(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

POL 10a Introduction to Political Theory
[ ss ]

Open to first-year students.

Examination of classical political texts and modern writings for insights on central problems of political discourse, such as power and authority, human nature, freedom, obligation, justice, and the organization of the state. Usually offered every year.

POL 11b Introduction to Comparative Politics
[ ss ]

Open to first-year students.

Introduces key concepts and questions in comparative politics and seeks to provide students with a grounding in the basic tools of comparative analysis. It applies and evaluates competing theoretical approaches (cultural, institutional, social-structural, and leadership-centered) to explain several important phenomena such as (1) democracy and democratization; (2) revolution; and (3) ethnicity and ethnic conflict. It also explores recent debates about the importance of civil society and political institutions in shaping political outcomes. Cases will be drawn from Africa, Asia, Western Europe, the Americas, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Usually offered every year.

POL 14b Introduction to American Government
[ ss ]

Open to first-year students.

Analysis of American political institutions: Congress, the presidency, Supreme Court, bureaucracy, political parties, pressure groups, and problems of governmental decision making in relation to specific areas of public policy. Usually offered every year.

POL 15a Introduction to International Relations
[ ss ]

Open to first-year students.

General introduction to international politics, emphasizing the essential characteristics of the international system as a basis for understanding how states behave and interact. Analysis of causes of war, conditions of peace, international conflict and cooperation, the purposes and functions of international institutions, and pressing issues in international politics today.

POL 50b Political Science Methods: Research, Design, and Modes of Analysis
[ qr ss ]

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.

POL 51b Data and Politics
[ dl ss ]

Teaches students the basic of research design and covers advanced methodologies related to the intersection of data and politics. The class is a hands-on, workshop style class that directly teaches methodological skills and techniques used in political science. Each of the five modules will conclude with a tools workshop in which students use real data and a realistic policy scenario in order to demonstrate their mastery of the module. This class will help students develop the following core skills: thinking critically about arguments, based on evaluation of evidence; articulating reasoned arguments clearly, both orally and in written form; familiarity with a variety of research methods for understanding politics, including visualization tools, computer content analysis, network analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and game theory; ability to use the concepts and methods of political science to conduct research and analysis. Usually offered every second year.

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.

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.

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.

POL 92a Internship and Analysis

POL 93a Research Internship in Political Science

Supervised research experience in a political science laboratory environment, culminating in a research proposal or report. Usually offered every year.

POL 98a Independent Study

Tutorial study on specialized topics, outside the regular curricular offerings of the departments, on interest to students and appropriate politics faculty person. Requires agreement between student and supervising faculty member on the specific topic and syllabus of readings and assignments for the tutorial, including written work required for the course (normally the equivalent of a term research paper). Students may count up to two such courses toward completion of the major. Usually offered every year.

POL 98b Independent Study

Yields half-course credit.

Tutorial study on specialized topics, outside the regular curricular offerings of the departments, on interest to students and appropriate politics faculty person. Requires agreement between student and supervising faculty member on the specific topic and syllabus of readings and assignments for the tutorial, including written work required for the course (normally the equivalent of a term research paper). Students may count up to two such courses toward completion of the major. Usually offered every year.

POL 99a Senior Research: Honors Thesis

Students will work with their thesis supervisor on an individualized and independent research project over the course of the year, and will participate in regular colloquia in the reserved timeslot. Usually offered every year.

POL 99b Senior Research: Honors Thesis

Students will work with their thesis supervisor on an individualized and independent research project over the course of the year, and will participate in regular colloquia in the reserved timeslot. Usually offered every year.

POL 99d Senior Research: Honors Thesis

Students will work with their thesis supervisor on an individualized and independent research project over the course of the year, and will participate in regular colloquia in the reserved timeslot. Usually offered every year.

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

POL 101a Political Parties and Interest Groups
[ ss ]

Role and organization of political parties, interest groups, and public opinion in the American political system. Emphasis on historical development and current political behavior in the United States in relation to American democratic theory. Comparison with other countries to illuminate U.S. practice. Usually offered every second year.

POL 105a Elections in America
[ ss ]

Examines modern campaigns and elections to the United States presidency and Congress. Topics include the influence of partisanship, policy differences, and candidate images on the vote; the impact of money on campaigns; the role of the mass media; and the differences among presidential, Senate, and House elections. Usually offered every third year.

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.

POL 109b Seminar: The Political Organization of White Supremacy in the U.S.: Causes, Forms, and Responses
[ deis-us ss ]

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above, or the permission of the instructor.

