POLSCI 1000 American Politics

In a polarized era of American politics, it is critical to have a working knowledge of the American political process and the analytical skills with which tointerpret contemporary events. This course is designed to accomplish these dual objectives. In the first few weeks of the semester, we will explore boththe key principles of social scientific thinking and trace the evolution of the fundamental characteristics of American government. We will use thisfoundation throughout the remainder of the semester to assess the contemporary challenges to American institutions and the context in which they, andthe general public, make decisions. At the end of the semester, students should be able to understand and critically engage with information about American politics, as well as actively engage with the American political system (should they choose to do so).

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S UColl: PSA

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

POLSCI 1100 Introduction to Comparative Politics

One of the primary goals of a course in comparative politics is to familiarize students with a broad array of political systems. The approach taken in this course can best be characterized as the active acquisition and use of a set of tools for looking at the political world. In other words, instead of putting emphasis on what textbook writers think political scientist know, in this course the emphasis is on how we know what we know and on building knowledge. This approach equips students with a set of tools to use long after the course is over. These comparative tools are focused on historical, recent, and current events, and students are provided the opportunity to delve more deeply into a study of the parts of the world most they find most interesting.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, IS EN: S UColl: PSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 1200 International Politics

This is an introductory survey course. Its goal is to familiarize students with the basic concepts of International Relations (IR) as a subfield of political science and to introduce them to important issues, such as cooperation and conflict, independence, in the era of globalization, human rights and human development, and the environment.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer

POLSCI 1300 Introduction to Political Theory

This course offers an undergraduate level introduction to the field of political theory. We will focus on three major themes-social justice, power and freedom, and democracy-reading some canonical texts, such as Bentham's Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation and Marx's Capital, but emphasizing contemporary works, such as those of John Rawls, Michael Walzer, Michel Foucault, and Robert Dahl.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: FAAM, SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 2000 Introduction to Environmental Policy

This course provides an introduction to and overview of environmental policy. Subjects covered include the policy process, the behavior of interest groups and political parties, and the actions of policymakers like Congress and the President. We will also examine issues such as pollution control, climate change, and biodiversity.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 2099 Civic Action Lab: Running for Political Office

The course will focus on skills related to the democratic expression of political rights and responsibilities. The course will balance background knowledge of the issues with application. Students will explore how to use coalition building and advocacy skills to relate to personal issues to public issues. Students will research a current Missouri bill, create a strategic plan for its passage or failure, and prepare to give testimony on such bill in a mock House of Representatives committee hearing. Students will also learn about ethical dilemmas in policy and politics and create a plan for turning their passions into policy.

Credit 1 unit. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 2102 Introduction to Migration Policy and Politics

Migration is a phenomenon in which people, individually or in groups, move from one territory to another. In this course, we will trace the process of migration and discuss the impact of migration on sending and host societies as well as on the migrants themselves. What drives people to migrate from their home communities? What challenges do they face along migration routes? As humans move, languages, ideas, and ways of life diffuse across territories. This diffusion can be integrated into host societies, or it can become a source of tension within the society. What political, social, and economic conditions facilitate this integration or tension? In this course, we will begin to answer these questions through the lens of two primary systems: 1. Central and North America, and 2. the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. As we study the process of migration, you will work towards a research paper that critically analyzes the migration process using a case of your choice.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 2123 Sophomore Seminar in Ethnic Violence

This course introduces students to the principal concepts, questions and answers in the study of ethnic conflict. The goal of the course is to build foundational knowledge on the study of ethnic politics and ethnic conflict. The course begins by addressing why, how and when ethnicity matters. We will study different theories of ethnically-based indentification and mobilization. We will then move on to examine different types of ethnic conflict, ranging from ethnic violence in civil war to ethnic riots. In addition, we will study consequences of and alternative solutions to ethnic conflict. This course counts towards the undergraduate Comparative Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 2196 Practical Applications in Political Science

Credit for internships in Political Science.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

POLSCI 2281 Civic Action Lab: Skills That Turn Passion Into Policy

The course will focus on skills related to the democratic expression of political rights and responsibilities. The course will balance background knowledge of the issues with application. Students will explore how to use coalition building and advocacy skills to relate personal issues to public issues. Students will research a current Missouri bill, create a strategic plan for its passage or failure, and prepare to give testimony on such bill in a mock House of Representatives committee hearing. Students will also learn about ethical dilemmas in policy and politics and create a plan for turning their passions into policy.

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 2400 Data Science for Politics

We are on the doorstep of a new era of social science. Never before have political scientists had access to so much data about the attitudes and actions of individuals, institutions, and nations. Data on everything from the votes of members of the U.S. Senate in 1855 to terrorist attacks from around the globe are only a few clicks away. This class is designed to make you an active participant in this new data-rich world. The goal is to introduce you to the methods and practices by which you can use this data to answer questions that are important to us as political scientists and citizens. How many citizens currently approve of the president, and how do we know? What policies are most effective at reducing poverty? Which campaign ads are most effective at persuading voters? Can we affect the behavior of our Facebook friends just by sharing our opinions?

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, AN Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer

POLSCI 2490 Reproducible Data Skills for Political Scientists

Reproducibility and open scientific practices are increasingly required of scientists and researchers. Training on how to apply these practices in data analysis has not kept up with demand. During this course, students will develop skills to meet this demand. This course uses a practical approach based on iterative application assignments that provide students with practical experience with real data problems.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, AN Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 2511 Juvenile Justice in the Black Experience

Credit 3 units.

