An introduction to the process of conducting research in political science. Students will develop an intuition for problem-driven research in the social sciences, gaining specific insight into the range of methodological tools employed by political scientists. In this course, students will design and analyze a research question, formulate and test hypotheses about politics, evaluate techniques to measuring political phenomena, and assess methods of empirical analysis and interpretation. The course has a particular focus on quantitative analysis and students will gain fluency in statistical software. The course provides a foundation for conducting empirical research and is strongly recommended for students interested in independent research, a senior honors thesis, and/or graduate school.

The institutions, processes, and values that shape American politics. The origins and evolution of the U.S. Constitution and the institutions it created: Congress, the executive branch, the presidency, the federal court system, and federalism. Analysis of "intermediary" institutions including political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media. Study of enduring debates over values in American politics, with particular attention to conflicts over civil rights and civil liberties.

This course examines how public policy on a wide range of issues, from reproductive rights to education, environment, and immigration, is made in the United States. The battle over these issues involves many institutions-the president, the executive branch, Congress, the courts, state and local governments-who compete, and sometimes cooperate, over public policy. Students will analyze current policy struggles to better understand the interactions among these institutions and the resulting shape of American public policy.

This course examines the history and contemporary role of Latinos in American politics, including the emergence of “Latino” as a pan-ethnic identity and demographic profiles of the group; the “Americanization” and “racialization” of Latinos; and the relationship between Latinos and non-Latinos as they relate to political institutions, representation, and voting coalitions. The class will also focus on the development of Latino public opinion and partisanship, how these manifest in Latinos’ political participation, and their importance in recent presidential and midterm elections (2008-2022). The course also examines U.S. immigration policy as context to understand current debates that shape the Latino community now and in the future.

Introduction to the major principles, theories, and debates in the field of comparative politics. We explore critical questions such as: How are states created? What is the difference between state and nation? Why do states adopt different political and economic systems? How are democratic and authoritarian regimes different? What are the institutional designs of presidential versus parliamentary systems, and what are the trade-offs related to governance and people’s participation within those systems? How do societal organizations and identities based on geography, region, ethnicity, religion, class, and gender interact with one another and the state? We will study political systems, institutions, economic programs, political processes, and non-state actors as they affect change within countries and across different regions of the world. We will also examine the methods that scholars of comparative politics use to study politics and test hypotheses.

This course focuses on the social science explanations for why environmental problems are created, the impacts they have, the difficulties of addressing them, and the regulatory and other actions that succeed in mitigating them. Topics include: externalities and the politics of unpriced costs and benefits; collective action problems and interest-group theory; time horizons in decision-making; the politics of science, risk, and uncertainty; comparative political structures; and cooperation theory. Also addressed are different strategies for changing environmental behavior, including command and control measures, taxes, fees, and other market instruments, and voluntary approaches. These will all be examined across multiple countries and levels of governance.

A comparative analysis of the theory and practice of revolution from the seventeenth century to the present, with an emphasis on revolutions in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Questions to be considered include: the meaning and causes of revolution, why people join revolutionary movements, the international dimensions of internal war, strategies of insurgency and counterinsurgency, and the changing nature of revolution over the last 350 years. Case studies will include the French, Russian, Chinese, Cuban, and Iranian revolutions, as well as more contemporary events in East Central Europe and the Middle East and North Africa.

An introduction to the international system with emphasis on contemporary theory and practice. Analysis of the bases of power and influence, the sources of tension and conflict, and the modes of accommodation and conflict resolution. This course serves as an introduction to the international relations subfield in the political science department, and also as a means of fulfilling the political science core requirement of the international relations major.

This course provides an introduction to international security, a field that is fundamentally about how states and non-state actors use violence to achieve their political and economic objectives. We will seek answers to questions such as: when do states threaten to use force and for what purposes? Do alliances and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations help promote peace? Does the spread of nuclear weapons make the world a safer or more dangerous place? How do terrorists use violence to realize their objectives and when is it effective? Can intervention in civil wars prevent bloodshed and bring stability to failed states? How will “non-traditional threats” such as environmental scarcity, migration, and climate change shape international security in the twenty-first century? Throughout this course, students will be encouraged to consider the normative question of who should provide security in international politics and who should benefit from this protection.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the number and scope of international institutions have expanded substantially. These institutions, or the formal and informal rules, roles, and relationships, define and facilitate the interests and conduct of states and non-state actors in international affairs. The course analyzes why and how institutionalized cooperation/conflict in world politics occurs and explores the design, function, and effectiveness of various institutions, including prominent intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and the International Criminal Court. Students will also study how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), mainly transnational advocacy networks and organizations, prioritize goals, frame issues, and interact with governments, international institutions, and other advocacy groups. The course also explores how and why international norms about state conduct in wartime, humanitarian assistance, women’s rights, human rights, and global cybersecurity evolve or erode.

