Government & International Studies Courses

The purpose of this course is to understand the conceptual and empirical issues underlaying the political economy of global poverty and human rights. What is poverty? What are the global dimensions of poverty? How does the discourse of human rights relate to underlying political economy of global capitalism? How does the discourse of human rights relate to the underlying causes of inequality and poverty in the world? In order to do this, we will look at the relationship between human rights, economic growth, poverty and inequalities in several different dimensions. After an initial exploration of these issues we will focus on the more recently developed social capabilites approach developed by Amartya Sen and others. We will explore the limits of policies under the existing institutional arrangements and examine the need for fundamental changes in the global political economy

This course provides a theoretical and historical analysis of the ethical permutation of international relations discourse based on the premise that a sound understanding of contemporary practice and debates requires grounding in their historical and theoretical roots and foundations. To help close the gap between theory and practice we explore issues that integrate rigorous thinking about principles of justice and morality into discussions of practical dilemmas related to current policy developments, global institutional arrangements, and the conduct of important international actors. Theoretical discussions that originate in philosophy, religion, or the social science should connect with the interests of journalist, activists, policy-makers, and citizens who are primarily concerned with assessing and reforming specific policies, as well as existing rule and institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund; arrangements governing trade, environmental protection, and the use of force; and the International Criminal Court and ad hoc tribunals that address genocide and past societal injustices.

Supervised placement in an agency or organization which is part of, or related to, the public sector. Criteria for entering GIS 490 Internship in Political Science: 1. Class standing (Seniors have preference over Juniors) 2. Political Science GPA 3. Satisfactory completion of the Internship Program Application Procedure which includes: A. The application form and personal essay in which the student’s goals and objectives, motivations, interests, interpersonal skills and previous relevant experiences are clearly articulated. B. Two letters of recommendation from Faculty who are familiar with the student’s interests and performance in related courses. C. Interview with the Internship Coordinator. The interview will help the Coordinator to assess students readiness and degree of motivation for the internship experience, and help students explore options regarding the most suitable placements.