This course will examine issues of poverty and race in the criminal justice system, particularly with regard to the imposition of the death penalty. Topics will include the right to counsel for people who cannot afford lawyers, racial discrimination, prosecutorial discretion, judicial independence, and mental health issues.
This course explores main answers to the question, “When do governments deserve our allegiance?”
“Moral Foundations of Politics” starts with a survey of major political theories of the Enlightenment—Utilitarianism, Marxism, and the social contract tradition—through classical formulations, historical context, and contemporary debates relating to politics today. It then turns to the rejection of Enlightenment political thinking. Lastly, it deals with the nature of, and justifications for, democratic politics, and their relations to Enlightenment and Anti-Enlightenment political thinking. Practical implications of these arguments are covered through discussion of a variety of concrete problems.
Using a simple and enjoyable teaching style, this course introduces the novice listener to the wonders of classical music, from Bach fugues to Mozart symphonies to Puccini operas.
America’s Unwritten Constitution goes beyond the text of the Constitution to ask questions like: What are the ground rules for proper constitutional interpretation? Who decides what the text means? How does the written constitution interact with unwritten sources of constitutional authority, such as judicial decisions, presidential proclamations, landmark statutes, and widespread popular understands?
This course will examine a range of solutions that address the impacts of agriculture. Impact subject areas will be focused primarily on the environment (air, soil, water, land use, climate change, biodiversity), although social justice and human health issues will also be touched upon. Examined mitigation strategies will include agro-ecosystem best management practices, new technologies, and supply chain relationships, among others. Lecture content will focus on specific case studies as much as possible.
The course is divided into four modules which will each focus on a single commodity that represents a different set of impacts and mitigation strategies. These commodities are beef, aqua-cultured salmon, palm oil, and fresh-sold tomatoes. Brief contextual reference to the economic and social importance of each commodity will be made at the beginning of each module. By doing a deep dive in each of these modules, students will gain a significant appreciation for the mitigation strategy opportunities available in the production, processing, and distribution specific to an agricultural resource type.
