POL 251 - Topics: Politics of the Past (FEE) (1)

Politics of the Past asks what modern political science has to say about political forms that are no longer with us in the way they used to be: empire (in the form of the Holy Roman Empire, as seen from Vienna and environs), city-states (in the form of Venice), and monarchy (in the form of Spain, as seen from Madrid and thereabouts). In an interdisciplinary fashion, we will learn about the history, modes of using power, means of legitimization, uses of symbolism, and so on to get a sense of the ways in which different forms of political order determine “who gets what, when, and how.” The course will spend most of the first week at home to address the historical background of and existing political science about the places we will visit, then travel for the rest of the block to visit museums, palaces, and other historical sites, as well as some more modern sites of interest.

This course will involve significant walking and use of stairs and other uneven surfaces, sometimes with our luggage.

This course is pre-approved for transcript notation in the Ingenuity in Action category of Global Connections. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application.

A non-refundable deposit of $420 is due on April 17. The total cost of this course is $4,200. Funding is available through Ingenuity in Action: https://www.cornellcollege.edu/ingenuity/inact-portal/index.php
(Social Science) (Intercultural Literacy Intensive)