Political Science
Contacts
Office: Encina Hall West, room 100
Mail Code: 94305-6044
Phone: (650) 723-1608
Web Site: http://polisci.stanford.edu
Courses offered by the Department of Political Science are listed under the subject code POLISCI on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.
Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Political Science
The mission of the undergraduate program in Political Science is to provide students with a solid grasp of the American political system and other political systems within the context of global forces, international conflicts, social movements, ideological systems and diversity. Courses in the major are designed to help students gain competency in the primary subfields of political science including American and comparative politics, international relations, and the theory/philosophy of politics; to introduce students to a variety of research methodologies and analytical frameworks; and to develop students' written and oral communication skills. Students in the program have excellent preparation for further study in graduate or professional schools as well as careers in government, business, and not-for-profit organizations.
Learning Outcomes (Undergraduate)
The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:
- an understanding of core knowledge within the discipline of political science.
- the ability to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively in writing.
- the ability to analyze a problem and draw correct inferences using qualitative and/or quantitative analysis.
- the ability to evaluate theory and critique research within the discipline of Political Science.
Graduate Programs in Political Science
The Department of Political Science offers two types of advanced degrees:
- the Doctor of Philosophy
- the Master of Arts in Political Science which is available to Stanford students who are currently enrolled in other advanced degree programs.
The department does not have a terminal M.A. program for external applicants.
The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in Political Science is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. The department offers courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline, including American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and political methodology. The program is built around small seminars that analyze critically the literature of a field or focus on a research problem. These courses prepare students for the Ph.D. comprehensive exam requirement within a two-year period and for work on the doctoral dissertation.
Admission to the graduate program in Political Science is highly selective. Approximately 14-18 students, chosen from a large pool of applicants, enter the program each year. The small size of the student body allows more individual work with members of the faculty than most graduate programs. It also makes possible financial assistance to most students admitted to the Ph.D. program.
Additional information on the admissions process is available on the Department of Political Science website.
Learning Outcomes (Graduate)
The Ph.D. is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in Political Science. Through completion of advanced course work and rigorous skills training, the doctoral program prepares students to make original contributions to the knowledge of Political Science and to interpret and present the results of such research.
Pursued in combination with a doctoral degree, the master's program furthers students' knowledge and skills in Political Science. This is achieved through completion of courses in three subfields, and experience with independent work and specialization.
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
To receive a B.A. in Political Science, a student must:
- Submit a Political Science major proposal during a meeting with the undergraduate administrator and declare on Axess. Forms are available in Encina Hall West, room 100, or at the Department of Political Science web site. For additional information, come to the office or phone (650) 723-1608. Students must complete their major declaration no later than the end of Autumn Quarter of their junior year.
- Complete 70 units including:
- 45 Political Science course units in the primary and secondary concentration combined. Each major should declare a primary concentration in one subfield and take at least 30 units in this concentration, including the introductory course for that subfield. The secondary concentration must be completed with at least 15 units, including the introductory course for that subfield. Subfields include:
- International Relations:
POLISCI 1 Introduction to International Relations 5 POLISCI 110D War and Peace in American Foreign Policy 5 POLISCI 110G Governing the Global Economy 5 POLISCI 110Y War and Peace in American Foreign Policy 5 POLISCI 114D Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law 5 POLISCI 114S International Security in a Changing World 5 POLISCI 115A The Rise of Asia 3-5 POLISCI 116 The International History of Nuclear Weapons 5 POLISCI 118P U.S. Relations in Iran 5 POLISCI 210G Global Supply Chains and the Future of Global Governance 5 POLISCI 212C Civil War and International Politics: Syria in Context 5 POLISCI 213E Introduction to European Studies 5 POLISCI 213S A Post American Century? American Foreign Policy in a Uni-Multi-unipolar World 5 POLISCI 214R Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy 5 POLISCI 216 State Building 5 POLISCI 216E International History and International Relations Theory 5 POLISCI 314R Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy 5 POLISCI 315A The Rise of Asia 3-5 - American Politics:
POLISCI 2 Introduction to American National Government and Politics 5 POLISCI 120B Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections 4-5 POLISCI 120C What's Wrong with American Government? An Institutional Approach 5 POLISCI 121 Political Power in American Cities 5 POLISCI 122 Introduction to American Law 3-5 POLISCI 123 Politics and Public Policy 4-5 POLISCI 124A The American West 5 POLISCI 124R The Federal System: Judicial Politics and Constitutional Law 5 POLISCI 125P The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press 4-5 POLISCI 128S The Constitution: A Brief History 5 POLISCI 223 The Politics of Gender in the United States 5 POLISCI 224L The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America 4-5 POLISCI 225C Fixing US Politics: Political Reform in Principle and Practice 5 POLISCI 226D 5 POLISCI 226T The Politics of Education 5 POLISCI 227 U.S. Immigration Politics 5 POLISCI 326T The Politics of Education 5 - Political Theory:
POLISCI 3P Justice 4-5 POLISCI 134L Introduction to Environmental Ethics 4-5 POLISCI 134P Contemporary Moral Problems 4-5 POLISCI 136R Introduction to Global Justice 4 POLISCI 136S Justice 4-5 POLISCI 137A Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition 4 POLISCI 230A Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought 4-5 POLISCI 235J Creative Political Thinking: From Machiavelli to Madison,Creative Political Thinking: Three Cases 4-5, 5 POLISCI 330A Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought 4-5 POLISCI 336 Introduction to Global Justice 4 POLISCI 336S Justice 4-5 POLISCI 337A Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition 4 - Comparative Politics:
POLISCI 4 Introduction to Comparative Politics 5 POLISCI 146A African Politics 4-5 POLISCI 147P The Politics of Inequality 5 POLISCI 148 Chinese Politics: The Transformation and the Era of Reform 3-5 POLISCI 149S Islam, Iran, and the West 5 POLISCI 244A Authoritarian Politics 3-5 POLISCI 245R Politics in Modern Iran 5 POLISCI 246P The Dynamics of Change in Africa 4-5 POLISCI 247G Governance and Poverty 5 POLISCI 248S Latin American Politics 5 POLISCI 344A Authoritarian Politics 3-5 POLISCI 346P The Dynamics of Change in Africa 4-5 POLISCI 348S Latin American Politics 5 - Methodology:
POLISCI 153 Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory 5 POLISCI 155 Political Data Science 5 POLISCI 356A Formal Theory I: An Introduction to Game Theory 3-5 POLISCI 356B Formal Theory II: Models of Politics 3-5
- International Relations:
- A 5-unit methods requirement satisfied by:
Select one of the following: 5 Introduction to Statistical Methods: Precalculus Introduction to Statistical Methods (Postcalculus) for Social Scientists Political Data Science - 20 additional Political Science units including no more than 5 units of directed reading. 5 units of ECON 1 Principles of Economics may substitute for one 5-unit POLISCI course.
- No more than two 3-unit Stanford Introductory Seminar courses can be applied toward the 70-unit major requirement.
- 45 Political Science course units in the primary and secondary concentration combined. Each major should declare a primary concentration in one subfield and take at least 30 units in this concentration, including the introductory course for that subfield. The secondary concentration must be completed with at least 15 units, including the introductory course for that subfield. Subfields include:
- Introductory Courses: Each student must take two from the following Political Science courses, one of which must be in the primary concentration, the other in the secondary concentration. These courses should be completed by the end of sophomore year.
POLISCI 1 Introduction to International Relations 5 POLISCI 2 Introduction to American National Government and Politics 5 POLISCI 3P Justice 4-5 POLISCI 4 Introduction to Comparative Politics 5 - Demonstrate the capacity for sustained research and writing in the discipline. This requirement is satisfied by taking a Political Science course designated as a Writing in the Major (WIM) course and may be in any subfield of the major.
- Take at least one 5-unit, 200-level or 300-level undergraduate seminar in Political Science and may be within your primary or secondary concentration.
- Students may petition a maximum of ten units towards the major. Transfer students are allowed to petition up to twenty units towards the major. A maximum of 15 units may be applied towards the concentrations and 5 towards other Political Science course units. All Stanford-in-Washington courses and transfer credit from outside of Stanford require petitions which must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Petitions must be submitted to the undergraduate administrator within one quarter of course completion or within one quarter of declaring the major. Cognate courses do not require a petition unless the units are being applied to primary or secondary concentrations.
- Directed reading and Oxford tutorial units also require a petition and may only be applied towards related course work units. These units may not be used in the concentrations, and no more than 10 combined units of directed reading and Oxford tutorial units may count toward the required 70 Political Science units.
- All courses for the major must be completed with a letter grade of 'C' or better.
Research Honors Track
The Research Honors Track in Political Science leads to a B.A.H. (Bachelor of Arts with Honors) in Political Science. This program is designed to provide its students with the analytical tools they need to write honors theses and collaborate with Stanford faculty and Ph.D. students. Professor Paul Sniderman is the 2014-15 program director.
To receive a B.A.H. in Political Science, students must apply and be accepted to the Research Honors Track. Students must apply to the program in the Spring Quarter of the freshman or sophomore year or Autumn Quarter of the sophomore or junior year. A complete application includes a transcript; a letter of recommendation from a member of the Stanford Political Science faculty or from a teaching assistant in a Political Science course; and an essay outlining the student's interest in the Research Honors Track.
To fulfill the research honors track major requirements, a student must:
- Complete 70 units
- All courses taken for the research honors track must receive a letter grade of 'C' or better. Junior research honors track courses (see 1e) must receive a 'B' or better to count toward the major. Students unable to meet these requirements may be removed from the track.
- 10 units of introductory course work in Political Science.
- Students must complete at least two of the following courses, preferably by the end of Spring Quarter of sophomore year:
Select two of the following: 10 Introduction to International Relations Introduction to American National Government and Politics Justice Introduction to Comparative Politics
- Students must complete at least two of the following courses, preferably by the end of Spring Quarter of sophomore year:
- 10 units of statistics, which can be completed by taking one of the following sequences:
Select one of the following: 10 Introduction to Statistical Methods: Precalculus
and Political Data ScienceIntroduction to Statistical Methods (Postcalculus) for Social Scientists
and Political Data ScienceIntroduction to Statistical Methods (Postcalculus) for Social Scientists
and Applied Econometrics - Students are also encouraged (but not required) to complete one of the following calculus sequences:
Select one of the following Series: 15 Series A Calculus Calculus Calculus Series B Calculus Calculus Linear Algebra and Differential Calculus of Several Variables - Three courses designed for the research honors track, to be taken during sophomore or junior year:
POLISCI 291 Political Institutions 5 POLISCI 292 Political Behavior 5 POLISCI 293 Research Design 5 - To accommodate students studying at overseas campuses during their junior year, these courses are offered during the Winter and Spring quarters.
- Two 200-level, 300-level, or 400-level graduate elective courses.
- Three 100-level Stanford POLISCI courses that must be approved by the student's adviser. One of these courses must be a POLISCI Writing in the Major (WIM) course.
- 10 units of honors thesis writing. To satisfy this requirement, students must take POLISCI 299Q Honors Thesis Seminar, during the Autumn of their senior year, and must complete the remaining units by taking POLISCI 299A Honors Thesis, POLISCI 299B Honors Thesis, and/or POLISCI 299C Honors Thesis with their thesis adviser.
- Complete at least one intensive summer research experience by participating in the Political Science Department's Summer Research College (SRC) program, or by completing an independent project under the direction of a Political Science faculty member. Independent projects must be approved by the director of the research honors track prior to completion and a research project form should be submitted to the undergraduate administrator with a description of the project.
- Students may petition a maximum of 10 units to count for the major. Transfer students are allowed to petition a maximum of 20 units. All petitions and transfer courses require approval from the research honors track director.
Minor in Political Science
Students must complete their declaration of the minor on Axess no later than Autumn of their senior year. They must submit the minor declaration form to the undergraduate administrator in Encina Hall West 100. This form can be found in Encina Hall West 100 or on the Political Science web site.
To receive a minor in Political Science, a student must complete a minimum of 30 unduplicated units. All units must be in Political Science courses or cognate courses. All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade. Students must receive a minimum letter grade of 'C' in all courses for the minor.
Concentration
The student selects a primary subfield in which three courses are taken. One of these courses must be the introductory course, the other two are at a more advanced level (numbered above 100). The concentration corresponds to one of the subfields the department already has in place, namely, American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.
Distribution
Three courses must be in the primary concentration, as specified above, for 15 units. An additional 10 units of intermediate and advanced courses (100 level or above) must be in two additional subfields. The final 5 units may be in any related subfield. ECON 1 Principles of Economics, cognate course, including overseas courses, or any of the Political Science related courses may also be used to satisfy the last five units.
Petitioned courses
Students may petition for a maximum of 5 units to count towards the minor. This includes directed readings and Stanford in Washington courses. Directed readings and Stanford in Washington courses may only count towards the last five related units for the minor. Transfer students can petition a maximum of 10 units towards the minor. Petitions must be submitted within one quarter of course completion or within one quarter of declaring the minor. All petitioned courses must be individually reviewed and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students can download the petition form from the Political Science website or pick one up from Encina Hall West, room 100. Students must submit petitions to the undergraduate administrator in Encina Hall West, room 100.
Master of Arts in Political Science
The Political Science department does not offer a terminal M.A. degree. An M.A. degree may only be pursued in combination with a doctoral degree from another department within the University or with an advanced degree from one of the University's professional schools. Students interested in pursuing the M.A. should discuss the application requirements with the graduate administrator in Political Science.
Students from within the department and from other degree programs who have applied to the M.A. program may elect to take the M.A. degree in Political Science when they have met the following requirements:
- Completion of at least three quarters of residency as a graduate student with 45 units of credit of which at least 25 units must be taken in Political Science graduate seminars of 300 level and above. Not more than 25 units of the 45-unit requirement may be taken in a single field.
- At least two graduate seminars in each of two fields and at least one graduate seminar in a third field.
- The remaining 20 units must come from courses numbered above 100. Of those 20 units, not more than 10 units of work from related departments may be accepted in lieu of a portion of the work in Political Science. Not more than 10 units may be taken as directed reading.
- A grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 (B-) or better must be attained for directed readings and all course work. No thesis is required.
The department does not offer a coterminal bachelor's and master's degree.
Political Science doctoral candidates may pursue master's degrees from other departments. Recent examples include but are not restricted to master's degrees in Statistics and Economics. Students interested in this option should consult the relevant sections of this Bulletin for both University and department requirements for master's degrees.
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science
The University's basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree are discussed in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
Programs of study leading to the Ph.D. degree are designed by the student, in consultation with advisers and the Director of Graduate Studies, to serve his or her particular interests as well as to achieve the general department requirements. A student is recommended to the University Committee on Graduate Studies to receive the Ph.D. degree in Political Science when the following program of study has been completed:
- Statement of Purpose: By the end of the third quarter in residence, each graduate student submits a statement of purpose to the student's adviser. This statement indicates the student's proposed major fields of study, the courses taken and those planned to be taken to cover those fields, the student's plan for meeting language and/or skill requirements, plans for scheduling of comprehensive examinations and/or research papers, and, where possible, dissertation ideas or plans. This statement is discussed with, and must be approved by, the student's adviser. In the Autumn Quarter following completion of their first year, students are reviewed at a regular meeting of the department faculty. The main purposes of this review are, in order of importance: to advise and assist the student to realize his or her educational goals; to provide an opportunity for clarifying goals and for identifying ways to achieve them; and to facilitate assessment of progress toward the degree.
