The history of the People's Republic of China comprises two periods. In the Maoist era (1949-1978), the Communist-led government attempted to build a centrally planned, socialist society in which politics dominated people's daily lives. In the post-Mao era (since 1978), by contrast, the socialist institutions have largely been dismantled in pursuit of a market-based alternative. This unit of study explores key social, political, cultural and economic features of both periods and analyses the problems and paradoxes of transition.

This unit introduces students to debates about the nature and limits of Australian democracy, to the major institutions of Australian politics, and to the distribution of power in Australian society. Major institutions and forces such as parliament, executive government, the federal system, political parties and the media are examined as arenas of power, conflict and consensus. Who rules? How? Which groups are excluded?

This unit provides an introduction to the study of politics through a focus on the key organising principle of power. Different ways in which power is theorised and structured are considered. This includes power between individuals, groups, classes and genders as well as different power-sharing arrangements within and across political institutions. In critically assessing these different approaches, students will be exposed to a range of political science theories and methods, which will equip them for future study in Government and International Relations. The empirical focus of this unit is on Australia, with reference to other developed countries.

This unit will examine how the contemporary international political order has emerged by focusing upon the interplay of diplomatic and strategic issues in the post-war world. It will begin with an analysis of the Cold War and its origins, tracing the development of Soviet-American rivalry, its manifestations in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the different ways in which that rivalry was played out. The collapse of the Soviet Union as both a superpower and a state and the disappearance of the communist bloc will be analysed, before surveying the post-Cold War international scene. Among the issues reviewed in the post-Cold War era will be the question of US hegemony and unilateralism vs. multilateralism, nuclear proliferation, the continuing tension between the first and the third worlds, questions of civilisational conflict, non-state actors and terrorism, democratisation, and regional conflict.

This unit offers an introduction to major concepts and theories in comparative politics. Drawing on examples from various world regions and employing a variety of theoretical perspectives, this unit examines big issues such as democratization, development, electoral systems, and ethnic conflict. Students will be introduced to key political science concepts such as the state, regime type, institutional design, and civil society, and will acquire the basic tools of comparative analysis.

This unit introduces the core content of the field of international relations. The first part of the unit presents the realist, liberal, Marxist and constructivist paradigms of international relations. The second part of the unit discusses the key actors and processes political scientists define in the field, including the state, decision makers, bureaucratic organisations, and classes. The final part of the unit focuses on international security, international political economy, and global problems.

This unit is an introduction to the comparative politics of Latin America. It explores the dynamics of political and economic change in the region during the 20th and 21st centuries, examining topics such as military rule, democratization, political parties, institutional design, social movements, and strategies for development. Drawing on diverse theoretical perspectives, it considers broad regional patterns and sources of variation among countries.

This unit introduces students to the notion of human rights, outlines international human rights enforcement mechanisms and the application of human rights standards in Australia. Throughout the unit we consider the evolution of human rights in Australia and raise questions about the adequacy of Australia's existing human rights machinery, and examine the reasons for Australia's reluctance to adopt a Bill of Rights. We examine government policies toward the indigenous Australians, women and refugees. We also consider current legislative changes to combat terrorism and consider the implications of these changes on Australian's civil rights.

This unit considers key themes in modern and contemporary political thought. It uses primary texts to address topics such as sovereignty, democracy, fascism, liberalism, human rights, politics and religion, violence, and political identity. Authors may include Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Kant, Nietzsche, Marx, J.S. Mill, Tocqueville, Rawls, Arendt, Schmitt, and Foucault.

The unit examines the Australian party system, including colonial-era pre-party politics, the development of major parties (Labor, Liberal and National) and minor parties (Democrats, Greens, One Nation etc), parties and ideology, parties and social movements, internal party politics, parties and the law, parties and elections, parties and parliamentary politics, and parties and public policy. Emphasis is placed on how theoretical and comparative models of political parties help to explain Australian party politics.

This unit examines Australia's foreign and defence policies since Federation with a focus on contemporary issues, such as: defence planning and operations; engagement with the global economy; and, Canberra's stance on terrorism, nuclear affairs, asylum seekers, and global environmental management.

