LAW 577:
Regulation of the Political Process
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 exam. Cross-listed with Communication (COMM 361) and Political Science (POLISCI 327C).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
OSPOXFRD 22:
British Politics Past and Present
The political system of the United Kingdom; contemporary scholarly debates about UK politics and the UK constitution; and critical analysis of these debates and of current issues in UK politics (including constitutional reform), using contemporary political science and political theory.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
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: Win, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 18N:
Civil War and International Politics: Syria in Context
How and why do civil wars start, drag on, and end? What does focus of post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy on countries torn apart by civil war tell us about contemporary international relations? We consider these and related questions, with the conflict in Syria as our main case study.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: 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.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 29N:
Mixed-Race Politics and Culture (AFRICAAM 52N, ENGLISH 52N)
Today, almost one-third of Americans identify with a racial/ethnic minority group, and more than 9 million Americans identify with multiple races. What are the implications of such diversity for American politics and culture? In this course, we approach issues of race from an interdisciplinary perspective, employing research in the social sciences and humanities to assess how race shapes perceptions of identity as well as political behavior in 21st century U.S. We will examine issues surrounding the role of multiculturalism, immigration, acculturation, racial representation and racial prejudice in American society. Topics we will explore include the political and social formation of ¿race¿; racial representation in the media, arts, and popular culture; the rise and decline of the ¿one-drop rule¿ and its effect on political and cultural attachments; the politicization of Census categories and the rise of the Multiracial Movement.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
POLISCI 57E:
State of the Union 2014 (HISTORY 57E)
This course will examine major themes that contribute to the health, or disease, of the US body politic. Challenges and opportunities abound: we live in an age of rising inequality, dazzling technological innovation, economic volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and the accumulating impact of climate change. These conditions confront our political leaders and us as citizens of a democracy plagued by dysfunction. What are the implications for the body politic? Led by Rob Reich (Political Science, Stanford), David Kennedy (History, Stanford), and James Steyer (CEO, Common Sense Media), the course will bring together distinguished analysts of American politics. Together, we will examine the following topics: inequality; energy and the environment; media and technology; the economy; and the 2014 midterm elections. The course is designed for the entire Stanford community: jointly offered for undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford (through listings in Political Science and History) and for community members through the Continuing Studies Program. For students, the course is available for 1 credit. This course may not be taken for a Letter Grade.
Last offered: Autumn 2014
| Units: 1
POLISCI 102:
Politics and Public Policy (AMSTUD 123X, POLISCI 123, PUBLPOL 101, PUBLPOL 201)
(Formerly PS 2) American political institutions (the Presidency, Congress, and the Court) and political processes (the formation of political attitudes and voting) have for some time now been criticized as inadequate to the task of making modern public policy. Against the backdrop of American culture and political history we examine how public policy has been and is being made. We use theories from Political Science and Economics to assess the state of the American system and the policy making process. We use case studies and lectures to analyze contemporary issues including environmental policy, taxes and spending , gun control , economic growth and inequality and mobility. In some of these issue areas we use comparative data from other countries to see how the U.S. is doing relative to other countries. In addition to class room lecture and discussion, student groups are formed to analyze policy issues of relevance to them. Undergraduate Public Policy students are required to enroll in this class for five units.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 104:
Introduction to Comparative Politics
(Formerly POLISCI 4) Why are some countries prone to civil war and violence, while others remain peaceful? Why do some countries maintain democratic systems, while others do not? Why are some countries more prosperous than others? This course will provide an overview of the most basic questions in the comparative study of political systems, and will introduce the analytical tools that can help us answer them.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 110G:
Governing the Global Economy
Who governs the world economy? Why do countries succeed or fail to cooperate in setting their economic policies? When and how do international institutions help countries cooperate? When and why do countries adopt good and bad economic policies? This course examines how domestic and international politics determine how the global economy is governed. We will study the politics of monetary, trade, international investment, energy, environmental, and foreign aid policies to answer these questions. The course will approach each topic by examining alternative theoretical approaches and evaluate these theories using historical and contemporary evidence. There will be an emphasis on applying concepts through the analysis of case studies.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 115E:
Japan & the World: Innovation, Economic Growth, Globalization, and Int'l Security Challenges (EASTASN 153, EASTASN 253, ECON 120)
