The first half of this course will be a diverse survey of topics on political extremism and violence–how it is defined, what motivates it, and how societies respond to it. It will explore conceptual and philosophical problems with defining and understanding political extremism and violence. It will feature several guest speakers from several different disciplines, but focused on history and political science.

The second half of the course (taught exclusively by Dr. Klein) will introduce students to the political violence enacted by history’s two-most extreme ideologies: Fascism and Communism. Its focus will be on the perpetrators of mass crimes against humanity, trying to unpack the ideological justifications that propelled 20th century mass murder.

Nearly all the required materials for assignments in this course will be provided free of charge in the corresponding modules.

One exception: the film Jojo Rabbit (2019).

• Currently available for free with YouTube TV subscription
• Otherwise for purchase around $4 at various streaming services

Upon successful completion of INDS 4900, students will be able to:

• Define and distinguish major forms of political extremism and violence, while recognizing the conceptual, philosophical, and methodological difficulties involved in applying terms such as political violence and extremism.
• Analyze the causes and motivations of political violence by evaluating the roles of ideology and political culture.
• Apply interdisciplinary perspectives to the study of political extremism and violence, drawing particularly upon approaches from history and political science while engaging insights from other relevant disciplines.
• Compare different forms of political violence across historical and political contexts, identifying meaningful similarities and differences in their causes, objectives, methods, targets, and consequences.
• Evaluate how governments and societies respond to political extremism and violence, including the political, ethical, and practical challenges involved in prevention, repression, punishment, and the protection of democratic institutions and civil liberties.
• Explain the major ideological principles of Fascism and Communism and analyze how adherents used ideology to identify enemies, legitimize coercion, and justify revolutionary violence, repression, and mass killing.
• Analyze major cases of state-sponsored mass violence under Fascist and Communist regimes, placing atrocities within their specific ideological, political, social, and historical contexts.
• Analyze the motivations and behavior of perpetrators of political violence and mass atrocities, evaluating the interaction of ideological commitment, obedience, conformity, careerism, self-interest, coercion, group dynamics, and individual agency.
• Interpret primary and secondary sources related to political extremism and violence, critically evaluating evidence, perspective, argument, context, and competing interpretations.
• Construct evidence-based arguments about political extremism and violence in the past and present, communicating clearly and engaging seriously with competing interpretations and diverse viewpoints.

CANVAS Assignments – (40% of final grade)

Module reading responses are the most frequent graded assignment, each worth 10 points. For these, students will complete historical or political science readings/viewings and submit a so-called “reading response” online to a series of questions posed by the instructor, all of which can be found in CANVAS “modules.” With a few exceptions – most weeks will consist of two assigned modules. (Stay up-to-date with the due dates listed for each module response on CANVAS). Module responses will be graded periodically and entered as scores into the gradebook.

Occasional, in-class “pop-quizzes” will be administered, each worth 3 points. These will be based on concepts and themes from previous lectures. Thus, attendance and note-taking are essential for obtaining good scores. Pop-quizzes will go into the “CANVAS Assignments” portion of a student’s grade.

Critical thinking: Module assignments will regularly invite students to think critically about history and develop/share opinions about the past and present. Our goal is to ponder the significance of the past beyond mere facts, dates, and data. As such, each module will include various challenging questions of ethics/morality, interpretation, and significance for the present. Be prepared to develop and share these opinions in each assignment.

Midterm Exam – (20% of final grade)

A Midterm Exam will be administered for this course. At least 1 week before the exam date, Dr. Klein will make available on CANVAS a study guide. The exam will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

Each week in this first half of the course will consist of a few lectures and corresponding modules as homework. Students should take careful notes on the lectures because the Midterm Exam questions will be drawn primarily from themes and concepts taught in these lectures, with a few questions from the modules sprinkled in.

Midterm Short Paper – (10% of final grade)

Students will view the film Jojo Rabbit and write a short analytical and argumentative essay examining controversies surrounding how to artistically portray the Holocaust.

