Ithaca College

The Politics Department is offering a new course, a 300 level class on "Japanese Politics" in the fall 2011 semester.  The class meets MWF 3-3:50pm. Course description:

Wondering about the impact of the earthquake and tsunami on Japan? About how the nuclear plant crisis at Fukushima is affecting the political landscape? Here's the course for you!

This course introduces students to modern Japanese politics. Learn about this very different model of liberal democracy and capitalist economic system. We'll cover the historical foundations of the Japanese state, the Japanese system of political parties and elections, legislative politics, and the bureaucracy.

Japan is forbidden by its constitution from fighting wars, and technically has only a “self-defense force” rather than an army. For a country of its economic size, this is unique. The course will look into this aspect of Japan's politics, examining Japan's civil-military relations and the ongoing debate about the constitutional prohibition against war-fighting. Also covered will be Japan's industrial, foreign, immigration, minority, and aging policies.  

Course number POLT 34054,  "Selected Topics in Comparative/Int'l Studies: Japanese Politics" MWF 3-3:50pm

Taught by Lisa Sansoucy

Lisa Sansoucy holds a B.A. and M.A. in Government from Cornell University and is currently completing a dissertation on Japanese civil-military relations.

Lisa conducted research in Japan as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Social Science at Tokyo University.  She has also served as a lecturer at the Graduate Research Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo and as Visiting Scholar at the Center for International Studies at M.I.T.

Lisa has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the College Women’s Association of Japan, the Japan Foundation, and the Institute for the Study of World Politics.  She is a member of the American Political Science Association, the College Women’s Association of Japan, the International Studies Association, and Women in International Security.