Session D

This course considers the relationship between wealth and democracy primarily through the lens of political theory. Topics to be investigated include: classical concerns that democracy is undesirable because it is rule by the poor; the role of property in liberal government; whether the U.S. Constitution was designed to protect property interests; the nature of political corruption; political and legal debates about campaign finance reform from the late 20th century to the present, including whether money is speech and whether campaigns should be publicly financed. Readings will be drawn from canonical ancient and early modern philosophers and political theorists, contemporary studies of the impact of wealth on American democracy, and key Supreme Court decisions including Citizens United. The course is recommended for juniors and seniors but is open to all students.

This course begins with a brief historical review of the demise of the Ottoman Empire, followed by the British and French mandate over the Middle East region, the anti-colonialist revolt, the emergence of Israel, Arab-Israeli conflicts, the rise of secular nationalism, and the resurgence of Islamism in all its populist, revolutionary, conservative, and revivalist forms. We will then shift our focus to new modes of thinking about the region grounded in political economy, economic insecurity, youth bulge, and the burgeoning revolts against authoritarianism and the status quo. After examining a myriad of reasons behind social protests and movements in the region, this course will turn to comparative as well as case study approaches by focusing primarily on important changes in the Middle East landscape. We will pay special attention in the second half of the semester to the following cases: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Syria, and Tunisia, as well as Israeli-Palestinian front.  We also take a thematic approach to examining causes of social unrest, human rights and democratic struggles, identity formation, and sectarian divide/tensions in the region.

Please note the course description is from Summer 2014

Instructor:Mahmood Monshipouri 

Email: mmonship@berkeley.edu

This course will introduce students to some key concepts used in contemporary comparative political analysis. It will do so through an examination of the reasons for why some modern nation states provide better living conditions for their citizens. Are these differences due to factors such as political institutions, legislative arrangements, parties and party systems, or social forces such as culture and ethnicity? Class lectures will focus on developing an understanding of how political scientists use these terms and whether they provide adequate explanations for why states vary so substantially in their performance. There will be two lectures per week and one required discussion section.

This course can satisfy either the Social & Behaviorial Sciences or International Studies breadth requirement.

Note: Course description is from Summer 2013

Instructor: Tara Buss

Politics is how we determine who gets what under conditions of scare resources. Politics is also the struggle to create and preserve a civilization that is free, fair, just, diverse, and legitimate. PS1AC asks, does American politics reinforce these principles, or does it weaken them? In particular, we will investigate the ways in which race and ethnicity, as well as wealth and socioeconomic class, operate through the formal and informal institutions of American politics to create the social outcomes we observe and experience in our daily lives. The primary goal of the course is to help students become more critical, sophisticated observers and participants in American politics.

POL SCI N1AC will still fulfill all the requirements that PS1 fulfills (e.g., major, American Institutions) but now also fulfills the "American Cultures" campus requirement. 

Instructor: Jacob Grumbach

This course will investigate the major sources of conflict in the modern international system, as well as consider how these dangers can be managed. We will focus on traditional interstate rivalry, rogue states, and terrorism, along with a number of responses to these challenges, including sanctions, airstrikes, and nation-building.  Particular focus will be given to U.S. foreign policy and how it can be used to promote global stability.

Why are some post-communist countries more politically and economically successful than others? What underlies the many conflicts in this region? What can happen in the future, and what can we learn from the East European experience? This course is designed to help you answer these and similar questions. Topics include state-socialism and its collapse, the emergence of ethnic and religious conflict, the transitions to democracy and market economics, entry into NATO and the European Union, democratic backsliding, and Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

This course begins with a brief historical review of the demise of the Ottoman Empire, followed by the British and French mandate over the Middle East region, the anti-colonialist revolt, the emergence of Israel, Arab-Israeli conflicts, the rise of secular nationalism, and the resurgence of Islamism in all its populist, revolutionary, conservative, and revivalist forms. We will then shift our focus to new modes of thinking about the region grounded in political economy, economic insecurity, youth bulge, and the burgeoning revolts against authoritarianism and the status quo. After examining a myriad of reasons behind social protests and movements in the region, this course will turn to comparative as well as case study approaches by focusing primarily on important changes in the Middle East landscape. We will pay special attention in the second half of the semester to the following cases: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Syria, and Tunisia, as well as Israeli-Palestinian front.  We also take a thematic approach to examining causes of social unrest, human rights and democratic struggles, identity formation, and sectarian divide/tensions in the region.

Please note the course description is from Summer 2014

Instructor:Mahmood Monshipouri 

Email: mmonship@berkeley.edu

This course is an introduction to the methods employed in empirical political science research. We will cover basic topics in research design, statistics, and formal modeling, considering many examples along the way. The two primary goals of the course are: (1) to provide students with analytic tools that will help them to understand how political scientists do empirical research, and (2) to improve students' ability to pose and answer research questions on their own. There are no prerequisites.

Note: Course description is from Fall 2013

This course will introduce students to some key concepts used in contemporary comparative political analysis. It will do so through an examination of the reasons for why some modern nation states provide better living conditions for their citizens. Are these differences due to factors such as political institutions, legislative arrangements, parties and party systems, or social forces such as culture and ethnicity? Class lectures will focus on developing an understanding of how political scientists use these terms and whether they provide adequate explanations for why states vary so substantially in their performance. There will be two lectures per week and one required discussion section.

This course can satisfy either the Social & Behaviorial Sciences or International Studies breadth requirement.

Note: Course description is from Summer 2013

This course provides an overview of the U.S. political system from the nation's founding to the present. In addition to examining the core structures of our federal system, we will also explore a number of
special topics, such as the evolution of civil rights and the causes of partisan gridlock. The course will pay particular attention to the role institutions play in shaping political conflict and, ultimately,in determining who wins and who loses.

Instructor:  Travis M. Johnston

Email: tmjohnst@berkeley.edu