Course Offerings
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- Spring 2025
- Winter 2025
- Fall 2024
Spring 2025▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
Bitcoin in Practice
POL 280 - Cantey, Seth
This course introduces students to bitcoin and its roles in global politics. Since 2008, bitcoin has evolved from an idea posted to an online chat forum to a digital asset that has caught the attention of sovereign states. Along the way, it has been used by human rights activists whose bank accounts have been frozen, refugees crossing boarders, immigrants sending remittances, environmentalists fighting climate change, and others. The course explores what bitcoin is, what problems it is trying to solve, and the creative ways it has been used across time and space. Part of the course takes place in Argentina, a developing country that has long faced economic challenges. There, the class meets with politicians, economists, entrepreneurs, and others - bitcoin advocates and skeptics alike - to understand why adoption is higher in Argentina than most other countries.
Topics in Politics and Film: Comedy and Politics
POL 292B - Puemape, Felix
This class will examine the educational potential of comedy films for political scientists. We will focus on elements that usually captivate audiences, such as absurdity, rudeness, and sarcasm, to explore topics often presented in uninspired ways. Over the course of four weeks, we will analyze four comedies that tackle key political themes, including authoritarianism, lobbying, populism, and terrorism, and evaluate how effectively they illustrate concepts proposed by classic political science theorists. To directly assess the pedagogical power of comedy, students will be encouraged to write their own comedic plot about a political topic of interest, using the films we watch and their connections (or lack thereof) to political science classics as guidelines.
Special Topics in American Politics: The Politics of Flags
POL 295M - Virgin, Sheahan
This course asks the question of why humans attach psychological and socio-political significance to mere pieces of cloth. By studying cases within the U.S. and around the world, students will explore how flags, as symbols, acquire meaning and communicate vital information about people and place (for example: history and heritage, sovereignty, in-group belonging and out-group exclusion, resistance to authority, etc.). Along the way, each student will work with W&L’s state-of-the-art IQ Center on an experiential learning project: designing and fabricating a new flag for Virginia. After a brief campaign, we will hold a mock election in which the campus community selects a winner using ranked choice voting. Post-balloting, students will adopt additional roles: As the electoral commission, they will tabulate the votes and declare an official winner, while as social scientists, they will scour the data to illuminate voting patterns.
Special Topics in Global Politics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict
POL 296G - Yalowitz, Kenneth
This course will begin with an examination of the primary tools of diplomacy and the conflicts following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. The principal case study is the current Russia-Ukraine war and the diplomatic, political, economic, military and international elements. The impact of the Gaza-Israel war on the Ukraine conflict will be covered. The course will conclude with a diplomatic simulation exercise in which students will hone diplomatic skills in dealing with crises.
Washington Term Program
POL 466 - Alexander, Brian
The Washington Term Program aims to enlarge students' understanding of national politics and governance. Combining academic study with practical experience in the setting of a government office, think tank, or other organization in Washington, it affords deeper insight into the processes and problems of government at the national level. A member of the politics faculty is the resident director, supervising students enrolled in this program while they are in Washington, D.C.
Winter 2025▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
American National Government
POL 100 - Morel, Lucas
A study of the constitutional origins and historical development of the national government with special attention to Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media in the policy process.
American National Government
POL 100 - Virgin, Sheahan
A study of the constitutional origins and historical development of the national government with special attention to Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media in the policy process.
Introduction to Global Politics
POL 105 - Puemape, Felix
A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state.
Introduction to Global Politics
POL 105 - Wang, Clyde
A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
POL 111 - Gray, Stu
An introduction to some of the perennial themes of politics, such as the relationship between human nature and political institutions, individual freedom and community, private conscience and civic virtue, the claims of reason and faith, the nature of law, obligation, and rights, among others. Our inquiry is guided by selections from influential works in the history of political thought, ancient, modern and contemporary, as well as plays, dialogues, comedies, tragedies, novels, and films. Consult with instructor for specific reading assignments and course requirements.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
POL 111 - Wang, Clyde
An introduction to some of the perennial themes of politics, such as the relationship between human nature and political institutions, individual freedom and community, private conscience and civic virtue, the claims of reason and faith, the nature of law, obligation, and rights, among others. Our inquiry is guided by selections from influential works in the history of political thought, ancient, modern and contemporary, as well as plays, dialogues, comedies, tragedies, novels, and films. Consult with instructor for specific reading assignments and course requirements.
Applied Statistics
POL 202 - Puemape, Felix
Not open to students with credit for BUS 202, ECON 202, INTR 202, CBSC 250, or MATH 118. An examination of the principal applications of statistics to allow students to develop a working knowledge and understanding of applied statistics in the social sciences (politics, sociology, and economics), and accounting and business. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis.
Environmental Policy and Law
POL 233 - Harris, Rebecca
A study of major environmental laws and the history of their enactment and implementation. Discusses different theoretical approaches from law, ethics, politics, and economics. Reviews significant case law and the legal context. Emphasis is on domestic policy with some attention to international law and treaties.
