231 courses with the subject PSC, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
PSC 100Selected Topic: Political Science1-6
Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.
American political institutions. Basic principles embedded in structure and practices of American government. Practical consequences of this political system for the citizen. Credit is given for PSC 121 or PSC 129, but not both.
PSC 122American State and Local Government and Politics3
Role of state and local politics in American politics. Changing notions of proper political process and governance. Nature of the political process. State and local interactions. Politics and policy pursuance.
Comparison of selected governmental institutions, individual and collective political actors, and issues across the industrialized and developing world. Particular attention to dynamics of socioeconomic and political change.
Foreign policy, decision making, comparative foreign policy, international transactions, and the international system. Credit is given for PSC 124 or PSC 139, but not both.
Introduction to theories of major modern political philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, Hume, J.S. Mill, Marx). Contemporary theories of liberty, justice, and equality.
PSC 129American National Government and Politics (Honors)3
American political institutions and their founding. The public role in a democratic regime. Ability of contemporary arrangements to meet the demands of the modern world. Credit is given for PSC 121 or PSC 129, but not both.
Major world views which comprise contemporary international relations. Lectures, readings, journal writing, and small group discussion. Credit is given for PSC 124 or PSC 139, but not both.
PSC 141Liberty and Power from the Ancient World to Modernity3
Overview of those historical, social and political processes that have led to the birth of the modern world. Offered only in Florence for Discovery Florence students.
Offered through SUAbroad by educational institution outside the United States. Student registers for the course at the foreign institution and is graded according to that institution's practice. SUAbroad works with the SU academic department to assign the appropriate course level, title, and grade for the student's transcript.
Introduction to important political science concepts; basics of political argumentation and reasoning; and basic quantitative research and analysis techniques.
In this course, we are concerned with addressing two overarching questions: one, how has the rising level of income inequality influenced the practice of American democracy? And second, how has American politics contributed to the rise of income inequality?
An introduction to Canadian politics with a comparative perspective, this course covers core features of national government (parliament, courts, federalism) plus distinctive aspects such as Quebec nationalism, multiculturalism and indigenous rights.
Participation in a discipline- or subject-related experience. Students must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Limited to those in good academic standing.
Offered through SUAbroad by educational institution outside the United States. Student registers for the course at the foreign institution and is graded according to that institution's practice. SUAbroad works with the S.U. academic department to assign the appropriate course level, title, and grade for the student's transcript.
In-depth exploration of a problem or problems. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor or instructors and the department.
Students learn how to design and conduct original research, including formulating questions, developing hypotheses, and choosing strategies for data collection. Sequences well with courses focused on data analysis.
The size and scope of the national government has been a central organizing principle of political conflict throughout American history. This course explores the American state's changing relationship to society and economy over time.
American legal structure and process: policy making by courts, relations with other branches of the national government, and the changing role of the Supreme Court in our federal political system.
Functions of the legislative branch: representation, control of the public purse, and executive oversight. Recent changes brought about by electoral forces and internal reforms.
Introduction to the African American experience in the American political system, from the colonial period to the present. Organization/leadership, federal institutions/relations, sociopolitical movements, and electoral politics.
How governments understand membership through citizenship laws and practices. Includes the history of citizenship, evolution of modern citizenship, migration, and "post-national" citizenship.
Relationship between American political institutions, politics and public policy. Significance of public policies for democratization in the U.S., highlighting dynamics of race, class, and gender. Development and implementation of policies.
Uses theoretical and real world materials to examine the strengths and weaknesses of interest groups in American politics. The role of groups in shaping public interest and influencing policy decisions.
Surveys global politics of refugees and those displaced by persecution, conflict, disasters, or development. Topics include historical trends, legal regimes, and ethical concerns. Explores causes and consequences of forced displacement, and responses by state and non-state actors.
The New Deal transformed American politics. This course examines the era from a range of perspectives, including economic conditions, the international context, the role of labor, the influence of southern legislators, and the Second World War. We will also examine how it set into motion shifts in party politics that would define the remainder of the twentieth century.
