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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Davenport, L. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Abrishami Kashani, S. (TA);
Belo-Osagie, A. (TA);
Dann, C. (TA);
Hill, P. (TA);
Hu, Q. (TA);
Lucek, S. (TA);
Smith, A. (TA)
POLISCI 1Z:
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.
| Units: 4
POLISCI 13N:
Identity Politics 101
How do we understand the political choices citizens make? Why do Black and White Americans disagree so vehemently about racially-charged incidents like officer-involved shootings? What explains disagreements over policies like welfare and immigration? How do we understand ethnic conflict, both in the United States and around the world? What explains our commitments to salient social groups? Under what conditions should we expect group members to join in solidarity with one another? When does solidarity break down? And what helps us make sense of this strange time we find ourselves in? Identity does that--or at least it does a lot of it. But what is an identity? What are the conditions under which identities becomenpoliticized? How do identities work to structure attitudes and affect behavior? Over the course of the quarter, we will read a series of scholarly papers from across academic disciplines that provide some answers to these important questions.nStudents will be expected to engage the readings carefully and to participate in classroom discussions. Assignments will include reaction papers and a final presentation. By the end of our time together, I hope to convince you that all politics is identity politics, and that identity--in all of its complexity--is a thing worth thinking rigorously about. All students are encouraged to join, as we will benefit from the diversity of experiences and backgrounds that each of us brings to thenclassroom.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 3
POLISCI 14SC:
River and Region: The Columbia River and the Shaping of the Pacific Northwest (CEE 17SC, EARTHSYS 16SC, HISTORY 29SC)
This seminar will explore the crucial role of the Columbia River in the past, present, and future of the Pacific Northwest. Topics will include the lives and legacies of the indigenous peoples that Lewis and Clark encountered more than two centuries ago; the historic fisheries that attracted thousands of Chinese and, later, Scandinavian workers; the New Deal¿s epic dam-building initiatives beginning in the 1930s; the impact of the Manhattan Project¿s plutonium bomb development at Hanford Atomic Works in WWII; and the twenty-first-century server farms dotted across the Columbia Plateau. We plan to visit with local water managers, farmers, ranchers, loggers, Native American fishermen, and energy administrators, as well as elected officials and environmental activists, to examine the hydrologic, meteorologic, and geologic bases of the river¿s water and energy resources, and the practical, social, environmental, economic, and political issues surrounding their development in the Pacific Northwest region.The Columbia River and its watershed provide a revealing lens on a host of issues. A transnational, multi-state river with the largest residual populations of anadromous salmonids in the continental US, it is a major source of renewable hydroelectric power. (The Grand Coulee dam powerhouse is the largest-capacity hydropower facility in the US; nearly 50% of Oregon¿s electricity generation flows from hydropower; in Washington State it¿s nearly two-thirds, the highest in the nation.) The river provides a major bulk commodity transportation link from the interior West to the sea via an elaborate system of locks. It irrigates nearly 700,000 acres of sprawling wheat ranches and fruit farms in the federally administered Columbia Basin Project. We will look at all these issues with respect to rapid climate change, ecosystem impacts, economics, and public policy.We will begin with classroom briefings on campus, in preparation for the two-week field portion of the seminar. We plan to then travel widely throughout the Columbia basin, visiting water and energy facilities across the watershed, e.g., hydro, solar, wind, and natural gas power plants; dams and reservoirs with their powerhouses, fish passage facilities, navigation locks, and flood-mitigation systems; tribal organizations; irrigation projects; the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; and offices of regulatory agencies. We hope to meet with relevant policy experts and public officials, along with several of the stakeholders in the basin.Over the summer students will be responsible for assigned readings from several sources, including monographs, online materials, and recent news articles. During the trip, students will work in small groups to analyze and assess one aspect of the river¿s utilization, and the challenges to responsible management going forward. The seminar will culminate in presentations to an audience of Stanford alumni in Portland, Oregon.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 2
POLISCI 20N:
The American Electorate in the Trump Era
This seminar will introduce students to the methods social scientists use to analyze public opinion, voting and elections, with primary emphasis on the 2016 elections and the upcoming 2020 elections. Students will utilize major databases such as the American National Elections Studies (ANES) and the General Social Survey (GSS), as well as ongoing national panels. The seminar emphasizes analysis - not ideology, activism or personal catharsis. How are Americans in various demographic categories voting today and why? What is the relative importance of voter characteristics and identities, policy issues, the records and personal qualities of the candidates, the campaign itself, the performance of the Obama and Trump Administration, and myriad other factors?
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3
POLISCI 20Q:
Democracy in Crisis: Learning from the Past (EDUC 122Q, HISTORY 52Q)
This January, an armed insurrection assaulted the U.S. Capital, trying to block the Electoral College affirmation of President Biden's election. For the past four years, American democracy has been in continual crisis. Bitter and differing views of what constitutes truth have resulted in a deeply polarized electoral process. The sharp increase in partisanship has crippled our ability as a nation to address and resolve the complex issues facing us. <br><br>There are reasons to hope the current challenges will be overcome and the path of our democracy will be reset on a sound basis. But that will require a shift to constructive--rather than destructive--political conflict. <br><br>This Sophomore Seminar will focus on U.S. democracy and will use a series of case studies of major events in our national history to explore what happened and why to American democracy at key pressure points. This historical exploration will shed light on how the current challenges facing American democracy might best be handled. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 22SC:
The Face of Battle
Our understanding of warfare often derives from the lofty perspective of political leaders and generals: what were their objectives and what strategies were developed to meet them? This top-down perspective slights the experience of the actual combatants and non-combatants caught in the crossfire. This course focuses on the complexity of the process by which strategy is translated into tactical decisions by the officers and foot soldiers and on what actually occurs on the field of battle. We will visit Washington, DC, and meet with national security officials and members of non-government organizations there. In addition, we will spend a day visiting the battlefields of Gettysburg (July 1863) in Pennsylvania, and the Little Bighorn (June 1876) in Montana. The course's battlefield tours are based on the "staff rides" developed by the Prussian Army in the mid-1800s and employed by the U.S. Army since the early 1900s. While at Stanford, students will conduct extensive research on individual participants at Gettysburg and Little Bighorn. Then, as we walk through the battlefield sites, students will brief the group on their subjects' experience of battle and on why they made the decisions they did. Why did Lt. General Longstreet oppose the Confederate attack on the Union Army at Gettysburg? What was the experience of a military surgeon, vivandiere, or nurse on a Civil War battlefield? What role did just war principles or law play in the treatment of enemy fighters and civilians? Why did Custer divide his 7th Cavalry troops as they approached the Little Bighorn River? What was the role of Lakota Sioux women after a battle? The final part of the class covers contemporary military conflicts discussing what the US public, political leaders, and military commanders have learned (and not learned) from the past. The course is open to students from a range of disciplines; an interest in the topic is the only prerequisite.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 2
POLISCI 25N:
The US Congress in Historical and Comparative Perspective
This course traces the development of legislatures from their medieval European origins to the present, with primary emphasis on the case of the U.S. Congress. Students will learn about the early role played by assemblies in placing limits on royal power, especially via the power of the purse. About half the course will then turn to a more detailed consideration of the U.S. Congress's contemporary performance, analyzing how that performance is affected by procedural legacies from the past that affect most democratic legislatures worldwide.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 27N:
Thinking Like a Social Scientist
Preference to freshman. This seminar will consider how politics and government can be studied systematically: the compound term Political SCIENCE is not an oxymoron. The seminar will introduce core concepts and explore a variety of methodological approaches. Problems of inference from evidence will be a major concern. Classic and contemporary research studies will be the basis of discussion throughout.
Last offered: Winter 2016
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 27SC:
Policing, Violence and Migration in Latin America: Historical Origins and Contemporary Challenges
This course explores the origins of policing in Latin America and some of the contemporary challenges in the relationship between citizens, police forces and the state in the Western Hemisphere. By taking a long-term perspective, we seek to understand why highly unequal countries in Latin America (and the US) have faced such difficulties in effectively providing citizen security while ensuring the respect of fundamental human rights. We will connect such failures both to historical debates regarding the legacies of colonialism and contemporary debates regarding forced displacements and migratory flows. The provision of security in Latin America has often been plagued by torture, excessive use of force, military deployments and police brutality. During the colonial era, political order was often imposed using the coercive force of the State to police settlement patterns, repress indigenous rebellions, and chase runaway enslaved peoples. Police forces in Latin America are often unable to contain crime, while poor citizens in urban favelas or remote villages often need to resort to solutions that bypass or even challenge the State in its monopoly of the legitimate use of violence, or seek to escape their precarious conditions through migration. We will explore both the origins of these policing failures, and their effects in terms of migratory flows to both the US and Latin America today. Movie club and salon: Class sessions will be enriched with cinema screenings in the evenings of movies and documentaries that will bring to life some of the issues discussed in class. Those screenings will include a zoom segment to allow for a follow up discussion with directors, producers or a relevant expert. Field trips: We will seek to have three field trips. One will be a visit to libraries containing historical documents of the colonial era. A second one will be a visit to a California Mission. A third trip will be a visit to the Salinas Valley or Half Moon Bay, to learn about the challenges faced by undocumented indigenous migrants in agricultural areas of California. If possible, we will arrange a fourth trip visit police headquarters in Oakland, to learn about contemporary efforts at police reform in the US.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 2
POLISCI 28SC:
Energy in Hawaii: Forefront of Clean Energy Technology and Policy (ENERGY 13SC)
We will explore practical, social, technical, and political issues surrounding energy production and use in Hawaii. Hawaii is at the forefront of changes in the electric grid and the uses of electricity, with an aspirational goal for 100% carbon-free electricity in 2045. Hawaii also has passed legislation that aspires to 100% fossil-free transportation by 2040. Significant growth of behind-the-meter solar generation with storage has led to opportunities for the better use of these resources for maintaining grid reliability, while also increasing concerns related to grid stability and social equity. Because of these factors, there is a heightened interest nationally from federal agencies, particularly Energy and Defense. We will consider the availability and viability of solar, wind, and geothermal resources, while also considering the economic impact on Hawaii of large-scale importation of oil for generating electricity and transportation. We will consider emerging questions related to the reliability and the resiliency of the grids on different islands in the State. All of these issues will be considered in the technical, societal, cultural, natural resource, and political milieu which is the unique nature of Hawaii. We will spend the first week on campus learning about energy and its context in Hawaii, then travel to various field sites in Hawaii, including a wind farm, a utility-scale solar farm, an oil-fired power plant, a waste-to-energy facility, wave turbine, an oil refinery, a synthetic gas production facility, a biofueled thermal generator, a geothermal plant, and areas where natural resources are impacted by energy resource utilization. We will meet with relevant policy experts and public officials from governmental agencies, utilities, universities, and public interest groups. The course will conclude with group presentations by the students.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 2
POLISCI 29SC:
Coastal Resilience: Problems and Solutions to Extreme Weather Challenges on the West Coast
This course will explore the resilience challenges that coastal areas in the American West must deal with in the face of climate change. These include problems such as projected sea level rise, flooding, land subsidence, drought-stressed water supply, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, wildfires, and erosion. Solutions to these problems - such as sea walls, levees, and grey infrastructure like dams and reservoirs - are often controversial and the politics over them happens at all levels of government. Some of this controversy occurs along partisan lines, but even in the politically bluest areas adjacent to the oceans and bays, many communities have been slow to take on the planning and actions needed to protect people and property from future extreme weather challenges. Traveling up and down the West coast, this course will combine classroom instruction with visits to the communities, facilities and agencies involved in coastal resilience from the Canadian to the Mexican border. We will look at solutions like conventional desalination that have been debated and implemented for decades, but also novel possibilities such as wave-powered desalination. We will discuss the relative merits of creating more water storage through groundwater recharge and water recycling versus building more dams and reservoirs. And as we have done in the past with Bill Lane Center Sophomore Colleges, we will meet with relevant policy experts and public officials from governmental agencies, utilities, universities, and public interest groups. The course will conclude with group presentations by the students.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 2
POLISCI 31:
Democracy and Disagreement (COMM 3, CSRE 31, HISTORY 3C, PHIL 3, PSYCH 31A, PUBLPOL 3, RELIGST 23X, SOC 13)
Each class will be focused on a different topic and have guest speakers. This class will be open to students, faculty and staff to attend and also be recorded. Deep disagreement pervades our democracy, from arguments over immigration, gun control, abortion, and the Middle East crisis, to the function of elite higher education and the value of free speech itself. Loud voices drown out discussion. Open-mindedness and humility seem in short supply among politicians and citizens alike. Yet constructive disagreement is an essential feature of a democratic society. This class explores and models respectful, civil disagreement. Each week features scholars who disagree - sometimes quite strongly - about major policy issues. Students will have the opportunity to probe those disagreements, understand why they persist, and to improve their own understanding of the facts and values that underlie them.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
POLISCI 31N:
Political Freedom: Rights, Justice, and Democracy in the Western Tradition
Freedom is one of our core values. Most people can agree that freedom is a good thing. Yet there is far less agreement about how to understand the concept itself and what kinds of political arrangements are best suited to protect and enhance freedom. Is freedom about being left alone? Undertaking action with others? Participating in governance? Does freedom require a limited state? An active and interventionist government? A robustly participatory political system? How is freedom connected to other political values, like justice and equality? This seminar will consider and evaluate some of the most controversial and challenging answers that have been given to these questions by canonical thinkers like John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx, as well as by more contemporary political and legal thinkers like Jeremy Waldron and Cass Sunstein. We will also examine how questions about the nature of freedom play out on college campuses and in the courts.
