FEBRUARY 2009 POLITICAL SCIENCE NEWSLETTER PENN STATE ERIE, THE BEHREND COLLEGE THIS MONTH'S HEADLINES 1. POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES IN FALL 2009 2. POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES IN SUMMER 2009 3. COLLEGE DEMOCRATS AND COLLEGE REPUBLICANS TO DEBATE 4. WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE 5. FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN THE NEWS 6. PREVIEW OF MARCH'S NEWSLETTER 1. POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES IN FALL 2009 Here is a tentative list of Political Science courses that will be offered at Penn State Behrend in Fall 2009. This list is subject to change, but it is what we plan to offer at the time this newsletter is sent. Remember that all political science majors must take PL SC 001, PL SC 003, PL SC 014, and PL SC 017, as well as 24 other credits (usually 8 other courses) in PL SC. Of those other 24 credits, at least 12 (4 courses) must be at the 400 level, and at least 3 credits (one course) must be taken in each of the subfield requirements (American Government, Comparative Politics, International Politics, Government in Theory and Practice). Some courses can be used to fulfill either of two subfield requirements, but you cannot use the same course on your degree audit to meet both of those subfield requirements. If you need help with scheduling or understanding the requirements of the major, please make an appointment to see your advisor. Political Science minors must take PL SC 001, PL SC 003, and 12 other credits (4 courses), including 6 credits at the 400-level. Fall 2009 Courses PL SC 001 - Introduction to American National Government (GS) PL SC 003 - Introduction to Comparative Politics (GS, IL) PL SC 014 - International Relations (GS, IL) PL SC 017 - Introduction to Political Theory (GS) PL SC 022 - Politics of the Developing Areas (IL, Comparative) PL SC 430 - Selected Works in the History of Political Theory (Theory and Practice) PL SC 437 - War in World Politics (International) PL SC 473 - American Judicial Behavior (American, Theory and Practice) PL SC 481 - Global Political Economy (International) PL SC 482 - American State and Urban Politics (American) PL SC 488 - Comparative Public Policy (Comparative, Theory and Practice) Important Note: We may not be offering PL SC 003 in Spring 2010. Students who need PL SC 003 to complete major or minor requirements should be sure to take the class in Fall 2009.
2. POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES IN SUMMER 2009 Both of the listed courses are being offered during the 7-week session of June 8 - July 21. PL SC 014 - International Relations (GS, IL) PL SC 017W - Introduction to Political Theory (GS, Writing Across the Curriculum Course) 3. COLLEGE DEMOCRATS AND COLLEGE REPUBLICANS TO DEBATE College Democrats, College Republicans, and The Beacon will be presenting a debate on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30-7:30 PM in Bruno's. The Beacon will moderate as College Democrats and College Republicans debate government policies on abortion, gun control, the economic stimulus package, Iraq, and other issues. FREE food and soda will be provided. Everyone is invited to attend and participate. 4. WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE The Obama administration has announced that it is now accepting applications for Summer internships at the White House. The deadline to apply is March 22. Details can be found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/ 5. FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN THE NEWS Political Science professors and students were well represented at the 50th Annual International Studies Association Convention, held in New York City, 15-18 February 2009. A panel, chaired by Dr. Charlotte Ku, University of Illinois, College of Law, highlighted work from Dr. John Gamble’s Comprehensive Statistical Database of Multilateral Treaties (CSDMT), The panel, entitled, “Treaties—Traditional Theories, Macroscopically Tested,” contained these CSDMTbased papers: Choice of Official Text in Multilateral Treaties: The Interplay of Law, Politics, Language, Pragmatism and (Multi)-Nationalism by John Gamble, Claire Barber (a grad. student at University of Illinois), and Bethany Slomski (a former Behrend student, now a student at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan). Treaties and Soft Law: Complementary or Oxymoronic: A Quantitative Analysis of Dispute Settlement in Multilateral Treaties by Chris Brown, senior, Polsc major, Schreyer Scholar. Chris already has been co-author on another major conference paper and is in the enviable position of having to decide among a number of very attractive offers from Ph.D. programs. Multilateral Treaties: Accommodating Subject Matter by Chrissy Giuliano, Schreyer Scholar, Accounting major, Polsc minor. Chrissy, while only a junior, already has been co-authored on a
paper presented at the American Political Science Association national meeting (Aug. 2007) and is co-author on an article soon to appear in a top international law journal. Dr. Gamble chaired another panel at this conference: the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963). The panel consisted of a German Ph.D. student, Kai Bruns; a professor from Malaysia, Radziah Abdul Rahim; a professor from England, Lorna Lloyd; a retired British diplomat, now a professor at Rutgers University, Richard Langhorne; and a British consular officer, Dominic Meiklejohn. The panel was highly successful since it brought together professors who study diplomacy with diplomats who operate in the real— often dangerous— world. Ku, Gamble, Brown and Giuliano also had an hour-long meeting with Ms Annebeth Rosenboom, Chief, Treaty Section, Office of Legal Affairs, UN Headquarters. They discussed the CSDMT and how they might better obtain information from the UN. They also gave Ms Rosenboom copies of the papers they had written for the conference. 6. PREVIEW OF MARCH'S NEWSLETTER In next month's newsletter, watch for details about: Political Science Bowling Night The Annual Political Science Dinner Spring Break in Washington DC for a group of political science students