Are American political institutions
representative? Students examine this question by confronting the relationship
between race, ethnicity, and representation in elections, court cases, urban
politics and political theory with Assistant Professor Ronald Schmidt, Jr. in
POS 234 The Politics of Race and Ethnicity, 11:45-1:00pm, TTH. Meets
American Political System area requirement for majors; nonmajors welcome. No
prerequisites, 3 credits.
New Course: POS 299 The Internet and Politics
examines the history, user base, political application, impact, and legal
environment of the Internet. After some basic Web design techniques are
introduced, students will develop a simple Web site designed to advocate for a
political purpose of their choice. Dr. Robert Klotz, 4:10- 5:25pm, MW. Meets
American Political System area requirement for majors; nonmajors welcome. No
prerequisites, 3 credits.
POS 345 British Government & Politics examines the contemporary British Constitution, the workings of Parliament, the government, and the parties. Emphasizes the main issues current in British Politics. Professor Richard Maiman, 2:45-4:00pm, TTH. Meets Comparative Political Systems area requirement for majors; nonmajors welcome. No prerequisites, 3 credits.
POS 375 International Environmental Politics & Policy: Development of international agreements on transboundary environmental issues will be examined with Associate Professor Michael Hamilton. Obstacles and incentives to negotiating effective agreements are addressed, with special consideration of the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment (1972) and the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (1992). Meets 4:10-5:25pm, TTH. Meets International Politics area requirement for majors; nonmajors welcome. No prerequisites, 3 credits.
New Course: POS 399 Terrorism and the American Public introduces students to the study of terrorism and its affect on the American Public. Examines terrorist motivations, organizations, strategies, government responses and future trends Students will design and conduct a survey of Portland resident's beliefs about terrorism and their support of government policies to combat it. No formal prerequisites, but it's recommended students have some background in International Relations such as POS 104J. Dr. Lynn Kuzma, 5:30-6:50pm, TTH. Meets American Political System area requirement for majors; nonmajors welcome; 3 credits.
POS 465 Civil Rights and Political
Equality is about belonging to the American political community. Fear of the
"other" has produced suppression of immigrants, Catholics, Jews, blacks,
laborers and the poor. Yet, the ideal of equality has produced much public
policy and constitutional law directed at building an inclusive community of
equals. Offered by practicing civil rights attorney and former two-term
President of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, Associate Professor Bill Coogan,
W, 4:10-6:40pm. Meets American Political System area requirement for majors;
nonmajors welcome. No prerequisites, 3 credits.
Summer Schedule
Highlights:
POS 190 Lying and Politics: Explores the
uses and abuses of lying, tracing the danger lies pose to political life and why
they may sometimes be necessary. Does politics require truthfulness from all
actors? Do political actors need to be able to deceive in order to form
coalitions, organize citizens, and imagine alternatives to the status quo? Must
political actors choose between the politics of virtue and the pragmatic
politics of lying? These questions will be considered in political theory and
specific case studies of deception and propaganda in American politics. Meets
Political Theory area requirement for Political Science majors; all majors and
nonmajors welcome. No prerequisites, 3 credits. Schmidt, Session 1 (B), MTW,
6:00-9:15pm.
POS 299 U.S. Foreign Policy at the
Movies: Consideration of the actors, issues, and processes involved in
making U.S. foreign policy and national security policy using popular films.
Meets International Politics area requirement for majors; all majors and
nonmajors welcome. No prerequisites, 3 credits. Kuzma, Session 2 (B), MTW,
12:30-3:45pmPM.
Register Now, or Take the
Consequences
For the first time in recent memory, in Fall
2001 over half (13 of 21) the sections of Political Science courses were fully
enrolled, most of them before the first day of class. Extra students were
allowed to enroll in many classes, but we can't be sure we can accommodate
everyone in every class. We expect the same pressure on enrollments in Spring
2002. To make sure you get the classes you want, preregister now. If you wait
until the first week of class, you may not get what you want.
Where Are They
Now???
David Hughes, '99, received an M.Sc. in Security
Studies from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and is Communications Director
for Hall Marketing in Scarborough, Maine.
