All information in this guide is tentative and subject to change. Check the Political Science Department Office for updates.  Information on rooms and times for the classes listed can be obtained from the university-wide Time Schedule of Classes or from the Political Science office.

“Cross listed” Courses: These may apply to a Political Science major or minor without a petition, regardless of the departmental prefix. For example, if you take African-American Politics as AAS 306, you do not need to petition to apply it to your Political Science major.

"Meets With” Courses": If you take a “Meets With” course under a departmental prefix other than PSC, you will need to petition to count that course towards your Political Science major or minor.

Courses with international content are designated with an asterisk [*].

Current information on rooms and times for classes can be obtained on your MySlice or from the Political Science office.

PSC 121 m100 American National Government and Politics

Instructor: Mark Brockway

Class #: 10426

Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm - 2:55 pm

Frequency Offered: Every semester

Prerequisites: None

This course is required for all students who are majoring in Political Science.

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 10691 (Section 101) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25 am

Discussion # 12226 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35 am-11:30 am

Discussion # 12227 (Section 103) Thursdays 11:00 am-11:55 am

Discussion # 10692 (Section 104) Fridays 8:25 am-9:20 am

Discussion # 10693 (Section 105) Thursdays 3:30 pm-4:25 pm

Discussion # 10694 (Section 106) Thursdays 5:00 pm-5:55 pm

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

How does the American political system operate? This course provides an introduction to American political ideas, institutions, behaviors, and processes. Topics include (among other things) public opinion, elections, Congress, the presidency, the mass media, civic participation, the Constitution, federalism, and public policy. Although we will cover the “nuts and bolts” of American government, our focus is on political science rather than civics, which means our task is to analyze and interpret political phenomena.

PSC 121 m200 American National Government and Politics

Instructor: Baobao Zhang

Class #: 10936

Offered: M/W 10:35 am – 11:30 am

Frequency Offered: Every semester

Prerequisites: None

This course is required for all students who are majoring in political science.

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 10937 (Section 201) Thursdays 3:30 pm-4:25 pm

Discussion # 10938 (Section 202) Thursdays 5:00 pm-5:55 pm

Discussion # 10939 (Section 203) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25 am

Discussion # 10940 (Section 204) Fridays 8:25 am-9:20 am

Discussion # 11290 (Section 205) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25 am

Discussion # 11291 (Section 206) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40 pm

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

How does the American political system operate? This course provides an introduction to American political ideas, institutions, behaviors, and processes. Topics include (among other things) public opinion, elections, Congress, the presidency, the mass media, civic participation, the Constitution, federalism, and public policy. Although we will cover the “nuts and bolts” of American government, our focus is on political science rather than civics, which means our task is to analyze and interpret political phenomena.

PSC 123 m100 Comparative Government and Politics *

Instructor: Margarita Estevez-Abe

Class #: 11292

Offered: M/W 11:40 am – 12:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 11293 (Section 101) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25 am

Discussion # 11294 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35am-11:30 am

Discussion # 11295 (Section 103) Thursdays 8:00 am-8:55 am

Discussion # 11296 (Section 104) Thursdays 5:00 pm-5:55 pm

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

Why are some countries wealthier than others? Why do some countries become democratic while others remain authoritarian? Do certain democratic institutions work better than others? Comparative politics is the study of variations in political outcomes across and within countries. This course provides an introduction to main topics in comparative politics (electoral systems and their outcomes, regime types, democratization, breakdowns of democracies, economic development, ethnic conflicts). The course surveys theories and case studies. Students will deepen their understanding of politics in the US and the rest of the world.

PSC 124 m100 International Relations *

Instructor: Ryan Griffiths

Class #: 10427

Offered: M/W 10:35 am – 11:30 am

Frequency Offered: Every semester

Prerequisites: None

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 10695 (Section 101) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40 pm

Discussion # 10696 (Section 102) Fridays 5:00 pm-10:25 am

Discussion # 10697 (Section 103) Thursdays 3:30 pm-4:25 pm

Discussion # 10698 (Section 104) Thursdays 5:00 pm-5:55 pm

Discussion # 10958 (Section 105) Fridays 10:35 am-11:30 am

Discussion # 10959 (Section 106) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25am

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the main issues and actors in contemporary international relations, organized around three major topical perspectives: world structure and theoretical views of that structure; international political economy; and international conflict, cooperation, and security. It will focus on current debates around global topics such as human rights, economic interdependence, nationalism, the global environment, and economic disparities. During section meetings, students are encouraged to explore and discuss how states, international institutions, and non-state actors shape current international affairs and future forms of global governance.