Gender and Politics
POL 255 - LeBlanc, Robin
This course investigates the gendered terms under which women and men participate in political life. Attention is given to the causes of men's and women's different patterns of participation in politics, to processes that are likely to decrease the inequalities between men's and women's political power, and the processes by which society's gender expectations shape electoral and institutional politics. The different effects of gender on the practice of politics in different nations are compared, with a special emphasis placed on advanced industrial democracies.
Classical Political Philosophy
POL 265 - Gray, Stu
An examination of some of the central questions and concerns of classical political philosophy. The course is not restricted to a historical period but extends to classical themes within contemporary culture. A mixture of plays, novels, epics, dialogues, treatises, and films are used. Authors, texts, and themes vary from year to year. Consult with the instructor for specific course details.
Special Topics in in American Politics: Public Opinion and Political Behavior
POL 295L - Virgin, Sheahan
According to democratic theory, Americans’ wants and needs should translate into policy via responsive, representative government. Yet empirical research warns that many people are unknowledgeable about politics, do not vote on the basis of policy considerations, and are only weakly committed to democratic norms. As such, in this course, students will critically engage deep, weighty questions that interrogate the very foundation of democracy as a regime type: Can people uphold their end of the democratic bargain? Are policy questions too complex for the average American to comprehend? Is it a good or bad idea to tether elected leaders to public opinion? Should the U.S. increase or decrease opportunities for people to participate? Topics include: opinion polling, voter choice and turnout, political ideology, social identity, polarization, core values, racial resentment, populism, national affect, media fragmentation, and civic education.
Seminar: Law and the Judicial Process
POL 342 - Harris, Rebecca
A survey of legal theories and the problems of reconciling such theories with the realities of administering a legal system. The course draws upon readings from literature, philosophy, legal scholarship, and political science. Topics include the nature of law and justice, constitutionalism, the role and power of courts and judges, and the function of a legal system.
Seminar: Lincoln's Statesmanship
POL 360 - Morel, Lucas
This seminar examines the political thought and practice of Abraham Lincoln. Emphasis is on his speeches and writings, supplemented by scholarly commentary on his life and career.
Architecture of Urban Community
POL 388 - LeBlanc, Robin
This seminar investigates the literal and social architecture of democratic community in cities around the globe, examining how the physical spaces and political and economic power structures of urban life support or constrain the civic relationships of residents of varying backgrounds and unequal socioeconomic positions, shaping citizens' opportunities for collective empowerment and self-determination. Course addresses issues of poverty, exclusion, and environmental limits.
Washington Term Orientation
POL 465 - Alexander, Brian
Graded Pass/Fail only. This orientation prepares students to succeed in the W&L Washington Term Program. The weekly class consists of discussion, lectures, guest speakers, and reading assignments that help students hit the ground running as policy professionals and public intellectuals in Washington, DC, during Spring Term. Limited to and required for students permitted to enroll in POL 466 Washington Term during Spring Term.
Fall 2024▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
American National Government
POL 100 - Harris, Rebecca
A study of the constitutional origins and historical development of the national government with special attention to Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media in the policy process.
Introduction to Global Politics
POL 105 - Puemape, Felix
A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state.
Introduction to Global Politics
POL 105 - LeBlanc, Robin
A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state.
Introduction to Global Politics
POL 105 - Cantey, Seth
A survey of the comparative study of national and international politics and the interaction between the two. Topics may include power relations among and within states, changes in the conduct of international affairs and conflict resolution, contrasting ideas about democracy, economic development, justice, globalization, terrorism, causes and alternatives to war, social movements and the role of the nation-state.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
POL 111 - Gray, Stu
An introduction to some of the perennial themes of politics, such as the relationship between human nature and political institutions, individual freedom and community, private conscience and civic virtue, the claims of reason and faith, the nature of law, obligation, and rights, among others. Our inquiry is guided by selections from influential works in the history of political thought, ancient, modern and contemporary, as well as plays, dialogues, comedies, tragedies, novels, and films. Consult with instructor for specific reading assignments and course requirements.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
POL 111 - Morel, Lucas
An introduction to some of the perennial themes of politics, such as the relationship between human nature and political institutions, individual freedom and community, private conscience and civic virtue, the claims of reason and faith, the nature of law, obligation, and rights, among others. Our inquiry is guided by selections from influential works in the history of political thought, ancient, modern and contemporary, as well as plays, dialogues, comedies, tragedies, novels, and films. Consult with instructor for specific reading assignments and course requirements.
FS: First-Year Seminar: Martin Luther King, Jr.
POL 180B - Morel, Lucas
This course will examine the political thought of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will engage in close reading of King’s speeches, sermons, and essays to understand his theory and practice of nonviolent activism and his conception of the American Dream as it relates to “the beloved community” and what he considered the global ills of racism, poverty, and militarism. Students will also consider the role of women in the modern Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Ella Baker, Rosa Parks, Diane Nash, and Fannie Lou Hamer), as well as contemporary alternatives to his approach to the Civil Rights struggle, including Malcolm X, Black Power, the Rev. Joseph H. Jackson, and the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund (led by Thurgood Marshall).