Last offered: Winter 2017
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
POLISCI 31Q:
Justice and Cities
Cities have most often been where struggles for social justice happen, where injustice is most glaring and where new or renewed visions of just communities are developed and tested. What makes a city just or unjust? How have people tried to make cities more just? Why have these efforts succeeded or failed? Each of our sessions will focus on questions like these and include a case study of a particular city, largely with a focus on the United States, including very local cases like San Francisco, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. The central goal of this class is for you to gain an understanding of the roles of urban design and urban policies in making cities just or unjust places. You will critically engage with some of the debates on cities and justice and gain experience connecting theoretical debates about justice and democracy to empirical data and contemporary work on city design, planning, and policies through readings, our class discussions, and a sustained research project looking a particular city in depth.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 34Q:
Nationalism (GLOBAL 34Q)
Nationalist platforms have been on the rise for years across the globe. The success of nationalist parties and candidates is often accompanied by backlash against outgroups, from immigrants to religious and ethnic minorities. Nationalism often leads people to act against their material interest, from voting against economic policies that would improve their standing, to undertaking extreme actions like self-sacrifice. Why is nationalism such a dominant force in today's world? And why is it such a powerful driver of human behavior? In this course, we will explore this question through a broad interdisciplinary lens, drawing lessons from the social sciences and history. We will ask what national identity is, where it comes from and why it has such appeal for humans. We will go back to the roots of nationalism in early modern Europe in order to understand the historical origin of national identities. And we will try to identify the forces that drive the rise in right-wing nationalism today, by exploring a number of country cases across the world.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 35:
Sustainability and Civilization (BIO 35, HISTORY 35)
Our civilization faces multiple sustainability challenges. Climate change often dominates public conversation, but in fact, a whole range of environmental, economic, political, and cultural trends threaten the structures that sustain the societies we know. These problems cannot be understood in isolation, because they interact in complex ways. Solving them will require collaboration across many different fields, from the natural and social sciences to the humanities. This one-unit course brings together over two dozen faculty from across the entire university for a series of interdisciplinary conversations around cross-cutting themes. Our aim is to encourage dialogue and perhaps even future collaborations among students and professors who might otherwise rarely interact in a classroom. All students are welcome, but frosh and sophomores may find the course especially useful as an introduction to a wide range of sustainability-related disciplines and teachers at Stanford.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
POLISCI 42:
Democracy Matters (ECON 4, PHIL 30, PUBLPOL 4)
Should the U.S. close its border to immigrants? What are the ramifications of income inequality? How has COVID-19 changed life as we know it? Why are Americans so politically polarized? How can we address racial injustice? As the 2020 election approaches, faculty members from across Stanford will explore and examine some of the biggest challenges facing society today. Each week will be dedicated to a different topic, ranging from health care and the economy to racial injustice and challenges to democracy. Faculty with expertise in philosophy, economics, law, political science, psychology, medicine, history, and more will come together for lively conversations about the issues not only shaping this election season but also the nation and world at large. There will also be a Q&A following the initial discussion. Attendance and supplemental course readings are the only requirements for the course.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 1
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
POLISCI 46N:
Contemporary African Politics
Africa has lagged behind the rest of the developing world in terms of three consequential outcomes: economic development, the establishment of social order through effective governance, and the consolidation of democracy. This course seeks to identify the historical and political sources accounting for this lag, to provide extensive case study and statistical material to understand what sustains it, and to examine recent examples of success pointing to a more hopeful future. Students will be asked to develop expertise on one or two African countries and report regularly to fellow students on the progress (or lack thereof) of their countries on each outcome and the reasons for it.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-EDP
POLISCI 62:
Defending Democracy at Home and Abroad
The United States, once a key champion of democracy around the world, has experienced unprecedented polarization during the past decade, with divisions running deep over Covid, voting rights and election results, and questions of identity and inclusion. These divisions have only been exacerbated by America's own tech companies, whose business models encourage citizens to engage with divisive content rather than a healthy democratic process. Divided domestically and embracing new strains of illiberalism, the US has also retreated internationally, neglecting traditional alliances and its commitment to democracy abroad. That America has struggled to defend democracy abroad isn¿t an accident. It¿s directly related to the dents in its democracy at home. Democracy is in decline worldwide. Old democracies are not performing as well as before. Growing competition between democratic and authoritarian countries is playing out on the global stage, with several countries undecided as to their alignment either way. Infrastructure investments, strategic alignments, and soft power are all part of the mix of geopolitical tools deployed in this competition. The same holds true for technology, which deeply impacts power relationships, values, and freedoms across the globe. Can the US sustain democracy abroad, let alone at home? It¿s not a given. This course will explore the battle for the future of democracy. We will examine the merits of democracy compared with the alternatives, challenges to democracy both in the United States and around the world, and solutions for defending and advancing democracy at home and abroad. A political philosopher, a former European parliamentarian, and a former US ambassador to Russia, the course instructors bring together a unique set of experiences that guarantee thoughtful and provocative discussions about one of the most important issues of our time.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 1
POLISCI 70:
Dangerous Ideas (ARTHIST 36, COMPLIT 36A, EALC 36, ENGLISH 71, ETHICSOC 36X, FRENCH 36, HISTORY 3D, MUSIC 36H, PHIL 36, RELIGST 36X, SLAVIC 36, TAPS 36)
Ideas matter. Concepts such as progress, technology, and sex, have inspired social movements, shaped political systems, and dramatically influenced the lives of individuals. Others, like cultural relativism and historical memory, play an important role in contemporary debates in the United States. All of these ideas are contested, and they have a real power to change lives, for better and for worse. In this one-unit class we will examine these "dangerous" ideas. Each week, a faculty member from a different department in the humanities and arts will explore a concept that has shaped human experience across time and space.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
POLISCI 71:
Current Issues in European Security
Russia's annexation of Crimea in Spring 2014 posed not only a threat to post-World War II Europe formed around the norm of national sovereignty, but possibly also the very real threat that Russia had awakened from its 20 years of peacefulness to once again impose its will on Eastern Europe. Is Europe again under threat from the East? In Current Issues in European Security, students will attend public events organized by Stanford's Europe Center and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. These events -- talks by political leaders and scholars from the U.S. and Europe -- will engage and encourage students to understand the deepening crises in Ukraine, conflict in the Baltics, and European security as a whole. Students will leave the course with a better understanding of the multi-faceted dilemmas policy makers face, historical background, and possible paths forward for global decision makers. In addition to attending the events, students will write a final memo recommending a course of action for US policy makers. Events will typically be scheduled from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. but may be held at other times. There will be approximately six events in spring quarter, and students may also be required to attend one or two separate discussion sessions.
Last offered: Spring 2017
| Units: 1
POLISCI 73:
Energy Policy in California and the West (CEE 263G, ENERGY 73, PUBLPOL 73)
This seminar provides an in-depth analysis of the role of California state agencies and Western energy organizations in driving energy policy development, technology innovation, and market structures, in California, the West and internationally. The course covers three areas: 1) roles and responsibilities of key state agencies and Western energy organizations; 2) current and evolving energy and climate policies; and 3) development of the 21st century electricity system in California and the West. The seminar will also provide students a guideline of what to expect in professional working environment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
POLISCI 74:
Pathways to Public Service (PUBLPOL 75)
This one-unit lecture series explores potential careers in public service, including roles in government as well as in many other organizations; such as nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and arts organizations that help shape public policy and civic life. Each week, a guest speaker will introduce students to his or her organization and role, describe some of the key intellectual issues and current policy challenges, discuss career paths and skills crucial for the job, and help students reflect on possible connections between this work and their studies at Stanford. In an interactive concluding session, students will participate in a career assessment activity, reflect on possible next steps, and learn about other opportunities to explore public service at Stanford. This course is open to all students, including not only those studying political science or public policy, but also the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering. It is co-sponsored by the School of Humanities and Sciences and Stanford in Government (SIG).
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 1
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 76:
Protagonists in Policy (INTNLREL 76)
Interested in learning from activists, academics, and politicians about the different ways you can be an agent of change and affect public policy? This course presents a lecture/discussion series in which students will have the opportunity to engage with influential speakers to discover and learn more about timely topics relating to policy, government, and international affairs. Speakers will be selected in cooperation with the Policy Dinners Committee, a branch of Stanford in Government.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
POLISCI 82:
Politics 2022: America at a Crossroads (EDUC 61)
The historic convergence of social, economic, and public health challenges has profoundly impacted the lives of millions of Americans. In the midst of great uncertainty, the 2022 U.S. midterm elections will be among the most important in our lifetimes. This course, led by James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, will examine major issues at stake for the country including: widening inequality and the Supreme Court and the rule of law. Guest speakers include preeminent political, business, foreign policy, and academic leaders.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 1
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 101Z:
Introduction to International Relations (INTNLREL 101Z)
Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, terrorism, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 102:
Introduction to American Politics and Policy: In Defense of Democracy (AMSTUD 123X, PUBLPOL 101, PUBLPOL 201)
American democracy faces a series of unprecedented challenges. This course will identify the greatest areas of weakness in the American political system, make sense of the most pressing threats facing democracy, and contemplate how democracy can be strengthened. With this them - in defense of democracy - in mind, we will examine several questions: What guiding principles, norms, and institutions organize and structure American politics, and how do they affect the health and effectiveness of American democracy? What do patterns of political participation and representation in the United States tell us about the health of our democracy? How do partisan and social identities breed hostility and antagonism among the mass public? How does information from the media and other sources advance or frustrate democratic outcomes? What does increased violence - political, racially motivated, or otherwise - reveal about the trajectory of democracy in the United States? This is a course built on the science of politics, and our aim is to bring the scientific study of politics to bear on these pressing questions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 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 110C:
America and the World Economy (AMSTUD 110C, INTNLREL 110C, POLISCI 110X)
Examination of contemporary US foreign economic policy. Areas studied: the changing role of the dollar; mechanism of international monetary management; recent crises in world markets including those in Europe and Asia; role of IMF, World Bank and WTO in stabilizing world economy; trade politics and policies; the effects of the globalization of business on future US prosperity. Political Science majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110C.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 110D:
War and Peace in American Foreign Policy (AMSTUD 110D, INTNLREL 110D, POLISCI 110Y)
The causes of war in American foreign policy. Issues: international and domestic sources of war and peace; war and the American political system; war, intervention, and peace making in the post-Cold War period. Political Science majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110D for 5 units. International Relations majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in INTNLREL 110D for 5 units. All students not seeking WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110Y.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 110X:
America and the World Economy (AMSTUD 110C, INTNLREL 110C, POLISCI 110C)
Examination of contemporary US foreign economic policy. Areas studied: the changing role of the dollar; mechanism of international monetary management; recent crises in world markets including those in Europe and Asia; role of IMF, World Bank and WTO in stabilizing world economy; trade politics and policies; the effects of the globalization of business on future US prosperity. Political Science majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110C.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 110Y:
War and Peace in American Foreign Policy (AMSTUD 110D, INTNLREL 110D, POLISCI 110D)
The causes of war in American foreign policy. Issues: international and domestic sources of war and peace; war and the American political system; war, intervention, and peace making in the post-Cold War period. Political Science majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110D for 5 units. International Relations majors taking this course for WIM credit should enroll in INTNLREL 110D for 5 units. All students not seeking WIM credit should enroll in POLISCI 110Y.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
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 113:
Understanding Russia: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order (INTLPOL 231B, INTNLREL 131, REES 231B)
Russia presents a puzzle for theories of socio-economic development and modernization and their relationship to state power in international politics. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought into being the new Russia (or Russian Federation) as its successor in international politics. Russia suffered one of the worst recessions and experienced 25 years of halting reform. Despite these issues, Russia is again a central player in international affairs. Course analyzes motivations behind contemporary Russian foreign policy by reviewing its domestic and economic underpinnings. Examination of concept of state power in international politics to assess Russia's capabilities to influence other states' policies, and under what conditions its leaders use these resources. Is contemporary Russia strong or weak? What are the resources and constraints its projection of power beyond its borders? What are the determinants of state power in international politics in the twenty-first century? This course is a combination of a lecture and discussion, and will include lectures, readings, class discussions, films and documentaries.
Terms: Win
| 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 114S:
International Security in a Changing World (INTNLREL 114S)
International Security in a Changing World examines some of the most pressing international security problems facing the world today: nuclear weapons, the rise of China, the war in Ukraine, terrorism, and climate change. Alternative perspectives - from political science, history, and STS (Science, Technology, and Society) studies - are used to analyze these problems. The class includes an award-winning two-day international negotiation simulation.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 115:
Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (AMSTUD 115S, INTNLREL 115, PUBLPOL 114)
WILL NEXT BE OFFERED IN FALL 2024. This course examines the past, present, and future of American espionage. Targeted at first years and sophomores, the class surveys key issues in the development of the U.S. Intelligence Community since World War II. Topics include covert action, intelligence successes and failures, the changing motives and methods of traitors, congressional oversight, and ethical dilemmas. The course pays particular attention to how emerging technologies are transforming intelligence today. We examine cyber threats, the growing use of AI for both insight and deception, and the 'open-source' intelligence revolution online. Classes include guest lectures by former senior U.S. intelligence officials, policymakers, and open-source intelligence leaders. Course requirements include an all-day crisis simulation with former senior officials designed to give students a hands-on feel for the uncertainties, coordination challenges, time pressures, and policy frictions of intelligence in the American foreign policy process.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: 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
POLISCI 116M:
Global Futures: History, Statecraft, Systems (HISTORY 105F, INTLPOL 222, POLISCI 316M)
Where does the future come from? It comes from the past, of course, but how? What are the key drivers of continuity or change, and how can we trace those drivers going forward, too? What are the roles of contingency, chance, and choice, versus long-term underlying structure? How can people, from whatever walk of life, identify and utilize levers of power to ty to shift the larger system? What is a system, and how do systems behave? To answer these questions and analyze how today's world came into being and where it might be headed, this course explores geopolitics and geoeconomics, institutions and technologies, citizenship and leadership. We examine how our world works to understand the limits but also the possibilities of individual and collective agency, the phenomenon of perverse and unintended consequences, and ultimately, the nature of power. Our goal is to investigate not just how to conceive of a smart policy, but how its implementation might unfold. In sum, this course aims to combine strategic analysis and tactical agility.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 117:
Chinese Politics and Society: An Expert-Led Seminar (POLISCI 317)
This course provides an in-depth exploration of current issues in Chinese politics and society. Each week features an invited speaker - ranging from world-renowned scholars like Scott Rozelle, Chenggang Xu, and Perry Link, to practitioners and journalists who have deep insights into China. Topics covered include China's political economy, intra-party politics, post-1980 reforms, the urban-rural divide, environmental challenges, media freedom, student movements, and higher education in China. Discussions, moderated by the instructor and TA, follow each seminar. The class is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Reading proficiency in Mandarin is a plus but not mandatory.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
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 118Y:
Shaping the Future of the Bay Area (CEE 218Y, EPS 118Y, EPS 218Y, ESS 118Y, ESS 218Y, GEOPHYS 118Y, GEOPHYS 218Y, PUBLPOL 118Y, PUBLPOL 218Y)
(Formerly GEOLSCI 118Y and 218Y) The complex urban problems affecting quality of life in the Bay Area, from housing affordability and transportation congestion to economic vitality and social justice, are already perceived by many to be intractable, and will likely be exacerbated by climate change and other emerging environmental and technological forces. Reforming urban systems to improve the equity, resilience and sustainability of communities will require new collaborative methods of assessment, goal setting, and problem solving across governments, markets, and communities. It will also require academic institutions to develop new models of co-production of knowledge across research, education, and practice. This XYZ course series is designed to immerse students in co-production for social change. The course sequence covers scientific research and ethical reasoning, skillsets in data-driven and qualitative analysis, and practical experience working with local partners on urban challenges that can empower students to drive responsible systems change in their future careers. The Autumn (X) and Winter (Y) courses are focused on basic and advanced skills, respectively, and completion is a prerequisite for participation in the Spring (Z) practicum quarter, which engages teams in real-world projects with Bay Area local governments or community groups. X and Y are composed of four weekly pedagogical components: (A) lectures; (B) writing prompts linked with small group discussion; (C) lab and self-guided tutorials on the R programming language; and (D) R data analysis assignments. Open to undergraduate and graduate students in any major. For more information, visit http://bay.stanford.edu/education. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences).
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
POLISCI 118Z:
Shaping the Future of the Bay Area (CEE 218Z, EPS 118Z, EPS 218Z, ESS 118Z, ESS 218Z, GEOPHYS 118Z, GEOPHYS 218Z, PUBLPOL 118Z, PUBLPOL 218Z)
(Formerly GEOLSCI 118Z and 218Z) Students are placed in small interdisciplinary teams (engineers and non-engineers, undergraduate and graduate level) to work on complex design, engineering, and policy problems presented by external partners in a real urban setting. Multiple projects are offered and may span both Winter and Spring quarters; students are welcome to participate in one or both quarters. Students are expected to interact professionally with government and community stakeholders, conduct independent team work outside of class sessions, and submit deliverables over a series of milestones. Prerequisite: the Autumn (X) skills course or approval of instructors. For information about the projects and application process, visit http://bay.stanford.edu. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences).
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
POLISCI 120B:
Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections (AMSTUD 162B, COMM 162, COMM 262)
(Graduate students enroll in COMM 262. COMM 162 is offered for 5 units, COMM 262 is offered for 4 units.) This course examines the theory and practice of American campaigns and elections. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, parties, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use current and recent election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the origins of partisan identity, electoral design, and the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion, voter turnout, and voter choice. As well, we'll explore issues of electoral reform and their more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 120C:
American Political Institutions in Uncertain Times (PUBLPOL 124)
This course examines how the rules that govern elections and the policy process determine political outcomes. It explores the historical forces that have shaped American political institutions, contemporary challenges to governing, and prospects for change. Topics covered include partisan polarization and legislative gridlock, the politicization of the courts, electoral institutions and voting rights, the expansion of presidential power, campaign finance and lobbying, representational biases among elected officials, and the role of political institutions in maintaining the rule of law. Throughout, emphasis will be placed on the strategic interactions between Congress, the presidency, and the courts and the importance of informal norms and political culture. Political Science majors taking this course to fulfill the WIM requirement should enroll in POLISCI 120C.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 120Z:
What's Wrong with American Government? An Institutional Approach
How politicians, once elected, work together to govern America. The roles of the President, Congress, and Courts in making and enforcing laws. Focus is on the impact of constitutional rules on the incentives of each branch, and on how they influence law.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: 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 124A:
The American West (AMSTUD 124A, ARTHIST 152, ENGLISH 124, HISTORY 151)
The American West is characterized by frontier mythology, vast distances, marked aridity, and unique political and economic characteristics. This course integrates several disciplinary perspectives into a comprehensive examination of Western North America: its history, physical geography, climate, literature, art, film, institutions, politics, demography, economy, and continuing policy challenges. Students examine themes fundamental to understanding the region: time, space, water, peoples, and boom and bust cycles.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
POLISCI 124L:
The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America (COMM 164, COMM 264, POLISCI 324L, PSYCH 170, PUBLPOL 164)
Focus is on how politicians and government learn what Americans want and how the public's preferences shape government action; how surveys measure beliefs, preferences, and experiences; how poll results are criticized and interpreted; how conflict between polls is viewed by the public; how accurate surveys are and when they are accurate; how to conduct survey research to produce accurate measurements; designing questionnaires that people can understand and use comfortably; how question wording can manipulate poll results; corruption in survey research.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 125P:
The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press (COMM 151, COMM 251, ETHICSOC 151)
(Graduate students enroll in 251. COMM 151 is offered for 5 units, COMM 251 is offered for 4 units.) The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press (Law 7084): Introduction to the constitutional protections for freedom of speech, press, and expressive association. All the major Supreme Court cases dealing with issues such as incitement, libel, hate speech, obscenity, commercial speech, and campaign finance. There are no prerequisites, but a basic understanding of American government would be useful. This course is crosslisted in the university and undergraduates are eligible to take it. Elements used in grading: Law students will be evaluated based on class participation and a final exam. Non-law students will be evaluated on class participation, a midterm and final exam, and nonlaw students will participate in a moot court on a hypothetical case. Non-law students will also have an additional one hour discussion section each week led by a teaching assistant. Cross-listed with Communication (COMM 151, COMM 251) and Political Science (POLISCI 125P).
