INTRO TO AMERICAN POLITICS
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles of American politics and governance. Upon completing the class, students should be more informed about the American political process and better able to explain contemporary American political phenomena, as well as being more likely to engage with politics and elections.
- TR 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
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Instructor:
Oliver A McClellan
h-index: 3 Info - 4 points
INTRO-AMERICAN POLITICS-DISC
- M 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
- M 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- T 11:10 a.m.-noon
- T 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
- W 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
- T 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
- T 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- R 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
- R 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- F 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- F 11:10 a.m.-noon
- W 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- M 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- M 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
- R 2:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
- R 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Haichao Wu
Info - 0 points
INTRO TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS
This course provides a broad overview of the comparative politics subfield by focusing on important substantive questions about the world today. The course is organized around four questions. First, why can only some people depend upon the state to enforce order? Second, how can we account for the differences between autocracies and democracies? Third, what different institutional forms does democratic government take? Finally, are some institutions more likely than others to produce desirable social outcomes such as accountability, redistribution, and political stability?
- TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
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Instructor:
Kimuli Kasara
CULPA: 26 h-index: 8 Info - 4 points
INTRO-COMPARATIVE POLITCS-DISC
This is the required discussion section for POLS UN1501.
- M 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
- M 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
- T 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- T 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
- M 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- W 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Ella E Bayi
Info - 0 points
WHAT WAS NAZISM?
How did political theory explain the rise of Nazism in Germany? What models did it develop to understand the structure of the Nazi state, politics and the economy? What can we learn from this for dealing with the crises of democracy and the emergence of authoritarian politics today? This course in political theory and the history of political thought will explore contemporary answers to these questions. It will explore the thought of crucial thinkers on the problems and pitfalls of modern parliamentary democracy such as Max Weber and Hans Kelsen, as well as some of the most influential theoretical voices associated with ideas of Fascism, Totalitarianism and Anti-Semitism such as Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Ernst Fraenkel and Hannah Arendt.
The course will be structured around texts mainly from the 1920s to the 1960s which still have relevance for political theory today. A strong emphasis will be laid on originally German thinkers who fled to the US in the time of Nazi rule and who contributed decisively to American political science and its particular outlook in the post-war era.
This course aims to contextualise the discussed texts within the intellectual world of their own time. Students with an interest in twentieth century political, intellectual and social history will, therefore, be particularly welcome. However, the questions raised in the set texts also demand a theoretical and creative engagement with questions of good democratic rule, the challenges of mass society and participation, political in- and exclusion, minority rights and the emergence of terror and authoritarian rule. Additionally there will be a midterm and a final exam which will examine both students’ understanding of the set texts as well as their own thinking on the political theoretical problems raised in this course.
- MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Clara Maier
Info - 3 points
LIBERALISM:ORIGINS&CHALLENGES
Liberalism is a moral and political outlook that stresses the equal worth of individuals and advocates a range of rights protecting individual conscience, speech, association, movement, and property. This course explores the historical origins, moral claims, and contemporary controversies of liberal thought. Students will investigate the conceptual foundations of liberalism and consider several contemporary critical challenges liberals face. The course is divided into topics that each focus on a particular type of challenge. How, if at all, can liberals accommodate the claims of equality, community, national, multiculturalism, feminism, value pluralism, and moral skepticism?
- MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Luke S Macinnis
CULPA: 7
Info
- 3 points
THE AMERICAN CONGRESS
Prerequisites: POLS W1201 or the equivalent, or the instructors permission. Inquiry into the dynamics, organization, and policy-making processes of the American Congress. Particular emphasis on the relationship of legislators to constituents, lobbyists, bureaucrats, the president, and with one another.
- TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Gregory Wawro
CULPA: 32 h-index: 13 Info - 3 points
FREEDOM OF SPEECH & PRESS
Examines the constitutional right of freedom of speech and press in the United States. Examines, in depth, various areas of law, including extremist or seditious speech, obscenity, libel, fighting words, the public forum doctrine, and public access to the mass media. Follows the law school course model, with readings focused on actual judicial decisions.
- MW 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Lee C Bollinger
CULPA: 27
Wikipedia
Info
- 3 points
VOTING AND AMERICAN POLITICS
Elections and public opinion; history of U.S. electoral politics; the problem of voter participation; partisanship and voting; accounting for voting decisions; explaining and forecasting election outcomes; elections and divided government; money and elections; electoral politics and representative democracy.
- MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
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Instructor:
Robert Erikson
CULPA: 20 Wikipedia h-index: 59 Info - 3 points
AUTOCRACY AND DEMOCRACY
With longstanding democracies in Europe and the US faltering, autocratic regimes in Russia and China consolidating, and hybrid regimes that mix elements of democracy and autocracy on the rise, scholars, policymakers, and citizens are re-evaluating the causes and consequences of different forms of government. This course is designed to give students the tools to understand these trends in global politics. Among other topics, we will explore: How do democracies and autocracies differ in theory and in practice? Why are some countries autocratic? Why are some democratic? What are the roots of democratic erosion? How does economic inequality influence a country’s form of government? Is the current period of institutional foment different past periods of global instability? This course will help students keep up with rapidly unfolding events, but is designed primarily to help them develop tools for interpreting and understanding the current condition of democracy and autocracy in the world.
- TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Timothy M Frye
CULPA: 8
Wikipedia
h-index: 31
Info
- 3 points
ENDING WAR & BUILDING PEACE
This course provides an introduction to the politics of war termination and peace consolidation. The course examines the challenges posed by ending wars and the process by which parties to a conflict arrive at victory, ceasefires, and peace negotiations. It explores how peace is sustained, why peace lasts in some cases and breaks down in others and what can be done to make peace more stable, focusing on the role of international interventions, power-sharing arrangements, reconciliation between adversaries, and reconstruction.
- TR 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Sarah Daly
Info - 3 points
RESEARCH DESIGN: DATA ANALYSIS
This course examines the basic methods data analysis and statistics that political scientists use in quantitative research that attempts to make causal inferences about how the political world works. The same methods apply to other kinds of problems about cause and effect relationships more generally. The course will provide students with extensive experience in analyzing data and in writing (and thus reading) research papers about testable theories and hypotheses. It will cover basic data analysis and statistical methods, from univariate and bivariate descriptive and inferential statistics through multivariate regression analysis. Computer applications will be emphasized. The course will focus largely on observational data used in cross-sectional statistical analysis, but it will consider issues of research design more broadly as well. It will assume that students have no mathematical background beyond high school algebra and no experience using computers for data analysis.
- MW 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
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Instructor:
Shigeo Hirano
CULPA: 3
Info
- 3 points
Experimental Research
Randomized experimentation is an important methodology in political science. In this course, we will discuss the logic of experimentation, its strengths and weaknesses compared to other methodologies, and the ways in which experimentation has been -- and could be -- used to investigate political phenomena. Students will learn how to interpret, design, and execute experiments.
- TR 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Yamil R Velez
CULPA: 1 h-index: 8 Info - 4 points
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH-DISC
This is the required discussion section for POLS UN3768.
- W 11:10 a.m.-noon
- W 5:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Julian E Gerez
h-index: 2 Info - 0 points
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH I
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Instructor:
Jean L Cohen
CULPA: 7 Wikipedia h-index: 63 Info -
Instructor:
Robert L Amdur
CULPA: 16
Info
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Instructor:
Allison J Carnegie
Info - 1-6 points
SEMINAR IN POLITCAL THEORY
POPULISM, DEMOCRACY & RIGHTS
Seminar in Political Theory. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jean L Cohen
CULPA: 7 Wikipedia h-index: 63 Info - 4 points
SEMINAR IN POLITCAL THEORY
HOBBES'S POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Seminar in Political Theory. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- T 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
David C Johnston
CULPA: 25 Info - 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
BUREAUCRATIC POLITICS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Michael Ting
CULPA: 4 Info - 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
POLIT PARTIES IN US POLITICS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- T 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
Shigeo Hirano
CULPA: 3
Info
- 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
SEXUALITY & CITIZENSHIP IN US
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Justin H Phillips
CULPA: 23
Info
- 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
MEDIA & AMERICAN POLITICS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- T 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Brigitte Nacos
CULPA: 23 Wikipedia Info - 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
POLITICS OF INCOME INEQUALITY
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- M 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Judith Russell
CULPA: 49 Info - 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
IMMIGRATION POLICY & POLITICS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Carlos Vargas-Ramos
CULPA: 4 Info - 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
EQUALITY AND THE LAW
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Robert L Amdur
CULPA: 16
Info
- 4 points
AMERICAN POLITICS SEMINAR
PUB OPINION & POL PARTIES
Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Seminar in American Politics Seminar. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Oliver A McClellan
h-index: 3 Info - 4 points
COMPARATIVE POLITICS SEMINAR
INFORMATION MEDIA POL BEHAV
Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Pre-registration is not permitted. Please see here for detailed seminar registration guidelines: http://polisci.columbia.edu/undergraduate-programs/seminar-registration-guidelines. Seminar in Comparative Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
John Marshall
h-index: 20 Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
ADVANCES IN INTL POLITICAL ECO
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- R 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
Allison J Carnegie
Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
COERCION AND WORLD POLITICS
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- T 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
Sarah Daly
Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
RULES OF WAR
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alexander de la Paz
CULPA: 2 Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
INEQUALITY WITHIN&BTWN NATIONS
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- T 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
David E Spiro
CULPA: 1 h-index: 6 Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- W 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
Jack L Snyder
CULPA: 27 Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SEMINAR
SOLVING GLOBAL PROBLEMS
Prerequisites: POLS UN1601 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Seminar in International Politics. Students who would like to register should join the electronic wait list. For list of topics and descriptions see: https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate-seminars
- M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Giulio M Gallarotti
Info - 4 points
HONORS SEMINAR
Prerequisites: admission to the departmental honors program. A two-term seminar for students writing the senior honors thesis.
- M 8:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
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Instructor:
Macartan Humphreys
h-index: 39 Info - 4 points
POLIT THOUGHT-CLASSICL AND MEDIEVAL
Prerequisites: Contemporary Civilization or a comparable introduction to political theory course. The course examines the historical and theoretical foundations of democracy. The underlying assumption is that political arrangements and institutions are the embodiment of political ideas and theories. The course will investigate the historical emergence of democracy as a form of government based on equality before the law and equal access to all citizens to the deliberative, decisional and control processes. The historical starting point is identified in Solon’s reforms in Athens which dramatically broke the hegemony of ancient nobility; we will then study Cleisthenes’ reforms and their redefinition of citizenry; in the context of the new political ideal of isonomia. We will proceed to examine the theoretical debate of the fifth century BCE, which includes Herodotus (III, 80-82), Thucydides and Protagoras. We will then examine the criticism levelled at democracy by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle: their thought enables us to compare the ancient idea of democracy to our own. Finally, we will study the Roman contribution to the theory of democracy, namely Cicero’s ideal of ‘republic’ and the role that ius, codified law, played in it.
- TR 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
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Instructor:
Giovanni Giorgini
Info - 3 points
MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
Interpretations of civil society and the foundations of political order according to the two main traditions of political thought--contraction and Aristotelian. Readings include works by Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Montesquieu, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Saint-Simon, Tocqueville, Marx, and Mill.
- MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
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Instructor:
Nadia Urbinati
CULPA: 29 Wikipedia Info - 4 points
MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT-DISC
- W 2:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
- W 6:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
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Instructor:
Rebecca S Marwege
Info - 0 points
POLITICS IN RUSSIA
This course begins by studying the late Soviet era—the 1970s through the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991--in order to understand what kind of political system and political culture Russia inherited. We spend some time analyzing why and how the Soviet Union—a superpower for 75 years—disintegrated suddenly and for the most part, peacefully. Then, the bulk of the course focuses on state-building in the Russian Federation. Russia’s effort to construct new political institutions, a functioning economy, and a healthy society represents one of the greatest political dramas of our time. Beginning with Yeltsin’s presidency in 1991 and continuing through the current eras of Putin, Medvedev, and Putin again, we consider phenomena such as economic reform, nationalism, separatism, federalism, war, legal reform, civil society, and democratization. The third part of the course addresses Russia’s foreign relations. Like its predecessor states, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, Russia is concerned with what kind of state it is (or should be) and where it stands in the international order. We will study how Russian elites make sense of Russia’s identity, as well as Russia’s policies toward the US, Europe, its “near abroad,” the Middle East, and China.
- TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
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Instructor:
Elise Giuliano
CULPA: 6
Info
- 4 points
POLITICL SYSTEMS OF SOUTH ASIA
This course first compares the post-independence political histories of South Asian countries, particularly India and Pakistan. It then explores selected topics across countries: social and cultural dimensions of politics; structures of power; and political behavior. The underlying theme is to explain the development and durability of the particular political regimes - democratic or authoritarian - in each country.
- MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Philip K Oldenburg
CULPA: 13 Info - 4 points
CHINESE POLITICS
This course offers a historical and thematic survey of Chinese politics and of salient issues in China’s public policy and governance. The first half of the course reviews the patterns and dynamics of political development in China, focusing mainly on the last two hundred years, during which the country has been on a rugged yet fascinating path toward modernity. We will examine major political events including the collapse of the Imperial China, the rise of the Communist Party, the Cultural Revolution, and the post-Mao shift toward reform and opening. The second half of the course will look various special topics, including the structure of the party and the state, the relationship between state and society, the modes of economic development, and the governance of the media and the Internet. Throughout the course, special attention will be paid to how China’s domestic political and economic processes intersected with major world events and transnational forces, such as imperialism, world wars, and economic globalization.
- TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Junyan Jiang
h-index: 8 Info - 3 points
JAPANESE POLITICS
Surveys key features of the Japanese political system, with focus on political institutions and processes. Themes include party politics, bureaucratic power, the role of the Diet, voting behavior, the role of the state in the economy, and the domestic politics of foreign policy.
- W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Daniel Smith
h-index: 17 Info - 4 points
CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN POLITICS
This course aims to teach students what, if any, answers social scientists have to the questions that concern anyone with an interest in African politics: 1) Why have democratic governments flourished in some countries and not others? 2) What institutions may enable Africans to hold their leaders accountable? 3) How do people participate in politics? 4) In what ways do aspiring African political leaders build public support? 5) To what extent does persistent poverty on the continent have political causes? and 6) Why is violence used to resolve some political disputes and not others?
- MW 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Kimuli Kasara
CULPA: 26 h-index: 8 Info - 3 points
MATH & STATS FOR POLI SCI
This course presents basic mathematical and statistical concepts that are essential for formal and quantitative analysis in political science research. It prepares students for the graduate-level sequence on formal models and quantitative political methodology offered in the department. The first half of the course will cover basic mathematics, such as calculus and linear algebra. The second half of the course will focus on probability theory and statistics. We will rigorously cover the topics that are directly relevant to formal and quantitative analysis in political science such that students can build both intuitions and technical skills. There is no prerequisite. The course is aimed for both students with little exposure to mathematics and those who have taken some courses but wish to gain a more solid foundation.
NOTE: This course does not satisfy the Political Science Major/Concentration research methods requirement.
- MW 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Naoki Egami
h-index: 8 Info - 4 points
MATH & STATS FOR POLI SCI-DISC
This is the required discussion section for
POLS GU4700.
- F 2:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
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Instructor:
Arnaud A Maurel
Info - 0 points
PRINC OF QUANT POL RESEARCH 1
We will go through the first half of the book, Regression and Other Stories, by Andrew Gelman, Jennifer Hill, and Aki Vehtari (Cambridge University Press). There is a follow-up course, Principles of Quantitative Political Research 2 (POLS 4712), which covers the second half of the book, including logistic regression, generalized linear models, poststratification, design of studies, and causal inference.
Topics covered in the course include: • Applied regression: measurement, data visualization, modeling and inference, transformations, and linear regression.
• Simulation, model fitting, and programming in R.
• Key statistical problems include adjusting for differences between sample and population, adjusting for differences between treatment and control groups, extrapolating from past to future, and using observed data to learn about latent constructs of interest.
• We focus on social science applications, including but not limited to: public opinion and voting, economic and social behavior, and policy analysis.
- MW 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
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Instructor:
Andrew Gelman
CULPA: 6 Wikipedia h-index: 112 Info - 4 points
PRINC OF QUANT POL RESEARCH 1-DISC
PRINC OF QUANT POL RES 1-
This is the required discussion section for
POLS GU4710.
- M 11:10 a.m.-noon
- T 7:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Manu Singh
h-index: 2 Info -
Instructor:
Samuel J Houskeeper
Info - 0 points
QUANT METH 3 EXPERIMENTAL METH
In this course, we will discuss the logic of experimentation, its strengths and weaknesses compared to other methodologies, and the ways in which experimentation has been — and could be — used to investigate social phenomena. Students will learn how to interpret, design, and execute experiments. Special attention will be devoted to field experiments, or randomized trials conducted in real-world settings.
