PSCI

Studies the political process, which determines who gets what, when, and how in society.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduces the elements of the American political system.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduces the Western tradition of political thought, examining a selection of works by major political thinkers. Draws on primary sources, with a textual and conceptual emphasis.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduction to basic principles of political science research design. Examines the process of formulating research questions in political science, developing theories with testable implications, and hypothesis testing. Students produce a research proposal including research question, literature review, and research design.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines methods used to compare state political systems with respect to world order values in varying geographic and cultural settings.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Analyzes nation-states in their external relations, including the interaction of the great powers with each other and with emerging areas.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Focusing on long-term processes, the course examines state formation, institution-building, institutional competition, and policy-making in the American context. The course provides historical and political background that makes sense of vital present-day issues like national security, racial and ethnic politics, and health care policy.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduction to Constitutional law and the federal courts. Examines the emergence of judicial review, the judiciary's role in the system of check and balances, and the powers and limitations on each branch of government.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Provides an introduction to comparative political theory by studying non-canonical texts originating both within Europe and the United States and outside those areas, generally in colonized or formerly colonized countries. Specific theories include those of DuBois, Fanon, and Mariategui.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines the nature and realization of justice over time, with special attention to the ways that justice has been conceptualized and re-conceptualized over time.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Considers the theoretical and methodological challenges and opportunities associated with qualitative and multi-method research designs. Includes issues of causation, explanation, and inference, as well as practical considerations of specific research designs and methods. The qualitative research designs considered include “small-n” historical case studies and process tracing. Specific techniques include focus groups, structured and semi-structured interviews, oral histories, archival research, participant observation, ethnographic investigations, action research, and the use of memoir and journalistic sources as data.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course provides students with concepts, principles and tools of quantitative research methodology for political science. Core concepts include quantitative measurement of political topics, survey research, and linear regression analysis.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Uses the tools of comparative politics to examine key political issues across democratic and non-democratic countries.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines current issues in American foreign policy, including the assumptions underlying policy goals, the means of achieving them, and the decision-making machinery.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduces students to the theory and practice of international organizations. Focuses on three broad questions: Do international organizations matter? How do they matter? Should they matter? Course begins with an overview of major theoretical perspectives and continues with an examination of the United Nations system and its role in security, development, human rights, global health and environmental politics.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

The overarching theme of this course is the process of globalization, the factors leading to a single world economy tied together by technology, trade, and investment, and the factors keeping up independent economic zones and nations in economic competition and sometimes in open political opposition.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course considers theoretical approaches to comparative social movements by closely examining evidence about specific movements. Questions include: When and why do people mobilize to make demands against their states and societies? What contextual conditions enable such mobilization, and under what conditions does mobilization decline? Finally, do movements actually matter for bringing about change? This course is designed to gain leverage on these questions by surveying an eclectic literature from international relations and comparative politics.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines environmental politics, focusing on the United States. Solving environmental problems is not simply a question of using available science and technology; rather, proposals to combat environmental degradation confront political context that may or may not favor the aims of environmental policy. Understanding politics is therefore indispensable for effective environmental problem-solving.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

How do technologies shape politics, and how do human interests produce particular kinds of technologies? This course will examine the life of many different kinds of technologies through the lens of human use, institutional practice, economic interests, policy, and social movements. Case studies will include the data rescue movement, smartphones and surveillance culture, Hurricane Harvey and infrastructure, inclusive/barrier-free design, and the ethics of human enhancement, among other topics. A core part of the course will be learning and developing skill in social science research through fun micro-assignments.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course serves as an introduction to the field of Security Studies. Through an examination of the classical theories that underpin this field of study, students will examine the different ways in which ‘security’ can be understood in both domestic and global contexts. Students will explore both conventional threats to national security as well as continued threats to human security. The course will also introduce emerging trends in global security and will equip students with the skills necessary to consider how these issues affect societies and how states respond to emergent threats.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course is a general introduction to issues posed by the notions of development and progress of societies. Issues to be discussed include indices of social development, economic growth, and health progress, and their significance in relation to general views on social development and human progress. The concept of standard of living, the human development index, the demographic transition and the gender and political aspects of development will be also discussed. As a general introduction to the issues implied by the relationships between economic progress, population growth, health, and politics, as major concepts involved in the notion of social development, the course has links with demography, sociology, history of political thought, economics, anthropology, and the health sciences.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