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 126:
Between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, JR.: Race, Religion, and the Politics of Freedom (AFRICAAM 221, AMSTUD 141X, CSRE 141R, HISTORY 151M, RELIGST 141)
Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz) and Martin Luther King, Jr. are both icons of the twentieth-century civil rights and black freedom movements. Often characterized as polar opposites - one advocating armed self-defense and the other non-violence against all provocation - they continue to be important religious, political, and intellectual models for how we imagine the past as well as for current issues concerning religion, race, politics and freedom struggles in the United States and globally. This course focuses on the political and spiritual lives of Martin and Malcolm. We will examine their personal biographies, speeches, writings, representations, FBI Files, and legacies as a way to better understand how the intersections of religion, race, and politics came to bare upon the freedom struggles of people of color in the US and abroad. The course also takes seriously the evolutions in both Martin and Malcolm's political approaches and intellectual development, focusing especially on the last years of their respective lives. We will also examine the critical literature that takes on the leadership styles and political philosophies of these communal leaders, as well as the very real opposition and surveillance they faced from state forces like the police and FBI. Students will gain an understanding of what social conditions, religious structures and institutions, and personal experiences led to first the emergence and then the assassinations of these two figures. We will discuss the subtleties of their political analyses, pinpointing the key differences and similarities of their philosophies, approaches, and legacies, and we will apply these debates of the mid- twentieth century to contemporary events and social movements in terms of how their legacies are articulated and what we can learn from them in struggles for justice and recognition in twenty-first century America and beyond.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-ER
POLISCI 127:
Controversies in American Public Policy
Making policy is hard. There are no obvious answers to the most important disputes in modern America: policing, drugs, taxes, abortion, affirmative action, education, and welfare. Politicians, pundits, and the public all may disagree on what to do. Even if they agree on what to prioritize, they might disagree on how to accomplish that goal. And even once a policy is implemented, it is challenging to know if it worked. Yet, deciding how to address each challenge is an essential role of the government. In this class we will examine the most contentious policy disputes. And we will develop a framework for analyzing these policies including. We will develop analytic skills to address these contentious policy disputes and we will learn how to listen and respond to opposing arguments. Students¿ own views about the best policies will be challenged in this class, but they will leave the class better able to advocate for what they think is right.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
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 130:
Liberalism and its Critics (ETHICSOC 130, PHIL 171P)
In this course, students will learn and engage with the core debates that have animated political theory in modern times. What is the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state? Are liberty and equality in conflict, and, if so, which should take priority? What does justice mean in a large and diverse modern society? The title of the course, borrowed from a book by Michael Sandel, is 'Liberalism and its Critics' because the questions we discuss in this class center on the meaning of, and alternatives to, the liberal ideas that the basic goal of society should be the protection of individual rights and that some form of an egalitarian democracy is the best way to achieve this goal. The course is structured around two historical phenomena: one the one hand, liberal answers to these key questions have at times seemed politically and socially triumphant, but on the other hand, this ascendency has always been challenged and contested. At least one prior class in political theory, such as Justice (PS 103), Citizenship in the 21st Century (College 102), or Democratic Theory (PS 234) is recommended but not required.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 131:
Imagining Adaptive Societies (CSRE 161, CSRE 261, ENGLISH 131D, POLISCI 331D, SUSTAIN 131, SUSTAIN 231)
The ecological, social, and economic crises of the Anthropocene suggest it is time for us to re-imagine how best to organize our communities, our institutions, and our societies. Despite the clear shortcomings, our society remains stuck in a rut of inaction. During periods of rapid social and economic change, segments of society become gripped by a nostalgia for idealized pasts that never really existed; such nostalgia acts as a powerful force that holds back innovation and contributes to a failure of imagination. How, then, might we imagine alternative social arrangements that could allow us to thrive sustainably in an environment of greater equity? Moshin Hamid reminds us that literature allows us to break from violent nostalgia while imagining better worlds, while Ursula K. Le Guin notes that "imaginative fiction trains people to be aware that there are other ways to do things, other ways to be; that there is not just one civilization, and it is good, and it is the way we have to be." There are - there has to be - other and better ways to be. In this multi-disciplinary class, we turn to speculative fiction as a way of imagining future societies that are adaptable, sustainable, and just and can respond to the major challenges of our age. In addition to reading and discussing a range of novels and short stories, we bring to bear perspectives from climate science, social science, and literary criticism. We will also be hosting several of the authors to talk about their work and ideas.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
POLISCI 131L:
Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill (ETHICSOC 131S)
This course is an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth century through the nineteenth century. We will consider the secularization of politics, the changing relationship between the individual and society, the rise of consent-based forms of political authority, and the development and critiques of liberal conceptions of property. We will cover the following thinkers: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Mill, and Marx.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
POLISCI 132A:
The Ethics of Elections (ETHICSOC 134R)
Do you have a duty to vote? Should immigrants be allowed to vote? Should we make voting mandatory? How (if at all) should we regulate campaign finance? Should we even have elections at all? In this course, we will explore these and other ethical questions related to electoral participation and the design of electoral institutions. We will evaluate arguments from political philosophers, political scientists, and politicians to better understand how electoral systems promote important democratic values and how this affects citizens' and political leaders' ethical obligations. We will focus, in particular, on issues in electoral design that have been relevant in recent US elections (e.g. gerrymandering), though many of the ethical issues we will discuss in this course will be relevant in any electoral democracy.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 133:
Ethics and Politics of Public Service (CSRE 178, ETHICSOC 133, PHIL 175A, PHIL 275A, PUBLPOL 103D, URBANST 122)
Public service is private action for the public good, work done by individuals and groups that aims at some vision of helping society or the world. This course examines some of the many ethical and political questions that arise in doing public service work, whether volunteering, service learning, humanitarian endeavors overseas, or public service professions such as medicine, teaching, or even "ethical investing" and "ethical entrepreneurship." What motives do people have to engage in public service work? Are self-interested motives troublesome? What is the connection between service work and justice? Should the government or schools require citizens or students to perform service work? Is mandatory service an oxymoron?
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-ER
POLISCI 134:
Ethics for Activists (ETHICSOC 134)
Activists devote sustained effort and attention toward achieving particular goals of social and political change. Do we have an ethical obligation to be activists? And how should those who do choose to be activists (for whatever reason) understand the ethics of that role? Questions discussed in this course may include: When is civil disobedience appropriate, and what does it entail? Should activists feel constrained by obligations of fairness, honesty, or civility toward those with whom we disagree? Are there special ethical considerations in activism on behalf of those who cannot advocate for themselves? What is solidarity and what does it require of us? Students in this course will develop skills in analyzing, evaluating, and constructing logical arguments about ethical concerns related to activism, but class discussions will also address the potential limitations of logical argument in ethical and political reasoning.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 134L:
Introduction to Environmental Ethics (EARTHSYS 178M, ETHICSOC 178M, ETHICSOC 278M, PHIL 178M, PHIL 278M)
How should human beings interact with the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? In this course, we will tackle ethical questions that confront us in our dealings with the natural world, looking at subjects such as: animal rights; conservation; economic approaches to the environment; access to and control over natural resources; environmental justice and pollution; climate change; technology and the environment; and environmental activism. We will frame our inquiry with leading ethical theories and divide our approach to these topics by ecosystem, dedicating time to each unique environment and its specific nuances: aquatic, desert/tundra, forest/grassland, and the increasingly recognized environment of Space.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 134P:
Contemporary Moral Problems (ETHICSOC 185M, PHIL 72)
In this course, we will discuss the body as a site of moral and political conflict. Here are a few of the questions that will be explored: People are encouraged to become kidney donors, but we still don't have enough kidneys for everybody who needs one. Should you be allowed to sell a kidney? Suppose Robert is dying of a rare disease and the only thing that could save his life is a bone marrow transplant from his cousin David, but David doesn't want to donate. Should we force him to "donate"? Some people say a woman should be free to make abortion decisions on whatever grounds she wants, including prenatal genetic testing for conditions like Down syndrome; others condemn such selective abortion as an unacceptable form of eugenics. What genetic testing information, if any, should be allowed to influence a woman's decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy? In addition to these normative questions, we will also study related questions in constitutional law. When the Supreme Court decided that abortion was a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade, on what legal reasoning did they base their decision? When they decided to overturn Roe in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson, what legal reasoning did they use then? How will Dobbs affect other (current) constitutional rights?
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 135:
Citizenship (ETHICSOC 135, PHIL 135X)
This class begins from the core definition of citizenship as membership in a political community and explores the many debates about what that membership means. Who is (or ought to be) a citizen? Who gets to decide? What responsibilities come with citizenship? Is being a citizen analogous to being a friend, a family member, a business partner? How can citizenship be gained, and can it ever be lost? These debates figure in the earliest recorded political philosophy but also animate contemporary political debates. This class uses ancient, medieval, and modern texts to examine these questions and different answers given over time. We¿Äôll pay particular attention to understandings of democratic citizenship but look at non-democratic citizenship as well. Students will develop and defend their own views on these questions, using the class texts as foundations. No experience with political philosophy is required or expected, and students can expect to learn or hone the skills (writing / reading / analysis) of political philosophy.
Last offered: Summer 2021
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 136R:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 336)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 137:
Philosophy of Law: Protest, Punishment, and Racial Justice (CSRE 175W, ETHICSOC 175W, PHIL 175W, PHIL 275W, POLISCI 337)
In this course, we will examine some of the central questions in philosophy of law, including: What is law? How do we determine the content of laws? Do laws have moral content? What is authority? What gives law its authority? Must we obey the law? If so, why? How can we justify the law? How should we understand and respond to unjust laws? What is punishment? What is punishment for? What, if anything, justifies punishment by the state? What is enough punishment? What is too much punishment? What does justice require under nonideal conditions? Prerequisite: one prior course in Philosophy.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 4
POLISCI 137A:
Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition (ETHICSOC 176, PHIL 176, PHIL 276, POLISCI 337A)
(Graduate students register for 276.) What makes political institutions legitimate? What makes them just? When do citizens have a right to revolt against those who rule over them? Which of our fellow citizens must we tolerate?Surprisingly, the answers given by some of the most prominent modern philosophers turn on the idea of a social contract. We will focus on the work of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Rawls.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
POLISCI 140P:
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 141:
Political Economy of Development (FEMGEN 141P)
The last few decades have seen remarkable progress in lifting millions of people out of poverty worldwide. Yet, millions still are unable to meet even their most basic sustenance needs. This course examines foundational reasons for why some countries remain poor and why inequality persists today. In addition to answering the why question, we will also examine how practitioners, policy-makers, and academics have tackled global development challenges, where they have met success, and where failure has provided key lessons for the future. The course will examine how social, political, and economic institutions affect prospects for development, including by covering issues of colonialism and contemporary foreign aid. Students will learn about and explore patterns of development across the world, critically evaluate foundational theories of development, and understand the practical challenges and possible solutions to reducing poverty, creating equality, and ensuring good governance. Course assignments will aim to have students practice linking data and evidence with policy innovation, using global datasets to perform statistical analyses. Students will leave this class with an understanding of how development works (and does not work) in practice.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 141A:
Immigration and Multiculturalism (CSRE 141S)
What are the economic effects of immigration? Do immigrants assimilate into local culture? What drives native attitudes towards immigrants? Is diversity bad for local economies and societies and which policies work for managing diversity and multiculturalism? We will address these and similar questions by synthesizing the conclusions of a number of empirical studies on immigration and multiculturalism. The emphasis of the course is on the use of research design and statistical techniques that allow us to move beyond correlations and towards causal assessments of the effects of immigration and immigration policy.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 142:
The Eurasian World From Plato to NATO: History, Politics, and Culture (HISTORY 127, REES 117, REES 217, SLAVIC 117)
The course explores the history, politics and culture of the Eurasian space, covering themes such as the rise and fall of civilizations; political and ideological movements; literature and art; and geopolitics. See HISTORY 127 for section schedule details.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
POLISCI 143C:
The Politics of Internet Abuse
There are many ways in which the internet is abused to cause human harm. Terrorists use social media for recruitment. Government trolls harass opposition politicians and mass report activist accounts for supposed platform violations. Foreign and domestic actors post videos full of disinformation. Chat apps are used to incite violence. This course will explore political science research on these topics and how online platforms currently respond to these threats. Students will gain an understanding of the most pressing challenges in global communication platforms and a strong foundation for future research and work on mitigating these harms. For the final project, students in this class will partner with students in "CS152: Trust and Safety Engineering" to design policy guidelines to respond to harmful content in a particular country that the CS students will implement as a working bot. No programming skills are needed to enroll in "The Politics of Internet Abuse". Content note: This class will cover real-world harmful behaviors (such as hate speech, harassment and child exploitation) and will expose students to potentially upsetting material.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 5
POLISCI 143S:
Comparative Corruption (SOC 113)
Causes, effects, and solutions to various forms of corruption in business and politics in both developing regions (e.g. Asia, E. Europe) and developed ones (the US and the EU).