PSC 124 m300 International Relations *

Instructor: Gregory Smith

Class #: 13597

Offered: M/W 3:45pm –4:40 pm

Frequency Offered: Every semester

Prerequisites: None

Note: All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 13598 (Section 301) Thursdays 3:30 pm-4:25 pm

Discussion # 13599 (Section 302) Fridays 10:35 am-11:30 pm

Discussion # 13600 (Section 303) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40 pm

Discussion # 13601 (Section 304) Thursdays 5:00 pm- 5:55 pm

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the main issues and actors in contemporary international relations, organized around three major topical perspectives: world structure and theoretical views of that structure; international political economy; and international conflict, cooperation, and security. It will focus on current debates around global topics such as human rights, economic interdependence, nationalism, the global environment, and economic disparities. During section meetings, students are encouraged to explore and discuss how states, international institutions, and non-state actors shape current international affairs and future forms of global governance.

PSC 125 m001 Political Theory

Instructor: Dennis Rasmussen

Class #: 11208

Offered: M/W 10:35 am – 11:30 am

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion # 11762 (Section 003) Fridays 9:30 am-10:25 pm

Discussion # 11763 (Section 004) Fridays 10:35 am-11:30 am

Discussion # 11764 (Section 005) Fridays 10:35 am-11:30 am

Discussion # 11795 (Section 006) Fridays 12:45 pm-1:40 pm

Cross-listed with PHI 125

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for incoming fall matriculants.

Course Description

This course examines some of the most important thinkers and concepts of modern political philosophy, including the rejection of ancient political philosophy and the rise of liberalism (Hobbes, Locke, and Mill) as well as critiques of the liberal outlook in the name of nature and virtue (Rousseau), tradition and custom (Burke), equality and liberation (Marx), and creativity and greatness (Nietzsche). In addition to exploring the various conceptions of nature, human nature, justice, freedom, history, and the good life in the works of these thinkers, we will also use their arguments to reflect on the health or illness of liberal democracy in today’s world.

 PSC 202 m100 Introduction to Political Analysis

Instructor: Liwu Gan

Class #: 11011

Offered: M/W 3:45 pm – 4:40 pm

Frequency Offered: Every semester

Prerequisites: None

This course is required for all students who are majoring in political science.

All students must also enroll in a discussion section listed for this course.

Discussion #11012 (Section 101) Fridays 10:35-11:30 am

Discussion # 11013 (Section 102) Fridays 10:35-11:30 am

Discussion # 11014 (Section 103) Fridays 12:45-1:40 pm

Discussion # 11015 (Section 104) Fridays 12:45-1:40 pm

Note: Some discussion section seats are reserved for political science majors.

Course Description

The purpose of this course, required for political science majors, is to build skills for conducting, interpreting, and presenting political science research. These skills include: basic research and data collection practices, techniques for measuring political science concepts quantitatively, hypothesis testing, interpretation of statistical evidence, and the presentation of findings in a clear and compelling manner. Tying these components together is a thematic focus on important political science concepts such as democracy, power, or representation.

PSC 231 m001 Canadian Politics

Instructor: Audie Klotz

Class #: 20653

Offered: Tu/Th 2:00 pm – 3:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

Come learn more about our neighbor to the north! Can you identify a Canadian accent or some of the most famous "Americans" who are actually Canadians? Is there more to Justin Trudeau than fun socks? Did you know that Canada – not China, not Japan, not Europe – is the United States' largest trading partner? So, what’s at stake in the NAFTA debate? An introduction to Canadian politics, this course starts with some basics on political culture and historical geography before covering core features of government (parliament, courts, federalism, and parties). The second part of the course focuses on aspects of Canadian politics that are often regarded as distinctive: Quebec nationalism; immigration and multiculturalism; and indigenous rights. In the third section, we explore some current policy debates—which you will get to choose—thereby delving into policy-making processes. One introductory level course in Political Science would be useful but is not required. Canadians are welcome too; expect a wider comparative perspective than what you learned at home.