In-depth analysis of specific campaigns. Review of literature, followed by analysis, involving: media review, targeting analyses, survey writing, polling, survey analysis, exit polling, and review of election results. Acquisition and application of skills.
Sometimes called the 'fourth branch' of government, the media are an integral part of the political landscape. This course explores the role of the media in the operation of government and in the conduct of politics.
The Court's dual character as a legal and political institution. Explores the Court's decision-making process and the impact of those decisions on politics and policy.
Students work in conjunction with members of Congress, state legislature, or in local political campaigns. Representatives of these offices come to seminars for discussions about working in government and politics.
Advanced technology as a focal point of governmental and political conflict in the United States and other nations. Interplay of technology and politics as a struggle over who will control the future and for what ends.
Relationships between gender and American political institutions, law, and policymaking processes. How social movements based on gender, prevailing gender ideologies, and gender relations have shaped American politics. Exploring how the American state has shaped the political meanings and relative positions of power associated with men and women.
Aims to familiarize students with major legal traditions of the world. Among the legal systems to be covered are the Common Law, Civil Law, Islamic Law, and African and Asian legal traditions.
Populist movements and roots of conspiracy culture in American politics. Populist ideology centered around suspicion of a manipulative power elite is a recurrent theme in American political discourse of both left and right.
Introduction to the field of security studies within the discipline of Political Science. Case studies with a special focus on the U.S. role in fostering international security, and contemporary dilemmas for U.S. national security.
Introduction to American constitutional interpretation. Historical survey of basic Supreme Court doctrines focusing on the first 150 years of judicial action. The Court's role as a political institution.
Contemporary constitutional interpretation, focusing on the Bill of Rights and the fourteenth amendment. Issues of race, gender, privacy, property, free speech, religious diversity, and political representation.
American political thought from the Puritans to Lincoln. American Revolution, establishment of the Constitution, and Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian systems.
American political thought from the impact of Darwinian science to the present. Basic thought patterns of 20th-century public life and philosophical foundations of contemporary political movements.
Social movements were always integral to American politics. Includes emergence, strategies, political context and influence of temperance, abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, labor, civil rights, anti-war, feminism, nuclear freeze, gay rights, and global justice movements.
Evolution, operation, and perceptions of the American presidency during the last quarter- century. Modern chief executives and factors contributing to their success or failure.
PSC 330Political Economy of Gender in Industrialized Countries3
Asks why men and women are treated differently within the family, at work, and in politics by examining the relative importance of societal norms, religion, public policy and individual economic decisions.
Cross listed with IRP/PSC 331. Humanitarian and diplomatic aspects of war. Introducing students to three topics: international humanitarian law, humanitarian operations, and the practice of peacemaking and peacebuilding to end wars. Offered only in Strasbourg.
This class uses a cross-disciplinary approach to study how ethical principles, public policy, and private governance could guide the development and deployment of artificial intelligence in the public interest.
The history and politics of Mexico, with special attention to relations between Mexico and the United States and the politics of immigration, NAFTA, the drug trade, and other bilateral issues.
Domestic and international politics of East Asia broadly defined. Political development and structure of major countries: Japan, Korea, and China. Politics of public policy, international, and transnational relations in the region.
This course looks at political science research on money and politics in different countries around the world. How much money is there in politics, what influence does it have, should we try to reduce it, and if so, how?
This course is about Japan's economy, politics and society. It focuses on: (i) Japan's extreme demographic aging its origins and current & future problems; and (ii) changing geopolitics in East Asia.
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 342Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict3
Considers the extent to which religion matters in an enduring ethno-nationalist conflict. Approaches the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from an interdisciplinary perspective that explores the intersection of religion and politics.
Religious, political, economic, and social dimensions of life in modern Middle East. Legacy of Islam, encounter with Western modernity, Arab-Israeli conflict, and political economy of the region.