POLSCI 2900 Directed Research in Political Science

Introduces first-years and sophomores to research by engaging them in ongoing faculty research projects within the department. Under the direction of a faculty mentor, students take part in tasks that contribute to the mentor's research. Through this hands-on experience, students learn about the research process and build foundational research skills that can benefit their future academic experience and development. Faculty mentors provide regular guidance, training, and feedback to support students' understanding and growth. Students are registered by the department after approval from the faculty member leading the research project. The course may be taken for 1-3 credit hours based on the weekly hours required. Credit/No Credit only

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 2998 Teaching Practicum in Political Science

This course is an opportunity for students to assist in course instruction, tutoring, and preparation of problems, readings, and exam materials with permission and under supervision of instructor. Class hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Must be enrolled through department. See department for approval form.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 2999 Internship in Political Science

Please see department for more information.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

POLSCI 3005 Fast Fashion and the Environment

Students will leave this term with a greater understanding of not just this phenomenon, but the policies that created and now maintain it. Students will have an opportunity to identify and evaluate fast fashion brand performance relative to their envrionmental obligations. They will also have an opportunity to de- sign an international treaty mechanism to address the increased waste and harmful environmental consequences of the industry. Note: This course counts toward the undergraduate XXX subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3008 The Stories That Win

We all know them. From fairy tales to bestsellers, legends of oral tradition to trend-setting points in the U.S. and global literary marketplace, they are the stories that win. These stories are rooted in a collective literary imagination that binds individual and community hopes + struggles. They are novels, or memoirs of political coming of age, tales of creative sparks that have led to iconic global brands and products, or narrative analyses that become collective origin stories. They speak to the relationship between expectations of justice and our varied political identities; they provide communal reference points during marked moments in history. These stories win by transcending the limits of time or through the entanglements of commercial success. This semester we delve into political memoirs; origin stories of athletes, iconic products, and CEOs; community narrative histories; fairy tales; and myths of national beginnings. We want to understand how power and the uses of history are central to making certain stories, especially origin stories, the ones public figures deploy to represent their identity, the stories we as a nation tell about ourselves over and over, and the ones that become our collective points of reference-that is, the stories that win. And we want to know why other stories-and the people they're about-are so often left out of our collective imagination.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3009 Politics in Bureaucracies

Focuses on politics and political conflicts involving bureaucratic organizations, primarily but not exclusively those of the federal government. Attention given to the characteristics of bureaucratic organizations and their members; their relations with one another as well as with other participants in policy making also considered. Major activities within bureaucracies--planning, program development, organizing, budgeting, and service delivery--discussed with a view to clarifying their political implications and consequences; problems associated with controlling and changing bureaucracies.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3014 Gender, Politics, and Policy in the United States

This course surveys central topics in the study of gender and politics, covering such issues as women's participation in political parties and social movements, women as voters and candidates in political elections, feminism and the state, and gender and international politics. It will draw on examples from various world regions and time periods to analyze similarities and differences across cases around the globe.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

POLSCI 3015 Computational Modeling in the Social Sciences

This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of computational modeling in social science. Computational modeling allows us to explore topics - including complexity, emergence, and dynamics - that are difficult to study using traditional analytic methods. This course will cover the theoretical foundations behind computational modeling in addition to offering an introduction to the design and programming of such models.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

POLSCI 3016 African American Politics

Race has been a central issue in United States politics since the country's founding. From debates about the South's \peculiar institution to the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary discussions about a post-racial America, political discourse in the United States has often revolved around issues of race. In this course, we will examine the major political issues, struggles, and ideologies of African Americans in order to better understand U.S. Politics. Topics will include early and contemporary African American political thought, racism and segregation, inequality, the politics of the Civil Rights Movement, African American participation in electoral politics, and other contemporary issues. By the end of this course, students should be able to: examine current events related to race through the lens of political science concepts; understand the historical causes of ongoing conflicts and debates related to race in the United States; understand the arguments made by Black political thinkers; read and apply political science literature to major questions in the field of race. This course counts towards the undergraduate American Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3025 Topics in American Politics: The Supreme Court

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3027 Civil Rights

Introduction to the development and application of constitutional civil rights. Substantial emphasis on Supreme Court cases interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection clause. Specific topics include discrimination, remedial action, and voting rights. The focus is primarily on classifications based on race and gender, but we will also examine age, disability, and sexual orientation.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3029 Constitutional Law

Introduction to constitutional law and practice in the United States. Emphasis on the role of the U.S. Supreme Court as an interpreter of the Constitution.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring, Summer

POLSCI 3043 Topics in International Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3048 The Politics of Privacy in the Digital Age

This course explores the changing nature of privacy in contemporary society.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: ETH EN: S UColl: PSA, PSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3074 United Nations Institutions and Processes

How do countries and non-state actors cooperate on issues that transcend international borders? What are the unique opportunities and challenges to addressing global issues in international organizations, especially the United Nations (UN)? In this course, we will examine the historical foundations of the UN, the structure of the UN, and the nature of representation in the United Nations. We will analyze the conditions under which the UN is likely to succeed or fail at addressing a range of security, economic and social, and human rights issues. To facilitate this analysis, we will examine historical and contemporary UN work to address climate change, conflict, humanitarian assistance, and human rights. This class is part of a Model United Nations program at Washington University in St.Louis, which will travel to the National Model United Nations conference in New York in the spring. It is the first course in a two-course series. Students must complete both the fall and the spring course to be eligible for the New York conference team.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3075 International Organizational Research

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3076 Politics and Policymaking in the American States

The American federal system is often overlooked in discussions about politics in the United States; however, state governments unquestionably touch the lives of Americans everyday. As such, an education in American politics is not complete without serious examination of state governments and their political institutions. This course illuminates the importance of the Ameican states in US politics and policymaking by critically examining topics such as : intergovernmental relations, the historical evolution of American federalism, the organization and processes associated with state legislative, executive, and judicial branches, state elections, political parties, interest groups and specific state policy areas such as - budgeting, welfare, education, and the environment. Prerequisites: Political Science L32 101B.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3080 Race and Ethnicity in American Politics