This course introduces students to the economy, politics, and international relations of contemporary Japan. The course puts a particular emphasis on several emerging issues in Japan including innovation and economic dynamism, Japan's contributions to international peace and cooperation, and Japan's response to international economic and geopolitical challenges. The course will invite several guest instructors, each of whom is an expert on at least one of the issues that Japan faces today, to give lectures in addition to the main instructors. The guest lecturers will also be available outside of the classroom for further discussion during their stays at Stanford.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 116:
The International History of Nuclear Weapons (HISTORY 103E)
An introduction to the history of nuclear weapons from World War II to the present. The focus is on politics, but the role of technology transfer ¿ whether legal or illicit ¿ in the development of nuclear weapons will be examined; so too will the theories about the military and political utility of nuclear weapons. We will look at the efforts to control and abolish nuclear weapons and at the international institutions created to reduce the danger of nuclear war.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 121L:
Racial-Ethnic Politics in US (AMSTUD 121L, CSRE 121L, PUBLPOL 121L)
This course examines various issues surrounding the role of race and ethnicity in the American political system. Specifically, this course will evaluate the development of racial group solidarity and the influence of race on public opinion, political behavior, the media, and in the criminal justice system. We will also examine the politics surrounding the Multiracial Movement and the development of racial identity and political attitudes in the 21st century. Stats 60 or Econ 1 is strongly recommended.
Last offered: Autumn 2013
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
POLISCI 121Z:
Political Power in American Cities
The major actors, institutions, processes, and policies of sub-state government in the U.S., emphasizing city general-purpose governments through a comparative examination of historical and contemporary politics. Issues related to federalism, representation, voting, race, poverty, housing, and finances.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 4
POLISCI 123:
Politics and Public Policy (AMSTUD 123X, POLISCI 102, PUBLPOL 101, PUBLPOL 201)
(Formerly PS 2) American political institutions (the Presidency, Congress, and the Court) and political processes (the formation of political attitudes and voting) have for some time now been criticized as inadequate to the task of making modern public policy. Against the backdrop of American culture and political history we examine how public policy has been and is being made. We use theories from Political Science and Economics to assess the state of the American system and the policy making process. We use case studies and lectures to analyze contemporary issues including environmental policy, taxes and spending , gun control , economic growth and inequality and mobility. In some of these issue areas we use comparative data from other countries to see how the U.S. is doing relative to other countries. In addition to class room lecture and discussion, student groups are formed to analyze policy issues of relevance to them. Undergraduate Public Policy students are required to enroll in this class for five units.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, 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: Spr
| 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, PSYCH 170)
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 124R:
The Federal System: Judicial Politics and Constitutional Law
Does the constitution matter? And if so, how exactly does it shape our daily lives? In this course, we will examine the impact of structural features, such as the separation of powers and federalism. While these features often seem boring and unimportant, they are not. As we will see, arguments over structure were at the heart of the debates over slavery, the incarceration of the Japanese during WWII, the drug war and gay marriage. Prerequisites: 2 or equivalent, and sophomore standing. Fulfills Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
POLISCI 131A:
The Ethics and Politics of Collective Action (ETHICSOC 180M, PHIL 73, PUBLPOL 304A)
Collective action problems arise when actions that are individually rational give rise to results that are collectively irrational. Scholars have used such a framework to shed light on various political phenomena such as revolutions, civil disobedience, voting, climate change, and the funding of social services. We examine their findings and probe the theoretical foundations of their approach. What does this way of thinking about politics bring into focus, and what does it leave out? What role do institutions play in resolving collective action problems? And what if the required institutions are absent? Can we, as individuals, be required to cooperate even if we expect that others may not play their part? Readings drawn from philosophy, political science, economics, and sociology.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 133:
Ethics and Politics of Public Service (CSRE 178, ETHICSOC 133, HUMBIO 178, PHIL 175A, PHIL 275A, PUBLPOL 103D, URBANST 122)
Ethical and political questions in public service work, including volunteering, service learning, humanitarian assistance, and public service professions such as medicine and teaching. Motives and outcomes in service work. Connections between service work and justice. Is mandatory service an oxymoron? History of public service in the U.S. Issues in crosscultural service work. Integration with the Haas Center for Public Service to connect service activities and public service aspirations with academic experiences at Stanford.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP, WAY-ER
POLISCI 135D:
The Ethics of Democratic Citizenship (ETHICSOC 135R)