PSC 300 m001 Free Speech

Instructor: Stephan Stohler

Class #: 21088

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

In this class, students will investigate when, where, why, and how courts have protected the freedom of speech, and when, where, why, and how courts _should_ protect the freedom of speech. In other words, we will critically evaluate the performance of courts in protecting free speech when it should be protected and allowing restrictions on speech when it should be restricted. Much of the class will focus on decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, but we will also consider how courts in Europe and elsewhere have resolved similar disputes. We will pay particular attention to current legal conflicts regarding the appropriate scope of free expression on large social media platforms.

PSC 300 m002 Chinese Foreign Policy

Instructor: Chengzhi Yin

Class #: 21138

Offered: T/Th 5:00 pm – 6:20 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course will examine the causes, conduct, and consequences of Chinese foreign policy. We will investigate the evolution of China’s relations with other states (e.g., the United States, Russia, Japan, Vietnam, etc.), the factors shaping Chinese foreign policy, and the implications for competition and cooperation in today’s international politics. Topics covered in this course include: the evolution of China’s foreign policy in the Cold War; China’s foreign policy-making process; China’s foreign policy on contemporary national security and economic issues; China’s military modernization; China’s economic rise; and China’s relations with the United States, Russia, and East Asian states. The primary goal of this course is to help students develop an in-depth understanding of Chinese foreign policy since 1949. Students will also learn how to apply different theoretical explanations to a range of empirical issues in Chinese foreign policy.

PSC 300 m003 Data Visualization

Instructor: Liwu Gan

Class #: 21094

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

Data and data analysis are increasingly important for political science research as well as in the public discourse and the workplace. In this class, you will learn how to conduct data visualization yourself. We'll cover topics such as finding data, data cleaning, data manipulation, and data visualization. Along the way, we'll learn basic statistical functions and plots in the powerful (and free) statistical program R. Throughout, the class takes an applied approach, so students will develop their own research project and conduct their own data visualizations.

PSC 300 m004 Politics of the Global Energy Transition

Instructor: Erin Hern

Class #: 21139

Offered: T/Th 9:30 am – 10:50 am

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

What are “rare earths,” and why do we need them? Why the government’s sudden interest in Greenland? This course examines the geopolitics of the global energy transition: the move from a fossil fuel-based economy to low-carbon energy production. It explores what the race to net zero means for great power competition, economic development in mineral-rich countries, social and environmental concerns, and the rise of resource nationalism.

PSC 300 m005 NY Government

Instructor: Bill Magnarelli

Class #: 21141

Offered: T/Th 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to give students an understanding of New York State government. The course will go over the formal structures of government - the executive, legislative & judicial parts as well as public authorities. The class will also cover how political parties, lobbyists, interest groups, and the media interact with government and shape public policy. Classwork will emphasize participation and teamwork. Written assignments will apply course concepts to the real world work of New York state legislators like bill sponsor memos and letters in support or opposition of policy.

 PSC 300 m006 Black Feminist Politics

Instructor: Jenn Jackson

Class #: 21144

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Meets with WGS 300.003

Course Description

This seminar critically examines key issues, assumptions, and debates in contemporary, post-civil rights Black Feminist thought, action, and behavior. As such, we will understand that Black Feminism is global and diasporic. We will begin with a survey and broad analysis of Black Feminist history and origins. We will pay particular attention to how Black Feminists make use of standpoint theory, Black nationalism, Black liberalism, liberal feminism, Black Marxism, and radical feminist thought. We will also investigate the simultaneity of race, gender, class, and sexual oppression and its relationship to power. This means that we will draw connections between Black Feminist models and contemporary queer and trans politics. In this course, we will also focus on Black feminist understandings of intersectionality, the history of this analytical frame, and how this framework has contributed to today’s politics. The particular questions we will analyze include but are not limited to the following: How do we evaluate Black movements and leadership using a Black Feminist lens? What is the relationship between racism, gender based oppression, homophobia, and classism in Black women’s lives? What forms of resistance do many Black women engage in? How do these decisions shape politics?

