Approaches to Contemporary Political Theory

Level

Graduate

Units

Number

215A

CCN

72086

Course Description

A weekly seminar on contemporary approaches to political theory.

Upcoming Events

Apr 03, 2025

Be Water: Collective Improvisation in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Protests

Professor Ming-sho Ho will deliver a presentation on his latest book, which explores Hong Kong's 2019–2020 pro-democracy movement, widely known as the Be Water Revolution. In the book, Ho proposes an agency-based explanation to understand how this unexpectedly prolonged and disruptive protest movement operated without centralized leadership. Triggered by a series of moral shocks, perceived threats, and reflections on past failures, collective improvisation emerged as a key mechanism. This process, driven by widespread peer production, enabled tactical innovation. He also explores how decentralized participation fostered creative cultural expressions, energized overseas diaspora communities, and sustained resistance against the police state enforced..

Apr 17, 2025

2025 Barbara Boxer Lecture: A Conversation with Julie Chávez-Rodriguez

IGS and the Bancroft Library are pleased to announce that Former Senior Advisor to President Biden and Cal alum, Julie Chávez-Rodriguez will be in conversation with former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as the 2025 Barbara Boxer Lecturer. The Barbara Boxer Lecture is an annual event, sponsored jointly by the Institute of Governmental Studies and The Bancroft Library, that focuses on women in leadership. This event is co-sponsored by the Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service.

Apr 30, 2025

The Ambassador Frank E. Baxter Lecture

The Ambassador Frank E. Baxter Lecture 4- 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Banatao Auditorium University of California, Berkeley Join Dr. Yuval Levin, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy; Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies; and Editor in Chief, National Affairs as he presents "Can the Constitution Unify Americans?" In a polarized, divided era, many Americans have grown frustrated with a system of government that feels stuck and unresponsive. More and more on both the right and the left have come to blame the Constitution for the resulting discord. But what if..

Courses

Courses

Approaches to Contemporary Political Theory

Be Water: Collective Improvisation in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Protests

27th Annual Travers Conference on Ethics & Accountability in Government

2025 Barbara Boxer Lecture: A Conversation with Julie Chávez-Rodriguez

The Ambassador Frank E. Baxter Lecture

Useful Links

Intranet