- Two Major Fields: The candidate for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate proficiency in two major fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, and political theory. Students demonstrate proficiency by fulfilling, depending on the field, combinations of the following: written qualifying examinations, research papers, or course work. Each field offers a series of three or four courses designed to familiarize students with the literature of that field. In addition, a field may require that students take one or more elective courses covering a specific aspect of the field. All courses that a student uses to fulfill a major field requirement must be taken for a letter grade of 'B' or better.
- Third Minor Field: The candidate for the Ph.D. degree must also complete a third minor field. The third field requirement is usually satisfied by taking ten units of credit from among courses approved by the field convener. All courses used to fulfill the third minor field requirement must be taken for a letter grade of 'B' or better. The third field cannot be satisfied by courses taken as a requirement for a major field. A third field in political theory requires 10 units in addition to the five units necessary to fulfill the political theory program requirement (see item 4). A third concentration in methodology requires 10 units in addition to the 10 units necessary to fulfill the quantitative methods program requirement (see item 5).
- Political Theory Requirement: Every Ph.D. candidate must complete at least 5 units of graduate-level instruction in political theory. All courses used to fulfill the political theory requirement must be taken for a letter grade of 'B' or better.
- Quantitative Methods Requirement Every Ph.D. candidate must take POLISCI 350A Political Methodology I: Regression and POLISCI 350B Political Methodology II: Causal Inference in order to fulfill the quantitative methods requirement. Credit for equivalent classes is at the discretion of the political methodology field convener. All courses used to fulfill the quantitative methods requirement must be taken for a letter grade of 'B' or better.
- Competence in a Language and/or Skill: The Ph.D. candidate is required to demonstrate competence in a language and/or skill that is likely to be relevant to the dissertation research. The level of competence needed for completion of the research is determined by the student's adviser. Previous instruction can be counted towards this requirement only if approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
- Comprehensive Exams: Students must take the comprehensive exams in two major fields by the end of their second year in the program. Students are expected to have passed these examinations by the end of their second year.
- Second-year Research Paper: Prior to being advanced to candidacy, each student must produce a research paper (field paper) demonstrating the capacity to produce research at a level expected of students preparing to write a high quality Ph.D. dissertation. The second-year research paper is given considerable weight as the faculty consider an application for candidacy. Students are advised to begin work on their second-year research papers in the summer between their first and second years in the program, and to submit a first draft to their advisers sometime in the Autumn Quarter of their second year. Second-year research papers are considered incomplete until approved by the two faculty readers. Students are expected to have submitted an approved field paper by the end of their second year.
- Advancement to candidacy In accordance with University guidelines, Ph.D. students are expected to advance to candidacy by the end of their sixth quarter in the program (i.e., by the end of their Spring Quarter in their second year in the program). It is the department’s practice that all students in their sixth quarter be considered for candidacy at a special meeting of the faculty (typically in Week 10 of Spring Quarter). All the requirements for advancing to candidacy listed below must be completed by this meeting. Should a student not be advanced to candidacy by the end of the sixth quarter, the student is at risk of being dismissed from the Ph.D. program. To be eligible for advancement to candidacy, students must complete the requirements listed below.
- two major fields
- a third minor field
- the political theory requirement
- the quantitative methods requirement
- the second-year research paper
-
Advancement to candidacy is not automatic upon completion of these requirements. Advancement to candidacy is an expression by the faculty of their confidence that the student can successfully complete the Ph.D. program, and in particular, complete a doctoral dissertation that is an original contribution to scholarship that exemplifies the highest standard of the discipline.
- Dissertation Prospectus: During the third year, a formal dissertation prospectus must be submitted to and approved by the student's dissertation adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies. The dissertation prospectus must be approved by the end of the third year. Students must also make a dissertation prospectus presentation in the third year.
- TA Requirement: A candidate for the Ph.D. in Political Science is required to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) in the department for a minimum of three quarters. Many students need to TA for up to five quarters as part of their funding package.
- Oral Examination: The candidate must pass the University oral examination on the area of the dissertation at a time, after the passing of the written comprehensive examinations, suggested by the candidate's dissertation committee.
- Dissertation: The candidate must complete a dissertation satisfactory to the dissertation reading committee.
- Adequate Progress In addition to the specific program requirements listed above, at each stage of the Ph.D. program, the department has the following minimum standards for adequate academic progress:
- Except in rare circumstances, no more than two of the following on the transcript at any given time: incomplete ('I'); grade not reported ('GNR'); not passed or no credit ('NP' or NC'); or withdraw ('W').
- Adequate grades in all courses taken each term ('B-' and below are regarded as inadequate).
- Graduate students in the first year must enroll for at least 15 units and must pass at least 8 units per term by the end of the term. Graduate students in years 2, 3 and 4 must register for at least 8 units and must pass at least 6 units by the end of each term.
- Advance to candidacy by close of sixth quarter (i.e., for most students, the end of their second academic year in the Ph.D. program);
- Dissertation prospectus presentation made and approval of dissertation prospectus on file by the end of the third year.
- Dissertation reading committee formed by end of the fourth year.
- Advance to TGR status by end of the fourth year.
- Substantial progress toward completion of the dissertation in fourth and fifth years.
Ph.D. Minor in Political Science
Candidates in other departments which accept a minor in Political Science select two concentrations in political science in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and submit to her or him a program of study for approval. Written approval for the program must be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies before application for doctoral candidacy. Students are required to complete at least 20 units in Political Science courses. Courses must be 300 level and above. Grades must be a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better.
Emeriti: (Professors) David B. Abernethy, Lucius J. Barker, Richard A. Brody, David Danielski, Charles Drekmeier, Richard R. Fagen, John A. Ferejohn, John W. Lewis, John Manley, James March, Hubert R. Marshall, Daniel Okimoto, Robert A. Packenham, Philippe Schmitter, Hans N. Weiler
Chair: Judith L. Goldstein
Professors: David W. Brady, Bruce E. Cain, Joshua Cohen, Gary W. Cox, James D. Fearon, Morris P. Fiorina, Judith L. Goldstein, Stephen H. Haber, David J. Holloway, Shanto Iyengar, Simon D. Jackman, Terry L. Karl (on leave), Stephen D. Krasner, Jon A. Krosnick, David D. Laitin, Margaret Levy, Michael A. McFaul, Terry M. Moe, Josiah Ober, Jean C. Oi, Jack N. Rakove, Condoleezza Rice, Douglas Rivers, Jonathan A. Rodden, Scott D. Sagan, Kenneth F. Scheve Jr., Kenneth A. Schultz, Gary M. Segura, Paul M. Sniderman, Michael R. Tomz, Barry R. Weingast (on leave, Fall)
Associate Professors: Lisa Blaydes, Justin Grimmer, Jens Hainmueller, Beatriz Magaloni, Rob Reich, Jeremy M. Weinstein (on leave)
Assistant Professors: Avidit Acharya, Adam Bonica (on leave), Lauren Davenport, Karen L. Jusko (on leave, Fall), Phillip Y. Lipscy, Alison McQueen (on leave), Clayton Nall
Lecturers: Robert Gulotty, Tammy Frisby, Abbas Milani, Andrew R. Rutten, Bruce Sievers, Kathryn Stoner, Yuki Takagi
Courtesy Professors: Jonathan B. Bendor, Coit D. Blacker, Gerhard Casper, Martha Crenshaw, Mariano Florentino-Cuellar, Larry Diamond, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, James Fishkin, Lawrence Friedman, Francis Fukuyama, Keith Krehbiel, Nathaniel Persily, Debra M. Satz, Stephen J. Stedman, Andrew Walder, Amy Zegart
Acting Instructors: Lucila Figueroa, Mackenzie Israel-Trummel
Courtesy Associate Professors: Alberto Diaz-Cayeros, Neil Malhotra, Ken Shotts
Courtesy Assistant Professor: Saumitra Jha
Overseas Studies Courses in Political Science
The Bing Overseas Studies Program manages Stanford study abroad programs for Stanford undergraduates. Students should consult their department or program's student services office for applicability of Overseas Studies courses to a major or minor program.
The Bing Overseas Studies course search site displays courses, locations, and quarters relevant to specific majors.
For course descriptions and additional offerings, see the listings in the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses or Bing Overseas Studies.
OSPBER 15 | Shifting Alliances? The European Union and the U.S. | 4-5 |
OSPBER 37 | Leading from Behind? Germany in the International Arena since 1945 | 4-5 |
OSPBER 115X | The German Economy: Past and Present | 4-5 |
OSPBER 126X | A People's Union? Money, Markets, and Identity in the EU | 4-5 |
OSPCPTWN 31 | Political Economy of Foreign Aid | 3 |
OSPFLOR 78 | The Impossible Experiment: Politics and Policies of the New European Union | 5 |
OSPMADRD 52 | Revolution and Reconciliation in Film | 4 |
OSPOXFRD 24 | British and American Constitutional Systems in Comparative Perspective | 4-5 |
OSPPARIS 32 | French Politics in Cross-National Perspective | 5 |
OSPPARIS 122X | Challenges of Integration in the European Union | 4-5 |
OSPSANTG 116X | Modernization and its Discontents: Chilean Politics at the Turn of the Century | 5 |
OSPSANTG 129X | Latin America in the International System | 4-5 |
Courses
POLISCI 1. Introduction to International Relations. 5 Units.
Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, terrorism, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.
Same as: INTNLREL 1
POLISCI 1Z. Introduction to International Relations. 5 Units.
Approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Applications to war, terrorism, trade policy, the environment, and world poverty. Debates about the ethics of war and the global distribution of wealth.
POLISCI 2. Introduction to American National Government and Politics. 5 Units.
American political institutions (the Presidency, Congress, and the Court) and political processes (the formation of political attitudes and voting) have for some time now been criticized as inadequate to the task of making modern public policy. Against the backdrop of American culture and political history we examine how public policy has been and is being made. We use theories from Political Science and Economics to assess the state of the American system and the policy making process. We use case studies and lectures to analyze contemporary issues including environmental policy, taxes and spending , gun control , economic growth and inequality and mobility. In some of these issue areas we use comparative data from other countries to see how the U.S. is doing relative to other countries. In addition to class room lecture and discussion, student groups are formed to analyze policy issues of relevance to them. (This course has merged with Political Science 123/PubPol 101).
Same as: AMSTUD 2
POLISCI 3P. Justice. 4-5 Units.
Focus is on the ideal of a just society, and the place of liberty and equality in it, in light of contemporary theories of justice and political controversies. Topics include financing schools and elections, regulating markets, discriminating against people with disabilities, and enforcing sexual morality. Counts as Writing in the Major for PoliSci majors.
Same as: ETHICSOC 171, IPS 208, PHIL 171, PHIL 271, POLISCI 136S, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C, PUBLPOL 307
POLISCI 4. Introduction to Comparative Politics. 5 Units.
Why are some countries prone to civil war and violence, while others remain peaceful? Why do some countries maintain democratic systems, while others do not? Why are some countries more prosperous than others? This course will provide an overview of the most basic questions in the comparative study of political systems, and will introduce the analytical tools that can help us answer them.
POLISCI 11N. The Rwandan Genocide. 3 Units.
Preference to freshmen. In 1994, more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu Rwandans were killed in the most rapid genocide in history. What could bring humans to carry out such violence? Could it have been prevented? Why did no major power intervene to stop the killing? Should the U.N. be held accountable? What were the consequences for Central Africa? How have international actors respond to the challenges of reconstructing Rwanda? What happened to the perpetrators? Sources include scholarly and journalistic accounts.
POLISCI 12N. Climate Change and Conflict: Will Warming Lead to Warring?. 3 Units.
Policymakers and scholars are increasingly interested in whether climate change and its associated effects could contribute to the risk of violent conflict within and between countries. Will drought and rising temperatures lead to struggles over a dwindling supply of agricultural land? Will shortages of fresh water cause growing tension over access to rivers and lakes? Will rising sea levels cause mass migration from coastal areas, bringing people into conflict? Will social unrest arising from such stresses lead to violent efforts to topple governments or spill over across borders? In this seminar, we explore such questions as: How could the expected effects of climate change make civil or international conflicts more likely? What evidence is there that environmental factors contribute to violent conflicts, historically and today? What regions or countries are most at risk from these challenges, and why? Answering these questions requires that we not only think about the human and social impacts of climate change but also ask basic questions about what causes political violence within and between countries and how we can assess the contribution of different risk factors. Assignments will encourage students to learn more about the conflict risks in countries that interest them and to gain familiarity with some of the methods that political scientists use to explore these issues systematically. The connection between climate and conflict is relatively new area of inquiry, without many settled answers, so this seminar presents an opportunity to explore what we know, what we do not yet know, and what we can do to further our understanding of this issue going forward.
POLISCI 18SC. The Federal Government and the West. 2 Units.
Historical development and current status of the relationship between the U.S. federal government and the American West. Land ownership, natural resource management, agriculture, water, energy, and environmental quality.
POLISCI 19N. Politics of Energy Efficiency. 5 Units.
We will examine the political context of energy efficiency and climate change. Why are some countries, such as Japan and France, able to achieve high levels of energy efficiency, while others, such as the United States and Australia, struggle to do so? What political factors faciliate or impede energy efficiency policies? Why is international cooperation on climate change so difficult?.
POLISCI 22SC. The Face of Battle. 2 Units.
Our understanding of warfare often derives from the lofty perspective of political leaders and generals: what were their objectives and what strategies were developed to meet them? This top-down perspective slights the experience of the actual combatants and non-combatants caught in the crossfire. This course focuses on the complexity of the process by which strategy is translated into tactical decisions by the officers and foot soldiers on the field of battle. We will focus on three battles in American history: Gettysburg (July 1863), the Battle of Little Bighorn (June 1876), and the Korengal Valley campaign in Afghanistan (2006-2010). In addition to reading major works on these battles and the conflicts in which they occurred, we will travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the Little Bighorn battlefield in Montana. While at Stanford, students will conduct extensive research on individual participants at Gettysburg and Little Bighorn. When we walk through the battlefield sites, students will brief the group on their subjects' experience of battle and on why they made the decisions they did during the conflict. Why did Lt. General Longstreet oppose the Confederate attack on the Union Army at Gettysburg? What was the experience of a military surgeon on a Civil War battlefield? Why did Custer divide his 7th Cavalry troops as they approached the Little Bighorn River? What was the role of Lakota Sioux women after a battle? Travel will be provided and paid by Sophomore College (except incidentals) and is made possible by the support of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). The final part of the class covers contemporary military conflicts discussing what the US public, political leaders, and military commanders have learned (and not learned) from the past. The course is open to students from a range of disciplines; an interest in the topic is the only prerequisite.
POLISCI 24Q. Law and Order. 3 Units.
Preference to sophomores. The role of law in promoting social order. What is the rule of law? How does it differ from the rule of men? What institutions best support the rule of law? Is a state needed to ensure that laws are enforced? Should victims be allowed to avenge wrongs? What is the relationship between justice and mercy?.
POLISCI 24SC. Conservatism and Liberalism in American Politics and Policy. 2 Units.
What influence do political ideologies have in American politics and government? In this course, students will study liberal and conservative ideology in American politics and public policy from the mid-20th century onward. The course begins with an examination of ideology in the American public and then considers ideology among political activists and elected officials, focusing on members of Congress and the president. The course will also cover the ideological polarization of political elites and its impact on the policy-making process. In the final part of the course, through a series of policy case studies, students will also evaluate how well certain public policies have met the ideological goals of their liberal and conservative sponsors. The course will included several lunches and dinners with guest speakers.
POLISCI 25SC. Energy in the Southwest. 2 Units.
