Why are some large-scale social changes effected through largely non-violent means, such as the collapse of the Eastern bloc in 1989, while others occur in the context of massive, violent upheavals, as in the case of the French Revolution? Fourth, who is responsible for acts of collective violence? Are such acts ever justifiable? Why/why not? Finally, if impersonal structures dominate the lives of individuals, can we even speak of individual responsibility? Conversely, if individuals are responsible, which organizations should hold them to account?
This course is both analytically and empirically demanding—students are expected to think critically and possess substantive knowledge of the people and events discussed herein. Students who enroll in this course should have completed the introductory courses in political science for the sub-fields of comparative politics and international relations (IR), both of which are offered every quarter. There is no “make-up session” or text that can adequately replace completion of this prior coursework. I will assume knowledge of the theories used in comparative politics and IR. Students who have not taken these classes will not be prepared for the analytical material contained herein.
Texts: Some of these texts can be expensive. Students are encouraged to shop around online.
Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. New York: Harper Perennial, 1998. ISBN: 0060995068. Jack A. Goldstone (ed.), Revolutions: Theoretical, Comparative, and Historical Studies; Wadsworth Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 015506679X. Stuart Kaufman, Modern Hatreds. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2001. ISBN: 0801487366. Barbara Walter and Jack Snyder (eds.), Civil Wars, Insecurity, and Intervention. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0231116276.
Additional assigned readings are available free online via JSTOR or as otherwise specified in the syllabus.
Grading: Midterm Exam: 40%; Final (cumulative) Exam: 60%
Each exam will consist of short answer and essay questions. A list of possible essay questions will be provided prior to each test. The sample questions will help students both prepare for the exams and force them to evaluate the major issues and ideas raised by the course material. Although it will emphasize material covered since the midterm, the final exam is cumulative. Both exams will evaluate material from the readings not specifically covered in lecture.

Political Science 356A: SOCIETY AND POLITICS
(Joint w/SOC 356A)
Days/Time: DAILY 8:30-10:40 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Valdez, S Field D
Individual & Society
Description: Course description not available at this time. Following is that taken from the UW General Catalog:
Focus on the causes of political change in democratic countries, including public opinion, social movements, interest group activity, and party organization.

Political Science 363A: LAW IN SOCIETY
(Joint w/- LSJ 363A)
Day/Time: Daily 9:40-11:50 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Fisher, S Field D
Individual and Society
Description: This class explores the fundamental roles that law plays in organizing contemporary social life. We will consider various ways of understanding law’s complex presence in society: how law shapes and enables social interaction, how law constructs differences among people and their actions, how law mediates and enforces power relationships, and how law matters for the kind of society we have. Topics will include disputing processes; legal ideology and legal practice; law and violence; law, identity, and community; and rights. The course will examine official legal institutions (courts) and actors (judges, police, lawyers, etc.), but will emphasize how law works as a complex array of norms, symbols, discourses, and practices that infuse and shape all aspects of social life. We thus will address both the macro-politics of law at the national level and the micro-politics of legal interaction among citizens within neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, families, and the like. Most of the case materials draw from U.S. experience, but some comparative historical and cross-national perspectives may be introduced. The course will require close reading of texts and several written assignments. There are no formal prerequisites for this class, although grounding in a basic knowledge of American politics and social organization will be assumed. This class is a core requirement for the Law, Societies, and Justice Program.

Political Science 367A: COMP LAW AND COURTS
(Joint w/- LSJ 367A)
Day/Time: Daily 12:00-2:10 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Fredette, J Field C
Individual and Society
Description: This course, a basic introduction to comparative judicial politics, is targeted at students who are interested in learning about the interaction between law, courts and politics in countries throughout the world. This class is a required core course for the Law, Societies and Justice Major, and an optional course in the Political Science major. We begin by examining the logic and functions traditionally ascribed to courts: the logic of “neutral fact-finding arbiters” engaged solely in a limited mission of providing order, resolving disputes, and enforcing legal norms. We then challenge this traditional assessment by turning to the actual design and activities of courts in various Western democracies: we track these courts’ development and departure from traditional depictions of the judiciary, particularly in the arena of constitutional law and politics where courts have influenced legislative decision-making. Moving beyond established Western democracies, we explore the development of constitutional courts in newer Asian democracies. We conclude with an examination of the development of supranational and international law and courts, and their potential impact on individuals, national politics, and national courts.
Assignments: Exams, reading responses, and research paper.