 PSC 300 m007 Politics of Academic Freedom

Instructor: Colin Elman

Class #: 21150

Offered: M/W/F 10:35 am – 11:30 am

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

PSC 300 m101 Policy Implementation

Instructor: Zachary Huitink

Class #: 11667

Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Meets with PAI 305.001

Course Description

This course is about how public policy gets put into action, with a focus on developing knowledge and skills essential for addressing some of society’s most complex problems. The course will help you understand what we really mean when we say “policy implementation,” as well as some realities of implementation as it is done in practice. The course will stress, in particular, the widespread roles of not only government but also the private and nonprofit sectors at all levels in the implementation process, and how these actors use policy tools like regulations, grants, vouchers, and public-private partnerships to get things done. Government and non-governmental actors have taken numerous approaches to achieving public policy goals, from (among many others) reducing poverty and improving education to ensuring public health and safety, protecting the environment, and recovering from disasters. What are the trade-offs of different strategies to pursuing goals like these, and why has the record of achievement been mixed? How do government, business, nonprofits, and individual members of the public contribute to implementation efforts? How can they work better with one another to make public policy successful? How do we assess whether policies have had their intended impacts on people and communities? Students will consider these questions through a mix of lecture, discussion, examples, and hands-on exercises, and develop abilities in areas including policy field mapping, logic modelling, planning, and applied implementation analysis.

PSC 300 m104 U.S. Intelligence Community

Instructor: Robert Murrett

Co-Instructor: Kristin Patel

Class#: 12204

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Meets with PAI 338 m003, IRP 338 m001

Course Description

This course will focus on the practice, structure and governance of the intelligence field, and material that has a direct bearing on its current posture. In order to understand the full range of today’s intelligence activities, students will examine the evolution of the U.S. Intelligence Community (I.C.) since its inception in 1947 through the present day. Key phases and specific events will be explored, including I.C. efforts throughout the Cold War, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Vietnam Conflict, the Church Committee, the Balkans Conflicts, pre and post-9/11 operations, the 911 and WMD Commissions and the subsequent executive and legislative changes implemented over the past ten years. The course will also review governance and oversight of the I.C., including roles of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. In addition to understanding the development of the I.C., students will study the functional elements of intelligence tradecraft (human intelligence, signals intelligence, imagery analysis, etc.), and engagement with international counterparts. The class will participate in case studies, in which the students will evaluate, provide briefings and recommend decisions in realistic scenarios, both in terms of analysis and intelligence-driven decision-making on policy and operational matters.

PSC 300 m304 Geoeconomics & Statecraft

Instructor: Daniel McDowell

Class #: 13529

Offered: T/Th 9:30 am – 10:50 am

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course surveys how strategic and security considerations are transforming interstate economic relations, including how states wield their economic power toward coercive ends, but also how they work to enhance their strategic autonomy and resilience in a riskier, more crisis prone world. The topics we will survey include economic sanctions, domestic reactions to economic coercion, financial statecraft, the weaponization of energy, private sector responses to geopolitical risk, and de-risking in international trade and investment. Weekly readings draw on academic research as well as policy-oriented writing. We will engage with historical cases for additional context and comparison, though contemporary issues are the main event.

PSC 300 m305 AI Ethics & Governance

Instructor: Baobao Zhang

Class #: 13667

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a general-purpose technology that will affect nearly all aspects of society, including criminal justice, health care, employment, and international security. Private and governmental entities are already deploying autonomous systems that affect everyday life, such as facial recognition, hiring decisions, and disease diagnoses. Meanwhile, researchers are quickly making advances in developing algorithms that could outperform humans in tasks that require intelligence. While AI has enormous potential to benefit society, it can also introduce many risks to human safety and well-being. This class uses a cross-disciplinary approach to study how tech companies, national governments, international organizations, and civil society groups could manage the development and deployment of AI in the public interest. The class material draws upon research in political science, public policy, philosophy, legal studies, economics, and computer science. Topics include algorithmic fairness; privacy, transparency, and safety; automation and the future of work; the impact of AI on international security.

PSC 302 m001 Environmental Politics & Policy

Instructor: Sarah Pralle

Class #: 20645

Offered: T/Th 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course will examine the political processes surrounding environmental decision making in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on how environmental issues reach the governmental agenda, why and how natural resource and pollution policies change (or do not), and the challenges involved in implementing environmental policies. Theoretical readings will be interspersed with case studies of environmental policymaking.

