Introduction to probability and analysis for understanding data in the social world. Students engage in hands-on learning with applied social science problems. Basics of probability, visual display of data, data collection and management, hypothesis testing, and computation. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ECON 5, POLI 5, or POLI 5D.
This course surveys the processes and institutions of American politics. Among the topics discussed are individual political attitudes and values, political participation, voting, parties, interest groups, Congress, presidency, Supreme Court, the federal bureaucracy, and domestic and foreign policy making. POLI 10 is Lecture only, and POLI 10D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regard to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 10 and 10D.
The nature of political authority, the experience of a social revolution, and the achievement of an economic transformation will be explored in the context of politics and government in a number of different countries. POLI 11 is Lecture only, and POLI 11D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regard to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 11 and 11D.
The issues of war/peace, nationalism/internationalism, and economic growth/redistribution will be examined in both historical and theoretical perspectives. POLI 12 is Lecture only, and POLI 12D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regard to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 12 and 12D.
An exploration of the relationship between power and justice in modern society. Materials include classic and contemporary texts, films, and literature. POLI 13 is Lecture only, and POLI 13D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regard to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 13 and 13D.
An examination of ethical principles (e.g., utilitarianism, individual rights, etc.) and their social and political applications to contemporary issues such as abortion, environmental protection, and affirmative action. Ethical principles will also be applied to moral dilemmas familiar in government, law, business, and the professions. Satisfies the Warren College ethics and society requirement.
Prerequisites: CAT 2 and 3, DOC 2 and 3, MCWP 40 and 50, HUM 1 and 2, MMW 2 and 3, WCWP 10A–B, or WARR 11A–B.
An examination of a single set of major contemporary social, political, or economic issues (e.g., environmental ethics, international ethics) in light of ethical and moral principles and values. Warren College students must take course for a letter grade in order to satisfy the Warren College general-education requirement.
Prerequisites: PHIL/POLI 27.
Introduction to the logic of inference in social science and to quantitative analysis in political science and public policy including research design, data collection, data description and computer graphics, and the logic of statistical inference (including linear regression). POLI 30 is Lecture only, and POLI 30D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regard to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 30 and 30D.
This course is designed as a broad introduction to the study of law as a social institution and its relations to other institutions in society. The focus will be less on the substance of law (legal doctrine and judicial opinions) than on the process of law–how legal rules both reflect and shape basic social values and their relation to social, political, and economic conflicts within society.
The First-year Student Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. First-year student seminars are offered in all campus departments and undergraduate colleges, and topics vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering first-year students. May not be used to fulfill any major or minor requirements in political science.
Selected topics to introduce students to current issues and trends in political science. May not be used to fulfill any major or minor requirements in political science. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit four times.
Independent study or research under direction of a member of the faculty.
Prerequisites: student must be of first-year class standing, and a Regents Scholar; approved Special Studies form.
Minimum requirement for all upper-division courses is at least one quarter of lower-division political science, or upper-division standing.
The role of the presidency in American politics. Topics will include nomination and election politics, relations with Congress, party leadership, presidential control of the bureaucracy, international political role, and presidential psychology.
This course will examine the nomination and election of congressmen, constituent relationships, the development of the institution, formal and informal structures, leadership, comparisons of House with Senate, lobbying, and relationship with the executive branch.
This course examines the development of the two major parties from 1789 to the present. Considers the nature of party coalitions, the role of leaders, activists, organizers, and voters, and the performance of parties in government.
A consideration of the nature of public opinion and voting in American government. Studies of voting behavior are examined from the viewpoints of both citizens and candidates, and attention is devoted to recent efforts to develop models of electoral behavior for the study of campaigns. The role of mass media and money also will be examined.
The theory and practice of interest group politics in the United States. Theories of pluralism and collective action, the behavior and influence of lobbies, the role of political action committees, and other important aspects of group action in politics are examined.
Prerequisites: sophomore standing.
This class explores the many ways in which face-to-face social networks have a powerful effect on a wide range of human behaviors. With a foundation in understanding real-world networks, we can then consider how these networks function online.
This course explores the various aspects of a political campaign including campaign organization, vote targeting, political parties, social media, fundraising, polling, media interactions, and more. These areas are examined citing specific examples from federal, state, and local campaigns.
This course examines the processes by which racial and ethnic groups have/have not been incorporated into the American political system. The course focuses on the political experiences of European immigrant groups, blacks, Latinos, and Asians.
This course examines the causes and consequences of the unequal participation and representation of groups in US politics.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Readings examine how the multiracial character of the United States has shaped the broad outlines of American politics. Cases include the founding/the Constitution, southern politics, social organization in formerly Mexican regions, the New Deal, consequences of limited suffrage.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
The railroads transformed the economy and politics of the United States in the nineteenth century. The railroads were the first big businesses, and their sheer size led inevitably to conflict with governments at all levels. This conflict shaped modern politics.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
We begin with hypotheses about how people develop political attitudes, and methods to test those hypotheses. The second half focuses on emerging cognitive neuroscience insights, including brain imaging, and asks how these inform theories of political cognition, affect, and behavior.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Examines Washington as a political community, its institutions, culture, and history. In addition to its elected officeholders and senior government officials, it examines Washington’s subcommunities: the national news industry, diplomatic service, the representation of interests.
Prerequisites: department approval is required.
This course looks at race in American politics from a variety of perspectives. We may consider psychological, genetic, neuroscience, economic, political, sociological, and legal views of what drives powerful dynamics of race in our country.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course is concerned with the interaction between representative democracy and capitalism in American political history. The key to understanding this interaction is the role of the entrepreneur in the economy and how unexpected economic change shapes politics.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course explores how race shapes outcomes in American democracy through in-depth exploration of key issues in American politics. Topics include race in the voting booth, immigration, discrimination, and inter-minority conflict.
This course uses the tools of political science and economics to study how corporations affect and are affected by politics. We will cover a broad range of issues, including regulation, lawmaking, mass media, interest group mobilization, and corporate social responsibility.
This course provides an introduction to game theory with an emphasis on applications in economics, political science, and business. Game theory uses simple mathematical models to understand social phenomena. The required mathematical background is minimal (high school algebra).
This course provides a theoretical and practical examination of political parties, interest groups, and social movements in the United States.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Education is often thought of as “the great equalizer” but in the U.S. and around the world, many governments fail to ensure that all citizens have access to high-quality educational opportunities. Why? This course will give students the conceptual tools to understand who shapes education policy decisions, through what channels, and how those policy decisions affect the quality and equity of education. Emphasis is on the U.S., but analyzed in comparative perspective.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines congressional politics from a computational point of view. Through in-class work and hands-on assignments, we will use data science tools to collect, analyze, and visualize data related to various stages of the congressional process. Students will develop statistical and computational skills that will assist them in advanced analyses of elections, congressional voting behavior, lobbying, and other dynamics of the lawmaking process in Congress.
This class is a survey of historical and contemporary issues in Asian American politics in the U.S.; race and ethnicity in the context of US politics; comparisons of racial and ethnic group experiences in the U.S. with those experienced by racial and ethnic groups elsewhere; Asian American access to the political system through political participation.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines the interplay between racial/ethnic identity and politics. How do race and ethnicity become politicized? What role does ethnic or racial identity play in political behavior and decision-making processes? To what extent do political institutions and institutional design reinforce the salience of ethnic or racial identity in politics? We will be taking a comparative approach to this topic, and cover readings in both American politics and comparative politics literature.