Political Science 368C: THE POLITICS AND LAW OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
(Joint w/- LSJ 320C)
Days/Time: Daily 2:20-4:30 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Squatrito, T Field D
Individual and Society
Description: This course examines the emergence and development, since World War II, of an international movement dedicated to the promotion of human rights. We will study the goals of the movement and the global political context in which it operates. Special attention will be given to the legal institutions, national and international, which have influenced its evolution and character. Students taking the course will acquire an enhanced understanding of the role in human rights politics played by the United Nations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, international customary law, treaty law, regional courts, and international tribunals. Students will also be responsible for writing a research paper on some aspect of human rights.
Grading: Bi-Weekly assignments (15%), Mid-term Exam (20%), Participation (15%), Final Exam (25%), Research assignment (25%)

Political Science 410A: TECHNOLOGY, POLITICS AND THE STATE
Days/Time: Daily 9:40-11:50 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Datta, R Field D
Individual and Society
Description: Robert Pool argues, in his Beyond Engineering: How Technology Shapes Society that "modern technology is like a Great Dane in a small apartment. It may be friendly, but you still want to make sure there's nothing breakable within reach. So to protect the china and crystal, governmental bodies, special interest groups, businesses, and even
individuals [demand] an increasing say in how technologies are developed and applied." This course, offered as a seminar, will explore the complex relations between Pool's Great Dane, the apartment, and the inhabitants of that apartment between technology, society, politics, and policy. It begins with an examination of theories of technology, proceeds to a consideration of the impact of technology on society (via case studies on the Titanic disaster and Information Technology in contemporary American politics), and concludes with a focus on contemporary technological conundrums that place demands on policy. Questions should be directed to rdatta@u.washington.edu.
Grades: Course grade will be based on: Two Short Response Papers; A presentation on a contemporary technology policy question; Seminar Leadership and Participation; Final Exam.
Text: The following required texts are available in the UW Book Store: Albert H. Teich (Ed), Technology and the Future, 9th Edition; Bruce Bimber, Information and American Democracy: Technology in the Evolution of Political Power; Steven Biel, Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster.
One of the following texts should be purchased after the first day of class (available in the UW Bookstore):
Marge Piercy, He, She, and It; Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer.
Additional readings will be placed on Electronic Reserve.

Political Science 411A: THEORIES OF THE STATE
Days/Time: TTH 5:00-7:00 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Lawson, K Field A
Individual and Society
Description: This course examines the nature of the modern nation-state from a variety of theoretical perspectives. It begins with an emphasis on the historical roots of modern state theory—including the work of Locke, Weber, and Marx—and then surveys more contemporary approaches to the state. We will explore some persistent philosophical questions about the state, such as: What is the legitimate role of the state? What is the relationship between state and society? What does it mean to be a citizen of a nation-state? And, what is the future of the state in light of today’s globalized economy?

Political Science 414A: POLITICS AND CULTURE
Days/Time: MW 2:20-4:30 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Stumpo, P Field D
Individual and Society
Description: How do people interpret and shape the political world around them through the use of such cultural resources as language, symbolism, myth, and ritual. Does culture matter in explaining political phenomena? What are the importance of these myths, symbols and rituals? How should political scientists define culture? How should they use it in their arguments about the places they study?
Political scientists have struggled with these issues since Max Weber first raised the issue that culture could be used as a factor to explain political outcomes. Some authors believe culture is the driving force behind political outcomes, others see its importance as secondary or even, non-existent. Most who use it in their arguments struggle to define it or explain what it is, with some achieving more nuanced definitions than others.
The goal of this course is for students to begin to familiarize themselves with some of the ways in which political scientists think about culture and also to reflect on how they might use culture in their own arguments about political events.
Students are not expected to know one definition of “culture” by the end of the course and exactly how it should be incorporated into political science theory. Rather, students are encouraged to deeply engage the texts and understand the types of arguments made by authors who have addressed the subject. Students should come to class having done the reading and ready to discuss it. They are expected to struggle with their own ideas about the topic and will have an opportunity to put their thoughts into practice in a final research project that uses primary source material.
Texts: Most of the readings for the class will be available online; however, students will have to purchase a few of the required books at the University Bookstore. We will read some of the most well-known texts in this area of study, including Weber, Almond and Verba, Huntington, Elkins and Simeon, and Geertz. Then, we will consider two cases in depth – one in the U.S. and one in the Middle East - by looking at authors who use the “culture” of their research location in new and creative ways. We also view films that offer perspectives on what “culture” is and how it affects politics in these two cases.
Grades: The grade for the course will consist of a series of short response papers based on the reading (30%), a take-home midterm exam (30%) and a final research paper where students are asked to apply the theories about culture we have discussed in class to a case study that they will research in the library (40%). I also reserve the right to give pop quizzes to make sure students are keeping up with class readings.