Until the 1997 East Asian economic/financial crisis, Southeast Asia was acclaimed as one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing regional economies in the Asia-Pacific sphere. Not surprisingly, the region has attracted enormous interest from social scientists and the wider business community in Australia. However, there is limited consensus about the causes for the region's economic performance and socio-political trajectory during the 'boom' and 'post-boom' years. This unit aims to place the region's economic experiences and socio-political changes within a broader historical and comparative context. Such an approach allows us to better appreciate the economic continuities, understand the major socio-political dilemmas and changing patterns of development.

This unit provides an overview of four major theoretical approaches to international political economy and how these apply to understanding the practice of international economic relations. These theories are: economic nationalism, liberalism, neo-Marxism and poststructuralism. The unit analyses the theory and practice of economic relations by and between states, by focussing in particular on relations between the developed and developing world. It applies each of the four main theories to developing country regions. In this way students also become acquainted with the theory and practice of economic development.

This unit introduces the theoretical foundations, essential concepts and central issues in the field of international security. It provides students with analytical tools to understand and participate in current debates concerning security and threats. The first part of the unit provides an introduction to the theoretical interpretations of international security. The second part discusses security phenomena, problems and strategies, including the coercive use of force, deterrence, guerrilla and counterinsurgency, nuclear stability, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, arms races and disarmament, security cooperation and security regimes. The discussion in this part includes a critical review of the dilemmas, strategies, and solutions in each of the issue areas.

International Organisations is a survey of both the range of institutions created in response to various economic, security and environmental challenges faced by states and other actors in the global system, and some of the most prominent theories aimed at explaining them. The unit will be arranged around a series of case studies of particular issue areas, from international peacekeeping, to the regulation of multinational corporations, and the struggle to slow global warming. More broadly, the unit will question whether international organisations are instruments of or rivals to sovereign states, and whether they reflect the hegemony of the West, solutions to international collective problems, or agents of new transnational communities.

Environmental issues pose increasingly difficult challenges to our societies. What is the nature of these challenges? Where have they come from? How have political institutions adapted to them, at the national and international levels? What further changes might be necessary to better meet them? How might these changes come about? What effects might they have on the future of politics? This unit of study will engage these kinds of questions as an introduction to some theoretical and practical dimensions of environmental politics.

This unit examines how processes of social change are shaped by a variety of non-institutionalised political actors, including individuals, interest groups and social movements. It will answer questions such as: What is political participation? How and why do people act politically in Australia? How does participation both shape policy agendas and lead to societal change? The main conceptual topics include: political participation, political socialisation, civil society, interest groups and social movements. This conceptual framework will be used to examine the strategic repertoires adopted by movements and groups in society, including: young people, environmental movements, identity movements, the labour movement, anti-corporate globalisation action and community-based politics.

Introduction to government and politics of modern China. Brief examination of traditional background and modern revolution from 19th century to 1949. Primary focus on ideology, leadership, institutions and political processes of the People's Republic. Covers politics of social groups, major issue areas, the Cultural Revolution and the politics of reform.

This unit will be an overview of the American political system and the formulation of foreign policy. It will cover the major Federal political institutions: the Presidency, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. The unit will consider how foreign policy is made through the interaction of these institutions and with other elements of civil society. Finally, it will examine the outcome of this process - US foreign policy itself - with special emphasis on the post-Cold War period. We will seek to answer two key questions: (a) what is the influence of domestic politics on US foreign policy; and (b) how does the US system cope with the apparent contradictions between its ideals and the imperatives of global power?

The unit outlines the nature of public policy - dealing with such matters as definitions of policy and approaches to analysing public policy; Examines the main building blocks of the policy process: actors, institutions, and policy instruments; Explores key stages of the public policy process: notably problem definition, agenda setting, policy formation, decision making, implementation and evaluation. Examples are drawn from Australia and a range of countries throughout the world; Addresses policy-making in extreme, 'crisis' situations.