Examines selected issues and moments in the political history of the United States, comparing competing explanations and analyses of US politics. Likely topics include the founding, “American exceptionalism,” change in the party system, race in US politics, the “new institutionalism.”
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is one of the most significant and controversial acts in American history. We will examine the environment that led to its introduction, the legislative process, executive implementation, and the political ramifications and subsequent state government and court decisions.
(Same as USP107) This survey course focuses upon the following six topics: the evolution of urban politics since the mid-nineteenth century; the urban fiscal crisis; federal/urban relationships; the “new” ethnic politics; urban power structure and leadership; and selected contemporary policy issues such as downtown redevelopment, poverty, and race.
This course will explore both the role played by mass media in political institutions, processes and behaviors, and reciprocally, the roles played by political systems in guiding communication processes.
An undergraduate course designed to cover various aspects of American politics. May be repeated for credit two times, provided each course is a separate topic, for a maximum of twelve units.
(Same as USP 110) Building upon the introductory urban politics course, the advanced topics course explores issues such as community power, minority empowerment, and the politics of growth. A research paper is required. Students may not receive credit for both POLI 102J and USP 110.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
The lives of individuals living in ghetto poverty in the United States. Causes and consequences of ghetto poverty. Political debates surrounding the underclass and different possible solutions.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Politics and policy-making issues in regulation. Themes: regulation versus legislation; general versus specific grants of regulatory power; market versus command mechanisms; private property; and risk assessment. Emphasis on American regulatory policy, examples from current regulatory debates (e.g., health care and environment).
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This survey course explores six topics: 1) the state’s political history; 2) campaigning, the mass media, and elections; 3) actors and institutions in the making of state policy; 4) local government; 5) contemporary policy issues; e.g., Proposition 13, school desegregation, crime, housing and land use, transportation, water; 6) California’s role in national politics.
(Same as USP 113) This course examines politics and policymaking in the five-county Los Angeles region. It explores the historical development of the city, suburbs, and region; politics, power, and governance; and major policy challenges facing the city and metropolitan area.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
(Same as USP 115) This course examines how major policy decisions are made in San Diego. It analyzes the region’s power structure (including the roles of nongovernmental organizations and the media), governance systems and reform efforts, and the politics of major infrastructure projects.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
(Same as USP 116) This course surveys public finance and administration. It focuses upon California local governments—cities, counties, and special districts—and also examines state and federal relationships. Topics explored include revenue, expenditure, indebtedness, policy responsibilities, and administrative organization and processes.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An introduction to the study of the Supreme Court and constitutional doctrine. Topics will include the nature of judicial review, federalism, race, and equal protection. The relation of judicial and legislative power will also be examined.
This course will examine issues of civil liberties from both legal and political perspectives. Topics will include the First Amendment rights of speech, press, assembly, and religion; other “fundamental” rights, such as the right to privacy; and some issues in equal protection. Conflicts between governmental powers and individual rights will be examined.
Examines the legal issues surrounding the rights of criminal suspects, as well as the rights of “marginal” groups such as aliens, illegal immigrants, and the mentally ill. Also includes a discussion of the nature of discrimination in American society.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Introduction to the study of law and courts as political institutions and judges as political actors, including the role of the judiciary in our constitutional system and decision making both within the Supreme Court and within the judicial hierarchy.
The course is an introduction to US environmental law at the federal level. It emphasizes issues and current controversies involving natural resources, such as wilderness, biodiversity, water, and climate change.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course provides an intensive examination of a major issue in constitutional law. Students will be required to do legal research on a topic, write a legal brief, and argue a case to the class.
Prerequisites: POLI 104A-B.
A detailed analysis of the legislative and judicial history of election related topics including registration laws, election administration, candidate requirements, voting rights, party organizational rules, nomination procedures, redistricting, and campaign finance.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course will examine the role of the courts in dealing with issues of great political controversy, with attention to the rights of speech and assembly during wartime, questions of internal security, and the expression of controversial views on race and religion. The conflict between opposing Supreme Court doctrines on these issues will be explored in the context of the case studies drawn from different historical periods.
The ability to write and argue is one of the noted benefits of a legal education. Students will learn the basics of legal research and reasoning by learning to read and brief case law and write persuasive and objective memorandums.
Prerequisites: POLI 104A or 104B, upper-division standing.
This course examines the role that legal arguments have in the US court system. Students will utilize legal reasoning and research skills to craft arguments in both written and oral formats, and then participate in a moot court final.
Prerequisites: POLI 104J.
We will discuss modern theories of the origins of law and legal behavior.
How law regulates and impacts sexuality and orientation with focus on constitutional law in areas of privacy, free speech, association, regulation of sexual conduct under criminal law pornography, procreation, reproductive rights, and regulation of family status.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Has the law helped end or contributed to racism in the United States? This course will explore the law of Slavery, Segregation, and Immigration, and study Equal Protection, Affirmative Action, and Criminal Justice (including hate crimes and First Amendment implications).
Science advances exponentially. The law is slower to follow. This course examines legal issues created by today’s scientific breakthroughs and explores what future legal challenges might await tomorrow’s scientific discoveries, from privacy on the internet to the meaning of life.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course offers a survey of criminal law, civil procedure, and evidence law. The course will use a text with both a civil case file and a criminal case file, where students will be assigned to be the state/plaintiff in one matter and the defendant in the other. Each class will have students arguing as if they were in the courtroom setting to teach the rules of civil procedure, rules of evidence, and criminal law.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing and POLI 104J.
This course examines contemporary issues in Latino politics in the U.S.; comparisons of racial and ethnic group experiences in the U.S.; Latino access to the political system through political participation.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course will examine central issues in debates about race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism in the United States. It will look at relations not only between whites and minorities, but also at those among racial and ethnic communities.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course focuses on the development of politics and political thought in ancient Greece, its evolution through Rome and the rise of Christianity. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli, and others.
The course deals with the period that marks the rise and triumph of the modern state. Central topics include the gradual emergence of human rights and the belief in individual autonomy. Readings from Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and others.
The course deals with the period that marks the triumph and critique of the modern state. Central topics include the development of the idea of class, of the irrational, of the unconscious, and of rationalized authority as they affect politics. Readings drawn from Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and others.
This course addresses certain problems that are characteristic of the political experience of the twentieth century. Topics considered are revolution, availability of tradition, and the problems of the rationalization of social and political relations. Readings from Nietzsche, Weber, Freud, Lenin, Gramsci, Dewey, Oakeshott, Arendt, Merleau-Ponty.
The first quarter examines the origins and development of American political thought from the revolutionary period to the end of the nineteenth century with special emphasis on the formative role of eighteenth-century liberalism and the tensions between “progressive” and “conservative” wings of the liberal consensus.
The second quarter examines some of the major themes of American political thought in the twentieth century including controversies over the meaning of democracy, equality, and distributive justice, the nature of “neoconservatism,” and America’s role as a world power.
This course explores contemporary issues in American political thought. Topics may include liberalism and rights, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, cultural diversity, and the boundaries of modern citizenship. Readings include political pamphlets, philosophical treatises, court decisions, and works of literature.
This seminar explores debates over ideals, institutions, and identities in American political thought. Themes and topics will vary. Readings will include political pamphlets, philosophical treatises, court decisions, and works of literature.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; department stamp.
This course explores theories of politics that are oriented beyond state borders. Key topics include international order, cosmopolitanism, human rights, just war, global justice, mitigation, citizenship, identity, and commercial society. The course examines thinkers from classical antiquity to contemporary times.
