My UW Enrollment Begins in Early April 2024. More information: https://summer.wisc.edu/
Cross-listed courses also available (please check course search and enroll for all department listings)
PS 104: Intro to American Politics & Government (Online Only, 4 Credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Basic institutions and processes of American government. The role of constitutional structures, parties, interest groups and elections in the system; policy formation and policy content.
PS 170: Research Methods in Political Science (Online Only, 3 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Introduction to political science as a discipline that focuses on the development of research questions, research designs, and the quantitative and qualitative tools commonly used to implement research designs.
PS 314: Criminal Law and Justice (Online Only, 3 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Substantive and procedural aspects of criminal law, including the purposes of criminal justice, specific crimes, criminal responsibility and punishment, legal concepts of proof, and 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment issues. The case approach is used. Not open to students with credit for POLI SCI 452 prior to fall 2017
PS 315: Legislative Internship (Online Only, 3 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Practical experience in a legislative office. Policy research. Readings in legislative process.
PS 330: The Political Economy of Development (Online Only, 4 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
An introduction to the political economy of development. Why are some countries more economically developed than others? To help answer this question, examine leading theories of economic development. In light of these theories, then examine the development experiences of three major regions of the world. Consider a series of issues about development, including the effect of ethnic diversity, corruption, natural resources, and women’s empowerment on economic development. Conclude with an examination of the effects of international interactions-via trade, foreign aid, migration, and war-on economic development.
PS 359: American Foreign Policy (Online Only, 4 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
This course undertakes a historical and analytical approach to U.S. foreign policy since World War II. The course is divided into three main topics: U.S. Foreign Policy since World War II and the evolution of U.S. policy and the impetus behind important foreign policy choices; The people and institutions and processes that guide foreign policy formation and implementation; And the more salient foreign policy challenges facing the U.S. in the 21st century including how the US has responded to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the effectiveness of foreign aid policy.
PS 400: Law and Justice in Film (Online Only, 3 credits, May 20th- June 16th)
For better or worse, American culture is fascinated with lawyers, the law, and the legal system. Hollywood provides movie after movie about good and evil being reflected in juries, courtrooms, law firms, and elsewhere. And most people learn—or think they learn—about the American legal system through these films. This course focuses on film to examine how Hollywood portrays the American legal system. Does Hollywood get it right? (Probably not.) If not, how so? Does Hollywood support or indict the American legal system? We will analyze a number of films that focus on justice, the law, and the legal system, to see what they tell us about political and legal culture, and what messages (if any) they have for contemporary legal issues. Mostly, we will be focusing on questions about the relationship between law and justice, the practice of law, and the role of courts and trials in a political system—and how films you watch present them.
The films chosen for this class cover some major themes in American law, and most cover events or issues that you might already know something about. Other films carry interesting political content without parroting a real event. In most cases, all the necessary information is presented within the movie. I will supply additional information as needed for you to understand and appreciate the political messages of the movie.
PS 400: Political Psychology of Polarization (Online Only, 3 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Americans are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Congress is gridlocked, elections swing from party-to-party, politicians break decades-old norms, rhetoric is angry, seemingly routine issues have become politicized, and partisans seem to increasingly dislike each other. Most observers agree we’re in the midst of political polarization that is unprecedented in recent decades. In this course, we’ll drawn on literature in political psychology to look at how we got here, what it means for politics, and what “polarization” even is in the first place. Not everything will be about academic theories. Students will be encouraged to apply class concepts to current events.
PS 400: Global Politics of Policing (Online Only, 3 credits, July 15th-August 11th)
This course takes a global approach to the politics of policing, beginning with key concepts and theories of the relationship between policing and power. It then examines the development of the modern police over time and up to the present within and between different contexts. The course ends by exploring the question, “What is the future of the police and policing?”
PS 405: State Government and Public Policy (Online Only, 3 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
The structure of state government and the politics of public policy-making in the fifty states.
PS 434: The Politics of Human Rights (Online Only, 4 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
Examines the origins and development of human rights in international politics. The course discusses what human rights are, international human rights movements, the international search for justice after mass crimes, and international humanitarian intervention. Not open to students with credit for POLI SCI 317 prior to fall 2017
PS 470: The First Amendment (Online Only, 4 credits, June 17th-August 11th)
An examination of the basic principles, purposes, and assumptions of First Amendment cases and literature, with attention to both historical and contemporary controversies.