We will examine the technical, social, and political issues surrounding energy management and use in the West, using California, Nevada, and Arizona as our field laboratory. Students will explore a number of energy narratives, such as:n¿ Who supplies our energy and from what sources?n¿ How is it transported?n¿ Who distributes to users and how do they do it? n¿ Water for energy and energy for water¿two intertwined natural resourcesn¿ Meeting carbon emission goals by 2020 andn¿ Conflicts between desert ecosystems and renewable energy development.nnWe will place particular emphasis on renewable energy sources and the water-energy nexus, a critically important issue for the arid and semi-arid southwest.nnCentral to the course will be field exploration in northern and southern California, as well as neighboring areas in Arizona and Nevada, to tour sites such as wind and solar facilities, geothermal plants, hydropower pumped storage, desalination plants, water pumping stations, a liquid fuels distribution operations center, and California¿s Independent System Operator. Students will have the opportunity to meet with community members and with national, state, and regional authorities to discuss Western energy challenges and viable solutions. We will also take advantage of Stanford¿s own energy systems with site visits to the new energy facilities.nnWoven throughout will be an introduction to the basics of energy and energy politics through discussions, lectures, and with the help of guest speakers. Over the summer, students will be responsible for assigned readings, online interactive materials, and relevant recent news articles.nnParticipants will return to Stanford by September 19. Travel expenses during the course will be provided (except incidentals) by the Bill Lane Center for the American West and Sophomore College.
Same as: CEE 16SC, ENERGY 11SC
POLISCI 27N. Thinking Like a Social Scientist. 3 Units.
Preference to freshman. This seminar will consider how politics and government can be studied systematically: the compound term Political SCIENCE is not an oxymoron. The seminar will introduce core concepts and explore a variety of methodological approaches. Problems of inference from evidence will be a major concern. Classic and contemporary research studies will be the basis of discussion throughout.
POLISCI 28N. The Changing Nature of Racial Identity in American Politics. 3 Units.
Almost one-third of Americans now identify with a racial/ethnic minority group. This seminar examines the relationship between racial identity, group consciousness, and public opinion. Topics include the role of government institutions in shaping identification, challenges in defining and measuring race, attitudes towards race-based policies, and the development of political solidarity within racial groups. Particular attention will be paid to the construction of political identities among the growing mixed-race population.
POLISCI 33S. Religion, Democracy, and Human Rights. 3 Units.
What is the relationship between religion, democracy, and human rights? What is the status of religion within modern human rights regimes? Do religions have "special" rights in democracies? Why did the French outlaw the hijab (Islamic headscarf) and the Swiss the building of mosques and is that good for human and democratic rights? What is (and what should be) the relationship between religious human rights and democratic self-determination? How do we balance between concerns over blasphemy and free speech, in the case of the Danish cartoon depiction of Mohammad, for example? Is the idea of "religion" even useful in human rights or democratic language anymore, as some now claim? These are just some of the questions students will take up as they are introduced to several important areas within the larger field of religion and international relations.nnReadings are interdisciplinary in nature, and include case studies. No prerequisite. Open to all majors/minors, and will be particularly beneficial to students in International Relations, International Policy Studies, Political Science, and Religious Studies, as well as students with specific regional political interests where the themes of the course are especially relevant (e.g., Middle East, Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe, Africa, and so on) and Pre-Law students.
Same as: RELIGST 35S
POLISCI 34S. Religion and Politics. 3 Units.
What is the relationship between religion, international conflict and peace? This course takes up this question by examining contemporary thinking in international relations, conflict management, political science, and religious ethics. Topics to be taken up include: whether religion is fundamentally a positive or negative force in conflict management; how do major world religions think about war and peace; the relationship of religion to terrorism; whether thinking about religion in international conflict requires its own categories, distinct from models concerning ethnic or nationalistic communities in conflict; varieties of religious militancy; religion's potential role in conflict resolution; among others. Through these investigations, students will better grasp the contemporary scholarship on the place of religion in international conflict and peace building. nnReadings are interdisciplinary in nature, and include case studies. No prerequisite. Open to all majors/minors, and will be particularly beneficial to students in International Relations, Religious Studies, International Policy Studies, and Political Science, as well as students with specific regional political interests where the themes of the course are especially relevant (e.g., Middle East, Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe, Africa, and so on).
POLISCI 42Q. The Rwandan Genocide. 5 Units.
Between April and July of 1994 more than 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, were killed in the most rapid genocide the world has ever known. The percentage of Rwandans killed in a single day of the genocide was ten times greater than the percentage of Americans killed in the entire Vietnam war. What could bring humans to plan and carry out such an orgy of violence? Could it have been prevented? Why did the United States or any other major power not intervene to stop the killing? To what extent should the United Nations be held accountable for the failure to end the genocide? What were the consequences of the genocide for the region of Central Africa? How did international actors respond to the challenges of reconstructing Rwanda after the killings? What has happened to the perpetrators of the genocide? This course surveys scholarly and journalistic accounts of the genocide to seek answers to these questions.nnThis seminar will be residence based in Crothers, but will be open to Crothers residents and non-residents.
POLISCI 45N. Civil War Narratives. 3 Units.
Preference to freshmen. Focus is on a new statistics-based theory to account for the susceptibility of countries to civil war. How to write a theory-based historical narrative. Students write and present an original historical narrative focusing on how well the theory explains a particular history and on the importance of factors that are absent from the theory in explaining civil war onsets.
POLISCI 49N. Dictators. 3 Units.
This course explores how dictators perpetuate their rule through the use of ideology, coercion and political institutions. We will examine existing typologies of authoritarian rule and investigate examples of dictatorship from across the world, both contemporary and historical. Using works of fiction in addition to historical and political science texts, we will consider why some people resist authoritarian rule while others do not and the conditions under which dictators are overthrown.
POLISCI 57E. State of the Union 2014. 1 Unit.
This course will examine major themes that contribute to the health, or disease, of the US body politic. Challenges and opportunities abound: we live in an age of rising inequality, dazzling technological innovation, economic volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and the accumulating impact of climate change. These conditions confront our political leaders and us as citizens of a democracy plagued by dysfunction. What are the implications for the body politic? Led by Rob Reich (Political Science, Stanford), David Kennedy (History, Stanford), and James Steyer (CEO, Common Sense Media), the course will bring together distinguished analysts of American politics. Together, we will examine the following topics: inequality; energy and the environment; media and technology; the economy; and the 2014 midterm elections. The course is designed for the entire Stanford community: jointly offered for undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford (through listings in Political Science and History) and for community members through the Continuing Studies Program. For students, the course is available for 1 credit. This course may not be taken for a Letter Grade.
Same as: HISTORY 57E
POLISCI 72. Policy, Politics, and the Presidency: Understanding the 2016 Campaign from Start to Finish. 2 Units.
In 2016, Americans will once again go to the polls to select a new president. But what will actually happen behind-the-scenes between now and then is largely a mystery to most. This course will introduce students to the nuts-and-bolts of a presidential campaign. Each week, we will explore a different topic related to running for the presidency -- policy formation, communications, grassroots strategy, digital outreach, campaign finance -- and feature high-profile guest speakers who have served in senior roles on both Democratic and Republican campaigns. Students, guests, and faculty will also participate in discussions on how these topics will relate to the 2016 presidential contest, which will begin in earnest over the course of the quarter.
Same as: PUBLPOL 146, PUBLPOL 246
POLISCI 96X. Activating Democracy: Campaigns, Elections, and Voting. 1 Unit.
Alternative Spring Break: America is often thought of as the archetypal democracy. While most democracies have surprisingly short lifespans, America¿s has persisted for 238 years. However, in the 21st century, we have grounds to question the quality of our democracy. Turnout of the Voting Age Population hovers around 50 percent and today, we are seeing increasing legal challenges to voting rights. In the backdrop of these statistics, there is an entire industry devoted to campaigns. In the 2012 presidential race alone, almost $2.5 billion was poured into the campaign-industrial complex. How do politicians engage voters in elections at the various levels of government? Where do they spend their money and why? In the age of big data, how accurately can elections be predicted? How do we maximize participation in elections?.
POLISCI 97X. Bridging the Civil-Military Divide: Military Service as Public Service in the 21st Century. 1 Unit.
Alternative Spring Break: Today, fewer than 0.5 percent of Americans serve in the military, as compared to roughly 12 percent during the second World War. This has led to a widening gap in knowledge about the military, its members and the functions they perform, as well as its basic structure and tradition of service. This course is intended to introduce students to the notion of military service as public service and explore how misperceptions on both sides affect the civil-military divide. We will explore military service from the life of an enlisted soldier deployed to Afghanistan, to an officer working at the Pentagon on broad national security strategy. How does society conceive of a soldier, a sailor, an airman, a marine? How do Americans perceive military service and what role do service members play in our society?.
POLISCI 99Z. Introduction to the Science of Politics. 4 Units.
Why do countries go to war? Why are some countries democratic and others autocratic? How can we improve political representation in the United States and other countries? We will use scientific methods to answer these and other fundamental questions about politics.
POLISCI 110C. America and the World Economy. 5 Units.
Examination of contemporary US foreign economic policy. Areas studied: the changing role of the dollar; mechanism of international monetary management; recent crises in world markets including those in Europe and Asia; role of IMF, World Bank and WTO in stabilizing world economy; trade politics and policies; the effects of the globalization of business on future US prosperity. Enroll in POLISCI 110C for WIM credit.
Same as: INTNLREL 110C, POLISCI 110X
POLISCI 110D. War and Peace in American Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
(Students not taking this course for WIM, register for 110Y.) The causes of war in American foreign policy. Issues: international and domestic sources of war and peace; war and the American political system; war, intervention, and peace making in the post-Cold War period.
Same as: INTNLREL 110D, POLISCI 110Y
POLISCI 110G. Governing the Global Economy. 5 Units.
Who governs the world economy? Why do countries succeed or fail to cooperate in setting their economic policies? When and how do international institutions help countries cooperate? When and why do countries adopt good and bad economic policies? This course examines how domestic and international politics determine how the global economy is governed. We will study the politics of monetary, trade, international investment, energy, environmental, and foreign aid policies to answer these questions. The course will approach each topic by examining alternative theoretical approaches and evaluate these theories using historical and contemporary evidence. There will be an emphasis on applying concepts through the analysis of case studies. This course has no prerequisites but introductory courses in economics and statistics are recommended.
POLISCI 110X. America and the World Economy. 5 Units.
Examination of contemporary US foreign economic policy. Areas studied: the changing role of the dollar; mechanism of international monetary management; recent crises in world markets including those in Europe and Asia; role of IMF, World Bank and WTO in stabilizing world economy; trade politics and policies; the effects of the globalization of business on future US prosperity. Enroll in POLISCI 110C for WIM credit.
Same as: INTNLREL 110C, POLISCI 110C
POLISCI 110Y. War and Peace in American Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
(Students not taking this course for WIM, register for 110Y.) The causes of war in American foreign policy. Issues: international and domestic sources of war and peace; war and the American political system; war, intervention, and peace making in the post-Cold War period.
Same as: INTNLREL 110D, POLISCI 110D
POLISCI 114D. Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. 5 Units.
Links among the establishment of democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law. How democratic, economically developed states arise. How the rule of law can be established where it has been historically absent. Variations in how such systems function and the consequences of institutional forms and choices. How democratic systems have arisen in different parts of the world. Available policy instruments used in international democracy, rule of law, and development promotion efforts.
Same as: INTNLREL 114D, IPS 230, POLISCI 314D
POLISCI 114S. International Security in a Changing World. 5 Units.
This class surveys the most pressing international security issues facing the world today and includes an award-winning two-day international crisis simulation led by Stanford faculty and former policymakers. Guest lecturers have included former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Gen. Karl Eikenberry, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Major topics covered: cyber security, nuclear proliferation, insurgency and intervention, terrorism, the Arab Spring, and the future of U.S. leadership in the world. No prior background in international relations is necessary.
Same as: HISTORY 104D, IPS 241
POLISCI 115. Living at the Nuclear Brink: Yesterday and Today. 3 Units.
The development, testing, and proliferation of nuclear weapons will be covered, from World War II through the Cold War to the present. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the evolving role of these weapons, both militarily and politically. It will also examine controversies and opposition movements to nuclear weapons and their use. The course will feature numerous guest speakers from Stanford and beyond. Students will be required to write in-depth analyses of specific nuclear weapons policy questions. Following this course, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of the profound dangers these weapons continue to present to the world today.
Same as: IPS 249, POLISCI 315
POLISCI 115A. The Rise of Asia. 3-5 Units.
We will examine the sources and implications of the rise of Asia in the international system. Topics will include military competition, international cooperation, regional integration, domestic politics, business and investment, legalization, environmental issues, demographics, social issues, and the role of technology.
Same as: POLISCI 315A
POLISCI 116. The International History of Nuclear Weapons. 5 Units.
The development of nuclear weapons and policies. How existing nuclear powers have managed their relations with each other. How nuclear war has been avoided so far and whether it can be avoided in the future.
Same as: HISTORY 103E
POLISCI 118P. U.S. Relations in Iran. 5 Units.
The evolution of relations between the U.S. and Iran. The years after WW II when the U.S. became more involved in Iran. Relations after the victory of the Islamic republic. The current state of affairs and the prospects for the future. Emphasis is on original documents of U.S. diplomacy (White House, State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Iran). Research paper.
POLISCI 120B. Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections. 4-5 Units.
This course examines the theory and practice of American campaigns and elections. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, parties, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use current and recent election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the origins of partisan identity, electoral design, and the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion, voter turnout, and voter choice. As well, we'll explore issues of electoral reform and their more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.
Same as: COMM 162, COMM 262
POLISCI 120C. What's Wrong with American Government? An Institutional Approach. 5 Units.
How politicians, once elected, work together to govern America. The roles of the President, Congress, and Courts in making and enforcing laws. Focus is on the impact of constitutional rules on the incentives of each branch, and on how they influence law. Fulfills the Writing in the Major Requirement for Political Science majors.
Same as: PUBLPOL 124
POLISCI 120Z. What's Wrong with American Government? An Institutional Approach. 4 Units.
How politicians, once elected, work together to govern America. The roles of the President, Congress, and Courts in making and enforcing laws. Focus is on the impact of constitutional rules on the incentives of each branch, and on how they influence law. Fulfills the Writing in the Major Requirement for Political Science majors.
POLISCI 121. Political Power in American Cities. 5 Units.
The major actors, institutions, processes, and policies of sub-state government in the U.S., emphasizing city general-purpose governments through a comparative examination of historical and contemporary politics. Issues related to federalism, representation, voting, race, poverty, housing, and finances.
Same as: AMSTUD 121Z, PUBLPOL 133, URBANST 111
POLISCI 121L. Racial-Ethnic Politics in US. 5 Units.
This course examines various issues surrounding the role of race and ethnicity in the American political system. Specifically, this course will evaluate the development of racial group solidarity and the influence of race on public opinion, political behavior, the media, and in the criminal justice system. We will also examine the politics surrounding the Multiracial Movement and the development of racial identity and political attitudes in the 21st century. STATS 60 or ECON 1 is strongly recommended.
Same as: AMSTUD 121L, CSRE 121L, PUBLPOL 121L
POLISCI 122. Introduction to American Law. 3-5 Units.
For undergraduates. The structure of the American legal system including the courts; American legal culture; the legal profession and its social role; the scope and reach of the legal system; the background and impact of legal regulation; criminal justice; civil rights and civil liberties; and the relationship between the American legal system and American society in general.
Same as: AMSTUD 179, PUBLPOL 302A
POLISCI 123. Politics and Public Policy. 4-5 Units.
