The purpose of this course is to discuss the nature of research designs in political science. We will discuss general issues concerning the philosophy of science and social science. We will spend most of our …
Year: 2016
PS 812 Introduction to Statistics in Political Science
Political scientists employ increasingly sophisticated statistical methods. Understanding these methods—and new ones that will undoubtedly become available—requires a firm foundation in mathematical statistics. This course is intended to provide this foundation so that students can …
PS 800 Political Science as a Discipline and Profession
This course provides an introduction to political science as a discipline and a profession. For our review of the discipline, we will consider a variety of approaches to the study of policies. For our review of …
PS 633 Russian Politics
A historic transition began with the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Russia proclaimed its desire to break with its authoritarian past and to become a market democracy. The rise of Putin has brought a …
PS 601 Post-Conflict Peacebuilding
This class focuses on an old problem but one that has received new international attention since the end of the Cold War: how to rebuild states and societies after war, in particular after civil war. …
PS 601 Election Reform in America
Election rules and administration is one area of public policy where ideas for reform are everywhere. From the campaign finance regulations to legislative districting to voteridentification, there is no shortage of proposals for improvement. Whether it be politicians, administrators, journalists, scholars, or the …
PS 570 Literature and Politics: Power, Writing, Resistance
This course examines a series of political, philosophical, and literary texts in order to imagine the possible relations between power, writing, and resistance. Rather than using literature as a key to politics, or imposing political …
PS 506 Deception and Politics
Deceptive politicians loom large in the popular imagination, whether it’s Frank Underwood of House of Cards, Lonesome Rhodes of A Face in the Crowd, or Willie Stark of All the King’s Men. And it’s not just a …
PS 467 Elections and Voting Behavior
This course takes place amid the heat of the 2016 presidential campaign. We will make sense of what is happening by taking a wider view of U.S. elections. Elections are essential elements of a successful democracy. Americans in particular are …
PS 464 Mexican-American Politics
Mexican Americans are now the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States. As a group they face problems of poverty, unemployment, and discrimination. At the same time, Mexican Americans are culturally, economically and …