Undergraduate

This course presents a broad introduction to contemporary politics and society in Russia. What was the Soviet Union, and why did democracy fail in Russia after the USSR fell apart? What kind of regime has Vladimir Putin constructed, and what are the limits of his power? How did Russia reemerge as a global power and how does it challenge the West and democracy around the world? How may we understand the nature of Russian nationalism and the quest for a secure national identity? How does the Russian economy work? What do we know about public opinion and the lives of ordinary Russians? Does the recent rise in social protest and state repression portend major political change? The course is recommended for juniors and seniors but is open to all students.

Please note, the course's previous ID was POL SCI 129B. POL SCI 141A and POL SCI 129B are the same course.

This course is designed to introduce students to the major theoretical approaches to international politics, to explore important historical and contemporary questions and debates in international affairs, and to teach students to think critically about international relations.  After defining what the study of international relations involves and discussing the how and why of thinking theoretically, we will discuss the major theoretical approaches, concepts, and debates in the field. We will then turn to security issues looking at both World Wars and the Cold War.  The next section of the course looks at issues of political economy including questions of development, rich-poor country relations, and globalization.  Finally we examine a number of contemporary issues of global governance including human rights, ethnic conflict, humanitarian intervention, and environmental issues. We end the semester looking at shifting power dynamics internationally including the rise of China.

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 class is an introduction to the American political system. The course is designed to make you think about the logic of our government's institutions, and the consequences - both intended and unintended - of these institutions for the political behavior of citizens, legislators, and other political leaders and activists. Topics to be covered include the Constitution, American political culture, civil rights, the presidency, Congress, Supreme Court, political parties, elections, public opinion, and interest groups.

Please note the description is from Spring 2014

Instructor: Richard Ashcroft

The rise of populists has challenged traditional political parties in many parts of the world. The success of populists is attributed to a large segment of the population feeling un- or underrepresented by the existing political parties? What is it about contemporary political parties that they have difficulty successfully representing citizen interests? This course delves into political parties' origins, support bases, and organizations to understand why political parties are facing an existential crisis in different parts of the world. The course is for political science majors who wish to know the various forms of organization of political parties, how parties change, and the impact of political competition on party systems. Possible countries may include Brazil, Canada, India, and Spain. 

The goal of this course is to explore the conditions that lead to the initiation, escalation, and termination of international conflict as well as the factors that encourage peace between states. The course does not focus on historical description of particular wars but rather provides a broad theoretical treatment of the causes of war and peace. We will first familiarize ourselves with the principles of the scientific study of international conflict. Then we will spend the semester examining various factors that scholars have identified as potentially leading to conflict, such as the distribution of power, arms races, alliances, territory, rivalry, trade interdependence, and domestic politics.

Subfield:   International Relations

Students who took PS 191 "Junior Seminar: Scientific Study of International Conflict" with Professor Mattes cannot take this course due to the substantial similarity in course content.

The methods used to manage the power of the bureaucracy in the American political system. An introduction to theories of organizational behavior. The effects of administration structure upon the creation and distribution of public benefits.

Subfield:   American Politics

Please note that this description is from Fall 2013.

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 politics, the transitions to democracy and market economics, entry into NATO and the European Union, the migrant crisis, democratic backsliding, and the role of Russia.

This course is an introduction to the central concepts, laws, and debates in the field of international human rights. In the first half of the course, we will examine fundamental questions in the field, such as: What are human rights? What are the philosophical, religious, and historical foundations of human rights? What are the main international human rights agreements? What are some problems with those agreements? What are the main international institutions that handle human rights? How are human rights enforced outside of the U.N. system? What are regional human rights systems? Are human rights universal? And what role do non-governmental organizations play in this field?

Class number changed 8/2/2022.
Class number originally listed as PS123.