American political institutions (the Presidency, Congress, and the Court) and political processes (the formation of political attitudes and voting) have for some time now been criticized as inadequate to the task of making modern public policy. Against the backdrop of American culture and political history we examine how public policy has been and is being made. We use theories from Political Science and Economics to assess the state of the American system and the policy making process. We use case studies and lectures to analyze contemporary issues including environmental policy, taxes and spending , gun control , economic growth and inequality and mobility. In some of these issue areas we use comparative data from other countries to see how the U.S. is doing relative to other countries. In addition to class room lecture and discussion, student groups are formed to analyze policy issues of relevance to them. (This course has merged with Political Science 2.).
Same as: PUBLPOL 101, PUBLPOL 201
POLISCI 124A. The American West. 5 Units.
The American West is characterized by frontier mythology, vast distances, marked aridity, and unique political and economic characteristics. This course integrates several disciplinary perspectives into a comprehensive examination of Western North America: its history, physical geography, climate, literature, art, film, institutions, politics, demography, economy, and continuing policy challenges. Students examine themes fundamental to understanding the region: time, space, water, peoples, and boom and bust cycles.
Same as: AMSTUD 124A, ARTHIST 152, ENGLISH 124, HISTORY 151
POLISCI 124R. The Federal System: Judicial Politics and Constitutional Law. 5 Units.
Does the constitution matter? And if so, how exactly does it shape our daily lives? In this course, we will examine the impact of structural features, such as the separation of powers and federalism. While these features often seem boring and unimportant, they are not. As we will see, arguments over structure were at the heart of the debates over slavery, the incarceration of the Japanese during WWII, the drug war and gay marriage. Prerequisites: 2 or equivalent, and sophomore standing. Fulfills Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
POLISCI 124S. Civil Liberties: Judicial Politics and Constitutional Law. 5 Units.
The role and participation of courts, primarily the U.S. Supreme Court, in public policy making and the political system. Judicial activity in civil liberty areas (religious liberty, free expression, race and sex discrimination, political participation, and rights of persons accused of crime). Prerequisites: 2 or equivalent, and sophomore standing.
POLISCI 125P. The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press. 4-5 Units.
Introduction to the constitutional protections for freedom of speech, press, and expressive association. All the major Supreme Court cases dealing with issues such as incitement, libel, hate speech, obscenity, commercial speech, and campaign finance. There are no prerequisites, but a basic understanding of American government would be useful. In addition to a final and midterm exam, students participate in a moot court on a hypothetical case. (Grad students register for COMM 251).
Same as: COMM 151, COMM 251
POLISCI 125S. Chicano/Latino Politics. 5 Units.
The political position of Latinos and Latinas in the U.S.. Focus is on Mexican Americans, with attention to Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other groups. The history of each group in the American polity; their political circumstances with respect to the electoral process, the policy process, and government; the extent to which the demographic category Latino is meaningful; and group identity and solidarity among Americans of Latin American ancestry. Topics include immigration, education, affirmative action, language policy, and environmental justice.
Same as: CHILATST 125S
POLISCI 125V. The Voting Rights Act. 5 Units.
Focus is on whether and how racial and ethnic minorities including African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos are able to organize and press their demands on the political system. Topics include the political behavior of minority citizens, the strength and effect of these groups at the polls, the theory and practice of group formation among minorities, the responsiveness of elected officials, and the constitutional obstacles and issues that shape these phenomena.
Same as: AFRICAAM 125V, CSRE 125V
POLISCI 127P. Economic Inequality and Political Dysfunction. 5 Units.
This course will examine how two of the defining features of contemporary U.S. politics, economic inequality and political polarization, relate to each other and to Congressional gridlock. The reading list will focus on several books recently authored by preeminent political scientists on this important topic. The course will cover a range of topics, including the disparity in political representation of the preferences of the affluent over those of the poor, the origins of Congressional polarization, the influence of money in politics, budgetary politics, immigration policy, and electoral and institutional barriers to reform.
POLISCI 128S. The Constitution: A Brief History. 5 Units.
A broad survey of the Constitution, from its Revolutionary origins to the contemporary disputes over interpretation. Topics include the invention of the written constitution and interpretative canons; the origins of judicial review; the Civil War and Reconstruction as constitutional crises; the era of substantive due process; the rights revolution; and the Constitution in wartime.
Same as: AMSTUD 157, HISTORY 157
POLISCI 131A. Collective Action Problems: Ethics, Politics, & Culture. 3-4 Units.
When acting on one's own, it is often easy to know what the morally right action is. But many moral problems arise from the fact that many individuals act together leading to dilemmas, in which what is individually rational is collectively irrational. For example, the collective result of our consumption decisions is to warm the planet. But individual decisions seem to have no effect on climate change. Such collective action situations give rise to moral questions: Are individuals required to take their contributions to wider systemic effects into account? Does it make a difference whether or not others are doing their share, for example with regard to fighting global poverty? In many cases, the best solution for collective action problems are institutions. But when these are deficient or non-existing, what should individuals do? Do they have a duty to assist in building institutions, and what would this duty imply in practical terms? Interdisciplinary perspective, reading authors from philosophy, politics, economics and sociology such as Elinor Ostrom, Peter Singer or Liam Murphy, relating to current questions such as global poverty and climate change. No background assumed; no mathematical work required.
Same as: ETHICSOC 180M, PHIL 73, PUBLPOL 304A
POLISCI 131L. Modern Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx and Mill. 5 Units.
This course offers an introduction to the history of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. We will consider the development of ideas like individual rights, government by consent, and the protection of private property. We will also explore the ways in which these ideas continue to animate contemporary political debates. Thinkers covered will include: Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, John Stuart Mill, and Karl Marx.
Same as: ETHICSOC 131S
POLISCI 132C. Family, Friends, and Groups: The Ethics of Association. 4 Units.
The practice of associating with others is a fundamental part of human existence. We cultivate friendships, we grow up in families, we work for nonprofit associations or businesses, we join social movements and sport clubs, and we participate in political associations with our fellow citizens. This seminar explores the ethical dimensions of association. What grounds a right to freedom of association? Do we have, beyond a right, also a duty to participate in associational life? Do we have special obligations towards our friends, family members, or fellow-citizens that we do not have toward strangers? To what extent should the internal life of private associations, such as families or churches, be regulated by the state? Should the state support, through tax-exemptions and subsidies, the nonprofit associations of civil society? Can a state exclude non-citizens, such as immigrants, in the same way in which a private club excludes non-members? These questions have wide-ranging implications for contemporary political and legal debates.
Same as: ETHICSOC 183M
POLISCI 133. Ethics and Politics of Public Service. 5 Units.
Ethical and political questions in public service work, including volunteering, service learning, humanitarian assistance, and public service professions such as medicine and teaching. Motives and outcomes in service work. Connections between service work and justice. Is mandatory service an oxymoron? History of public service in the U.S. Issues in crosscultural service work. Integration with the Haas Center for Public Service to connect service activities and public service aspirations with academic experiences at Stanford. [This class is capped but there are some spaces available with permission of instructor. If the class is full and you would like to be considered for these extra spaces, please email sburbank@stanford.edu with your name, grade level, and a paragraph explaining why you want to take the class.].
Same as: CSRE 178, ETHICSOC 133, HUMBIO 178, PHIL 175A, PHIL 275A, PUBLPOL 103D, URBANST 122
POLISCI 133D. The Paradigm Shift. 1 Unit.
Examination of the idea of 'paradigm shift' by considering paradigm shifts in different academic fields of inquiry. Serial accumulation of guest lectures by distinguished faculty representing the University's many and varied departments, each asking and answering the question 'What is the most important paradigm shift in the history of my field? Are paradigm shifts revolution or evolution? Do they move us closer to truth? How frequently do they occur? Can humans plan for, cause, or resist them?.
Same as: MUSIC 150D
POLISCI 134L. Introduction to Environmental Ethics. 4-5 Units.
How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? The first part of this course will examine such questions in light of some of our current ethical theories: considering what those theories suggest regarding the extent and nature of our environmental obligations; and also whether reflection on such obligations can prove informative about the adequacy of our ethical theories. In the second part of the course, we will use the tools that we have acquired to tackle various ethical questions that confront us in our dealings with the natural world, looking at subjects such as: animal rights; conservation; economic approaches to the environment; access to and control over natural resources; environmental justice and pollution; climate change; technology and the environment; and environmental activism.
Same as: ETHICSOC 178M, ETHICSOC 278M, PHIL 178M, PHIL 278M
POLISCI 134P. Contemporary Moral Problems. 4-5 Units.
This course addresses a range of important moral issues from a philosophical perspective. The primary aims of the course are to encourage students to think about difficult moral questions in the careful and systematic way characteristic of philosophical inquiry, and to help students develop the analytical skills necessary to do this. Questions to be covered include: What, and how much, are we obligated to do in order to aid the global poor? What are our obligations in cases such as the causation of climate change, in which our individual contributions (e.g. our personal greenhouse gas emissions) appear to make no difference to the badness of the outcome? How can we owe obligations to future people who do not yet exist, and what are our obligations to them? Is abortion morally wrong or morally permissible? Could it even be morally required? Can we be obligated to procreate? Or, might procreation be seriously morally problematic? What is racism, and what makes it wrong? What does it mean to be tolerant, and why might we think that tolerance is a good thing? Is there a deep tension between a commitment to feminist ideals and a commitment to multiculturalism?.
Same as: ETHICSOC 185M, PHIL 72
POLISCI 135P. Moral Limits of the Market. 4 Units.
Morally controversial uses of markets and market reasoning in areas such as organ sales, procreation, education, and child labor. Would a market for organ donation make saving lives more efficient; if it did, would it thereby be justified? Should a nation be permitted to buy the right to pollute? Readings include Walzer, Arrow, Rawls, Sen, Frey, Titmuss, and empirical cases.
Same as: ETHICSOC 174A, PHIL 174A, PHIL 274A
POLISCI 136R. Introduction to Global Justice. 4 Units.
Recent work in political theory on global justice. Topics include global poverty, human rights, fair trade, immigration, climate change. Do developed countries have a duty to aid developing countries? Do rich countries have the right to close their borders to economic immigrants? When is humanitarian intervention justified? Readings include Charles Beitz, Thomas Pogge, John Rawls.
Same as: ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 336
POLISCI 136S. Justice. 4-5 Units.
Focus is on the ideal of a just society, and the place of liberty and equality in it, in light of contemporary theories of justice and political controversies. Topics include financing schools and elections, regulating markets, discriminating against people with disabilities, and enforcing sexual morality. Counts as Writing in the Major for PoliSci majors.
Same as: ETHICSOC 171, IPS 208, PHIL 171, PHIL 271, POLISCI 3P, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C, PUBLPOL 307
POLISCI 137A. Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition. 4 Units.
(Graduate students register for 276.) Why and under what conditions do human beings need political institutions? What makes them legitimate or illegitimate? What is the nature, source, and extent of the obligation to obey the legitimate ones, and how should people alter or overthrow the others? Study of the answers given to such questions by major political theorists of the early modern period: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant.
Same as: PHIL 176, PHIL 276, POLISCI 337A
POLISCI 140L. China in World Politics. 5 Units.
The implications of the rise of China in contemporary world politics and for American foreign policy, including issues such as arms and nuclear proliferation, regional security arrangements, international trade and investment, human rights, environmental problems, and the Taiwan and Tibet questions.
Same as: POLISCI 340L
POLISCI 141S. Politics of India. 5 Units.
This course provides an overview of the political institutions, processes, and issues in post-independence India. The purpose is not merely to familiarize students to the politics of India, but also to facilitate a good understanding of, and stimulate keen interest in, the subject. The course hopes to build a strong foundation for acquiring a deeper understanding of Indian politics. The subject-matter will be approached from a comparative perspective, and students are encouraged to think about the topics covered with a view on cases beyond India.
POLISCI 142B. British Politics. 5 Units.
The impact on the world's oldest democracy of major changes in policies, politics, and the institution of government made over the last two decades by Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
POLISCI 143S. Comparative Corruption. 4 Units.
Causes, effects, and solutions to various forms of corruption in business and politics in both developing regions (e.g. Asia, E. Europe) and developed ones (the US and the EU).
Same as: SOC 113
POLISCI 146A. African Politics. 4-5 Units.
Africa has lagged the rest of the developing world in terms of economic development, the establishment of social order, and the consolidation of democracy. This course seeks to identify the historical and political sources accounting for this lag, and to provide extensive case study and statistical material to understand what sustains it, and how it might be overcome.
Same as: AFRICAAM 146A
POLISCI 147. Comparative Democratic Development. 5 Units.
Social, cultural, political, economic, and international factors affecting the development and consolidation of democracy in historical and comparative perspective. Individual country experiences with democracy, democratization, and regime performance. Emphasis is on the third wave of democratization over the past three decades and contemporary possibilities for democratic change. (Diamond).
Same as: SOC 112
POLISCI 147P. The Politics of Inequality. 5 Units.
This course is about the distribution of power in contemporary democratic societies, and especially in the US: who governs? Is there a ``power elite?'' Or, does public policy making accommodate a wide range of interests? What is the relationship between income and power? What are the political consequences of increasing income inequality? What are the implications of racial and ethnic inequities for the quality of democratic representation? Which policies increase political inequities? What are effective remedies for unequal influence? Finally, which institutions move democratic practice furthest towards full democratic equality? This course will address these questions, focusing first on the local distribution of power, and then in state and national levels of government, in a broadly comparative context. Students will have the opportunity to work with income and labor force surveys in a mid-term assignment, and in a final paper, to examine different dimensions of American inequality and their implications for the quality of American democracy.
POLISCI 148. Chinese Politics: The Transformation and the Era of Reform. 3-5 Units.
Overview of the reforms in China since 1978 that have made its economy one of the fastest growing in the world yet it still has the Chinese Communist Party at the helm wielding one party rule. Key questions addressed include the following: What has been the process and challenges of reform that have reshaped China¿s economic landscape? What are the political consequences of these dramatic economic changes? Why has the CCP remained strong while other communist regimes have failed? Markets have spread but what is the role of the state? What are the opportunities for political participation and prospects for political change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. (Graduate students register for 348.) This fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
Same as: POLISCI 348
POLISCI 149S. Islam, Iran, and the West. 5 Units.
Changes in relative power and vitality of each side. The relationship in the Middle Ages revolved around power and domination, and since the Renaissance around modernity. Focus is on Muslims of the Middle East.
POLISCI 149T. Middle Eastern Politics. 5 Units.
Topics in contemporary Middle Eastern politics including institutional sources of underdevelopment, political Islam, electoral authoritarianism, and the political economy of oil.
POLISCI 152. Introduction to Game Theoretic Methods in Political Science. 3-5 Units.
Concepts and tools of non-cooperative game theory developed using political science questions and applications. Formal treatment of Hobbes' theory of the state and major criticisms of it; examples from international politics. Primarily for graduate students; undergraduates admitted with consent of instructor.
Same as: POLISCI 352
POLISCI 153. Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory. 5 Units.
This course provides an introduction to basic concepts in game theory and strategic reasoning. We discuss ideas such as commitment, credibility, adverse selection, signaling and reputation. Concepts are developed through games played in class, and applied to politics, economics, business and everyday life.
POLISCI 155. Political Data Science. 5 Units.
Introduction to methods of research design and data analysis used in quantitative political research. Topics covered include hypothesis testing, linear regression, experimental and observational approaches to causal inference, effective data visualization, and working with big data. These topics will be introduced using data sets from American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. The course begins with an intensive introduction to the R programming language used throughout the course. Satisfies quantitative methods requirement for the Political Science Research Honors Track. Prerequisites: Stat 60 or instructor consent.
