Political Science Newsletter - October 2020

THIS MONTH'S HEADLINES:

  1. CHANGES TO SPRING 2021 COURSES
  2. VIRTUAL STUDY ABROAD COURSE ABOUT CANADA NEXT SEMESTER
  3. TYRANNY
  4. BREXIT TALK
  5. FACULTY IN THE NEWS
  6. STUDENT GROUP NEWS
  7. VOTE
  8. FACEBOOK PAGE

1. CHANGES TO SPRING 2021 COURSES

There have been some revisions to the list of PLSC courses for Spring 2021 since last month's newsletter.

Most PLSC courses and all SOC courses will be taught via Zoom next semester.

Students interested in learning in a classroom on campus should take PLSC 155 and PLSC 178, both of which may be offered fully in person if enrollments don't surpass available classroom capacities.

Spring 2021 Courses

  • PL SC 001 - American Politics: Principles, Processes, and Powers (GS, US) - Zoom
  • PL SC 003 - Comparing Politics around the Globe (GS, IL) - Zoom
  • PLSC 007N - Contemporary Political Ideologies (GS/GH) - Zoom
  • PL SC 014 - International Relations (GS, IL) - Zoom
  • PL SC 017N - Introduction to Political Theory (GS/GH) - Zoom
  • PL SC 155 - Understanding Tyranny - Campus
  • PL SC 178 - Organized Crime, Law, and Politics - Campus
  • PL SC 223N - Ethnic and Racial Politics (GS/GH, US/IL) - Zoom
  • PLSC 299/499 - Foreign Studies: Canada (IL, virtual study abroad) - Zoom
  • PL SC 428 - Gender and Politics (US/IL) - Zoom
  • PLSC 439 - The Politics of Terrorism - Zoom
  • PLSC 484W - Foreign Policy of Soviet Successor States - Zoom
  • PL SC 489 - Public Administration - Zoom
  • SOC 001 - Introductory Sociology (GS) - Zoom
  • SOC 030 - Sociology of the Family (GS) - Zoom
  • SOC 406 - Sociology of Deviance - Zoom

2. VIRTUAL STUDY ABROAD COURSE ABOUT CANADA NEXT SEMESTER

PLSC 299/499, Foreign Studies: Canada, will be offered in Spring 2021.

The course will be a virtual study abroad course about Canadian Politics, Culture, and Society and will be taught online via Zoom. Students who have a study abroad requirement as part of their degree should check with their advisers to see if this course can substitute while in-person study abroad programs are not possible.

Course content will compare Canadian and American political cultures, government institutions at the national, state, and provincial levels, election systems, and public policies on issues such as free speech, health care, guns, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, marijuana, and religion in education. Course content will also include Canadian-American relations on issues such as trade, the NATO alliance, border security, and Arctic sovereignty.

The virtual study abroad experience part of the course will include discussions of Canadian current events and Canadian politics and society, with a focus on life in Toronto and the history and political movements of Quebec. Recent graduates of Canadian universities who now work in Canadian government or politics will join the class online to discuss their work experiences and life for young adults in Canada.

PLSC 299 and PLSC 499 are the same course, except that PLSC 499 will include a research paper and is appropriate for students who need a 400-level course for degree requirements.

For students who prefer a traditional study abroad experience, this course will next be offered on the Ryerson University campus in Toronto with Canadian students in May and June 2022, if you will not have graduated before then.

3. TYRANNY

PLSC 155: Understanding Tyranny is a course that seeks to explore certain potentialities of tyranny that are latent in the liberal tradition of political philosophy itself. To that end, a brief presentation of the distinction between ancient and modern philosophy will initiate the course, leading into a consideration of Machiavelli's Prince as the pivotal book for liberal political philosophy including the Federalist. This course will be taught in a campus classroom.

4. BREXIT TALK

“Brexit: What’s the Deal?” 
 
Monday, November 16, 2:30-4:00pm EST 
Zoom information below 
 
Join Dr. Paul James Cardwell, Professor of Law at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Dr. Lena Surzkho-Harned, Assistant Teaching Professor of Political Science at Penn State Behrend, for a discussion on Britain's departure from the European Union. They will provide a basic overview of the history of Brexit before delving into the current state of negotiations between Britain and the EU, including the effect of the pandemic on the negotiations. They will also highlight the prospects of the two sides striking a deal by the end of the year along with review the broad implications of Brexit for Britain, the EU, and the international political scene in Europe. Please direct any questions about the program to Dr. Amy Carney ([email protected]). 
 
Zoom information 
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://psu.zoom.us/j/97614525476
Password: 101466 

5. FACULTY IN THE NEWS

Dr. Kilic Kanat, associate professor of Political Science, this month moderated a virtual panel titled "Losing the Long Game: The False Promise of Regime Change in the Middle East," for the SETA Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Robert Speel, associate professor of Political Science, has in the past month provided comments about the presidential candidate debates and this year's elections in Pennsylvania for articles in Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin, Germany), The Daily Express (England), Dagens ETC (Sweden), the Harrisburg Patriot-News (PennLive.com), LNP (Lancaster, PA newspaper), the Sunbury Daily Item, and the Erie Times-News.

Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned, assistant teaching professor of Political Science, has been active in the Global Boarders residential program at Penn State Behrend, whose events are online this year. This month, she has hosted conversations with a Russian dissident and activist, who had to flee Russia and now lives in New York, and a Ukrainian-British chef, who joined us from London. On October 28th she will be talking to Chancellor Ford about his experience in the Czech Republic.

6. STUDENT GROUP NEWS

  • Model United Nations meets Mondays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The virtual Lake Erie Model United Nations College Conference will occur November 6-7. Their meetings are currently geared toward preparation for this conference and anyone is welcome to join and find out more. On October 10th, the team hosted its first virtual intercollegiate Model UN scrimmage. Our students were joined by Northeastern University and Baldwin Wallace University students. In two sessions of the UN Security Council, the students deliberated the events in Belarus, and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. To get involved, contact President Marissa Litzenberg at [email protected].
  • To get involved with the Behrend Political Society, contact President Cole Troutner at [email protected].
  • College Democrats meets Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The group has been canvassing for votes during weekends and will be discussing next week's election at this week's meeting. To get involved, contact President Grant Filbeck at [email protected].
  • College Republicans meets Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. To get involved, contact President Sydni Holt at [email protected].

7. VOTE

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. You can check your voter registration status and your polling place location at votespa.com. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is Tuesday, October 27. Requests can be submitted at votespa.com.

8. FACEBOOK PAGE

All students and alumni are invited to like the Penn State Behrend Political Science Facebook page and get updated news and find out about events.