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| Campus | Haverford |
| Semester | Spring 2025 |
| Registration ID | POLSH329B001 |
| Course Title | Power and Poliitcs in Philadelphia |
| Credit | 1.00 |
| Department | Political Science |
| Instructor | McGovern,Steve |
| Times and Days | M 01:30pm-03:55pm
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| Room Location | |
| Additional Course Info | Class Number: 2531 This course examines power and politics in contemporary Philadelphia. We will devote particular attention to the potential and limitations of grassroots mobilization as a mechanism for effecting positive change. To what extent can movement organizations, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations alter long-standing policies, practices, and institutions in a large, American city like Philadelphia? To what extent are their efforts impeded by well-established interests and structural forces rooted in race, ethnicity, class, and culture? How have recent societal shifts affected underlying tensions between Old Philadelphia and New Philadelphia? We will explore who wins and who loses in the political arena through a series of case studies of key policy issues, including criminal justice reform, immigrantsÂ’ rights, precarious labor, gentrification and affordable housing, urban development, and workforce diversity. How these policy issues are resolved will reveal much about the nature of power and whether the source of that power springs from the bottom-up or remains primarily a top-down phenomenon. This discussion-based seminar will feature guest speakers, site visits, and an opportunity to conduct your own research on power and politics in Philadelphia.; Pre-requisite(s): One course in political science or consent of instructor; Enrollment Limit: 15 Social Science, B: Analysis of the Social World (; Hav: SO, B) |
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