Same as: PUBLPOL 157
POLISCI 203. U.S. Human Rights NGOs and International Human Rights. 1 Unit.
(Same as LAW 782) Many US human rights non-government organizations, including the US philanthropic sector, work on international human rights. The US government also engages with the private sector in "partnerships" that twins US foreign aid human rights action with corporate expertise. This weekly series will feature speakers who lead these human rights NGOs, philanthropic enterprises, and corporate partnerships, and also policy experts and scholars, to explore the pro's and con's of this scenario.
Same as: ETHICSOC 15R, IPS 271A, MED 225
POLISCI 210G. Global Supply Chains and the Future of Global Governance. 5 Units.
What explains a government¿s decision to block a trade deal, prevent foreign investors from gaining control of a local factory, or ban the export of rare earth minerals? This course develops theory and evidence that these decisions are political. Applications include the trade in environmental goods, global supply chains, and intellectual property protections. We will discuss these topics in the context of the legal disputes at the World Trade Organization and recent debates about the rise of China and the development of Mega-regional agreements across the Pacific and the Atlantic.
POLISCI 211. Political Economy of East Asia. 3-5 Units.
(Formerly 117.) Comparative and international political economy of E.and S.E. Asia. Industrial development and the Asian miracle, economic integration, regional cooperation, the Asian financial crisis, and contemporary challenges.
Same as: INTNLREL 159
POLISCI 211P. International Security in South Asia: Pakistan, India and the United States.. 5 Units.
This course critically examines the dynamics of continuity and change in American interactions with nuclear armed adversaries, India and Pakistan. It also aims to sensitize the students to Indian and Pakistani perspectives on regional security and the mainsprings of their interactions with United States. There will be an in-depth exploration of the impact of the Indo-US strategic partnership for evolving balance of power in South Asia.
POLISCI 212C. Civil War and International Politics: Syria in Context. 5 Units.
The Syrian civil war is both a humanitarian disaster and a focal point for a set of interlocking regional and international political struggles. This course uses the Syrian case as an entry for exploring broader questions, such as why do civil wars begin, how do they end, and what are the international politics of civil war. Please enroll in 212C for WIM credit.
Same as: POLISCI 212X
POLISCI 212X. Civil War and International Politics: Syria in Context. 5 Units.
The Syrian civil war is both a humanitarian disaster and a focal point for a set of interlocking regional and international political struggles. This course uses the Syrian case as an entry for exploring broader questions, such as why do civil wars begin, how do they end, and what are the international politics of civil war. Please enroll in 212C for WIM credit.
Same as: POLISCI 212C
POLISCI 213E. Introduction to European Studies. 5 Units.
This course offers an introduction to major topics in the study of historical and contemporary Europe. We focus on European politics, economics and culture. First, we study what makes Europe special, and how its distinct identity has been influenced by its history. Next, we analyze Europe's politics. We study parliamentary government and proportional representation electoral systems, and how they affect policy. Subsequently, we examine the challenges the European economy faces. We further study the European Union and transatlantic relations.
Same as: INTNLREL 122
POLISCI 213S. A Post American Century? American Foreign Policy in a Uni-Multi-unipolar World. 5 Units.
This seminar examines recent policy from Bush to Obama in the context of two classic traditions: Wilsonianism vs. Realism. What is the role of the international system, what is the weight of domestic forces like ideology, history and identity? Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.
POLISCI 214R. Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Pick up application in Political Science Department (Encina West 100).
Same as: POLISCI 314R
POLISCI 215. Explaining Ethnic Violence. 5 Units.
What is ethnic violence and why does it occur? Should elite machinations, the psychology of crowds, or historical hatreds be blamed? Case studies and theoretical work on the sources and nature of ethnic violence. Counts as Writing in the Major for PoliSci majors.
POLISCI 215F. Nuclear Weapons and International Politics. 5 Units.
Why do states develop nuclear weapons and why do some states, that have the technological capacity to build nuclear weapons, refrain from doing so? What are the strategic consequences of new states deploying nuclear weapons? What is the relationship between the spread of nuclear energy and the spread of nuclear weapons? We will study the political science and history literature on these topics. Research paper required.
Same as: POLISCI 315F
POLISCI 216. State Building. 5 Units.
How and when can external actors (others states, aid agencies, NGOs?) promote institutional change in weak and badly governed states?.
POLISCI 216E. International History and International Relations Theory. 5 Units.
The relationship between history and political science as disciplines. Sources include studies by historians and political scientists on topics such as the origins of WW I, the role of nuclear weapons in international politics, the end of the Cold War, nongovernmental organizations in international relations, and change and continuity in the international system.
Same as: HISTORY 202, HISTORY 306E, POLISCI 316
POLISCI 216G. International Organizations and Institutions. 5 Units.
What is the appropriate balance between government regulation and market freedom? Introduction to important theoretical and policy debates in international political economy. Topics include: political economy of trade; exchange rate policy; the liberalization of trade and finance; the global move to openness; development, debt and aid; and the role of international organizations. Discussion of application of academic insights to key policy debates, including whether governments should offset the welfare costs of globalization, whether the IMF and World Bank should be reformed to meet the needs of the 21st century, and how the international community should respond to financial crises. Students will research, write and orally present policy briefs on specific policy questions.
POLISCI 217A. American Foreign Policy: Interests, Values, and Process. 5 Units.
This seminar will examine the tension in American foreign policy between pursuing U.S. security and economic interests and promoting American values abroad. The course will retrace the theoretical and ideological debates about values versus interests, with a particular focus on realism versus liberalism. The course will examine the evolution of these debates over time, starting with the French revolution, but with special attention given to the Cold War, American foreign policy after September 11th, and the Obama administration. The course also will examine how these contending theories and ideologies are mediated through the U.S. bureaucracy that shapes the making of foreign policy. ** NOTE: Initial registration for this course does not guarantee enrollment. All interested students should attend the first class. Final enrollment criteria will be detailed on the first day of class. There will be 10 seats for graduate students and 10 seats for undergraduate students.
Same as: GLOBAL 220, IPS 242
POLISCI 218J. Japanese Politics and International Relations. 5 Units.
The domestic politics, political economy, and international relations of contemporary Japan. The role of political parties, the bureaucracy, and private actors. Economic development and challenges. Relations with the United States and East Asia.
Same as: POLISCI 318J
POLISCI 218S. Political Economy of International Trade and Investment. 5 Units.
How domestic and international politics influence the economic relations between countries. Why do governments promote or oppose globalization? Why do countries cooperate economically in some situations but not others? Why do countries adopt bad economic policies? Focus on the politics of international trade and investment. Course approaches each topic by examining alternative theoretical approaches and evaluate these theories using historical and contemporary evidence from many geographical regions around the world. Prerequisites: ECON 1A, ECON 1B, and a statistics course.
Same as: INTNLREL 118S
POLISCI 218T. Terrorism. 5 Units.
The course is primarily concerned with variation in terrorist group behavior and therefore concentrates on issues on the organizational level of analysis. We address questions such as: Why and how do terrorist groups emerge? Who joins terrorist groups? Which organizational challenges do terrorists face and how do they solve them? Why are some groups more lethal than others? Why has suicide terrorism increased in the 2000s? How and why do groups decline? Topics such as counterterrorism, macrostructural determinants of terrorism, or the effects of terrorism will be treated only peripherally.
POLISCI 219. Directed Reading and Research in International Relations. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 223. The Politics of Gender in the United States. 5 Units.
Gender is one of the most recognizable and important identities in daily life. Yet it has been paid scant attention by political scientists in terms of its role on access to political power, opinion formation, group identity politics, election outcomes, and political representation. This class provides a survey of the literature on gender in American politics. We begin with the interdisciplinary research on the social construction of gender to understand what gender is and is not. Throughout the course we will use these theories to analyze and critique the approaches of quantitative research on gender politics.
Same as: FEMGEN 223X
POLISCI 223F. Ethics and Politics. 5 Units.
A discussion of critical ethical issues faced by American and other national leaders. Case studies of 20th- and 21st-century decisions, including those involved with violence (e.g., the use of drone missiles or torture to extract information from enemies), whistle-blowing in government (e.g., decisions to expose what was known about 9/11 in advance), disobedience of those in authority (e.g., Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers), policies on distributing scarce goods in society (e.g. rationing health care), policies involving justice and equal treatment (e.g. affirmative action or gay marriage), policies regarding life and death (e.g., abortion and euthanasia laws), and others. Students will debate some of the key issues, relying on ethical principles that will be discussed each week, and develop their own case studies.
Same as: ETHICSOC 202R
POLISCI 223R. Pivotal Moments in American Institutions and Public Law, 1781-Present. 5 Units.
American lawyers and policymakers work today in a system of institutions that are strikingly unique in comparative and historical terms. With some exceptions, that system is characterized by relatively stable political and legal institutions, low levels of explicit corruption, high bureaucratic capacity in public organizations, and relatively open, impersonal access to political, policymaking, and legal institutions. Although these characteristics are now too often taken for granted, the process through which they emerged remains remarkably opaque. In the 1780s under the Articles of Confederation, the United States was a poor developing country on the fringe of the Atlantic community with limited capacity and a striking inability to provide basic public goods, such as security. One hundred years later, it well along the way to becoming the richest nation in the world. How did this transformation occur?nnnDrawing on judicial opinions, legal scholarship, political science, economics, and history, this course explores how institutions evolved to create such a system. It traces the problem of institutional development through several critical periods in the history of American public law, including the emergence of the Constitution, the events leading up to and following the Civil War, the Progressive era, World War II, 1964-75, and the emergence of the modern administrative state. Although the primarily focus is on the American experience, we place these developments in comparative context as well.
POLISCI 224L. The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America. 4-5 Units.
Focus is on how politicians and government learn what Americans want and how the public's preferences shape government action; how surveys measure beliefs, preferences, and experiences; how poll results are criticized and interpreted; how conflict between polls is viewed by the public; how accurate surveys are and when they are accurate; how to conduct survey research to produce accurate measurements; designing questionnaires that people can understand and use comfortably; how question wording can manipulate poll results; corruption in survey research.
Same as: COMM 164, COMM 264, PSYCH 170
POLISCI 225C. Fixing US Politics: Political Reform in Principle and Practice. 5 Units.
Americans have been trying to perfect their system of government since its founding. Despite some notable achievements, there is a pervasive sense of frustration with political reform. This course will examine the goals and political consequences of American political regulation. Topics will vary by year to some degree but examples include campaign finance, lobbying, term limits, conflict of interest regulation, direct democracy, citizen commissions and assemblies, vote administration problems, transparency, and open meeting laws. Political Science 2 required or by special permission of the instructor.
POLISCI 226. Race and Racism in American Politics. 5 Units.
Topics include the historical conceptualization of race; whether and how racial animus reveals itself and the forms it might take; its role in the creation and maintenance of economic stratification; its effect on contemporary U.S. partisan and electoral politics; and policy making consequences.
Same as: AMSTUD 226, CSRE 226, POLISCI 326
POLISCI 226T. The Politics of Education. 5 Units.
America's public schools are government agencies, and virtually everything about them is subject to political authority--and thus to decision through the political process. This seminar is an effort to understand the politics of education and its impacts on the nation's schools. Our focus is on the modern era of reform, with special attention to the most prominent efforts to bring about fundamental change through accountability (including No Child Left Behind), school choice (charter schools, vouchers), pay for performance, and more and more to the politics of blocking that has made genuine reform so difficult to achieve.
Same as: POLISCI 326T
POLISCI 227. U.S. Immigration Politics. 5 Units.
This course presents an overview of immigration in the United States. We will focus on current policies, U.S. immigration history, individual immigrant groups, economic causes and consequences of immigration, attitudes toward immigrants, U.S. national identity, immigrant political behavior, undocumented immigration, immigrants and public education, language barriers and policies, and immigration reform. Although the course is crafted with a focus on the U.S. as a whole, we will also spend a little time at the end of the quarter narrowing in on the California context, before taking a broader look at immigration in Western Europe to gain a comparative prospective on immigration. Finally, while we will discuss immigrant groups beyond Latinos, the course will disproportionately focus on Latino immigrants, as this is by far the largest immigrant group in the United States.
POLISCI 228. The Democratic Faith: An Empirical Analysis of Citizenship. 5 Units.
Political scientists have now accumulated evidence over more than fifty years documenting the limits of ordinary citizens ¿ their minimal levels of information about public affairs; their minimal capacity for thinking coherently about political choices; their limited understanding of and commitment to core democratic values; their susceptibility to racism and intolerance of many forms. These findings, taken all in all, seem to add up to a conclusion that citizens are incapable of discharging the duties of democratic citizenship. It seems, these results suggest, that the best contribution that they can make to a democratic politics is to stay out of the way. The aim of this course to examine a paradox: how can it simultaneously be true that findings of citizen incompetence and intolerance are valid and that citizens nonetheless can be capable of discharging the duties of democratic citizenship. In particular, this course will concentrate on three main topics: racism in contemporary politics; commitment to civil liberties and civil rights, and multiculturalism. The course will require intensive reading and analysis of quantitative research on public opinion surveys and experiments.
POLISCI 229. Directed Reading and Research in American Politics. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 229R. Running Time: Running and Winning Elections. 5 Units.
This course aims to teach you the nuts-n-bolts of political campaigning. How do campaign consultants organize a campaign, draft a strategy, come up with a theme, target voters, raise money, write and produce ads and get voters to the ballot? Drawing upon academic writings in the fields of political science and communication, articles by campaign consultants, TV ads, and documentaries, you will learn all about how elections are won and lost. You will master, and yet learn to be critical of, current electoral politics with their emphasis on money, polls, and sound bites. Finally, you will harness this new knowledge to do some good, by promoting a worthy cause.
Same as: COMM 163
POLISCI 230A. Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought. 4-5 Units.
(Formerly CLASSHIS 133/333.) Political philosophy in classical antiquity, focusing on canonical works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. Historical background. Topics include: political obligation, citizenship, and leadership; origins and development of democracy; and law, civic strife, and constitutional change.
Same as: CLASSICS 181, CLASSICS 381, PHIL 176A, PHIL 276A, POLISCI 330A
POLISCI 231. High-Stakes Politics: Case Studies in Political Philosophy, Institutions, and Interests. 3-5 Units.
Normative political theory combined with positive political theory to better explain how major texts may have responded to and influenced changes in formal and informal institutions. Emphasis is on historical periods in which catastrophic institutional failure was a recent memory or a realistic possibility. Case studies include Greek city-states in the classical period and the northern Atlantic community of the 17th and 18th centuries including upheavals in England and the American Revolutionary era.
Same as: CLASSICS 382
POLISCI 231D. Science, Power and Democracy. 5 Units.
This course investigates the relationship between science and democracy, and between knowledge and power, in the modern world. Topics covered include the epistemic properties of democratic institutions; the question of expertise in democratic politics; the role of values in science and public policy; the relationship between democracy and technology; and the relationship between democracy and the social sciences. We also analyze a number of concrete issues at the intersection of politics and science, including climate change and biomedical research. The course is interdisciplinary in method and content, with readings ranging across political theory, philosophy, history, and the social sciences.
Same as: ETHICSOC 206R
POLISCI 231T. Democratic Accountability and Transparency. 5 Units.
This course critically examines two related democratic values, accountability and transparency. We begin with historical perspectives on accountability, tracing its centrality to democratic politics to ancient Athens and early modern debates about the nature and function of political representation. But the bulk of the course deals with contemporary issues and problems: how should we conceive of accountability, both conceptually and normatively, and what is its relationship to other values such as transparency and publicity? What forms of accountability are appropriate for modern democratic politics? Is accountability only for elites, or should ordinary citizens be accountable to one another? In what contexts are transparency and publicity valuable, and when might we instead find their operation counter-productive and troubling? Readings draw from canonical texts as well as contemporary political theory, philosophy, and political science.