This course will examine the historical development of the ideal of democracy from Periclean Athens to the present in the light of criticism by such thinkers as Plato, Tocqueville, and Mosca and difficulties encountered in efforts to realize the ideal.
This course examines how power has been conceived and contested during the course of American history. The course explores the changes that have occurred in political rhetoric and strategies as America has moved from a relatively isolated agrarian and commercial republic to a military and industrial empire.
Leading political theories of liberal democracy since 1950. What is the meaning of political liberty? Political equality is the equality of what? Course will consider thinkers such as J.S. Mill, Berlin, Rawls, Dworkin, Taylor, Sen, Nussbaum, G. Cohen, Petit.
Leading theories of environmental justice, ethics, and politics since 1960. Thinkers such as Dauvergne, Dobson, Dryzek, Eckersley, Latour, Plumwood, and Simon on ecosystems, climate change, sustainability, preservation, human welfare, nonhuman animals, place, feminism, state, market, and green political movements.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Nationalist ideologies. Examination of the rhetoric of nationalist mobilization. Theories about the relationship between nationalist movements and democracy, capitalism, warfare, and the state.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An examination of some of the ideas and values associated with major social and political movements in Europe and the United States since the French Revolution. Topics will vary and may include liberalism, populism, democracy, communism, nationalism, fascism, and feminism.
Discuss the idea of justice from multiple perspectives: theory, philosophy, institutions, markets, social mobilization, politics, and environment. Examine the assets and capabilities of diverse justice-seeking organizations and movements aimed at improving quality of life and place locally, regionally, and globally.
Study of types of social norms and practices, and how to change them. Illustrated with development examples such as the end of footbinding, female genital cutting, urban violence in Colombia, Serbian student revolution, early marriage, and other adverse gender norms.
An introduction to theories of political behavior developed with the assumptions and methods of economics. General emphasis will be upon theories linking individual behavior to institutional patterns. Specific topics to be covered will include collective action, leadership, voting, and bargaining.
The course explores the modes of political thinking found in arts, especially in drama and literature. It may include ends and means, political leadership, and political economy. Students may not receive credit for both POLI 112CS and POLI 112C.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines the major traditions of East Asian thought in comparative perspective. Topics include Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and contemporary nationalist and East Asian political thought. Throughout, focused comparisons and contrasts will be made between western and eastern thought.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Examines philosophical traditions of ancient and modern China and Japan, to understand how these have been reflected in Chinese and Japanese development. Course will be in English; however, students with Chinese or Japanese language skills will have opportunity to use these. Graduate students will be required to complete a seminar-length research paper; undergraduate students will write a paper.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing for POLI 113B.
A continuation of 113B, which follows political philosophical themes in China and Japan through the twentieth century. Important topics include Buddhism and Confucianism as they changed in each context in response to internal and external stimuli.
Prerequisites: POLI 113B.
An introduction to Marxist thought from its roots in the Western tradition through its development in non-Western contexts. Emphasis is placed on how adaptations were made in Marxism to accommodate the specific challenges of each environment.
Our understanding of politics, power, conflict, and quality continue to be challenged and transformed by considering gender as it intersects with nationality, race, class, and ethnicity. We will consider the importance of gender in each of the subfields of political science.
Readings in historical and contemporary feminist theory; development of gender as a category of political analysis; alternative perspectives on core concepts and categories in feminist thought.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
(Same as SIO 109.) Climate change is an urgent global problem affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people, now and for the foreseeable future. This course will empower students to confront climate change as critical actors to innovate creative cross-disciplinary solutions. Students may not receive credit for POLI 117 and SIO 109.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
(Cross-listed with SIO 109R.) This online course focuses on developing urgent climate change solutions that integrate technology, policy and governance, finance, land use, and social/educational dimensions. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: POLI 117, POLI 117R, SIO 109, or SIO 109R.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course introduces students to game theory and its uses in political science. Topics covered include the concepts of Nash equilibrium, dominant strategies, subgame perfection and backwards induction, and the applications of those concepts to the study of voting, electoral competition, public goods provision, legislatures, and collective action. An emphasis is placed on developing students’ analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills through weekly problem sets and in-class exercises.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An undergraduate course designed to cover various aspects of political theory. May be repeated for credit two times, provided each course is a separate topic, for a maximum of twelve units.
An examination of various paths of European political development through consideration of the conflicts that shaped these political systems: the commercialization of agriculture; religion and the role of the church; the army and the state bureaucracy; and industrialization. Stress will be on alternative paradigms and on theorists.
An analysis of the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany with an emphasis on the party system, elections, executive-legislative relations, and federalism. Comparisons will be made with other West European democracies and the Weimar Republic.
This course will examine the consequences of social and economic change in France. Specific topics will include institutional development under a semi-presidential system, parties, and elections.
Consideration of political, economic, and security factors that have kept Germany at the center of European developments for more than a century.
Introduction to the politics and societies of the Scandinavian states (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Focuses on historical development, political culture, constitutional arrangements, political institutions, parties and interest groups, the Scandinavian welfare states, and foreign policy.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Political debates often invoke the “European model,” with the left extolling its political virtues as the right derides it as “unworkable.” Although these discussions frequently tie into political reform debates, they offer little discussion of what the “European political model” entails. This course is designed to identify the economic, institutional, and cultural components of the “European political model,” examining whether it provides insights for reform outside of the European context.
Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between British political institutions and processes and contemporary policy problems: the economy, social policy, foreign affairs. The course assumes no prior knowledge of British politics and comparisons with the United States will be drawn.
This course reviews the origins and development of the European Community/European Union and its institutions, theories of integration and the challenges inherent in the creation of a supranational political regime.
This course will provide a comparative perspective on the development and functioning of the Italian political system. It includes analysis of political institutions, ideological traditions, parties and elections, political elites in the policy process, and the evolving importance of Italy within European integration.
(Coscheduled with POLI 220J.) A comparative historical study of the origins, dynamics, and outcomes of the French Revolution. After overview of social-scientific theories and approaches to understanding revolution, the course will evaluate these in light of the concrete experience of the events that gave birth to the term revolution itself. Only undergraduates will have a final examination; graduate students will be required to do additional reading for the course as well as complete a seminar-length research paper.
Prerequisites: for POLI 120J, one lower-division political science course; for POLI 220J, graduate standing.
This course examines how legislatures shape policy-making in the United States, France, and United Kingdom. We will pay particular attention to how political parties, institutional structures, and legislator incentives impact representation and policy-making within and across cases. A substantial portion of the course will require participation in a simulation which will ask students to apply theoretical insights learned in the course to advance legislation in a simulated legislature.
This course offers a systematic study of civil wars, electoral violence, anti-immigrant violence, genocides, coups, riots, and rebel groups in sub-Saharan Africa. It will explore why some regions experience certain types of violence and others do not.
This course examines reasons why we can be cautiously optimistic about development, growth, peace and democratization in Africa. Sample cases include Botswana’s resource blessing, postconflict reconstruction in Uganda, and democratization in Ghana, Benin, and Niger.
This course introduces students to the comparative study of ethnic politics. It examines the relationships between ethnicity on one hand, and mobilization, political contestation, violence, trust, and pork on the other. It draws from analysis from a variety of contexts and regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, North America, South Asia, and Western Europe.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines general themes affecting the region (social structure and regime type, religion and modernization, bonds and tensions), the character of major states, and efforts to resolve the conflict between Israel and its Arab and Islamic neighbors.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An interdisciplinary study of Israel as both a unique and yet a common example of a modern democratic nation-state. We will examine Israel’s history, its political, economic, and legal systems, social structure and multicultural tensions, the relation between state and religion, national security, and international relations.
