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INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

SIS-579

Selected Regional and Country Studies (3)

Course Level: Undergraduate/Graduate

Topics vary by section, may be repeated for credit with different topic. Comparative perspective on contemporary international relations with regional or area focus. Brings theory to bear on the study of the area. How do major theoretical constructs contribute to understanding the region? Conversely, how does knowledge of the topic area extend the range of generalizations in the social sciences? Usually offered every term.

SIS-579

001

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

SPRING 2013

Course Level: Undergraduate/Graduate

Selected Regional and Country Studies (3)

Korean Politics and Foreign Policy

A study of the rise of contemporary Korea and its structure of politics and international relations. The course examines the evolution of the two different systems of South and North Korea that play an important role in Korean politics, economic development, and security arrangements.

SIS-579

002

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

SPRING 2013

Course Level: Undergraduate/Graduate

Selected Regional and Country Studies (3)

Political Economy of the Southern Cone

This course explores the evolution of political institutions and policy making in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay (the "Southern Cone" in a broad sense) since the 1970s. Topics include poverty and the quest for economic growth, international borrowing and financial crises, trade and regional integration, governance and accountability, corruption and clientelism, human rights and social justice, energy dependence and independence, women's rights and economic and political participation, environmental policy and cross-border environmental conflicts, as well as questions of regional security.

SIS-579

003

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

SPRING 2013

Course Level: Undergraduate/Graduate

Selected Regional and Country Studies (3)

African Political Institutions

Conducted as a seminar, this course critically examines whether institutional arrangements produce predictable outcomes. It also explores the assumptions of these theories which broadly claim that incentives shape and constrain political behavior. Course readings introduce students to the major themes and debates of comparative institutional analysis. Classic readings on presidentialism/ parliamentarism, party systems, electoral systems, and constitutional design are paired alongside new research that applies institutional models to Africa.