Political Science 419A: U.S. CHINA RELATIONS
(Joint w/SISEA 459A)
Days/Time: Daily 1:10-3:20 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Bachman, D Field D
Individual and Society
Description: Course description not available at this time. The following is taken from the UW General Catalog:
Surveys the history of United States-China relations and examines the evolution of bilateral relations, particularly since 1949. Focus on the period since 1972 and the major issues as they have evolved since that time, including trade, human rights, security, and Taiwan.

Political Science 426A: WORLD POLITICS
(Joint w/SIS 426A)
Days/Time: MTWTH 5:00-7:30 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Kim, M Field C
Individual and Society
Description: This course is intended to expose you to many of the problems and issues of world politics and the primary theoretical explanations for state behavior in the international system. As such, it will focus on the nature of the international system, the causes of international conflict, the challenges to establishing international cooperation, and political dimensions of the international economy. The purpose of this course is to provide a theoretical and historical basis for analyzing and understanding world politics. Current and historical events will also be discussed as we assess the utility of various theoretical approaches.
Class assignments and grading: two midterm exams (20 % each), final exam (30 %), class performance (30 %).

Political Science 428A: MILITARY INTERVENTION
Days/Time: Daily 12:00-2:10 (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Scheideman, J Field C
Individual and Society
Description: This course addresses military intervention in world politics. We will study the reasons states choose to intervene or not intervene in other states. What motivates intervention? What stops intervention? We will explore the requirements for different types of intervention and the conditions that promote and hinder successful interventions. Finally, we will study the reasons states withdraw and the consequences of withdrawal for both states. We will use both theoretical readings to sharpen the analysis and case studies of specific interventions to see how the theory works. Although the class will focus on U.S. intervention, such as in Iraq, Somalia, and Bosnia, it will also examine other states’ interventions since World War II.

Political Science 441A: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF RUSSIA
Days/Time: MW 9:40-11:50 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Wilson, S Field B
Individual & Society
Description: This course will trace the development of the Soviet / post-Soviet world beginning from the Russian Revolution of 1917, looking at the factors behind the rise, 70-year durability and fall of the Soviet state. We will assess the challenges faced by Russian society in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse and compare different paths taken by the countries which were part of the USSR. Throughout this overview, we will focus on four theoretical approaches dominant in social science (structuralism, culturalism, rational choice and the Weberian approach) to analyze communist politics and its legacies. The course will conclude with evaluation of what the development of the post-Soviet world has taught us about the challenges involved in a transition to democracy and system of well-protected human rights.

Political Science 450A: STATE-SOCIETY RELATIONS IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES
(Joint with SIS 456A)
Days/Time: TTH 2:20– 4:30 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Heurlin, C Field B
Individual and Society
Description: Students will explore different perspectives on state-society relations. Special attention will be paid to the processes of state-building, economic development, the rule of law, ethnic conflict and labor politics in developing countries. Students will explore answers to the following questions: Why are some states strong while other states seem perpetually weak? How have states attempted to develop their countryside? Why would authoritarian states attempt to establish the rule of law? Why are some areas torn apart by ethnic conflict while others remain relatively stable? The empirical focus of the class will include case studies of China, sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Egypt, among others.
Texts: Likely readings will include, States and Power in Africa, by Jeffrey Herbst; Ethnic Conflict and Civil Life, by Ashutosh Varshney; Against the Law, by Ching Kwan Lee; and various other articles.
Grading: Grades will be determined on the basis of classroom participation, a midterm exam, and final paper.

