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POLISCI 1: The Science of Politics

Why do countries go to war? How can we explain problems such as poverty, inequality, and pollution? What can be done to improve political representation in the United States and other countries? We will use scientific methods to answer these and other fundamental questions about politics.
Terms: Aut, Spr | Units: 4-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI

POLISCI 44Q: Societal Collapse

Sustained economic growth is an anomaly in human history. Moreover, in the very long term, sustained economic decline is common. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the causes of economic decline, the social and political consequences of that decline, and the path that led to the collapse of some of the most prosperous societies in human history. Among the episodes we will cover are the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the Classic Maya collapse. We will compare these ancient episodes with recent cases of socioeconomic decline, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the downfall of Venezuela under Chavismo. We will use the past to reflect on the fundamentals of harmony and prosperity in our society and the challenges that they will face in the future.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3
Instructors: ; Mejia Cubillos, J. (PI)

POLISCI 74B: Public Service and Social Impact: Pathways to Purposeful Careers (CSRE 190A, ENGLISH 180, INTNLREL 74, PUBLPOL 75B, SOC 190A, SYMSYS 193, URBANST 190A)

How do I translate my interests and skills into a career in public service and social impact? This course will introduce you to a wide range of roles that help shape public policy and civic life, including government, education, nonprofits, social enterprises, and arts/media. It can be taken for one or two units. For one unit, you participate in a weekly, interactive speaker series designed to give you a sense for what different public service careers are like. Each week, guests describe their organizations and roles, highlight key intellectual issues and policy challenges, discuss their career paths, and describe skills crucial for the job. For a second unit, you participate in a hands-on weekly session designed to help you translate this knowledge into action. You will identify roles and organizations that might be a good match for you, build your network through informational interviewing, receive career coaching, and acquire the tools you need to launch your job or internship search. This course is intended for all students and all majors. Course content will be relevant to students soon entering the job market as well as those facing choices about courses of study and internships. Class sessions will be 60 minutes. This course is co-sponsored by the Haas Center for Public Service, the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Stanford in Government. Students taking the course for one unit (Tuesday lecture) must enroll in the -01 course option, and students taking the course for two units (Tuesday lecture and Thursday seminar) must enroll in the -02 course option. IR approved.
Terms: Aut | Units: 1-2

POLISCI 101: Introduction to International Relations (INTNLREL 101)

Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.
Terms: Aut, Sum | Units: 4-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI

POLISCI 103: Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER

POLISCI 111: The Politics of Climate Change

This course explores domestic and international dimensions of the politics of climate change. Selected topics include mitigation efforts at the national, state, and local level; international climate bargaining and cooperation; and implications of a warming climate for various political outcomes.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI

POLISCI 114D: Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (INTLPOL 230, INTNLREL 114D, POLISCI 314D, REES 230)

This course explores the different dimensions of development - economic, social, and political - as well as the way that modern institutions (the state, market systems, the rule of law, and democratic accountability) developed and interacted with other factors across different societies around the world. The class will feature additional special guest lectures by Francis Fukuyama, Larry Diamond, Michael McFaul, Anna Grzymala-Busse, and other faculty and researchers affiliated with the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Undergraduate students should enroll in this course for 5 units. Graduate students should enroll for 3.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI

POLISCI 115B: Israel, the Middle East and Nuclear Weapons

Israel, the Middle East and Nuclear Weapons is intended for students who are interested to learn about Israel's national security policy in the context of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. The course is divided into three parts, and combines approaches based on historical research, political science, and science and technology studies. The first part of the course will examine the different factors which shape Israeli national security policy, and the role technology and innovation play within this process. The second part of the course will examine the evolution of Israel's nuclear program and it related nuclear policy. We will place this in historical and theoretical perspective within the academic corpus of literature which deals with nuclear proliferation. The third part of the course will focus on the study of counter-proliferation operations. Using nuclear proliferation literature and intelligence studies literature, we will chart the evolution of counter-proliferation operations, i.e. operations targeting the nuclear program of hostile actors, and the development of Israel's counter-proliferation doctrine. We will place our discussion in the context of the study of special operations and intelligence collaboration.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI
Instructors: ; Rabinowitz Batz, O. (PI)