This course examines the moral, social, political, and economic effects of capitalism through a study of some of the seminal philosophical discussions of commerce, private property, and economic inequality. Authors may include Rousseau, Smith, Marx, Hayek, Rawls, and Nozick.
Examines thematically and comparatively the political systems of South America, Asia, and Africa, exploring topics such as colonization, decolonization, nation-building, the postcolonial state and its institutions, the recent wave of democratization, and the challenges of socioeconomic development.
The military's role in the modern state and in modern society. Broad geographic coverage, including the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The interrelationship of political, social, and economic factors that produce development outcomes. The role of the state in markets and the relationship between democracy and development.
Fundamental principles and recognized rules that make up international law concerning conduct of nations. Protection of nationals abroad, jurisdiction in territorial waters and on high seas, rights and duties of diplomats and consuls, and the law of treaties.
Causes and consequences of collective actions taken by state, intergovernmental, and transnational nongovernmental individual and collective actors. May include global and regional level issues of (human) security, economic and social development, environmental protection, and resource management.
Human rights are today a focal point of rhetorical contestation among states, intergovernmental organizations, and transnational networks. This seminar surveys the opportunities and limits of human rights language in promoting social and political change.
Institutions and politics of international economic relations. Trade, investment, macro-economic policy coordination, economic development, global resource issues, and the causes and consequences of global economic integration.
Diplomacy of the United States toward major areas or powers, i.e., Latin America, Far East, and the Soviet Union. National defense, trade, and international organization.
Examines Organization of American States and other regional institutions. Considers how regional cooperation efforts have been shaped by political, economic, and cultural diversity of the countries in the region and by the changing global context.
Data and data analysis are increasingly important for political science research. In this class, you will learn how to conduct data visualization yourself using the statistical program R.
Examines sustainability science, communications, and public policy through the lens of climate-what is known about climate change and impacts, what motivates public understanding, and what actions through mitigation and adaptation make progress toward sustainability.
Examines ascendancy of religious movements; prominence of religious ideas; secularization and religion as a political force; conceptual and historical issues in relation to religious ideas and movements, including various Islamic revivals and the Christian right. Offered in London and Madrid only.
The role of ethical concerns, imperatives, and restraints in international relations. Includes realism, just war theory, the ethics of nuclear deterrence, and other topics at the discretion of the instructor.
The place of Africans in the international system; specific issues emanating from the decolonization process. Issues of militarism, humanitarianism, peacekeeping, and genocide; challenges of globalization.
PSC 365International Political Economy of the Third World3
Political and economic problems developing countries face in international economic relations, attempts to solve them. Discusses the making of the international system, the "third world," globalization, trade, debt, multinational corporations, multilateral lending agencies (IMF, World Bank).
Topics include globalization and interdependency of faiths, the "clash of civilizations", relations between religion and state in Islam and Christianity and whether it is possible to separate the world into monolithic entities "Islam" and "West". Offered in London only.
This course explores the theory, history, and law of free speech in the United States, examining landmark cases, philosophical foundations, and contemporary controversies.
PSC 373Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition and its Critics3
Political obligation in the writings of the three major social contract theorists, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Additional reading from their critics such as Burke, Mill, and Marx.
Central issues in the philosophy of law such as the nature of law and obligation to obey the law; justification of punishment and of state restrictions on individual liberties; justice and the law.
This course examines the creation of the U.S. Constitution in 1787-1788. The first half focuses on the debates at the Philadelphia Convention, the second half on the ratification debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
Reciprocal relations between religious groups and political systems, especially in the United States. Religious groups as the objects of policy decisions, as sources of governmental legitimacy, and as agents of political and social change.
Examines classic and contemporary theories of identity and their manifestation in political practice. Also examines basic theories about how identities are constructed and their meaning/import. Covers race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and foreignness.
Offered through SUAbroad by educational institution outside the United States. Student registers for the course at the foreign institution and is graded according to that institution's practice. SUAbroad works with the SU academic department to assign the appropriate course level, title, and grade for the student's transcript.
