Courses
In the past half-dozen years, Americans and foreign observers have suddenly seen the United States in a shocking new light. But why should recent events have come as such a surprise to so many? What explains the flawed perceptions that dominated previous popular and scholarly understandings of America? These are the central questions the seminar aims to answer. Focusing on the intellectual dynamics of the current American crisis, the seminar traces the roles that ideas have played in U.S. political and economic history, and it explores how those roles have changed during the past half-century. The seminar is designed for students with some prior academic preparation in U.S. studies. It will enrich the work of any thoughtful social-science researcher or student of American political development; Limit 15
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have already received credit for SA.200.729[C]
The American tradition of judicial review by independent courts has had an enormous influence on the international development of the rule of law in newly emerging democracies. This seminar, taught by a practicing lawyer, reads some of the classic cases of the American constitutional tradition, including cases on school desegregation, separation of powers, foreign affairs, freedom of religion and speech, control of immigration and the right to be left alone. Looks at the indeterminacy of the original constitutional document and how it has developed through the processes of both political and judicial interpretation.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have already received credit for SA.650.765[C]
This course places US policy during the Cold War in a global context. It analyzes the US response to crises in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern and Southeastern Asia. It investigates fundamental questions. Were the policies and motivations of US presidents marked by continuity or discontinuity? Were covert operations effective? How relevant were domestic policy considerations to the formation of US foreign policy? In what ways did decolonization intersect with the Cold War and how did US policymakers respond to the struggles of colonized peoples fighting for their independence? What were the costs and benefits of US Cold War strategy for the people living in Africa, Latin America, eastern and southeastern Asia, and the Middle East? How did the other powers -- notably the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and South Africa – respond to US policy?
Prerequisite(s): Students may not register for this class if they have already received credit for SA.200.711[C] OR SA.502.131[C]