Political Science
Burton Atkins, Ph.D., Professor
Emeritus of Political Science at
Florida State University (FSU),
currently teaches Political Science
at Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
and is also an instructor at Penn
State University. In his 35-year
career at FSU, Professor Atkins wrote extensively
about constitutional law and American politics and
served as chair of the political science department.
He lived in London from 1992 to 1997, while serving
as the Director of FSU’s London Study Center. From
1997 until his retirement in 2006, he served as
Director of FSU’s International Affairs Program. An
avid supporter of international education, Professor
Atkins has organized and led study semesters abroad
to London, Brussels and Paris for FSU and FAU.
Student Testimonials
- “Brings a unique perspective to film appreciation
through his expertise in political science.”
- “Continually finds interesting topics.”
"Reel" Democracy: How Movies Inform Us About American Politics and Political Debate
With every passing year and each political election cycle, debate evolves, and even seems to intensify, concerning the core issues and values driving American democracy. This six-week course will use film as our visual text to examine how movies have both challenged and enlightened us about the people and debates that form the basis of American politics.
The film selection and order of presentation is subject to change.
Six Lectures
- Political Ambition - “The Seduction of Joe Tynan”; “Bob Roberts”
- Politicians and Power - “The Candidate”; “The Ides of March”
- Lessons From Abroad About Women in Politics - “Iron Lady”; “The Queen”
- The Documentary Political Film - “The Fog of War”; “Bowling for Columbine”
- Congress and Democracy - “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”; “Advise and Consent”
- Presidential Style and Leadership - “Frost/Nixon”; “Seven Days in May”
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| Course # F6W4 — Full 6 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Wednesdays, October 18, 25; November 1, 8, 15, 29 2017 |
| Time: | 3 - 4:30 PM |
| Fee: | $60 / member; $85 / non-member |
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Register Now
"Reel" Democracy: How Movies Inform Us About American Politics and Political Debate (Last Four Weeks Only)
With every passing year and each political election cycle, debate evolves, and even seems to intensify, concerning the core issues and values driving American democracy. This six-week course will use film as our visual text to examine how movies have both challenged and enlightened us about the people and debates that form the basis of American politics.
The film selection and order of presentation is subject to change.
Four Lectures
- Lessons From Abroad About Women in Politics - "Iron Lady"; "The Queen"
- The Documentary Political Film - "The Fog of War"; "Bowling for Columbine"
- Congress and Democracy - "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"; "Advise and Consent"
- Presidential Style and Leadership - "Frost/Nixon"; "Seven Days in May"
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| Course # F4W5 — Last 4 Weeks
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Wednesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 29 2017 |
| Time: | 3 - 4:30 PM |
| Fee: | $40 / member; $60 / non-member |
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Register Now
"Reel" Jews and Judaism
How Movies Create a Cultural Record of Jewish History and Traditions
Since it began as a form of mass entertainment, movies have drawn upon ideas rooted in Jewish history and culture to tell dramatic, comedic and sometimes tragic stories about the Jewish people and their extraordinary ability to survive and thrive since the very beginnings of human history. Although these films typically focus on both religious themes rooted in Judaism and secular issues drawn from Jewish history, the ideas in these movies often provide insight into an array of issues that go far beyond Jews as a people or Judaism as a religion and culture. Using clips from movies as diverse as “Hester Street,” “The Pawnbroker,” “The Chosen,” “A Serious Man” and “The Pianist,” this program will examine how movies have created part of the historical and cultural record of Jewish life and tradition.
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # F1T5 — One Time Event
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Tuesday, December 5 2017 |
| Time: | 12 - 1:30 PM |
| Fee: | $25 / member; $35 / non-member |
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Register Now
