In the past I have posted lecture notes. This will occur for some classes, but often what will be posted will be background information not covered in class (sometimes required for you to read), discussion questions, assignments, study guides, etc. Notes will be replaced at the end of units, so if you want to keep them for further reference, print them out. If any web surfers land here and find errors or have questions, please let me know at: scotterb@maine.edu
Please note: once notes are deleted from the website they are not available from me personally.
Spring 2008
POS 136 - World Politics
Syllabus
Essay assignment: Hedges book
Study Guide - for April 30th midterm
January 23 - 25 - Introduction, and Rwanda
February 1 - The UN
February 8 - International Law, human rights
February 11 - Liberalism and Realism
February 13 - 27 - The rise of the international
system
February 29 - World War I and the breakdown of
the Metternich system
March 3 - WWI and the aftermath
March 5 - The interwar years: idealism,
communism, and fascism
March 7 - World War II and the emergence of the
Cold War
March 10 - 14: The Cold War
Unit two: War
March 19 - Theories of war, general
March 21 - The Balkans
March 24 - Israel-Palestine
March 26 -28 Iraq
March 31 - April 2: Afghanistan, Terrorism, and discuss Hedges
Unit Three: IPE
April 9 - Introduction to political economy
April 11 - Globalization
April 14 - The rise of China
April 16 - No class, symposium day
April 18 - The Third World
April 28 - Environment and Energy
April 30 - Midterm
POS 204 - American Foreign Policy
Part II: Perspectives on US foreign policy
March 27 - Perspectives on foreign policy
April 1 - Discuss Johnson; economic policy
April 3 - US foreign policy background, 1990 - 95 (no online notes)
April 8 - Film: Control Room
April 10 - Discussion of Johnson book (questions sent to class by e-mail)
April 15 - Video/discussion of oil, energy and US foreign policy (no on line
notes)
April 17 - Introduction to the Fukuyama book
April 29 - Neo-conservatism
May 1 - Threats and pre-emption
May 5 - Benevolent hegemony?
May 7 - Challenges for the future
FYS 100 - Syriana
Essay three assignment: Rough draft
due April 4
Essay four assignment: Rough draft due
April 30
January 23 - Introduction
February 11 -- The West and the Mideast
The rise of the West
General on Islam (mostly class discussion so
these aren't lecture notes)
Rise of Shi'ism
Sufism
Background information
Israel-Palestine
Iraq
Iran
Oil
Topics for class discussion will be sent to the listserv on e-mail
(Note: there will only be occasional class notes for this course since it is discussion oriented)
POS 262/INS 280: Discover Italy
INS 280, Spring 2008: Rome: The birth of Western Civilization
From the Republic to Empire to the Church (Likely venue: Rome or Pompeii)
INS 280, Spring 2008
Worlds In Motion: Galileo’s political problem (Likely venue: Florence or Rome)
INS 280, Spring 2008: The Italian Revolution
Political turmoil in Italy: Mani Pulite and its causes (Likely venue: Rome)
INS 280, Spring 2008: Il Principe
Machiavelli, Power and Realism (Likely venue: Florence)
INS 280, Spring 2008: Faith and Reason (from Aquinas to Galileo)
Thought and Politics in the Renaissance (Likely venue: Bologna or Rome)