POSC 003 Introduction to Political and Policy Studies (Prerequisite for POSC Major) - Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1

This course provides an introduction to the major theories, ideas, concepts, and issues in political science and public policy studies.  Topics may include but are not restricted to distribution, fairness and justice as they relate to politics and policies.  Understanding politics and public policies is crucial for participation in modern society. This course facilitates this understanding by discussing crucial questions such as why states go to war, why some states have become democratic while others have not, how does culture affect politics, and why various countries are ruled in such different ways.

IDIS100 Research Methods in Sociology and Political Science

This course will provide a brief introduction to all the major social science research methods, particularly experiments, quasi-experiments (observational), surveys, fieldwork/ethnography, and use of historical/documentary sources. Basic principles of ethical research design will also be covered.

POSC 101 Introduction to Public Policy

This course introduces students to the conceptual and pragmatic skills necessary for analyzing and devising public policy. On the one hand, the course exposes students to the methods and concepts that make up the tool-box of the contemporary policy analyst. On the other hand, by using these tools to make sense of real-life policy issues and political processes in South-East Asia and elsewhere, the course also introduces students to the more pragmatic “craft” aspects of producing incisive analysis relevant to policy actors in real policy-making environments.

POSC 103 World Politics (Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1)

The objective of the course is twofold. The course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the major schools of international relations and to place these theories into the larger historical context. Building on this, also provides a brief survey of the major international state and non-state ‘practices’ (structures, processes, and agents) before moving on to the discussion of some of the most salient international issues of today and the future.

POSC 203 Comparing Political Systems

The comparative study provides us with a ready array of conceptual and analytical tools that we can use to address and answer a wider range of questions about the political-economic-social world. This course is intended to acquaint students with some important classic and contemporary works on selected problems and issues in the field of comparative politics, which is one of the main subfields of political research. What can we learn through comparisons that we would be unable to from the study of political systems one by one? Why compare, and how? These questions should be in the forefront of this course. Topics include critical comparative methods, political power, political institutions (executive, legislative, judiciary, and bureaucracy), capitalism, globalization, and federalism in developed and developing countries.

POSC 206 Politics of Korea and Japan (Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1)

This course introduces students to politics and public policies in contemporary Japan and Korea. Japan was the first non-Western country to industrialize and to establish the democratic institutions. However, unlike most Western democracies, Japan maintained a mixture of democratic procedures, one-party dominance, alliance with U.S. military, high-level of economic growth, and social security from 1955 to 1993. Since to early 1993, many of mainstays of the previous system have collapsed and new institutions have established: coalition government, electoral reform, the bubble economy, etc. Following the experience of ‘Japanese miracle,’ the second half of the twentieth century has seen South Korea transformed from an impoverished, warravaged nation to one of the most successful economies in East Asian region. This has been accompanied by a political transformation from a military authoritarian regime to a vibrant democracy. While most analyses of Korean politics have looked to elites to explain political change, this course is designed to examine new challenges to political power structure of Korea in the age of transformation. The goal of this course is to understand this combination of political, economic, and social experiences. How is the political system organized in Japan and Korea? What are the roles of bureaucrats, presidents (prime ministers), politicians, interest groups, big businesses, and civic activists in policymaking process? The course is divided into three parts: First, we will begin with an examination of sources of industrialization and modernization in the postwar period by focusing on the development of unique development of political and economic institutions in Japan and Korea. Second, then we will turn our attention to changes and continuation of Japanese and Korean political-economic structure since the economic recession and financial crisis. Finally, we will proceed to explore specific policies such as foreign policy and industrial policy to identify important political interactions among stakeholders in formulating and implementing public policies. Throughout the course, we will explore the politics and public policies of Japan and Korea from a comparative perspective. Japan and Korea, as new leaders of global economy and transitional politics, resembles or differs from other advanced 2 economies like U.S. or U.K., and has a different set of implication in studying the politics of developing countries around the world.

POSC 208 Security Studies (Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1)

The course leads students on an exploration of the evolution of the notion of international security, the fundamental tenets of strategy and their dynamics in the Asian region. Students will acquire a solid understanding of the evolution and structures of international security governance. The course provides students the conceptual tools for grasping phenomena of paramount importance to international life such as war and military competition, as well as the framing of international efforts to prevent, reverse them and mitigate their consequences.

POSC 211 European Union Politics (Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1)

This course provides an introduction to the European integration process and basic structures and decision-making processes of the EU. The course examines selected policies, both internal and external, as well as co-operation in justice and home affairs. Attention is devoted to the relations with Southeast Asia. Given that the course is conceived as an introduction to European integration and EU governance, no previous knowledge of Political Science is required. Students from all schools are welcome. The course is especially adequate for students of Business, Law and Economics, and it is recommended for students who plan to participate in exchange programmes with European Universities.

POSC 213 Classics of Political and Social Science

This course pits you against the greatest minds and writings on political and social science from the Eastern, Western and Islamic worlds.