PSC 304 m001 Judicial Process

Instructor: Rick Trunfio

Class #: 12913

Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course will take an in-depth examination of the Criminal Justice System from arrest to appeal, taught by an experienced prosecutor. Students will get a practical, realistic view of criminal justice and the court system through readings, lectures, class discussion and guest speakers who work in the legal system. This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of constitutional law and criminal procedure and will attempt to improve analytical ability and critical thought process.  It will examine how the rights of those accused of a crime are balanced against the rights of those who are victims of crime.  This course will also explore how the judicial process affects average citizens, their communities and American society, and how the system is often inaccurately portrayed in the media and by Hollywood.

PSC 305 m001 U.S. Congressional Politics

Instructor: Danny Daneri

Class #: 12990

Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Irregularly

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course is about the politics of the United States Congress. We will discuss the historical and contemporary functions of the U.S. Congress, with a focus on representation, elections, political parties, special interest groups, inter-branch relations, and the changing character of legislative politicking and policymaking. As we do so, we continuously consider the questions of how and why certain policy topics rise and fall on the agenda of the U.S. Congress over time.

PSC 306 m001 African American Politics

Instructor:

Class #: 12478

Offered: M/W 12:45 pm – 2:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Irregularly

Prerequisites: None

Cross Listed with: AAS 306.001

Course Description

This course is an examination of the African American Political experience in the United States with a focus on the nature of the American political system and the status of African Americans in it. The approach will be analytical and theoretical, but the main focus will be on the historical and contemporary political dynamic. Special attention will be given to the interplay of society, state, ideology, and political struggles.

PSC 310 m001 Refugees in International Politics

Instructor: Lamis Abdelaaty

Class #: 12914

Offered: T/Th 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Irregularly

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course deals with the global politics of refugee issues, broadly defined to include the movement of people displaced by persecution, conflict, natural or human-made disasters, environmental change, or development projects. It is grounded in the international relations subfield, but students are expected to engage with ideas from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Topics covered include historical trends in, analytical approaches to, and the international legal framework-governing refugees. We also explore the causes, consequences, and responses by state and non-state actors to refugee flows. A series of examples from recent and current events are examined, including a case study on refugees and the Syrian civil war.

PSC 315 m001 Politics & Media

Instructor: Johanna Dunaway

Class #: 20642

Offered: ?? 6:00 pm – 8:40 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the media’s role in American political life. In doing so, we will focus on several broad themes: the relationship between the media and government; the process of newsmaking and how it shapes the content of political news; and the effects of the media on public opinion and voting behavior. We will also examine recent developments in the media ecosystem, from Facebook algorithms to the rise of "fake news."

PSC 318 m001 Technology, Politics & Environment

Instructor: Takumi Shibaike

Class #: 20646

Offered: M/W 3:45 pm – 4:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course analyzes the relation of government to policymaking in the domain of environment, where technology and politics intersect in many crucial ways. Attention is given primarily to politics and administration of environmental policy in the US at all levels of government. Comparative and international aspects of the problem are also examined. Particular emphasis is given to the processes by which policy is formulated, implemented and modified.

PSC 324 m001 Constitutional Law I

Instructor: Thomas Keck

Class #: 10785

Offered: T/Th 9:30 am – 10:50 am

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

Does the US Constitution impose adequate safeguards to prevent a sitting President from undermining free and fair elections? Does it authorize Congress to enact a law requiring all Americans to have health insurance? Does it require all states to allow same-sex couples to legally marry? Does it give the President free rein, as commander in chief of the US military, to authorize warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists? If you are interested in any or all of these questions, then this course is for you. In Constitutional Law I, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the development of the American constitutional system from the founding through the mid-twentieth century. In Constitutional Law II, offered in the Spring, we will continue this inquiry right up to the present day. Recent versions of the syllabi are available on the instructor’s website, though there will be a number of updates for the coming year.

PSC 328 m001 US Social Movements & Interest Groups

Instructor: Sarah Pralle

Class #: 20647

Offered: T/Th 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

From Earth Day in 1970s to the Black Lives Matter protests, social movements have been an essential part of American politics. This course examines how social movements emerge, why people join them, the strategies they use to challenge the status quo, and why some succeed while others seemingly fail. Much of our attention will be on 20th century social movements, including the labor, civil rights, and environmental movements. We will also spend time discussion 21st century movements on both the ideological right and left.