We usually think about democratic citizenship in terms of rights and opportunities, but are these benefits of democracy accompanied by special obligations? Do citizens of a democracy have an obligation to take an interest in politics and to actively influence political decision making? How should citizens respond when a democracy¿s laws become especially burdensome? Do citizens of a democracy have a special obligation to obey the law? In this course, we will read classical and contemporary political philosophy including Plato's Crito and King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" to explore how political thinkers have understood and argued for the ethics of citizenship. Students in this course will draw on these materials to construct their own arguments, and to identify and assess implicit appeals to the ethics of citizenship in popular culture and contemporary public discourse, from The Simpsons to President Obama's speeches.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 136R:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 336)
This course provides an overview of core ethical problems in international politics, with special emphasis on the question of what demands justice imposes on institutions and agents acting in a global context. The course is divided into three sections. The first investigates the content of global justice, and comprises of readings from contemporary political theorists and philosophers who write within the liberal contractualist, utilitarian, cosmopolitan, and nationalist traditions. The second part of the course looks at the obligations which global justice generates in relation to five issues of international concern ¿ global poverty, climate change, immigration, warfare, and well-being of women. The final section of the course asks whether a democratic international order is necessary for global justice to be realized.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
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).
Terms: Aut, Sum
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 146A:
African Politics (AFRICAAM 146A)
Africa has lagged the rest of the developing world in terms of economic development, the establishment of social order, and the consolidation of democracy. This course seeks to identify the historical and political sources accounting for this lag, and to provide extensive case study and statistical material to understand what sustains it, and how it might be overcome.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
POLISCI 148:
Chinese Politics: The Transformation and the Era of Reform (POLISCI 348)
Overview of the reforms in China since 1978 that have made its economy one of the fastest growing in the world yet it still has the Chinese Communist Party at the helm wielding one party rule. Key questions addressed include the following: What has been the process and challenges of reform that have reshaped China¿s economic landscape? What are the political consequences of these dramatic economic changes? Why has the CCP remained strong while other communist regimes have failed? Markets have spread but what is the role of the state? What are the opportunities for political participation and prospects for political change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. (Graduate students register for 348.) This fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, 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: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
POLISCI 153:
Thinking Strategically (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
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
POLISCI 211S:
Special Topics: The United States and Europe: A Renewed Imperative?
New challenges in Asia, the Middle-East, Europe's Eastern and Southern periphery, and even within Europe itself, are making the Transatlantic relationship more central and more critical in world politics than is usually thought. Is there a new dawn in Transatlantic relations? How are the foundations, objectives and "rules of the game" of US-Europe relations being redefined in the context of an emerging new international dis(order)? What will it take for the US and Europe to successfully defend their joint interests and values in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world? The course will discuss the main political, strategic, economic and cultural dynamics and issues at the heart of this new US-Europe relationship.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
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 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.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 225C:
Fixing US Politics: Political Reform in Principle and Practice
Americans have been trying to perfect their system of government since its founding. Despite some notable achievements, there is a pervasive sense of frustration with political reform. This course will examine the goals and political consequences of American political regulation. Topics will vary by year to some degree but examples include campaign finance, lobbying, term limits, conflict of interest regulation, direct democracy, citizen commissions and assemblies, vote administration problems, transparency, and open meeting laws.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
POLISCI 226:
Race and Racism in American Politics (AMSTUD 226, CSRE 226, POLISCI 326)
Topics include the historical conceptualization of race; whether and how racial animus reveals itself and the forms it might take; its role in the creation and maintenance of economic stratification; its effect on contemporary U.S. partisan and electoral politics; and policy making consequences.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
POLISCI 226T:
The Politics of Education (POLISCI 326T)
America's public schools are government agencies, and virtually everything about them is subject to political authority--and thus to decision through the political process. This seminar is an effort to understand the politics of education and its impacts on the nation's schools. Our focus is on the modern era of reform, with special attention to the most prominent efforts to bring about fundamental change through accountability (including No Child Left Behind), school choice (charter schools, vouchers), pay for performance, and more and more to the politics of blocking that has made genuine reform so difficult to achieve.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 229:
