Department of Politics

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Courses that Meet Requirements

These are the courses that meet core requirements for Politics majors/minors.

Courses that fulfill the Oral Communications [oc] requirement:

POL 89a Political Science Internship [ oc ]
Students in the course examine political issues alongside professionals in the field. Students will evaluate the applicability of political science theories and concepts to real-world politics. Seminar meetings and assignments provide perspective and a substantive basis for the internship experience. Usually offered every year.
Staff

POL 111a The American Congress [ oc ss ]
The structure and behavior of the Congress. Emphasis on the way member incentives for reelection, power on Capitol Hill, and good public policy shape Congress. Usually offered every second year.
Jill Greenlee

POL 133b Politics of Russia and the Post Communist World [ oc ss wi ]
Overview of the politics of Russia and the former Soviet world. Topics include the fall and legacy of communism, trends of democracy and dictatorship, European integration, resurgent nationalism, social and economic patterns throughout the former Soviet Bloc, and Putin's rise and influence both within Russia and abroad. Usually offered every year.
Steven Wilson

POL 145b Seminar: Muslims in the West: Politics, Religion, and Law [ oc ss ]
Controversies about the integration of Muslims and Islam have fueled anti-immigrant sentiments and electoral politics in Western Europe and North America. But what are the facts about Muslim minorities and Islam in Western societies? Muslim migrants embrace many Islamic traditions from conservative to secularized identities and blended identities. The course introduces students to public policies and law on matters of the exercise of religion, secularism, and the accommodation of Islam and Muslim through comparative case studies ranging from the French headscarf bans to controversies over free speech and blasphemy. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 148b Dynamics of Dictatorship: Authoritarian Politics in the 20th and 21st Centuries [ oc ss ] Prerequisite: POL 11b.
Despite the world-wide advance of democratization over the past half century, authoritarian regimes continue to govern the vast majority of humanity around the world. Dynamics of Dictatorship aims to provide an analytic grounding in the logic and dynamics of authoritarian politics. What are the different flavors of authoritarian rule? How do authoritarian regimes sustain their control over society? Why do most people obey? How and when do people resist? Has technological advance enhanced the power of authoritarian regimes? What role do international forces play in authoritarian regime survival? When do authoritarian regimes collapse? This course will explore leading theoretical research on authoritarian politics and it will ground that theory in historical and contemporary cases of authoritarian rule found in Russia, Germany, Venezuela, Chile, China, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, Zaire, Zimbabwe, and beyond. Usually offered every second year.
Eva Bellin

POL 161b Good Neighbor or Imperial Power: The Contested Evolution of US-Latin American Relations [ djw oc ss wi ]
Studies the ambivalent and complex relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, focusing on how the exploitative dimension of this relationship has shaped societies across the region, and on how Latin American development can be beneficial for the U.S. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 167b Russian Foreign Policy [ oc ss wi ]
Prerequisite: POL 10a, POL 11b, POL 14b, or POL 15a.
Surveys Russian foreign policy in the contemporary world, with particular attention paid to the deep historical context for its attitudes and goals in international relations. Topics include relations with the larger post-communist region, the Muslim world, its ongoing antagonistic relations with America and the West, the rise of disinformation warfare on the internet, in addition to the distinct Russian perspective on geopolitics. Usually offered every year.
Steven Wilson

POL 173a Seminar: U.S. Foreign Economic Policy [ oc ss wi ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above.
Presents the history and politics of the foreign economic policy in the United States. Emphasis is on political and economic considerations that influence the domestic actors and institutions involved in the formulation of policy. Usually offered every year.
Kerry Chase

Courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy [dl] requirement:

POL 52a Basic Statistics for Social and Political Analysis [ dl qr ss ]
Provides a foundation in statistics focusing on descriptive statistics, inference, hypothesis testing and the basics of regression analysis. Becoming familiar with basic statistics will help you to prepare for a career as a social scientist. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 53b Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis [ dl qr ss ]
Prerequisite: POL 52a or equivalent statistics course, or permission of the instructor.
Examines the most common empirical methods used by policy analysts in the study of public policy. Emphasis on descriptive statistics, regression and textual analysis, research design and data collection, and the substantive components of policy analysis. Students will be introduced to and develop proficiency in the R statistical program/language. Usually offered every year.
Zachary Albert

POL 119a Seminar: Red States, Blue States: Understanding Contemporary American Voters and Parties [ dl ss ]
What are the root causes of contemporary partisan polarization and how do we explain the observed differentiation in partisan leanings across red and blue states? In this seminar, students will pursue guided, independent research on voter and party behavior. Because of the focus on primary research, students are encouraged, although not required, to have taken POL 52A (or an equivalent) prior to enrolling in POL 119. Usually offered every year.
Lucy Goodhart