PSC 329 m001 Modern American Presidency

Instructor: Margaret Susan Thompson

Class #: 13482

Offered: T/Th 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

 Cross-listed with HST 341.001

Course Description

This course will analyze the evolution of the modern presidency and its present operation. The focus of our attention will be on the years since the Second World War, and especially on those since 1960. The decision-making process and operation of presidential administrations from Kennedy through Trump will be studied in detail; we also will discuss the early challenges faced by the Biden administration. We shall consider the various roles that the president plays in government, politics and society. The presidency as an institution and as an individual office will be examined to identify factors that have contributed to the successes and failures of particular administrations. This course shall also examine the roles and influence of unelected officials (esp. senior White House staff), and popular attitudes toward both the symbolic and the practical presidency—especially as they have been shaped by the traditional mass media and the “new media” (especially online interactivity). We will consider what lasting effects, if any, events during the last quarter century have had upon the presidency as an institution.

PSC 334 m001 Mexico & the United States

Instructor: Matt Cleary

Class #: 21163

Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with LAS 335 m001

Course Description

This course focuses on the politics of modern Mexico, with special attention to relations between Mexico and the United States. We begin with an overview of the long history of U.S.-Mexican relations, including comparative colonial histories, the War (1846-48), and other conflicts up through the mid-20^th century. However, the bulk of the course focuses on the historical roots and contemporary dynamics of various themes that are critical for understanding Mexico today, again with special attention to U.S.-Mexican relations. Topics of study include economic ties (e.g., the maquila industry, NAFTA/USMCA, and bilateral trade relations); the roots of migration and the effects of migration in both countries; Mexican democratization and inter-governmental relations; the drug trade; and the way that these bilateral issues are politicized and negotiated in both countries.

PSC 338 m001 Race, Ethnicity & American Politics

Instructor: Steven White

Class #: 20648

Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course examines race and ethnicity in American politics, with particular attention to African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans as voters, activists, and policymakers. Among other topics, we will examine public opinion, trends in partisanship and voting behavior, the link between traditional civil rights organizations and new social movements, debates about “pan-ethnicity,” descriptive and substantive representation in political institutions, and intersectionality.

PSC 355 m001 International Political Economy

Instructor: Dan McDowell

Class #: 13025

Offered: T/Th 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

Frequency Offered:

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

From the rise of Donald Trump’s economic populism to Great Britain’s “Brexit” from the European Union, it is impossible to deny the tenuous political underpinnings of economic globalization today. To borrow from Prof. Jeffry Frieden, globalization is a choice, not a fact. That is, the global economic integration we observe today is the product of governments’ policy decisions over a period of many decades. This course introduces the student to the field of international political economy (IPE). IPE studies how politics impacts the global economy and, in return, how the global economy impacts politics. There are two central questions that we will wrestle with in this class. First, what explains the international economic policy choices governments make? Second, what are the effects of those policy choices both within and across countries? Over the course of the session, we will engage with a number of key topics in IPE including: international trade, economic development, multinational corporations, international capital flows, exchange rates, sovereign debt, and financial crises. We will rely on two primary analytic tools: basic economic principles to explain how economic policies influence the distribution of income and political economy theories that explain how politicians set policies. Together, we will use these tools to help understand historical and contemporary phenomena.

PSC 357 m001 US Foreign Policy

Instructor: Greg Smith

Class #: 12481

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course examines contemporary issues in U.S. foreign policy. The central goal of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to grapple with the question: what should America’s role in a turbulent world be? Within the U.S. foreign policy community, an active debate has been raging about whether or not the U.S. should pull back its forces from around the world and return to a sort of neo-isolationism or if it should remain actively engaged in world affairs and continue to assert itself militarily and economically. The culmination of this class will require students to take a position on this central debate within U.S. foreign policy and to argue for the particular grand strategy that the United States should adopt moving forward. The course is broadly divided into two parts. The first part provides a theoretical foundation for the study of U.S. foreign policy. The second half of the class applies contemporary social science research to many of the most critical issues in U.S. foreign policy.

