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Courses

Courses in Constitutional Studies come from across the university disciplines. Most semesters we offer 2-5 courses which are “owned” by Con Studies. These courses are taught by our affiliated faculty members and are mostly taken by our minors. We also cross-list around 20 courses each semester that are primarily sponsored by other departments at Notre Dame (POLS, HIST, PHIL, AMST, SOC, etc). These cross-listed courses typically include 2-5 seats reserved for Constitutional Studies minors.

If you have questions or would like to request advising on which classes to take, please book an appointment with CCCG Associate Director Tyler Castle.

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Fall 2026 Courses

As you peruse the fall course offerings below, we particularly want to flag the following courses which are being taught by CCCG-affiliated faculty:

American Political & Constitutional Thought (CNST 50002), Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz (Gateway Course)
Jurisprudence and the US Constitution (CNST 30446), Fr. Bill Dailey
Liberalism and Conservatism (CNST 30615), Dr. Patrick Deneen
Catholicism and Politics (CNST 30215), Dr. Dan Philpott

Please note that seats listed under a "CNST" course number are reserved for students who have officially declared the Constitutional Studies minor. However, many of those courses also have a primary or parent department course number (e.g., POLS or HIST), which may or may not be open to anyone. Any course on our list is eligible for minor credit, no matter which section a student is enrolled in (a CNST section or otherwise).

CLICK ON THE COURSE BELOW TO SEE DESCRIPTION

*updated 3.31.2026

Past courses

Jurisprudence and the US Constitution
- Instructor: Dailey, Fr. Bill
- Primary Number: CNST 30446
- CNST Number: CNST 30446
- Time: MW 3:30pm-4:45pm
Jurisprudence and the US Constitution
- Instructor: Dailey, Fr. Bill
- Primary Number: CNST 30446
- CNST Number: CNST 30446
- Time: MW 3:30pm-4:45pm
This is a course in the nature of law generally and of the task of judging (often referred to as "jurisprudence") in particular. This course will study the major conceptual schools of thought that have shaped American jurisprudence, including legal positivism, natural law jurisprudence, originalism, textualism, and pragmatism. We will also examine more general philosophical frameworks beyond the American context, including the legal thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and the British philosopher of law H.L.A. Hart.
American Political & Constitutional Thought
- Instructor: Munoz, Vincent Phillip
- Primary Number: CNST 50002
- CNST Number: CNST 50002
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
American Political & Constitutional Thought
- Instructor: Munoz, Vincent Phillip
- Primary Number: CNST 50002
- CNST Number: CNST 50002
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
In "American Political & Constitutional Thought," which serves as the primary gateway course for the Constitutional Studies minor, we shall study fundamental texts of the American constitutional and political tradition in an attempt to answer questions such as: What is the purpose of government? What is the meaning of political equality? What is political liberty and how is it best secured? Since we lack the time for a comprehensive survey of American political thinkers, we shall examine select statesmen and critical historical periods, focusing on the Founding era, Lincoln and the slavery crisis, and the Progressive era and New Deal.
Catholicism and Politics
- Instructor: Philpott, Daniel
- Primary Number: POLS 30654
- CNST Number: CNST 30215
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
CSTE - CST Elective; WKCD-Core Cathol & Disciplines
Catholicism and Politics
- Instructor: Philpott, Daniel
- Primary Number: POLS 30654
- CNST Number: CNST 30215
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
Catholicism and Politics poses the question, both simple and complex: How ought Catholics to think about the political order and political issues within it? The first part of the course will survey major responses to this question drawn from Church history: the early church, the medieval church, and the modern church. The second part applies these models to contemporary issues ranging among war, intervention, globalization, abortion, the death penalty, religious freedom, gender issues, and economic development. The course culminates in "Vatican III," where teams of students, representing church factions, gather to discover church teachings on selected controversial political issues.