Directed Reading and Research in American Politics
May be repeated for credit. Requires a petition that can be found on our Political Science website.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Brady, D. (PI);
Cohen, J. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Frisby, T. (PI);
Fukuyama, F. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Holloway, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jackman, S. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Karl, T. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Milani, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Nall, C. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Persily, N. (PI);
Rakove, J. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Rutten, A. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Segura, G. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Stoner, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Wand, J. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Sze, E. (GP)
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.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 234P:
Deliberative Democracy and its Critics (AMSTUD 135, COMM 135, COMM 235, COMM 335, 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: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
POLISCI 238T:
History of International Relations Thought (INTNLREL 136)
In this course, we will examine the intellectual origins of contemporary theories and approaches to international politics. In particular, we will trace the classical and early modern roots of contemporary realism, idealism, and cosmopolitanism. We will also address some of the enduring normative and empirical questions about international politics: (1) What is the basis of political power and authority? (2) What rights and obligations do individuals have? (3) What rights and obligations do states have? (4) What are the causes of conflict? (5) What are the prospects for enduring peace? Thinkers covered may include: Thucydides, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Grotius, Hobbes, Kant, Morgenthau, and Waltz.
Last offered: Winter 2014
| Units: 5
POLISCI 243D:
Special Topics: Taiwan's Democratic Evolution
This course is an introduction to the contemporary politics of Taiwan. Once a poor, insecure autocracy, today Taiwan has been transformed into a prosperous and stable liberal democracy, albeit one whose long-term security remains imperiled by the rising power of the People¿s Republic of China. We will draw on concepts and theories from political science to explore distinct aspects of this ongoing political evolution, including the transition to and consolidation of democracy, origins and trajectory of economic and social development, sources of Taiwanese nationalism, security of the Taiwanese state and its relationship to the PRC and the United States, parties and elections, and public policy processes and challenges.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 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 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
POLISCI 249:
Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics
May be repeated for credit. Requires a petition that can be found on our Political Science website.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Brady, D. (PI);
Cohen, J. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Dorfman, G. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Frisby, T. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Holloway, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jackman, S. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Karl, T. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
Milani, A. (PI);
Miller, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Rakove, J. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Rutten, A. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Segura, G. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Stacy, H. (PI);
Stedman, S. (PI);
Stoner, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Wand, J. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI);
Young, P. (PI)
POLISCI 311E:
Political Economy I (ECON 220)
Theoretical models of political economy. Potential topics include: basic social choice theory, democracy, electoral competition, political accountability, legislative bargaining, lobbying, corruption, autocratic politics, democratization, conflict and arms races, and institutional change. Attention to economics implications, including taxation, redistribution, and public goods. Prerequisite: 203 or permission of instructors.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-5
POLISCI 322A:
Advances in Political Psychology
Among the topics: the comparative contributions of rational choice and political psychology; political information process; coordinating vs. inducing preferences; identities and values; and prejudice and politics.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 326:
Race and Racism in American Politics (AMSTUD 226, CSRE 226, POLISCI 226)
Topics include the historical conceptualization of race; whether and how racial animus reveals itself and the forms it might take; its role in the creation and maintenance of economic stratification; its effect on contemporary U.S. partisan and electoral politics; and policy making consequences.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
POLISCI 326T:
The Politics of Education (POLISCI 226T)
America's public schools are government agencies, and virtually everything about them is subject to political authority--and thus to decision through the political process. This seminar is an effort to understand the politics of education and its impacts on the nation's schools. Our focus is on the modern era of reform, with special attention to the most prominent efforts to bring about fundamental change through accountability (including No Child Left Behind), school choice (charter schools, vouchers), pay for performance, and more and more to the politics of blocking that has made genuine reform so difficult to achieve.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