What do we mean by “international human rights”? Are they universal? This course examines human rights abuse and redress over time, and across different regions of the world. From this empirically grounded perspective, we critically evaluate contemporary human rights debates.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Power, a crucial part of politics, can be, and often is, abused. This course discusses the nature of power and surveys a variety of abuses, including agenda manipulation, rent extraction, fraud, extortion, corruption, exploitation, and gross political oppression.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
In between “rises” and “declines,” empires are political entities with highly heterogeneous populations that must be governed. The course examines the similarities and differences in imperial governance, comparing the internal and external political dynamics of traditional (Roman, Ottoman), modernizing (Habsburg), and modern (British) empires.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
(Same as SOCI 188I.) In this course, we will examine the national and colonial dimensions of this long-lasting conflict and then turn our attention to the legal, governmental/political, and everyday aspects of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza following the 1967 war.
A comparative survey of the major dimensions of the electoral systems used in contemporary democracies (including plurality and majority systems, proportional representation, and districting methods) and of their effects on party competition.
What have been the effects of globalization on gender, and how has gender shaped conceptions and processes of globalization? Through case studies drawn from the global north and south, this course critically assesses contemporary theoretical debates on global gender justice.
A popular new idea in environmental protection is to include local communities in conservation efforts. But what are these communities? What challenges do they face in governing their own resources? This course uses both theory and case studies to explore the political economy of community-based conservations.
This course explores emerging issues in production and consumption of food in a global economy. On production side, we discuss issues such as famine, overproduction of commercial crops, and sustainability. On consumption side, we explore issues such as fair trade, ethical consumption, and public health consequences (such as obesity). Then we discuss the roles of governments, international organizations, and communities to address these issues.
This course explores corruption in developing countries. It examines various types of corruption in areas including health care, elections, natural resources, development projects, and international business. The course investigates causes and consequences of corruption, with an emphasis on political and economic factors. It also explores successes and failures of anti-corruption policies enacted by domestic and international actors. The course draws on examples from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Conservation in developing countries concerns resources that are extremely important to policymakers, militaries, environmental organizations, communities, and individuals. This course examines these groups' struggle for control over wildlife and forests—from the capital to the village—on several continents.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Why are some countries rich and others poor? This course examines how political and economic factors shape development trajectories, focusing on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Topics include the impact of democracy, corruption, oil, and foreign aid on economic development.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course explores how economic factors affect political institutions and how political action affects economic behavior in the United States and Western Europe. Particular attention is given to relations between business and labor, economic policy choices, and the impact of international trade.
Prerequisites: POLI 11 or consent of instructor.
This course explores the interrelationship of politics and economics in Eastern Europe, analyzing the historic evolution of the area, the socialist period, and contemporary political and economic change there.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course critically examines central concepts and theories of development, and assesses their utility in understanding political, economic, and social change in the developing world. Central case studies are drawn from three regions: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course considers the interplay between factor endowments, political institutions, and economic performance. It focuses on the connection between representative political institutions and the emergence and expansion of markets.
Examine the role of elections in new and fragile democracies, explore how politicians construct elections to suppress increased levels of democracy, the techniques used to undermine free and fair elections, and the strategic responses to these actions by domestic/international actors.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines why some people, places, and times experience more violence than others. Drawing on anthropology, psychology, and political science, we focus on the role that institutions and inequality play in shaping how people experience and engage in violence.
An overview of the historical background and contemporary politics of the fifteen successor states of the Soviet Union.
An examination of the dynamics of the Russian Revolution from 1905 through the Stalinist period and recent years in light of theories of revolutionary change. Emphasis is placed on the significance of political thought, socioeconomic stratification, and cultural-historical conditions.
This course analyzes the political system of China since 1949, including political institutions, the policy-making process, and the relationship between politics and economics. The main focus is on the post-Mao era of reform beginning in 1978.
The course gives an overview of Indian politics since 1947. It addresses the following: (1) To what extent is India a full-fledged democracy in which all citizens enjoy political equality? (2) Why has political violence occurred in some parts of India, and at certain times, but not others? (3) How well have the country’s institutions fared in alleviating poverty?
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Is there a Muslim challenge to immigrant integration in Christian-heritage societies? This course asks if and why Muslim immigrants integrate into their host societies, and evaluates the various solutions put forth by politicians and scholars.
An analysis of the dynamics of the Chinese Revolution from the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) to the present. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between political thought and the dynamics of the revolutionary process.
Political development has dominated the study of comparative politics among US academicians since the revival of the Cold War in 1947. This course examines critically this paradigm and its Western philosophical roots in the context of the experience of modern China.
This class introduces core topics in the study of South Asian politics. It uses evidence from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to shed light on key questions in the study of comparative politics. We examine (a) why these nations’ regime trajectories have diverged; (b) violent civil conflict, as well as nuclear weapons’ contribution to regional stability; and (c) human and economic development, including corruption, caste, gender, poverty alleviation, liberalization, and growth.
This course will analyze the political systems of modern Japan in comparative-historical perspective.
This course discusses the following major topics in three East Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines) from a comparative perspective: (a) economic and political development; (b) political institutions; and (c) policies.
The relationship between the United States and Japan has been described as “the most important in the world, bar none.” This course will examine US-Japan security and economic relations in the postwar period from the Occupation and Cold War alliance through the severe bilateral trade friction of the 1980s and 1990s to the present relationship and how it is being transformed by the forces of globalization, regionalization, and multilateralism.
This course is primarily about the politics and political economy of South Korea, but will also briefly look at politics and political economy of North Korea as well as foreign and unification policies of the two Koreas.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Political parties are fundamental to almost every democratic regime, and many authoritarian ones too. This class examines their role in developing countries. Where do parties come from? What part do they play in nationalist liberation struggles? How do they win support? Do extremist parties stoke ethnic violence? Can stable party systems boost economic growth? The class canvasses key political science theories and draws on both quantitative and case-study evidence from across the Global South.
Comparative analysis of contemporary political systems and developmental profiles of selected Latin American countries, with special reference to the ways in which revolutionary and counter-revolutionary movements have affected the political, economic, and social structures observable in these countries today. Analyzes the performance of “revolutionary” governments in dealing with problems of domestic political management, reducing external economic dependency, redistributing wealth, creating employment, and extending social services. Introduction to general theoretical works on Latin American politics and development.
Prerequisites: POLI 11 or consent of instructor.
General survey of the Mexican political system as it operates today. Emphasis on factors promoting the breakdown of Mexico’s authoritarian regime and the transition to a more democratic political system. Changing relationship between the state and various segments of Mexico society (economic elites, peasants, urban labor, and the Church). New patterns of civil-military relations.