POLISCI 118P: U.S. Relations with Iran

The evolution of relations between the U.S. and Iran. The years after WW II when the U.S. became more involved in Iran. Relations after the victory of the Islamic republic. The current state of affairs and the prospects for the future. Emphasis is on original documents of U.S. diplomacy (White House, State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Iran). Research paper.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI

POLISCI 121L: Racial-Ethnic Politics in US (CSRE 121L, PUBLPOL 121L)

This course examines the profound role race plays in American politics. Topics covered include the construction of political identity among Asian, Black, Latino, Native, and White Americans; the politics of immigration and acculturation; and the influence of racial identity on public opinion, voting behavior, the media, social movements, and in the justice system. We will tackle questions such as: What makes a political campaign ad 'racist?' Why did Donald Trump's support among Black, Latino, and Asian voters increase from 2016 to 2020? Are undocumented immigrants really more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens? How can we measure whether there is racial bias in policing? What do we even mean when we use the terms 'race' and 'ethnicity' - and how have the definitions of identity groups evolved over time? Throughout, students will be pushed to carefully evaluate data-based claims, critically analyze their own assumptions, and bring to bear empirical evidence to support their arguments in an inclusive learning environment. Prior coursework in Statistics or Economics strongly recommended.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI

POLISCI 127A: Finance, Corporations, and Society (ECON 143, INTLPOL 227, PUBLPOL 143, SUSTAIN 143)

As society faces major challenges, democracies and "free-market" capitalism appear to be in crisis. This interdisciplinary course will explore the complex interactions between corporations, governments, and individuals, drawing on insights from the social sciences, business, and law to understand how institutions and collective actions translate to a set of rules and to outcomes for people and nature. The course aims to help students become savvier in their interactions with our economic and political systems and understand the governance issues that are critical to whether and how well institutions in the private and public sectors serve us. Topics include financial decisions, financial markets, banks and institutional investors; corporations and corporate governance; political economy and the rule of law as it applies to people and to organizations, and the role and functioning of the media. We will connect the material to specific issues such as climate change and justice, and discuss current events regularly throughout the course. Students will have the opportunity to explore a situation of their choosing in more depth through group final projects. Visitors with relevant experiences will regularly enrich our class discussion.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4-5

POLISCI 140P: Populism and the Erosion of Democracy (REES 240P)

What is populism, and how much of a threat to democracy is it? How different is it from fascism or other anti-liberal movements? This course explores the conditions for the rise of populism, evaluates how much of a danger it poses, and examines the different forms it takes.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI

POLISCI 150A: Data Science for Politics (POLISCI 355A)

Data science is quickly changing the way we understand and and engage in the political process. In this course we will develop fundamental techniques of data science and apply them to large political datasets on elections, campaign finance, lobbying, and more. The objective is to give students the skills to carry out cutting edge quantitative political studies in both academia and the private sector. Students with technical backgrounds looking to study politics quantitatively are encouraged to enroll.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-AQR

POLISCI 154: Solving Social Problems with Data (COMM 140X, DATASCI 154, EARTHSYS 153, ECON 163, MS&E 134, PUBLPOL 155, SOC 127)