Liberalism and Conservatism
- Instructor: Deneen, Patrick
- Primary Number: POLS 30664
- CNST Number: CNST 30615
- Time: MW 9:30am-10:45am
Liberalism and Conservatism
- Instructor: Deneen, Patrick
- Primary Number: POLS 30664
- CNST Number: CNST 30615
- Time: MW 9:30am-10:45am
This course will explore the intellectual foundations of the constellation of ideas that have become the dominant political worldviews in modern American society. The course will focus on European sources of each tradition, as well as developments of each in America. Concepts that will be explored include progress, historicism, pragmatism, liberty, equality, diversity, cosmopolitanism, localism, tradition, prescription, authority, secularism and religion, particularly Catholicism.
The Ideas that Made America
- Instructor: Cajka, Peter
- Primary Number: AMST 30177
- CNST Number: CNST 30035
- Time: TTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
WKHI - Core History
The Ideas that Made America
- Instructor: Cajka, Peter
- Primary Number: AMST 30177
- CNST Number: CNST 30035
- Time: TTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
America, at its core, is an idea. The lands that became America have been imagined and in certain ways and constantly reimagined. The history of the ideas that made America is less a lesson in philosophy and more about a series of clashes between contending visions: Democracy vs. Republicanism; Free vs. Slave; Christian vs. Secular; Individual vs. Society; and Universal vs. Particular. This course traces a long arc from the Puritans to the Culture Wars to understand the ideas Americans draw upon to comprehend the world and act in it. Lectures and discussions will consider the notions of equality, democracy, pluralism, religious freedom, and the tensions between contending visions for America. Readings for this course will include autobiographies, speeches, sermons, canonical texts, lyrics, novels, newspaper articles, and poetry.
Business Law Concepts
- Instructor: Murphy, Tonia
- Primary Number: BALW 30100
- CNST Number: CNST 30456
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
Business Law Concepts
- Instructor: Murphy, Tonia
- Primary Number: BALW 30100
- CNST Number: CNST 30456
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
Whether you own or are employed by a business, you must understand your rights and obligations under the American legal system. This course touches on some of the most important aspects of the legal system as it affects business and employment, including the courts and legal proceedings, the law of contracts, agency, torts, and intellectual property. Students will develop an appreciation of how law affects business decision-making, of competing policy concerns underlying the law, and of ethical dimensions of legal issues and business situations.
Business and the Common Good
- Instructor: Hoipkemier, Mark
- Primary Number: BES 30310
- CNST Number: CNST 30654
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
WKIN - Core Integration; WRIT - Writing Intensive
Business and the Common Good
- Instructor: Hoipkemier, Mark
- Primary Number: BES 30310
- CNST Number: CNST 30654
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
This seminar focuses on the place of wealth and commerce in a well-ordered life, both for the individual and the community. Among other topics, the course takes a special interest in the rich Catholic tradition of reflection on these topics, especially the Catholic social teaching relevant to business that has emerged in the last two centuries.
AI Ethics and Society
- Instructor: Orchard, Alexi
- Primary Number: CDT 30802
- CNST Number: CNST 30665
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
AI Ethics and Society
- Instructor: Orchard, Alexi
- Primary Number: CDT 30802
- CNST Number: CNST 30665
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
In the last decade, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics has been receiving significant attention in academic, professional, and public discourses. AI ethics research not only faces and attempts to counter a variety of sociotechnical issues relating to algorithmic decision making, mis/disinformation, and fairness, accountability and transparency, but also must reckon with broader social, political, and economic forces. To engage with these conversations, this course will introduce modern AI and technical aspects of predictive systems, discuss the underlying social and political assumptions of AI development, analyze current and future impacts of AI on humanity and the environment, and consider the significance of these conversations in everyday terms. Through the lens of AI ethics discourse, students will learn to analyze persuasive arguments, describe genres, norms, and values of communication, and understand concepts including perception, expertise, meaning making, and responsibility. Students are asked to complete oral and written communication assignments, engage in debates and discussions, and participate in experimental research-creation workshops to think critically about the AI ethics issues at hand.