POL 123a Seminar: Political Psychology [ dl ss wi ]
Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
Explores public opinion, political socialization, and political behavior through the lens of psychology. Applying psychological theory to traditional topics in political science is emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Jill Greenlee

POL 129b Internet and Politics [ dl ss ]
Prerequisite: POL 10a, POL 11b, POL 14b, or POL 15a.
Explores the effects of the Internet on politics and society. Covers issues of Internet governance and institutions, the rise of the global network economy, and the effects of the Internet on social identity. Contemporaneous events and issues such as the digital revolutions, the digital divide, fake news, and coordinated disinformation campaigns are also covered in detail. Usually offered every year.
Steven Wilson

POL 137b Seminar: Psychology of Political Violence [ dl ss ]
Why do people become terrorists? Social scientists argue that organizations use terrorism because it is a rational means for obtaining their objectives. But why do individuals sacrifice themselves for a cause? Drawing on behavioral economics and criminal psychology in addition to political sociology, the course will review new approaches to the study of extreme political violence. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 141a Elections and Electoral Systems in Comparative Perspective [ djw dl ss wi ]
Introduces students to the scientific study of elections and electoral systems from a comparative standpoint. Students will be exposed to social scientific literature on elections, analyze these processes from a comparative perspective, and learn how to use digital tools, such as ArcGIS and online mapping software (GIS) to analyze electoral processes. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 160a The War on Global Terrorism [ dl ss ]
Intended for juniors and seniors, but open to all students.
Explores how 9/11 changed our lives. The course surveys the build-up of Al Queda leading up to the 9/11 attacks and ten years of counter terrorism. Students are given an introduction to Jihadist doctrines and Al Queda's structure, as well as theories about the cause of terrorism. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 163a Seminar: The United Nations and the United States [ djw dl ss wi ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
Investigates the United Nations organization and charter, with an emphasis on the integral role of the United States in its founding and operation. Using archival documents and other digitized materials, explores topics such as UN enforcement actions, the Security Council veto, human rights, and the domestic politics of US commitments to the UN. Usually offered every second year.
Kerry Chase

POL 165a Dilemmas of Security Cooperation [ dl ss wi ]
States regularly cooperate in the security domain. They can choose to band together in alliances, rely on stronger states for defense, or improve weaker actors' capacity to fight or defend themselves by providing arms and training. Security cooperation is a major feature of international relations, with powerful actors like the United States spending billions each year on efforts to arm, equip, and train partner militaries around the world. But security cooperation contains many dilemmas where states face difficult choices between alternatives without clear answers. Efforts to increase security can lead to unintended consequences, both for states and for the people who live in them. This course explores different dilemmas across a range of topics, considering both the causes and consequences of security cooperation. Topics include alliances, proxy warfare, arms transfers and military aid, peacekeeping, and security outcomes ranging from combat effectiveness to political violence and human rights. Usually offered every third year.
Renanah Joyce

Courses that fulfill the Writing Intensive [wi] requirement:

AAAS 157a African American Political Thought [ deis-us ss wi ]
Examines the ideological and intellectual traditions that have influenced African American politics. Addresses the question of what are the best strategies for black Americans to pursue freedom and opportunity in the United States. Usually offered every second year.
Amber Spry

POL 99b Senior Research: Honors Thesis
Students will consult with the head of the politics honors program before being assigned to a professor for the supervision of their theses and will participate in a biweekly colloquium. Usually offered every year.
Staff

POL 108a Seminar: The Police and Social Movements in American Politics [ deis-us ss wi ] Analyses American mass political movements, their interaction with police, and their influences on American politics. Topics include the relationship between social movements and various political institutions. Explore various theories with case studies of specific political movements. Usually offered every third year.
Daniel Kryder

POL 134b The Global Migration Crisis [ djw ss wi ]
Looks at immigration from the perspectives of policy-makers, migrants, and the groups affected by immigration in sender nations as well as destination countries. Introduces students to the history of migration policy, core concepts and facts about migration in the West, and to the theories and disagreements among immigrant scholars. Usually offered every second year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 139a The Radical Right: From Ballots to Bullets [ deis-us ss wi ]
Radical right and far-right are umbrella terms used to refer to political parties and militant subcultures that differentiate themselves from mainstream conservatism. Students will be introduced to case studies of far-right groups and parties in Western Europe and the United States. We will discuss their ideologies and tactics, the different subcultures and the legal restraints that countries have used to control extremist groups linked to violence. Students will also learn about political science theories about the causes of far-right extremism. Usually offered every second year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 144a Latin American Politics [ djw nw ss wi ]
Examines the development and deepening of democracy in Latin America, focusing on the role of political institutions, economic development, the military, and U.S.-Latin American relations. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 179a Seminar: China's Global Rise: The Challenge to Democratic Order [ nw ss wi ]
Explores the implications of China's global rise for the global democratic order constructed by the United States in the aftermath of World War II. Among other issues, we will ask whether China's international strategy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America poses a serious challenge to democratic nations and their support for democratization. Usually offered every second year.
Ralph Thaxton

POL 184a Seminar: Global Justice [ djw ss wi ]
Prerequisites: One course in Political Theory or Moral, Social and Political Philosophy.
Explores the development of the topic of global justice and its contents. Issues to be covered include international distributive justice, duties owed to the global poor, humanitarian intervention, the ethics of climate change, and immigration. Usually offered every second year.
Jeffrey Lenowitz

Courses that fulfill the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Studies in the United States requirement (deis-us)

Note: This requirement does not have to be fulfilled within the department, but it can be with the courses below!

POL 108a Seminar: The Police and Social Movements in American Politics
Analyses American mass political movements, their interaction with police, and their influences on American politics. Topics include the relationship between social movements and various political institutions. Explore various theories with case studies of specific political movements. Usually offered every third year.
Daniel Kryder

POL 116b Civil Liberties in America
May not be taken for credit by students who successfully completed LGLS 116b or LGLS/POL 116b previously.
The history and politics of civil liberties and civil rights in the United States, with emphasis on the period from World War I to the present. Emphasis on freedom of speech, religion, abortion, privacy, racial discrimination, and affirmative action. Readings from Supreme Court cases and influential works by historians and political philosophers. Usually offered every year.
Jeffrey Lenowitz

POL/WGS 125a Gender in American Politics
May not be taken for credit by students who took POL 125a in prior years.
Addresses three major dimensions of women's political participation: social reform and women-identified issues; women's organizations and institutions; and women politicians, electoral politics, and party identification. Covers historical context and contemporary developments in women's political activity. Usually offered every second year.
Jill Greenlee

Courses that fulfill the Difference and Justice in the World requirement (djw):

Note: This requirement does not have to be fulfilled within the department, but it can be with the courses below!

POL 134b The Global Migration Crisis
Looks at immigration from the perspectives of policy-makers, migrants, and the groups affected by immigration in sender nations as well as destination countries. Introduces students to the history of migration policy, core concepts and facts about migration in the West, and to the theories and disagreements among immigrant scholars. Usually offered every second year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 141a Elections and Electoral Systems in Comparative Perspective
Introduces students to the scientific study of elections and electoral systems from a comparative standpoint. Students will be exposed to social scientific literature on elections, analyze these processes from a comparative perspective, and learn how to use digital tools, such as ArcGIS and online mapping software (GIS) to analyze electoral processes. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 144a Latin American Politics
Examines the development and deepening of democracy in Latin America, focusing on the role of political institutions, economic development, the military, and U.S.-Latin American relations. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 161b Good Neighbor or Imperial Power: The Contested Evolution of US-Latin American Relations
Studies the ambivalent and complex relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, focusing on how the exploitative dimension of this relationship has shaped societies across the region, and on how Latin American development can be beneficial for the U.S. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 163a Seminar: The United Nations and the United States
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
Investigates the United Nations organization and charter, with an emphasis on the integral role of the United States in its founding and operation. Using archival documents and other digitized materials, explores topics such as UN enforcement actions, the Security Council veto, human rights, and the domestic politics of US commitments to the UN. Usually offered every second year.
Kerry Chase

POL 184a Seminar: Global Justice
Prerequisites: One course in Political Theory or Moral, Social and Political Philosophy.
Explores the development of the topic of global justice and its contents. Issues to be covered include international distributive justice, duties owed to the global poor, humanitarian intervention, the ethics of climate change, and immigration. Usually offered every second year.
Jeffrey Lenowitz

Courses that fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning requirement (qr):

Note: This requirement does not have to be fulfilled within the department, but it can be with the courses below!

POL 50b Political Science Methods: Research, Design, and Modes of Analysis
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. May not be taken for credit by students who took POL 100b in prior years.
An introduction to nonstatistical research methods for analyzing political processes. Moves from selecting problems to composing a focused research question, examining relevant theory, conceptualizing variables, generating hypotheses, research design, research operations, and analysis. Uses examples from comparative, international, and American politics. Usually offered every second year.
Daniel Kryder or Jill Greenlee

POL 52b Basic Statistics for Social and Political Analysis
Provides a foundation in statistics focusing on descriptive statistics, inference, hypothesis testing and the basics of regression analysis. Becoming familiar with basic statistics will help you to prepare for a career as a social scientist. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles

POL 53a Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis
Examines the most common empirical methods used by policy analysts in the study of public policy. Emphasis on descriptive statistics, regression and textual analysis, research design and data collection, and the substantive components of policy analysis. Students will be introduced to and develop proficiency in the R statistical program/language. Usually offered every year.
Zachary Albert

POL 54a Polling the American Public
Workshop where students will learn to create, conduct, and analyze a national public opinion poll. Usually offered every year.
Amber Spry