This seminar will discuss the continuing importance of race and ethnicity in American politics and the politics of racial minority groups in America. It will examine the disadvantage minorites have in the American political structure including problems with political participation. It will examine how the structure and functions of the brances of government and its bureaucracy affect the aspirations of minorities. The roll of pressure groups on political structure will be discussed. Additional discussion will focus on urban politics and tensions.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3081 Gender and American Politics

This course examines the ways in which issues pertaining to gender are salient in U.S. politics. The course is divided into four parts. First, we will examine theoretical approaches to the study of gender and politics, including the use of gender as an analytical category, and the relationship between gender, race, ethnicity and power. Second, we will study gender-based social movements, including the suffrage and woman's rights movements, women's participation in the civil rights movement, the contemporary feminist and anti-feminist movements, the gay rights/queer movement and the women's peace movement. Third, we will examine the role of gender in the electoral arena, in terms of how it affects voting, running for office and being in office. Finally, we will examine contemporary debates about public policy issues, including the integration of women and gays in the military, sexual harassment, pornography and equal rights.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA, ETH

POLSCI 3095 Civil War and Peace

This course examines the causes and consequences of intra-state conflict, as well as the potential solutions to it, drawing on examples from countries throughout the world, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, India, Iraq, Russia, Rwanda, Spain, et cetera. We will consider many potential causes of intra-state violence, including ethnic and religious identities, economic and security concerns, elite manipulation, and international diffusion. In order to understand the challenges countries face recovering from violence, we will subsequently examine different ways in which conflicts are conducted, as well as their consequences, including economic underdevelopment, rape, child soldiers, and disease. Finally, using what we have learned about the causes and consequences of conflict, we will analyze the utility of different tools for managing intra-state conflict, including, but not limited to, minority representation, consociationalism, decentralization and partition.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3096 Politics of the European Union

This course is designed to introduce undergraduates at the junior and senior level to the history and politics of the European Union (EU) and European integration. In the first part of the course, students will learn about the interplay of theory and practice in the history of European integration. In the second part, they will study the institutions and decision-making processes with reference to the theoretical concepts developed earlier in the course. From there, we will examine some of the key EU policies and their implementation during the third part of the course. In the final two sections of the course, we will look at constitutional politics and some of the more recent policies and developments. This course counts towards the undergraduate Comparative Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3097 Topics in American Politics

The rapid spread of urbanization has profound consequences for environmental quality--some positive, some negative. As the world economy continues to integrate across traditional political boundaries, such growth in urban areas is likely to continue. This course explores the causes and consequences of urbanization on environmental health and how local environmental conditions may facilitate the growth of modern mega-cities. Among the topics addressed are the effects of demographic changes on rural communities as younger generations seek better economic opportunity in far away cities; the benefits to environmental quality from an expanding middle class; and the robustness of traditional institutions to changing political-economic demands.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Summer

POLSCI 3103 Topics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

POLSCI 3104 Political Psychology

Political psychology is a rapidly growing field of research located at the intersection of psychology and political science. Broadly, political psychology helps us understand how individuals think and feel about politics, and how these psychological factors shape political behavior. This course is designed to examine the major areas of research on how psychological factors explain important political phenomena, such as political participation, vote choice, polarization, partisanship, media consumption, political knowledge, political communication, and policy preferences. This course will also equip students with skills in information literacy that will improve their ability to conduct research, interrogate information sources, and evaluate biases in information processing that shape political decision-making

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3110 Money in Politics

Money and politics are inextricably linked. Politicians need money to finance campaigns and can use their position to enrich themselves or land a cushy job after their time in office. Voters, in turn, can be influenced by expensive campaigns or/and hand out gifts. Even, interest groups trying to influence politics lie at the heart of democracies all around the world. Understanding what are politicians' incentives, how voters respond and why groups can influence politicians, elections and policy is critical to our understanding of political representation. In this course, we will look at political science research on money and politics in different countries worldwide. Note: This course counts towards the undergraduate Comparative Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3160 Business and Politics

This course explores the relationship between business and politics. Specifically, through lectures, readings and class discussion students examine the relevance of different political regimes, institutions and policies for small business and industry organization. In addition to domestic business, the class studies the relevance of political factors for foreign investment. Through historical and contemporary cases, the student will leave class with an understanding of the policy debates, as well as substantial comparative knowledge about particular economic policies, and the process of business organization in different countries. This course counts towards the undergraduate International Relations subfield.

Credit 3 units. BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3161 Gender and Politics in Global Perspective

This course surveys central topics in the study of gender and politics, covering such issues as women's participation in political parties and social movements, women as voters and candidates in political elections, feminism and the state, and gender and international politics. It will draw on examples from various world regions and time periods to analyze similarities and differences across cases around the globe.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3172 Sports, Policy, and Politics

The students participating in this class should expect to learn the ways in which sport and politics intersect; how sport is both the cause, and result, of political processes; how society's attachment to teams is linked to our identities, both social and political; how sport defines us physically, reflects class, and reproduces shared history. This is primarily a political science course, and no prior knowledge of sport in general, or any sport in particular, is necessary.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3173 International Political Economy

Analysis of the interplay of economics and politics in the world arena, focused primarily on the political basis of economic policies in both advanced and less developed societies. Treating differing perspectives on the international economy, production, trade and finance, and international economic relations. Prerequisite: junior standing, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: IS

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3189 Topics in Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