Introduces students to the interdisciplinary intersection of data science and the social sciences through an in-depth examination of contemporary social problems. Provides a foundational skill set for solving social problems with data including quantitative analysis, modeling approaches from the social sciences and engineering, and coding skills for working directly with big data. Students will also consider the ethical dimensions of working with data and learn strategies for translating quantitative results into actionable policies and recommendations. Lectures will introduce students to the methods of data science and social science and apply these frameworks to critical 21st century challenges, including education & inequality, political polarization, and health equity & algorithmic design in the fall quarter, and social media, climate change, and school choice & segregation in the spring quarter. In-class exercises and problem sets will provide students with the opportunity to use real-world datasets to discover meaningful insights for policymakers and communities. This course is the required gateway course for the new major in Data Science & Social Systems. Preference given to Data Science & Social Systems B.A. majors and prospective majors. Course material and presentation will be at an introductory level. Enrollment and participation in one discussion section is required. Sign up for the discussion section will occur on Canvas at the start of the quarter. Prerequisites: CS106A (required), DATASCI 112 (recommended as pre or corequisite). Limited enrollment. Please complete the interest form here: https://forms.gle/8ui9RPgzxjGxJ9k29. A permission code will be given to admitted students to register for the class.
Terms: Aut, Spr | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI

POLISCI 209: Curricular Practical Training

Qualified Political Science students obtain employment in a relevant research or industrial activity to enhance their professional experience consistent with their degree programs. Meets the requirements for Curricular Practical Training for students on F-1 visas. The student is responsible for arranging their own internship/employment and gaining faculty sponsorship. Prior to enrolling, students must complete a petition form available on the Political Science website (politicalscience.stanford.edu/undergraduate-program/forms). The petition is due no later the end of week one of the quarter in which the student intends to enroll. If the CPT is for Summer, the petition form is due by May 31. An offer letter will need to be submitted along with the petition. At the completion of the CPT quarter, a final report must be submitted to the faculty sponsor documenting the work done and its relevance to Political Science. This course be repeated for credit up to 3 times but will not count toward the Political Science major or minor requirements.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1 | Repeatable 3 times (up to 3 units total)

POLISCI 219: Directed Reading and Research in International Relations

For undergraduates. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on international relations. To be considered for enrollment, interested students must complete the directed reading petition form available on the Political Science website before the end of week 1 of the quarter in which they'd like to enroll. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 229: Directed Reading and Research in American Politics

For undergraduates. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on American politics. To be considered for enrollment, interested students must complete the directed reading petition form available on the Political Science website before the end of week 1 of the quarter in which they'd like to enroll. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 235A: From Cold War to New Cold War: Politics and Political Theory in Contemporary China (POLISCI 335A)

"China lacks everything: middle managers, engineers and capital," so wrote French political thinker Raymond Aron. That was 1950, three years after Harry Truman's 1947 Address to Congress, which was usually considered the beginning of the Cold War, and months after the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than seventy years later, and after a long, winding journey, China now has much more than middle managers, engineers, and capital. However, global politics seems to move towards another clash of two powerful countries with seemingly different ideological orientations as many now claim that a new Cold War is on the horizon.How did China emerge as a global power from what Aron described in 1950? And more importantly, can we, and if so, how do we, understand the rise of China with a theoretical perspective? How do theory and real politics shape each other, as manifested in the history of contemporary China? In this class, we explore answers to these questions by reading political theory against history, sociology, and political science. In every week, we read texts that reflect both the social reality and theoretical concerns of a given period in contemporary Chinese history. By so doing, we seek to make sense of both the contemporary Chinese society and the power and limits of ideas in political theory.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI
Instructors: ; Luo, S. (PI)

POLISCI 235C: Misinformation and Democracy: Past and Present (POLISCI 335C)

Many today consider misinformation to be one of the most significant challenges faced by democratic societies. Some see this as a new phenomenon, arguing, for example, that modern technology - and, above all, social media giants like Facebook or Twitter - is responsible for this threat. Yet, the problem of misinformation and the challenges posed by 'fake-news,' conspiracy theories, and lying in politics have a long history. In this course, we will ask whether and how misinformation threatens democracy and explore different potential solutions to this challenge. We will read various historical texts suggesting that misinformation is not a new phenomenon born in our digital age. We will learn about various past experiences of misinformation, such as discussions of the permissibility of lying in politics in antiquity, rumors about the end of the world in the Renaissance, and early modern debates about censorship and freedom of speech. We will see how several key figures in the history of political thought - from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes and Mill - sought to deal with these problems. Combining close readings of historical texts and discussions of contemporary issues, we will ask whether and how we might be able to utilize historical knowledge and experience to understand and address some of the most pressing challenges we face today.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5
Instructors: ; Schwartz, A. (PI)