Same as: ETHICSOC 207R
POLISCI 231Z. Topics in Democratic Theory. 5 Units.
Democratic rule is rule of the people. But what does that mean? This course explores democracy¿s roots in ancient Athens to its modern incarnation. The course aims to familiarize students with the various strands of democratic theory as well as the way democratic theory responds to hot political issues such as immigration and freedom of speech. The goal of the course is to equip students to think critically about democracy in the modern world and the different interpretation democratic rule can have. The questions we will investigate include: What does democracy require? What is the relationship between democracy and human rights or social justice? Can democracy justify border control? What restrictions, if any, does democracy place on hate speech? What is the role of courts in a democracy? The course provides tools to answer these questions by surveying different approaches to democracy in contemporary literature, as well surveying the history of democratic theory from ancient Athenian democracy to the modern age, with a look to the future of democracy in a globalized era.
POLISCI 232T. The Dialogue of Democracy. 4-5 Units.
All forms of democracy require some kind of communication so people can be aware of issues and make decisions. This course looks at competing visions of what democracy should be and different notions of the role of dialogue in a democracy. Is it just campaigning or does it include deliberation? Small scale discussions or sound bites on television? Or social media? What is the role of technology in changing our democratic practices, to mobilize, to persuade, to solve public problems? This course will include readings from political theory about democratic ideals - from the American founders to J.S. Mill and the Progressives to Joseph Schumpeter and modern writers skeptical of the public will. It will also include contemporary examinations of the media and the internet to see how those practices are changing and how the ideals can or cannot be realized.
Same as: AMSTUD 137, COMM 137W, COMM 237, POLISCI 332T
POLISCI 233F. Science, Technology, and Society in the Face of the Looming Disaster. 3-5 Units.
The major topic will be the indeterminacy regarding the survival of humankind. With the advent of the atomic bomb humankind became potentially the maker of its own demise. Will combine a number of significant case studies (environmental disasters, industrial catastrophes, threat of nuclear devastation, technological risks) with the lessons drawn from a form of literature that is at the intersection of STS and the Humanities, in particular the early warnings made by such thinkers as Ivan Illich, Martin Heidegger, Hans Jonas, Günther Anders, and Hannah Arendt.
Same as: FRENCH 228, ITALIAN 228
POLISCI 234P. Deliberative Democracy and its Critics. 3-5 Units.
This course examines the theory and practice of deliberative democracy and engages both in a dialogue with critics. In spring quarter 2015, this course will have a special focus on deliberative democracy in the the Greater China region. The course will discuss whether a democracy which emphasizes people thinking and talking together on the basis of good information be made practical in the modern age. What kinds of distortions arise when people try to discuss politics or policy together? The course draws on ideas as well as criticisms from the jury literature, from the psychology of group processes and from the most recent normative and empirical literature on deliberative forums. Case studies from the Deliberative Polling method and other deliberation methods, its applications, defenders and critics, both normative and empirical, will provide a cases studies for discussion. Some course sessions will utilize the case method to examine public consultations, the media, and civil society. Throughout the course, students will address how public participation is currently conducted around the world. As we have all seen successful, but more likely unsuccessful attempts to consult the public and this course will examine the various ways of consulting the public and how governments, media, and the public have responded and used the results.
Same as: AMSTUD 135, COMM 135, COMM 235, COMM 335, POLISCI 334P
POLISCI 235J. Creative Political Thinking: From Machiavelli to Madison. 4-5 Units.
How can we account for creativity and innovation in political thinking? Are these qualities simply a product of political expediency and rhetorical urgency, or do they also depend on qualities of mind and historical contingencies that have to be studied individually? This class will explore these questions with three noteworthy cases: Niccolo Machiavelli, John Locke, and James Madison. Extensive reading in both primary writings and secondary sources.
Same as: HISTORY 205G, HISTORY 305G, POLISCI 335J
POLISCI 236. Theories of Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Nonprofit Sector. 5 Units.
What is the basis of private action for the public good? How are charitablenndollars distributed and what role do nonprofit organizations andnnphilanthropic dollars play in a modern democracy? How do nongovernmental nnorganizations operate domestically and globally? The historical developmentnnand modern structure of civil society emphasizing philanthropy and thennnonprofit sector. Readings in political philosophy, political sociology, andnnpublic policy. WIM for PoliSci students who enroll in POLISCI 236S.
Same as: ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236S
POLISCI 236S. Theories of Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Nonprofit Sector. 5 Units.
What is the basis of private action for the public good? How are charitablenndollars distributed and what role do nonprofit organizations andnnphilanthropic dollars play in a modern democracy? How do nongovernmental nnorganizations operate domestically and globally? The historical developmentnnand modern structure of civil society emphasizing philanthropy and thennnonprofit sector. Readings in political philosophy, political sociology, andnnpublic policy. WIM for PoliSci students who enroll in POLISCI 236S.
Same as: ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236
POLISCI 237M. Politics and Evil. 5 Units.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the political theorist Hannah Arendt wrote that ¿the problem of evil will be the fundamental question of postwar intellectual life in Europe.¿ This question remains fundamental today. The acts to which the word ¿evil¿ might apply¿genocide, terrorism, torture, human trafficking, etc.¿persist. The rhetoric of evil also remains central to American political discourse, both as a means of condemning such acts and of justifying preventive and punitive measures intended to combat them. In this advanced undergraduate seminar, we will examine the intersection of politics and evil by considering works by philosophers and political theorists, with occasional forays into film and media. The thinkers covered will include: Hannah Arendt, Immanuel Kant, Niccolò Machiavelli, Friedrich Nietzche, and Michael Walzer.
Same as: ETHICSOC 237M
POLISCI 237S. Civil Society and Democracy in Comparative Perspective. 5 Units.
A cross-national approach to the study of civil societies and their role in democracy. The concept of civil society--historical, normative, and empirical. Is civil society a universal or culturally relative concept? Does civil society provide a supportive platform for democracy or defend a protected realm of private action against the state? How are the norms of individual rights, the common good, and tolerance balanced in diverse civil societies? Results of theoretical exploration applied to student-conducted empirical research projects on civil societies in eight countries. Summary comparative discussions. Prerequisite: a course on civil society or political theory. Students will conduct original research in teams of two on the selected nations. Enrollment limited to 18. Enrollment preference given to students who have taken POLISCI 236S/ETHICSOC 232T.
Same as: ETHICSOC 237
POLISCI 238. Political Disagreement. 5 Units.
Disagreement is a permanent and ubiquitous feature of political life. Furthermore, political disagreement can stem from a wide range of sources. Perhaps most importantly, democratic citizens disagree at the level of values: they disagree about the proper form of the good life as well as the human interests that political laws and institutions ought to serve. This course will focus primary attention on the implications of such value-based disagreement for how we should think about political justice.
POLISCI 238C. Governing the 21st Century World. 5 Units.
How is our world governed, and by whom? How are decisions made on the most important issues of our time, including climate change, global inequality, and protection of human rights? A traditional answer to these questions is that only official governments have the power to govern -to set and enforce rules on these and other issues. In contrast, this class explores the emerging roles ofnnon-state actors, including NGOs, for-profit corporations, informal social movements, and international institutions, in governing our world and making decisions on these and other key issues. We will also study the ways that the governance by non-state actors challenges our ideas of democracy, legitimacy, and justice. The class thus seeks to bring together perspectives and tools from both empirical social science and political theory in order to better understand this important phenomenon.
POLISCI 238T. History of International Relations Thought. 5 Units.
In this course, we will examine the intellectual origins of contemporary theories and approaches to international politics. In particular, we will trace the classical and early modern roots of contemporary realism, idealism, and cosmopolitanism. We will also address some of the enduring normative and empirical questions about international politics: (1) What is the basis of political power and authority? (2) What rights and obligations do individuals have? (3) What rights and obligations do states have? (4) What are the causes of conflict? (5) What are the prospects for enduring peace? Thinkers covered may include: Thucydides, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Grotius, Hobbes, Kant, Morgenthau, and Waltz.
Same as: INTNLREL 136
POLISCI 239. Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 240C. The Comparative Political Economy of Post-Communist Transitions. 3-4 Units.
Dominant theoretical perspectives of comparative democratization and marketization; focus is on the political economy of transition in Eastern Europe and Eurasia while comparing similar processes in Latin America and Asia. Topics include: meanings of democracy, synergy between democracies and markets, causes of the collapse of communism, paths to political liberalization and democracy, civil society, constitutions, parliaments, presidents, the rule of law, electoral systems, market requirements, strategies of reform, the Russian experience of market building, exporting democracy and the market, and foreign aid and assistance.
POLISCI 240T. Democracy, Promotion, and American Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
Theoretical and intellectual debates about democracy promotion with focus on realism versus liberalism. The evolution of these debates with attention to the Cold War, the 90s, and American foreign policy after 9/11. Tools for and bureaucratic struggles over how to promote democracy. Contemporary case studies.
POLISCI 241A. An Introduction to Political Economy of Development. 5 Units.
This course is an upper-level undergraduate seminar providing an introduction to the political economy of development. This course explores sources of economic growth, inequality, poverty, and other aspects of development with a particular focus on political institutions. We first explore the patterns of development in the world and then overview basic theories of development. Second, we review the key areas of debate within the study of development, including the role of the state, the consequences of corruption, the effects of natural resources, and gender. The course consists of lectures on theoretical and empirical approaches and the discussion on the literature and cases.
POLISCI 241C. Campaigns and Elections in Israel. 5 Units.
Employing a theoretical and comparative framework, this seminar focuses on campaigns and elections in Israel. The seminar is divided into two interrelated sections. In the first section, we will cover voting behavior. Here we will look at Israel¿s election laws, its political culture, socialization and cleavages, turnout, political sophistication, ideology, partisanship and issue voting. In the second half of the semester we will examine elections from the perspective of candidates and campaign strategists. The topics we will focus on include election laws, public and private campaign finance, campaign strategy, media, polling, and advertising. In examining these topics, we will cover a variety of elections campaigns since Israel¿s birth, with an emphasis on the most recent ones.
Same as: JEWISHST 271C
POLISCI 241S. Spatial Approaches to Social Science. 5 Units.
This multidisciplinary course combines different approaches to how GIS and spatial tools can be applied in social science research. We take a collaborative, project oriented approach to bring together technical expertise and substantive applications from several social science disciplines. The course aims to integrate tools, methods, and current debates in social science research and will enable students to engage in critical spatial research and a multidisciplinary dialogue around geographic space.
Same as: ANTHRO 130D, ANTHRO 230D, URBANST 124
POLISCI 242A. Why is Africa Poor?. 5 Units.
Living standards around the world have increased, in many cases exponentially, throughout the previous century. Yet Sub-Saharan Africa remains, by a considerable margin, the poorest region on Earth. This course asks three questions: Why is Africa poor? When did it become so? And will it remain so for the foreseeable future? The course draws on a range of social science disciplines -anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology - to offer tentative answers.
POLISCI 242C. Corruption, Conflict and Financial Crisis: Contemporary Global Politics and Journalism. 5 Units.
This course offers students interested in contemporary global politics a unique introduction to the critical analysis of current events through the lens of award-winning non-fiction writing. Each week, we will explore a new political issue crucial to understanding today¿s world by reading some of the most gripping (and best written!) first- and second-hand narratives of these events, as recounted by journalists, academics and documentarians working in the field. Topics will include: global poverty, the overthrow of authoritarian regimes, terrorism, genocide and crimes against humanity, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, financial crises, and political corruption. In class, students will discuss the readings and learn to apply major social scientific theories to systematically analyze these complex political issues. Through this course, students will not only gain exposure to some exemplary writing on topics of current importance, but also acquire the skills and tools necessary to understand some of the most intractable and interesting problems in the world today.
POLISCI 243C. The Political Economy of Development. 5 Units.
Why are some countries rich and others poor? What explains the economic policies that governments adopt, and how do those policies affect economic performance? Why some policies persist over time while other don't? We will use tools from political science and economics to explore these important questions. The readings for this course will include conceptual and historical material from many geographic regions. As we explore the fascinating relationship between politics and economics, we will evaluate hypotheses according to robust and sound empirical evidence.
POLISCI 243E. Political Economy of Development in Rural India. 5 Units.
When and why do farmers accept, manipulate, or overthrow the pre-existingnndistribution of political, economic and social power?nnThis course will help students utilize political economy theories and methods of analysisnnto understand the institutional dynamics of change in rural India. First, it will providennstudents with a deeper understanding of the nature of change in a particularly dynamic,nnvaried and influential state with a mainly-rural population: India. Second, it will focus onnnthree major topics in political economy: control over land; taxation and investment; andnnanti-state resistance. The course will draw from political science¿s examinations of hownnand why states succeed, fail, and conduct major reforms by examining these questions innnthe context of rural India¿s small farmers. Indian political institutions are simultaneouslynnlauded as extremely stable, highly-prone to decentralized rebellion, and models fornnvoice and innovation from which the rest of the world has much to learn.nnOverall, this course will expect students to engage with the political economy literature ¿ both historical and contemporary ¿ in order to develop two short research papers and present well-argued positions in class-wide debates on the nature of political, economic and social change driven by and for small farmers in rural India.
POLISCI 243L. Politics of Economic Reform. 5 Units.
Description to come.
POLISCI 244. An Introduction to Political Development. 5 Units.
Political development concerns the evolution of three categories of institutions: (1) the state itself; (2) the rule of law; and (3) accountable government. Focus on many of the major theories of political development, beginning with some classic social theorists and continuing up through the present.
POLISCI 244A. Authoritarian Politics. 3-5 Units.
Examination of how authoritarian regimes govern. Topics include: historical determinants of authoritarian government, typologies of authoritarian rule and impact of authoritarian governance on economic growth.
Same as: POLISCI 344A
POLISCI 244C. Political Change in Latin America: The contemporary challenge to democracy. 5 Units.
The purpose is to present the contemporary tendencies that characterize the mutation of democracy in Latin America. Along with a general conceptualization, focus will be given to specific cases that illustrate concepts. Three axes constitute the frame of the course: the background, the new trends of democracy on the eve of the 21st century, and the emergence of "refoundational" government and movements.
POLISCI 244P. Religion and Politics in Latin America. 5 Units.
The purpose of this seminar is to introduce students to the complexities of Politics and Religion in Latin America from a historical and sociological perspective. The seminar will examine the evolution of Church-State-Society-Community-Individual relations in Latin America, from Independence to present day. Topics will include new definitions of religious freedom, debates concerning the so called ¿lay State¿ (Estado laico), secularization, and the role of the lay or secular state and religious groups in the development of democratic or authoritarian regimes, as well as civil and religious freedoms, particularly sexual and reproductive rights and bioethical issues (contraception, abortion euthanasia, stem cell research, homosexual rights and homophobia). nThe course will combine a series of reading tests designed to introduce central questions of the texts with a critical discussion of the assigned source material, in order to develop a knowledgeable approach and research interest in the student.
POLISCI 244T. Organized Crime and Democracy in Latin America. 5 Units.
Scholars and policy analysts have long emphasized the strength of the rule of law as a key determinant of economic development and social opportunity. They also agree that the rule of law requires an effective and accountable legal system. The growth of transnational organized crime is a major impediment, however, to the creation of effective and accountable legal systems. nThis seminar examines how and why transnational criminal organizations have developed in Latin America, explores why they constitute a major challenge to the consolidation of democratic societies, economic development and individual rights. It also examines the efforts of governments to combat them, with a focus on the experiences of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. The course examines these cases in order to draw lessons¿by pointing to both successes and failures¿of use to policy analysts, legal scholars, and practitioners.