What happens to civilians in times of war? What are the responsibilities of militaries and rebel groups to people under their control -- and do they meet them? Who counts as a "civilian," anyway? This course considers these questions and more. We examine the definition and causes of armed conflict, before turning to key issues such as civilian coping strategies during armed conflict, common patterns of violence against civilians, legal and policy remedies for human rights violations, and the politics of human rights advocacy.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines major political, social, and economic problems of state, local, and metropolitan governments.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

An overview of politics and policy-making in the US Congress. Topics include: How are laws really made? What determines who is elected to Congress, and who leads once members are in place? How much does money matter in Congressional politics? How effective is Congress at passing legislation, and how effective is the legislation that eventually passes?.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course is designed to introduce the student to the concepts, principles, and history of the United States Presidency. Emphasis will be directed toward the concepts in the social sciences and political science in particular. In addition to lectures, there will also be a number of scholarly and general publication readings, films, and slide presentations for the course. A variety of exercises to enhance the course experience will be employed.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

While the last three decades (at least) could be characterized as fundamentally challenging for feminist thought and practice, more than ever, feminist praxis is needed to critique and oppose systematic oppression, and build new structures, relations, and practices that can create a more justice, equitable world -- all the while critically examining the shifting terrains of power. This course will examine a selection of themes and topics in feminist theory and research, including violence against women, black feminist thought, transnational feminism, trans rights, and heterosexism, among others. Language, borders, economic inequity, and racism are key levers of power that we will explore in-depth.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines political aspects of environmental health issues. Students will examine how “environment” and “health” are defined by different stakeholders. How, according to these political actors, is health impacted by environment, and how are environmental factors addressed in healthcare? How do scientists study human exposure in everyday environments? What institutions are responsible for regulating hazardous materials? How is community health impacted by pollution and what actions do communities take to protect health? Using historical and contemporary case studies, students will engage with these questions at different scales of analysis, learning about the politics of knowledge, social movements, the medical establishment, and the ethics of health in late industrialism.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Introduces an investigation of the relationship between politics and communication, with the goal of developing an understanding of political communication's role in election campaigns, news coverage, political debates, political advertising, and "normal" portrayals of the political system through media and interpersonal communication.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

It is increasingly accepted that climate change is one of the major threats for human society. Without going into the depths of geoscience and historical climatology, this 3-credit course briefly surveys the evidence of climate change and anthropogenic global warming, as a prelude to analyzing the economic aspects of greenhouse gases emissions, the politics of controversies about climate change, and the proposals to deal with it.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

In this course we will survey the known and emerging impacts of climate change on cities. We will learn key concepts and paradigms that are used by urban climate change experts. We will examine case studies that highlight the interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches used to address urban climate change. These include local and regional policies, nongovernmental and governmental research, and experiments at the intersection of health, ecology, and infrastructure.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