Prerequisites: Students should have taken at least one or two semesters of statistics. Some understanding of probability, hypothesis testing, and regression are assumed. Familiarity with statistical software such as R is helpful. We will be working with data in class throughout the term. The examples used in the textbook and lectures are written in R, and R tutorials will be taught in special sessions early in the term.
- TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Donald P Green
CULPA: 2 h-index: 87 Info - 4 points
QUANTITATIVE METHODS 3: DISCUSSION
QUANT METH 3-DISC
This is the required discussion section for
POLS GU4724.
- F 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
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Instructor:
Carolina Bernal Uribe
Info - 0 points
RESEARCH TOPICS IN GAME THEORY
Prerequisites: POLS W4730 or the instructors permission. Advanced topics in game theory will cover the study of repeated games, games of incomplete information and principal-agent models with applications in the fields of voting, bargaining, lobbying and violent conflict. Results from the study of social choice theory, mechanism design and auction theory will also be treated. The course will concentrate on mathematical techniques for constructing and solving games. Students will be required to develop a topic relating political science and game theory and to write a formal research paper.
- TR 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
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Instructor:
Carlo Prato
h-index: 11 Info - 4 points
CYBER STRATEGY & INT'L POLS
The emergence of cyberspace as an arena for strategic competition and, potentially, conflict between political actors has prompted scholars and practitioners alike to seek to understand behavior in cyberspace and its implications through the lens of central concepts in international politics. In this course, we will explore the causes and consequences of state and non-state behavior in cyberspace from the perspective of international relations theory and grand strategy. Specifically, the course aims to answer three related, foundational questions. First, what accounts for the behavior of political organizations in cyberspace, as well as patterns of cyber behavior in the international system? Second, how can core theories of international politics and security studies account for state and non-state behavior in cyberspace, and where do they fall short? And finally, what are the implications for significant outcomes in international politics, including systemic stability, the balance of power, escalation, warfighting, arms control, global governance, and other important variables? The course will further assess the consequences for U.S. cyber policy, and U.S. strategy in general, although it will also cover strategies and policies of a number of different important actors around the world from both a U.S. and non-U.S. perspective. The course is organized into three blocks. The first block covers key definitions and theoretical concepts and their application to cyberspace; the second explores implications for international politics; and the third is focused on policy applications.
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Erica D Borghard
h-index: 11 Info - 4 points
ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY, POLI
ISRAELI NATL SEC STRAT PO
Ever since its establishment, Israel has confronted an external environment of nearly unremitting hostility. Repeated wars, perpetual hostilities at lower levels, the failed peace processes with the Palestinians and Syria, and even the “cold” peace with Egypt and Jordan, have reinforced this image. As a result, national security has been at the forefront of Israeli life for six decades. Israel has responded by building a disproportionate national security establishment and by developing a "hunkering down" decision making style. Due to the importance of the Middle East, from the Cold War to this day, as well as its own unique circumstances, Israel has also become an important player in the international arena, far beyond its size. The course is designed for those with a general interest in Israel and the Middle East, especially those interested in national security affairs, military strategy, foreign policy and decision making, students of comparative politics and practitioners/future practitioners, with an interest in "real world" international relations and national security. It focuses on the basic tenets of Israeli foreign and defense strategy, the threats and opportunities facing Israel today, structures and processes of Israeli national security decision making, including their strengths and weaknesses, and the role of the peace process in Israel’s national security strategic thinking. The course presumes reasonable familiarity with Israel and the Middle East. For those in need of further background, a number of basic texts are suggested below.
- F 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
Charles D Freilich
CULPA: 2 Info - 4 points
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
This course explores key frameworks and issue areas within international political economy. It examines the history and key characteristics of (economic) globalization, the theories of international cooperation, as well as the nature and role of international organizations (such as the World Trade Organization) in fostering trade and international economic cooperation. Furthermore, the course discusses the pros and cons of globalization and its implications on domestic policies of nation-states, with a particular focus on the tensions globalization creates and the lines of cleavages between winners and losers from globalization. Finally, the course reflects on the future of globalization and international trade and the challenges faced by national and supranational policy makers.
- TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Davit Sahakyan
CULPA: 1 Info - 4 points
INT'L POLITICAL ECONOMY-DISC
This is the required discussion section for
POLS GU4865.
- M 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- M 4:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
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Instructor:
Marnie A Ginis
Info - 0 points
WAR, PEACE & STRATEGY
Survey of the causes of war and peace, functions of military strategy, interaction of political ends and military means. Emphasis on 20th-century conflicts; nuclear deterrence; economic, technological, and moral aspects of strategy; crisis management; and institutional norms and mechanisms for promoting stability.
- MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
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Instructor:
Richard K Betts
CULPA: 16
Info
- 4 points
WAR, PEACE & STRATEGY-DISC
This is the required discussion section for POLS GU4895.
- T 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
- R 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
- F 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- F 3:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jenny W Xiao
Info - 0 points
M.A. PROSEMINAR
This course introduces students to the different subfields of the discipline by presenting various perspectives on one key topic in political science. Throughout the course, both theoretical and empirical debates surrounding the study of democracy are explored. Although the specific topic may change from year to year, the goal and structure of the course will remain the same: to contribute to the students understanding of an important topic in political science and discuss it through the lens of the different subfields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. By doing so, students will also learn the technical language, important concepts, and different methodological approaches of each subfield. Please note that this course is only for students in the Political Science Departments M.A. Program.
- F 10:10 a.m.-noon
- F 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Chiara Superti
CULPA: 3
Info
- 4 points
ISSUES IN POLITICAL THEORY
Prerequisites: the instructors permission prior to registration. A survey of selected issues and debates in political theory. Areas of the field discussed include normative political philosophy, history of political thought, and the design of political and social institutions.
- T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Turkuler Isiksel
CULPA: 3
h-index: 9
Info
- 4 points
ISSUES & DEBATES-AMER POLITICS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission prior to registration. Please contact the instructors for more information. This graduate student field survey provides an overview of the scholarly study of American politics. The course has been designed for students who intend to specialize in American politics, as well as for those students whose primary interests are comparative politics, international relations, or political theory, but who desire an intensive introduction to the ;American; style of political science.
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Justin H Phillips
CULPA: 23
Info
- 4 points
COMPARATIVE POLITICS SURVEY I
This is the first course in the two-semester sequence surveying covering foundational research in comparative politics across the developed and developing world. The course is designed for Ph.D. students preparing for comprehensive exams and who intend to conduct research relating to comparative politics, and has two core objectives. The first objective is to expose students to a range of arguments organized around questions motivating major research agendas in comparative politics. The second objective is to expose students to processes of theorizing, hypothesis formation, and testing and to strengthen students’ analytical skills in evaluating and critiquing political science research. It should go without saying that these two classes cannot exhaustively cover the many important works, topics, and methodologies in the field. The Fall semester of this sequence will primarily focus on citizen-level and politician-level behaviors, while the Spring semester will focus on more macro-level institutions and applications of the building blocks covered in this course. However, it is not necessary to take the classes in a particular order.
- W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Maria Victoria Murillo
h-index: 37 Info - 4 points
THEORIES OF INT'L RELATIONS
Prerequisites: the instructors permission prior to registration. Issues and problems in theory of international politics; systems theories and the current international system; the domestic sources of foreign policy and theories of decision making; transnational forces, the balance of power, and alliances.
- M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jack L Snyder
CULPA: 27 Info - 4 points
COLL IN POLITICAL THOUGHT
FASCISM
Is fascism a threat today in the West, as it once was between the two world wars? What is distinctive about fascist movements or movement parties, when and why do they succeed in entering government and what are the tensions and dynamics of fascism in power as distinct from other authoritarian governments and regimes? Is there a specific trajectory to fascist regimes and if so, how does it relate to empire or imperialist expansion? The first part of this course will develop a working definition or ideal type of fascism as a movement, as a party in government, and as a distinct regime type, through a comparative analysis of the relevant cases in Italy, Germany, France and the United States. The second part of the course will focus on 7 conceptual and analytic issues: the political structure of fascist regimes and the totalitarianism debate; the relationship of fascism to capitalism; fascist legality; fascist ideology; the mass psychology of fascism; the relationship of fascism to nationalism and empire and finally the comparison of fascism to populism. Throughout, our interest will be the distinctiveness of Fascism as a subtype of authoritarianism, the contemporary relevance of fascism and the similarities and differences (and possible convergences) with contemporary populism.
- W 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jean L Cohen
CULPA: 7 Wikipedia h-index: 63 Info - 4 points
COLLOQ ON POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
Courses on public opinion and political behavior (including the GR8210 seminar taught by Professor Shapiro) ordinarily move briskly through a wide array of topics having to do with how American tend to think and act. This class has a narrower scope but tries to delve more deeply into the literature. We focus on four topics that are arguably crucial understanding contemporary American politics (and perhaps the politics of other times and places).