A comparative analysis of contemporary political issues in Latin America. Material to be drawn from two or three countries. Among the topics: development, nationalism, neoimperialism, political change. May be taken for credit two times.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course is a comparative analysis of twentieth-century political developments and issues in the southern cone of Latin America: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The course will also examine the social and economic content and results of contrasting political experiments.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Students will study the origins and direction of the Cuban revolution and the actions and personality of Castro. Additional topics will include the Cuban economy today, Cuban political organizations and public opinion, important social issues including health care and public education, and Cuban foreign policy and relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The class will instruct students on Cuban contemporary social media and conclude with an examination of alternative scenarios for Cuba’s future.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course is designed to expose students to the study of LGBT politics, focusing specifically on the formation of LGBT movements, the presence (or absence) of political opportunities to advance their desired goals, as well as their political success (or lack thereof). Although the course will initially examine the US LGBT movement, the course will also examine the formation (and political success/failure) of LGBT movements in other democratic political systems.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
The political impact of major religious traditions—including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism—around the world.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An examination of nationalist politics as practiced by opposition movements and governments in power. Appropriate case studies from around the world will be selected.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Sports analytics is a fast-growing field. It uses data and statistical methods to measure performance in competitive sports. The approach’s popularity has generated a wealth of data that can be used to shed light on social science questions in interesting ways. We will focus on topics such as violent behavior, discrimination, cultural/ethnic diversity, corruption, and cognitive biases using examples from baseball, basketball, figure skating, football, hockey, soccer, and sumo wrestling.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course serves as an introduction to the comparative study of political parties and interest groups as well as an analytical introduction to parties, interest groups, and their role in democratic representation.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An undergraduate course designed to cover various aspects of comparative politics. May be repeated for credit three times, provided each course is a separate topic, for a maximum of twelve units.
International law is central to the efforts to create a world order to limit armed conflict, regulate world economy, and set minimum standards for human rights. This course introduces international law and explains theories advanced by academic analysts and practitioners to explain its role.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Introduction to the analytical and comparative study of revolutionary movements and related forms of political violence. Topics include the classical paradigm, types of revolutionary episodes, psychological theories, ideology and belief systems, coups, insurgencies, civil wars, and terrorism and revolutionary outcomes.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
A survey of international peacekeeping and peace enforcement in civil conflicts with a simulation of international diplomacy.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
International migration creates a distinct set of human rights challenges. This course examines the conflict between international legal obligations and domestic politics of citizenship, human rights, asylum, and human trafficking.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
United States foreign policy from the colonial period to the present era. Systematic analysis of competing explanations for US policies—strategic interests, economic requirements, or the vicissitudes of domestic politics. Interaction between the U.S., foreign states (particularly allies), and transnational actors are examined.
Prerequisites: POLI 12 or consent of instructor.
This course provides an overview of the challenges posed by chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Students will learn about how these weapons work, why states seek them, and attempts to prevent proliferation. We will delve into technical and policy challenges related to these weapons, and address how CBRN weapons shape national and regional security dynamics. Efforts to restrict the proliferation of these weapons will be discussed. We will also analyze CBRN terrorism.
A survey of theories of defense policies and international security.
A survey of American strategies for national defense. Topics may include deterrence, coercive diplomacy, limited war, and unconventional warfare.
This course offers an exploration of general theories of the origins of warfare; the impact of the state on war in the modern world; and the microfoundations of combat and compliance in the context of the costs of war and military mobilization. The course should be of special interest to students in international relations and comparative politics.
“Terrorism” uses “illegitimate” violence to achieve political goals. This course uses philosophical, historical, and contemporary material from distinct cultures to understand which actions are defined as “terrorist,” who uses them, why, and when, as well as the determinants of their effectiveness.
Lectures and readings examine US foreign policy in Europe, Latin America, and East Asia with attention to current problems with specific nations (e.g., Bosnia) and issues (e.g., terrorism). This course integrates historical, comparative, and foreign perspectives on regional security dynamics.
An introduction to analytic techniques for assessing policy options in the field of national security.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
(Same as SOCI 177.) This course covers the definitions, history, and internationalization of terrorism; the interrelation of religion, politics, and terror; and the representation of terrorism in the media. A number of organizations and their activities in Europe and the Middle East are examined.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course examines the most critical areas in contemporary world politics. While the emphasis will be placed on American involvement in each crisis, an effort will be made to acquaint the student with its historical and political background.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course explores the way in which the international rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States affected relationships between the two powers, their allies, the Third World, and above all, their internal domestic affairs and development.
New technologies are transforming the nature of competition and conflict in international relations. Drones allow nations to engage in “bloodless” warfare though the weak and vulnerable continue to be targeted. Cyber space blurs the lines on maps and between civilian and military. New strategies are developing to enact and resist new modes of warfare. This course equips students to better understand and operate in this brave new technological world and to interpret politics in the twenty-first century.
How has warfighting evolved over the centuries? How has it varied across cultures? What has war been like for soldiers and civilians? How do societies mobilize for war, and how do they change in the short and long term from fighting?
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course serves as an introduction to the study of international political economy. We will examine the evolution of international economic relations in trade, finance, and economic development and discuss different explanations for its likely causes and consequences.
This course will consider major theories purporting to explain and predict the workings of the international order from the point of view of political economy. An extended discussion of one aspect of the economic order (e.g., the multinational corporation) will serve as the test case. One quarter of economics recommended.
Prerequisites: POLI 12.
Examination of effects of national policies and international collaboration on public and private international financial institutions, in particular the management of international debt crises, economic policy coordination, and the role of international lender of last resort.
Examines theories of trade and protectionism, focusing both on relations among advanced industrial nations and on relations between developed and developing countries. Topics include standard and strategic trade theory, nontariff barriers to trade, export-led growth strategies, regional trade agreements, and the future of the WTO.
Examines the welfare and distributional aspects of international trade and finance as they relate to the politics of economic policy making. Topics include globalization in historical perspective; origins and consequences of trade policy; exchange-rate arrangements; international capital flows; currency crises; economic development.
This course examines the domestic and international aspects of the drug trade. It will investigate the drug issues from the perspectives of consumers, producers, traffickers, money launderers, and law enforcement. Course material covers the experience of the United States, Latin America, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, and Japan.
The nature of international politics appears to have changed dramatically since 1989. This course applies different theoretical approaches to enhance our understanding of the new international environment, future prospects for peace and war, and current problems of foreign policy.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
An analytical survey of US relations with Latin America from the 1820s to the present, with particular emphasis on the post–Cold War environment. Topics include free trade and economic integration; drugs and drug trafficking; illegal migration and immigration control. Focus covers US policy, Latin American reactions, dynamics of cooperation, and options for the future.
A historical and topical survey of major issues in Russian-American relations, such as security arrangements in the post-Soviet space, the war on terrorism, arms control and nonproliferation, and international energy.
Information is the key to success and failure in US foreign policy. This course will cover the American intelligence community’s secret and information gathering processes. The curriculum is organized by the specialist functions of real-world IC professionals. You will learn methods for collecting raw data, including human and signals intelligence, how that data is synthesized into intelligence, the different reporting formats that drive national security decisions, and about oversight and ethical issues.
Comparative analysis of attempts by the United States and other industrialized countries to initiate, regulate and reduce immigration from Third World countries. Social and economic factors shaping outcomes of immigration policies, public opinion toward immigrants, anti-immigration movements, and immigration policy reform options in industrialized countries.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing required.
Surveys the theory and function of IOs (UN, NATO, EU, World Bank, IMF) in promoting international cooperation in security, peacekeeping, trade, environment, and human rights. We discuss why IOs exist, how they work, and what challenges they face.
Prerequisites: POLI 12, upper-division standing.
This course introduces students to the role of the EU as a foreign policy actor. Topics include the development of the EU’s trade policy, foreign aid policy, security policy, as well as case studies of EU foreign policy.
An undergraduate course designed to cover various aspects of international relations. May be repeated for credit two times, provided each course is a separate topic, for a maximum of twelve units.
