Harvard University Extension School 1998-99
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Government

GOVT E-30 American National Government (10138)
Carroll F. Miles, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, Simmons College.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395. Wednesday 5:30-7:30 pm. Harvard Hall 103. Fall term.

After tracing the origins and development of the major institutions of American government, the course will focus on the current political and structural issues of the late twentieth century. Special attention will be given to the modern Supreme Court, the influence of the media, and the power of the moneyed special interest groups. The course will stress the durability of the institutions of American government despite the social, political, and economic changes during the more than two hundred years since its inception.

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GOVT E-1030/W Causes of War (11474)
Francis J Gavin, PhD, John M. Olin Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.
Writing-intensive course. 4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Thursday 7:35-9:35 pm. Emerson Hall 101. Fall term.

This course focuses on the wide variety of explanations for the onset of war. It begins with a discussion of theories of war at various levels of analysis, including: international structural theories; institutional theories and the role of regimes; dyadic theories such as deterrence; domestic, political, and economic theories of war; and individual-level theories such as those based on cognitive or motivated perceptions. The course will then apply these theoretical approaches to several historical cases of wars and "near wars" including World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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GOVT E-1050 Morals and Politics (11430)
Delba Winthrop, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Tuesday 5:30-7:30 pm. Harvard Hall 102. Fall term.

Plato insisted that rulers must lie; Kant contends that this is never justified. For Aristotle, the end of politics is "the good life," or virtue; for Locke it is property. How can we clarify the relation, or lack thereof, between morality and politics? Principal readings from Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, and Kant.

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GOVT E-1063 Modern Democracy (21304)
Delba Winthrop, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Tuesday 5:30-7:30 pm. Sever Hall 202. Spring term.

What was American democracy intended to be, and what has it become? How does our democracy differ from earlier conceptions of democracy? How has it been affected by postmodern ideas? The focus of the course will be Tocqueville's Democracy in America, with readings from Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, The Federalist, postmodernism, and Supreme Court decisions.

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GOVT E-1240 Politics and Society in Present-Day Russia (21089)
Sanford R. Lieberman, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts and Fellow, Kathryn W. and Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Russian Studies, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Thursday 5:30-7:30 pm. Sever Hall 206. Spring term.

After a brief examination of the Soviet political system and the dramatic events of the Gorbachev era that led to the unraveling of the USSR, this course focuses on contemporary Russian politics and society. We will deal with the struggle to transform an authoritarian state into a pluralistic democracy, while also effecting a transition from a centrally planned economy to a market system. Among the other topics to be considered are the renaissance of religion, the role of the military in Russian politics, and social problems such as crime, alcohol abuse, and the special difficulties experienced by women.

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GOVT E-1340 American Constitutional Law (10144)
David R. Manwaring, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Boston College.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Wednesday 7:35-9:35 pm. Emerson Hall 101. Prerequisite(s): some coursework in American politics desirable. Fall term.

Development of constitutional principles through Supreme Court decisions. Principal focus is on judicial power and limits and the special role of American courts in preserving and vindicating individual rights. Topics include the rights of property, racial and nonracial equal protection, and the new fundamental right of privacy.

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GOVT E-1345 American Legal System (21160)
David R. Manwaring, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Boston College.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Thursday 7:35-9:35 pm. Sever Hall 203. Prerequisite(s): some coursework in government desirable. Spring term.

A comprehensive survey. Topics include basic philosophy and historical origins, court systems and legal procedure, lawyers and the legal profession, legal reasoning (common law precedent, statutory interpretation), and current weaknesses and unsolved problems (excessive litigation, congestion and delay, legal ethics).

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GOVT E-1347 Creating a Virtuous Congress (11297)
Mickey Edwards, JD, Lecturer in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Tuesday 7:35-9:35 pm. Emerson Hall 101. Fall term.

This course will examine the necessary characteristics of a virtuous legislature, one that is wise, effective, and beneficial. We will attempt to define "virtuous" in a legislative context and to consider what changes would be required to make modern American legislatures fit that definition.