This course introduces students to classical/modern Islamic law by analyzing Islamic constitutionalism, criminal laws, family laws, gender, political violence, and Islamic banking, through the examination of Middle Eastern and South Asian legal systems.
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.
Exploration of the enduring questions of ancient political philosophy¿questions about justice, the best regime, and the best way of life¿through a study of Plato¿s dialogues, Aristotle¿s Politics, and Machiavelli¿s The Prince.
Examines militarism and war and their relationship to gender and power. Particular attention is given to how war impacts people differently across axes of race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and other forms of identity.
Examines ethnicity and its effects on politics. Engages the concept of ethnicity, how it structures politics and sparks conflict, and what political tools exist to manage these conflicts.
Exploration of a problem, or problems, in depth. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor(s) and the department.
Focuses on the origins, nature, and likely future course of the European Union. More generally, examines five long-range challenges facing contemporary Europe: Demographic decline; Globalization; Civic Integration; Great Power Rivalry; and Sustainable Development. Please note that PSC 396 and PSC 405 cannot both be taken for credit.
PSC 397Realism and Power Politics in International Relations3
Realism lies at the core of American international relations. It has been the dominant approach to national security issues since the 1940s. The course covers several important realist theories, as well as critiques and applications.
PSC 398How the United States Became a Great Power3
Between 1785 and 1900, the USA grew into a great power. This course investigates the foreign relations of the USA during this period. Which international relation theories best explain America's relationship with the European great powers?
Data and data analysis are increasingly important for political science research, public discourse, and the workplace. This class, you will learn how to conduct data analysis. You will understand the problems of observational inference in social sciences and how to test hypotheses using basic regression analyses.
Politics of European integration from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, institutional, and policy-making. Fundamental post- war political process in modern-day Europe. Offered only through SU Abroad. Students cannot get credit for both PSC 396 and PSC 405.
PSC 406Citizenship from Modernity to Globalization3
Offered only in Florence. Citizenship as a major crossroads in European political thought: key thinkers; permutations throughout European history; impact of globalization and European unification on concepts of citizenship, liberty, and justice.
This laboratory class offers students hands-on experience interpreting and designing surveys and experiments. Students will work in groups to create an original survey experiment on a political topic of their choosing, then analyze and present the results.
Offered regularly through Syracuse Abroad. Analyze immigration policy in the European Union and its individual member states with attention to its residual socioeconomic and political implications. Special focus on gender, ethnic, and religious identities as they relate to immigration policy.
Creation and current workings of the European Union. The relationship between the member states and issues such as a United States of Europe. Mandatory trip to Brussels (EU Commission, Parliament, and U.S. EU delegation). Offered in London only.
This course focuses on how geography affects politics. We will discuss cases across American Politics and Comparative Politics, and will use the QGIS mapping software to create maps and visualize political and spatial data.
Integrates student coursework by providing in-depth analysis of a particular topic. Recommended seminar choice is one in a subfield of the discipline in which the student has some prior preparation.
PSC 412Global Governance: The United Nations System3
The theory and practice of global governance and international diplomacy through an in-depth study of the United Nations system. Critique readings and discuss current UN-related events. Fulfills the IR capstone for International Law and Organizations (ILO). Permission of instructor.
Interdisciplinary approach to examine concepts of identity and difference, challenges notions of subjectivity, nation and gender. Philosophical, political, and gender-related dimensions explored. Offered only in Florence.
Offered regularly through Syracuse Abroad. Seminar including field study in multiple Central Europe locations. Examines how borders and identities have shifted over time, and the role of these shifts on the current rise of populism in the region.
Seminar including field study in multiple Western Europe locations. Examine how the national identities of these countries, and of Western Europe as a whole, are being transformed through immigration and the ideology of multiculturalism.
PSC 420The East Asian Century? Opportunities and Challenges for the Region & the US3
Examines the trajectories of and interactions between China, Japan, and Korea, with a focus on the implications of these developments for the region and the United States.
Offered only in Strasbourg. This course is designed to help students grasp the overall nature of contemporary Eastern and Central Europe, with emphasis on the breakup of the Soviet Union, and challenges of democratization and of EU unification.