POLISCI 239: Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory

For undergraduates. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on political theory. To be considered for enrollment, interested students must complete the directed reading petition form available on the Political Science website before the end of week 1 of the quarter in which they'd like to enroll. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 241: The Political Economy of China: Policy and Development from Antiquity to Revolution (POLISCI 341)

Welcome to the Political Economy of China! Over the course of the semester, you'll gain a rigorous, historically informed understanding of the long-term trajectory of policy and economic change in China from antiquity to the present day. By taking a long-term approach, we'll examine the extent to which contemporary Chinese political economy is the result of modern innovations, historical contingency, and/or path-dependent trends with their roots deep in the imperial past. To take an example very much in the news today, the mainstream media routinely describes Xi Jinping as a new emperor, a recrudescence of Mao, or a sui generis product of China¿s current social and political conditions. These descriptions are evocative; but are they accurate? Only by taking a closer look at the historical record can we isolate the evolution of its economic institutions and practices. For many students, this course will also be directly useful to your professional career. In the business, NGO, and policy worlds, analysts often make predictions based on historical precedent, but do so with only a hazy understanding of the Chinese past. A more robust grasp of the history will give you a competitive advantage whether you are researching state-owned enterprise reform, geopolitical competition, or market demand for new products and services.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Lowenstein, M. (PI)

POLISCI 249: Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics

For undergraduates. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on comparative politics. To be considered for enrollment, interested students must complete the directed reading petition form available on the Political Science website before the end of week 1 of the quarter in which they'd like to enroll. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 259: Directed Reading and Research in Political Methodology

For undergraduates. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on political methodology. To be considered for enrollment, interested students must complete the directed reading petition form available on the Political Science website before the end of week 1 of the quarter in which they'd like to enroll. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 299B: Honors Thesis Seminar

Restricted to Political Science Research Honors students who have completed POLISCI 299A.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5

POLISCI 314D: Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (INTLPOL 230, INTNLREL 114D, POLISCI 114D, REES 230)

This course explores the different dimensions of development - economic, social, and political - as well as the way that modern institutions (the state, market systems, the rule of law, and democratic accountability) developed and interacted with other factors across different societies around the world. The class will feature additional special guest lectures by Francis Fukuyama, Larry Diamond, Michael McFaul, Anna Grzymala-Busse, and other faculty and researchers affiliated with the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Undergraduate students should enroll in this course for 5 units. Graduate students should enroll for 3.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 319: Directed Reading and Research in International Relations

For PhD students. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on international relations. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 321: Graduate Seminar in Political Psychology (COMM 308, PSYCH 284)

For students interested in research in political science, psychology, or communication. Methodological techniques for studying political attitudes and behaviors. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1-3 | Repeatable for credit
Instructors: ; Krosnick, J. (PI)

POLISCI 329: Directed Reading and Research in American Politics

For PhD students. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on American politics. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 334: Philanthropy and Civil Society (EDUC 374, SOC 374, SUSTAIN 324)

Cross-listed with Law (LAW 7071), Political Science (POLISCI 334) and Sociology (SOC 374). Associated with the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). Year-long workshop for doctoral students and advanced undergraduates writing senior theses on the nature of civil society or philanthropy. Focus is on pursuit of progressive research and writing contributing to the current scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy. Accomplished in a large part through peer review. Readings include recent scholarship in aforementioned fields. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 3 units.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1-3 | Repeatable 6 times (up to 18 units total)