PSC 363 m001 Ethics & International Politics

Instructor: Glyn Morgan

Class #: 12482

Offered: T/Th 6:30 pm – 7:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Cross Listed with PHI 363 m001

Course Description

This course examines the fundamental questions of ethics and international relations.  Among the topics addressed: raison d’état; the just war tradition; humanitarian intervention; terrorism; torture; fair trade; foreign aid; immigration; human rights; nationalism; and climate change.

PSC 364 m001 African International Relations

Instructor: Horace Campbell

Class #: 12919

Offered: T/Th 9:30 am – 10:50 am

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with AAS 364 m001

Course Description

The course focuses on the relations between African societies and peoples and the wider international system. In the process, there will be the effort to seek to understand the imperial forces that shaped contemporary African international relations. Why is Africa viewed as an untapped treasure house for external forces? What accounts for the militarization of the state and the high propensity towards external military interventions, wars and environmental destruction? Is racial capitalism central to International Relations theory? Is there a need for the Decolonization of International Relations? What theories best explain the centrality of mineral extraction in African international relations? Is realism the best approach towards understanding the international relations of Africa? What forms of international cooperation are necessary for peace, reconstruction and restorative justice?

To answer these questions the course analyzes the humanity of Africans using an emancipatory gendered approach to the theory of African International Relations. In order to grasp the recursive impact of the politics of retrogression, the course will examine the nested loop of force, masculinity, plunder and militarism. This militarism will be linked to the global armaments culture and the legacies of racism and imperialism in Africa. Traditional IR conceptions of Africa will be interrogated to grasp how humanitarianism and the concepts of “failed states” constitute a component of the psychological warfare against Africans. How can the peoples of the planet develop a greater sense of solidarity and an appreciation of the principles of ubuntu? We seek to learn from the new interventions of the democratic forces and the impact of the ideas of Truth on the politics of reparations.

PSC 375 m001 Philosophy of Law

Instructor: Erica Schumener

Class #: 12323

Offered: M/W 3:45 pm – 5:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with PHI 397 m001

Course Description

This course is an introduction to philosophical debates about the nature, source, and authority of law. The fundamental question we will explore is “what is law?” but we will also consider how natural law theorists, positivists, realists, and critical legal scholars answer questions such as: Are there different kinds of law? Is law based on universal principles or does it depend on context? What is the relationship between law and justice? What is the source of law? Who is authorized to interpret law and what are the principles of its interpretation? When and why is punishment justified? When and why should individual rights be limited?

PSC 376 m001 Creation of the Constitution

Instructor: Dennis Rasmussen

Class #: 20649

Offered: M/W 2:15 pm – 3:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course will examine the creation of the basic framework for America’s government and laws, the U.S. Constitution. The first half of the course will focus on the debates at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which formulated and proposed the Constitution, and the second half will focus on the ratification debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in 1787-88. A study of these debates allows us to see the choices that were made—as well as the arguments behind the choices that were made—in the creation of the world’s longest-lasting and most influential national constitution.

PSC 382 m001 Contemporary Political Philosophy

Instructor:

Class #: 11597

Offered: T/Th 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with PHI 417 m001

Course Description

This course examines the works of prominent 20^th and 21^st century theorists of politics and power through the lens of “big questions” about how we organize our political lives, what is fair, who gets what, and who should hold power. We discuss: freedom, rights, nationalism, distributive justice, citizenship, animal rights, and multiculturalism. Readings will include both abstract theoretical works written by authors including Rawls, Nussbaum, Manne, and others, as well as more concrete and immediately relevant political case studies.