POLISCI 327C:
Regulation of the Political Process (COMM 361)
Combined with 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: 3-5
POLISCI 329:
Directed Reading and Research in American Politics
May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Brady, D. (PI);
Cain, B. (PI);
Cohen, J. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Holloway, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jackman, S. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Karl, T. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
Malhotra, N. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
McQueen, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Nall, C. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Rakove, J. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Segura, G. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Wand, J. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (PI)
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.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 334P:
Deliberative Democracy and its Critics (AMSTUD 135, COMM 135, COMM 235, COMM 335, 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: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 336:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R)
This course provides an overview of core ethical problems in international politics, with special emphasis on the question of what demands justice imposes on institutions and agents acting in a global context. The course is divided into three sections. The first investigates the content of global justice, and comprises of readings from contemporary political theorists and philosophers who write within the liberal contractualist, utilitarian, cosmopolitan, and nationalist traditions. The second part of the course looks at the obligations which global justice generates in relation to five issues of international concern ¿ global poverty, climate change, immigration, warfare, and well-being of women. The final section of the course asks whether a democratic international order is necessary for global justice to be realized.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
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.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 348:
Chinese Politics: The Transformation and the Era of Reform (POLISCI 148)
Overview of the reforms in China since 1978 that have made its economy one of the fastest growing in the world yet it still has the Chinese Communist Party at the helm wielding one party rule. Key questions addressed include the following: What has been the process and challenges of reform that have reshaped China¿s economic landscape? What are the political consequences of these dramatic economic changes? Why has the CCP remained strong while other communist regimes have failed? Markets have spread but what is the role of the state? What are the opportunities for political participation and prospects for political change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. (Graduate students register for 348.) This fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
Terms: Win
| 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
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
POLISCI 349:
Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics
May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Blaydes, L. (PI);
Bonica, A. (PI);
Brady, D. (PI);
Cohen, J. (PI);
Cox, G. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Fearon, J. (PI);
Fiorina, M. (PI);
Fukuyama, F. (PI);
Goldstein, J. (PI);
Grimmer, J. (PI);
Haber, S. (PI);
Holloway, D. (PI);
Iyengar, S. (PI);
Jackman, S. (PI);
Jusko, K. (PI);
Karl, T. (PI);
Krasner, S. (PI);
Krosnick, J. (PI);
Laitin, D. (PI);
Lipscy, P. (PI);
Magaloni-Kerpel, B. (PI);
McFaul, M. (PI);
McQueen, A. (PI);
Milani, A. (PI);
Moe, T. (PI);
Nall, C. (PI);
Ober, J. (PI);
Oi, J. (PI);
Rakove, J. (PI);
Reich, R. (PI);
Rivers, D. (PI);
Rodden, J. (PI);
Sagan, S. (PI);
Scheve, K. (PI);
Schultz, K. (PI);
Segura, G. (PI);
Sniderman, P. (PI);
Stoner, K. (PI);
Tomz, M. (PI);
Wand, J. (PI);
Weingast, B. (PI);
Weinstein, J. (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.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
POLISCI 354:
Thinking Strategically (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: 5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
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: 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.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 400C:
Research Design
Required of Political Science PhD candidates with International Relations, American Politics, or Comparative Politics as their first or second field. Other by consent of instructor. Students develop their own research design. Prerequisites: 410A&B or 420A&B or 440A&B.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
POLISCI 420A:
American Political Institutions
Theories of American politics, focusing on Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the courts.
Terms: Aut
| 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: Win
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 422:
Workshop in American Politics
Research seminar. Frontiers in mass political behavior. Sources include data sets from the 2004 election cycle. Prerequisite: 420B or equivalent. Course may be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
POLISCI 440A:
Theories in Comparative Politics
Required of Political Science Ph.D. students with comparative politics as first or second concentration; others by consent of instructor. Theories addressing major concerns in the comparative field including democracy, regime change, the state, revolutions, national heterogeneity, and economic performance.
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: 5
POLISCI 440D:
Workshop in Comparative Politics
Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in comparative politics present work-in-progress. Graduate students may enroll for up to 5 total units apportioned by quarter. Auditors welcome. Course may be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
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