Political Science 452A: MASS MEDIA PUBLIC OPINION
(Joint w/COM 414A)
Days/Time: MWF 8:30-10:40 (Full Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Moy, P Field D
Description: This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of public opinion. It examines the role of public opinion in a democracy; the relationship between mass media and public opinion; theories of public opinion and attitude change; and contemporary uses of public opinion.

Political Science 461A: MASS MEDIA LAW
(Joint w/COM 440A)
Days/Time: MTWTH 8:30-10:40 (A Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Kielbowicz, R Field D
Individual and Society
Description: This course will explore the media’s legal rights and responsibilities in gathering, preparing, and disseminating news and public information. It also explains the constitutional protections afforded the press in the United States and how those protections have evolved (and are still evolving) in the Twentieth Century. On one level, the course deals with legal problems encountered by media professionals. Although the course focuses on legal matters, some of our discussion provides guidance for communication professionals as they grapple with ethical decisions. On another level, we’ll discuss why the law is the way it is – in other words, the principles, reasoning, and political decisions that underpin court decisions and legislative statutes. Many of the issues that we’ll discuss involve current controversies in communication law and policy.
Assignments: There will be a quiz and two exams. Test questions will be drawn from material presented in class and in the assigned readings.
Texts: Don R. Pember, Mass Media Law, 2003-04 edition.
Grading: Quiz & Two Tests: 75 %; Quiz Section: 25 %.

Political Science 488A: HONORS SENIOR THESIS
Days/Times: ARR 5 Credits
Meets W/- course requirement Contract and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Registration is limited to students currently enrolled in the Political Science Honors Program. A contract must be completed and signed prior to obtaining an entry code for POL S 488. See your adviser for the contract and entry code.
Students individually arrange for faculty supervision of their senior honors research project. Students meet periodically as a group to discuss research in progress.

Political Science 489A: HONORS SENIOR THESIS
Days/Times: ARR 5 credits
Meets Writing Course Requirement Contract and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Registration is limited to students currently enrolled in the Political Science Honors Program. An updated contract must be on file prior to obtaining an entry code for Pol S 489. See your adviser for the contract and entry code.
Students individually arrange for faculty supervision of their senior honors research project. Students meet periodically as a group to discuss research in progress.

Political Science 496A & B: UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
Day & Time: ARR 5 Credits, Max. 15
Instructor: ARR Application and Entry Code, 215 Smith
Description: Local, state, national and international internship opportunities are posted at www.polisci.washington.edu/under/internships.asp. More detailed information is available for some placements and is kept in a notebook in the Political Science Advising Office in Smith 215. Students wanting internship experience should consult the listings and then make contact with the agency coordinators at the placements that interest them.
After obtaining placement, the student should find a faculty sponsor (see a Political Science adviser if help is needed), then bring a letter to Political Science Advising detailing the hours to be worked, specific job responsibilities, the agency supervisor, etc. An adviser will then issue a learning contract to take to the faculty sponsor. The student and faculty sponsor together define the academic components of the internship.
When the learning contract is completed and returned to Political Science Advising, an adviser will issue an entry code. However, arrangements should be made well in advance because no entry codes will be given out after the first week of the quarter.
Political Science 496 does not count toward the major requirements in political science. Pol S 496A is decimal graded; Pol S 496B is graded credit/no credit.

