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.