Cybercrime and the Law
- Instructor: Tamashasky, Eric
- Primary Number: CDT 40220
- CNST Number: CNST 30420
- Time: TTh 5:05pm-6:20pm
Cybercrime and the Law
- Instructor: Tamashasky, Eric
- Primary Number: CDT 40220
- CNST Number: CNST 30420
- Time: TTh 5:05pm-6:20pm
Almost all crimes, or even human interactions, contain a digital component. The fact that "old" laws don't always fit "new" problems is no more apparent than in the area of cybercrimes. This course will include discussion of topics including: the methodology of typical cyber investigations, the application of the Fourth Amendment to digital evidence, and different types of cyber-specific laws enforced today. The course will also focus on the responses of both courts and legislators to the ever-evolving issues presented by computer crimes.
International Law and Human Rights
- Instructor: Desierto, Diane; Smith, Bethann
- Primary Number: CHR 30708
- CNST Number: CNST 30245
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
International Law and Human Rights
- Instructor: Desierto, Diane; Smith, Bethann
- Primary Number: CHR 30708
- CNST Number: CNST 30245
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
What role does international law have in the advancement of human rights, and how does human rights, in turn, advance international law? This course introduces university students to the general system of modern international law (e.g. its norm-generating framework involving States and non-State actors; the roles of many State and non-State authoritative decision-makers in shaping expectations of peaceful, just, and responsible behavior in the international system; its varied constellation of dispute settlement courts and tribunals, alongside the prospects and limits of enforcing State compliance with international decisions), specifically viewed from the lens of historic global, regional, and domestic challenges to human dignity that influenced the first global codification of human rights norms under the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, up to the present development of the current international system of protection for human rights. The course situates the framework of modern international law and civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights, using five examples of the historic, defining, and 'constitutionalizing moments' for the international system: 1) the international abolition of slavery; 2) the evolution from classical to modern international law in dismantling colonial empires to enshrine the self-determination of all peoples and the equality of sovereignty of all nations; 3) the outlawing of the aggressive use of force since 1929, towards the peaceful settlement of maritime and territorial disputes and the humanitarian rules applicable to armed conflict situations; 4) the establishment of international accountability of individuals and States for genocide, crimes against humanity and other human rights atrocities; and 5) the global regulation for sustainable use, shared protection, and intergenerational responsibility over natural resources (land, oceans, atmosphere, outer space).
Poetry, Politics, and Empire
- Instructor: Krostenko, Brian
- Primary Number: CLAS 30906
- CNST Number: CNST 30666
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
Poetry, Politics, and Empire
- Instructor: Krostenko, Brian
- Primary Number: CLAS 30906
- CNST Number: CNST 30666
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
By ruthlessness in war and sagacity in peace, Julius Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, rose to the summit of power in the Roman world, receiving the name Augustus, creating an empire where there had been a republic, and inaugurating a form of government that would last, in many essentials, almost half a millennium. His rise to and consolidation of power, at every step, was the object of reflection and response by Roman poets, whose art, fusing native traditions with many Greek models, was reaching a high peak in the very same period. The purpose of this course is to reflect on the relationship between the poetry and the politics of that crucial time in Roman history. The course will examine the poetry of the period of the Civil War (Vergil’s "Eclogues," Horace’s "Epodes and Satires"), Octavian’s increasingly singular stature (Vergil’s "Georgics"), Octavian/Augustus’ imperial vision (Horace’s "Odes"), the glories and the costs of establishing empire (Vergil’s "Aeneid"), reflections on the fate of empires (Ovid’s "Metamorphoses"), and the nature of personal identity and ethics in a time of autocracy (Ovid’s "Ars Amatoria," Tibullus’ "Elegies," Phaedrus’ "Fables"), among other authors and works. Broad questions will include: How do Roman poets reflect the political and ideological concerns of their times? What is the nature of artistic speech in a republic? a failing republic? a nascent autocracy? a settled autocracy? How are the voices and techniques of Greek poetry adapted for Roman purposes? By way of creating context, other readings, for example from the orator Cicero and the historians Livy and Suetonius, will be included.
