printer friendly pagePOLISCI 121: Political Power in American Cities (AMSTUD 121Z, PUBLPOL 133, URBANST 111)
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. Political Science majors taking this course to fulfill the WIM requirement should enroll in
POLISCI 121.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 121L: Racial-Ethnic Politics in US (CSRE 121L, PUBLPOL 121L)
Why is contemporary American politics so sharply divided along racial and party lines? Are undocumented immigrants really more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens? What makes a political ad "racist?" The U.S. population will be majority-minority by 2050; what does this mean for future electoral outcomes? We will tackle such questions in this course, which examines various issues surrounding the development of political solidarity within racial groups; the politics of immigration, acculturation, and identification; and the influence of race on public opinion, political behavior, the media, and in the criminal justice system. Prior coursework in Economics or Statistics strongly recommended.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| 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.
Last offered: Summer 2017
| UG Reqs: 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: WAY-A-II, GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-SI
Instructors:
Burbank, S. (PI)
;
Cain, B. (PI)
;
Fishkin, S. (PI)
...
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Instructors:
Burbank, S. (PI)
;
Cain, B. (PI)
;
Fishkin, S. (PI)
;
Freyberg, D. (PI)
;
Kennedy, D. (PI)
;
Hammann, A. (TA)
;
Krass, M. (TA)
;
Oberholzer, J. (TA)
POLISCI 124L: The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America (COMM 164, COMM 264, POLISCI 324L, 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: Sum
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 125S: Chicano/Latino Politics (CHILATST 125S)
The political position of Latinos and Latinas in the U.S.. Focus is on Mexican Americans, with attention to Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other groups. The history of each group in the American polity; their political circumstances with respect to the electoral process, the policy process, and government; the extent to which the demographic category Latino is meaningful; and group identity and solidarity among Americans of Latin American ancestry. Topics include immigration, education, affirmative action, language policy, and environmental justice.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
POLISCI 127P: Economic Inequality and Political Dysfunction
This course will examine how two of the defining features of contemporary U.S. politics, economic inequality and political polarization, relate to each other and to Congressional gridlock. The reading list will focus on several books recently authored by preeminent political scientists on this important topic. The course will cover a range of topics, including the disparity in political representation of the preferences of the affluent over those of the poor, the origins of Congressional polarization, the influence of money in politics, budgetary politics, immigration policy, and electoral and institutional barriers to reform.
Last offered: Winter 2013
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
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.
Terms: Spr, Sum
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI, WAY-ER
POLISCI 140P: Populism and the Erosion of Democracy (REES 240P)
What is populism, and how much of a threat to democracy is it? How different is it from fascism or other anti-liberal movements? This course explores the conditions for the rise of populism, evaluates how much of a danger it poses, and examines the different forms it takes.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 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.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
Instructors:
Fouka, V. (PI)
;
Abdelgadir, A. (TA)
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