POLISCI 335A: From Cold War to New Cold War: Politics and Political Theory in Contemporary China (POLISCI 235A)

"China lacks everything: middle managers, engineers and capital," so wrote French political thinker Raymond Aron. That was 1950, three years after Harry Truman's 1947 Address to Congress, which was usually considered the beginning of the Cold War, and months after the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than seventy years later, and after a long, winding journey, China now has much more than middle managers, engineers, and capital. However, global politics seems to move towards another clash of two powerful countries with seemingly different ideological orientations as many now claim that a new Cold War is on the horizon.How did China emerge as a global power from what Aron described in 1950? And more importantly, can we, and if so, how do we, understand the rise of China with a theoretical perspective? How do theory and real politics shape each other, as manifested in the history of contemporary China? In this class, we explore answers to these questions by reading political theory against history, sociology, and political science. In every week, we read texts that reflect both the social reality and theoretical concerns of a given period in contemporary Chinese history. By so doing, we seek to make sense of both the contemporary Chinese society and the power and limits of ideas in political theory.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Luo, S. (PI)

POLISCI 335C: Misinformation and Democracy: Past and Present (POLISCI 235C)

Many today consider misinformation to be one of the most significant challenges faced by democratic societies. Some see this as a new phenomenon, arguing, for example, that modern technology - and, above all, social media giants like Facebook or Twitter - is responsible for this threat. Yet, the problem of misinformation and the challenges posed by 'fake-news,' conspiracy theories, and lying in politics have a long history. In this course, we will ask whether and how misinformation threatens democracy and explore different potential solutions to this challenge. We will read various historical texts suggesting that misinformation is not a new phenomenon born in our digital age. We will learn about various past experiences of misinformation, such as discussions of the permissibility of lying in politics in antiquity, rumors about the end of the world in the Renaissance, and early modern debates about censorship and freedom of speech. We will see how several key figures in the history of political thought - from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes and Mill - sought to deal with these problems. Combining close readings of historical texts and discussions of contemporary issues, we will ask whether and how we might be able to utilize historical knowledge and experience to understand and address some of the most pressing challenges we face today.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5
Instructors: ; Schwartz, A. (PI)

POLISCI 336S: Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 103, PUBLPOL 103C)

Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4-5

POLISCI 339: Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory

For PhD students. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on political theory. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 341: The Political Economy of China: Policy and Development from Antiquity to Revolution (POLISCI 241)

Welcome to the Political Economy of China! Over the course of the semester, you'll gain a rigorous, historically informed understanding of the long-term trajectory of policy and economic change in China from antiquity to the present day. By taking a long-term approach, we'll examine the extent to which contemporary Chinese political economy is the result of modern innovations, historical contingency, and/or path-dependent trends with their roots deep in the imperial past. To take an example very much in the news today, the mainstream media routinely describes Xi Jinping as a new emperor, a recrudescence of Mao, or a sui generis product of China¿s current social and political conditions. These descriptions are evocative; but are they accurate? Only by taking a closer look at the historical record can we isolate the evolution of its economic institutions and practices. For many students, this course will also be directly useful to your professional career. In the business, NGO, and policy worlds, analysts often make predictions based on historical precedent, but do so with only a hazy understanding of the Chinese past. A more robust grasp of the history will give you a competitive advantage whether you are researching state-owned enterprise reform, geopolitical competition, or market demand for new products and services.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Lowenstein, M. (PI)

POLISCI 349: Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics

For PhD students. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on comparative politics. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 353A: Workshop in Political Methodology

Mathematical and statistical models and applications to political science. Guest speakers, faculty, and students present research papers. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut | Units: 1 | Repeatable for credit (up to 99 units total)
Instructors: ; Xu, Y. (PI)

POLISCI 355A: Data Science for Politics (POLISCI 150A)