Political organizations representing white supremacy – conceptualized here as groups, movements, and institutions pursuing anti-Black racist political outcomes - have powerfully structured, and continue to influence, American political development. This course will survey the social science and historical literatures for crucial cases and useful theories which explain the causes and consequences of these organizations and broader institutions, e.g. the KKK, and the Jim Crow South more generally, but also very current examples like the Alt-Right and the Patriot Front. Usually offered every second year.

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.

POL 113b The American Presidency
[ ss ]

Philosophical and historical origins of the presidency, examining the constitutional role of the chief executive. Historical development of the presidency, particularly the emergence of the modern presidency during the twentieth century. Contemporary relationships between the presidency and the electorate, as well as the other branches of government. Usually offered every second year.

POL 116b Civil Liberties in America
[ deis-us ss ]

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.

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.

POL 120b Seminar: The Politics of Policymaking
[ ss ]

Examines the connection between politics and policymaking to identify the political determinants of public policy since the 1970's. By paying close attention to what policy makers say about what they are doing, the course connects the world of ideas to the world of actions. The course examines concrete cases from specific time periods across a wide range of policy areas such as health care, tax policy, Social Security, education reform, immigration, tort reform,and deregulation. Usually offered every year.

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.

POL 128a The Politics of Revolution: State Violence and Popular Insurgency in the Third World
[ nw ss ]

Introduction to twentieth-century revolutionary movements in the Third World, focusing on the emergence of peasant-based resistance and revolution in the world beyond the West, and on the role of state violence in provoking popular involvement in protest, rebellion, and insurgency. Usually offered every year.

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.

POL 133a Contemporary Politics in the Middle East
[ nw ss ]

Introduces the politics of the region through the study of regimes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel. Themes include the political legacy of colonialism, the challenge of ethnic pluralism, the rise of political Islam, the politics of gender, the role of the military in politics, the dynamics of regime survival, the persistence of authoritarianism and the prospects for democratization, and the implications of the Arab spring for the future of the region. Usually offered every third year.

POL 133b Politics of Russia and the Post Communist World
[ 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.

POL 134b Seminar: 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.

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.

POL 139a Seminar: The Radical Right: From Ballots to Bullets
[ deis-us oc 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.

POL 141a Seminar: 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.

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.

POL 148b Seminar: 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.

POL 156b European Politics
[ ss ]

The comparative politics of Western Europe. Focuses on the development of political parties and social movements in Britain, France, and Germany--particularly since 1945--to determine how they affect policies and the citizenry's participation in modern democracies. Usually offered every third year.

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.

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.

POL 162a Seminar: The Gaza War: Its Causes and Consequences
[ ss ]

Addresses a uniquely important and timely topic: What caused and what were the consequences of the Gaza War that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel? What characterized the attack and Israel’s response and its ramifications? The class will examine Israeli, Arab, and other experts’ writings about these topics. It will ascertain the historical background to these events, from the 1993 Oslo Accords to the rise of Hamas and the subsequent Israel-Hamas mini-wars of 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. It will explore the international and regional environments that led to the October 7, 2023 attack as well as the regional dimensions of the subsequent Gaza War, such as the role of Iran, the Hezbollah-Israel violence, and the participation of other members of the “axis of resistance” such as Yemen’s Houthis and the pro-Iran militias in Iraq. The class will also ascertain the Israeli and Palestinian domestic scenes and their impact before and after the eruption of the war. Finally, the class will explore the possible long-term ramifications of the war, including the possibility that it would lead to new efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Usually offered every second year.

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.

POL 164a Seminar: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
[ ss ]

Provides students with historical and analytic mastery of the Arab- Israeli conflict in a novel way. Through immersion in three competing narratives - Israeli, Palestinian, and pan-Arab - students will gain proficiency in the history of the conflict as well as analytic leverage on the possibility of its resolution. The course is organized as a seminar and is premised on active student participation. Usually offered every year.

POL 165a Seminar: 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.

POL 166a Japan's Grand Strategy
[ ss ]

An overview of modern and contemporary Japanese foreign policy and the strategy behind its engagement with the world. Surveys Japan’s foreign policies toward key countries and regions and covers topics such as security alliances, nationalism, economic interdependence, and international organizations. Usually offered every year.

POL 167b Russian Foreign Policy
[ oc ss wi ]

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.

POL 168b American Foreign Policy
[ ss ]

Overview of America's foreign policy since 1945. Topics include the Cold War era, the economic competitiveness of the United States, the role of the United States in selected world regions, the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. participation in the United Nations, post-Cold War foreign policy, and the making and implementing of foreign policy. Usually offered every year.

POL 170a Seminar: Nuclear Weapons and International Security
[ ss ]

Examines the role of nuclear weapons in international relations from World War II to the present. We will cover the technology of nuclear weapons, the development of nuclear strategy and doctrine, arms control and nonproliferation efforts, and the spread of nuclear weapons beyond the Western powers (the U.S., Russia, United Kingdom and France) to the Middle East and Asia, including China, India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea. Usually offered every year.

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 second year.

POL 177b Seminar: National Security Strategy: The Case of Israel
[ ss ]

Examines key concepts in national security studies and illustrates their relevance and explanatory power by applying them to Israel's pursuit of national security. Evaluates the extent to which Israel's strategy is typical of small states attempting to withstand numerically superior neighbors. Usually offered every second year.

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.

POL 186b Classical Political Thought
[ hum ss ]

Major ancient political philosophers and the meaning and implications of their work for contemporary political issues. Usually offered every third year.

POL 187b Conservative Political Thought
[ ss ]

Focuses on American and European thinkers, with an emphasis on critics of equality and unlimited commercial and civil liberty. Readings include political philosophy and literature. Authors may include Burke, Oakeshott, Calhoun, Conrad, Hayek, Macintyre, and Strauss. Usually offered every second year.

POL 189a Marx, Nietzsche, and Twentieth-Century Radicalism
[ ss ]

Comparison of two powerful and influential critiques of modern politics and society. Explanation of Marx's work, both for its own insights and as a model for radical theorists; and of Nietzsche's work as an alternative conception of radical social criticism. Usually offered every second year.

POL 190b Seminar: Democratic Theory
[ ss ]

Explores in depth the nature, virtues, and limitations of democracy as a way of organizing political affairs. Brings together classic texts, for example, Rousseau's Social Contract, with more recent topical readings on topics like democracy and nationalism. Usually offered every second year.

POL 192b Seminar: Topics in Law and Political Theory
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. May be repeated for credit if different topic.

Interplay among law, morality, and political theory. Specific topics vary from year to year. Usually offered every year.

POL/WGS 125a Gender in American Politics
[ deis-us ss ]

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.

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

HS/POL 220a Social Justice and Democracy Seminar

This joint GSAS-Heller graduate level course brings together graduate students from these schools in the engaged analysis of, and in an experience planning and executing, a collaborative campaign for political change. It include presentations by specialized scholars and practitioners from across Brandeis and from outside the university. It will combine the methods of analysis, and the political advantages of three approaches: the values revealed in personal narrative, the rules and authority structures of law and the analytical strategies of the social sciences. Usually offered every year.

POL 211a Graduate Seminar: Political Theory

Core course in political theory, required of all Politics Ph.D. students.

Explores a few themes, such as justice, freedom, and community, by means of careful reading of a selection of classical and contemporary texts. Usually offered every second year.

POL 212a Graduate Seminar: Research Methods and Methodology

Familiarizes students with the major research techniques of a qualitative nature for political science and addresses central issues in the logic of inquiry in social science. Issues and techniques include the case study method, the comparative method, counterfactual, and research design. Usually offered every second year.

POL 213a Graduate Seminar: Comparative Political Institutions and Public Policy

Studies the ideas and institutions of representative democracy from a comparative perspective. Topics include parties and party systems, variations in constitutional government from presidentialism to parliamentarianism, the process and prerequisites of democratization, and the comparative politics of the welfare state. Usually offered every second year.

POL 214a Graduate Seminar: International Relations

Examines the international relations of national political systems. Topics include the impact of evolving international institutions and norms on the course of world politics; the effects of security, economic, and environmental factors; and the interaction between domestic politics and foreign policy. Special attention is given to American foreign policy and the changing place of the United States in world politics. Usually offered every second year.

POL 215a Graduate Seminar in American Politics

Examines the creation and evolution of national institutions in the United States from an American Political Development scholarly lens, or focuses on understanding the political attitudes and action of individuals, groups, and publics from a Political Behavior lens. Usually offered every second year.

POL 298a Independent Study

POL 298b Independent Study

Full semester independent study. Yields half-course credit. Usually offered every year.

POL 302a Readings in Politics

Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.

Offered every year.

POL 302b Readings in Politics

Usually offered every year.

POL 340d Proseminar

2-credit seminar required of all PhD and MA students.

Year-long course that meets biweekly. Focuses on professional development, including teaching competency. Offered every year.

POL 349a Directed Study

Usually offered every year.

POL 400d Dissertation Research

Independent research for the PhD degree. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.

POL Digital Literacy

AAAS 138a Africa and the World: Recentering Africa in Global History and Politics
[ dl oc ss ]

A wide-ranging survey of transnational history to the present, linked throughout by the thread of African connections to the global. The course is a nuanced and specific interrogation of African presence, influence, agency, and impact on aspects of the past, present, and future of the world as we know it, from human origins to slavery, the World Wars, globalization, feminism, environmentalism, global popular cultures, Afropolitanism, and global social justice campaigns such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. Usually offered every year.