Last offered: Summer 2018
| Units: 3
POLISCI 147:
Comparative Democratic Development (SOC 112)
Social, cultural, political, economic, and international factors affecting the development and consolidation of democracy in historical and comparative perspective. Individual country experiences with democracy, democratization, and regime performance. Emphasis is on global third wave of democratization beginning in the mid-1970s, the recent global recession of democracy (including the rise of illiberal populist parties and movements), and the contemporary challenges and prospects for democratic change.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 147B:
Gender, Identity, and Politics
Identity, whether national, religious, racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, or otherwise, can importantly shape how people experience the political world. Why do some identities become politically salient and how does identity shape politics? This course takes the core questions of comparative politics - democratization, development, social movements, civil society, conflict, etc. - and examines them through the lens of identity, particularly gender identity. We will do so by drawing on evidence and cases from across the globe.
| Units: 5
POLISCI 148:
Chinese Politics (INTNLREL 158, POLISCI 348)
China, one of the few remaining communist states in the world, has not only survived, but has become a global political actor of consequence with the fastest growing economy in the world. Why has the CCP thrived while other communist regimes have failed? What explains China's authoritarian resilience? What are the limits to such resilience? How has the Chinese Communist Party managed to develop markets and yet keep itself in power? How does censorship work in the information and 'connected' age of social media? How resilient is the party state in the face of technological and economic change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. This course fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for Political Science and International Relations undergraduate majors. PoliSci majors should register for POLISCI 148 and IR majors should register for INTNLREL 158. Graduate students should register for POLISCI 348.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 149S:
Islam, Iran, and the West
Iran and Islam have had a long and complicated relationship. This course covers the rise of Islam, its expansion in Iran, forms of resistance to and acceptance of Islamic ideas in Iran, the rise of Shiism and the impact of Iran on the development of Sufism. The influence of Muslim thinkers from Iran on the rise of the Renaissance in Europe is examined. And finally, the course focuses on the varieties of Islamic responses to modernity in Iran in the last century.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 149T:
Middle Eastern Politics
Topics in contemporary Middle Eastern politics including institutional sources of underdevelopment, political Islam, electoral authoritarianism, and the political economy of oil.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, 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 150B:
Machine Learning for Social Scientists (POLISCI 355B)
Machine learning - the use of algorithms to classify, predict, sort, learn and discover from data - has exploded in use across academic fields, industry, government, and the non-profit sector. This course provides an introduction to machine learning for social scientists. We will introduce state of the art machine learning tools, show how to use those tools in the programming language R, and demonstrate why a social science focus is essential to effectively apply machine learning techniques in social, political, and policy contexts. Applications of the methods will include forecasting social phenomena, evaluating the use of algorithms in public policy, and the analysis of social media and text data. Prerequisite: POLISCI 150A/355A.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
POLISCI 150C:
Causal Inference for Social Science (POLISCI 355C)
Causal inference methods have revolutionized the way we use data, statistics, and research design to move from correlation to causation and rigorously learn about the impact of some potential cause (e.g., a new policy or intervention) on some outcome (e.g., election results, levels of violence, poverty). This course provides an introduction that teaches students the toolkit of modern causal inference methods as they are now widely used across academic fields, government, industry, and non-profits. Topics include experiments, matching, regression, sensitivity analysis, difference-in-differences, panel methods, instrumental variable estimation, and regression discontinuity designs. We will illustrate and apply the methods with examples drawn from various fields including policy evaluation, political science, public health, economics, business, and sociology. Prerequisite: POLISCI 150A.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
POLISCI 151:
Tackling Big Questions Using Social Data Science (ECON 151)
Big data can help us provide answers to fundamental social questions, from poverty and social mobility, to climate change, migration, and the spread of disease. But making sense of data requires more than just statistical techniques: it calls for models of how humans behave and interact with each other. Social data science combines the analysis of big data with social science theory. We will take a project-oriented, many models-many methods approach. This course will introduce students to a variety of models and methods used across the social sciences, including tools such as game theoretical models, network models, models of diffusion and contagion, agent based models, model simulations, machine learning and causal inference. Students will apply these tools to tackle important topics in guided projects. Prerequisite is Econ 102A, Polisci 150A or equivalent.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
POLISCI 153:
Strategy: Introduction to Game Theory (POLISCI 354)
This course provides an introduction to strategic reasoning. We discuss ideas such as the commitment problem, credibility in signaling, cheap talk, moral hazard and adverse selection. Concepts are developed through games played in class, and applied to politics, business and everyday life.
Terms: Spr, Sum
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR
POLISCI 153Z:
Strategy: Introduction to Game Theory
This course provides an introduction to strategic reasoning. We discuss ideas such as the commitment problem, credibility in signaling, cheap talk, moral hazard and adverse selection. Concepts are developed through games played in class, and applied to politics, business and everyday life.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR
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 156:
Data: Algorithms, Tools, Policy, and Society (CS 125)
A broad multidisciplinary examination of the use and impacts of data, including fundamental principles and algorithms, tools for data analysis, visualization, and machine learning, policy issues, and societal considerations. Specific topics include: data provenance (where data comes from and how it's processed), the role and value of data in analytics and decision-making, data and algorithmic fairness, data privacy, the concentration of data as power, and issues of data governance and regulation, including transparency and due process. In addition to case studies, conceptual frameworks, theoretical underpinnings, and algorithms, the course provides practical experience through hands-on work where students use tools to explore issues from class on real data.
| Units: 3
POLISCI 182:
Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change (COMM 180, CS 182, ETHICSOC 182, PHIL 82, PUBLPOL 182)
Examination of recent developments in computing technology and platforms through the lenses of philosophy, public policy, social science, and engineering. Course is organized around five main units: algorithmic decision-making and bias; data privacy and civil liberties; artificial intelligence and autonomous systems; the power of private computing platforms; and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the technology sector. Each unit considers the promise, perils, rights, and responsibilities at play in technological developments. Prerequisite: CS106A.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
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 211N:
Nuclear Politics (POLISCI 311N)
Why do states develop nuclear weapons and why do some states, that have the technological capacity to build nuclear weapons, nonetheless refrain from doing so? What are the consequences of new states deploying nuclear weapons? Do arms control treaties and the laws of armed conflict influence nuclear proliferation and nuclear war plans? What is the relationship between the spread of nuclear energy and the spread of nuclear weapons? We will first critically examine the political science, legal, and historical literature on these key questions. Students will then design and execute small research projects to address questions that have been inadequately addressed in the existing literature.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 213:
US-Russia Relations After the Cold War (POLISCI 313, REES 213)
A quarter century ago, the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War ended. At the time, Russian leaders aspired to build democratic and market institutions at home. They also wanted to join the West. American presidents Democrat and Republican encouraged these domestic and international changes. Today, U.S.-Russia relations are once again confrontational, reminiscent of relations during the Cold War. This course seeks to analyze shifts in U.S.-Russia relations, with special attention given to the U.S.-Russia relationship during Obama¿s presidency. Readings will include academic articles and a book manuscript by Professor McFaul on Obama's reset policy. Open to students with previous coursework involving Russia.
Last offered: Spring 2017
| Units: 2
POLISCI 213E:
Introduction to European Studies (INTNLREL 122)
This course offers an introduction to major topics in the study of historical and contemporary Europe. We focus on European politics, economics and culture. First, we study what makes Europe special, and how its distinct identity has been influenced by its history. Next, we analyze Europe's politics. We study parliamentary government and proportional representation electoral systems, and how they affect policy. Subsequently, we examine the challenges the European economy faces. We further study the European Union and transatlantic relations.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 214:
Israel: Society, Politics, and Policy (INTLPOL 234, JEWISHST 214)
The course "Israel: Society, Politics, and Policy" invites students to explore modern Israel in comparative perspective. Few countries in the world have captured the American imagination as much as Israel and are at the same time as poorly understood. Whether for reasons of cultural difference, rapid domestic change, or competing political agendas, this intriguing and increasingly influential country is rarely subject to dispassionate, theoretically and empirically grounded analysis. The purpose of the course is to do just that: to examine Israel as a society, polity, constitutional system, and policy actor that is best understood in comparative analytical perspective. The course is broadly divided into four sections: (1) framing; (2) evolution; (3) society, politics, constitutionalism; and (4) policy and strategic culture. The course draws upon primary and secondary historical, political, economic, legal, and cultural sources to produce a rich interdisciplinary learning experience. Students should expect to gain a strong, up-to-date overview of modern Israel and to expand their understanding of the Middle East, US-Israeli ties, and the broader international system.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
POLISCI 214R:
Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy (POLISCI 314R)
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Applications will be available for pick up in Political Science Department (Encina West 100) starting late-October.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 5
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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Kennard, A. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magen, A. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Scheve, K. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI)
POLISCI 220R:
The Presidency (POLISCI 320R)
This course provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the American presidency and covers a range of topics: elections, congressional relations, public communications, unilateral action, influence over the bureaucracy, leadership in foreign policy, and much more. Throughout, the goal is to understand why presidents behave as they do and why the presidency as an institution has developed as it has, with special attention to the dynamics of the American political system and how they condition incentives, opportunities, and power.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 222F:
Seminar on Political Change (POLISCI 422F)
This seminar will examine broad changes in American Politics in the modern era, roughly the beginning of the 20th Century to the present. A central theme of the seminar will be how sociological and economic change disrupts party alignments and leads to a changed politics. Each week a student will lead a critical discussion of a principal reading while others present additional related readings. Open to advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 223:
Gender & U.S. Politics
Why are women still underrepresented in US political office, and what evidence do we have that increasing women's political representation is important? This course discusses the following main topics: What is the status quo of female candidacy in the US? What are the demographics of the current female political candidates, what offices do they run for and why? What evidence do we have that descriptive representation is important for policy and other political and social outcomes? What evidence do we have on what keeps women from running for office? Do campaign finance and support networks play a role? Can gender quota help to increase women's political representation? The course discusses state-of-the art literature from political science, economics and sociology using empirical evidence on the lack of women in US politics, how female representation affects policy, what may change the status quo and what we can expect for the future.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
POLISCI 223A:
Public Opinion and American Democracy
This course focuses on the public mood and politics in America today. It accordingly examines, among other things, the coherence (or lack of it) of public opinion; the partisan sorting of the electorate; and the ideological and affective polarization of mass politics. It also examines contemporary critiques of representation and citizenship in liberal democracies.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 223B:
Money, Power, and Politics in the New Gilded Age
During the past two generations, democracy has coincided with massive increases in economic inequality in the U.S. and many other advanced democracies. The course will explore normative and practical issues concerning democracy and equality and examine why democratic institutions have failed to counteract rising inequality. Topics will include the influence of money in politics, disparity in political representation of the preferences of the affluent over those of the poor, the implications of political gridlock, and electoral and institutional barriers to reform.
Last offered: Spring 2016
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 224:
Identity
What is an identity? What are the conditions under which identities become politicized? How do identities work to structure attitudes and affect behavior - both social and political? How do notions of power, hierarchy, and difference inform our analyses regarding the workings of identity in diverse societies Over the course of the quarter, we will read and discuss a series of scholarly papers from across academic disciplines that provide answers to these important questions and many others. To apply for this course, please send a one-page document to me (hakeem@stanford.edu), by December 14th with the following information: full name, class year, major, email, and a paragraph describing why you are interested in enrolling in the seminar. Results will be announced after.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
POLISCI 226:
Superpower California: The Indispensable State
Superpower California asks the following questions: What role does the state of California - or any powerful subnational entity - perform in the world? What role can it play? What role should it play? And how does it work towards extending - or hindering - the global power, presence, and blessings of democracy of the United States of America? The answer is critical to defining the future of American power. California is now the world's fourth largest global economy. It is not, however, a sovereign nation state. It is both enriched and constrained by its federal structure, e.g., America's unitary foreign policy and its national security structures. This course will review the ways that power is afforded to and extended by subnational entities, how that power and influence manifests itself in the global commons, and how California asserts its interests and values with other nations and subnational actors.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
POLISCI 226A:
The Changing Face of America (CSRE 108X, EDUC 108)
This upper-division seminar will explore some of the most significant issues related to educational access and equity facing American society in the 21st century. Designed for students with significant leadership potential who have already studied these topics in lecture format, this seminar will focus on in-depth analysis of the impact of race on educational access and a variety of educational reform initiatives.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 227B:
Environmental Governance and Climate Resilience (CEE 265F, PUBLPOL 265F, SUSTAIN 248)
Adaptation to climate change will not only require new infrastructure and policies, but it will also challenge our local, state and national governments to collaborate across jurisdictional lines in ways that include many different types of private and nonprofit organizations and individual actors. The course explores what it means for communities to be resilient and how they can reach that goal in an equitable and effective way. Using wildfires in California as a case study, the course assesses specific strategies, such as controlled burns and building codes, and a range of planning and policy measures that can be used to enhance climate resilience. In addition, it considers how climate change and development of forested exurban areas (among other factors) have influenced the size and severity of wildfires. The course also examines the obstacles communities face in selecting and implementing adaptation measures (e.g., resource constraints, incentives to develop in forested areas, inadequate policy enforcement, and weak inter-agency coordination). Officials from various Bay Area organizations contribute to aspects of the course; and students will present final papers to local government offcials. Limited enrollment. Students will be asked to prepare application essays on the first day of class. Course is intended for seniors and graduate students.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3
POLISCI 227C:
Money in Politics (POLISCI 427C)
In this course, we will examine key questions in the literature on money in politics and develop skills to perform cutting-edge research in the field. The course will cover several major questions in the literature, such as: Does money affect election outcomes? Who donates to political campaigns? What motivates them? How do corporations and special interest groups influence political outcomes? Does campaign finance affect the quality of representation? What is the relationship between unequal participation and inequality? The rich data environment of campaign finance and lobbying offers a valuable resource for conducting empirical research on various areas of interest to political scientists, including campaigns and elections, the measurement of ideology, corporate political strategies, and elite preferences and behavior. This course will introduce students to available data resources and provide technical and methodological training on how to manage these large-scale databases and perform applied modeling and measurement applications.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 228C:
Law and Politics of Bureaucracy (POLISCI 428C)
Same as Law 7096. Modern government is bureaucratic government. In the words of Justice Jackson, the rise of the administrative state is likely "the most significant legal trend of the last century and perhaps more values today are affected by [agency] decisions than by those of all the courts." This seminar will survey the major ways in which law and political science have grappled with bureaucratic governance. How do we understand the rise of the administrative state? Why are bureaucracies designed the way they are? How do bureaucracies work in the face of legal and political constraints? And what avenues are there for meaningful regulatory reform? The class is cross-listed in Political Science and the Law School and course enrollment will be by consent of instructor. Students will be responsible for writing short reflection papers and a research paper. Students may take the course for either 3, 4, or 5 units, depending on the paper length. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. Admission based on application. Instructor consent required. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply, please complete the following webform: https://forms.gle/uBhCRHvkdV1s1cV26 . Cross-listed with LAW 7096.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3-5
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
Instructors: ;
Bonica, A. (PI);
Brady, D. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Canes-Wrone, B. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Davenport, L. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Ho, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jefferson, H. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Nall, C. (PI);
Rakove, J. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI)
POLISCI 230A:
Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought (CLASSICS 181, CLASSICS 381, ETHICSOC 130A, PHIL 176A, PHIL 276A, POLISCI 330A)
Political philosophy in classical antiquity, centered on reading canonical works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle against other texts and against the political and historical background. Topics include: interdependence, legitimacy, justice; political obligation, citizenship, and leadership; origins and development of democracy; law, civic strife, and constitutional change.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
POLISCI 231:
High-Stakes Politics: Case Studies in Political Philosophy, Institutions, and Interests (CLASSICS 382, POLISCI 331)
Normative political theory combined with positive political theory to better explain how major texts may have responded to and influenced changes in formal and informal institutions. Emphasis is on historical periods in which catastrophic institutional failure was a recent memory or a realistic possibility. Case studies include Greek city-states in the classical period and the northern Atlantic community of the 17th and 18th centuries including upheavals in England and the American Revolutionary era.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 231A:
Democracy Ancient and Modern: From Politics to Political Theory (CLASSICS 149, CLASSICS 249, PHIL 176J, PHIL 276J, POLISCI 331A)
Modern political theorists, from Hobbes and Rousseau, to Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss, to Sheldon Wolin and Robert Dahl, have turned to the classical Greek theory and practice of politics, both for inspiration and as a critical target. The last 30 years has seen renewed interest in Athenian democracy among both historians and theorists, and closer interaction between empiricists concerned with 'what really happened, and why' and theorists concerned with the possibilities and limits of citizen self-government as a normatively favored approach to political organization. The course examines the current state of scholarship on the practice of politics in ancient city-states, including but not limited to democratic Athens; the relationship between practice and theory in antiquity (Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and others); the uses to which ancient theory and practice have been and are being put by modern political theorists; and experiments in democratic practice (citizen assemblies, deliberative councils, lotteries) inspired by ancient precedents. Suggested Prerequisites: Origins of Political Thought OR The Greeks OR other coursework on ancient political theory or practice. (For undergraduate students: suggest but do not require that you have taken either Origins of Political Thought, or The Greeks, or some other course that gives you some introduction to Greek political history or thought. )
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 232:
The Science and Politics of Apocalypse (HISTORY 241F, STS 158)
For millennia, an apocalypse has been just around the corner. This course examines how expectations surrounding the end of the world - and the role that human beings might play in bringing it about - have transformed over the last two centuries. After a brief look at traditional religious apocalypticism, we explore how apocalypse came to be reconsidered as an entirely this-worldly phenomenon that falls within human power to achieve and demands political attention. Along the way, the course addresses the discovery of entropy in the 19th century, development of the hydrogen bomb in the mid-20th, and the planetary science that has transformed the Apocalypse into a primarily ecological concern over the last half-century.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
POLISCI 232T:
The Dialogue of Democracy (AMSTUD 137, COMM 137W, COMM 237, POLISCI 332T)
All forms of democracy require some kind of communication so people can be aware of issues and make decisions. This course looks at competing visions of what democracy should be and different notions of the role of dialogue in a democracy. Is it just campaigning or does it include deliberation? Small scale discussions or sound bites on television? Or social media? What is the role of technology in changing our democratic practices, to mobilize, to persuade, to solve public problems? This course will include readings from political theory about democratic ideals - from the American founders to J.S. Mill and the Progressives to Joseph Schumpeter and modern writers skeptical of the public will. It will also include contemporary examinations of the media and the internet to see how those practices are changing and how the ideals can or cannot be realized.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 233:
Justice and Cities (URBANST 134)
Cities have most often been where struggles for social justice happen, where injustice is most glaring and where new visions of just communities are developed and tested. This class brings political theories of justice and democracy together with historical and contemporary empirical work on city design, planning, and policies to ask the following questions: What makes a city just or unjust? How have people tried to make cities more just? What has made these efforts succeed or fail? Each session will include a case study of a particular city, largely with a focus on the United States. Students will develop research projects examining a city of their choice through the lens of a particular aspect of justice and injustice.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 233F:
Science, Technology, and Society and the Humanities in the Face of Looming Disaster (FRENCH 228, ITALIAN 228)
How STS and the Humanities can together help think out the looming catastrophes that put the future of humankind in jeopardy.
