POLI 1273 Americans, Ugly & Beautiful
This course is major restricted and class restricted to juniors and seniors; graduate students are welcomed. This course is not about " hard power," meaning coercive military or economic action. Instead, it is about " soft power," meaning attraction, persuasion, the power of example. Despite today's decline, America's image and influence still permeate the world, conveyed through every media platform and taking such different forms as news reports, entertainment, face-to-face interactions, and " public diplomacy" (government efforts to cultivate goodwill among overseas populations). How did these different modes of communication work in the past? How should they work today? What messages should the people of the United States be sending to the 95 percent of humanity who are not American? What messages are we in fact sending? These questions will be explored historically, thematically, and by region.
Course overview
- Department
- Political Science
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.70 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 4.77 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 2
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | Martha Bayles | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4–6 hrs/week | 13 of 17 |
| Spring 2024 | Martha Bayles | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 13 of 17 |