Special topics in political theory.

Explores why policies on issues like health care, social welfare, education, and immigration differ markedly from nation to nation, focusing on how contrasting cultures, state institutions, and societal organizations shape the historical trajectory of public policies. The primary focus of the course is on policies in advanced industrialized nations such as Britain, the U.S., Japan, and Sweden.Prerequisites: Prior course work in American and/or comparative politics is required.

Topics on a variety of Political issues.

Looks at how different groups have sought representation in democracies. We investigate multiple forms of, and channels for, representation, such as political parties, social movements, and protests. Countries include the US and select countries in Latin America and Europe.

Discusses the main debates concerning the character and merits of modern liberalism, along with the contributions of some of its leading defenders and critics. Particular attention is given to: Kant, Mill, and Rawls; the meaning of political freedom; conservative, left-leaning, and communitarian criticisms of the liberal tradition and freedom of speech.

Examines politics surrounding claims that large-scale issues (e.g. terrorism, climate change) are emergencies and responses to those claims. Should laws accommodate emergencies or should emergency responses be "outside" the law? What happens if emergency action violates democratic and justice-based norms?  What is the difference between bottom-up and top-down emergency response? Readings draw primarily from political theory, sociology, and law.

A seminar introducing students to the study of political psychology. Topics include authoritarianism, tolerance, altruism, ethnocentrism, the role of affect and cognition in political choice, the role of racial stereotyping in political campaigns, and psychological challenges to rational choice models of political decision-making. Prerequisite: One course in PLAP or instructor permission.

This course examines the politics of federal budgeting and its role in economic policy making. Students will learn about the creation of the presidential budget, the politics of the Congressional budget process, tax policy, defense spending, social spending, fiscal federalism-the connection between federal and state governments-and the relationship between fiscal policy and the Federal Reserve's making of monetary policy.

This course focuses on marginalized groups and the production of injustice with a focus on the global South. It draws on multidisciplinary scholarship that is theoretically challenging, empirically rich, and politically provocative. Readings span the globe and address topics such as drugs, migration, and policing.

This seminar explores America's efforts to exert influence through nation-building. Drawing on theoretical literature and case studies spanning from Reconstruction in the American South, through post-WWII Germany and Japan, to contemporary efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the course investigates the factors contributing to nation-building success or failure.