Two New POLI Courses Added for the Spring of 2021

Hey Political Science Students,

The Political Science Department is in the process of adding two new courses to the Spring schedule: Russian Politics (POLI 475) and Arctic Geopolitics (POLI 409). Please see below for a brief description. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Grodsky (bgrodsky@umbc.edu)

POLI 475 - Russian Politics

The goal of this course is to introduce students to Russian politics and, in the process, provide a detailed case study of independence and democratization processes that play out across the world. The readings review the social and historical context of political life in Russia, tracing the country’s development from the early 20th century to the present.

 The first part of this course is a historical exploration of the making of modern Russia, beginning with the communist revolution and culminating with the rise of President Vladimir Putin. We then look at formative elements of the Putin years, after which we explore several aspects of contemporary Russian politics. These include: ethnicity and nationalism, political development, economic reform and post-independence foreign policy construction. This course integrates broad theoretical issues in the study of political science – especially with respect to independence and the democratic transition – with important facts and approaches necessary to make sense of Russia today.

POLI 409 - Arctic Geopolitics

 The goal of this course is to introduce students to the rapidly evolving international competition over the Arctic. There are currently eight Arctic states that span from the enormous, including the United States and Russia, to the tiny, such as Denmark and its dependent territory, Greenland. But as global warming continues to transform the Arctic, new and formidable powers, from Europe to Asia, are expressing greater interest in the region. They are drawn by the promise of newly accessible resources, from oil and gas to shipping lanes. The frozen, inhospitable territory long overlooked by most of humanity is suddenly attracting enormous attention.

This course takes a broad approach to the human experience in the Arctic, beginning with an overview of the Arctic and its historic place in geopolitics, as well as the environmental changes that have begun to alter both the land and sea in profound ways. Next, we explore the central economic draw to the region, including oil, gas, and transportation networks, before exploring ethical and legal constraints on human activity there. Finally, we consider individual country interests and common attempts at international governance of the Arctic.