Offered only in Madrid. Starting with an analysis of current political, social, economic, and cultural issues in Spain, students define problems and questions, then review Spanish history to find the roots of those problems.
PSC 424Dictatorships, Human Rights, and Historical Memory in the Southern Cone3
Offered only in Santiago. The time period (1940-present) and its significance and contributions to the configuration of social, political and economic aspects of Chile today. Relies on primary sources, comparisons within the Southern Cone, and a focus on US role and influence during this period.
Offered only in London. This course examines London's perspective on global issues of religion, identity, and power. Using the city's unparalleled networks of diverse religious and faith communities, architecture and infrastructure, this class will explore the contrast between religious animosity and coexistence.
Offered only in Strasbourg. Course gives a coherent contemporary picture of Europe in political/social/economic area and position in the world, with particular emphasis on the European Union.
PSC 428Contemporary Issues in Chile and Latin America3
Offered only in Santiago. This seminar features in-situ lectures and activities in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay introducing important political, sociological and environmental issues in the Southern Cone region.
Offered only in Strasbourg. Introduction to current European human rights law. Through study of European Convention on Human Rights, students learn about culture/morals/values of peoples of Europe.
Field studies seminar based in Dublin and Belfast, explores whether a shared sense of being Irish exists despite the struggle and separation between the largely Catholic south and the largely
PSC 433Negotiating Identity Across Europe's Borders3
Through comparative study in six countries and their urban centers, students will explore some of the most rapidly changing regions in Europe with attention paid to issues of identity, memory and history of Central Europe. Offered only through Syracuse Abroad.
An introduction to sustainability policy-examining the complex systems approach to sustainable development, comparing conventional approaches and analytical tools for environmental policy, and drawing from case studies and theoretical materials.
This course deals with the global politics of humanitarianism. Topics covered include the historical evolution of humanitarian norms and principles, key actors in the humanitarian sector, and institutional frameworks governing humanitarian action. We also explore the challenges associated with emergency relief, development aid, and military intervention.
PSC 436Healthcare in Europe: A Comparative Approach0-3
Offered regularly through Syracuse Abroad. How healthcare systems work in the world; focusing on European systems and comparing with US model. Study, compare and contrast different models with respect to economy, financing and public policies used by national and local governments.
Offered only in Strasbourg. Historical evolution of the concept of international security within the framework of European security-related institutions and the place of Europe in the context of new security challenges.
Offered only in Hong Kong. Examines the efforts at democratization in East Asia, including such early efforts as the May Fourth Movement in China (1920s-1930s) and the Taisho Democracy in Japan (1920s). Comparisons are made with current situations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
PSC 444Culture, Business and Political Economics in East Asia3
Offered only in Hong Kong. Examines the historical and contemporary forces that shape the cultural, social and economic institutions in East Asia and how these institutions affect one another.
PSC 445Contemporary British Politics and the Modern World3
Offered only in London. British political system and the historical factors shaping it, as well as Britain's role in creating the modern world and its place in the world today.
Offered only in Florence. Identify elements and characteristics of different kinds of populist movements, with a special focus on Italy. Examine how such movements impact both the national and international political context and the potential risks they pose to democracies.
PSC 452Italy: Past, Present and Future Challenges3
Offered only in Florence. Italian society and politics from unification to present. Topics include role of the family, emigration and immigration, stereotypes and regional identities, processes and components of Italian society and culture. Analysis of current situation and future challenges.
Politics, society, war, and peace in Europe, 1919-1992. Nazi Germany, WW II, the Cold War, post-war reconstruction, social and economic transformations, and the revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe. Offered only in Florence.
PSC 456Religion and Conflicts in Contemporary Europe3
Offered only in Strasbourg. Examines continent's long history of religious conflict, especially ways in which local and global religious tensions have developed in recent years.
