Undergraduate

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.

This course is an upper division course in Political Theory. Its principal goal is to survey how the prominent thinkers in the “Western” tradition have talked about the relationship between political systems, the economic arena, and domestic/global society. It covers material written from the 1600s to the present day, a period which saw the collapse of feudalism, the emergence of modern nation-states, global capitalism and colonialism, the postwar remaking of the world, and the rise of neoliberalism and contemporary populism. The course will explore the writings of a wide range thinkers who have theorized the relationship between politics and
economics, locating them in their historical context, exploring how they build one upon the other, interrogating their ideas, influence and shortcomings, and thinking about what they might teach us about the historical and philosophical roots of contemporary problems. An important goal of this class will be to relate these thinkers to present day realities, as this body of scholarship theorizes the origins and emergence of the very phenomena and dynamics that continue to play out in our times. We will cultivate historical perspective on our world and develop sophisticated answers to contemporary social issues, ultimately assessing the legacy of the “Political Economy” as a set of theories, practices and form of education.

Subfield: Political Theory

It is increasingly recognized that for societies to move on after widespread human rights and humanitarian abuses some kind of reconciliation process is necessary. What does reconciliation mean at the national vs. the personal level? What institutions and processes work best to encourage reconciliation? What role do truth commissions and trials play in this process? Are these processes best dealt with nationally or should they be led by an international body? This course will start by examining the concept of reconciliation and then look at case studies including Germany and Japan after WWII, Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge, Argentina and the Dirty War, Chile after Pinochet, South Africa and Apartheid, the Rwandan genocide, and the war in Yugoslavia. Students will complete a research project on a case study of their choice.

Subfield: International Relations

Globalization isn’t just an abstract concept—it’s something we experience every day in the way we eat, shop, work, and connect with
others. This course will take a Political Science approach to globalization while keeping the focus on you and the ways political
systems shape our personal and professional lives. Together, we’ll explore how governments, international organizations, and global
policies influence everything from our digital privacy to the food on our plates.

Through lively discussions, collaborative projects, and personal reflections, you’ll uncover how political structures, institutions, and
power dynamics operate on a global scale—while directly impacting your everyday choices. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to think critically about globalization, recognize its political effects, and apply this knowledge to both your academic and personal pursuits.

Instructor: Dr. Di Wang

Course number will change to PS124W prior to the first day of class.

Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of our generation. This in-person, undergraduate lecture investigates the political dimensions of that challenge. Over the course of the semester we will explore a number of key questions, such as: Why is it so challenging for nations to cooperate on climate change? Why are some governments more climate-friendly than others? What leads firms and individuals to be more or less supportive of green policies? What are possible solutions to the problem? And, finally, which of these solutions shows the most promise?

Course number will change to PS124R prior to the first day of class.

This course will study the foundational texts of modern political thought, including Machiavelli’s Prince, Bodin’s On the State, Grotius’ War and Peace, Hobbes’ Leviathan, Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, and Rousseau’s Social Contract.  Topics for study and examination will include the theory of the modern sovereign state; the origin of the state (especially the theory of the social contract); the concept of natural rights; theories of political liberty and equality; the permissibility of political resistance and revolution; early modern ideas of democratic and non-democratic forms of rule; religion and politics. 

Please note that this course description is from 2018.

This course will explore the relationship between liberal democratic governance, identity, and nation in the United States. The course is interdisciplinary in nature, approaching the issues through the lenses of history, philosophy, law, and the social sciences. We will look at the historical roots of contemporary problems in the US such as political polarization, economic inequality, and the culture wars. We will explore the relationship between liberal democracy and different forms of identity, including racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, and national identities. In doing so we will try to shed light on contemporary social problems, and will discuss how to bring about stable, productive, and just social change in the United States.

The course is divided three main parts: (1) Core Concepts; (2) Liberalism, Democracy, and Governance; and (3) National Identity and Empire.

Subfield: American Politics

An inside look at how political campaigns operate from the people who run them. Class material will be directed toward students who are interested in direct involvement in campaign politics or who are looking for a greater understanding of the political process. Students will be required to develop a complete written campaign strategy document in order to fulfill class requirements. Students will be expected to follow political and campaign news through the news media and be prepared to discuss those developments in class. Serious lectures, discussion and classroom exercises on campaign strategy and message development and delivery, with a special focus the role of political media. This section will focus predominantly on campaign advertising, news media coverage, the emerging role of the Internet, and other means by which candidates communicate their message to the voters.

Subfield: American Politics

Please note that the description is from Fall 2013.

Public policy is often studied as a set of laws, regulations, and incentives, but it is ultimately designed and implemented by people—policymakers, bureaucrats, front-line workers, and public managers. This course explores how policy ideas take shape, how they are designed with (or without) implementation in mind, and how public agencies and officials turn policies into reality.

The first part of the course introduces key frameworks for understanding policy design, focusing on how institutional structures, cognitive biases, and political constraints shape policy choices. The second and larger portion of the course examines policy implementation, governance, and public administration: Who carries out policies? What motivates government workers? How do agencies coordinate (or fail to)? Why do some policies succeed in practice while others falter? The final section of the course explores how we
evaluate policies and emerging trends in government, such as AI in policymaking and participatory governance.

Course number will change to PS188 prior to the first day of class.