Law and Economics
- Instructor: Biddle, Jeff
- Primary Number: ECON 30200
- CNST Number: CNST 30444
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
Law and Economics
- Instructor: Biddle, Jeff
- Primary Number: ECON 30200
- CNST Number: CNST 30444
- Time: TTh 3:30pm-4:45pm
This class teaches how to use the basic tools and concepts of economics to analyze the economic effects of legal rules, regulations, and enforcement methods. Examples of this "economic approach" to the study of the law are taken from the basic bodies of law in a civil society: property law, tort law, contract law, and criminal law. The course also explores the role of the state in creating and enforcing a body of law that promotes economic growth and development.
Introduction to Economics and Catholic Thought
- Instructor: Kaboski, Joseph
- Primary Number: ECON 33150
- CNST Number: CNST 30650
- Time: MW 12:30pm-1:45pm
WKCD-Core Cathol & Disciplines; WRIT - Writing Intensive
Introduction to Economics and Catholic Thought
- Instructor: Kaboski, Joseph
- Primary Number: ECON 33150
- CNST Number: CNST 30650
- Time: MW 12:30pm-1:45pm
In this course we will discuss the relationship between economics and Catholic social teaching. We will learn about key principles in Catholic social thought, read key Papal encyclicals and other writings. We will then discuss key economic concepts and empirical facts known from the field of economics, and how these relate to Catholic social teaching. Finally, we will apply these ideas to discussions on labor, capital, finance, the environment, globalization, and development.
Public Economics & Policy
- Instructor: Kearney, Melissa
- Primary Number: ECON 40542
- CNST Number: CNST 30457
- Time: W 3:30pm-6:15pm
Public Economics & Policy
- Instructor: Kearney, Melissa
- Primary Number: ECON 40542
- CNST Number: CNST 30457
- Time: W 3:30pm-6:15pm
How and why does the government intervene in the economy? Who benefits from public spending programs? Who bears the burden of taxes? And how do individuals and businesses respond to government policies? This course explores the role of the public sector in the U.S. economy, with a focus on government spending programs and tax policy. We will examine major areas of domestic public policy -- including anti-poverty programs, Social Security, health care, education, and federal taxation -- using both economic theory and empirical evidence. By the end of the course, students will be able to think critically about how government policies shape economic outcomes and current U.S. public policy debates.
Education Law and Policy
- Instructor: Schoenig, John
- Primary Number: ESS 30605
- CNST Number: CNST 30402
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
Education Law and Policy
- Instructor: Schoenig, John
- Primary Number: ESS 30605
- CNST Number: CNST 30402
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
This course focuses on selected legal and policy issues related to K-12 education in the United States. A central theme is the intersection of K-12 schooling and the state, with a particular focus on Constitutional issues of religious freedom and establishment, student speech and privacy, parental choice, educational opportunity, and education reform trends such as charter schools and accountability measures. Questions examined over the course of the semester include: What are the most basic obligations of the state with regard to its regulation of K-12 education? What are the most basic rights of parents in this regard? In what ways does the 1st Amendment protect - and limit - the speech and privacy rights of K-12 schoolchildren? In what ways may the state accommodate K-12 schools with an explicitly religious character? What are the Constitutional requirements with regard to religious speech or expression within K-12 public schools? To what degree is the principle of equality manifest in the form of educational opportunity? How has this changed over time? In what ways have education reform trends such as charter schooling and increased accountability changed the policy landscape of K-12 education?