Offered only in Istanbul. Key political and social issues in contemporary Turkey. Democratization; relationship between secularism, the role of the military and Islam in political life; foreign policy including Turkish-US relations; nationalism, minorities, gender, human rights. Additional work required of graduate students.
Offered only in London. Differing perspectives on changing global economy and nature of modern state. Key ideas regarding development through experiences of developing countries in Asia and Africa.
PSC 464Borders in Flux: Identities and Conflict in Ireland3
Offered only in London. Students travel to Dublin, Derry, and Belfast to learn how Ireland's past is entangled with its present. Concepts of Irish and British national identities; religious conflict and peace-making attempts within Ireland; new tensions wrought by international migration and regional politics.
Why do people move across international borders, and where do they go? How should local communities, national governments, and international institutions respond? What are the goals of these policies, and are they effective?
Participation in a discipline- or subject-related experience. Students must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Limited to those in good academic standing.
Internships spent off campus in Washington, a state capitol, or an international or foreign organization. Proposal required; faculty sponsor must be arranged. May be counted toward major or minor by petition.
Offered through SUAbroad by educational institution outside the United States. Student registers for the course at the foreign institution and is graded according to that institution's practice. SUAbroad works with the S.U. academic department to assign the appropriate course level, title, and grade for the student's transcript.
Examine twentieth-century history of East and Central Europe by focusing on key socio-political phenomena of nationalism, dictatorship, and civil society. Look at political and social history through the lens of arts, literature and film.
PSC 484Death as Political: Violence, Grief, and Protest3
This course explores political violence, protest, and peace, focusing on public mourning and collective grief. Global case studies show how death sparks social change and serves as an analytical lens in political science and history. London ONLY.
In-depth exploration of a problem or problems. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor or instructors and the department.
PSC 495Distinction Thesis Seminar in Political Science I3
Individual research work in conjunction with seminar participation guided by faculty seminar instructor and individual mentors. Defining thesis projects. Senior political science students only. Permission of instructor.
PSC 496Distinction Thesis Seminar in Political Science II3
Thesis students present ongoing research, constructively engaging with other thesis writers, and working with faculty mentor to complete research. Individual research work in conjunction with seminar participation. Senior political science students only. Permission of instructor.
Participation in a discipline or subject related experience. Student must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Permission in advance with the consent of the department chairperson, instructor, and dean. Limited to those in good academic standing.
Exploration of a problem, or problems, in depth. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor(s) and the department.
PSC 612Development of the American Administrative State3
Origins, development, and character of the American administrative state from 1877 to the present. Welfare state, regulatory state, and the civil state.
PSC 620The East Asian Century? Opportunities and Challenges for the Region & the US3
Examines the trajectories of and interactions between China, Japan, and Korea, with a focus on the implications of these developments for the region and the United States.
Basic introduction to the ways in which political scientists have conceptualized and studied American politics, primarily through an examination of influential approaches and "classic" works.
Contemporary theories of international relations. Approaches to understanding and explaining international behavior at single-nation, multiple-nation, and systematic levels.
Participation in a discipline- or subject-related experience. Students must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Limited to those in good academic standing.
Major theoretical approaches in comparative analysis: structural functionalism, systems, Marxism, dependency theory. Comparative research techniques: use of elite studies, aggregate data, theory, cross-national surveys, political sociology, diachronic analysis, and causal modeling.
Conceptual, methodological, and theoretical tools in comparing state, society relations, and their political and socioeconomic outcomes in the Pan African world and the rest of the world.
Orientalist, Marxian, Weberian, and postmodern viewpoints about such issues as colonialism, Islamism, nationalism, secularism, authoritarianism, modernity, and patriarchy in the Middle East.
In-depth exploration of a problem or problems. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor or instructors and the department.
Major debates in logic of political inquiry. Includes alternative approaches to explanation and theory, nature of political knowledge, place of values in political inquiry, and policy relevance of political science.
PSC 693Introduction to Quantitative Political Analysis3
Basic statistics, including measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing, indices of association, and bivariate analysis. Application of statistics to political science data.