Applied Statistics
POL 202 - Puemape, Felix
Not open to students with credit for BUS 202, ECON 202, or INTR 202. An examination of the principal applications of statistics to allow students to develop a working knowledge and understanding of applied statistics in the social sciences (politics, sociology, and economics), and accounting and business. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis
State and Local Government
POL 203 - Finch, Kevin
An introduction to the structures and functions of United States subnational governments, with particular emphasis on the policy-making process and on the relationships between policy makers and the public. Computer-assisted analysis of survey-research data is included.
Public Policy
POL 232 - Harris, Rebecca
Introduction to public policy formation and implementation, decision making in government, the concepts and techniques of policy analysis, and ethical analysis of policy. Policy issues such as education, immigration, and public health are used as illustrations.
The American Supreme Court and Constitutional Law
POL 236 - Rush, Mark
A survey of the development of American constitutional law and a study of the role of the Supreme Court as both a political institution and principal expositor of the Constitution.
Special Topics in American Politics: Campaigns and Elections
POL 295J - Virgin, Sheahan
Free, fair, and frequent elections, as well as the campaigns designed to win them, are the lifeblood of representative democracy. In the U.S., we utilize winner-take-all rules to elect our national leaders, a process known to reinforce and exacerbate two-party, adversarial politics. Deemphasizing the “how-to-win-an-election” focus typical of this kind of course, students will instead critically engage deeper, weightier questions: What is a just electoral process? Are the U.S.’s elections (compared both to theory and to the reality of other countries’ systems) sufficiently democratic? Must losers consent to their defeat? Should an election ban anti-pluralist or anti-system candidates? Topics include: party nominations, the Electoral College, campaign strategy, voter access, and institutional reform.
Special Topics in American Politics: Fines and Fees
POL 295K - Jones, Adrienne
Monetary sanctions are a consequential yet understudied aspect of the criminal legal system. While these fines, fees, and other costs are often marketed as “non-punitive”, research finds monetary sanctions can have serious consequences for those with limited financial means. This discussion-based course introduces students to features of the American system of monetary sanctions. Students explore the origins of monetary sanctions, the collateral consequences, or negative effects, individuals experience due to nonpayment and possibilities and limitations of public policy as a tool to alleviate the burden of these financial penalties. Drawing on a variety of sources- academic readings, policy reports, social media posts, etc.- students are encouraged to draw connections among course materials and themes of punishment, inequality, and justice.
Topic: Contemporary Chinese Politics
POL 296E - Wang, Clyde
This course will examine the development of the Chinese state and society in contemporary China, especially since the 1990s. Key questions to be studied include: What are the key features and principles of contemporary Chinese politics? What are the main challenges facing China’s political system? How has the political authority responded? How are these responses received by the society? What is the relationship between economic development and political transformation? How does Chinese state politics impact different social groups and/or social actors? What are the roles of different social actors in Chinese politics? What are their relationships with the political authority/authorities? The course will approach these questions by weaving historical facts and analytical explanations together and ask questions concerning the nature of the party-state, basic principles of state-society interactions, and finally, how these principles have changed or not changed over the three decades and more.
Seminar in Global Politics: Marxism and World Politics
POL 380E - Wang, Clyde
This course aims to look at how this complex set of ideas that are called Marxism has affected the trajectory of world politics. In this course, we will examine the origins, developments, and implications of Marxism, as well as its use and misuse in state politics. The course will combine the writing of Marxist thinkers from Marx himself to 20th-Century neo-Marxist scholars with the political developments in socialist states and socialist movements. We try to solve important puzzles such as: What is the relationship between the ideal free society imagined by Marx and the harsh reality of the Soviet Union and China? Is the connection inevitable? Why do left-wing parties today abandon the Marxist banner, and should they do that? Is there another way to imagine Marxism? We will also discuss the stigmatization and romanticization of Marxism in today's political context.
Seminar in Middle Eastern Politics
POL 384 - Cantey, Seth
This course examines contemporary politics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Topics include the role of colonial legacies in state formation, the region's democratic deficit, nationalism, sectarianism, and the influence of religion in politics. We explore inter- and intrastate conflict, including the use of terrorism, economic development and underdevelopment, and the recent Arab uprisings (commonly referred to as the Arab Spring). Throughout, we consider why the Middle East attracts as much attention from policymakers and scholars as it does, how analysts have studied the region across time and space, and why understanding different cultural perspectives is critical to understanding the region.
Poli-Wood: Indian Epics, Myth, and Cinema as Political Philosophy
POL 386 - Gray, Stu
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the two major Classical Indian (Hindu) epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, while reading them as works of political thought with relevance to both modern Indian politics and contemporary cinematic culture. This class begins by exploring the epics' mythological, theological, and political content. In the second part of the course we examine how the epics, along with their major themes and characters, have been deployed for various Indian nationalist causes in the 20th and 21st centuries. Finally, the third part of the course examines two globally popular Indian action/drama films, which represent major characters, themes, and ideology drawn from the epics. In this part of the course we consider how these filmic representations exhibit political ideas that seek to impact a contemporary audience and instantiate a Hindu nationalist ethos, further considering how a politicized entertainment industry may impact the world's largest democratic nation.