Religion, Education, and Democracy: Generational Responsibility for the American Proposition
- Instructor: Sandberg, Kevin
- Primary Number: ESS 33523
- CNST Number: CNST 30442
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
WKCD-Core Cathol & Disciplines
Religion, Education, and Democracy: Generational Responsibility for the American Proposition
- Instructor: Sandberg, Kevin
- Primary Number: ESS 33523
- CNST Number: CNST 30442
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
This is a course in the philosophy of education. The goal of the course is to produce a philosophy of education that engenders in the current generation of students (i.e., you) responsibility for what has been called the ÒAmerican proposition.Ó The notion of ÒAmericaÓ is distinct from the United States of America, but is often conflated with and conveyed by the latter. It sits at the intersection of religion, education, and democracy, an intersection at which the atrophy of each is seen by many to be caused by the values of the other. With the discipline of education as its platform and Catholicism, among other voices, as a particular conversation partner, the course examines historical, contemporaneous, and ecclesial resources, including notions of the common good, humanism, and ecological thinking, to ask, among other questions: Are religion, education, and democracy commensurable or incommensurable in such ways as to facilitate social coherence in the 21st century? If not, what accounts for decades, if not centuries, of robust educational systems designed to bolster democratic and religious institutions alike? Assuming a Catholic philosophy of education as a normative reference point (as is required for the Catholicism & the Disciplines ways of knowing attribute), we will examine what relationship religion does, can, and should have with education if the latter is fundamental to democracy while democracy itself serves as the guarantor of the former, particularly in terms of religious liberty.
Introduction to Public Policy
- Instructor: Mueller, Paul
- Primary Number: HESB 20010
- CNST Number: CNST 20405
- Time: TTh 9:30am-10:45am
Introduction to Public Policy
- Instructor: Mueller, Paul
- Primary Number: HESB 20010
- CNST Number: CNST 20405
- Time: TTh 9:30am-10:45am
Public policy could be fairly described as applied social science. This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of public policy by (1) understanding how policy is crafted, (2) detailing the linkages between public opinion and public policy, (3) appreciating how political institutions may bound policy outcomes, (4) and exploring the ability of special interests, and other parties, to shape policy outcomes all while introducing you to various tools and frameworks for approaching the study of public policy. These tools will draw from an understanding of human behavior (psychology), markets (economics), governments (political science), and organizations (sociology) and introduce you to policy analysis. We will use a case study approach to delve into current public policy controversies including healthcare, higher education finance, and infrastructure. This course acts as the primary introductory course for the Hesburgh Minor in Public Service, but is designed for students of all majors and interests.
Philanthropy & the Common Good
- Instructor: Hannah, Jon
- Primary Number: HESB 30348
- CNST Number: CNST 30423
- Time: M 6pm-8:30pm
CSTE - CST Elective
Philanthropy & the Common Good
- Instructor: Hannah, Jon
- Primary Number: HESB 30348
- CNST Number: CNST 30423
- Time: M 6pm-8:30pm
This course will explore the roots of philanthropy in American society, the role philanthropy plays within the modern economy, and how philanthropic activity helps us create a better world and strive for the common good. The key component of the course requires students to act as a Board of Directors and use thoughtful analysis to award real grants to deserving nonprofits (a sum up to $50,000). Students are expected to come to each class prepared to discuss course readings, and to offer ideas and suggestions regarding the grant making process. Each student is also expected to complete two site visits to nonprofit organizations outside of normal class hours. Students will nominate nonprofits for awards and the class will systematically discuss, analyze, and ultimately vote to award the grants. Students interested in this course who are unable to register through their major/minor should contact the instructor for permission to register.
Tudor England: Politics and Honor
- Instructor: Rapple, Rory
- Primary Number: HIST 30410
- CNST Number: CNST 30604
- Time: TTh 9:30am-10:45am
MESE - European Studies Course; WKHI - Core History
Tudor England: Politics and Honor
- Instructor: Rapple, Rory
- Primary Number: HIST 30410
- CNST Number: CNST 30604
- Time: TTh 9:30am-10:45am
The period from 1485 to 1603, often feted as something of a 'Golden Age' for England, saw that country undergo serious changes that challenged the traditional ways in which the nation conceived of itself. These included the break from Rome, the loss of England's foothold in France, and the unprecedented experience of monarchical rule by women. Each of these challenges demanded creative political responses and apologetic strategies harnessing intellectual resources from classical, Biblical, legal, chivalric and ecclesiastical sources. This course will examine these developments. It will also look at how the English, emerging from under the shadow of the internecine dynastic warfare of the fifteenth century, sought to preserve political stability and ensure a balance between continuity and change, and, furthermore, how individuals could use these unique circumstances to their own advantage.