Data science is quickly changing the way we understand and and engage in the political process. In this course we will develop fundamental techniques of data science and apply them to large political datasets on elections, campaign finance, lobbying, and more. The objective is to give students the skills to carry out cutting edge quantitative political studies in both academia and the private sector. Students with technical backgrounds looking to study politics quantitatively are encouraged to enroll.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 359: Advanced Individual Study in Political Methodology

For PhD students. Directed reading in Political Science with a focus on political methodology. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-10 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 410A: International Relations Theory, Part I

This course offers a PhD-level introductory overview of the field of international relations. The primary purpose is to understand and evaluate the main theories, arguments, claims, and conjectures made by scholars in the field so as to enable students to situate arguments in the conceptual structure and intellectual history of IR theory.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Goldstein, J. (PI)

POLISCI 411A: Workshop in International Relations

For graduate students. Contemporary work. Organized around presentation of research by students and outside scholars. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut | Units: 1 | Repeatable for credit
Instructors: ; Tomz, M. (PI)

POLISCI 420B: Topics in American Political Behavior

For graduate students with background in American politics embarking on their own research. Current research in American politics, emphasizing political behavior and public opinion. Possible topics: uncertainty and ambivalence in political attitudes, heterogeneity in public opinion, the structure of American political ideology, political learning, the media as a determinant of public opinion, and links between public opinion and public policy.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 421K: Questionnaire Design for Surveys and Laboratory Experiments: Social and Cognitive Perspectives (COMM 339, PSYCH 231, PUBLPOL 339)

The social and psychological processes involved in asking and answering questions via questionnaires for the social sciences; optimizing questionnaire design; open versus closed questions; rating versus ranking; rating scale length and point labeling; acquiescence response bias; don't-know response options; response choice order effects; question order effects; social desirability response bias; attitude and behavior recall; and introspective accounts of the causes of thoughts and actions.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4
Instructors: ; Krosnick, J. (PI)

POLISCI 422: Workshop in American Politics

Research seminar. Frontiers in mass political behavior. Course may be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 433: Workshop in Political Theory

For graduate students. Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in political theory present works-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1 | Repeatable for credit
Instructors: ; Coyne, B. (PI)

POLISCI 437C: 20th Century and Contemporary Political Theory

This course provides a survey of some of the major contributions to political thought in the past century. The course will place special emphasis on the development of theories of political authority and legitimacy in the context of the modern bureaucratic state, as well as the connection between authority and other key concepts in normative political authority: democracy, justice, and freedom.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Chapman, E. (PI)

POLISCI 440A: Theories in Comparative Politics

Theories addressing major concerns in the comparative field including identity, order, regime type, legitimacy, and governance.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 440D: Workshop in Comparative Politics

Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in comparative politics present work-in-progress. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1 | Repeatable for credit

POLISCI 450A: Political Methodology I: Regression

Graduate-level introduction to statistical research in political science, with a focus on statistical inference and linear regression. Teaches students how to rigorously apply multiple regression models as used in much of political science research. Also covers elements of probability and sampling theory. Open to Political Science PhD students only. Non-Political Science PhD students must pass an entrance exam to enroll in this class. The exam typically occurs one to two weeks before the fall quarter. Please contact the instructor or department for exam study materials.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 450D: Political Methodology IV: Advanced Topics

Covers advanced statistical tools that are useful for empirical research in political science. Possible topics include missing data, survey sampling and experimental designs for field research, machine learning, text mining, clustering, Bayesian methods, spatial statistics, and web scraping. Prerequisites: POLISCI 450A, POLISCI 450B and POLISCI 450C completed for a letter grade of "B" or higher.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3-5

POLISCI 480: The Science of Politics: Foundational Concepts for Political Science Graduate Students

This class is an introduction to the different ways that social scientists have proposed to understand politics. The emphasis is on understanding how the way a question is posed structures the way it can be answered, and how the way it can be answered structures the results that can be obtained.
Terms: Aut | Units: 2
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