POLSCI 3193 Politics of Migration in the European Union

As the European Union has expanded both in membership and policy scope, so too have its physical borders and political constructions of membership. Migration patterns - both within the European Union and from outside of it - are closely connected to this deepening integration and changing patterns of multi-level governance. In this course, we will trace the process of migration and discuss the impact of migration on sending and host societies as well as on the migrants themselves. What drives people to migrate from their home communities? What challenges do they face along migration routes? As humans move, languages, ideas, and ways of life diffuse across territories. This diffusion can be integrated into host societies, or it can become a source of tension within the society. What political, social, and economic conditions facilitate this integration or tension? After discussing general frameworks and theories from the scholarship of migration, we will focus our inquiries on specific cases from within and near the European Union.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC Art: SSC

POLSCI 3215 Public Opinion and American Democracy

This course is about the salience of public opinion and its influence on American Politics. Topics to be covered include many of the theories developed to explain how public opinion is formed, if and why it changes, and the relationship between public opinion and the political behavior of citizens and elites. Therefore, the course will describe and analyze many of the factors that influence the formation, structure and variation in public opinion: information processing, education, core values, racial attitudes, political orientation (ideology and party identification), political elites, social groups, the media and religion. Additional topics include presidential approval, congressional approval, and the relationship between public opinion and public policy. The course will also train students in several concepts of statistical analysis (assuming no prior knowledge) so that students can use these tools as part of their own research projects. Prerequisites: Previous coursework in American politics or communications.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3242 Topics in Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3270 African Politics

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3279 The American Presidency

Consideration of part played by the president in American politics and public policy. The powers of the president; the staffing and organization of the executive office; the relations of the president with Congress, the bureaucracy, and other participants in American politics; presidential elections. Recommended: Pol Sci 101B.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Summer

POLSCI 3283 Latin-American Politics

This course is an introduction to the politics in Latin America, focusing on the trend toward the establishment of democracy. We examine the impact of political culture, economic development, and the legacy of authoritarian regimes on contemporary politics. The course also reviews many of the most pressing challenges confronting governments Latin American governments: the role of the military in politics, the reform of political institutions, threats from radical guerrillas and drug traffickers, debt and economic restructuring, and relations with the United States. Country studies focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Prerequisites: 100-level introductory course in Political Science or its equivalent in History or IAS.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3285 Political Economy of Democracy

In the last few years a number of important books have appeared that combine elements of economics reasoning and political science, in an effort to understand the wide variation in economic development in the world. This course will deal with the logic apparatus underpinning these books. In addition, the course will introduce the student to the theoretical apparatus that can be used to examine democratic institutions in the developed world, and the success or otherwise of moves to democratization in the less developed world.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

POLSCI 3286 Topics in Public Policy:

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: IS

POLSCI 3288 Topics in International Political Economy:

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3289 Courts and Civil Liberties

This course focuses on constitutional law principles in the Bill of Rights, and examines how Supreme Court decisions influence these principles in everyday life. We explore how the courts, and particularly the Supreme Court, have interpreted these rights in light of changing times and emerging issues. Topics include the First Amendment; free exercise of religion and the establishment clause; freedom of speech, assembly and association; freedom of the press; the Fourth Amendment and the rights of those accused and convicted of crimes; the right to privacy, including reproductive freedom and the right to die; equal protection and civil rights, including race, gender, sexual orientation; immigrants' rights and voting rights; and civil liberties after September 11. Recommended for the Liberal Arts and Business (LAB) Certificate.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, ETH, HUM

POLSCI 3300 Terrorism and Counterterrorism

What is terrorism, when is it used, and how can we stop it? This course will tackle these challenging questions, examining both the use of terrorism in political conflict and the ways in which states have responded to these threats. Crucially, we will engage in critical discussions about the definition of terrorism - is one person's terrorist really another person's freedom fighter, as the saying goes? We will also explore the strategic logic of terrorism - why do individuals choose to engage in this practice and why it is an effective or ineffective tactic of political violence? Importantly, we will also examine the psychology of terrorism, investigating how the mass public and state leaders react to and cope with terrorist violence. Specific examples of potential topics include: the use of terrorism in anti-colonial and separatist movements, the history of terrorism in the United States from the Ku Klux Klan to jihadism, the post 9/11 War on Terror, and the resurgence of white nationalist terrorism around the world. By the end of this course, students should have a clear understanding of what terrorism is, why groups choose this strategy, how citizens and political leaders respond to this violence, and the implications this has for countering terrorism and extremism around the globe today.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3313 Theories of Social Justice

This course overviews the leading contemporary conceptions of social justice, including utilitarian, liberal, libertarian, communitarian, and deliberative-democratic theories, and their implications for the design of political, economic, and social institutions. In addition, this course will examine special topics such as justice between generations, global justice, and the rights of resistance or disobedience.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3320 Topics in Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring, Summer

POLSCI 3326 Topics in Politics: Legal and Political

This course is designed to be a readings and discussion course in Supreme Court decisions. The focus is on extensive coverage of the court's decisions in particular subject areas and their relationship to political and social factors and to public policies. The purpose of the course is to expose students in the social sciences to the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court as indicators of political and sociological phenomena. PREREQUISITE: PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR ONLY.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3328 Energy Politics

This course considers the major issues in these increasingly important areas of public policy. We will discuss the importance of political processes and actors on such phenomenon as pollution, global warming and wilderness protection. This course emphasizes the American experience but also considers international implications. Two lectures and one section meeting each week.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: ETH EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3342 Topics in Politics: Free Speech On Campus

Credit 1 unit.