Last offered: Winter 2018
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 234:
Democratic Theory (ETHICSOC 234, PHIL 176P)
Most people agree that democracy is a good thing, but do we agree on what democracy is? This course will examine the concept of democracy in political philosophy. We will address the following questions: What reason(s), if any, do we have for valuing democracy? What does it mean to treat people as political equals? When does a group of individuals constitute "a people," and how can a people make genuinely collective decisions? Can democracy really be compatible with social inequality? With an entrenched constitution? With representation?
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 234P:
Deliberative Democracy and its Critics (AMSTUD 135, COMM 135W, COMM 235, COMM 335, ETHICSOC 135F, POLISCI 334P)
This course examines the theory and practice of deliberative democracy and engages both in a dialogue with critics. Can a democracy which emphasizes people thinking and talking together on the basis of good information be made practical in the modern age? What kinds of distortions arise when people try to discuss politics or policy together? The course draws on ideas of deliberation from Madison and Mill to Rawls and Habermas as well as criticisms from the jury literature, from the psychology of group processes and from the most recent normative and empirical literature on deliberative forums. Deliberative Polling, its applications, defenders and critics, both normative and empirical, will provide a key case for discussion.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 234S:
The Political Theory of Progress Reconsidered
This course will consider the origins and fate of Enlightenment theories of political progress. We will begin with the classic accounts of progress in Kant, Hegel, and Marx, before turning to conservative critics of progress (Burke, de Maistre), and non-conservative challenges to the idea of progress (Weber, Schmitt, Adorno, Arendt), before concluding with contemporary controversies around the idea of progress as it pertains to technology, the environment, and economic inequality.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 235:
Chinese Political Thought: 1895-2021 (POLISCI 335)
Everybody is talking about China now. The competition between China and the Western world is not only about economic growth, technological advancement, and military strength. What is ultimately at stake is a key theoretical question: Can China's political traditions and current practices (such as one-party meritocracy) offer a legitimate and desirable alternative to the ideal of liberal democracy? This course aims to approach this question through the lens of intellectual history and political theory. Attention is given to how Chinese thinkers since 1895 have conceived of China's place in the world, how they have used Western political ideas to transform China, how they have creatively transformed Chinese traditions to meet the challenge of modernity, and, most importantly, how they have advanced political ideals that claim to be able fix the problems in the West (such as imperialism and capitalism). We will also learn how Western thinkers are responding to the challenge from China. The first half of the course covers foundational texts in Chinese intellectual history from 1895 to the Maoist Era. The second half is about political thinking in contemporary China. No prior knowledge about China, Chinese, or political theory/philosophy is required.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
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
POLISCI 235B:
Political Memory and Democratic Citizenship (POLISCI 335B)
We may not always realize it, but political discussions often invoke historical memory. As we debate about political ideas and praxes, we often draw on history to criticize our interlocutors and build our arguments. Meanwhile, historical memory also deeply shapes how we think about politics. For example, our rejection of Nazism is closely linked to memories of the Holocaust. Our debates about racial politics in the US are inevitably intertwined with historical readings of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. New politics often offers new historical readings and counters mainstream, commonsensical understandings of the past.Because historical memory is so crucial to politics, and because what is considered collective memory often varies from community to community, it is essential that we try to understand the relationship between memory, politics, and citizenship. In this class, we read texts written by thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, W. James Booth, Avishai Margalit, John Rawls, and Judith Shklar to discuss the following questions: How does memory form communal identity? How does memory shape our conception of justice, political agency, and legitimacy? Are there democratic ways of approaching history? Is remembering always good for democratic politics? As we come up with answers to these questions, we develop a better sense of how our identity as democratic citizens is linked to historical and collective memory.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 235N:
Political Thought in Modern Asia (CHINA 146, CHINA 246, ETHICSOC 146, POLISCI 335N)
The study of political theory in the United States has been accused of being Western-centric: We tend to focus on intellectual traditions from Plato to NATO, while ignoring the vast world of non-Western societies and the ways they think about politics and public life. How do Chinese thinkers conceptualize human rights and good governance? How do Indian intellectuals reconcile democracy and inherited hierarchies in Hinduism? How do Islamic scholars view the relationship between religious authority and secular authority? Should we regard liberal democracy, or Western civilization more broadly, as representing the universal value guiding every society? Or, should we learn from non-Western ideas and values so as to solve problems plaguing Western societies? How can competing visions of good life coexist in a globalized and increasingly pluralistic world? This course aims to answer these questions by exploring three Asian traditions and their perspectives on politics: Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam. We will focus on the modern period (19th-21st centuries) and the ways intellectuals in these societies respond to the challenge of modernity and Western superiority. Special attention is given to how these intellectuals conceive of the relationship between modernity and their respective traditions: Are they compatible or mutually exclusive? In which ways do intellectuals interpret these traditions so as to render them (in)compatible with modernity? We will read academic articles written by Anglophone scholars as well as original texts written by non-Western thinkers. No knowledge of non-Western languages is required.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 236:
Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236S, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 236S:
Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 237:
Varieties of Conservatism in America
This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 237R:
Introduction to Apocalyptic Thinking (COMPLIT 376, FRENCH 367, POLISCI 337R)
At the time of the European Enlightenment, the talk about the end of the world was taken to be a remnant of religious beliefs or the domain of insane people. The rational mind knew how to eliminate those obstacles to continuous scientific and technological progress. Today the situation has radically changed. Science and technology are the places where the end of the world is predicted. Apocalypse is looming. This seminar will explore various fields where this transformation is taking place. The following menaces will be considered: nuclear war, climate change, gene editing, synthetic biology, advanced artificial intelligence. Among the philosophies that will be summoned: the post-Heideggerian critique of technoscience (Hannah Arendt and G¿nther Anders), Hans Jonas' Ethics of the Future, the concept of existential risk (Nick Bostrom) and the instructor's concept of Enlightened Doomsaying. Appeal to literary works and films will be part of the program.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 238:
Philanthropy Fellows Seminar
This course is restricted to Philanthropy Fellowships students. Enrollment by instructor permission only.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
POLISCI 238R:
Ancient Greek Rationality, Public and Private (CLASSICS 395, PHIL 338R, POLISCI 438R)
In this seminar, we'll consider ancient Greek views about and theories of practical rationality and compare and contrast them with some modern theories, especially theories of instrumental rationality. We'll consider both philosophic authors, especially Plato and Aristotle, but also Aeschylus, Herodotus, Solon, and Thucydides.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 241S:
Spatial Approaches to Social Science (ANTHRO 130D, ANTHRO 230D, URBANST 124)
This multidisciplinary course combines different approaches to how GIS and spatial tools can be applied in social science research. We take a collaborative, project oriented approach to bring together technical expertise and substantive applications from several social science disciplines. The course aims to integrate tools, methods, and current debates in social science research and will enable students to engage in critical spatial research and a multidisciplinary dialogue around geographic space.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 241T:
Political Economy of Gender
This course provides an introduction to the political economy of gender. The course first explores the key areas of debate on women's representation. Why are womennunderrepresented in formal political institutions? How do political institutions affect women's representation? What are the effects of women's representation? Also, the course examines the quality of female politicians, women's voting behavior and political preferences, and public opinion on gender issues. No prior knowledge is required.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 5
POLISCI 242:
Foreign Policy Decision Making in Comparative Perspective (INTLPOL 232, POLISCI 342)
This seminar will examine how countries and multilateral organizations make decisions about foreign and international policy. The hypothesis to be explored in the course is that individuals, bureaucracies, and interest groups shape foreign policy decisions. That hypothesis will be tested against other more structural explanations of how countries behave in the international system. After a brief review of the academic literature in the first part of the course, the seminar will focus on several cases studies of foreign policy decision-making by the United States, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as the United Nations and NATO. Enrollment Details: This seminar is a 5-unit required core course for Master's in International Policy (MIP) students. It is also open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates by way of application. For details on how to apply, please click below on "Schedule" and review the "Notes." The deadline to apply for this course is March 14.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 242G:
Political Mobilization and Democratic Breakthroughs (INTLPOL 218, POLISCI 342G)
Mass political mobilization occurs in both democracies and autocracies. Sometimes political protests, demonstrations, and acts of nonviolence civic resistance undermine autocracies, produce democratic breakthroughs, or generate democratic reforms. Other times, they do not. This course explores why, first examining the original causes of mobilization, and then understanding why some movements succeed and others fail. The first sessions of the course will review theories of revolution, social movements, and democratization. The remainder of the course will do deep dives into case studies, sometime with guest lecturers and participants from these historical moments. Cases to be discussed will include Chile, South Africa, Eastern Europe and the USSR (1989-1991), Russia (2011), Serbia and other color revolutions (2000, 2003, 2004), Tunisia, Egypt, and the Arab Spring (2011), China and Hong Kong (1989, 2016), and recent mobilizations (Belarus in 2020, Burma and the U.S. in 2021). The deadline to apply for this course is December 3rd.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 243:
Political Economy of Latin America (INTNLREL 153)
This course offers a comprehensive overview of Latin America's political and economic development, exploring the factors contributing to the region's current situation. It examines why Latin America fell behind the United States, its high degree of political instability, and widespread inequality. The course analyzes Latin America's history, including the colonial period, and uses theories on democracy and development to interpret persistent economic inequality and political instability. Additionally, the course examines key features of Latin American democracies, including state weakness, clientelism, and corruption. By analyzing these factors, students gain an understanding of the challenges facing Latin American countries and potential solutions. The course provides a deep dive into Latin America's political and economic development, offering insights into the region's history and current circumstances, and how they inform potential future outcomes.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 244A:
Authoritarian Politics (POLISCI 444A)
This course offers a thematic approach to the study of authoritarian politics. We will cover the major areas of political science research on authoritarian politics and governance while simultaneously building empirical knowledge about the politics of particular authoritarian regimes. The course will also discuss transitions to democracy as well as authoritarian political tendencies within democratic contexts.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 244C:
Wealth of Nations (ECON 134)
Why are there economic disparities across countries? Why did some countries grow steadily over the past 200 years while many others did not? What have been the consequences for the citizens of those countries? What has been the role of geography, culture, and institutions in the development process? What are the moral dilemmas behind this development process? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this course. Following a historical and cross-cultural perspective, we will study the origins of economic development and the path that led to the configuration of the modern global economy.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 244D:
Societal Collapse (CLASSICS 187)
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.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 244U:
Political Culture (POLISCI 344U)
The implications of social norms, preferences and beliefs for political and economic behavior and societal outcomes.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 245C:
The Logics of Violence: Rebels, Criminal Groups and the State (POLISCI 445C)
This course explore the logics of violence. The course offers an overview of the literature on civil wars as well as organized violence involving armed groups that do not seek formal state power, such as drug cartels, prison gangs, and paramilitaries. It also explores the many ways in which states engage in violence against their population through repression, torture, and murder.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 245R:
Politics in Modern Iran
Modern Iran has been a smithy for political movements, ideologies, and types of states. Movements include nationalism, constitutionalism, Marxism, Islamic fundamentalism, social democracy, Islamic liberalism, and fascism. Forms of government include Oriental despotism, authoritarianism, Islamic theocracy, and liberal democracy. These varieties have appeared in Iran in an iteration shaped by history, geography, proximity to oil and the Soviet Union, and the hegemony of Islamic culture.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 246A:
Paths to the Modern World: The West in Comparative Perspective (POLISCI 446A)
How and why did Europe develop political institutions that encouraged economic growth and industrialization? And why have many other regions lagged in the creation of growth-promoting institutions? This course uses a comparative approach to understanding routes to the modern world - the historical experiences of Christian Europe, the Islamic world, and others. We will explore questions including: When do parliaments emerge? How do cities promote growth? What is the role of religion?
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 247A:
Games Developing Nations Play (ECON 162, POLISCI 347A)
If, as economists argue, development can make everyone in a society better off, why do leaders fail to pursue policies that promote development? The course uses game theoretic approaches from both economics and political science to address this question. Incentive problems are at the heart of explanations for development failure. Specifically, the course focuses on a series of questions central to the development problem: Why do developing countries have weak and often counterproductive political institutions? Why is violence (civil wars, ethnic conflict, military coups) so prevalent in the developing world, and how does it interact with development? Why do developing economies fail to generate high levels of income and wealth? We study how various kinds of development traps arise, preventing development for most countries. We also explain how some countries have overcome such traps. This approach emphasizes the importance of simultaneous economic and political development as two different facets of the same developmental process. No background in game theory is required.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 247G:
Governance and Poverty (POLISCI 347G)
Poverty relief requires active government involvement in the provision of public services such as drinking water, healthcare, sanitation, education, roads, electricity and public safety. Failure to deliver public services is a major impediment to the alleviation of poverty in the developing world. This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to examining these issues, bringing together readings from across the disciplines of political science, economics, law, medicine and education to increase understanding of the complex causal linkages between political institutions, the quality of governance, and the capacity of developing societies to meet basic human needs. Conceived in a broadly comparative international perspective, the course will examine cross-national and field-based research projects, with a particular focus on Latin America and Mexico.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 248D:
China in the Global Economy (POLISCI 348D)
An examination of China in the global economy. Focus will be on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The goal of the course is to provide students an in-depth understanding of a key initiative of China's efforts to globalize. The approach examines how BRI has played out in practice and how it is changing. Specific questions addressed will include: What is the political and economic logic of BRI? Who are the key players? How much of this is controlled and coordinated by Beijing? How much by local authorities? What bureaucratic structures, if any, have been created to regulate this major initiative? Whose interests are being served with BRI? What are the challenges facing BRI? How have strategies evolved? How have international reactions affected China's globalization strategies? How has this affected US-China Relations? How does BRI affect domestic politics? Same as OSPBEIJ 25. Students may not earn credit for both OSPBEIJ 25 and Political Science 248D/348D
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 248S:
Latin American Politics (POLISCI 348S)
Fundamental transformations in Latin America in the last two decades: why most governments are now democratic or semidemocratic; and economic transformation as countries abandoned import substitution industrialization policies led by state intervention for neoliberal economic polices. The nature of this dual transformation.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Grzymala-Busse, A. (PI);
Gulzar, S. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Levi, M. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Prillaman, S. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Scheve, K. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
POLISCI 293:
Democracy in the Balance: Polarization and the Road Ahead
How do we build a more inclusive and resilient America, when conservatives and liberals seem increasingly divided on politics and policy? In this policy practicum course, students will work directly with a U.S. nonprofit research organization, More in Common, to understand what unites America in this era of polarization with the goal to strengthen American civic practice and democracy. Students are invited to bring their social science knowledge and methodological skills to design and implement a research project in consultation with More in Common staff on topics of interest. Students will work together to design and implement a nationally representative YouGov survey to, in part, help Americans better understand young adults as the nation heads into the 2024 election. We will pair this collective project with seminar discussions of polarization in America, why it matters for American democracy, and the levers with which civil society can counter political division. Students will end the course with a better understanding of how we arrived at today's levels of political polarization and misunderstanding, as well as what we can do individually and collectively to strengthen democracy. This course has been designated as a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public Service. Cardinal Courses apply classroom knowledge to pressing social and environmental problems through reciprocal community partnerships. The units received through this course can be used towards the 12-unit requirement for the Cardinal Service transcript notation.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
POLISCI 299A:
Research Design
This course is designed to teach students how to design a research project. The course emphasizes the specification of testable hypotheses, the building of data sets, and the inferences from that may be drawn from that evidence. This course fulfills the WIM requirement for Political Science Research Honors students.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 299B:
Honors Thesis Seminar
Restricted to Political Science Research Honors students who have completed POLISCI 299A.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
POLISCI 299C:
Honors Thesis
Students conduct independent research work towards a senior honors thesis. Restricted to Political Science Research Honors students who have completed POLISCI 299B.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 299D:
Honors Thesis
Students conduct independent research work towards a senior honors thesis. Restricted to Political Science Research Honors students who have completed POLISCI 299B.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 309:
Curricular Practical Training for PhD Students
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. 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.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 3 units total)
POLISCI 311N:
Nuclear Politics (POLISCI 211N)
Why do states develop nuclear weapons and why do some states, that have the technological capacity to build nuclear weapons, nonetheless refrain from doing so? What are the consequences of new states deploying nuclear weapons? Do arms control treaties and the laws of armed conflict influence nuclear proliferation and nuclear war plans? What is the relationship between the spread of nuclear energy and the spread of nuclear weapons? We will first critically examine the political science, legal, and historical literature on these key questions. Students will then design and execute small research projects to address questions that have been inadequately addressed in the existing literature.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 312:
A New Cold War? Great Power Relations in the 21st Century (INTLPOL 211, REES 219)
Thirty years ago the Cold War ended. Today, great power competition is back - or so it seems - with many describing our present era as a "New Cold War" between the United States and China and Russia. What happened? Is the Cold War label an illuminating or distorting analogy? What should the U.S. do to meet the challengers of great power competition in the 21st century? This course seeks to answer these questions about contemporary great power relations, first by tracing the historical origins of the U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China relationships, next by assessing the similarities and differences between the Cold War and U.S.-Russia relations and U.S.-China relations today along three dimensions -- (1) Power, (2) Ideology, (3) Interdependence and Multilateralism - and third by discussing unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral policy prescriptions of US. policymakers.The main text for this course will be a new book in draft by Professor McFaul, as well accompanying academic articles.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
POLISCI 313:
US-Russia Relations After the Cold War (POLISCI 213, REES 213)
A quarter century ago, the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War ended. At the time, Russian leaders aspired to build democratic and market institutions at home. They also wanted to join the West. American presidents Democrat and Republican encouraged these domestic and international changes. Today, U.S.-Russia relations are once again confrontational, reminiscent of relations during the Cold War. This course seeks to analyze shifts in U.S.-Russia relations, with special attention given to the U.S.-Russia relationship during Obama¿s presidency. Readings will include academic articles and a book manuscript by Professor McFaul on Obama's reset policy. Open to students with previous coursework involving Russia.