Same as: INTNLREL 152, IPS 247
POLISCI 244U. Political Culture. 5 Units.
Implications of cultural coordination and cultural difference for political processes and institutions. Prerequisite: 4 or equivalent.
Same as: POLISCI 344U
POLISCI 245A. Politics and Public Finance. 5 Units.
The main related but different questions addressed by course are: nhow states have, through history, financed their expenditures, e.g. by taxing people or issuing public debt; how different political and fiscal institutions have been shaped by the varying need of the state to collect revenues (such as war, revolution threats, increasing demand of redistribution by the ¿median voter¿).n nWe will focus mainly, but not only, on the historical experience of the Western World (e.g. Europe and the US), and pay special attention to the nature of political institutions in place (e.g. absolutist regimes, constitutional monarchies, different forms of democracy), over a relatively long period of time (i.e. beginning with the). The exposition will not necessarily follow a chronological order, but rather a logical one (in some sense).
POLISCI 245E. Middle East Politics. 5 Units.
This course offers a thematic approach to the study of Middle Eastern politics. We will overview the major areas of political science research on the contemporary Middle East while simultaneously building empirical knowledge about the politics of individual countries in the region. Topics to be covered include: state capacity and democracy; economic development and mineral resources; the politics of religion and gender; international relations and civil conflict; terrorism and revolution.
POLISCI 245R. Politics in Modern Iran. 5 Units.
Modern Iran has been a smithy for political movements, ideologies, and types of states. Movements include nationalism, constitutionalism, Marxism, Islamic fundamentalism, social democracy, Islamic liberalism, and fascism. Forms of government include Oriental despotism, authoritarianism, Islamic theocracy, and liberal democracy. These varieties have appeared in Iran in an iteration shaped by history, geography, proximity to oil and the Soviet Union, and the hegemony of Islamic culture.
POLISCI 246P. The Dynamics of Change in Africa. 4-5 Units.
Crossdisciplinary colloquium; required for the M.A. degree in African Studies. Open to advanced undergraduates and PhD students. Addresses critical issues including patterns of economic collapse and recovery; political change and democratization; and political violence, civil war, and genocide. Focus on cross-cutting issues including the impact of colonialism; the role of religion, ethnicity, and inequality; and Africa's engagement with globalization.
Same as: AFRICAST 301A, HISTORY 346, POLISCI 346P
POLISCI 247G. Governance and Poverty. 5 Units.
Poverty relief requires active government involvement in the provision of public services such as drinking water, healthcare, sanitation, education, roads, electricity and public safety. Failure to deliver public services is a major impediment to the alleviation of poverty in the developing world. This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to examining these issues, bringing together readings from across the disciplines of political science, economics, law, medicine and education to increase understanding of the complex causal linkages between political institutions, the quality of governance, and the capacity of developing societies to meet basic human needs. Conceived in a broadly comparative international perspective, the course will examine cross-national and field-based research projects, with a particular focus on Latin America and Mexico.
POLISCI 248L. Political-Economy of Crime and Violence in Latin America. 5 Units.
Latin America has experienced a significant wave of crime and violence in the past two decades.Criminal organizations have penetrated State organizations and are increasingly embedded insociety. These organizations have created wide and solid networks all over the region, including theUnited States. The activities of criminal organizations in Latin America have eroded the social fabric,weakened State institutions, have caused a significant number of deaths, and have created strong disincentives for productive investment. The course aims at acquainting students with the political-economy of crime and violence. It focuses on understanding the incentives that individuals face for engaging in criminal activities; the incentives that criminal organizations have to use violence against each other, against citizens, and against State forces; the incentives that citizens face to side, or not, with criminal organizations; andnthe responses that States have structured against crime and violence.nThe course focuses on Latin America, but also learns from the case of the United States for which there is a relatively more extensive literature. The course makes extensive use of available data on the topic and emphasizes the learning of adequate methods for measuring these phenomena.
Same as: POLISCI 348L
POLISCI 248S. Latin American Politics. 5 Units.
Fundamental transformations in Latin America in the last two decades: why most governments are now democratic or semidemocratic; and economic transformation as countries abandoned import substitution industrialization policies led by state intervention for neoliberal economic polices. The nature of this dual transformation.
Same as: POLISCI 348S
POLISCI 249. Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 249P. Introduction to Israeli Politics. 5 Units.
This course aims to introduce students to Israel¿s political system and its major actors. We will survey Israel¿s political landscape, both chronologically and thematically, covering the major issues and conflicts which have dominated Israeli politics since its inception.
Same as: INTNLREL 163, JEWISHST 279P
POLISCI 259. Directed Reading and Research in Political Methodology. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 291. Political Institutions. 5 Units.
This course focuses on the role of political institutions in shaping policy outcomes around the world, with special attention to the United States. Students will become familiar with a wide range of theoretical approaches to the study of institutions, and they will learn the basics of applied quantitative empirical analysis. Enrollment is restricted to Political Science Research Honors Track students.
POLISCI 292. Political Behavior. 5 Units.
This research seminar will survey important topics in the study of mass political behavior including public opinion, political participation, partisanship and voting. Open only to students in the Political Science Research Honors Track.
POLISCI 293. Research Design. 5 Units.
This course is designed to teach students how to design a research project. The course emphasizes the specification of testable hypotheses, the building of data sets, and the inferences from that may be drawn from that evidence. It is only open to students in the PS Research Honors Track.
POLISCI 299A. Honors Thesis. 1-5 Unit.
Students conduct independent research work towards a senior honors thesis. Restricted to students in the Research Track Honors Program in Political Science.
POLISCI 299B. Honors Thesis. 1-5 Unit.
Students conduct independent research work towards a senior honors thesis.
POLISCI 299C. Honors Thesis. 1-5 Unit.
Students conduct independent research work towards a senior honors thesis.
POLISCI 299Q. Honors Thesis Seminar. 3-5 Units.
Restricted to Research Honors Track students who have completed POLISCI 291, 292, and 293.
POLISCI 314D. Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. 5 Units.
Links among the establishment of democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law. How democratic, economically developed states arise. How the rule of law can be established where it has been historically absent. Variations in how such systems function and the consequences of institutional forms and choices. How democratic systems have arisen in different parts of the world. Available policy instruments used in international democracy, rule of law, and development promotion efforts.
Same as: INTNLREL 114D, IPS 230, POLISCI 114D
POLISCI 314R. Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Pick up application in Political Science Department (Encina West 100).
Same as: POLISCI 214R
POLISCI 315. Living at the Nuclear Brink: Yesterday and Today. 3 Units.
The development, testing, and proliferation of nuclear weapons will be covered, from World War II through the Cold War to the present. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the evolving role of these weapons, both militarily and politically. It will also examine controversies and opposition movements to nuclear weapons and their use. The course will feature numerous guest speakers from Stanford and beyond. Students will be required to write in-depth analyses of specific nuclear weapons policy questions. Following this course, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of the profound dangers these weapons continue to present to the world today.
Same as: IPS 249, POLISCI 115
POLISCI 315A. The Rise of Asia. 3-5 Units.
We will examine the sources and implications of the rise of Asia in the international system. Topics will include military competition, international cooperation, regional integration, domestic politics, business and investment, legalization, environmental issues, demographics, social issues, and the role of technology.
Same as: POLISCI 115A
POLISCI 315F. Nuclear Weapons and International Politics. 5 Units.
Why do states develop nuclear weapons and why do some states, that have the technological capacity to build nuclear weapons, refrain from doing so? What are the strategic consequences of new states deploying nuclear weapons? What is the relationship between the spread of nuclear energy and the spread of nuclear weapons? We will study the political science and history literature on these topics. Research paper required.
Same as: POLISCI 215F
POLISCI 316. International History and International Relations Theory. 5 Units.
The relationship between history and political science as disciplines. Sources include studies by historians and political scientists on topics such as the origins of WW I, the role of nuclear weapons in international politics, the end of the Cold War, nongovernmental organizations in international relations, and change and continuity in the international system.
Same as: HISTORY 202, HISTORY 306E, POLISCI 216E
POLISCI 316S. Decision Making in U.S. Foreign Policy. 5 Units.
Formal and informal processes involved in U.S. foreign policy decision making. The formation, conduct, and implementation of policy, emphasizing the role of the President and executive branch agencies. Theoretical and analytical perspectives; case studies. Interested students should attend the first day of class. Admission will be by permission of the instructor. Priority to IPS students.
Same as: IPS 316S
POLISCI 318J. Japanese Politics and International Relations. 5 Units.
The domestic politics, political economy, and international relations of contemporary Japan. The role of political parties, the bureaucracy, and private actors. Economic development and challenges. Relations with the United States and East Asia.
Same as: POLISCI 218J
POLISCI 319. Directed Reading in International Relations. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 321. Law and Politics Workshop. 2-3 Units.
This workshop will feature guest speakers who are political scientists or law professors specializing in the legal regulation of politics. Students will be responsible for response papers to each scholarly paper presented. On weeks without guest speakers, topics to be covered will include election law, administrative law, legislation, judicial behavior and public opinion, as well as the political science relevant to those areas of law. The final grade will be determined by class participation (10%), response papers (30%) and final research paper (60%). Students can take the course for R credit for either 2 or 3 units, depending on paper length. Elements used in grading: Class participation (10%), Response papers (30%) and final paper of no less than 18 pages for 2 units of credit and 26 pages for 3 units of credit (60%). (Cross-listed as POLISCI 321).
POLISCI 322S. Topics in Constitutional History. 5 Units.
Originalism has become the dominant topic in contemporary constitutional interpretation. Is it possible to interpret the Constitution according to its original, meaning, intentions, and understandings? Should we think of the Constitution as a fixed set of rules laid down linguistically, or a set of understandings shaped by the nation's history? How should modern interpreters assess the legacy of major epochs of constitutional change, from the founding era through Reconstruction and on to the great disputes over the New Deal and civil rights? These are the questions this course will entertain.
POLISCI 323. Pivotal Moments in American Institutions and Public Law, 1781-Present. 5 Units.
(Same as LAW 680) American lawyers and policymakers work today in a system of institutions that are strikingly unique in comparative and historical terms. With some exceptions, that system is characterized by relatively stable political and legal institutions, low levels of explicit corruption, high bureaucratic capacity in public organizations, and relatively open, impersonal access to political, policymaking, and legal institutions. Although these characteristics are now too often taken for granted, the process through which they emerged remains remarkably opaque. In the 1780s under the Articles of Confederation, the United States was a poor developing country on the fringe of the Atlantic community with limited capacity and a striking inability to provide basic public goods, such as security. One hundred years later, it well along the way to becoming the richest nation in the world. How did this transformation occur?nnnDrawing on judicial opinions, legal scholarship, political science, economics, and history, this course explores how institutions evolved to create such a system. It traces the problem of institutional development through several critical periods in the history of American public law, including the emergence of the Constitution, the events leading up to and following the Civil War, the Progressive era, World War II, 1964-75, and the emergence of the modern administrative state. Although the primarily focus is on the American experience, we place these developments in comparative context as well.
POLISCI 323R. The Press and the Political Process. 4-5 Units.
(Graduate students register for COMM 260.) The role of mass media and other channels of communication in political and electoral processes.
Same as: COMM 160, COMM 260
POLISCI 324. Graduate Seminar in Political Psychology. 1-3 Unit.
For students interested in research in political science, psychology, or communication. Methodological techniques for studying political attitudes and behaviors. May be repeated for credit.
Same as: COMM 308
POLISCI 326. Race and Racism in American Politics. 5 Units.
Topics include the historical conceptualization of race; whether and how racial animus reveals itself and the forms it might take; its role in the creation and maintenance of economic stratification; its effect on contemporary U.S. partisan and electoral politics; and policy making consequences.
Same as: AMSTUD 226, CSRE 226, POLISCI 226
POLISCI 326T. The Politics of Education. 5 Units.
America's public schools are government agencies, and virtually everything about them is subject to political authority--and thus to decision through the political process. This seminar is an effort to understand the politics of education and its impacts on the nation's schools. Our focus is on the modern era of reform, with special attention to the most prominent efforts to bring about fundamental change through accountability (including No Child Left Behind), school choice (charter schools, vouchers), pay for performance, and more and more to the politics of blocking that has made genuine reform so difficult to achieve.
Same as: POLISCI 226T
POLISCI 327. Minority Behavior and Representation. 5 Units.
Politics of minorities in the U.S. Topics include: historic and contemporary struggles of Latinos, African Americans, and gays and lesbians for political power and social acceptance; group-level public opinion and electoral behavior; scholarship on group influence in the policy making process and policy issues of importance; and the jurisprudence shaping minority political access and civil rights.
POLISCI 327C. Regulation of the Political Process. 3-5 Units.
Combined with LAW 577. This course is intended to give students a basic understanding of the themes in the legal regulation of elections and politics. We will cover all the major Supreme Court cases on topics of voting rights, reapportionment/redistricting, ballot access, regulation of political parties, campaign finance, and the 2000 presidential election controversy. The course pays particular attention to competing political philosophies and empirical assumptions that underlie the Court's reasoning while still focusing on the cases as litigation tools used to serve political ends. Elements used in grading: Class participation and one day take home final exam. (POLISCI 327C; LAW 577).
Same as: COMM 361
POLISCI 329. Directed Reading and Research in American Politics. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 330. Social and Political Philosophy of Hegel and Marx. 4 Units.
.
Same as: ETHICSOC 330R, PHIL 330
POLISCI 330A. Classical Seminar: Origins of Political Thought. 4-5 Units.
(Formerly CLASSHIS 133/333.) Political philosophy in classical antiquity, focusing on canonical works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. Historical background. Topics include: political obligation, citizenship, and leadership; origins and development of democracy; and law, civic strife, and constitutional change.
Same as: CLASSICS 181, CLASSICS 381, PHIL 176A, PHIL 276A, POLISCI 230A
POLISCI 332. Topics in Political Philosophy. 5 Units.
Leading ideas in A Theory of Justice, Political Liberalism, and The Law of Peoples..
Same as: PHIL 372D
POLISCI 332T. The Dialogue of Democracy. 4-5 Units.
All forms of democracy require some kind of communication so people can be aware of issues and make decisions. This course looks at competing visions of what democracy should be and different notions of the role of dialogue in a democracy. Is it just campaigning or does it include deliberation? Small scale discussions or sound bites on television? Or social media? What is the role of technology in changing our democratic practices, to mobilize, to persuade, to solve public problems? This course will include readings from political theory about democratic ideals - from the American founders to J.S. Mill and the Progressives to Joseph Schumpeter and modern writers skeptical of the public will. It will also include contemporary examinations of the media and the internet to see how those practices are changing and how the ideals can or cannot be realized.
Same as: AMSTUD 137, COMM 137W, COMM 237, POLISCI 232T
POLISCI 333. Rational and Social Agency. 2-5 Units.
Contemporary discussions of practical reason, individual rational agency, planning agency, diachronic agency, intention, belief, intentional action, shared agency, identification and self-governance. Tentative list of authors whose work will be studied includes: Michael Bratman, Margaret Gilbert, Richard Holton, Christine Korsgaard, Alfred Mele, Kieran Setiya, Scott Shapiro, Michael Smith, David Velleman, Jay Wallace, and Gary Watson.
Same as: PHIL 377
POLISCI 333S. Marx. 2-4 Units.