The History of Irish Constitutions
- Instructor: Rapple, Rory
- Primary Number: HIST 30430
- CNST Number: CNST 30667
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
The History of Irish Constitutions
- Instructor: Rapple, Rory
- Primary Number: HIST 30430
- CNST Number: CNST 30667
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
The Irish State (or to use its official name ‘Ireland’) currently has Europe’s oldest republican constitution continuously in operation. This speaks more to Modern Europe’s history of flux than Ireland’s stability, because Ireland has had a remarkable history of changing and evolving constitutional understandings; changes that have defined both its place in the world and the terms upon which Irish people have related to each other. This course, while culminating in an historical analysis of aspects of the current Irish constitution, will provide a survey of the history of previous constitutions and constitutional understandings under which Ireland and Irish politics have operated dating back to the seventh century AD, taking in the terms under which Ireland was conquered by the king of England, followed by constitutional attempts to define the limits of English sovereignty throughout the medieval and early-modern period through to the creation of Acts of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in the early nineteenth century. Finally, the course will examine the terms upon which the majority of the country achieved independence and analyse what Ireland did subsequently with that independence through the twentieth century up to (almost) the present day. This will be a course that requires the close reading of texts, but the approach taken will be primarily historical, concerned with the evaluation of texts in context, rather than a narrowly legal methodology. If you want an insight into Ireland’s changing history over time, this is the course to take.
Catholicism and Modernity
- Instructor: Shortall, Sarah; Flynn, Katie
- Primary Number: HIST 30554
- CNST Number: CNST 30635
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
WKCD-Core Cathol & Disciplines; WKHI - Core History
Catholicism and Modernity
- Instructor: Shortall, Sarah; Flynn, Katie
- Primary Number: HIST 30554
- CNST Number: CNST 30635
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
This class introduces students to the history of Catholicism since the French Revolution, focusing primarily on Europe. It examines how Catholics confronted the challenges of modernity - from liberal democracy and nationalism; to capitalism and modern science; to new political ideologies such as fascism and communism. We will explore not only how these encounters transformed the Church, but also how Catholicism itself has shaped modern politics and culture. The first part of the course begins with the nineteenth-century - culture wars - between Catholics and anticlerical forces, focusing in particular on popular devotions like the Lourdes pilgrimage and the perceived "feminization" of religion. The second part of the course shifts to the twentieth century and examines the relationship between the Catholic Church and modern political ideologies such as nationalism, fascism, communism, and democracy. The third part of the course explores modern Catholic art, literature, and film. Finally, we close by examining the more recent history of Catholicism since the transformative changes of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Readings are drawn from a range of primary sources - including novels, speeches, Church documents, works of art, and films - as well as secondary sources by historians.
Crime, Heredity and Insanity in American History
- Instructor: Przybyszewski, Linda
- Primary Number: HIST 30634
- CNST Number: CNST 30428
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
PSIM - Poverty Studies Elect.; WKHI - Core History
Crime, Heredity and Insanity in American History
- Instructor: Przybyszewski, Linda
- Primary Number: HIST 30634
- CNST Number: CNST 30428
- Time: MW 2pm-3:15pm
This course gives students the opportunity to learn more about how Americans have thought about criminal responsibility and how their ideas have changed over time. Historians contend that the 19th century witnessed a transformation in the understanding of the origins of criminal behavior in the United States. The earlier religious emphasis on the sinfulness of all mankind, which made the murderer into merely another sinner, gave way to a belief in the inherent goodness of humankind. But if humans were naturally good, how are we to explain their evil actions? And crime rates varied widely by sex and race; European women were said to have been domesticated out of crime doing. What do those variations tell us about a common human nature? The criminal might be a flawed specimen of humankind born lacking a healthy and sane mind. Relying in part upon studies done in Europe, American doctors, preachers, and lawyers debated whether insanity explained criminality over the century and how it expressed itself in different races and sexes. Alternative theories were offered. Environment, heredity, and free will were all said to have determined the actions of the criminal. By the early 20th century, lawyers and doctors had largely succeeded in medicalizing criminality. Psychiatrists now treated criminals as patients; judges invoked hereditary eugenics in sentencing criminals. Science, not sin, had apparently become the preferred mode of explanation for the origins of crime. But was this a better explanation than what had come before? Can it explain the turbulent debates in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries over variations in crime rates by race? Can it explain why men, not women, are still more likely to commit murder?