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3391 History of Political Thought I: Justice, Virtue, and the Soul

This course offers a critical introduction to the main issues and debates in western political theory, including but not limited to the topics of justice, legitimacy, equality, democracy, liberty, sovereignty, and the role of history in the political and social world. This course is designed to be the first in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought, and students are encouraged, but not required, to take the courses in chronological sequence. The first semester begins with ancient Greek political thought, and follows its development up to the early 16th century.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S UColl: ML

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3392 History of Political Thought II: Legitimacy, Equality, and the Social Contract

Government is often justified as legitimate on the grounds that it is based on the consent of the governed. In History of Political Thought II, Legitimacy, Equality, and the Social Contract, we examine the origins of this view, focusing our attention on canonical works in the social contract tradition, by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke (1632-1704), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), David Hume (1711-1776), and Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). This course is the second in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought. Students are encouraged but not required to take all three courses. Prerequisite: One previous course in political theory or political philosophy.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3399 Political Violence

This course studies the ways non-state groups use violence in pursuit of political goals. During the semester we will engage with contemporary research on political violence, including civil war, ethnic conflict, terrorism and communal riots. The goal of the course is to introduce students to major questions related to the study of political violence. What explains the onset of violence? Why do individuals choose to join violent movements? Is non-violent protest more effective than the use of violent tactics? During the semester, we will read a large volume of within-country and cross-national quantitative research on political violence and also examine several cases in detail, including ethnic riots in India, Rwandan genocide, and Kurdish conflict in Turkey.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3405 Topics in Political Thought:

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: ETH

POLSCI 3410 Topics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: CPSC, SSC BU: BA

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3413 Surveillance Capitalism

Capitalism in the 21st century has been shaped by the ability and incentive to collect and monetize data on human behavior. Digital technology has led to the creation of networks of surveillance mechanisms that have reshaped the economic, political, and social spheres. In this class we will compare contemporary capitalism with 19th and 20th century forms of capitalism and we will analyze how the incentives to collect and analyze data have reshaped individual and community relationships with markets, governments, and each other.

Credit 3 units.

POLSCI 3443 Defendant's Rights

This course explores the operations of the American criminal justice system. Substantial emphasis on the constitutional rights accorded to the criminally accused. Readings consist primarily, but not exclusively, of Supreme Court cases. This course counts towards the undergraduate American Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, ETH EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3450 The Legislative Process

Structure and behavioral patterns of American legislative bodies. Primary emphasis on the U.S. Congress, with attention to state legislatures for comparative purposes. Representation, internal patterns of influence, and policy-making processes. Prerequisite: junior standing.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3470 Representation and Political Accountability

Political representation deals with the correspondence between citizen preferences and public policies. This course examines the critical role elections play in linking the two. Topics to be covered include the influence of interest groups, the media, and political parties on elections and policymaking. We will also explore how variation in the electoral rules, such as the rules governing campaign finance and methods of conducting party primaries, influence electoral politics. Finally, we will examine how separation of powers potentially attenuates the electoral connection between voters and electied officials.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3490 Survey Design and Analysis

Survey research is an important method that political scientists often use to understand people in the world around us. By asking a standardized set of questions to a random sample of respondents, we can make inferences regarding the opinions and behavior of the larger population from which it was drawn. Surveys also offer numerous opportunities for experimental research, allowing scholars to make confident causal claims about the determinants of public opinion and behavior. In recent years, the advent of Internet-based surveying and online recruitment of respondents has democratized survey research, allowing many researchers and scholars with limited resources to design and conduct their own surveys from scratch. Surveys are also increasingly conducted around the world, outside of the context of advanced democracies where this method originated. Yet these developments have introduced new challenges in terms of ensuring that inferences drawn from survey research are valid. Topics include sampling, survey modes, questionnaire design, survey experiments, pre-analysis plans, ethics and the Institutional Review Board, and analyzing survey data. Prerequisites: L32 263, L32 363 or equivalent or with instructor permission.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, AN Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3511 The Politics of The US Supreme Court

The principal purpose of this course is to provide students with a systematic understanding of the U.S. Supreme Court. After discussing the social scientific study of the Court, we will examine theoretical issues regarding judicial process and politics. This course, unlike the constitutional law classes, does not focus on legal doctrine; rather, it examines political aspects of the Supreme Court, with an emphasis on the social scientific literature on law and politics. We will seek to understand phenomena such as the following: (1) Why does the Court change law? (2) Under what circumstances does the Court overrule precedent? (3) Do elected politicians (such as members of congress) influence how the Court decides cases (4) How does bargaining among the Justices influence the development of legal doctrine? One of the themes in this course is how we can understand the judiciary in terms of a political game. That is, we will examine how the various participants in the judiciary attempt to achieve their goals within the constraints of the institution and its surrounding environment. Additionally, students will write a major research paper in which they will explain a specific set of judicial behaviors or events. The paper requires each student to undertake original research (i.e., the gathering of original evidence) in an effort to test their explanation. This course counts towards the undergraduate American Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3512 The Supreme Court, Law, and Public Policy

Learning how courts interpret policy has become an important component of the policymaker's toolkit. This course aims to introduce policy-oriented students to how Constitutional interpretation touches upon pressing policy questions. Students will engage with what courts expect to see from policymakers, while also learning how to read cases from a lawyer's perspective. Topics covered include federalism, LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, criminal justice issues, voting rights, and political questions and official immunity. Texts will include cases decided by the Supreme Court (including cases from recent terms), and also contemporary scholarship on judicial politics and decision making. Although our focus will be on the Supreme Court, the pedagogical emphasis will be on what policy makers can expect from the courts in terms of federal and state policy implementation. Our goal is that by the end of this course you will be able to: 1. Understand when federal courts will and will not intervene, particularly with regard to key policy and political issues 2. Think critically and assess the ability of courts to be used as instruments of social change 3. Understand what oversight, if any, the courts exercise over federal policy making, including by administrative agencies The course content is divided into four broad units, all of which are essential for understanding the courts' role in the promotion and interpretation of national policy. These are (1) federal courts, their nature, and their limited powers, (2) the courts' role in social movements and as protectors of individual rights and liberties, (3) political questions and immunity, and (4) the complicated relationship between courts and administrative agencies. Note: This course counts toward the undergraduate American Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3565 Understanding Political Protest and Violence