This unit is primarily about news, its production, contents and impacts. It will examine the special demands of different news organisations and of reporting different news areas; the news media as an arena in political conflicts and the consequent interests and strategies of various groups in affecting news content; and the impacts of news on political processes and relationships. Our primary focus is on Australia, but there is some comparison with other affluent liberal democracies. The substantive areas the unit will focus on include election reporting, scandals and the reporting of war and terrorism.

This unit will shed light on the springs of change in politics and economics and their intersections in East Asia, which includes South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The unit examines the political and economic transformation in the region. Among the major issues considered are: Are East Asia's political institutions distinctive? How does economic change affect political power and the state? Will democratisation and globalisation undermine the distinctive traditions of the region?

This unit will offer a broad survey of the history of environmental politics and policy in Australia. It will provide an introduction to the various issues raised, the stakeholders and movements at the forefront of articulating the issues, historical and theoretical background, analysis of the involved discourses, an overview of the political issues and pressures involved, an examination of potential policies, and reflection on and critique of the actual implementation of a range of policies.

What enables us as political animals to live together in political communities? This unit examines key concepts undergirding our contemporary political life handed down to us through centuries of political thought; from the Athenian city-state to contemporary reflections on identity. Some of the concepts and problématiques explored may include: the state; sovereignty; the political; liberty; property; the citizen vs. the subject, reasons vs. the passions.

This unit introduces a variety of non-traditional security (NTS) challenges, along with different perspectives and policies regarding threats other than war. How does NTS relate to war and peace, and what dangers are most threatening? When does conflict over scarce resources - food, water, energy - affect survival? And what can be done about emerging threats like climate change and cyber attack? Considering these and other questions, students will tackle some of the greatest security challenges in the world.

This unit assists students enrolled in the honours program to develop the conceptual and practical skills they need to excel in any area of substantial political inquiry. An overview of political inquiry is presented through an examination of the diversity in theoretical and methodological approaches used by those who carry out political research. This includes looking at, for example, institutional, behavioural, discourse and feminist approaches in political inquiry, and the usage of quantitative and qualitative methods. The assessment is based around constructing research projects that can be utilised to answer current political questions.

This course will examine how advancement in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can lead to social and political change, particularly in developing nations. Can the Internet make societies more democratic? Does ICT empower the people or enable state surveillance? We will compare and contrast how ICT expansion affects different types of political regimes. Case studies of global and local movements will be analyzed.

The end of the Cold War marks the victory of democracy as the 'best' political system in the world. Yet many existing democracies today are fledgling and of poor quality and are at risk of breaking down. This unit will examine advanced theoretical and empirical debates about the origin, development and collapse of democracies since the 20th century. It also focuses in-depth on understanding why some authoritarian regimes remain resilient despite an ongoing global trend towards democratization.

Over half the world's population is urban. Economic and social change depends on the vitality, inclusiveness and resilience of cities, which form the locus for public policymaking and politics. This unit focuses on the policy and politics of governing cities, which require mediation between multiple and competing interests and needs. Themes include citizen participation, equity, and innovation; contending theories about power relations between the actors, institutions and interests of urban politics; and how these relate to the strategies adopted.

This unit offers a gender perspective on human rights, with a focus on gender and insecure international contexts. The unit covers themes related to the challenges of pursuing human rights, violations of human rights, and the role of civil society groups in advocating human rights. Attention will be given to the gendered nature of human rights and to specific issues that impact men and women differently when it comes to human rights protection and promotion.

This unit explores how the public sector sets policy and delivers public services. It begins by using the main concepts and theories of public management and governance to assess the various trade offs that are involved in designing and implementing different types of public sector reform. These theories are then applied to evaluate specific reform initiatives and compare reform patterns between different countries and across different policy sectors. Topics include: public administration, privatisation, performance management, partnership working and community engagement.

Globalisation is posited as a process of deep change to the international order, one that restructures the role of the state (internally and externally), and has implications for a wide range of actors (international institutions, corporations, interest groups and individuals). One argument is that this erodes the capacity of national, and sub-national governments to manage economic and social change. In response to these concerns, this unit will appraise the debates about the impact of globalisation and state power erosion.