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GOVT E-1349 Congressional Oversight: The White House (11532)
Robert B. Charles, JD, Staff Director and Chief Counsel, Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice, United States House of Representatives.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Monday 5:30-7:30 pm. Sever Hall 102. Sections to be arranged. Fall term.

Past and current Congressional oversight of the White House and executive branch, including a review of key constitutional and statutory bases for Congressional oversight. Case studies will include Truman's controversial oversight hearings into the US Department of Defense, Watergate, the Waco hearings, and recent Drug War hearings. Other investigations include the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the White House Communications Agency, Defense inventory management, and long-term US space policy. Finally, tools of oversight, from subpoenas to closed hearings will be explored.

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GOVT E-1365 Political Consultants in an Age of Illusion (21199)
Murray B. Levin, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, Boston University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Thursday 7:35-9:35 pm. Sever Hall 102. Spring term.

This course examines how consultants attempt to fabricate illusions and manipulate reality. We discuss the exploitation of anxiety and racism and examine strategies designed to attract the alienated voter. We look at the campaign as a melodramatic moment within the pathology of American politics.

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GOVT E-1750 International Organization (20927)
Don Babai, PhD, Associate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Wednesday 7:35-9:35 pm. Emerson Hall 101. Prerequisite(s): an introductory course in international relations would be helpful. Spring term.

Can states work out cooperative solutions to problems of human injustice and environmental degradation? What is the record of the United Nations in conflict management and economic development? What are the results of efforts to cope with the debt crisis of developing countries and to reform the rules of world trade? Where is the European Union headed? These are some of the questions to be addressed in an investigation of the potentials and limitations of international organizations in the world system. The activities of both global and regional institutions will be considered.

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GOVT E-1780 International Political Economy (11021)
Marc L. Busch, PhD, Associate Professor of Government and of Social Studies, Harvard University.
Graduate seminar. 4 units. Graduate credit $1,190. Thursday 5:30-7:30 pm. Lowell Lecture Hall B15. Limited enrollment. Fall term.

This seminar will examine the politics of international economic relations. Topics covered will include international trade, regional economic integration, foreign direct investment, and the politics of economic development and reform. The emphasis will be on understanding state interests and strategies and on recurrent patterns in the international economy.

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GOVT E-1785 American Foreign Economic Policy (21389)
J. Lawrence Broz, PhD, Associate Professor of Government, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Tuesday 5:30-7:30 pm. Sever Hall 214. Prerequisite(s): some economics and political science helpful but not required. Spring term.

This course examines the international economic relations of the United States emphasizing the distributional (political) aspects of foreign economic policies. It draws upon political science and economics. Topics include international trade policy, exchange rate policy, and foreign investment policy, with attention paid to late-breaking issues like the global financial crisis.

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GOVT E-1830 Introduction to Public International Law (11502)
Houchang E. Chehabi, PhD, Professor of International Relations, Boston University and Affiliate in Research, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University.
4 units. Noncredit $250, undergraduate credit $395, graduate credit $1,105. Monday 7:35-9:35 pm. Emerson Hall 108. Fall term.

This course introduces students of international relations to the main concepts of public international law. Topics will include the state, treaties, peaceful conflict resolution, the law of the sea, human rights, and the law of international organizations.

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GOVT E-1885 Post-Cold War Security Studies (20986)
Marc L. Busch, PhD, Associate Professor of Government and of Social Studies, Harvard University.
Graduate seminar. 4 units. Graduate credit $1,190. Thursday 5:30-7:30 pm. Emerson Hall 106. Limited enrollment. Spring term.

This seminar examines security relations in the post-cold war era. It asks whether war and peace studies will draw on new concepts or simply update old beliefs. Topics will include the balance of power, alliances, collective security, and the nuclear revolution. The emphasis will be on theoretical debates in the security field.

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Related Courses See Legal Studies.


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