Course Description

This course focuses on the concepts, principles, and values used to explain, justify, and challenge the organization and use of collective power. It introduces the field of political theory as an intellectual tradition that combines reflection on what political life is and what it should accomplish with an investigation of the values manifest through existing political institutions and how those institutions can be best organized to achieve desired outcomes. The course familiarizes students with central debates in political theory and permits them an overview of the works of some of the discipline’s most pertinent thinkers. Through the course, students will learn to employ and evaluate political concepts with care and precision so they can participate in that conversation productively as democratic citizens as well as in the further study of political theory.

Schedule

Week 1: Introductions

August 22: Introduction to the Course
- No reading
August 24: Syllabus Review
- Read the syllabus
August 26: No Class

Week 2: Classical Ideas

August 29: Reset Meeting
August 31: The State (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 1
September 2: The State
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 1

Week 3: Classical Ideas

September 5: Labor Day
- No Class
September 7: Democracy – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 2
September 9: Democracy – Aqsa
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 2

Week 4: Classical Ideas

September 12: Punishment (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 3
September 14: Civil Disobedience (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 4
September 16: APSA
- No Class
- Work on first paper

Week 5: Classical Ideas

September 19: Civil Disobedience
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 4
September 21: Paper Work Day
- No in-class meeting
- Work on your first paper
September 23: Equality – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 5
September 25: First Paper Due (Classical Ideas)

Week 6: Freedom, Equality, Justice

September 26: Freedom of Action (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 6
September 28: Freedom of Action
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 6
September 30: Freedom of Speech – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 7
September 30: Public Policy Camp

Week 7: Classical Ideologies

October 3: Distributive Justice (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 8
October 5: Liberalism – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 9
October 7: Conservatism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 10

Week 8: Classical Ideologies

October 10: Socialism and Marxism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 11
October 12: Anarchism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 12
October 14: Nationalism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 13

Week 9: Guest Speaker

October 17: Dr. Abbas Ali (Slides)
- No Reading
October 19: Dr. Abbas Ali
- Second Paper Due (Freedom, Equality, Justice)
October 21: Dr. Abbas Ali
- No Reading

Week 10: Classical and Contemporary Ideologies

October 24: Fascism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 14
October 26: Feminism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 15
October 28: Multiculturalism – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 16

Week 11: Contemporary Ideologies

October 31: Ecologism (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 17
November 2: Flex Day/Group Prep
- Catch up Day or Group Preparation Time
November 4: Group Prep
- Group Preparation Time
- Third Paper Due (Classical and Contemporary Ideologies)

Week 12: Group Presentations

November 7: Group Prep
- Group Preparation Time
November 9: Group Presentations
- Smits Chapter 7 (Group 5)
- Smits Chapter 8 (Group 3)
November 11: Group Presentations
- Smits Chapter 4 (Group 4)
- Smits Chapter 5 (Group 1)

Week 13: Group Presentations

November 14: Group Presentations
- Smits Chapter 2 (Group 6)
- Smits Chapter 9 (Group 8)
November 16: Group Presentations
- Smits Chapter 3 (Group 7)
- Smits Chapter 12 (Group 2)
November 18: Flex Day

Week 14: Thanksgiving Break

November 21-25: No Class

Week 15: Global Political Theory

November 28: Human Rights (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 18
November 30: Decolonizing Theory (Slides)
- Shilliam Chapters 1 and 2 – See Canvas
- Fourth Paper Due (Classical and Contemporary Ideologies)
December 2: Global Justice – Aqsa (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 19

Week 16: Global Political Theory

December 5: Global Justice – Aqsa
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 19
December 7: Migration – Shazib (Slides)
- Graham and Hoffman Chapter 20
December 9: Group Work Day
- Work on your final paper

Week 17: Finals Week

December 14: Group paper due via Canvas dropbox