Survey of qualitative methods in political science research. Topics include elite interviewing, participant observation, content analysis, and discourse analysis. Discussions center on research practices and exemplary applications.
Survey of perspectives and literatures on global civil society organizations and transnational NGOs. Begins the process of integrating these literatures through critical analysis.
Political economy of economic growth, redistribution and inequality. Political institutions, origins and evolution. Cross-national variations in economic institutions.
Key moments, periods, and themes in American constitutional development. The influence of constitutional ideas and institutions on political development and the influence of political ideas and institutions on the Constitution.
Comparative perspective, emphasizing United States. Opinion formation, political communication systems, impact of news media, propaganda, and methods, including opinion surveys and content analysis.
Examines the opportunities and constraints for addressing environmental problems through the political process. Its aim is to understand how problems, political actors, and institutions come together to shape policymaking in this arena.
PSC 719Fundamentals of Post-Conflict Reconstruction3
The goal of this class is to provide students with a broad overview of the field of post-conflict reconstruction (PCR) from both a theoretical and applied point of view. Over the course of the semester we will consider the various goals of PCR work, the range of actors that conduct it and the lessons learned from its application across various settings.
Introduces graduate students to the use and analysis of surveys and experiments in political science. Explores both technical aspects of surveys and experiments and applied substantive social science literature that uses these methods.
Foundations and application of international law. Institutional and political capability of international organizations. Recent theoretical and methodological development.
Relation between international politics and economics. Neoclassical and leftist approaches to problems of expansion, North-North relations, North-South relations, and system transformation.
PSC 755Politics and Governance in the Information Age3
The impact of advanced computing and communications technologies on the structure, organization, and behaviors of contemporary systems of public governance.
Analysis and assessment of the causes of transnational non-state activism, the means and goals chosen by activists, and the effects of non-state actors in international and domestic affairs.
Why do people move across international borders, and where do they go? How should local communities, national governments, and international institutions respond? What are the goals of these policies, and are they effective?
Leadership, cooperation, and conflict in times of crisis. Key dynamics that influence the way decision makers perceive and respond to crisis and the processes that facilitate constructive crisis management.
This graduate seminar surveys human rights issues, including the sources of violations, the role of international institutions and non-state actors, and explanations for commitment and compliance.
This course aims to introduce students to comparative judicial politics and human rights, and familiarize them with relevant theories and methodologies for conducting research on comparative legal systems, human rights and judicial institutions.
Political systems and political system change in selected nations and regions. Seminars may focus on one nation/region or they may analyze a substantive topic comparatively.
Systematic development of theories of foreign policy not limited to a single nation, decision, situation, or time. Definitions of foreign policy and logic of comparative analysis; historical roots of study of foreign policy; theories of war proneness, change and cooperation; examination of how foreign policy is made.
Theory and practice of civil-military relations. The military's role in the modern state and in modern society. Broad geographic coverage, including the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Nature of modern democracy, contemporary transitions to democracy in countries around the world, problems of democratic consolidation and democratic theory, and the effects of democracy on the economy and world politics.
The relationship between what political leaders are like, the behavior of the institutions or governments they lead, and the effects of leaders and leadership on politics.
Survey of constructivist research. Comparisons of constructivist theories, comparisons to other theories of world politics, and reviews of exemplary empirical applications.
Multivariate data analysis, including regression, causal analysis, time series, and factor analysis. Theoretical uses, implications, and meanings of techniques. Techniques applied through computer analyses using statistical software.
Production of collective states from individual choice. Role of evaluative concepts like equality, liberty, and rights in such efforts. Design theory, game theory, impossibility theorems, voting rules, distributive justice, market models.
Major debates in contemporary democratic theory: extent of and rationale for political participation; relation of material and political equality; tension between liberty and equality. Theories of justice: Rawls, utilitarianism, Nozick.
Exploration of a problem, or problems, in depth. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor(s) and the department.
Participation in a discipline- or subject-related experience. Students must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Limited to those in good academic standing.
In-depth exploration of a problem or problems. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor or instructors and the department.
