PS 4130 Dr. Gilbert Kahn

Senior Seminar Spring 2011

908-737-3996 (Direct) Office Hrs: M & Th, 9:00 – 11:00 AM

908-737-3990 (Dept.) T, 4:30 – 6:30 PM,

W, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

and by appointment

email – http://www.kean.edu/~gkahn

The Senior Seminar analyzes political issues from the perspective of values, interests and ideology. Students will be asked to evaluate the philosophical, historical and political context in which issues emerge and evolve. Issues will be both national and international. Analyses will be both historical and institutional.

Students are responsible for the reading material assigned. Additional reading assignments will be made during the semester. The final grade for the course will be based on class participation 10%, oral presentation(s), 20% short paper, 50% research paper, 20% take-home exam. The paper will be a scholarly research paper (12-15 pages) and conform to proper scholarly style. The short paper will be a reaction paper (3-5 pages).

Required books:

Buruma, Ian, Murder in Amsterdam. Penguin. List Price, $15.00

Walzer, Michael, Just and Unjust Wars. Basic Books, 2006. ISBN 0-465-03707-0.

List Price. $19.95

Additional material to be ?

DATES TO REMEMBER:

January 24 Last day to WD with 100% refund

January 31 Last day to WD with 75% refund

February 7 Last day to declare course as audit

February 7 Last day to WD with 50% refund or P/F

March 11 Last day to withdraw with W grade

KEAN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY AND STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Students are responsible for becoming familiar with, and will be held accountable for, the Kean University Academic Integrity Policy and the Student Code of Conduct. The Academic Integrity Policy is available at www.kean.edu/forms/AcademicIntegrity,pdf or the Web site for The guide at www.kean.edu/publications/TheGuide2007.pdf., and the Student Code of Conduct, is available at www.kean.edu/~conduct or the Web site for The Guide at www.kean.edu/publications/Theguide2007.pdf.

Readings Assignments For the Week Of:

January 19 Introduction

January 26 Samuel Huntington: “The Clash of Civilizations” http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/CCT510/Sources/Huntington-ClashofCivilizations-1993.html

(Research Topics to be submitted)

February 2 Frances Fukuyama: “The End of History”

http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm

February 9 Ian Buruma: Murder in Amsterdam (entire)

February 16 War Making

February 23 Just Wars

Michael Walzer (Entire)

March 2 Immigration (Introduction)

March 9 Immigration (special presentation)

March 23 Health Care

March 30 Decision-Making and paper due

April 6 Oral Presentation

April 13 Oral Presentations

April 30 No Class

April 27 Oral Presentations (FINALS DUE)

May 4 Oral Presentations