(Same as USP 101) This course will explore the process by which the preferences of individuals are converted into public policy. Also included will be an examination of the complexity of policy problems, methods for designing better policies, and a review of tools used by analysts and policy makers.
Prerequisites: POLI 10 or 11.
In this course, students will use their knowledge of the political and economic foundations of public policy making to conduct research in a wide variety of public policy problems.
Prerequisites: POLI 160AA.
This course will explore contemporary environmental issues such as global warming, endangered species, and land use. Students will be asked to analyze various policy options and to write case analyses. Policies may be debated in class.
Politics are understood as the combination of individual preferences and decisions into collective choices. What are the issues involved in aggregating individual preferences, what is the choice of rules—formal and informal—for doing so.
How do politics determine policy? In this course, students will be introduced to the skill of conducting a cost-benefit analysis, and then will discuss how political ideas, interests, and institutions often move policy outcomes away from those based on cost-benefit analysis.
An undergraduate course designed to cover various aspects of policy analysis. May be repeated for credit two times, provided each course is a separate topic, for a maximum of twelve units.
The use of real data to assess policy alternatives. Introduction to benefit/cost analysis, decision theory, and the valuation of public goods. Applications to health, environmental, and regulatory economic policy making.
The deployment of predictive algorithms for public policy optimization has increased in recent years across a variety of domains. This course will introduce key concepts, considerations, and concerns relating to algorithmic decision-making in policy processes. This includes understanding how data are used to make predictions, how predictions can be used to aid decision-making, the conditions under which these practices will be effective, and the important ethical dimensions of these practices.
This course is an advanced introductory course for undergraduates. It will acquaint students with statistical methodology as it is used in the social sciences. It is assumed that the student has the mathematical background to progress through the materials a bit faster than in a true introductory course.
Prerequisites: POLI 30 or POLI 30D or consent of instructor.
This class explores how we can make policy recommendations using data. We attempt to establish causal relationships between policy intervention and outcomes based on statistical evidence. Hands-on examples will be provided throughout the course.
An accelerated course in computer programming and data analytics for collecting, analyzing, and understanding data in the social world. Students engage in hands-on learning with applied social science problems, developing statistical and computational skills for sophisticated data manipulation, analysis, visualization.
This class introduces tools for analyzing social networks including graph visualization, egocentric and sociocentric network measures, network simulation, and data management.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course is concerned with the political economy of elections. It will analyze key topics in political science using both theoretical and empirical tools. Specific topics covered include party and candidate strategy, electoral campaigns, the role and origins of parties, electoral accountability, and voter behavior.
This course focuses on statistical and algorithmic techniques to analyze and utilize large collections of data for social science inferences. The goal of the course is to introduce students to modern machine learning methods and provide the skills necessary to apply the methods widely. In achieving this goal, students will learn about core concepts in machine learning and statistics, developing skills that are transferable to other types of data and inference problems.
(Cross-listed with DSC 161.) This class explores statistical and computational methods to enable students to use text as a data source in the social sciences. Hands-on examples will equip students to work with text data in final projects.
Prerequisites: POLI/ECON 5D or POLI 30D or POLI 170A or POLI 171 or POLI 172.
Special topics course in quantitative methods for political science and broader social sciences. May be taken for credit up to three times.
Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
This course is open only to seniors interested in qualifying for departmental honors. Admission to the course will be determined by the department. Each student will write an honors essay under the supervision of a member of the faculty.
The Senior Seminar is designed to allow senior undergraduates to meet with faculty members in a small group setting to explore an intellectual topic in political science at the upper-division level. Topics will vary from quarter to quarter. Senior Seminars may be taken for credit up to four times, with a change in topic and permission of the department. Enrollment is limited to twenty students, with preference given to seniors.
Prerequisites: department stamp and/or consent of instructor.
Preparation of a major paper from research conducted while participating in the Research Apprenticeship (POLI 198RA). Presentations to and participation in weekly seminar meetings also required. Students can enroll in POLI 194RA only if they have previously taken or are simultaneously enrolled in 198RA.
Prerequisites: department approval. Students must apply for the Research Apprenticeship program and be approved to enroll. Participants must be majors in political science with junior or senior standing and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all political science courses taken at UC San Diego. Individual projects may require other prerequisite training, such as POLI 30.
The Local Internship Research Seminar will be paired with a Local Internship in Political Science (POLI 197SD) in the same quarter. The linkage to this research seminar will provide advanced academic training in analytic skills appropriate to the internship experience and requires a substantial paper based on original research.
Prerequisites: department approval and consent of instructor. Corequisites: POLI 197SD.
Teaching and tutorial activities associated with courses and seminars. Limited to advanced political science majors with at least a 3.5 GPA in upper-division political science courses. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit two times, but only four units may be used for major credit.
Prerequisites: department approval.
This internship is attached to the UCDC Program. Students participating in the UCDC Program are placed in an internship in the Washington, DC, area requiring approximately seventeen to twenty-three hours per week.
Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the UCDC Program; department stamp required.
Individual placements for field learning integrated with political science. A written contract involving all parties with learning objectives, a project outline, and a means of supervision and progress evaluation must be filed with the faculty adviser and department undergraduate coordinator prior to the beginning of the internship. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit two times.
Prerequisites: ninety units completed; 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA overall and 3.0 in political science; POLI 30 and at least two upper-division courses in political science. Department approval and consent of instructor. Corequisites: POLI 194SD.
Directed group study in an area not presently covered by the departmental curriculum. P/NP grades only.
Prerequisites: department approval.
Students conduct directed research as part of a principal investigator’s project and under the supervision of a department mentor. Students may conduct research with a department mentor for up to two quarters. This course is part of the Research Apprenticeship program in political science. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit two times.
Prerequisites: department approval. Students must apply for the Research Apprenticeship program and be approved to enroll. Participants must be majors in political science with junior or senior standing and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all political science courses taken at UC San Diego. Individual projects may require other prerequisite training, such as POLI 30.
Independent reading in advanced political science by individual students. (P/NP grades only.)
Prerequisites: consent of instructor.
All graduate courses are categorized as either seminars or independent study.
An introduction to the theoretical concepts in the discipline of political science that are commonly used across various subfields. Each week will introduce the core concept(s) and discuss applications from several, if not all subfields in the department.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
An overview of the normative and positive issues associated with modern democracies. The appeal and the social, political, and economic arrangements of democracies will be explored.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
An overview of the normative and positive issues associated with decentralized (market) versus centralized (political) mechanics of allocation. The appropriate role of government in the economy will be explored.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
The first in the two-course sequence on the essentials of game theory and fundamental concepts in the social sciences. This course examines the philosophy of modeling, and introduces social choice theory, decision-making under uncertainty, and games of complete information. Applications include representation and democracy, social dilemmas and collective action, principal-agent problems, self-enforcing agreements, and institutions as equilibria.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
The second in the two-course sequence on the essentials of game theory and fundamental concepts in the social sciences. This course introduces multistage and repeated games, as well as static and dynamic games with incomplete information. Applications include axiomatic and strategic models of negotiations, bargaining in legislatures, auctions, adverse selection problems, market failures, signaling and screening, reputation, conventions, and cheap talk.
Prerequisites: POLI 203A, graduate student standing.
This course will study various approaches to knowledge accumulation in social science. A basic outline of scientific method will be used to examine the difference between theories as assumptions and axioms and hypotheses as “if-then” statements derived from theory. Experimental, quasi-experimental, and qualitative designs will be discussed.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
The use of quantitative methods (particularly multiple regression and its extensions) in political science. Emphasis on understanding the methods and using them in political science applications.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
This course introduces students to the rudiments of decision theory and game theory. Emphasis will be placed on modeling and solving games.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing.
