2022-2023 Academic Year

Fall 2022

EASN 206 China's Foreign Relations
Cross-listed with POSC 290-01.This course examines China's relationship to the major world powers, regions and international organizations. Beginning with a consideration of Chinese traditions of dealing with foreign countries, we will then examine the revolutionary legacy of Mao Zedong and the reorientation of foreign policy under Deng Xiaoping after 1978. The course will focus on the role of ideology, history, culture, interests, and leadership in China's foreign relations.

EASN 206 Politics Env Protection Asia
Cross-listed with POSC 290-02.This course takes a close look at the political, social, and legal issues that affect environmental protection in Asia. Focusing attention on China, Taiwan, Japan, and India, and by drawing upon scholarly literature in political science, sociology, law, and history, the course aims to provide students with a multidisciplinary understanding of the myriad factors, which shape the content of environmental legislation and policies and how these are implemented in society. Does China's authoritarian system give environmental law more "bite"? What roles do NGO play in Asia? Does Confucianism or Hinduism make people more or less inclined to protect the environment? How do Asians deal with the impact of rapid economic growth? In short, we will try to understand the complex interaction between political, legal, and social dimensions of environmental protection in a region that is home to half of the world's population and three of the world's current and future economic powerhouses.

POSC 290 China's Foreign Relations
Cross-listed with EASN 206-01.This course examines China's relationship to the major world powers, regions and international organizations. Beginning with a consideration of Chinese traditions of dealing with foreign countries, we will then examine the revolutionary legacy of Mao Zedong and the reorientation of foreign policy under Deng Xiaoping after 1978. The course will focus on the role of ideology, history, culture, interests, and leadership in China's foreign relations.

POSC 290 Politics Env Protection Asia
Cross-listed with EASN 206-02. This course takes a close look at the political, social, and legal issues that affect environmental protection in Asia. Focusing attention on China, Taiwan, Japan, and India, and by drawing upon scholarly literature in political science, sociology, law, and history, the course aims to provide students with a multidisciplinary understanding of the myriad factors, which shape the content of environmental legislation and policies and how these are implemented in society. Does China's authoritarian system give environmental law more "bite"? What roles do NGO play in Asia? Does Confucianism or Hinduism make people more or less inclined to protect the environment? How do Asians deal with the impact of rapid economic growth? In short, we will try to understand the complex interaction between political, legal, and social dimensions of environmental protection in a region that is home to half of the world's population and three of the world's current and future economic powerhouses.

POSC 390 Compar Political Corruption
Around the world political corruption has been implicated as a cause of widespread anger at governments, dramatic increases in social inequality, riots, and revolution. After a general introduction focusing on issues of definition and measurement, we will examine the major explanations of political corruption in the social science literature (Is it embedded in culture, a product of distorted markets, “underdevelopment,” or certain regime types?). The heart of the course is a thorough examination of corruption cases in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Russia, and the United States. Finally, we will turn to several countries in which governments have limited the extent of corruption as well as those where such efforts have largely failed. Students will write their seminar paper on a concrete case of corruption in a country of their choosing, with instructor approval.

Spring 2023

EASN 206 China under Xi Jinping
Cross-listed with POSC 290-02. Since taking over as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party a decade ago, Xi Jinping has dramatically transformed China's domestic and foreign policies, with worldwide repercussions. This course examines Xi's rise to power and governing philosophy, the tactics he has deployed to consolidate control over the Communist Party, and his crackdown on civil society, the media, intellectuals, Hong Kong, and Uighurs. We will then turn to his impact on China's relationship to the United States, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, the European Union, and international organizations. How has the world reacted to a China that is boldly asserting that authoritarianism is superior to democracy, and claiming superpower status to rival the United States?

POSC 290 China under Xi Jinping
Cross-listed with EASN 206-01. Since taking over as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party a decade ago, Xi Jinping has dramatically transformed China's domestic and foreign policies, with worldwide repercussions. This course examines Xi's rise to power and governing philosophy, the tactics he has deployed to consolidate control over the Communist Party, and his crackdown on civil society, the media, intellectuals, Hong Kong, and Uighurs. We will then turn to his impact on China's relationship to the United States, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, the European Union, and international organizations. How has the world reacted to a China that is boldly asserting that authoritarianism is superior to democracy, and claiming superpower status to rival the United States?

EASN 490 Senior Research
Leading to a senior thesis and jointly supervised by at least two faculty in the program.