Old Regime France
- Instructor: Jarvis, Katie
- Primary Number: HIST 33450
- CNST Number: CNST 30630
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
WKHI - Core History
Old Regime France
- Instructor: Jarvis, Katie
- Primary Number: HIST 33450
- CNST Number: CNST 30630
- Time: TTh 11am-12:15pm
Between 1643 and 1789, France underwent one of the most pivotal national transitions in modern European history. In the second half of the seventeenth century, Louis XIV reigned as the most powerful divine right monarch on the continent. He marshaled religious ideology, set cultural standards, pursued economic projects, and waged wars to consolidate his authority over the French and foreign powers alike. Yet, by the late eighteenth century, Louis XVI's crumbling crown gave way to the Revolution. The French ultimately dethroned the king and established a republic. Our class will explore how the French negotiated this tumultuous trajectory from subjects to citizens. We will analyze three main themes over the course of the Old Regime. First, we will wrestle with issues of modern state building including administrative reform, military campaigns, financial ventures, and expansion in the New World. Second, we will study the relationship among politics, culture, and religion as the French vacillated between critique and reform. Finally, we will probe the origins of the French Revolution. These sparks ranged from Enlightenment debates over contract theory and social privilege to the stresses of everyday life including taxes and food shortages. We will close as the revolutionaries imagined nascent citizenship on the eve of the republic. In sum, this course will ask: how did European democracy find its roots in an absolute monarchy? And how did generations of French work out this transition through their everyday lives?
Aristotle's Ethics
- Instructor: Connell, Sophia
- Primary Number: PHIL 20429
- CNST Number: CNST 30668
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
Aristotle's Ethics
- Instructor: Connell, Sophia
- Primary Number: PHIL 20429
- CNST Number: CNST 30668
- Time: TTh 2pm-3:15pm
This course will concentrate on the ethical theory set out in Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics." It includes the study of topics such as: methodology, the good life, virtue, character, the mean, moral responsibility, practical wisdom, justice, friendship, weakness of will, moral education and the contemplative life.
American Politics
- Instructor: Wolbrecht, Christina
- Primary Number: POLS 10100
- CNST Number: CNST 20002
- Time: MW 10:30am-11:20am
WKSS - Core Social Science
American Politics
- Instructor: Wolbrecht, Christina
- Primary Number: POLS 10100
- CNST Number: CNST 20002
- Time: MW 10:30am-11:20am
This course surveys the basic institutions and practices of American politics. The goal of the course is to gain a more systematic understanding of American politics that will help you become better informed and more articulate. The course examines the institutional and constitutional framework of American politics and identifies the key ideas needed to understand politics today. The reading and writing assignments have been designed not only to inform you, but also to help develop your analytic and research skills. The themes of the course include the logic and consequences of the separation of powers, the build-in biases of institutions and procedures, the origins and consequence of political reforms, and recent changes in American politics in the 21st century. This semester we will emphasize the significance of the upcoming 2016 elections, and the course will include election-related assignments. Although the course counts toward the Political Science major and will prepare prospective majors for further study of American politics, its primary aim is to introduce students of all backgrounds and interests to the information, ideas, and academic skills that will enable them to understand American politics better and help them become more thoughtful and responsible citizens.