What is international law and how does it work? This class will explore international law from a range of different perspectives. A significant part of the course will be spent learning the basics of traditional approaches to international law, including how international law is different from domestic law and how (or whether) it can function given the lack of an enforcement authority. We will then consider a number of critiques of international law, including those that point to the centrality of coercion, power, and hierarchy in the functioning of international law. In considering these different perspectives, we will explore ways international law has worked to advantage or disadvantage different actors, including individuals, civil society, and states with less material power.  

Let’s face it: the “classic” or “canonical” authors in political theory are typically white, male, cis, heterosexual, and rich. Because of this, the canon of political theory has erased the ideas of people of color, women, queer people, and others on concepts such as justice, freedom, and equality. Odds are, these ideas are substantially different than the ones that have become the standards in political science and mainstream politics. This course explores the origins and imports of these other canons, these other classics. We will begin by carefully reading a canonical thinker, such as John Locke or John Stuart Mill, to understand their theorization of concepts such as justice, freedom, equality, and politics. Then we will examine and analyze works on the same topics by Black, women, and queer authors to compare, contrast, and critique the hegemonic perspective. We aren’t trying to justify the canon. Nor are we interested in simply dismantling it. Rather, we’re expanding and multiplying canons to help us confront political problems in an intersectional world. Authors may include Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Stanton, Frances Harper, and the Combahee River Collective.

Human rights are an important issue in countries around the world and in international politics. But what are human rights? Is there a universal definition, or do human rights vary across time and space? Who decides when human rights are violated? When is outside action to stop such violations justified? These questions aren’t just philosophical; they’re deeply political. How political communities answer them shapes domestic and international policies on issues such as state violence, humanitarian aid, citizenship and migration, (neo)colonialism, global capital, and efforts of various kinds to promote human freedom. This course will use texts in contemporary political theory and historical and contemporary case studies to explore the intuitively important, yet vaguely understood, concept of human rights. Case studies will examine human rights in the United States (for example, interrogation torture policy, Black Lives Matter, or sanctuary cities) and the international context (for example, the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, or the 2003 invasion of Iraq).

Designed to sharpen judgment about current political claims, the course uses classical logic and rhetoric to examine processes of thinking and methods of persuasion. We learn the use of independent observation, logical reasoning, forms of deductive inference, and kinds of experimentation. We examine theories related to discovery and the nature of truth. We subject political oratory and reporting to critical scrutiny. Most attention is paid to techniques of persuasion involving logical fallacies such as the 'genetic fallacy,' appeals to emotions such as indignation, and biases such as chauvinism. Reading focuses on studies and stories of detection and discovery.

The institutions, processes, and values that shape American politics. The origins and evolution of the U.S. Constitution and the institutions it created: Congress, the executive branch, the presidency, the federal court system, and federalism. Analysis of "intermediary" institutions including political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media. Study of enduring debates over values in American politics, with particular attention to conflicts over civil rights and civil liberties.

The U.S. holds more elections than just about any other democratic nation, but voter turnout rates are relatively low. Elections in the U.S. have among the longest campaign seasons, yet it is unclear that campaigns even influence election results. How do we explain these seeming contradictions? We will engage with academic scholarship as well as the experiences of campaign organizers and activists to understand the role of campaigns in the United States. We will examine institutional factors such as political parties, redistricting, and access to participation in campaigns and elections. We will also explore the roles of personal identities and socioeconomic conditions, including race, gender, and class. The impact of voter apathy, civic education, and the interplay of national and local politics on the health of American democracy will also be analyzed. Students will participate in a hands-on project to understand more deeply the complexity of election campaigns.

This seminar examines race and ethnicity in American politics, with special attention to the modern civil rights era of the 1960s and beyond. We will consider the definition and political meaning of racial and ethnic identities, the role of racial identity and attitudes in structuring Americans' political opinions and behaviors, how redistricting shapes the representation of non-white groups, the political implications of intersections among race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality, and the role of race in recent national elections.

Introduction to the major principles, theories, and debates in the field of comparative politics. We explore critical questions such as: How are states created? What is the difference between state and nation? Why do states adopt different political and economic systems? How are democratic and authoritarian regimes different? What are the institutional designs of presidential versus parliamentary systems, and what are the trade-offs related to governance and people’s participation within those systems? How do societal organizations and identities based on geography, region, ethnicity, religion, class, and gender interact with one another and the state? We will study political systems, institutions, economic programs, political processes, and non-state actors as they affect change within countries and across different regions of the world. We will also examine the methods that scholars of comparative politics use to study politics and test hypotheses.