Last offered: Spring 2017
| Units: 2
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 314R:
Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy (POLISCI 214R)
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Applications will be available for pick up in Political Science Department (Encina West 100) starting late-October.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 5
POLISCI 316M:
Global Futures: History, Statecraft, Systems (HISTORY 105F, INTLPOL 222, POLISCI 116M)
Where does the future come from? It comes from the past, of course, but how? What are the key drivers of continuity or change, and how can we trace those drivers going forward, too? What are the roles of contingency, chance, and choice, versus long-term underlying structure? How can people, from whatever walk of life, identify and utilize levers of power to ty to shift the larger system? What is a system, and how do systems behave? To answer these questions and analyze how today's world came into being and where it might be headed, this course explores geopolitics and geoeconomics, institutions and technologies, citizenship and leadership. We examine how our world works to understand the limits but also the possibilities of individual and collective agency, the phenomenon of perverse and unintended consequences, and ultimately, the nature of power. Our goal is to investigate not just how to conceive of a smart policy, but how its implementation might unfold. In sum, this course aims to combine strategic analysis and tactical agility.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 317:
Chinese Politics and Society: An Expert-Led Seminar (POLISCI 117)
This course provides an in-depth exploration of current issues in Chinese politics and society. Each week features an invited speaker - ranging from world-renowned scholars like Scott Rozelle, Chenggang Xu, and Perry Link, to practitioners and journalists who have deep insights into China. Topics covered include China's political economy, intra-party politics, post-1980 reforms, the urban-rural divide, environmental challenges, media freedom, student movements, and higher education in China. Discussions, moderated by the instructor and TA, follow each seminar. The class is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Reading proficiency in Mandarin is a plus but not mandatory.
Terms: Win
| 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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Kempf, E. (PI);
Kennard, A. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI)
POLISCI 320R:
The Presidency (POLISCI 220R)
This course provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the American presidency and covers a range of topics: elections, congressional relations, public communications, unilateral action, influence over the bureaucracy, leadership in foreign policy, and much more. Throughout, the goal is to understand why presidents behave as they do and why the presidency as an institution has developed as it has, with special attention to the dynamics of the American political system and how they condition incentives, opportunities, and power.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 324L:
The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America (COMM 164, COMM 264, POLISCI 124L, PSYCH 170, PUBLPOL 164)
Focus is on how politicians and government learn what Americans want and how the public's preferences shape government action; how surveys measure beliefs, preferences, and experiences; how poll results are criticized and interpreted; how conflict between polls is viewed by the public; how accurate surveys are and when they are accurate; how to conduct survey research to produce accurate measurements; designing questionnaires that people can understand and use comfortably; how question wording can manipulate poll results; corruption in survey research.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 326:
Executive Power Under the Constitution
This new course will address the full range of issues involving executive power under the U.S. Constitution, including the process of election (Electoral College; voting disputes, the Electoral Count Act), impeachment, foreign affairs (including control of foreign relations, command of the military, and control over national security, surveillance, and the like), authority of the President over executive agencies (including the power of removal and the duty to enforce the law), prosecution, pardon power, congressional oversight and executive privilege, executive statutory and constitutional interpretation, the budget process, litigation against the executive, and the role of the Office of Legal Counsel. The course will begin with an overview of the development of Article II at the Constitutional Convention, based in part on the instructor's recent book, THE PRESIDENT WHO WOULD NOT BE KING (Princeton Univ. Press 2020). Each topic will include historical context, relevant Supreme Court and lower court opinions, legal materials and commentary from outside the courts, and discussion of recent controversies. Class will be a combination of lecture and class discussion. The latter will be partly free-form, partly based on targeted questions from the instructor, and partly based on mini-debates. For grading, students will have the option of an open-book take-home exam and a 30-35 page research paper on a topic pre-approved by the instructor. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Exam or Final Paper.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
POLISCI 327C:
Law of Democracy (COMM 361)
Combined with LAW 7036 (formerly Law 577). This course is intended to give students a basic understanding of the themes in the legal regulation of elections and politics. We will cover all the major Supreme Court cases on topics of voting rights, reapportionment/redistricting, ballot access, regulation of political parties, campaign finance, and the 2000 presidential election controversy. The course pays particular attention to competing political philosophies and empirical assumptions that underlie the Court's reasoning while still focusing on the cases as litigation tools used to serve political ends. Elements used in grading: Class participation and one day take home final exam. (POLISCI 327C; LAW 577)
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
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
Instructors: ;
Bonica, A. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Canes-Wrone, B. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Davenport, L. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Ho, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jefferson, H. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI)
POLISCI 330A:
Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought (CLASSICS 181, CLASSICS 381, ETHICSOC 130A, PHIL 176A, PHIL 276A, POLISCI 230A)
Political philosophy in classical antiquity, centered on reading canonical works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle against other texts and against the political and historical background. Topics include: interdependence, legitimacy, justice; political obligation, citizenship, and leadership; origins and development of democracy; law, civic strife, and constitutional change.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 331:
High-Stakes Politics: Case Studies in Political Philosophy, Institutions, and Interests (CLASSICS 382, POLISCI 231)
Normative political theory combined with positive political theory to better explain how major texts may have responded to and influenced changes in formal and informal institutions. Emphasis is on historical periods in which catastrophic institutional failure was a recent memory or a realistic possibility. Case studies include Greek city-states in the classical period and the northern Atlantic community of the 17th and 18th centuries including upheavals in England and the American Revolutionary era.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 331A:
Democracy Ancient and Modern: From Politics to Political Theory (CLASSICS 149, CLASSICS 249, PHIL 176J, PHIL 276J, POLISCI 231A)
Modern political theorists, from Hobbes and Rousseau, to Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss, to Sheldon Wolin and Robert Dahl, have turned to the classical Greek theory and practice of politics, both for inspiration and as a critical target. The last 30 years has seen renewed interest in Athenian democracy among both historians and theorists, and closer interaction between empiricists concerned with 'what really happened, and why' and theorists concerned with the possibilities and limits of citizen self-government as a normatively favored approach to political organization. The course examines the current state of scholarship on the practice of politics in ancient city-states, including but not limited to democratic Athens; the relationship between practice and theory in antiquity (Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and others); the uses to which ancient theory and practice have been and are being put by modern political theorists; and experiments in democratic practice (citizen assemblies, deliberative councils, lotteries) inspired by ancient precedents. Suggested Prerequisites: Origins of Political Thought OR The Greeks OR other coursework on ancient political theory or practice. (For undergraduate students: suggest but do not require that you have taken either Origins of Political Thought, or The Greeks, or some other course that gives you some introduction to Greek political history or thought. )
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 331D:
Imagining Adaptive Societies (CSRE 161, CSRE 261, ENGLISH 131D, POLISCI 131, SUSTAIN 131, SUSTAIN 231)
The ecological, social, and economic crises of the Anthropocene suggest it is time for us to re-imagine how best to organize our communities, our institutions, and our societies. Despite the clear shortcomings, our society remains stuck in a rut of inaction. During periods of rapid social and economic change, segments of society become gripped by a nostalgia for idealized pasts that never really existed; such nostalgia acts as a powerful force that holds back innovation and contributes to a failure of imagination. How, then, might we imagine alternative social arrangements that could allow us to thrive sustainably in an environment of greater equity? Moshin Hamid reminds us that literature allows us to break from violent nostalgia while imagining better worlds, while Ursula K. Le Guin notes that "imaginative fiction trains people to be aware that there are other ways to do things, other ways to be; that there is not just one civilization, and it is good, and it is the way we have to be." There are - there has to be - other and better ways to be. In this multi-disciplinary class, we turn to speculative fiction as a way of imagining future societies that are adaptable, sustainable, and just and can respond to the major challenges of our age. In addition to reading and discussing a range of novels and short stories, we bring to bear perspectives from climate science, social science, and literary criticism. We will also be hosting several of the authors to talk about their work and ideas.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
POLISCI 331M:
Smith and Marx Seminar (PHIL 371M)
Adam Smith and Karl Marx share a broad view of the role of markets in society. Rather than view markets narrowly as simply mechanisms for efficient distribution, both saw a role for markets in shaping culture, politics and political conflict, and society - and vice versa. However, Marx and Smith differ in their overall assessment of the value of the market as an institution for promoting liberty and equality. Indeed, their perspectives, while overlapping in some respects, are distinctive in ways that resonate with debates in contemporary philosophy and political economy over the characteristics of a just society, sources of development (political and economic), and theories of change. This course explores Smith's and Marx's views of markets, property, liberty and equality, in the context of major societal transformations that took place in the nineteenth century, such as the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of modern democracy, Dickensian England, the role of institutions, and the rise of monopoly power.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
POLISCI 332T:
The Dialogue of Democracy (AMSTUD 137, COMM 137W, COMM 237, POLISCI 232T)
All forms of democracy require some kind of communication so people can be aware of issues and make decisions. This course looks at competing visions of what democracy should be and different notions of the role of dialogue in a democracy. Is it just campaigning or does it include deliberation? Small scale discussions or sound bites on television? Or social media? What is the role of technology in changing our democratic practices, to mobilize, to persuade, to solve public problems? This course will include readings from political theory about democratic ideals - from the American founders to J.S. Mill and the Progressives to Joseph Schumpeter and modern writers skeptical of the public will. It will also include contemporary examinations of the media and the internet to see how those practices are changing and how the ideals can or cannot be realized.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 333M:
Research and Methods in Political Theory
This seminar has two aims. First, we examine the methodological approaches of scholars working within political theory as well as those working at the intersection of political theory and empirical social science. Second, we discuss in an informal workshop setting the ongoing work of graduate students, considering how, if at all, the readings on methodology could inform this work.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 20 units total)
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 334P:
Deliberative Democracy and its Critics (AMSTUD 135, COMM 135W, COMM 235, COMM 335, ETHICSOC 135F, POLISCI 234P)
This course examines the theory and practice of deliberative democracy and engages both in a dialogue with critics. Can a democracy which emphasizes people thinking and talking together on the basis of good information be made practical in the modern age? What kinds of distortions arise when people try to discuss politics or policy together? The course draws on ideas of deliberation from Madison and Mill to Rawls and Habermas as well as criticisms from the jury literature, from the psychology of group processes and from the most recent normative and empirical literature on deliberative forums. Deliberative Polling, its applications, defenders and critics, both normative and empirical, will provide a key case for discussion.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 335:
Chinese Political Thought: 1895-2021 (POLISCI 235)
Everybody is talking about China now. The competition between China and the Western world is not only about economic growth, technological advancement, and military strength. What is ultimately at stake is a key theoretical question: Can China's political traditions and current practices (such as one-party meritocracy) offer a legitimate and desirable alternative to the ideal of liberal democracy? This course aims to approach this question through the lens of intellectual history and political theory. Attention is given to how Chinese thinkers since 1895 have conceived of China's place in the world, how they have used Western political ideas to transform China, how they have creatively transformed Chinese traditions to meet the challenge of modernity, and, most importantly, how they have advanced political ideals that claim to be able fix the problems in the West (such as imperialism and capitalism). We will also learn how Western thinkers are responding to the challenge from China. The first half of the course covers foundational texts in Chinese intellectual history from 1895 to the Maoist Era. The second half is about political thinking in contemporary China. No prior knowledge about China, Chinese, or political theory/philosophy is required.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 335B:
Political Memory and Democratic Citizenship (POLISCI 235B)
We may not always realize it, but political discussions often invoke historical memory. As we debate about political ideas and praxes, we often draw on history to criticize our interlocutors and build our arguments. Meanwhile, historical memory also deeply shapes how we think about politics. For example, our rejection of Nazism is closely linked to memories of the Holocaust. Our debates about racial politics in the US are inevitably intertwined with historical readings of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. New politics often offers new historical readings and counters mainstream, commonsensical understandings of the past.Because historical memory is so crucial to politics, and because what is considered collective memory often varies from community to community, it is essential that we try to understand the relationship between memory, politics, and citizenship. In this class, we read texts written by thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, W. James Booth, Avishai Margalit, John Rawls, and Judith Shklar to discuss the following questions: How does memory form communal identity? How does memory shape our conception of justice, political agency, and legitimacy? Are there democratic ways of approaching history? Is remembering always good for democratic politics? As we come up with answers to these questions, we develop a better sense of how our identity as democratic citizens is linked to historical and collective memory.