This unit critically examines the role that ethnic conflict plays in national and international politics. Students will have advanced knowledge of nationalism, and close familiarity with current thinking around the role of the ethnic nationalism in particular. This unit will analyse the most influential theories, historical and contemporary, about the role of ethnic nationalism (as opposed to civic nationalism), regionally and internationally. We will consider a range of competing theoretical approaches, concentrating on the theory of a "divided society".

This unit examines why there is no clear consensus on the status of Islam and sharia (Islamic law) within the state, constitution and political system. It will also consider whether the secular democratic state is consistent with Islamic principles such as adil (justice) and maslaha (common good). The unit highlights the linkages between historical, political and cultural Islam and the emergence of discourses which provide a contextual understanding of the faith.

Power is the essential concept of political science, which is the systematic study of politics. Bertrand Russell, perhaps the greatest mind of the 20th Century, said power is the central concept of all the social sciences. Students explore this concept in different parts of political science and survey some debates on power, assessing the advantages and disadvantages of concepts of power. There are three themes in this unit. The first is the distribution of power in society. The second is power in comparative politics and the third is power in international relations. The emphasis is on the nature, sources and use of power.

This unit assists students to build towards a better fourth year honours dissertation. It considers the construction of a dissertation topic, planning the research, bibliographic searches, and writing the dissertation. The unit devotes a considerable amount of time to exercises designed to help students envisage their honours dissertation and plan fruitful lines of inquiry.

The focus of environmental politics often shifts, and this unit will examine key contemporary issues in the field - from the more longstanding to emergent issues just gaining political urgency. The unit will focus on key issues in depth; this may include climate change, environmental justice, food politics, sustainable cities, and/or other timely issues in the Australian or global context. Students will be required to do intensive research in a relevant and salient area of interest in environmental politics and policy.

Science and technology have been intimately involved with security ever since mankind discovered fire and started using tools. This interdisciplinary unit considers how scientific facts and technical artifacts influence security and, conversely, how security influences science and technology. Through advanced reading, independent research, seminar discussions, and other exercises, students will analyze and apply a wide variety of perspectives - strategic, organizational, cultural, and ethical, among others - to evaluate the complex relationship between modern science, advanced technology, and international security.

Just how important are parliaments to democracy? This unit takes a critical look at how well Australian parliaments carry out their representative, law-making and accountability functions. Analytical material will be complemented by practical insights from members and staff of the NSW Parliament.

Builds on students' knowledge of Australian politics to examine the background, context, conduct and implications of politics relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and policy affecting indigenous Australians. Explores aspects of inclusion and exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the formal political system; internal power relations within and between communities, social movements and representative bodies; compare Australian indigenous politics with those of other nations, and; look at a range of policy areas.

The unit serves as a rigorous investigation of the politics of violent and criminal non-state actors. It will start with a conceptual discussion of such groups, focusing on analysis of their structure and behaviour and the roles that globalisation and technology play in non-state threats, before moving on to specific types of dark networks. The dark networks that may be covered include terrorist organisations, non-state nuclear proliferation networks, and various forms of organised crime, including maritime piracy, drug trafficking, mafias, mundane smuggling, and money laundering.

Honours is an intensive year-long program of advanced study based around research. Honours is undertaken after successful completion of a Bachelor degree and where the overall mark is a minimum credit average (70%). Entry into Honours is selective and work at this level is challenging. Honours is available in most subjects areas taught in the Faculty, and which are listed under Tables A and B in the Handbook. Students will complete a thesis and coursework seminars throughout the year. For further information contact the Honours Coordinator in the department or consult the Handbook entry for the relevant subject area.

refer to GOVT4101

refer to GOVT4101

refer to GOVT4101

This unit provides an in-depth study of the Holocaust. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of Nazi ideology, in particular racial antisemitism, and the gradual implementation of this policy towards the Jews and other victim groups from 1933 to 1945. Other themes focus on the responses of the victims and the role of the by-standers, as well as post-war politics of memory and other issues, including Holocaust denial and war crimes prosecution.

