GOVERNMENT
Course Level: Undergraduate
Topics vary by section, may be repeated for credit with different topic. The nature of political institutions and processes of specific countries, such as Great Britain, Germany, France, the former Soviet Union, Israel, Iran, Greece, India, Turkey, and Mexico. Prerequisite: GOVT-130 or GOVT-231 or GOVT-232.
Course Level: Undergraduate
Political Institutions and Processes in Selected Countries (3)
Native American Politics
What is the best term for the first inhabitants of this continent: Native American, American Indian, or First Peoples? Canada refers to their indigenous inhabitants as First Peoples, but the United States uses a variety of terms. Native Americans is a not a term embraced by all indigenous inhabitants, indeed, many indigenous peoples within the United States prefer American Indian. Due to the history of indigenous peoples on this continent, "American" is often controversial: native inhabitants were brutally killed (10 million people in 1492 became roughly 200,000 by 1920), enslaved, conquered and ultimately either assimilated into American society or sequestered on reservations. Native American is also a geographical reference to the indigenous peoples living in the United States. The use of the word Indian was a mistake, Columbus thought he had arrived in the West Indies, and since people in India are referred to as Indians, calling indigenous peoples in North America "Indians" is culturally inaccurate, especially considering the confusion that arises from the term Indian-American, which describes an immigrant from India. This course on native Indian politics examines the politics of a geographical entity, U.S. tribes, and reservations.
Course Level: Undergraduate
Political Institutions and Processes in Selected Countries (3)
Politics and Public Policy in Israel
Israel's parliamentary democracy is a mosaic in which ethnic, class, religious, national and migration considerations play a dynamic part in the intricacies of the political system. This course provides an overview of the geopolitical history of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict from the pre-state era until the present, and also an introduction to the principles that guide Israel's political system and the cleavages in Israeli society which greatly affect developments and trends in politics and policy. The course is conducted as a lecture/discussion, but also consists of reading academic articles, watching films, listening to guest lectures, holding class debates, and discussing current news and developments.