Collective action in the political sphere ranges from nonviolent demonstrations to violent conflict. We will study a range of cases of political protest, from historical to contemporary, using theories and evidence from political science and other disciplines, to identify individual motivations, political contexts, and patterns across time and space. We will analyze a handful of cases in depth, using previously collected data that ranges from interviews to social media accounts and applying techniques suitable to non-quantitative data.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3581 Media and Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3613 Legislative Politics

This course is an introduction to the politics of the U.S. Congress and the federal lawmaking process. We will focus on the behavior of individual legislators and the role that they play in crafting federal legislation in policy areas such as healthcare, civil rights and the environment. In general we examine questions such as: Why do legislators behave as they do? Whose interests are being represented?

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

POLSCI 3620 Game Theory and Strategies of Conflict

How and why do states and other non-state actors bargain, cooperate, and fight? This class will explore the strategic interactions at the heart of international relations, with a focus on interstate and intrastate conflict. We will use models, primarily game theoretic models, to examine how actors make decisions when confronting friends or foes, under constraints, and in environments filled with uncertainty. This class will introduce one way of thinking about conflict in international relations, which emphasizes constructing logical (often mathematical) frameworks to answer questions like: Why do wars start and end? How do states behave in conflict? When and how does coercion work? This course counts towards the undergraduate Political Methodology OR International Politics subfield.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3621 Politics and the Theory of Games

This course is intended to cover through analytical discussion and illustrations the basic concepts and major achievements of Game Theory in different sub-fields of research in the social sciences today. We will discuss examples of the usefulness of cooperative and non-cooperative game theory to the study of human behavior in general and political science and political economy in particular.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: AN Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3630 Quantitative Political Methodology

This is an introduction to research methodology and quantitative analysis for social scientists. Students will be introduced to the logic of social scientific inquiry, and to the basic statistical tools used to study politics. Students will learn and apply the following to answer substantive questions: measurement, descriptive analysis, correlation, graphical analysis, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. Major components of the course include learning how to collect, manage, and analyze data using computer software, and how to effectively communicate to others results from statistical analyses. Students will work collaboratively on research projects where they pose their own questions, design a study, collect and analyze the data, and present their findings in a research paper.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, AN Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3690 Politics of International Trade

In this course we will study the relationship between international trade and domestic politics. We will cover the basic models of international trade, the distributional consequences of international trade, the relationship between trade and economic development, an analysis of the trade protectionism (causes and consequences) and an analysis of international organizations related to international trade (special focus on the World Trade Organization). Prerequisites: L32 103B.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3692 The Politics of Public Policy

Students will learn how politics determines policy. The course will first briefly introduce students to cost-benefit analysis and then will discuss how political ideas, interests, and institutions often move policy outcomes away from those based on cost-benefit analysis.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3720 Topics in International Politics

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: IS EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3722 International Politics, Trust and Public Health

Trust in government shapes a range of important political and social behaviors. In general, low trust in government reduces individuals' willingness to engage and comply with its institutions and policies. Consequently, low levels of trust in government hinder the state's ability to effectively lead during crises, as citizens with a wary view of the state are unlikely to comply with state directives that have direct impact on their personal lives. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the potentially devastating consequences of low levels of trust in government, as individuals around the globe with lower levels of trust were less likely to follow government public health recommendations meant to slow infections and deaths. Furthermore, the adverse consequences of trust deficits extend well beyond the recent COVID-19 pandemic to perceptions of health services more generally. This course analyzes the links between trust and public health outcomes, paying special attention to the different sources of low trust. For example, low trust in government can stem from perceptions of recent performance, and thus be amenable to public relations campaigns to improve citizens' perceptions. This view is consistent with the approach of international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN), who have focused on short-term programs to promote public trust in government as a means to achieve widespread vaccination. Alternatively, trust may result from the lingering effects of influential and traumatic historical events, such as armed conflicts or systematic repression against a particular group or geographic area. Indeed, prominent research in political science and economics indicates that trust in government has enduring geographic variation and is, at least in part, a product of deeply historical factors We explore how the sources of low trust among different groups of citizens influences possible policy solutions to improving levels of trust and, consequently, key public health outcomes. We also explore factors other than trust that influence individuals' adherence to public health recommendations.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 3760 Globalization, Urbanization, and the Environment

Urbanization was a dominant trend in the twentieth century and globalization only acted to accelerate it. The consequence has been a multitude of ecological and social challenges that policy makers and citizens continue to confront. The students participating in this course should expect to learn about these challenges, their relationship to our present environmental emergency, and the potential policy solutions being debated. Students will have an opportunity to propose and defend their own solutions to these challenges.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3763 Topics in Comparative Politics

Urbanization was a dominant trend in the twentieth century and globalization only acted to accelerate it. The consequence has been a multitude of ecological and social challenges that policy makers and citizens continue to confront. The students participating in this course should expect to learn about these challenges, their relationship to our present environmental emergency, and the potential policy solutions being debated. Students will have an opportunity to propose and defend their own solutions to these challenges

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3784 Topics in Comparative Politics: Terrorism and Political Violence

This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

POLSCI 3792 Study Abroad in Environmental Policy: Substantive Distribution

This course is used to award credit for the Substantive Distribution requirement for the Environmental Policy major.

Credit 3 units.

POLSCI 3793 Study Abroad in Environmental Policy: Social Science Distribution

This course is used to award credit for the Social Science Distribution requirement for the Environmental Policy major.

Credit 3 units.

