COURSES TAUGHT AT SMITH COLLEGE

Gov 241: International Politics: Great Power Diplomacy and Conflict

(Offered Fall 2004, Spring 2006, Spring 2008)

Course description: In this lecture course we explore the modern history of great power interactions. What are great powers and why do they matter? When do great powers work together, and when do they fight? What is the relative importance of ideas and material factors in determining the course of their interactions?

Spring 2008 Syllabus (pdf)

Gov 244: Foreign Policy of the United States

(Offered Fall 2003; Spring 2005; Fall 2007)

Course description: In this course we ask and answer the following questions: just what is “United States foreign policy”? What does the US define as its ends, and as the means to its ends, in the global arena? Who makes these choices? Finally, we take a close look at the use and misuse of one type of foreign policy tool that the US is well known for: military intervention. Prerequisite: 241 or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.

Gov 246: Perspectives on War

(Offered Spring 2004, Spring 2006, Fall 2007)

Course description: In this course we analyze war by asking the following questions: What is war? What causes it to break out, escalate, and terminate? How is war experienced by kings and presidents, military officers, foot soldiers, and civilians? What are its longer-range political and social consequences? Prerequisite: 241 or permission of the instructor. 4 credits.

2007 Syllabus

Gov 341: Seminar in International Politics:

Topic: Weapons of Mass Destruction (Offered Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2008)

Course description: This seminar explores the politics of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Topics covered include the nature of WMD, the motives for and means of developing WMD, the uses of WMD, and options for US policy. Prerequisite: 241 or permission of the instructor.

2008 syllabus (Word)

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Topic: Contemporary Perspectives on International Security (Offered Fall 2005)

Course description: This seminar explores the similarities and differences between American and foreign understandings of some of the central security challenges facing the world today. How do American policymakers conceive of, and try to deal with, security threats such as weapons of mass destruction and terrorism? How do other observers around the world – from Western Europe to South Asia– approach these threats? Is it possible to bridge the gaps between these approaches? Prerequisite: GOV 241 or permission of the instructor.

Syllabus (pdf)