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POLISCI 1: The Science of Politics

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

POLISCI 31: Democracy and Disagreement (PHIL 3, PUBLPOL 3, RELIGST 23X)

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)
Instructors: ; Brest, P. (PI); Satz, D. (PI)

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)
Instructors: ; Safran, G. (PI)

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 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 or AMSTUD 110D.
Terms: Spr | 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 or AMSTUD 110D.
Terms: Spr | Units: 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 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 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 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
Instructors: ; Mapps, M. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Hills, D. (PI)

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 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
Instructors: ; Milani, A. (PI)

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

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

POLISCI 209: Curricular Practical Training

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Magen, A. (PI)

POLISCI 219: Directed Reading and Research in International Relations

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Canes-Wrone, B. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Sniderman, P. (PI)

POLISCI 229: Directed Reading and Research in American Politics

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Coyne, B. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Luo, S. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Berkowitz, P. (PI)

POLISCI 239: Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Mejia Cubillos, J. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Mejia Cubillos, J. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI)

POLISCI 249: Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics

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

POLISCI 259: Directed Reading and Research in Political Methodology

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Fabrizio, A. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Cox, G. (PI)

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 319: Directed Reading and Research in International Relations

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Canes-Wrone, B. (PI)

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

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; McConnell, M. (PI)

POLISCI 329: Directed Reading and Research in American Politics

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

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

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Hills, D. (PI)

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. Reserved for Master's, PhD students, and highly motivated undergraduates.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3-5
Instructors: ; Dupuy, J. (PI)

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 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 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
Instructors: ; Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI)

POLISCI 349: Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Acharya, A. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Kennard, A. (PI); Hu, Q. (TA)

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 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 359: Advanced Individual Study in Political Methodology

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Schultz, K. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Tomz, M. (PI)

POLISCI 422: Workshop in American Politics

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Iyengar, S. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Bonica, A. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; McQueen, A. (PI)

POLISCI 433: Workshop in Political Theory

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

POLISCI 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
Instructors: ; Cox, G. (PI); Fouka, V. (PI)

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 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
Instructors: ; Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI)

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
Instructors: ; Walder, A. (PI)

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 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 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
Instructors: ; Hall, A. (PI)
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