POSC 216 Politics and Society of India

India is on the move. Sixty years after attaining its independence, India's growing economic and military power has begun to attract the world's attention. But in its quest to become the next great power, India must also surmount enormous political, cultural and social hurdles. This course aims to understand both these aspects of modern India -- its promise and its challenges. The course introduces students to basic principles, concepts and ideas associated with the study of India including democracy, federalism, religion, caste, constitution, multiculturalism, foreign policy and economic reform and development.

POSC 307 Political Science Study Mission

Unifying theory and practice, the Political Science Study Mission allows students to examine the effects of politics on the political, economic and social life of a foreign country through direct exposure. In addition to regular classroom education in Singapore, participants will visit a foreign country to study specific political topics in their context, and apply social science research methods. The pre-study mission preparatory sessions will lay the foundation for the components of the course that will be carried out in the visited country and allow students to discuss current research on the visited country’s political system. Within this context, Political Science Study Missions adopt various approaches, including guided visits to a country’s political institutions, group interviews with political actors, and intensive fieldwork within specific localities, to name a few.

POSC 308 Gender Politics - Exclusion and Empowerment (Offered in AY 2016 - 2017 T1)

This upper division course examines gender politics, particularly the role of women in politics with a regional focus on Asia. The module begins by situating the rise of women in modern politics within the ideological struggle between patriarchy and feminism. Examining the complexity of different schools and debates within feminism, we will aim to both clarify and problematize the concept of ‘women’s interests’ as well as better understand the causes and solutions to the pervasive problem of violence against women. As gender is a social construct, we approach it from a comparative perspective. We also examine women’s diversity, intersectionality and social movements as channels for collective political action. We then look at women’s struggles to participate in and contribute to positions of leadership in the local, executive, judicial, and legislative branches of their governments. Looking towards the future, we also examine the impacts of gender quotas, critical mass, media representations of women, incumbency, and political culture. For all students and especially for those in the social sciences, this course will greatly enrich their understanding of politics.

POSC 310 Development, Underdevelopment and Poverty

Global economic growth over the past few centuries has brought unprecedented prosperity to more people than ever before. Despite this, many nations remain desperately poor, with more than one billion people unable to support themselves and their families and a reported 18 million poverty-related deaths worldwide each year. This course, applying a variety of perspectives, focuses on the relationship between development and poverty to ask: Why does poverty exist? What is its relationship with economic and political development? What are effective ways to reduce rural and urban poverty?

POSC 313 Political Science Study Mission to Europe

The Study Mission to Europe consists of a ten-day course in Europe providing an introduction to European integration and comparative regional integration studies. Launched and conducted by Dr Clara Portela, the Study Mission takes SMU students to Europe, where they attend seminars, visit institutions and heritage sites alongside a group of students from local Universities. The first three editions of the Study Mission featured trips to Brussels, Luxembourg, Strassburg, Frankfurt, Trier and Saarbrücken. The Study Mission helps students acquire a good understanding of the EU, while it allows them to network with European peers and to follow seminars with top experts and practitioners.

POSC 316 The Politics of Water in Asia

The control of water matters. From agricultural production to fishing to national security, water is political. As population centers shift toward urban centers, international demands on water expand, food prices increase, and climate changes alter weather patterns, this precious, limited resource will only become more contentious in the future. 

In this course we examine the underlying political issues that shape water management and the policies that governments make to deal with them. We will begin with domestic water issues, such as water management for food security, before turning to international water conflicts, like those brewing over the Mekong River and the Spratly Islands. In doing so, we will engage with theories of common pool resource management, policy making, and international relations. Most of our readings will focus on Southeast Asian cases.

POSC 321 Politics of Food Security

In this class we investigate the politics behind food security. We will be looking at both the international and national determinants of the availability of food and the inputs necessary for food production (land, water, seeds, fertilizers, fuels). In doing so, we will study both countries that export food and those that rely on food imports; the cases will draw from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our primary focus will be on politics that shape government policies determining food production, availability, and cost. The course should give you a greater personal appreciation for how politics affects the price you pay for food every day.

POSC 401 Senior Thesis in Political Issue

The Senior Thesis in Political Science is an intensive course designed for BSocSci students who have declared Political Science as their primary major and are seriously planning to pursue graduate studies in Political Science.  Students will conduct an original empirical research study under the supervision of a Political Science faculty.  Eligible students should first approach a relevant Political Science faculty and secure his or her agreement to supervise the thesis before bidding for the course.  The student will be actively involved in all stages of the entire empirical research process including formulation of research question, literature review, design of study, development of measurement and procedures, data collection, data analysis, and writing up of the final thesis report.  Students will complete the thesis over two consecutive terms, typically in their senior year.  Students will submit their final thesis report two weeks before the oral defense of the thesis to a thesis committee.  The oral defense will typically be held on the week before the university’s final examination week.  The final grade for the thesis is based on the thesis report and the oral defense.  Students may also be required to present the findings of the thesis research to faculty members and other students in seminars held after the University’s final examinations.