This course continues Asian Studies 110, First Year Chinese I, with an introduction to Mandarin Chinese and the development of oral proficiency as well as gradual acquisition of reading and writing skills. Supplements class work with lab.

This course continues Asian Studies 110, First Year Chinese I, with an introduction to Mandarin Chinese and the development of oral proficiency as well as gradual acquisition of reading and writing skills. Supplements class work with lab.

On decision making, and the pathologies of decision making, in American politics. When, and to what extent, can we say that a particular policy decision is the result of rational choice, institutional processes, pluralistic pressures, or other forces? When are individual or collective decisions likely to be marred by 'groupthink,' selective attention, or self-deception? To what extent, if at all, may collective decisions be considered rational or moral? When are challenges to authority, or to dominant opinion, likely to make a difference?

This course examines the dramatic emergence of democratic institutions and civil society in East Asia. The primary aim of the class is to help students understand and analyze the process of democratic unfolding in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. We will also evaluate China's recent, albeit limited experiments with democratic practices. We will begin by contrasting Western perspectives of democracy with both traditional and more contemporary Asian understandings of democracy.

This 
course explores various theories of justice, examining the most dominant approaches 
to the subject within modern and contemporary political theory, as well as the relation of justice 
to democracy and questions of identity, recognition, and inclusion. The course will also focus 
on the implications of those theories for political, social, and economic institutions by
 offering students a problem-based learning environment in which they will work together to 
bring theoretical insights to bear on actual political problems.

This course is an analysis of economic inequality in America and an exploration of the power relationships, interests, and ideological conflicts surrounding this problem. Topics include the distribution of income and wealth in the United States; the relationship of poverty to race, sex, and class divisions; conservative, liberal, and radical perspectives on poverty and poverty policy.

Gentrification, unemployment, crime, failing schools, disinvestment, mass incarceration--what comes to mind when you think of the inner city? In response to a constrained fiscal environment, cities have increasingly adopted neoliberal policy approaches to address seemingly intractable urban problems. The seminar will study current research to assess the political and economic impact of this neoliberal policy regime on housing, education, and public safety.

Since the 1990s Latin America has witnessed increasing societal and political debates over sexual and reproductive rights. Issues such as abortion, gay marriage, transgender rights, sexual education and assisted reproductive technology have risen to the top of some countries' agendas after decades of silence, taboos, and restrictive or non-existent legislation. The course aims to provide a survey of sexual and reproductive rights in the region as a whole while at the same time highlighting the disparities that exist within it.

This course presents international norms and institutions for regulating conflict, including promoting economic well-being, protecting human rights, exploring and using outer space, and controlling exploitation and pollution of the oceans. The course considers international agreements, problems of lawmaking, interpretation, and compliance; nationality and the status of foreigners and their investments; the principle of self-determination; and interests of postcolonial states as they impinge on the international legal order.