The first topic addresses what might be thought of as the legacies of slavery: prejudice, resentment, racial/ethnic group identification, issue preferences on topics that are directly or indirectly connected to race/ethnicity, and group differences in political behavior.
The second topic considers the literature on partisanship and polarization, as well as related topics on “macropartisan” change and party realignment. What are the causes of micro- and macropartisan change, and what are its consequences?
The third topic is support for democratic norms, civil liberties, and respect for the rights of unpopular groups. How deeply committed are Americans to democratic values and constitutional rights?
The fourth topic is the influence of media on public opinion, a vast topic that includes the effects of advertising, news, social media, narrative entertainment, and so forth.
Although we will be focusing on just four broad topics, time constraints nevertheless prevent us from covering more than a fraction of each scholarly literature. Students are encouraged to read beyond the syllabus, and I am happy to offer suggestions.
- W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Donald P Green
CULPA: 2 h-index: 87 Info - 4 points
Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
- T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Yamil R Velez
CULPA: 1 h-index: 8 Info - 4 points
POLIT ECONOMY OF DEVELOPMENT
Why are some nations able to grow and prosper while others mired in conflicts and poverty? What are the political factors that shape countries’ success in growing their economies How does economic progress affect a regime’s ability to stay in power and the prospects and direc-tions of political changes? This course addresses these questions by introducing students to major ideas and findings from both classical and cutting-edge scholarship on political economy of de-velopment. The first part of the course will review major episodes of growth (or the lack thereof) in human history and how they influenced the theoretical paradigms for studying development. The second half of the course will be devoted to more specialized topics, examining how differ-ent institutions, strategies, and contingencies affect countries’ economic fortunes. The goal of the course is to help you acquire the necessary conceptual and empirical toolkit for digesting and producing scholarly knowledge about the origins and consequences of economic development.
- F 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Junyan Jiang
h-index: 8 Info - 4 points
POL ECON ANALYS OF POL BEHAVIOR
This course examines comparative political behavior from a political economy perspective, focusing on how incentives drive the micro-level behavior of voters and politicians. Students will rigorously examine contemporary debates, both theoretically and empirically. Student will also combine formal models and modern research designs to generate hypotheses, identify causal effects, and ultimately seek to interpret them. The course draws from evidence from across the democratic world. The goals of this course are twofold. The substantive goal is to familiarize students with theoretical arguments and frontier empirical evidence pertaining to central questions in comparative political economy. The methodological goal is to help students think critically and conduct cutting edge research. Specifically, the course aims to empower students to read and even write formal models, implement modern causal inference techniques in their research, and combine the two approaches to interpret the evidence.
- R 10:10 a.m.-noon
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Instructor:
John Marshall
h-index: 20 Info - 4 points
CHINESE POLIT ECON-COMP PERSP
Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. A graduate seminar designed to explore the content, process, and problems of China's political and economic reforms in comparative perspective. Please see the Courseworks site for details
THEORIES OF WAR AND PEACE
In this course we undertake a comprehensive review of the literature on the causes of war and the conditions of peace, with a primary focus on interstate war. We focus primarily on theory and empirical research in political science but give some attention to work in other disciplines. We examine the leading theories, their key concepts and causal variables, the causal paths leading to war or to peace, and the conditions under which various outcomes are most likely to occur. We also give some attention to the degree of empirical support for various theories and hypotheses, and we look at some of the major empirical research programs on the origins and expansion of war. Our survey includes research utilizing qualitative methods, large-N quantitative methods, formal modeling, and experimental approaches. We also give considerable attention to methodological questions relating to epistemology and research design. Our primary focus, however, is on the logical coherence and analytic limitations of the theories and the kinds of research designs that might be useful in testing them. This course is designed primarily for graduate students who want to understand and contribute to the theoretical and empirical literature in political science on war, peace, and security. Students with different interests and students from other departments can also benefit from the seminar and are also welcome. Ideally, members of the seminar will have some familiarity with basic issues in international relations theory, philosophy of science, research design, and statistical methods.
DISSERTATION SEMINAR
Provides students the opportunity to present draft dissertation proposals and draft dissertation chapters.
- F 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jeffrey R Lax
CULPA: 32 h-index: 22 Info - 4 points