This course focuses on the social science explanations for why environmental problems are created, the impacts they have, the difficulties of addressing them, and the regulatory and other actions that succeed in mitigating them. Topics include: externalities and the politics of unpriced costs and benefits; collective action problems and interest-group theory; time horizons in decision-making; the politics of science, risk, and uncertainty; comparative political structures; and cooperation theory. Also addressed are different strategies for changing environmental behavior, including command and control measures, taxes, fees, and other market instruments, and voluntary approaches. These will all be examined across multiple countries and levels of governance.

An introduction to the international system with emphasis on contemporary theory and practice. Analysis of the bases of power and influence, the sources of tension and conflict, and the modes of accommodation and conflict resolution. This course serves as an introduction to the international relations subfield in the political science department, and also as a means of fulfilling the political science core requirement of the international relations major.

Why is it that although the majority of cocoa is grown in Africa the most expensive chocolate is made in Europe? Why is it that the average cocoa farmer lives in poverty or earns just $2,000/year when the wealthiest chocolate and candy families are worth more than $10 billion? During the course of this semester, we will study the supply chain from natural resource extraction to final project and investigate the politics that allow for inequalities as well as the progress that has been made. Therefore, this course will examine the sociohistorical legacy of chocolate, with a delicious emphasis on the eating and appreciation of the so-called “food of the gods.” Interdisciplinary course readings will introduce the history of cacao cultivation, the present-day state of the global chocolate industry, the diverse cultural constructions surrounding chocolate, and the implications for chocolate’s future in terms of scientific study, international politics, alternative trade models, and the food movement. Assignments will address pressing real-world questions related to chocolate consumption, social justice, responsible development, honesty and the politics of representation in production and marketing, hierarchies of quality, and myths of purity.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the number and scope of international institutions have expanded substantially. These institutions, or the formal and informal rules, roles, and relationships, define and facilitate the interests and conduct of states and non-state actors in international affairs. The course analyzes why and how institutionalized cooperation/conflict in world politics occurs and explores the design, function, and effectiveness of various institutions, including prominent intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and the International Criminal Court. Students will also study how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), mainly transnational advocacy networks and organizations, prioritize goals, frame issues, and interact with governments, international institutions, and other advocacy groups. The course also explores how and why international norms about state conduct in wartime, humanitarian assistance, women’s rights, human rights, and global cybersecurity evolve or erode.

This course provides a critical overview of empire and imperialism in international politics from the eighteenth century to the present day. Key questions include: Why do states establish empires? Do empires provide political or economic gains? How are empires governed? What role does technology play in driving and sustaining empires? How do empires end? What are the legacies of empire? This course examines these questions by consulting the classic theoretical works on empire by Hobson, Marx, Lenin, Mackinder, Robinson and Gallagher, and Said. It also explores the historical practice of empire through structured historical comparisons of imperial conquest and governance in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We will also explore the contemporary relevance of the concept of empire for understanding postwar American foreign policy, including issues such as overseas basing, humanitarian intervention, nation-building, and military occupation.

Let’s face it: the “classic” or “canonical” authors in political theory are typically white, male, cis, heterosexual, and rich. Because of this, the canon of political theory has erased the ideas of people of color, women, queer people, and others on concepts such as justice, freedom, and equality. Odds are, these ideas are substantially different than the ones that have become the standards in political science and mainstream politics. This course explores the origins and imports of these other canons, these other classics. We will begin by carefully reading a canonical thinker, such as John Locke or John Stuart Mill, to understand their theorization of concepts such as justice, freedom, equality, and politics. Then we will examine and analyze works on the same topics by Black, women, and queer authors to compare, contrast, and critique the hegemonic perspective. We aren’t trying to justify the canon. Nor are we interested in simply dismantling it. Rather, we’re expanding and multiplying canons to help us confront political problems in an intersectional world. Authors may include Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Stanton, Frances Harper, and the Combahee River Collective.

Police and prison reform have become bipartisan issues in the United States. But this emerging consensus follows historical and ongoing movements to resist policing and prison—from the Black Panther Party, to the prison abolition movement, to the Movement for Black Lives. This course investigates recurring themes in prison and police resistance since the 1960s: the origins of policing and prisons in colonialism and slavery; the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability in both punishment and resistance; theories of politics in captivity; and visions of freedom, justice, and democracy beyond police and prisons. Throughout the course, we will evaluate the strengths and limits of current reform initiatives in light of these readings. Authors may include George Jackson, Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, contemporary prison writers, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Mariame Kaba, Andrea Ritchie, Victoria Law, and Dean Spade.