This article is about the public-policy college at Michigan State University. For the similarly-named institution in Virginia, see James Madison University.
| Established | 1967 |
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| Namesake | James Madison |
| Dean | Sherman Garnett |
| Associate Dean | Norman Graham |
| Location | East Lansing, Michigan, USA |
| Membership | 1150 (approximate) |
| Website | James Madison College Website |
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James Madison College (often abbreviated to "JMC" or simply "Madison") is a college of public affairs and international relations within Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1967, "with a vision of creating a residential college merging the best attributes of a small college with an undergraduate education focusing on public affairs and firmly rooted in liberal arts."[1] Originally considered experimental, the college has since come to be recognized as among the best in the nation.[2] The Lyman Briggs College was also founded in 1967 on the same general principle as James Madison College, though teaching the natural sciences rather than public policy and political theory. A playful rivalry has since developed between the two colleges. A third college on the same general model focusing on the humanities, the Residential College in Arts & Humanities, opened in 2007. The administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, seminar rooms, and the library for the college are housed completely in Case Hall, where all James Madison students (also called "Madisonites" or "Madisonians") are required to live during their freshman year.[3] About 320 students are admitted into the college each year, with the total student body currently around 1150. Classes in the college are small, with an average of 25 students, and are taught almost exclusively by tenure track faculty with PhDs or occasionally PhD candidates. James Madison College also has a relatively large amount of academically successful students; about 15% of its students are in the honors college and the college generally represents about 35% of the Phi Beta Kappa graduates at MSU each year (while representing only about 4% of the total graduates). Madison boasts numerous major award recipients, including Rhodes, Truman, Fulbright and Marshall Scholars to name a few.
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Majors
Majors are chosen at the end of the freshman year, during which all students are required to take yearlong introductory courses in writing and public affairs; Identity and Community: An Approach to Writing, and Introduction to the Study of Public Policy, respectively. All majors require two years of foreign language, two semesters of economics, and one Field Experience, either in the form of an internship or a study abroad program.
Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy
Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy (PTCD) probes the major competing principles that have animated political communities and attempts to translate them into practice and the complex fundamental questions in trying to sort out values and principles that have been most important to mankind. Questions what it means to flourish as a human being, what the rights and responsibilities of good citizens are, what the best way of life is for society as a whole. Seeks not to pretend to have the definitive answers to these questions, but rather to teach students how to think about these concepts and how to approach these questions in a productive and intellectually exciting way. To achieve this, the Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy curriculum is designed to be both philosophical and historical. Course readings range from Plato and the classical poets to contemporary political theory, literature, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The introductory course sequence is not a conventional survey of political theory, but introduces students to a theoretical way of thinking about politics and morality at different times and places (for example, the ancient Greek city-state and the Florentine republic) which they can then use as a basis of comparison in analyzing the American experience. Other required "core" courses confront students with the most systematic justifications philosophers have offered for one or another conception of justice and also the most challenging, sometimes unorthodox objections to grand theories of justice. In senior seminars, students can critically explore a focused topic in depth in such a way that many of the themes and questions that have been raised by the curriculum may be viewed in a new light. In addition, a wide range of electives, including courses on technology, religion and politics, the Supreme Court and African-American political thought, are available to allow students to pursue more specialized interests relevant to the general concerns of the field. Political Theory curriculum is designed as coherent yet flexible, with required courses carefully sequenced and built on one another. There is a relatively small number of required courses in the junior and senior year, which, combined with the flexibility of other Political Theory requirements, enables upperclass students to use the curriculum as the basis for a program that integrates their interests inside and outside James Madison College. After graduation, Political Theory majors have gone on directly to work in a wide variety of public and private sector jobs. Many Political Theory graduates go on to graduate or professional school in law, business, philosophy, and political science. From there, their paths have taken many different turns, for example, serving in the Michigan Legislature, as Solicitor General of the State of Ohio, as Budget Director of the State of Michigan, as Executive Director of the Michigan Democratic Party, and teaching at major universities and small liberal arts colleges. The aforementioned features of the PTCD program make it relatively easy to pursue a dual major; many students combine a PTCD major with a major in another Madison core or a major in a disciplinary department. In recent years, PTCD students have dual majored in biochemistry, criminal justice, economics, English, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, physics, psychology, religion, secondary education, sociology, and theater.
International Relations
The International Relations curriculum is designed to achieve both breadth and depth. It is organized around international security and conflict resolution; international political economy; global governance; foreign policy of the United States and other countries; and comparative, regional and cultural studies. The curriculum encourages students to think creatively about a variety of issues, such as what constitutes "national security," the social consequences of modernization, the causes and likely consequences of ethno-nationalism, how the U.S. arrives at foreign policy decisions, and how is that different from how foreign policies are made in other countries and the strengths and weaknesses of each. It addresses the impact of protectionist foreign trade policies, how national, regional and international political, social, and economic actors interact in the transition to a post-cold war global order, the impact of the U.N. and other international organizations, the effects of weapons and communications technologies on world politics, and the means by which national defense policies have been implemented since the end of World War II. Some classes use case studies in which students examine real or hypothetical foreign policy dilemmas and developing solutions to them, while others use evidence about the importance of theories and models for comprehending and influencing world events.
Social Relations and Policy
The Social Relations and Policy major explores the domain of public issues that are especially affected by relations among groups. It 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. The sophomore sequence provides the conceptual, methodological and substantive bases for upper division work by introducing students to classical and contemporary social theory and comparative social history, and to quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The junior level builds on these skills to assess, in depth, a set of social problems and policy solutions. A senior seminar provides an opportunity to synthesize course work and undertake original research. Students also select from a broad range of electives to develop their expertise and understanding including opportunities for more international and comparative work, greater political analysis, and deeper understanding of particular forms of social relations. A related area requirement is broadly constructed to shape the major in a way that is responsive to individual interests and academic purpose. Substantively, courses in Social Relations take up issues such as social identity, inequality and mobility, wealth and poverty, assimilation and pluralism, prejudice and discrimination, intergroup conflict and cooperation, the problem of civil rights and the politics of equality. Students develop knowledge in such areas as immigration, race and ethnic relations, civil rights, family and children, housing and residential segregation, urban and metropolitan policy, schooling and educational policy, social security and social welfare policies. They can go into careers such as labor relations, human resources administration, law, teaching, educational administration, public lobbying, and many others.
Comparative Cultures and Politics
The college's newest major, it only just opened for entry. It deals with the similarities and differences between cultures, and how cultures and the interaction between them affects politics and policy.
Specializations
James Madison College offers its students the opportunity to specializations (approximately equivalent to minors at MSU prior to their recent adoption at the university) to their majors. These are:
- Political economy: Adding courses in economics and economic policy.
- Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy Specialization (STEPPS): Focus on the philosophy of science and the implications of technology on policy, as well as science and environmental policy. The program is conducted in conjunction with the Lyman Briggs College and the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
- Muslim Studies: Area studies in the Muslim world, with a focus on the political dynamics of the region and the role of political Islam.
- Western European studies: Area studies in Western Europe, with a focus on European integration and the workings of the EU.
References
- ^ James Madison Alumni Information http://www.jmc.msu.edu/alumni/vr/index.asp
- ^ Goode, Stephen. "Winning Colleges." Insight. 2 October 2000. http://www.cccnews.net/college/guide/insight30.htm
- ^ James Madison Handbook http://www.jmc.msu.edu/cs/docs/hb0607.htm
