Global Arc

The economies of many Asian countries have grown rapidly over the last several decades. This course will study the political and economic pathways travelled by select Asian countries on their road to prosperity. The focus will be on three specific countries: South Korea, China and India. We will analyze comparatively the models of development pursued in these countries, especially the state's role in promoting growth and distribution.

An introduction to politics in the large subcontinental country of India. The course will address themes that are important both to India and to a general study of politics in a developing country. The following questions help organize the course: How does one make sense of democracy in a poor, multiethnic setting? How has democratic politics shaped and been shaped by a society divided along numerous lines, such as caste, class, and linguistic and religious identities? And how well has the democratic state fared in promoting both economic growth and social welfare? Two lectures, one preceptorial.

A study of the politics and history of human rights. What are human rights? How can dictatorships be resisted from the inside and the outside? Can we prevent genocide? Is it morally acceptable and politically wise to launch humanitarian military interventions to prevent the slaughter of foreign civilians? What are the laws of war, and how can we punish the war criminals who violate them? Cases include the Ottoman Empire, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Bosnia, and Rwanda. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

Examination of selected theories and issues of international relations including the following: causes of war, theories of imperialism, the issue of order and change, the relationship of morality and statecraft. Course readings drawn from historical and theoretical materials. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

A study of the relationship between political and economic processes in international affairs. Attention will be given to problems that lie on the boundary between politics and economics. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

Governments have tremendous power over our lives and thus the competition over who controls them is always intense and often violent. This course will study various ways in which violence is used to political ends. The larger goal of the course is to understand the sources of violence in political competition and the conditions under which political disputes can be peacefully resolved. Specific forms of violence to be covered include assassination, civil war, ethnic conflict, insurgency, revolution, riots, terrorism, and war.

Why do states and peoples go to war? Conversely, how can war be avoided? This course surveys some of the most important explanations--including human nature, the anarchic international system, domestic politics, economics, technology, nationalism, and terrorism--and evaluates them in light of historical wars, and of crises resolved short of war. The course will examine cases ranging from the Peloponnesian War to the ongoing American-led war against terrorism. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

A systematic study of major issues and problems of American foreign policy in the contemporary world. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

This course is about cooperation and sacrifice - at the international level. The focus is on intergovernmental organizations: the United Nations, the World Bank, the IMF, and regional organizations like the European Union and the AIIB. We will examine their origins and effectiveness, with attention to the political interests of powerful members - like the United States and China - as well as smaller developing countries. To illustrate analytical tools, the course pedagogic approach involves references to pop culture, including films like Wonder Woman, Dark Knight, and The Godfather, as well as music by Adele, Bob Marley, and others.

What kind of public architecture is appropiate for a democracy? Should public spaces and buildings reflect democratic values - such as transparency and accessibility - or is the crucial requirement for democratic architecture that the process of arriving at decisions about the built environment is as particpatory as possible? The course will introduce students to different theories of democracy, to different approaches to architecture, and to many examples of government architecture from around the world (the U.S., Germany, and China in particular), via images and films. Might include one or two field trips.