The making of public policy is a complex affair. Elected officials do not necessarily have full expertise in every arena they supervise and, even if they did, constituents would have every right to seek to influence their decisions. Influence is largely felt through the electoral process but, between elections and even during election campaigns, individuals and groups will seek to influence the direction and detail of government policy. This class explores this reality.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course will introduce advanced techniques of research design and data analysis. Completion of this course will provide the student with a firm grasp of advanced statistical models. The emphasis is on understanding the application of methods rather than on mathematical and computational foundations. No prerequisites are formally required, but familiarity with R and linear regression is anticipated.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This class is an introduction to the study of international organizations in world politics, focusing on the United Nations (UN). We will study a major theoretical problem: how international organizations attempt to govern a planet made up of self-interested, sovereign states. We also consider the practical issues that confront the UN and other international organizations.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Are ethics relevant in world politics, or are power and survival the only concerns? This course considers the main moral issues facing the international community. Topics include the "just war" tradition, human rights, humanitarian intervention, and what rich countries owe the poor.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course examines the origin of the international human rights movement after World War II, and discusses key issues confronting the international community today. These include genocide, political repression, the rights of women, and religious and cultural minorities. It also considers the moral basis of the rights ideal.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines protections for civil liberties afforded by the First Amendment of the Constitution, specifically those related to speech, the press, religion, and assembly.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines Constitutional civil rights claims arising under the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection and due process guarantees. Focuses on claims concerning discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as those asserted under an individual right to privacy in matters of reproductive rights, sexual conduct, and end of life decisions.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course focuses on the workings of the modern Supreme Court: theories of judicial interpretation; internal decision-making processes; the interplay of law and politics on the Court's personnel, agenda, and rulings; and the role of interest groups in shaping the Court's jurisprudence.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course examines how politics shapes our diet. Though cultural and personal preferences influence what we eat, our food choices unfold in the context of public policies such as agricultural subsidies, trade agreements, and food safety regulations, etc. The first part of the course describes and analyzes the US food system, with a focus on regulatory policies and interest group politics. The second part of the course examines the ideas and practices of food-based social movements that seek to create a food system that is less harmful to human and international health and more socially just than the existing system.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Examines the political effects of technological change, including public policy efforts to affect the impact of scientific development. Covers topics including atomic energy, electronic communications, and weapons development.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Course examines the role of the American city in the larger project of state-building. Topics covered include the changing functions of cities over American history; the role of cities in national political coalitions; and the construction of ethnic, racial, and class identities as a process or urbanization.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course examines the politics of human-animal interactions. Human relationships with animals vary by time and place: the same species might be a pet at one time, a food at another, and somewhere else, a model organism for experimental research. Understanding those relationships, and why they change, can help elucidate what it means, ethically, politically, and biologically, to be human. Topics in this course include animal rights and experimentation, the livestock industry, animal intelligence, and environmental legislation.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

The material in this course comes from a variety of disciplines and schools of thought with political science serving as an overarching framework. Issues covered include ethnicity, gender, race, nationalism, globalism, economics, and class.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course is designed to introduce the student to the issues associated with immigration from both a US and international as well as a historical and contemporary perspective. Emphasis will be focused on the theory, public policy and philosophical issues that are associated with this area of inquiry.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course is designed to introduce the students to both the theory and practice of running for political office. Emphasis will be placed upon both the theoretical and applied aspects of political campaigns. The course will use a combination of readings, a text, films, lectures, and guest speakers.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This class provides an overview of the comparative politics of policing. In this course, we will explore the major questions in the study of the comparative politics of policing, including debates over how police are politicized, the relationship between political violence and policing, the societal role of police, the effect of police on crime, racial and ethnic bias in policing, strategies for reform and the challenges that stand in the way. While this course substantively explores policing in various global contexts, we will also focus on the various building blocks of social science.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This class provides an overview of topics related to politics in authoritarian regimes. As an overview of authoritarian politics, we start with an introduction of the concept of authoritarian- ism: how it differs from democracy and how autocracies differ from each other. We also discuss the challenges of measurement: how do we operationalize the concepts we are interested in. We will then examine the various tools authoritarian rulers employ to maintain power, including institutions (elections, legislature, power-sharing, and security), policies, and tactics, and we investigate the effects and side effects of these tools. We will discuss topics like coups, repression, censorship, state media, and distributive politics. Finally, we conclude by focusing on transitions of power.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Students develop and begin an in-depth research project under the supervision of a political scientist. Course is restricted to seniors with a minimum 3.30 GPA. Can be continued as PSCI 493.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

Students complete an in-depth research project under the supervision of a political scientist.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course considers questions relating to civilians, and civilian protection, during armed conflict. We examine the definition and causes of armed conflict, before turning to key issues such as civilian coping strategies during armed conflict, common patterns of violence against civilians, legal and policy remedies for human rights violations, and the politics of human rights advocacy.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

This course examines the origin of the international human rights movement after World War II, and discusses key issues confronting the international community today. These include genocide, political repression, the rights of women, and religious and cultural minorities. It also considers the moral basis of the rights ideal.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu

The legalization of world politics is one of the most interesting and potentially transformational trends in international relations. Across substantive areas, including matters of security, trade, environmental affairs, and human rights, international law is playing an increasing role in international politics. The course considers theoretical approaches and contemporary events to better understand where international law comes from, how it is designed, and why states comply (or not). In addition, we consider contemporary debates and challenges, including the contested jurisdiction of international courts, the immunity of the United Nations, evolving law on humanitarian military intervention, and the fragmentation of international law in environmental affairs, among other topics.

Subject

PSCI

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026

Source

catalog.drexel.edu