POLSCI 3890 Power, Justice, and the City

This course examines normative theoretical questions of power and justice through the lens of the contemporary city, with a particular focus on American urban life. It explores urban political economic problems, questions of racial hierarchy and racial injustice in the modern metropolis, and the normative and practical dilemmas posed by privatism in cities and their suburbs.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 3930 History of Political Thought III: Liberty, Democracy, and Revolution

How, if at all, should the political institutions of the modern state express and secure the liberty and equality of citizens? What is the political significance of private property? Is world history to be understood as progress towards one best form of government - capitalist democracy, perhaps, or communism? What forces drive history? We shall address these and other timeless political questions through close reading and rigorous analysis of classic texts in the history of Western political thought. Authors to be studied will include Kant, Hegel, Marx, Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: one previous course in political theory or political philosophy. The course is designed to be the third in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought, and students are encouraged but not required to take the courses in chronological sequence.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 3996 Political Science Elective Credit

This course is used for transcribing 3000- level POLSCI elective units.

Credit 3 units. EN: H, S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

POLSCI 4001 American Democracy and the Policy-Making Process

This course is part of the Semester in DC Program

Credit 3 units. EN: S

POLSCI 4005 American Political Parties

This seminar will introduce students to core literature on political parties with a strong bias towards recent research.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

POLSCI 4027 Experiments in Politics

This will be a lab-style seminar in which we will design, field, and analyze an experimental study on political attitudes or political behavior. Our ultimate goal will be to publish a scholarly article in a peer-reviewed journal in political science. PREREQUISITE: L32 363 Quantitative Political Methodology or L32 263 Data Science for Politics (can be taken concurrently)

Credit 3 units. BU: BA

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 4043 Public Policy Analysis, Assessment and Practical Wisdom

This course provides an introduction to the study, professional practice, ex-ante and ex-post assessment of public policy and the professional practice of public analysis. We will rely heavily on David L. Weimer and Aidan R. Vining's text, Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice. This course covers a series of critical concepts in the understanding of practicing, analyzing and assessing public policy.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 4046 Forced Displacement and the Politics of Seeking Refuge

In the last decade, the number of people who are forcibly displaced has more than doubled, and today the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 108.4 million people are forcibly displaced. Among this group, people face distinct legal, social, economic, and political challenges according to their status as refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and others who do not fit these categories. In this course, we will examine the political conditions that forcibly displace people across and within countries including persecution, conflict, and environmental disasters exacerbated by climate change as well as their experiences of seeking refuge. How do international, state, local, and non-governmental institutions cooperate to manage the needs of forcibly displaced persons? In what ways do political pressures create opportunities for and barriers to effective policies to address refugee issues? How do these structural challenges affect forcibly displaced persons, and what strategies do advocates use to improve the human rights of these populations? Throughout the course, we will bear in mind the interconnectedness of macro-level policy-making and micro-level issues that affect the daily lives of individual humans experiencing forced displacement.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 4056 Political Representation

In this class we will study the concept of representation. Historically, how has representation been conceived? Conceptually, what should count as political representation, and must it always be democratic? As a normative problem what should representatives do? And how should institutions be designed to foster these normative ends? Readings will provide a broad overview of the subject, and address enduring questions including problems of minority representation, voting rights, and redistricting. Prerequisites: Political Science L32 106 or L32 107.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: ETH EN: S

POLSCI 4065 Senior Seminar: Religion, Politics, and Community

Religion is a powerful social, economic, and political force across the globe. Its formal authorities and informal influences have changed over time and across space and traditions. Yet even where regular religious practice has become less common, religion remains a means of constructing communities, be it a diaspora, a unique nation within a state, or state-wide national identity or nationalism. Religion intersects with race, gender, and other important social identities, and it overlaps with organized political power from the grassroots to the government. Human relationships with the divine have influenced everyday norms and values, have marked key moments in our life cycle, and have provided material and social psychological resources for communities. In this course, we will examine the political relationships between religion and community from a variety of social scientific perspectives. As a core part of this inquiry, you will conduct an original research paper on a topic of your choice relating to religion, politics, and community. We will work through each step of the scientific method over the course of the semester-using religion and community as a lens and set of thematic examples-and hold guided workshops to facilitate your research process. Prereq: L32 263 OR L32 363 OR department approved equivalent

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4082 Voting Rights

This course will study legal concepts of voting rights and election law that impact the ability of citizens to access and participate in the democratic process. It will include the opportunity for students to directly engage in observing, monitoring, or advancing the right to vote during the 2008 elections. Election law changes rapidly and is the subject of legal and political dispute in a number of areas that will affect the franchise during the 2008 elections. This course will examine federal constitutional and statutory law governing the right of suffrage and assess current controversies in these areas. While there is no specific right to vote explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution, over time, it has been amended or interpreted to protect the right of franchise from being abridged based on race, gender, property ownership, age and other qualifications. Legislative enactments have also established rights with respect to voting. Each extension of voting rights has been a product of and resulted in social and political change. This course will examine the interplay of law and politics in the right to vote. The course will begin with the study of constitutional foundations, statutory protections and case law. We will then apply these principles to current issues in voting rights, including voter registration, voter identification, provisional ballots, voting machines, access for people with disabilities, felony disenfranchisement, voter suppression and voter fraud. Students will apply this knowledge to voting rights during the 2008 elections through hands-on involvement in voter education, monitoring or advocacy. The course will conclude with an assessment of the current issues in light of observations made by students during the 2008 elections, with an eye toward the advancement of election law and full enfranchisement in the future. The course involves the study of fundamental Supreme Court cases, interactive discussion of contemporary debates, and review of current litigation and legislative proposals. The course will be supplemented by occasional guest visits by election officials, lawyers, legislators, voting rights advocates or others.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4103 Fascism and the Far Right in Europe

