Graduate

This graduate seminar introduces students to the rapidly evolving field of qualitative and multimethod research. The seminar is designed to provide students with an overview of qualitative methods essential to political science research. In addition, we will consider a range of ways in which qualitative methods can be integrated with each other, as well as other research methodologies, such as field and natural experiments, formal models, and statistical modeling. Required readings cover classic texts, recent innovations, and applied examples.

Note that this means there is a lot of reading! Students are expected to become familiar with both the methodological ideas and their substantive application.

The overriding goal of the course is to provide students with the background necessary to use qualitative and multimethod techniques in their own original research. It will enable students to master core tools, understand basic problems, and explore advanced topics. Students should ultimately be able to apply these methods in writing a dissertation prospectus, grant proposal, or research paper.

This course emphasizes the application of the formal analytic tools to current or significant research in political science.

This is the third course in the PS 231 graduate methods sequence in the political science department. In this course, students will learn about model-based statistical inference and its applications to political science research. The course will cover multiple approaches to model-based inference. First, students will learn about maximum likelihood estimation, which proceeds by assuming the data were generated by a specified probability model. Second, students will learn a collection of methods in machine learning, which employ algorithmic models to optimize fit to the data without relying on assumptions about the data mechanism. Along the way, students will learn about the strengths and limitations of these different approaches, how to interpret the outputs of different types of models, and how to assess the value of estimated models in different situations.

This is a rst course on statistical inference and modeling for use in social science research. It covers probability and the theory of statistical inference, justications for and problems with common statistical procedures, and how to apply procedures to empirical social science data to draw conclusions relevant to positive social theory. We will pay particular attention to the motivation for statistical inference and modeling from the standpoint of social science. Lectures and reading will primarily cover theory and simple examples. Problem sets will cover both simple theoretical extensions and applications of tools we develop to real data.

Required Skills:
Students should have a working knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, and elementary calculus. The course is suitable for students with a large range of prior exposure to statistics and mathematics. Students with Ph.D.-level training in mathematical statistics from a statistics department will note that it pushes their capabilities; students with less background than this should nd at least some challenges, conceptual or technical. All students capable of gaining admission to a Berkeley Ph.D. program can fully succeed in this class regardless of prior technical preparation other than the required skills listed above.

Please note that description is from Fall 2014.

This course is intended for PhD students in political science. It assumes some pre-existing background in international relations and comparative politics. The goal is for students interested in international relations and domestic politics to develop a stronger grounding in the literature, critique research design, propose improvements, and begin to develop their own related work. 

This course is a graduate field seminar in International Politics.  We will survey and assess foundational theoretical perspectives, issues, and research programs in IR, placing each in historical perspective.  What kinds of questions does modern IR theory ask (and not ask) and about what kinds of problems?  What methods are used to seek answers?  What is the value of the answers?  Who uses them and for what?  Where is this field headed and where do we think it should be headed?  Through intensive reading and discussion as well as some small writing assignments, we will build a foundation for more advanced courses in International Relations as well as research agendas that can elaborate, refine, and extend contemporary debates in academic IR.  

Please note that this description is from Spring 2014.

Please join us as we slow-read the whole of Aristotle's Politics, spending two weeks on each book (and combining 7 and 8 for this purpose). Prior knowledge of ancient Greek is not necessary, although we will have the original on hand and will be discussing the meanings of the various Greek terms as we go. Theory grads in their first and second years are particularly encouraged to attend, but all graduates with an interest in theory in our department and other proximate ones are welcome. Topics of interest to include the polis (city-state), oikos (household), freedom, slavery, Aristotle's interpretation of Plato, citizenship, democracy, oligarchy, Aristotle's ideal political system, the political implications of economic disparity, and how to think about (and potentially avoid) political revolution. 

This seminar provides an introduction to the major debates in comparative political economy. Although the empirical focus is on the affluent democracies, many of the debates and issues analyzed have implications for other regions. The course is divided into two main parts. The first part examines leading theoretical perspectives on political economy, such as Friedman, Marx, Weber, and Polanyi. The second part of the course is more topical. It probes a number of examples of economic development, crisis, and change, with an eye to assessing alternative theoretical perspectives.