Kristy Sullivan, '00, enrolled in the graduate
program in Public Policy and Management at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public
Service at USM.
Internship Placements:
Summer and Fall 2001
Eric Anderson - World Affairs
Council of Maine
Michael Bolduc - City Manager's Office, South Portland
Bodie Colwell - Volunteer Lawyers
Project
Jonathan
Crasnick - U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, Portland
Margaret Grenier - Maine Coalition for Food
Security
Kim Gruber
- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Portland
Jessica Kendall - Refugee and Immigration
Services,
Catholic
Charities of Maine
Sarah Kydd - Pine Tree Legal Assistance
Remy Liggio - U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler,
Washington
David
Loughran - U .S. Rep. Tom Allen, Washington
Jeremy Perron - U.S. Rep. Tom Allen,
Portland
Ariel
Ricci - Maine Women's Lobby
Angela Saucier - Portland Police Department
Community Policing Program
Kia Toure - Refugee and
Immigration Services,
Catholic Charities of Maine
Angela Treat - Volunteer Lawyers
Project
Byron
Watson - U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Portland
Mark Woronoff - Law Office of Kevin
Heffernan
Erin
Young - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Lewiston
Faculty Doings and
Goings
Associate Professor Bill Coogan is a member of
the Maine Supreme Judicial Court's Advisory Committee on the Code of
Professional Responsibility, and its Subcommittee on Regulation of Attorney
Advertising, with whom he's working on definitions of the kinds of ads that
violate ethical standards. Last summer he practiced law and went sailing a lot
in Massachusetts.
Professor Mahmud Faksh is revising an article,
"Endogenous Determinants of Military Intervention in Syria: The Formative
Years," and continuing research on "Modern Islamic Revivalism:
Nineteenth-Century Islamic Revival vs. Contemporary Islamic Revival." Recently
he published an article in the Maine Sunday Telegram entitled "Islam and
the West."
Assistant Professor Robert Klotz joined the
Department in Fall 2001, and is conducting research on political communication
and the Internet. He'll offer a new course on The Internet and Politics in
Spring 2002. His published a chapter in the 2001 book Communication in U.S.
Elections.
Assistant Professor Lynn Kuzma recently
published an article entitled, "And...Action! Using Film to Teach Foreign
Policy," about the use of films in the classroom, in International Studies
Perspectives. She's now preparing 24 students for a Model United Nations
conference in Philadelphia. Dr. Kuzma will offer a new course on Terrorism and
the American Public in Spring 2002, in which students will help her conduct a
public opinion survey of Portland resident's beliefs and opinions about
terrorism.
Associate Professor James Roberts traveled to
Scotland last summer and will be on leave during Spring 2002. He'll be back in
Fall 2002.
Associate Professor Michael Hamilton returned
from his Spring sabbatical travel in New Zealand and Indonesia. His manuscript
"Prospects for Increasing Profits by Improving Water Quality at Indonesian Coal
Mines" was the lead article in the February 2001 issue of the international
journal Minerals & Energy, published by the Centre for Energy,
Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, Scotland, and the
Division of Economics, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden.
Professor Richard Maiman is researching human
rights lawyers in Great Britain, which he plans to incorporate into his British
Government and Politics class in Spring 2002.
Assistant Professor Ron Schmidt, Jr. visited the
Huntington and Bancroft Libraries last year to conduct research on nostalgia and
nationalist movements. This research is the heart of a paper he presented at the
American Political Science Association Convention in San Francisco and submitted
to the journal Political Theory. He'll present a second paper based on
this research at conferences in California and Illinois later this year.
Faculty Search
Progress
With any luck, we'll have another new faculty
member join us by Fall 2002--possibly by January--to teach International
Relations and Comparative Politics courses. Interviews are taking place as this
newsletter goes to press. Students representing Political Science and
International Studies majors are participating in this search, and all students
are invited to attend campus presentations by the finalists. We need and value
your feedback about candidate teaching and interaction with students. Please
meet them and communicate your preferences to student search committee
representatives and departmental faculty.
Alumni: We'd like to hear from you.
Really. 