Final Exam – (20% of final grade)

A Final Exam will be administered for this course. At least 1 week before the exam date, Dr. Klein will make available on CANVAS a study guide. The exam will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

Each week in this second half of the course will consist of a few lectures and corresponding modules as homework. Students should take careful notes on the lectures because the Midterm Exam questions will be drawn primarily from themes and concepts taught in these lectures, with a few questions from the modules sprinkled in.

Final Short Paper – (10% of final grade)

Students will write a short analytical and argumentative essay that examines a specific instance of recent political violence in the modern world that they find unacceptable. Students will compare and contrast the justifications for this modern-day political violence to historical justifications we studied over the course of the semester. More details available in a corresponding “module” on CANVAS.

Extra Credit

Students may complete two extra credit assignments, one for each exam (Midterm and Final). Each extra credit assignment is worth up to 5 points (or roughly 10% towards an exam). These assignments can be found in the “modules” tab on CANVAS following each exam module. They must be completed before the exam is taken.

*Dr. Klein’s exams have a reputation for being challenging. It is STRONGLY recommended that students complete these extra credit opportunities (!)

Grade Scale

Grades are determined by a percentage of points earned out of points possible. The final grade for the course will be rounded up to the nearest percentage point. Grades will not be based “on the curve.” Students are responsible for tracking their individual grade and must alert the instructor immediately of any errors or questions.

A = 93-100% A- = 90-93% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+ = 77-79%
C= 73-76% C- = 70-72% D+ = 67-69% D = 63-67% D- = 60-62% F = 0-59%

Grade Guidelines

A - Superior

• Scholarship - Strong, exceeding requirements of instructor.
• Initiative - Contributions exceeding the assignment, showing independent resourcefulness.
• Attitude - Positive benefit to class.
• Cooperation - Forwarding all group activities, constant and spontaneous.
• Individual Improvement - Increased development.

B - Above Average

• Scholarship - Accurate and complete, meeting all requirements of instructor.
• Initiative - Good when stimulated by some desirable achievement.
• Attitude - Proper and beneficial to group.
• Cooperation - Good in group work.
• Individual Improvement - Showing progress and responding to stimulation.

C - Average

• Scholarship - Merely meeting assignments and showing evidence of need for encouragement.
• Initiative - Variable, uncertain and apparent only at times.
• Attitude - Generally neutral but not objective.
• Cooperation - Not positive nor very effective and irregular.
• Individual Improvement - Very ordinary.

D - Below Average

• Scholarship - Not meeting all assignments and requirements of instructor.
• Initiative - Deficient.
• Attitude - Indifferent.
• Cooperation - Fair at times and deficient at other times.
• Individual Improvement - Not noticeable.

F - Failing

• Work does not meet requirements

Late work policy: Because students will have access to these modules in advance*, all late-work will be penalized* unless the instructor has been notified in advance requesting accommodation for legitimate extraneous circumstances. Extremely late submissions (assignments completed for the first half of the course but submitted after the mid-term exam) will not be graded.

Regular attendance is required at all class meetings. Occasional graded pop-quizzes will be administered. You are required to notify the instructor if extraneous circumstances may necessitate an accommodation. In the case of a missed pop-quiz – and only for extraneous or school approved circumstances – students will be allowed to take the pop quiz in the instructor’s office during office hours.

Studying social sciences at the collegiate level involves something far greater than memorizing names, dates, and numbers – we must also interpret meaning. A key purpose of this course, therefore, is to cultivate critical thinking by examining why historical change happens and drawing out potential lessons for the present.Answering these difficult, yet exciting, questions can produce many different opinions and interpretations. Please bring a willingness to participate in these class discussions. The instructor reserves the right to call on students randomly for participation. Incivility, unkindness, and disrespect of any kind will not be tolerated.

Regular attendance is required at all class meetings. You are required to notify the instructor if extraneous circumstances may necessitate an accommodation.