PSC 387 m001 Ethnic Conflict

Instructor: Seth Jolly

Class #: 20644

Offered: M/W/F 10:35 am – 11:30 am

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Course Description

This course examines ethnicity and its effects on politics.  Our primary goals are to understand what ethnicity is, how it ignites both domestic and international conflict, and what political tools exist to manage these conflicts.  We will begin the semester by exploring various definitions of ethnicity.  Then we will study the many manifestations of political conflict, such as ethnic riots and genocide, that can be attributed to ethnic divisions within a society.  Finally, we will evaluate possible means of mitigating and managing ethnic conflict.  In all three segments of the course, we will draw material from around the world, in particular Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

PSC 391 m001 Revolutions in the Middle East

Instructor: Hossein Bashiriyeh

Class #: 21200

Offered: M/W 5:15 pm – 6:35 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with MES 391.001

Course Description

Whereas revolutions are more or less abating in other regions of the world today, the Middle East still finds itself in the throes of revolution. A new wave of revolutionary upheavals has begun since January 2011 and continues to shape the politics of the region. In theoretical terms, four aspects of these political revolutions need to be studied: 1) Taxonomy; 2) Etiology; 3) Morphology, and 4) Teleology. Hence, in the first few weeks of the course we will study the major theories of revolution. Then in light of the theoretical discussion, we will explain the new wave of revolutions in the Middle East in terms of their causes and consequences. In every historical case we will discuss the following sequence of processes:

1-    The pre-revolutionary authoritarian stability

2-    How crises emerge and provide opportunities for collective action

3-    Oppositions, and their modes of mobilization

4-    The complex interactions between authorities and oppositions including the possibility of repression, accommodation, and revolution

5-    Post-revolutionary power struggles

PSC 393 m001 Middle Eastern Political Systems

Instructor: Hossein Bashiriyeh

Class #: 11598

Offered: M/W 3:45 pm – 5:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Irregularly

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with MES 393 m001

Course Description

What are the factors that hinder the development of well-functioning political systems in the Middle East? This is the main question of the course. Political development is usually defined in terms of 1) national unification and the consolidation of national identity; 2) the development of legitimate authority; 3) the development of channels of popular participation in politics and the rise of a civil society; 4) political and administrative efficiency; 5) equitable distribution of resources or the development of a basic welfare state. In trying to answer the main question, we argue that several factors impede political development in the region. These include: 1) Structural ones like geographical/geopolitical, demographic, historical, and religious factors; 2) Social forces, particularly the landed classes, tribes, ethnic groups and sects. In the first part of the course, we will discuss these obstacles in general across the region; in the second part, we will explain the political systems in the region in terms of the impact of various obstacles.

PSC 394 m001 Islamic Political Thought

Instructor: Hossein Bashiriyeh

Class #: 11297

Offered: M/W 12:45 pm – 2:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Irregularly

Prerequisites: None

Cross-listed with MES 394 m001

Course Description

The aim of this course is to study some of the major issues and discourses in Islamic political thought, especially those of more contemporary significance such as dissent, apostasy, intolerance, human obligations and rights, women's status, the status of minorities, war and peace, universal government and the idea of the Caliphate.

PSC 400 m001 Strategic Choice & Politics

Instructor: Minju Kim

Class #: 21209

Offered: M/W 3:45 pm – 5:05 pm

Frequency Offered: Special Offering

Prerequisites: High School Algebra

Course Description

Under what conditions do countries cooperate for peace or free trade, and can this cooperation be sustained? When do politicians promise moderate or extreme policies in elections? Under what conditions do firms decide to enter a competitive market?  

This course introduces the student to game theory and its application in political science, economics, and business. Game theory provides a lens to view human decisions as strategic choices under constraints. In class, you will learn critical concepts in game theory such as the “Nash equilibrium” and “Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibrium.” Examples of where these concepts apply include bargaining for cooperation in international politics, electoral competition, and firm entry in a competitive market. The game-theoretic tools covered in this course also have practical value; the tools can be applied in various real-world contexts such as management and strategic consulting. *High school algebra is required to take this class.

PSC 495 m001 Distinction Thesis I

Instructor: Erin Hern

Class #: 11128

Offered: T 12:30 pm – 3:15 pm

Frequency Offered: Yearly

Prerequisites: Permission from department – must have an overall GPA of 3.5 for admittance

Course Description

The program requires the student to produce a senior thesis that reflects an understanding of the contemporary literature relevant to the thesis topic, advances an original argument, and presents evidence appropriate to the underlying inquiry. The thesis should generally be modeled after a typical academic journal article in the field of Political Science. The thesis will be read and evaluated by a committee of three, consisting of the main advisor and two additional readers. Two of the readers must be members of the Political Science department. One of the readers may be a graduate student in Political Science. An oral defense will determine if the thesis meets the departmental requirements for distinction.