Political Science 498A: THE WASHINGTON CENTER INTERNSHIP
Washington, D.C. 15 credits
WA Center Liaison: 215 Smith Credit / No Credit Only
Description: Students in any major can combine a work and learning experience at the Washington Center for credit. Washington internships give students opportunities to explore careers and professions within the framework of liberal arts studies. Students establish working relationships with professionals through involvement in critical functions of the sponsoring organizations or through individual research projects.
Participants can intern in congressional offices, executive agencies, and with groups in many other areas such as the environment, consumer affairs, journalism, communications, legal affairs, labor relations, health policy, arts, education, science, public relations, urban affairs and women's issues. Students also attend seminars taught by representatives of major governmental agencies, interest groups and corporations.
Eligibility Requirements: Junior standing or above, a minimum of 45 credits at the UW, POL S 202 recommended, and a letter of recommendation from a UW faculty member.
Application Deadlines: October 1, Winter quarter; January 15, Spring quarter; February 2, Summer quarter; May 3, Fall quarter. Interested students should visit Smith 215 for additional information.

Political Science 499A&B: INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE AND RESEARCH
Days/Time: ARR (Full Term) 2–5 Credits,
Instructor: ARR Application and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Intensive study with faculty supervision. A contract must be fully completed and signed by a faculty sponsor prior to obtaining an entry code for POL S 499. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IN POL S 499 IS THE END OF THE SECOND WEEK OF THE ACADEMIC QUARTER WITHOUT EXCEPTION; students are encouraged to complete arrangements prior to the beginning of the quarter.
Contracts are available in Smith 215. See an adviser if you have questions. No more than one registration in POL S 499 with the same instructor is permitted. POL S 499 does not count toward the major requirements in political science. POL S 499A is decimal graded; POL S 499B is credit/no credit.
Prerequisites: Junior standing or above and permission of the instructor.

Political Science 499C: INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE AND RESEARCH
Optional Senior Thesis
Days/Time: ARR (Full Term) 2–5 credits
Instructor: ARR Application and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: The senior thesis is a new option available to some undergraduate seniors majoring in Political Science. Qualifying seniors will be granted 10 credits - 5 in winter quarter, 5 in spring - for completing an independent research paper. Students are expected to choose both their research topic and supervisory committee (consisting of two members, at least one of whom must be a department faculty member, while the other may be a faculty member or teaching assistant). Successful completion of the first quarter requires submission of an acceptable thesis prospectus (a short proposal). Successful completion of the second quarter requires submission of a research paper at least 40 pages in length by the end of the eighth week of spring quarter. Professor George Lovell will serve as general advisor for all seniors participating in this program.
To qualify, students must have completed a minimum of 135 credits and maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3. Student applications must be approved by the department before an entry code will be issued. Students may direct questions about the program to the Political Science Advising Office.

Political Science 499D: INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE AND RESEARCH
Days/Time: ARR (B Term) 5 credits
Instructor: Jones, B CAPPP Fellows
Application and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Center for American Politics and Public Policy Undergraduate Fellows Program.
CAPPP Fellows register for 15 credits over three quarter. They train as researchers design research projects, and present the results of their project at the UW Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Political Science 499E: RESEARCH/READINGS
Days/ Time: ARR (B Term) 2–5 Credits
Instructor: Ph.D. CR /NC
Description: This class is for Political Science, Euro majors only (no freshmen). It is the French language section for students with second-year level ability. Students must register for both POL S 499E and POL S 346A.
See course description for POL S 346A.

Political Science 597A: DIRECTED READINGS
Days/Time: ARR 1–10 Credits
Graduate Students Only Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Intensive reading in the literatures of political science, directed by the chair of the doctoral supervisory
Committee.

Political Science 598A: INDEPENDENT WRITING I
(MA Essay of Distinction)
Days/Time: ARR 1–5 Credits
Graduate students only Contract and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Supervised research and writing for graduate students completing the M.A. Essay of Distinction. Intended to provide students with the opportunity to undertake for-credit research and writing leading to the required Essay of Distinction for the department.

Political Science 600 A/B: INDEPENDENT STUDY OR RESEARCH
Days/Time: ARR 1–10 credits
Graduate Students Only Contract and Entry Code, 215 Smith
Description: A contract must be completed and signed by the faculty supervisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator prior to obtaining an entry code for POL S 600. POL S 600A is decimal graded; POL S 600B is credit / no credit.

Political Science 800 A: DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
Days/Time: ARR 1–10 credits
Graduate students only Entry code, 215 Smith
Credit / No Credit Only
Description: Registration in POL S 800 is limited to doctoral candidates.