Across Europe and beyond, parties on the far right have become a substantial force in contemporary politics. Some analysts have raised questions about these parties' ties to fascism, as characterized regimes such as Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, and Hitler's Germany. How do today's far right actors compare to those of the past, and what can we learn from the comparison of the present moment to history? In this class, we will study both the extreme and radical right in Europe over time through the lens of three cases: Italy, Spain, and Germany. We will analyze both the conditions for popular support (demand) and political opportunity structures (supply) that allow(ed) far right actors to gain and maintain authority. We will also assess the strategies of these actors through themes of race and migration, security and foreign policy, gender, and religion. As we develop this discussion, you will conduct further research into a single topic that interests you, in the course cases or another case of your choice. Since an essential element of far right politics is the rejection of either the liberal elements of democracy (e.g. minority rights) or the principles of democracy entirely (including the electoral process), you will present your research through a creative medium aimed at a public audience, with the goal of promoting civic engagement. Prereqs: Intro to Comparative Politics OR Intro to International Politics

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4115 Immigration, Identity, and the Internet

This class exmines a critical issue in contemporary societies: How do changes in technology affect the process of immigration and how immigrant identity is shaped?

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SC, WI Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4160 Contemporary Issues in Latin America

How do the institutional designs of contemporary democratic governments help us understand the nature and quality of representation? We will concentrate on variations in the powers granted presidents by constitutions as well as the institutional determinants of whether executives are likely to find support for their policies in the legislature. In addition, we will explore how incentives established by electoral laws influence the priorities of members of congress.  Given all these variations in democratic institutional design, can voters go to the polls with the confidence that politicians will implement the economic policies for which their parties have long stood or which they promised in their campaigns?

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: IS

POLSCI 4250 Comparative Political Parties

An introduction to theories and concepts used in the analysis of political parties in democratic regimes, with emphasis on the classic literature covering West European advanced industrial democracies and the more recent scholarship on Latin American party systems. The course illuminates the complex aims consequences, and characteristics of modern party politics.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S

POLSCI 4271 Topics in Politics:

Topics will vary each semester.

Credit 3 units. BU: BA

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4306 Global Justice

This course examines contemporary debates and controversies regarding global justice. Seminar discussions will be arranged around significant issues in the current literature. for example: What (if anything) do we owe to the distantly needy? Do we have special obligations to our compatriots? Do political borders have normative significance? And so on. This course will be of interest not only to political theorists, but also students in other fields interested in social justice or international relations generally.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 4442 The Supreme Court and Public Opinion

The Supreme Court is the least representative branch of the federal government and also the most insulated from public opinion. Even so, it enjoys the highest levels of public approval, with public support that far outpaces support for Congress or the Presidency. This course will explore this tension and will investigate why and how the public opinion influences the Court and vice versa. Throughout, we will interrogate the basic presumption that the Court is, and ought to be, insulated from the public. We will also engage these questions through the vantage point of key Supreme Court caselaw involving civil rights and reproductive freedoms.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC

Typical periods offered: Spring

POLSCI 4465 Black Life and the Law

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC BU: BA, HUM

POLSCI 4553 Comparative Political Economy

This seminar will introduce the student to aspects of social choice theory, applied to themes to do with the economic origins of democracy, democratization and the stability of social orders. We shall read and discuss a number of recent books: Acemoglu and Robinson on Economic Origins; North, Weingast and Wallis on Violence and Social Order; Przeworski on Democracy and Development; Ferguson on Money; Collier on Wars Guns and Votes. If time permits I also hope to discuss recent work by Stern on the Economics of Climate Change. Students will be expected to work on two short research paper, either empirically or theoretically based, and make a presentation of their work near the end of the semester.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

POLSCI 4652 Democracy and Inequality in an Age of Globalization

This is a course on comparative political economy that explores whether open, liberal democratic societies can provide relative economic equality while at the same time guaranteeing untrammeled flows of goods and services across borders. The course is based on close reading of recent research in economics and political science.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC

Typical periods offered: Fall

POLSCI 4756 Psychology of War

Why does war occur? Why does it last so long? What are its long-term effects on the people that lived through them? This course is designed to shed light on these questions, examining the interaction of psychological and strategic processes in international war and conflict. We will critically examine how psychological factors such as emotions, identity, cognition, and motivation impact (and are impacted by) political violence. We will examine these processes in the context of crisis diplomacy, national security policy, war, post-conflict reconstruction, and more. Specific examples of potential topics include: the global War on Terror, ongoing intractable conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, diplomatic standoffs between the US and adversaries such as North Korea and Russia, and refugee and migration crises around the globe. By the end of this course, students should have a clear understanding of how political conflict both affects and is affected by human psychology, and the implications this has for addressing a host of political problems and challenges.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, WI Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 4900 Senior Thesis Research

Intensive research. To be conducted under the supervision and guidance of a faculty sponsor of the thesis.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 4905 Research Design and Methods

This course provides an introduction to qualitative and quantitative research methods in political science. Topics address issues related to theory building as well as theory testing. Technical issues related to these methods are not the focus of this course, as are theoretical issues regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. Ultimately, the goal of this course is twofold: (1) to instruct students to critically analyze scholarly articles with particular attention to research design, and (2) to guide students in how to design an original research project. Both the reading assignments, including methodological and applied readings, and the written assignments are directed toward these goals.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 4912 Directed Readings

This is a course of readings in political science taken under the direction of an instructor in the department.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 4913 Directed Research

Research activities or project in political science done under the direction of an instructor in the department.

Credit 3 units.

Typical periods offered: Fall, Spring

POLSCI 4996 Political Science Elective Credit

Credit 0 units. EN: H, S