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CS92PROD
Sophomore Government Tutorial: State and Society in the Modern Age

CSS 230
Spring 2019
Section: 01   02  
Certificates: International Relations

This Tutorial analyzes the emergence and functioning of the modern nation state, primarily in the West. We are interested in how the nation state came into being and what forms of government have evolved over the past 200 years or so. We will also examine a variety of challenges to the nation state, including modernization, the deepening of democracy and the development of the European Union. Throughout the class, our focus will be on the question of what is required for the emergence and maintenance of a democratic political system.
When political scientists approach these issues, we are looking for generalities and systemic explanations. We seek to draw out common theoretical principles from a variety of diverse empirical cases. Political scientists may ask questions such as: What forces in a society tend to produce democratic outcomes? Under what conditions is a revolution more or less likely? Where does sovereignty rest? There isn't general agreement among political scientists about how to attempt to answer these questions. In this course, we read both classic texts and newer works on these topics and consider which approaches are most enlightening.
Credit: 1.5 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT
Course Format: DiscussionGrading Mode: Credit/Unsatisfactory
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (CSS)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on DEC-21-2024
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