This course examines the Arab-Israeli conflict from its early twentieth century origins to the present day. We analyse the conflict's origins, the British Mandate, the Arab-Israeli wars; peace process from Camp David to Oslo, the reasons for its failure, and present prospects for peace. You will be encouraged to understand the complexity of this conflict on three levels: the local, between Israel and the Palestinians, the regional, between Israel and the Arab World; and the international, involving the global players.

This unit addresses central themes from the history and philosophy of human rights. Topics may include the relationship between human rights and religion, natural law, moral and aesthetic justifications of human rights, claims and challenges to universality of the part of human rights, and tensions between human rights and state sovereignty. Thinkers may include Paine, Burke, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Tocqueville, Arendt, Schmitt, and Rawls.

This unit offers a critical introduction to the major schools of thought in contemporary political philosophy organised around the theme of inclusion and exclusion. The inclusive ambitions of liberal political theory will be confronted with objections from thinkers motivated by concern with various aspects of social and political exclusion based on categories such as gender, cultural difference, and statelessness.

This unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of major global problems. Lectures, readings, and activities will examine these problems through the multiple lenses of comparative sociology, systems engineering, climate science, humans rights discourses, world history, and literature.

Society and Animals presents sustained exploration of sociology of science approaches to the role of animals in modern western societies. It traces historical changes in the enactment of animals. The unit considers the animal in contemporary social life including: everyday life, fashion, art, food; gender, ethnic and class distinctions; modernization and urbanization; science and environment; sociological methodology and social theory.

This unit of study introduces students to a range of qualitative research methods in common usage throughout the social sciences. The unit has both analytical and practical components. With regard to the former, students are introduced to the methodological issues in contemporary sociology and their impact on the research process. An emphasis will be placed on developing a critical ability to read sociological research, with an eye to understanding its methodological adequacy, the political and ethical issues that arise whilst conducting research, and debates over interpretation and the production of knowledge. With regard to the latter component, students will undertake practical exercises in order to learn to appreciate and use a selection of research approaches, methods and techniques.

This unit of study is intended to prepare undergraduate students to undertake independent quantitative analyses of social science data. Topics include: basic statistical numeracy, how to achieve quantitative results, how to write about quantitative analyses, and basic literacy in generalised linear models. The unit of study is writing intensive. No specific prior mathematical training is assumed, though a basic grasp of simple algebra is expected. By the end of the course, students should be able to approach quantitative social science data with confidence.

This unit of study introduces students to the key global transformations of the contemporary era, focusing on the role of the United States amid the challenges posed by: globalisation, the rise of Islamic extremism, nuclear proliferation, and the emergence of China and India as world powers. The unit is designed to give students the ability to look behind today's news headlines to understand the underlying forces driving them, particularly the behaviour and views of key policy makers and opinion leaders.

This unit introduces students to US political institutions and political culture. The unit will examine the electoral system and recent presidential elections as well as presidencies from 1960 onwards. It will explore US public policies in the area of race, welfare, and criminal justice and analyse how policy ideas and proposals come into law. It will also introduce the dominant ideologies in US politics. By the end of the unit students will have a comprehensive understanding of American Domestic politics.

America has often been described as a culturally backward, unsophisticated and uncouth nation with American politics frequently viewed as populist and anti-intellectual. In contrast America has also been viewed as a haven from the Old World and as an exceptional nation. This unit will explore the origins and development of both these negative and positive opinions of America. It will also examine how these stereotypes impact on America's foreign relations with Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

This unit will be taken by students accepted into the United States Studies Centre's internship program. Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-world problems through a unique internship placement in an American-based or affiliated business, government or non-government organisation located in Australia or the US. The unit provides academic support for students to discuss and refine research approaches and questions about issues arising from the placement. Assessment includes a reflective journal and research essay, based on the internship experience.

This unit explores political beliefs and behaviour in the United States. Using survey studies, we explore what Americans know and believe about politics, how their attitudes are formed, and how and why they vote. We look at voting patterns in recent elections and examine how these have been affected by attitudes towards race and party identification.