Introduction to Political Science
POLS 1001/2003 - Fall 2015
Instructors for the Course/Sections
Dr. Maye Kassem
Dr. Riham Bahi
Office: HUSS 2009
Office Hours:
Email: mayekasm@aucegypt.edu
Office: HUSS 2014
Office Hours: UW 12:00-2:00
Email: rbahi@aucegypt.edu
Dr. Sean Mcmahon
Dr. Manar El Shorbagy
Office:
Office Hours:
Email: smcmahon@aucegypt.edu
Office: HUSS 2027
Office Hours: W 2:00- 3:15
Email: manash@aucegypt.edu
Dr. Alia Ahmed Mossallam
Dr. James Sunday
Office: HUSS 2027
Office Hours: U 1:00-3:00
Email: amossallam@aucegypt.edu
Office:
Office Hours:
Email: sunday@aucegypt.edu
Dr. Omneya El-Naggar
Office: HUSS 2001
Office Hours: UW 2:15- 3:15
Email: o.elnaggar@aucegypt.edu
Course Description
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the main concepts and issues of
political science. Students will be familiarized with the different conceptual and
analytical tools in political science. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed
to different dilemmas: Why are some countries in the international system more than
others? What is the importance of power in politics? What is the importance of
political and social institutions? Why are some countries democratic and others
authoritarian? Why are some countries rich and others poor?
The course is structured around a weekly general lecture, in which all 101 classes
convene, and one weekly discussion group. Six political science faculty members,
who belong to different disciplines in the field, teach this course. Each weekly lecture
will be delivered by a different faculty member specialized in that week’s topic. The
smaller discussion groups will enable students to explore and have more in-depth
understanding about the topic covered in the weekly lecture and assigned materials.
Note that assignments and exams are given separately in the different discussion
groups.
Course Requirements
• Attendance and Participation 10%
• 2 Assignments 15% (each)
• 3 Exams 20% (each)
• Students will be assigned three assignments, and the best two scores will be
counted in their final grade.
• All examinations will NOT be comprehensive.
• ALL GRADES ARE FINAL and NON-NEGOTIABLE
• Plagiarism in any form is not tolerated and will result in an immediate “F” for the
course.
Attendance Policy
As per AUC policy, “a student who misses more than the equivalent of three weeks of
class meetings during a semester for any reason may be assigned a reduced grade for
the course — including the grade of “F” — solely on the basis of inadequate
attendance, regardless of excuse... Students are personally responsible for making up
any academic tasks and assignments missed due to their absence.”
Required Text
A POLS Reading File is available in the AUC Copy Center and via course website,
available here:
In addition to doing the readings, students are encouraged to regularly read the
newspapers, and be familiar with current international affairs. Interesting web sites
are: http://www.bbc.co.uk; http://www.democracynow.org;
http://www.independent.co.uk; http://www.jadaliyya.com/; http://www.mouftah.org
Key Terms and Concepts:
By the end of the semester you should be familiar with the following concepts
amongst many others:
Democracy
Treaty of Westphalia
Nation-State
Imperialism
Nationalism
Sovereignty
Polarity
Unipolar System
Bipolar System
Multipolar System
Bretton Woods Institutions
Intergovernmental Organizations
Non-Governmental Organizations
Human Rights
International Relations
Economic Development
Schedule of Lectures and Readings
Date
September
2, 2015
September
6, 2015
Topic
Introduction
Readings and Lecturers
Introduction in individual class sections
Politics as Power
“Politics: Setting the Stage” (Shively)
“Power” (Grisby)
September
13, 2015
Political
Ideologies
September
20, 2015
Ethics in
Politics?
September
27, 2015
No Lecture (Eid
El Adha
Holiday)
Integrating
History into
Political Science
The State & the
Modern World
Order
October 4,
2015
October 11,
2015
October 18,
2015
International
Relations
October 25,
2015
International
Law &
Accountability
November
1, 2015
No Lecture
November
8, 2015
Political
Economy &
Globalization
November
15, 2015
Development
November
22, 2015
Political
Participation
November
29, 2015
Human Rights
December
6, 2015
No Lecture
Exam 3
Lecturer: Dr. Manar El Shorbagy
“Political Ideologies” (Grisby)
Lecturer: Dr. James H. Sunday
MacIntyre, Alasdair. (2000) "Reformers, Utilitarians,
Idealists" in A Short History of Ethics: A History of Moral
Philosophy from the Homeric Age to the Twentieth Century:
227-48.
Lecturer: Dr. James H. Sunday
Exam 1 will be in the individual classes September 30,
2015
Ibn Khaldun. “Forward” and “Book One” in The Muqaddimah:
An Introduction to History (Princeton Classics)
“The Development of the Modern State”
(Newton and van Deth)
Lecturer: Dr. James H. Sunday
TBA
Lecturer: Dr. Sean Mcmahon
Shaw, Malcolm N. “The Nature and Development of
International Law” In International Law
Lecturer:
Exam 2 will be in the individual classes on November
4, 2015
“Global Political Economy” (Aitken)
“The Field of Study Known as IPE” (Miller)
Lecturer: TBA
“What is Development?” (World Bank)
“Political Development and Decay” (Huntington)
Lecturer: TBA
“Introduction: The Art of Presence” in Life as Politics: How
Ordinary People Change the Middle East (Bayat)
Lecturer: Dr. Alia Mossallam
“Cultural Relativism and Universal Human Rights” (Donnally)
“Human Rights: A Brief Introduction” (Marks)
Lecturer: Dr. Riham Bahi
Exam 3 will be in the individual classes on December
9, 2015