World Politics
- Instructor: Schiumerini, Luis
- Primary Number: POLS 10400
- CNST Number: CNST 20200
- Time: MW 12:50pm-1:40pm
WKSS - Core Social Science
World Politics
- Instructor: Schiumerini, Luis
- Primary Number: POLS 10400
- CNST Number: CNST 20200
- Time: MW 12:50pm-1:40pm
This course will focus on the relationship between democratic institutions, peace, and economic/human development. While drawing on lessons from North America and Europe, we will focus largely on countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. During the semester, we will discuss and debate the merits of various explanations or hypotheses that political scientists have proposed to answer the following questions: Why are some countries more "developed" and democratic than others? Is development necessary for democracy or democracy necessary for development? What is the relationship between culture, development, and democracy? How do different types of political institutions affect the prospects for development and democracy? Should/how should U.S. and other established democracies promote democratization? By the end of the course, the objectives are that students (1) learn the most important theories intended to explain why some countries are more democratic and "developed" than others, (2) understand the complexity of any relationship between democracy and development, and (3) grow in the ability to think about and intelligently assess the strengths and weaknesses of strategies intended to promote democracy and development.
Political Theory
- Instructor: Villa, Dana
- Primary Number: POLS 10600
- CNST Number: CNST 20602
- Time: MW 2pm-2:50pm
WKSP - Core 2nd Philosophy
Political Theory
- Instructor: Villa, Dana
- Primary Number: POLS 10600
- CNST Number: CNST 20602
- Time: MW 2pm-2:50pm
This course is an introduction to political theory as a tradition of discourse and as a way of thinking about politics. The course surveys selected works of political theory and explores some of the recurring themes and questions that political theory addresses, especially the question of justice. This introductory course fulfils the political theory breadth requirement for the political science major.
The American Presidency
- Instructor: Curry, James
- Primary Number: POLS 30101
- CNST Number: CNST 30447
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
The American Presidency
- Instructor: Curry, James
- Primary Number: POLS 30101
- CNST Number: CNST 30447
- Time: MW 11am-12:15pm
This course provides a political science perspective on the American presidency, covering the design elements of the office, fundamental features of presidential elections, the power of the presidency, and more.
United States Foreign Policy
- Instructor: Parent, Joseph
- Primary Number: POLS 30201
- CNST Number: CNST 30441
- Time: MW 3:30pm-4:45pm
WKSS - Core Social Science
United States Foreign Policy
- Instructor: Parent, Joseph
- Primary Number: POLS 30201
- CNST Number: CNST 30441
- Time: MW 3:30pm-4:45pm
The United States is the most powerful state in the world today. Its actions are important not just for US citizens, but they also affect whether others go to war, whether they will win their wars, whether they receive economic aid, whether they will go broke, or whether they will starve. What determines US foreign policy? What is the national interest? When do we go to war? Would you send US soldiers into war? If so, into which wars and for what reasons? How do our economic policies affect others? Does trade help or hurt the US economy and its citizens? We first study several theories about foreign policy. We then examine the US foreign policy process, including the President, Congress, the bureaucracy, the media, and public opinion. To see how this all works, we turn to the history of US foreign policy, from Washington's farewell address through the World Wars and the Cold War to the Gulf War. We then study several major issue areas, including weapons of mass destruction, trade and economics, and the environment. Finally, we develop and debate forecasts and strategies for the future.
Introduction to Criminology
- Instructor: Thomas, Mim
- Primary Number: SOC 20732
- CNST Number: CNST 20403
- Time: MW 5:05pm-6:20pm
PSIM - Poverty Studies Elect.; WKSS - Core Social Science
Introduction to Criminology
- Instructor: Thomas, Mim
- Primary Number: SOC 20732
- CNST Number: CNST 20403
- Time: MW 5:05pm-6:20pm
Introduction to Criminology provides students with an overview of the sociological study of law making, law breaking and the resulting social responses. In this class we not only look at a variety of crimes, but we also discuss the varying methods sociologists use to collect, interpret and evaluate data, as well as how we theorize about crime and punishment. We address questions such as "Why are some people or groups labeled as criminal, while others are not?" "Do laws in both their construction and enforcement serve everyone's interests equally?" "How can the communities in which people are embedded be considered as criminogenic?" "How are poverty, race, gender and other social factors related to crime?"