Roughly three-quarters of the Latin American population lives in cities. In this seminar, we will examine the politics of urban governance in the region. Topics covered will include urban campaigns and elections, urban institutional design and its effects, and the politics of policy areas of major importance for cities, including public security, urban infrastructure, and housing and land use. Special attention will be paid to the analyzing how and why the politics of policymaking and implementation vary across different policy arenas. Attention will focus on the 1960s through the present day. Readings will be drawn primarily from Political Science, Development Studies, Sociology, Geography, and Economics.
The Junior Seminars are intense writing seminars which focus on the research area of the faculty member teaching the course. The seminars provide an opportunity for students to have direct intellectual interactions with faculty members while also giving the students an understanding for faculty research.
This junior seminar falls within the "Comparative Politics" subfield, and can fulfill an upper-division requirement for the major.
Political Science Majors of Junior and Senior status (must be 3rd or 4th year students with at least 60 units completed). Priority may be given to students who have not yet taken a junior seminar.