This course covers advanced topics in game theory. Covered topics will include incomplete information in static and dynamic games, infinitely repeated games, and bargaining games. Emphasis will be placed on advanced equilibrium concepts, and applications of interest to political scientists.
Prerequisites: department approval.
This course is a preparation for the field examination in political theory. It will provide an intensive and critical introduction to European political thought from Thucydides to Rousseau. Some of the secondary literature on this period will also be explored.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course is a preparation for the field examination in political theory. It will provide an intensive and critical introduction to European political thought from Kant to Rawls. Some of the secondary literature on this period will also be explored.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This seminar introduces students to the uses of formal models to address normative and conceptual questions in political theory. Topics covered include egalitarian theories of justice, democratic deliberation and voting, and republican theories of freedom as nondomination, among others. A basic knowledge of game theory is strongly recommended.
(Same as Soc/G 202.) Themes important for social theory at the turn of the twenty-first century: Marxism, Gramsci, Althusser, critical theory (Adorno, Habermas), interpretation (Geertz), social systems (Parson), poststructuralism (Foucault), postmodernism, and social constructivism (Bourdieu).
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
(Same as LTCO 287.) A comparative approach of political theory based on historical periods (with the tools of new historicism), various cultures (inspired by anthropological research), and referring to the most important philosophical thinkers from Western and non-Western traditions.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
An examination of selected texts in Marxist and post-Marxist political philosophy, with a focus on the theme of individual and collective identity including issues concerning alienation, consciousness, and ideology.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Study of types of social practices, how to measure them, and how to change them. Illustrated with examples such as footbinding, female genital cutting, urban violence in Colombia, Serbian student revolution, early female marriage, and other adverse gender norms.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Normative approaches to liberty, equality, justice, and democracy, mostly Anglo-American and empirical approaches to justice. Thinkers such as Rawls, Habermas, Nozick, Dworkin, Raz, Roemer, Elster, Ostrom, Bowles, and Gintis may be considered.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This seminar is an examination of the different approaches to the study of political theory. Issues and research areas will vary each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course will provide a general literature review in comparative politics to serve as preparation for the field examination.
Prerequisites: graduate standing, or consent of instructor.
This is a second course in comparative politics designed as a preparation for the field examination. It will focus on the comparative study of political institutions.
Prerequisites: graduate standing, or consent of instructor.
Survey of theories, with empirical cases explaining origins of the modern state.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This graduate seminar explores clientelism and corruption. We first investigate clientelism, covering topics such as strategies during elections, the role of brokers, clientelism beyond campaigns, and shifts away from clientelism. We then examine corruption, covering topics such as grand corruption, petty corruption, and causes and consequences of corruption. The course focuses on developing countries, with some comparisons to advanced economies.
A survey of the academic literature on parliamentary studies, comparing the research on legislative elections, behavior, and organization in American, European, and Asian democracies. The course will also compare various approaches to studying legislative activity.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A survey of theories explaining the processes of democratization and democratic stability.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Course looks at elections in consolidating democracies with an eye to evaluating existing theories of elections with new data. Also explores new empirical patterns in countries around the world, especially Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet successor states.
Prerequisites: graduate student standing or consent of instructor.
Contending analysis of the types, strategies, causes, processes, and consequences of political violence such as revolutions, insurgencies, and ethnic conflict.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A reading and research seminar on the origins, development, and politics of nationalism and the nation-state.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
An introduction to seminal and current research in comparative political economy. Course explores how various political institutions and processes affect economic outcomes (e.g., growth, inequality, and redistribution) and how the economy influences politics (e.g., democratization, electoral institutions, and welfare states).
Prerequisites: POLI 200C or consent of instructor.
Historical political economy (HPE) is a thriving field that employs quantitative historical datasets and qualitative case knowledge to study a wide range of political economy questions. Students will gain exposure to the frontiers of HPE research and will learn and apply historical research methods to a research project of their choice.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This seminar is an examination of the different approaches to the study of comparative politics. Issues and research areas will vary each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course explores key factors that shape the development trajectory of nations, drawing on work from political science, economics, and sociology. We will examine various aspects of development, with a particular focus on economic growth, and how political institutions influence development outcomes. Topics covered include the relationship between democracy and development, the role of the state, consequences of natural resources and corruption, and the impact of foreign aid.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This course provides an overview of previous and current efforts to explain political and economic development in non-Western settings.
This course will study various theories purporting to explain why states succeed or fall at creating institutions by international governance and what effects, if any, those institutions have.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This graduate seminar provides an overview of the determinants of immigrant exclusion and inclusion around the world. It surveys the various threat narratives that explain public opinion against immigration, and the role that political elites, the media, immigration and integration policy, and intergroup contact and exposure play in exacerbating exclusion.
Introductory reading seminar on Latin American politics to acquaint students with leading schools of thought, provide critical perspective on premises and methodology, and identify themes for further inquiry. Themes include authoritarianism, revolution, democratization, regional conflict, and emergence of middle-level powers.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
An interdisciplinary seminar covering origins, consequences, and characteristics of worker migration from Third World countries (especially Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean basin) to the United States, from the nineteenth century to the present.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
A survey of the principal theories and approaches to the study of international relations.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This is a course on modern academic debates in international security. It focuses on relations between two states and not sub-state actors. It is strongly recommended that students taking this course have a background in research design, game theory, or applied statistical analysis.
This course explores contemporary research on European Union politics from a comparative and international relations perspective and links this research to broader questions of global governance.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course provides an overview of the challenges posed by chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Students will learn about how these weapons work, why states seek them, and attempts to prevent proliferation. We will delve into technical and policy challenges related to these weapons, and address how CBRN weapons shape national and regional security dynamics. Efforts to restrict the proliferation of these weapons will be discussed. We will also analyze CBRN terrorism. May be coscheduled with POLI 142D.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A colloquium surveying the major theoretical controversies in the study of international and national security.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course exposes students to contemporary research on international institutions. What leads nations to cede sovereignty? How do international institutions obtain a measure of authority in world affairs? What makes an institution “successful”? We’ll also examine institutional design.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This seminar provides perspectives on the theories and politics of European integration. Analysis will focus on the development of the European Union, the functioning of core institutions, and the challenges of creating a supranational political regime.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
A seminar surveying the major theoretical controversies in the study of international political economy.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This graduate course surveys theories of regional political and economic integration and international cooperation from a comparative and international relations perspective. We compare and contrast the European Union and other regional organizations.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Explores empirical research in international relations with special emphasis on international conflict. Topics covered include theories on the causes of war, the distribution of power and conflict, formal and informal alignment, interdependence and conflict, linkages between domestic and international processes, and issues of research design. Students who have previously taken 247 may not take this course for credit.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Explores formal analytic and primarily game-theoretic research in international relations with emphasis on conflict and bargaining. Topics include causes of war and peace, conventional and nuclear deterrence, crisis bargaining, arms race, and two-level games.
This course is a survey of the history of international relations from 1618 to 1945. The focus is on diplomacy and war-fighting in their social, economic, political, cultural, and technological contexts. Formative conflicts will be examined in detail.
Prerequisites: 240, 247A, and 247B; graduate standing.
(Same as IRGN 290) This seminar is an examination of the different approaches to the study of international relations. Issues and research areas will vary each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course examines the interplay between racial/ethnic identity and politics. How do race and ethnicity become politicized? What role does ethnic or racial identity play in political behavior and decision-making processes? To what extent do political institutions and institutional design reinforce the salience of ethnic or racial identity in politics? We will be taking a comparative approach to this topic, and cover readings in both American politics and comparative politics literature.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A critical examination of major contributions to the theoretical and empirical literature on the US Congress, presidency, and federal bureaucracy.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Theoretical and empirical perspectives on voting and other forms of political participation, parties, interest groups, and public opinion in the United States.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This seminar will survey the existing literature in state politics with an eye toward proposing new research designs. Topics will include the variation across states in electoral systems, campaign finance laws, political culture, legislative institutions, judicial arrangements, and policy outcomes.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course examines the historical evolution of the American state with particular attention to theories of political development. Special topics include the development of the party system, electoral and policy realignments, and the evolution of national political institutions.
Prerequisites: graduate standing in any discipline of the social sciences or humanities or consent of instructor.
Examines central works on the development of political institutions in US cities; analyses of community power structures; who governs, why, and to what ends; processes and prospects for minority empowerment; the prominence of “growth machines”; the political economy of contemporary cities.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course will explore how institutions address and/or perpetuate racial, ethnic, and economic inequality in the U.S.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This course is designed to acquaint graduate students with the central themes and issues in the study of voting in national elections.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This seminar is an examination of the different approaches to the study of American politics. Issues and research areas will vary each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
The purpose of this class is to replicate new empirical research in the social sciences. The class meets weekly and will begin with two lectures introducing replication tools and best practices. Thereafter, pairs of students will take turns replicating and extending a working paper by an established political scientist—normally a visitor to UC San Diego—and will present their findings in front of the author. Through such reverse engineering, students will learn how to do excellent quantitative work.
Prerequisites: POLI 204B and POLI 270 and POLI 271; graduate standing.
Covers practical steps for choosing research topics and designs, including selecting questions and puzzles, conceptualizing and constructing dependent variables, formulating theoretical analogies and models. Students apply these steps in the context of their own original research projects.
Prerequisites: department approval required.
This course focuses on the principles that underlie the experimental framework for inference and study design. While we focus on field experimentation, insights from this course can be applied to the design and interpretation of nonexperimental causal analysis and to survey and lab experiments.
This course reviews essential calculus and linear algebra and introduces probability theory (probability rules, random variables, univariate and multivariate distributions) and mathematical statistics (sampling distributions, estimation and inference frameworks).
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Use of advanced quantitative techniques in political science. Students will use political science data to complete small exercises and a major project. Students may not receive credit for both 271B and 271.
Prerequisites: 204B and 270; graduate standing.
Provides students a solid understanding of Bayesian inference and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. Topics covered include Bayesian treatment of the linear model, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, assessing model adequacy, and hierarchical models.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This course covers designs and methods of causal inference, including randomized experiments, cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, and other tools such as sensitivity analysis and randomization inference. These methods are illustrated with examples in political science and positive political economy.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This class explores statistical and computational methods to enable students to use text as a data source in the social sciences. Hands-on examples and a final project will equip students to work with text data in their own research.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This course covers advanced topics in the design and implementation of field surveys and interviews. Questionnaire design and survey techniques for sensitive topics such as list experiments will be developed, as well as sampling methodologies to achieve representivity.
Topics include concept formation; set theoretic and QCA approaches; within-case vs. cross-case analysis; the logic of case selection; counterfactuals; the use of narrative; primary, secondary, archival, and interview source material; comparative-historical analysis; and ethnography. Attention will be given to how qualitative approaches can be used to test game-theoretic models and strengthen casual inference in econometric and experimental designs. Reading intensive.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
This course introduces the formal literature on economic models of voting and electoral politics. It reviews models that look at elections as I) mechanisms for preference aggregation, II) mechanisms for information aggregation, and III) mechanisms for selecting and incentivizing politicians.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
This course offers selected topics in quantitative methodology. Content may vary each time the course is offered. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of recent research in international law and regulation: development and presentation of research projects by graduate students; presentation of research by faculty. Third-year students present dissertation prospectus, candidates make yearly presentations of dissertation research. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit three times as topics vary.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of recent research in American politics: development and presentation of research projects by graduate students, presentations of research by faculty. Third year students present dissertation prospectus; candidates make yearly presentations of dissertation research. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Examination of recent research in comparative politics, development and presentation of research projects by graduate students; presentations of research projects by faculty. Third-year students present dissertation prospectus; candidates make yearly presentations of dissertation research. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of recent research in international relations, development and presentation of research projects by graduate students, presentations of research projects by faculty. Third year students present dissertation prospectus; candidates make yearly presentation of dissertation research. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of recent research in undergraduate teaching and learning, with emphasis on practical application of theoretical principles. Designed to support graduate students as teaching assistants and future faculty. Introduces evidence-based theory and teaching techniques, research design for classroom research, and key elements of teaching portfolios. May be taken for credit up to three times.
Examination of recent research in political theory: development and presentation of research projects by graduate students, presentation of research by faculty. Third year students present dissertation prospectus; candidates make yearly presentations of dissertation research. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of recent research in political methodology; development and presentation of research projects by graduate students, presentation of research by faculty. Third year students present dissertation prospectus; candidates make yearly presentations of dissertation research. May be taken for credit three times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of research in the natural sciences that may be applied to problems in political science, development and presentation of research projects by graduate students and faculty, special emphasis on social networks.
Prerequisites: 204A and 204B and 204C, graduate standing or consent of instructor.
An examination of research in the natural sciences that may be applied to problems in political science, development and presentation of research projects by graduate students and faculty, special emphasis on computational social science.
Prerequisites: 204A and 204B and 204C, graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of research in the natural sciences that may be applied to problems in political science, development and presentation of research projects by graduate students and faculty, special emphasis on biology.
Prerequisites: 204A and 204B and 204C, graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Guided and supervised reading in the literature of the several fields of political science.
Independent work by graduate students engaged in research and writing of second-year paper and doctoral dissertation, under direct supervision of adviser.
A course in which teaching assistants are aided in learning proper teaching methods by means of supervision of their work by the faculty: handling of discussions, preparation, and grading of examinations and other written exercises, and student relations. Twenty-four units of teaching apprenticeship meet the department teaching requirement for the PhD.
A seminar designed for graduate students serving as teaching assistants in American politics, includes discussion of teaching theories, techniques, and materials, conduct of discussion sessions, and participation in examinations, under the supervision of the instructor in charge of the course.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A seminar designed for graduate students serving as teaching assistants in comparative politics, includes discussion of teaching theories, techniques, and materials, conduct of discussion sessions, and participation in examinations, under the supervision of the instructor in charge of the course.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A seminar designed for graduate students serving as teaching assistants in international relations, includes discussion of teaching theories, techniques, and materials, conduct of discussion sessions, and participation in examinations under the supervision of the instructor in charge of the course.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
A seminar designed for graduate students serving as teaching assistants in political theory, includes discussion of teaching theories, techniques, and materials, conduct of discussion sessions, and participation in examinations, under the supervision of the instructor in charge of the course.
Prerequisites: graduate standing.
Training in teaching methods in the field of political science. Examines evidence-based research on undergraduate teaching and learning with emphasis on effective teaching techniques appropriate to political science. Covers TA training, syllabus design, and effective teaching strategies.
Prerequisites: graduate standing in political science.