You and JMC
Imagine Yourself at Madison
James Madison College appeals to students who are fascinated by social issues,
politics, and world events and to people
who enjoy debating ideas and devising solutions to problems confronting contemporary societies. The curricular focus is
on the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. All majors provide an excellent foundation for
graduate study and dynamic careers. James Madison offers students the opportunity to choose one or more majors within the
college. Students choose from majors in International Relations, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Social
Relations, or Comparative Cultures and Politics. There are also opportunities to combine James Madison majors with programs elsewhere in the university. Each
program offers a distinct opportunity to explore public affairs and social issues.
International Relations
International Relations emphasizes the economic, political, and social interactions of an interdependent global community.
The curriculum is organized around four themes: (1) the making of foreign policy, both in the United States and elsewhere;
(2) the causes of wars and the means for resolving conflicts; (3) the economic, political, and social problems of developing
countries and proposed strategies for overcoming them; and (4) the politics and organization of international economic
relations. International Relations trains students to think imaginatively, and in depth, about the problems of world society
and about the opportunities for solving them.
Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy
Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy probes the major competing principles that have animated political communities
and how people have attempted to translate these into practice. The focus is on how to think about concepts and how to approach
questions in a productive and intellectually exciting way. The curriculum is both philosophical and historical, with course
readings ranging from Plato and the classical poets to contemporary political theory, literature, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Social Relations and Policy
The Social Relations and Policy concentration explores the domain of public issues that are especially affected by relations among groups.
The field is explicitly historical and comparative, looking at social relations in the United States and internationally over time.
Courses focus on the sociology, history, and politics of intergroup relations, paying close attention to the interplay of such
factors as class, race, ethnicity, sex/gender, religious belief, and national identity. The program uses the study of social relations
as a way to cultivate reasoning, methodological and analytical skills, and the capacities for empathetic observation, normative judgment,
and effective problem solving.
Comparative Cultures and Politics
Comparative Cultures and Politics, a new interdisciplinary major in James Madison College, addresses one of the major challenges facing public and international affairs specialists in the 21st century: the need to understand the complex relationships between international affairs and culture. The new major draws on the expertise of the Madison faculty to take up such questions as: What is the role of culture in contemporary politics across the world? What is the impact of globalization on cultural identities and inter-cultural relations? How do different societies — and different groups within societies – understand and articulate cultural identities and diversities? How and when do cultural representations and practices become politically salient? The curriculum will be explicitly comparative, examining the dynamic of politics and culture within specific political regimes. But students will also learn that cultures do not exist as isolated, autonomous entities; they bump up against one another and transform each other, and transnational institutions, actors and processes affect cross-cultural interactions.