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 335N:
Political Thought in Modern Asia (CHINA 146, CHINA 246, ETHICSOC 146, POLISCI 235N)
The study of political theory in the United States has been accused of being Western-centric: We tend to focus on intellectual traditions from Plato to NATO, while ignoring the vast world of non-Western societies and the ways they think about politics and public life. How do Chinese thinkers conceptualize human rights and good governance? How do Indian intellectuals reconcile democracy and inherited hierarchies in Hinduism? How do Islamic scholars view the relationship between religious authority and secular authority? Should we regard liberal democracy, or Western civilization more broadly, as representing the universal value guiding every society? Or, should we learn from non-Western ideas and values so as to solve problems plaguing Western societies? How can competing visions of good life coexist in a globalized and increasingly pluralistic world? This course aims to answer these questions by exploring three Asian traditions and their perspectives on politics: Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam. We will focus on the modern period (19th-21st centuries) and the ways intellectuals in these societies respond to the challenge of modernity and Western superiority. Special attention is given to how these intellectuals conceive of the relationship between modernity and their respective traditions: Are they compatible or mutually exclusive? In which ways do intellectuals interpret these traditions so as to render them (in)compatible with modernity? We will read academic articles written by Anglophone scholars as well as original texts written by non-Western thinkers. No knowledge of non-Western languages is required.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 336:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
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 337:
Philosophy of Law: Protest, Punishment, and Racial Justice (CSRE 175W, ETHICSOC 175W, PHIL 175W, PHIL 275W, POLISCI 137)
In this course, we will examine some of the central questions in philosophy of law, including: What is law? How do we determine the content of laws? Do laws have moral content? What is authority? What gives law its authority? Must we obey the law? If so, why? How can we justify the law? How should we understand and respond to unjust laws? What is punishment? What is punishment for? What, if anything, justifies punishment by the state? What is enough punishment? What is too much punishment? What does justice require under nonideal conditions? Prerequisite: one prior course in Philosophy.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 4
POLISCI 337A:
Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition (ETHICSOC 176, PHIL 176, PHIL 276, POLISCI 137A)
(Graduate students register for 276.) What makes political institutions legitimate? What makes them just? When do citizens have a right to revolt against those who rule over them? Which of our fellow citizens must we tolerate?Surprisingly, the answers given by some of the most prominent modern philosophers turn on the idea of a social contract. We will focus on the work of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Rawls.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
POLISCI 337R:
Introduction to Apocalyptic Thinking (COMPLIT 376, FRENCH 367, POLISCI 237R)
At the time of the European Enlightenment, the talk about the end of the world was taken to be a remnant of religious beliefs or the domain of insane people. The rational mind knew how to eliminate those obstacles to continuous scientific and technological progress. Today the situation has radically changed. Science and technology are the places where the end of the world is predicted. Apocalypse is looming. This seminar will explore various fields where this transformation is taking place. The following menaces will be considered: nuclear war, climate change, gene editing, synthetic biology, advanced artificial intelligence. Among the philosophies that will be summoned: the post-Heideggerian critique of technoscience (Hannah Arendt and G¿nther Anders), Hans Jonas' Ethics of the Future, the concept of existential risk (Nick Bostrom) and the instructor's concept of Enlightened Doomsaying. Appeal to literary works and films will be part of the program.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 338B:
Unequal Relationships (ETHICSOC 378B, PHIL 378B)
Over the past three decades, a relational egalitarian conception of equality has emerged in political philosophy. Proponents of the view argue that the point of equality is to establish communities whose members are able to stand and relate as equals. This entails building societies free from a variety of modes of relating that are thought to be detrimental to our status as moral equals. The list of those inegalitarian relationships is long: oppression, domination, exploitation, marginalization, objectification, demonization, infantilization, stigmatization, etc. The graduate seminar will introduce students to the rich literature on equality in contemporary political philosophy, with a special focus on identifying and scrutinizing unequal relationships. Each week will be centered on a specific unequal relationship, trying to understand how it operates, what social function it serves, and what makes it specifically harmful or wrongful to groups and individuals. Advanced undergraduate students will be considered and should email the PI to communicate their interest. 2 unit option only for Phil PhDs beyond the second year.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 2-4
POLISCI 338E:
The Problem of Evil in Literature, Film, and Philosophy (FRENCH 265)
Conceptions of evil and its nature and source, distinctions between natural and moral evil, and what belongs to God versus to the human race have undergone transformations reflected in literature and film. Sources include Rousseau's response to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake; Hannah Arendt's interpretation of Auschwitz; Günther Anders' reading of Hiroshima; and current reflections on looming climatic and nuclear disasters. Readings from Rousseau, Kant, Dostoevsky, Arendt, Anders, Jonas, Camus, Ricoeur, Houellebeck, Girard. Films by Lang, Bergman, Losey, Hitchcock.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 342:
Foreign Policy Decision Making in Comparative Perspective (INTLPOL 232, POLISCI 242)
This seminar will examine how countries and multilateral organizations make decisions about foreign and international policy. The hypothesis to be explored in the course is that individuals, bureaucracies, and interest groups shape foreign policy decisions. That hypothesis will be tested against other more structural explanations of how countries behave in the international system. After a brief review of the academic literature in the first part of the course, the seminar will focus on several cases studies of foreign policy decision-making by the United States, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as the United Nations and NATO. Enrollment Details: This seminar is a 5-unit required core course for Master's in International Policy (MIP) students. It is also open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates by way of application. For details on how to apply, please click below on "Schedule" and review the "Notes." The deadline to apply for this course is March 14.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 342G:
Political Mobilization and Democratic Breakthroughs (INTLPOL 218, POLISCI 242G)
Mass political mobilization occurs in both democracies and autocracies. Sometimes political protests, demonstrations, and acts of nonviolence civic resistance undermine autocracies, produce democratic breakthroughs, or generate democratic reforms. Other times, they do not. This course explores why, first examining the original causes of mobilization, and then understanding why some movements succeed and others fail. The first sessions of the course will review theories of revolution, social movements, and democratization. The remainder of the course will do deep dives into case studies, sometime with guest lecturers and participants from these historical moments. Cases to be discussed will include Chile, South Africa, Eastern Europe and the USSR (1989-1991), Russia (2011), Serbia and other color revolutions (2000, 2003, 2004), Tunisia, Egypt, and the Arab Spring (2011), China and Hong Kong (1989, 2016), and recent mobilizations (Belarus in 2020, Burma and the U.S. in 2021). The deadline to apply for this course is December 3rd.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 343A:
Field Methods
Familiarizes students with a variety of field methods potentially applicable to ongoing research projects and dissertations. Topics include case selection, process tracing, participant observation, interviewing, archival research, survey design, labnexperiments, field experiments, and ethical concerns in the field. Students develop a field research strategy as a final project. Prerequisites: 440A,B,C.
Last offered: Winter 2016
| Units: 3-5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
POLISCI 343C:
Public Opinion and Elections in the Populist Era
Brexit, Donald Trump, the collapse of party systems in established democracies like France and Italy - these striking developments have a common thread: the disruption of politics as usual by insurgent "populist" movements and/or parties. The seminar will focus on Europe and the U.S. Students will have access to surveys of western democracies conducted by YouGov. Undergraduates interested in this course will need to request permission from the instructor to enroll.
| Units: 5
POLISCI 344:
Politics and Geography
The role of geography in topics in political economy, including development, political representation, voting, redistribution, regional autonomy movements, fiscal competition, and federalism.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 344U:
Political Culture (POLISCI 244U)
The implications of social norms, preferences and beliefs for political and economic behavior and societal outcomes.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 347A:
Games Developing Nations Play (ECON 162, POLISCI 247A)
If, as economists argue, development can make everyone in a society better off, why do leaders fail to pursue policies that promote development? The course uses game theoretic approaches from both economics and political science to address this question. Incentive problems are at the heart of explanations for development failure. Specifically, the course focuses on a series of questions central to the development problem: Why do developing countries have weak and often counterproductive political institutions? Why is violence (civil wars, ethnic conflict, military coups) so prevalent in the developing world, and how does it interact with development? Why do developing economies fail to generate high levels of income and wealth? We study how various kinds of development traps arise, preventing development for most countries. We also explain how some countries have overcome such traps. This approach emphasizes the importance of simultaneous economic and political development as two different facets of the same developmental process. No background in game theory is required.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 347G:
Governance and Poverty (POLISCI 247G)
Poverty relief requires active government involvement in the provision of public services such as drinking water, healthcare, sanitation, education, roads, electricity and public safety. Failure to deliver public services is a major impediment to the alleviation of poverty in the developing world. This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to examining these issues, bringing together readings from across the disciplines of political science, economics, law, medicine and education to increase understanding of the complex causal linkages between political institutions, the quality of governance, and the capacity of developing societies to meet basic human needs. Conceived in a broadly comparative international perspective, the course will examine cross-national and field-based research projects, with a particular focus on Latin America and Mexico.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 348:
Chinese Politics (INTNLREL 158, POLISCI 148)
China, one of the few remaining communist states in the world, has not only survived, but has become a global political actor of consequence with the fastest growing economy in the world. Why has the CCP thrived while other communist regimes have failed? What explains China's authoritarian resilience? What are the limits to such resilience? How has the Chinese Communist Party managed to develop markets and yet keep itself in power? How does censorship work in the information and 'connected' age of social media? How resilient is the party state in the face of technological and economic change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. This course fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for Political Science and International Relations undergraduate majors. PoliSci majors should register for POLISCI 148 and IR majors should register for INTNLREL 158. Graduate students should register for POLISCI 348.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 348D:
China in the Global Economy (POLISCI 248D)
An examination of China in the global economy. Focus will be on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The goal of the course is to provide students an in-depth understanding of a key initiative of China's efforts to globalize. The approach examines how BRI has played out in practice and how it is changing. Specific questions addressed will include: What is the political and economic logic of BRI? Who are the key players? How much of this is controlled and coordinated by Beijing? How much by local authorities? What bureaucratic structures, if any, have been created to regulate this major initiative? Whose interests are being served with BRI? What are the challenges facing BRI? How have strategies evolved? How have international reactions affected China's globalization strategies? How has this affected US-China Relations? How does BRI affect domestic politics? Same as OSPBEIJ 25. Students may not earn credit for both OSPBEIJ 25 and Political Science 248D/348D
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 348S:
Latin American Politics (POLISCI 248S)
Fundamental transformations in Latin America in the last two decades: why most governments are now democratic or semidemocratic; and economic transformation as countries abandoned import substitution industrialization policies led by state intervention for neoliberal economic polices. The nature of this dual transformation.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Grzymala-Busse, A. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Levi, M. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Prillaman, S. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
POLISCI 351A:
Foundations of Political Economy
Introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria, agenda setting, interest group politics, bureaucratic behavior, and electoral competition.
Last offered: Autumn 2016
| Units: 3
POLISCI 351B:
Economic Analysis of Political Institutions
Applying techniques such as information economics, games of incomplete information, sequential bargaining theory, repeated games, and rational expectations of microeconomic analysis and game theory to political behavior and institutions. Applicatoins include agenda formation in legislatures, government formation in parliamentary systems, the implications of legislative structure, elections and information aggregation, lobbying, electoral competition and interest groups, the control of bureaucracies, interest group competition, and collective choice rules.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
POLISCI 351C:
Institutions and Bridge-Building in Political Economy
This course critically surveys empirical applications of formal models of collective-choice institutions. It is explicitly grounded in philosophy of science (e.g., Popperian positivism and Kuhn's notions of paradigms and normal science). Initial sessions address the meanings and roles of the concept of institutions in social-science research. Historically important works of political science and/or economics are then considered within a framework called Components of Institutional Analysis (or CIA), which provides a fully general way of evaluating research that is jointly empirical and formal theoretical. The course concludes with contemporary instances of such bridge-building. The over-arching objectives are to elevate the explicitness and salience of desirable properties of research and to illustrate the inescapable tradeoffs among the stipulated criteria. nAlthough this is a core course in the GSB Political Economy PhD curriculum, its substantive foci may differ across years depending on the instructor. For Professor Krehbiel's sessions, the emphasis is on legislative behavior, organization, and lawmaking, and on inter-institutional strategic interaction (e,g, between executive, legislative, and judicial branches in various combinations). nStudents should have taken POLECON 680 and POLECON 681. Also listed as Political Science 351C.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 4
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)
POLISCI 353B:
Workshop in Political Methodology
Continuation of POLISCI 353A. Mathematical and statistical models and applications to political science. Guest speakers, faculty, and students present research papers. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 353C:
Workshop in Political Methodology
Continuation of POLISCI 353B. Mathematical and statistical models and applications to political science. Guest speakers, faculty, and students present research papers. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 354:
Strategy: Introduction to Game Theory (POLISCI 153)
This course provides an introduction to strategic reasoning. We discuss ideas such as the commitment problem, credibility in signaling, cheap talk, moral hazard and adverse selection. Concepts are developed through games played in class, and applied to politics, business and everyday life.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
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 355B:
Machine Learning for Social Scientists (POLISCI 150B)
Machine learning - the use of algorithms to classify, predict, sort, learn and discover from data - has exploded in use across academic fields, industry, government, and the non-profit sector. This course provides an introduction to machine learning for social scientists. We will introduce state of the art machine learning tools, show how to use those tools in the programming language R, and demonstrate why a social science focus is essential to effectively apply machine learning techniques in social, political, and policy contexts. Applications of the methods will include forecasting social phenomena, evaluating the use of algorithms in public policy, and the analysis of social media and text data. Prerequisite: POLISCI 150A/355A.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 355C:
Causal Inference for Social Science (POLISCI 150C)
Causal inference methods have revolutionized the way we use data, statistics, and research design to move from correlation to causation and rigorously learn about the impact of some potential cause (e.g., a new policy or intervention) on some outcome (e.g., election results, levels of violence, poverty). This course provides an introduction that teaches students the toolkit of modern causal inference methods as they are now widely used across academic fields, government, industry, and non-profits. Topics include experiments, matching, regression, sensitivity analysis, difference-in-differences, panel methods, instrumental variable estimation, and regression discontinuity designs. We will illustrate and apply the methods with examples drawn from various fields including policy evaluation, political science, public health, economics, business, and sociology. Prerequisite: POLISCI 150A.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 356A:
Formal Theory I
An introduction to noncooperative game theory through applications in political science. Topics will include the Hotelling-Downs model, the probabilistic voting model, contests, the tragedy of the commons and possible solution, electoral accountability, and political bargaining models, among others.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 356B:
Formal Theory II
A continuation of Formal Theory I covering applications of asymmetric information game theory to political science. Topics include the Condorcet jury model, asymmetric information crisis bargaining, and political accountability models, among others.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 358:
Data-driven Politics
Covers advanced computational and statistical methods for collecting and modeling large-scale data on politics. Topics will include automated and computer-assisted methods for collecting, disambiguating, and merging unstructured data (web-scraping, identity resolution, and record-linkage), database management (SQL, data architecture), data-reduction techniques for measuring the political preferences for large numbers of individuals, topic models applied to political text/speech, and social network analysis for mapping relationships and identifying influential actors.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| 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
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
POLISCI 400:
Dissertation
Pre-TGR dissertation research. Open to Poli Sci PhD students who have advanced to candidacy.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Canes-Wrone, B. (PI);
Chapman, E. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Davenport, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Grzymala-Busse, A. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Ho, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jefferson, H. (PI);
Kennard, A. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Levi, M. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
McQueen, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Prillaman, S. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Satz, D. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
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
POLISCI 410B:
International Relations Theory, Part II
Second of a three-part graduate sequence. Security and armed conflict, both interstate and civil war. Nuclear weapons, terrorism, political economy of defense, and related topics. Prerequisite: POLISCI 410A.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 410C:
International Relations Theory, Part III
Third of a three-part graduate sequence. History of international relations theory, current debates, and applications to problems of international security and political economy. Prerequisite: POLISCI 410A.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 410D:
Research in International Relations
Part of the graduate sequence in international relations. Focus is on developing research papers and exploring active areas of research in the field. Prerequisites: POLISCI 410A and 410B. 410C should be taken before or concurrently.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
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
POLISCI 411B:
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: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 411C:
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: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 420A:
American Political Institutions
Theories of American politics, focusing on Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the courts.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
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 421A:
Current Debates in American Political Institutions
Each week of this class will focus on a recent debate in the American political institutions literature, with the term institutions being broadly defined. Topics will span elected officials' behavior, including by congressional members, the president, and state and local actors; judicial decisionmaking; representation and accountability; campaign finance; the administrative state and policy implementation; and other issues that involve institutional actors. Although the graduate field seminar on institutions is not officially a prerequisite, the class will not repeat this material and therefore for some topics, background readings will be recommended for those will no prior exposure.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| 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
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 422F:
Seminar on Political Change (POLISCI 222F)
This seminar will examine broad changes in American Politics in the modern era, roughly the beginning of the 20th Century to the present. A central theme of the seminar will be how sociological and economic change disrupts party alignments and leads to a changed politics. Each week a student will lead a critical discussion of a principal reading while others present additional related readings. Open to advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 423A:
The Laboratory of the Study of American Values (SOC 364A)
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment requires permission of the instructors. See the Notes for additional information.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 1-5
POLISCI 423B:
The Laboratory of the Study of American Values II (SOC 364B)
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment is limited to members of the Laboratory for the Study of American Values.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 1-5
POLISCI 424A:
Democratic Elections
How do democratic elections work? Do elections make representatives accountable, and if so, under what conditions? What preferences do electorates reveal to us when they choose candidates for office, and how do candidates and representatives respond to these preferences? What external factors change the dynamics between candidates and electorates?n n In this class we will study the functioning of democratic elections, mainly in the context of legislative elections. Because this is an elections course, the unit of analysis will be the constituency or the candidate rather than the individual voter, as it might be in a behavior course. We want to understand how candidates make it to office¿i.e., the aggregated choices of many voters¿and how the prospect of reelection shapes their behavior in office.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 424C:
Party Polarization
This seminar surveys the literature on party polarization in the U.S and other industrialized democracies, considers alternative conceptualizations of polarization, and what is known about the causes and consequences of polarization.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 425:
Political Communication (COMM 360G)
An overview of research in political communication with particular reference to work on the impact of the mass media on public opinion and voting behavior. Limited to Ph.D. students.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 426:
Identity Politics (SOC 326)
Whether one considers the partisan and electoral choices citizens make or the judgements citizens render in response to officer-involved shootings or other salient social and political events, the centrality of identity in our politics is indisputable. But what is an identity? What are the conditions under which identities become politicized? How do identities work to structure attitudes and affect behavior? This course is all about identity and its intersection with politics. Taking an interdisciplinary and cross-subfield approach, this course seeks to bring students into conversation with scholarship that demonstrates the powerful ways that identities influence all aspects of the political. Though much of our time will be spent reading about race and racial identification in the context of American politics, students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively about identity as it relates to their own intellectual interests. In addition to being active and engaged seminar participants, students will be required to submit a final research paper that uses concepts, themes, and ideas from the course to explore a research question of their choosing.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 427C:
Money in Politics (POLISCI 227C)
In this course, we will examine key questions in the literature on money in politics and develop skills to perform cutting-edge research in the field. The course will cover several major questions in the literature, such as: Does money affect election outcomes? Who donates to political campaigns? What motivates them? How do corporations and special interest groups influence political outcomes? Does campaign finance affect the quality of representation? What is the relationship between unequal participation and inequality? The rich data environment of campaign finance and lobbying offers a valuable resource for conducting empirical research on various areas of interest to political scientists, including campaigns and elections, the measurement of ideology, corporate political strategies, and elite preferences and behavior. This course will introduce students to available data resources and provide technical and methodological training on how to manage these large-scale databases and perform applied modeling and measurement applications.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 428C:
Law and Politics of Bureaucracy (POLISCI 228C)
Same as Law 7096. Modern government is bureaucratic government. In the words of Justice Jackson, the rise of the administrative state is likely "the most significant legal trend of the last century and perhaps more values today are affected by [agency] decisions than by those of all the courts." This seminar will survey the major ways in which law and political science have grappled with bureaucratic governance. How do we understand the rise of the administrative state? Why are bureaucracies designed the way they are? How do bureaucracies work in the face of legal and political constraints? And what avenues are there for meaningful regulatory reform? The class is cross-listed in Political Science and the Law School and course enrollment will be by consent of instructor. Students will be responsible for writing short reflection papers and a research paper. Students may take the course for either 3, 4, or 5 units, depending on the paper length. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. Admission based on application. Instructor consent required. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply, please complete the following webform: https://forms.gle/uBhCRHvkdV1s1cV26 . Cross-listed with LAW 7096.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 430A:
Ancient Greek Economic Development (CLASSICS 384A)
Historians have been arguing about ancient Greek economic development since the 1890s. By the 1980s, opinion had swung toward what is sometimes called - the Cambridge consensus. - This held that the Greek economy was a typical premodern one, in which (a) growth was so low as to be negligible, (b) markets were vestigial, and (c) individuals and governments cared less about profit than about prestige and status. This seminar explores scholarly work (mostly in the last 15 years) that has developed a more realistic view of the ancient Greek economy and some of the recent responses to that new paradigm. The modern debate is predicated on analysis of material and written evidence. Among the important ancient texts bearing on Greek economic development are philosophical treatises that are critical of wealth accumulation; the question of how these texts related to the evidence, and bear on the lived reality of Greek economic conditions is a second primary theme of the seminar.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 431:
Grad seminar: Contemporary Political Theory (PHIL 370)
Graduate seminar.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4
POLISCI 431L:
Inequality: Economic and Philosophical Perspectives (ETHICSOC 371R, PHIL 371D)
The nature of and problem of inequality is central to both economics and philosophy. Economists study the causes of inequality, design tools to measure it and track it over time, and examine its consequences. Philosophers are centrally concerned with the justification of inequality and the reasons why various types of inequality are or are not objectionable.nIn this class we bring both of these approaches together. Our class explores the different meanings of and measurements for understanding inequality, our best understandings of how much inequality there is, its causes, its consequences, and whether we ought to reduce it, and if so, how. nThis is an interdisciplinary graduate seminar. We propose some familiarity with basic ideas in economics and basic ideas in contemporary political philosophy; we will explain and learn about more complex ideas as we proceed. The class will be capped at 20 students.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 5
POLISCI 432R:
Selections in Modern Political Thought
This graduate-level seminar explores selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. The theme of the course differs from year to year.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
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
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
POLISCI 438R:
Ancient Greek Rationality, Public and Private (CLASSICS 395, PHIL 338R, POLISCI 238R)
In this seminar, we'll consider ancient Greek views about and theories of practical rationality and compare and contrast them with some modern theories, especially theories of instrumental rationality. We'll consider both philosophic authors, especially Plato and Aristotle, but also Aeschylus, Herodotus, Solon, and Thucydides.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
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 440B:
Comparative Political Economy
Required of Political Science Ph.D. students with comparative politics as a first or second concentration; others by consent of the instructor. The origins of political and economic institutions and their impact on long run outcomes for growth and democracy. Emphasis is on the analysis of causal models, hypothesis testing, and the quality of evidence.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 440C:
Research Design in Comparative Politics
Current methodological standards in comparative politics. Students develop their own research design that meets these standards.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 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 441L:
Grad Seminar on Middle Eastern Politics
Survey of major topics in the study of Middle Eastern politics including state formation, authoritarian resilience and political Islam
Last offered: Spring 2017
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 443S:
Political Economy of Reform in China
Content, process, and problems of China's post-Mao reforms. Changes in property rights, markets, credit, and the role of the state in economic development. Comparative insights about reform in the Chinese communist system that distinguishes it from the experience of regimes in E. Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 443T:
Approaches to Chinese Politics
This graduate seminar is designed to give doctoral students bibliographic control of the major secondary literature on Chinese Politics. This course is organized around theoretical concepts and issues found in studies of China's political system and comparative politics. The focus is on the evolution of the field: What questions have been asked? What type of research has been done? What sources have been used? What analytical tools have been used? What have been the theoretical and analytical results of the research? How does the research connect to the broader political science literature? How has our understanding of Chinese politics evolved with these changes? This course presumes a basic knowledge of the government and politics of post 1949 China.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 444A:
Authoritarian Politics (POLISCI 244A)
This course offers a thematic approach to the study of authoritarian politics. We will cover the major areas of political science research on authoritarian politics and governance while simultaneously building empirical knowledge about the politics of particular authoritarian regimes. The course will also discuss transitions to democracy as well as authoritarian political tendencies within democratic contexts.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 445C:
The Logics of Violence: Rebels, Criminal Groups and the State (POLISCI 245C)
This course explore the logics of violence. The course offers an overview of the literature on civil wars as well as organized violence involving armed groups that do not seek formal state power, such as drug cartels, prison gangs, and paramilitaries. It also explores the many ways in which states engage in violence against their population through repression, torture, and murder.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 446:
Political Development Economics
There is a growing awareness that many of the key challenges in fostering development in poor societies are political challenges. What can we do to encourage trade, cooperation and peace in environments riven with social and ethnic divisions? How do we foster broadly beneficial political reforms and good governance when the potential losers to reforms are able to mobilise to prevent them? How do we detect and mitigate the effects of corruption? What role may modern finance play in creating or mitigating political economy challenges in developing countries?These problems are modern and endemic, but many are also old problems, and economic theory and the practical experiences of different countries have much to tell us both about what has worked in the past, and what policy experiments we may try in new environments. Rather than a survey, the objective of this course is to selectively discuss new and open research areas in political development economics and the theoretical and empirical tools necessary to contribute to them, with the topics chosen to complement other Stanford courses in applied microeconomics, development, political economics and economic history. By the end of the course, the student will have analysed a theoretical or historical solution to a key political development challenge and proposed a natural or field experiment to test it empirically. Graduate level proficiency in microeconomics and empirical methods will be required.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
POLISCI 446A:
Paths to the Modern World: The West in Comparative Perspective (POLISCI 246A)
How and why did Europe develop political institutions that encouraged economic growth and industrialization? And why have many other regions lagged in the creation of growth-promoting institutions? This course uses a comparative approach to understanding routes to the modern world - the historical experiences of Christian Europe, the Islamic world, and others. We will explore questions including: When do parliaments emerge? How do cities promote growth? What is the role of religion?
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 447:
Gender and Development
Gender remains an identity that defines structures of opportunity and representation in markets, society, and importantly in politics. This course studies how gender conditions experiences in political, economic, and social institutions. This seminar will pay special attention to the ways that patterns and processes of development have shaped gender inequality and will draw largely on evidence from low and middle-income countries. Specifically, we will study questions such as: Why do women in much of the world remain relatively underrepresented in formal andninformal institutions? What social, cultural, economic, and institutional factors reduce such gender inequality? How does gender inclusion shape development patterns and political outcomes?
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 448R:
Workshop: China Social Science (SOC 368W)
For Ph.D. students in the social sciences and history. Research on contemporary society and politics in the People's Republic of China. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Terms: 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 450B:
Political Methodology II: Causal Inference
Graduate level survey of statistical methods for causal inference in political science research. Covers a variety of causal inference designs, including experiments, matching, regression, panel methods, difference-in-differences, synthetic control methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, quantile regression, and bounds. Prerequisite: POLISCI 450A completed for a letter grade of "B" or higher. Students who have not taken POLI SCI 450A with a letter grade of B or better must pass an entrance exam in order to take POLI SCI 450B. Attend the first day of class for information about taking the exam.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 450C:
Political Methodology III: Model-Based Inference
Provides a survey of statistical tools for model-based inference in political science with a particular focus on machine-learning techniques. Topics include likelihood theory of inference and techniques for prediction, discovery, and causal inference. Prerequisites: POLISCI 450A and POLISCI 450B completed for a letter grade of "B" or higher.
Terms: Spr
| 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 451:
Directed Readings on Causal Inference with Panel Data
In this seminar, we will be reading recent papers from the emerging literature on causal inference using panel data. The class will meet once a week; each week, two papers will be discussed. Prerequisites for Political Science PhD students: POLISCI 450A and POLISCI 450B or equivalent classes.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 2-3
POLISCI 452:
Machine Learning with Application to Text as Data
Machine Learning methods are increasingly useful for the social sciences. This course introduces a framework for using machine learning methods to make social science inferences, with a particular focus on text as data. The course will explain how machine learning methods can be used to facilitate discovery, measure quantities of interest, and to make causal inferences and predictions. We will introduce a variety of methods for representing texts as quantitative data and then we will introduce a wide array of commonly used methods. Prerequisites are POLISCI 450A, 450B, and 450C.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 460A:
Political Economy I (ECON 220)
Introduction to empirical and theoretical research in political economy. This course focuses on issues in democracies, while Political Economy II focuses on issues in non-democracies. Topics may include institutional foundations, social choice, electoral competition and candidate positioning, accountability, voter behavior, polarization, media and political communication, redistribution, special interests and lobbying, collective action, immigration, and populism. Prerequisite for Econ PhD students: ECON 202 and 270 or permission of instructors. Prerequisites for Political Science PhD students: POLISCI 450A, POLISCI 450B, and POLISCI 356A.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 460B:
Political Economy II (ECON 221)
Continuation of ECON 220 / POLISCI 460A. Preparation for advanced research in political economy. This quarter will focus on topics related to culture, institutions, political and economic development, historical evolution, nondemocratic politics, conflict and cooperation. We will cover both empirical and theoretical work. Prerequisite for Political Science PhDstudents: POLISCI 356A.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 461:
Advances in Experimental Political Science
In recent years there has been a surge in the use of experiments, both survey and field, in political science. This has resulted in substantial advances in experimental research within political science. This course will explore these advances through case studies of advances in experimental design. By evaluating and understanding the very best of cutting-edge, experimental research, students will learn how to design smart and effective survey and field experiments from the ground up. The focus of this course will be on the intersection of design and implementation, which we will explore through case studies of exceptional instances of experimental research. When are experiments the right tool for answering research questions and how can experiments be designed to test theories? How do we handle the many unexpected challenges that emerge in experimental implementation? In answering these questions, this course aims to interweave the methodological and the practical, preparing students to design and implement their own experiment research while also engaging with the core political science research questions answered through experimental research. The course will cover methodological issues such experimental design, random assignment, and measurement alongside practical issues such as field implementation and data collection challenges. Students will be exposed to canonical and cutting-edge applications of experimental research in political science and we hope will leave with an appreciation of the art of experimentation.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 462:
How to Write and Publish a Quantitative Political Science Paper
This course helps students to write a publishable research paper in political science. We will focus on how to specify an important research question, how to identify appropriate research methods to answer that question, how to present evidence effectively, and how to navigate the publication process. Students will be expected to produce a completed research paper of publishable quality by the end of the quarter.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 464:
Survey Design and Implementation
Surveys are one of the most important sources of data for political scientists. With the rise of field experiments, the design and implementation of surveys has become and even more critical component of a political scientist's tool kit. This course provides an overview of the tools needed to design and implement survey research and will also cover the fundamentals of survey and field experiments. In addition, this course will expose students to canonical and cutting-edge applications of survey research in the study of political behavior and public opinion. This course aims to interweave the methodological and the practical, preparing students to implement their own survey-based research projects while also engaging with the core political science research questions answered through survey research. The course will cover methodological issues such sources of bias, measurement theory and questionnaire design, sampling and non-response, and modes of data collection alongside practical issues such as field research and in-person data collection challenges, web-based data collection challenges, interviewer hiring, and data quality control measures. Over the quarter, students will develop a research design using survey research methods, including designing their own survey questionnaire and implementation plan. Students can expect to leave this course with not only a broad understanding of survey methodology but also a set of tools to deal with the practical implementation of surveys in the field.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| 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
POLISCI 482A:
Political Science Departmental Workshop
The Political Science Departmental Workshop provides a forum for graduate students and faculty involved in political science research to engage with the core themes and questions of research across the discipline. Meetings will include presentations by Stanford graduate students and faculty of work "in progress" across all political science sub-disciplines. The aim of the workshop is for participants to gain a better understanding of the key questions that unite political scientists and learn about cutting-edge research. Participation is limited to Political Science faculty, graduate students, postdocs and visitors. Enrollment open to Political Science PhDs only; auditing by Stanford affiliates not allowed.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 482B:
Political Science Guest Speaker Workshop
The workshop brings in a distinguished speaker from outside the department each week, focusing on the sub-fields of international relations, comparative politics, American politics, and political methodology. The workshop will give participants a broad overview of cutting-edge theoretical and empirical research being carried out in political science and related fields. Visiting speakers will include both recent PhDs and senior scholars. Students will have the opportunity to follow up and have individual meetings with speakers working on related research topics. Attendance is open to all Stanford affiliates. Enrollment open to Political Science PhDs only.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
Last offered: Summer 2021
| Units: 0
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 802:
TGR Dissertation
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 0
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Acharya, A. (PI);
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Canes-Wrone, B. (PI);
Chapman, E. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Davenport, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Fouka, V. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Grzymala-Busse, A. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Hainmueller, J. (PI);
Hall, A. (PI);
Ho, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jefferson, H. (PI);
Kennard, A. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Levi, M. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
McQueen, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Prillaman, S. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rice, C. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Satz, D. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Xu, Y. (PI)