This course examines the works of a thinker who radically transformed the ways that we think about modern society. Marx saw fundamental problems with capitalist societies, including: un-freedom, alienation, inequality, and bureaucratization. He developed a theory to account for these problems. Our task will be to read his works critically and to evaluate their contributions to our understanding the relationship between politics, social structure, knowledge and human agency. We will also be especially interested in comparing his view with alternative diagnoses of the problems of modern capitalist societies, especially those of Max Weber and John Rawls.
Same as: PHIL 339
POLISCI 334. Philanthropy and Civil Society. 1-3 Unit.
Cross-listed with Law (LAW 781), Political Science (POLISCI 334) and Sociology (SOC 374). Associated with the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). Year-long workshop for doctoral students and advanced undergraduates writing senior theses on the nature of civil society or philanthropy. Focus is on pursuit of progressive research and writing contributing to the current scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy. Accomplished in a large part through peer review. Readings include recent scholarship in aforementioned fields. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 9 units.
Same as: EDUC 374, SOC 374
POLISCI 334P. Deliberative Democracy and its Critics. 3-5 Units.
This course examines the theory and practice of deliberative democracy and engages both in a dialogue with critics. In spring quarter 2015, this course will have a special focus on deliberative democracy in the the Greater China region. The course will discuss whether a democracy which emphasizes people thinking and talking together on the basis of good information be made practical in the modern age. What kinds of distortions arise when people try to discuss politics or policy together? The course draws on ideas as well as criticisms from the jury literature, from the psychology of group processes and from the most recent normative and empirical literature on deliberative forums. Case studies from the Deliberative Polling method and other deliberation methods, its applications, defenders and critics, both normative and empirical, will provide a cases studies for discussion. Some course sessions will utilize the case method to examine public consultations, the media, and civil society. Throughout the course, students will address how public participation is currently conducted around the world. As we have all seen successful, but more likely unsuccessful attempts to consult the public and this course will examine the various ways of consulting the public and how governments, media, and the public have responded and used the results.
Same as: AMSTUD 135, COMM 135, COMM 235, COMM 335, POLISCI 234P
POLISCI 335A. Adam Smith: From Moral Philosophy to Political Economy. 3-5 Units.
This course is designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates interested in moral philosophy or modern political economy. The course blends two approaches to Adam Smith. We use political thought and intellectual history to introduce students to the intellectual roots of ¿classical Liberalism¿; asking: What are the moral psychological foundations of justice?, Does the free market make everyone, including the least advantaged, better off? How do we sustain a good society? We use social science to study Smith¿s integrated approach to human cooperation in three realms, society, politics, and markets; asking: ¿Why isn¿t the entire world developed? How did Europe develop out of feudalism? How does a community sustain moral behavior? The two perspectives allow us to discover that Smith has ideas on these subjects that expand today¿s frontiers of both positive and normative social science.
POLISCI 335J. Creative Political Thinking: Three Cases. 5 Units.
.
Same as: POLISCI 235J
POLISCI 335L. Roads Not Taken, 1880-1960. 4 Units.
This course is intended to illuminate ideas about justice, freedom, equality, democracy, peace, and social conflict, and to raise persisting questions about such topics as the role of violence in politics through looking at the ideas of America writers such as Edward Bellamy, W.E.B. DuBois, Eugene Debs, Jane Addams, Emma Goldman, John Dewey and Reinhold Niebuhr.
Same as: AMSTUD 275R, ETHICSOC 275R, PHIL 275R
POLISCI 336. Introduction to Global Justice. 4 Units.
Recent work in political theory on global justice. Topics include global poverty, human rights, fair trade, immigration, climate change. Do developed countries have a duty to aid developing countries? Do rich countries have the right to close their borders to economic immigrants? When is humanitarian intervention justified? Readings include Charles Beitz, Thomas Pogge, John Rawls.
Same as: ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R
POLISCI 336C. French Political Thought From Rousseau to the Present. 3-5 Units.
An overview of the current awakening of French political thought as it is grounded in a new reading of the great classics of French social thought, from Rousseau to Tocqueville and Benjamin Constant. Readings of Lefort, Castoriadis, Louis Dumont, Ricoeur, Furet, Manent, Ferry, Renaut, Gauchet, Raynaud, etc. Readings in French. (Translations in English will be made available whenever possible.) Discussions in French and in English.
Same as: FRENCH 245
POLISCI 336S. Justice. 4-5 Units.
Focus is on the ideal of a just society, and the place of liberty and equality in it, in light of contemporary theories of justice and political controversies. Topics include financing schools and elections, regulating markets, discriminating against people with disabilities, and enforcing sexual morality. Counts as Writing in the Major for PoliSci majors.
Same as: ETHICSOC 171, IPS 208, PHIL 171, PHIL 271, POLISCI 3P, POLISCI 136S, PUBLPOL 103C, PUBLPOL 307
POLISCI 337A. Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition. 4 Units.
(Graduate students register for 276.) Why and under what conditions do human beings need political institutions? What makes them legitimate or illegitimate? What is the nature, source, and extent of the obligation to obey the legitimate ones, and how should people alter or overthrow the others? Study of the answers given to such questions by major political theorists of the early modern period: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant.
Same as: PHIL 176, PHIL 276, POLISCI 137A
POLISCI 337S. Seminar on Liberation Technologies. 1 Unit.
This one-unit seminar will present speakers relevant in a variety ofnways to how various forms of information technology are being used tondefend human rights, improve governance, deepen democracy, empower thenpoor, promote economic development, protect the environment, enhancenpublic health, and pursue a variety of other social goods.
Same as: CS 546
POLISCI 337T. Designing Liberation Technology. 3-4 Units.
Small project teams work with NGOs to design new technologies for promoting development and democracy. Students conduct observations to identify needs, generate concepts, create prototypes, and test their appropriateness. Some projects may continue past the quarter toward full-scale implementation. Taught through the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanfordn(http://dschool.stanford.edu). Enrollment limited. Application required. Prerequisites: consent of instructor(s). Design Institute class; see http://dschool.stanford.edu.
Same as: CS 379L
POLISCI 338E. The Problem of Evil in Literature, Film, and Philosophy. 3-5 Units.
Conceptions of evil and its nature and source, distinctions between natural and moral evil, and what belongs to God versus to the human race have undergone transformations reflected in literature and film. Sources include Rousseau's response to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake; Hannah Arendt's interpretation of Auschwitz; Günther Anders' reading of Hiroshima; and current reflections on looming climatic and nuclear disasters. Readings from Rousseau, Kant, Dostoevsky, Arendt, Anders, Jonas, Camus, Ricoeur, Houellebeck, Girard. Films by Lang, Bergman, Losey, Hitchcock.
Same as: FRENCH 265
POLISCI 339. Directed Reading and Research in Political Theory. 1-5 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 340L. China in World Politics. 5 Units.
The implications of the rise of China in contemporary world politics and for American foreign policy, including issues such as arms and nuclear proliferation, regional security arrangements, international trade and investment, human rights, environmental problems, and the Taiwan and Tibet questions.
Same as: POLISCI 140L
POLISCI 344. Politics and Geography. 3-5 Units.
The role of geography in topics in political economy, including development, political representation, voting, redistribution, regional autonomy movements, fiscal competition, and federalism.
POLISCI 344A. Authoritarian Politics. 3-5 Units.
Examination of how authoritarian regimes govern. Topics include: historical determinants of authoritarian government, typologies of authoritarian rule and impact of authoritarian governance on economic growth.
Same as: POLISCI 244A
POLISCI 344U. Political Culture. 5 Units.
Implications of cultural coordination and cultural difference for political processes and institutions. Prerequisite: 4 or equivalent.
Same as: POLISCI 244U
POLISCI 346P. The Dynamics of Change in Africa. 4-5 Units.
Crossdisciplinary colloquium; required for the M.A. degree in African Studies. Open to advanced undergraduates and PhD students. Addresses critical issues including patterns of economic collapse and recovery; political change and democratization; and political violence, civil war, and genocide. Focus on cross-cutting issues including the impact of colonialism; the role of religion, ethnicity, and inequality; and Africa's engagement with globalization.
Same as: AFRICAST 301A, HISTORY 346, POLISCI 246P
POLISCI 347D. Rebooting Government with Design Thinking. 3-4 Units.
Students apply tools of human-centered design to issues of government performance. Small project teams work with NGO and government partners (in the U.S. and abroad) on concrete design challenges focused on issues such as how to deliver services more effectively and ensure that citizens¿ voices are heard. Students identify needs, generate concepts, create prototypes, and test their appropriateness. Taught through the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (http://dschool.stanford.edu). Enrollment limited. Application required. Prerequisites: consent of instructor(s).
Same as: PUBLPOL 347D
POLISCI 348. Chinese Politics: The Transformation and the Era of Reform. 3-5 Units.
Overview of the reforms in China since 1978 that have made its economy one of the fastest growing in the world yet it still has the Chinese Communist Party at the helm wielding one party rule. Key questions addressed include the following: What has been the process and challenges of reform that have reshaped China¿s economic landscape? What are the political consequences of these dramatic economic changes? Why has the CCP remained strong while other communist regimes have failed? Markets have spread but what is the role of the state? What are the opportunities for political participation and prospects for political change? Materials will include readings, lectures, and selected films. This course has no prerequisites. (Graduate students register for 348.) This fulfills the Writing in the Major requirement for PoliSci majors.
Same as: POLISCI 148
POLISCI 348L. Political-Economy of Crime and Violence in Latin America. 5 Units.
Latin America has experienced a significant wave of crime and violence in the past two decades.Criminal organizations have penetrated State organizations and are increasingly embedded insociety. These organizations have created wide and solid networks all over the region, including theUnited States. The activities of criminal organizations in Latin America have eroded the social fabric,weakened State institutions, have caused a significant number of deaths, and have created strong disincentives for productive investment. The course aims at acquainting students with the political-economy of crime and violence. It focuses on understanding the incentives that individuals face for engaging in criminal activities; the incentives that criminal organizations have to use violence against each other, against citizens, and against State forces; the incentives that citizens face to side, or not, with criminal organizations; andnthe responses that States have structured against crime and violence.nThe course focuses on Latin America, but also learns from the case of the United States for which there is a relatively more extensive literature. The course makes extensive use of available data on the topic and emphasizes the learning of adequate methods for measuring these phenomena.
Same as: POLISCI 248L
POLISCI 348S. Latin American Politics. 5 Units.
Fundamental transformations in Latin America in the last two decades: why most governments are now democratic or semidemocratic; and economic transformation as countries abandoned import substitution industrialization policies led by state intervention for neoliberal economic polices. The nature of this dual transformation.
Same as: POLISCI 248S
POLISCI 349. Directed Reading and Research in Comparative Politics. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 350A. Political Methodology I: Regression. 5 Units.
Introduction to statistical research in political science, with a focus on linear regression. Teaches students how to apply multiple regression models as used in much of political science research. Also covers elements of probability and sampling theory.
POLISCI 350B. Political Methodology II: Causal Inference. 5 Units.
Survey of statistical methods for causal inference in political science research. Covers a variety of causal inference designs, including experiments, matching, regression, panel methods, difference-in-differences, synthetic control methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, quantile regression, and bounds. Students should have already taken 350A . Please contact the instructor if you have not and would still like to enroll.
Same as: PUBLPOL 303B
POLISCI 350C. Political Methodology III: Model-Based Inference. 3-5 Units.
Provides a survey of statistical tools for model-based inference in political science. Topics include generalized linear models for various data types and their extensions, such as discrete choice models, survival outcome models, mixed effects and multilevel models.
POLISCI 350D. Political Methodology IV: Advanced Topics. 5 Units.
Covers advanced statistical tools that are useful for empirical research in political science. Possible topics include missing data, survey sampling and experimental designs for field research, machine learning, text mining, clustering, Bayesian methods, spatial statistics, and web scraping.
POLISCI 351A. Foundations of Political Economy. 3 Units.
Introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria, agenda setting, interest group politics, bureaucratic behavior, and electoral competition.
POLISCI 351B. Economic Analysis of Political Institutions. 4 Units.
Applying techniques such as information economics, games of incomplete information, sequential bargaining theory, repeated games, and rational expectations of microeconomic analysis and game theory to political behavior and institutions. Applicatoins include agenda formation in legislatures, government formation in parliamentary systems, the implications of legislative structure, elections and information aggregation, lobbying, electoral competition and interest groups, the control of bureaucracies, interest group competition, and collective choice rules.
POLISCI 351C. Institutions and Bridge-Building in Political Economy. 4 Units.
This course critically surveys empirical applications of formal models of collective-choice institutions. It is explicitly grounded in philosophy of science (e.g., Popperian positivism and Kuhn's notions of paradigms and normal science). Initial sessions address the meanings and roles of the concept of institutions in social-science research. Historically important works of political science and/or economics are then considered within a framework called Components of Institutional Analysis (or CIA), which provides a fully general way of evaluating research that is jointly empirical and formal theoretical. The course concludes with contemporary instances of such bridge-building. The over-arching objectives are to elevate the explicitness and salience of desirable properties of research and to illustrate the inescapable tradeoffs among the stipulated criteria. nAlthough this is a core course in the GSB Political Economy PhD curriculum, its substantive foci may differ across years depending on the instructor. For Professor Krehbiel's sessions, the emphasis is on legislative behavior, organization, and lawmaking, and on inter-institutional strategic interaction (e,g, between executive, legislative, and judicial branches in various combinations). nStudents should have taken POLECON 680 and POLECON 681. Also listed as Political Science 351C.
Same as: POLECON 682
POLISCI 352. Introduction to Game Theoretic Methods in Political Science. 3-5 Units.
Concepts and tools of non-cooperative game theory developed using political science questions and applications. Formal treatment of Hobbes' theory of the state and major criticisms of it; examples from international politics. Primarily for graduate students; undergraduates admitted with consent of instructor.
Same as: POLISCI 152
POLISCI 353A. Workshop in Statistical Modeling. 1 Unit.
Theoretical aspects and empirical applications of statistical modeling in the social sciences. Guest speakers. Students present a research paper. Prerequisite: 350B or equivalent.
POLISCI 353C. Workshop in Statistical Modeling. 1-2 Unit.
Continuation of 353A. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 353A and B.
POLISCI 356A. Formal Theory I: An Introduction to Game Theory. 3-5 Units.
An introduction to noncooperative game theory through applications in political science. Topics will include the Hotelling-Downs model, the probabilistic voting model, political bargaining models and political agency models, among others.
POLISCI 356B. Formal Theory II: Models of Politics. 3-5 Units.
A continuation of Formal Theory I covering advanced topics, including classical political economy, comparative institutions, theories of conflict and cooperation, dynamic political economy, and the new behavioral political economy.
POLISCI 357. Sampling and Surveys. 5 Units.
The importance of sample surveys as a source of social science data including public opinion, voting, welfare programs, health, employment, and consumer behavior. Survey design, sampling theory, and estimation. Nonresponse, self-selection, measurement error, and web survey methods. Prerequisite: 350B or equivalent.
POLISCI 359. Advanced Individual Study in Political Methodology. 1-10 Unit.
May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 362. New Economics of Organization. 5 Units.
Survey of economic approaches to organization, emphasizing theory and application, with attention to politics.
POLISCI 400. Dissertation. 1-10 Unit.
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POLISCI 404. Dispute Resolution in International Economic Law. 1 Unit.
(Same as LAW 356.) Topics include: theoretical work on international trade and investment disputes; empirical work on WTO dispute resolution and the efficacy of developing country participation; and legal analysis of current, prominent disputes in the WTO and under international investment treaties. