This course presents an overview of formal models of domestic politics. It builds directly on the material covered in PS 835, which provides the tools used in applied modeling. The course should be of interest to political …
Courses
PS 826 The Legislative Process: Classic Questions and New Approaches
This is a graduate course designed to introduce students to research and theoretical approaches to studying the U.S. Congress. We will examine different explanations for and models of the sources of institutions, discuss their internal organization and governance, and consider the effects of …
PS 818 Maximum Likelihood Estimation for the Social Sciences
The course is really split between two components: maximum likelihood estimation and a variety of models to which it can be applied. Many of these models fall into a larger class known as generalized linear …
PS 817 Empirical Methods of Inquiry
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 …
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 …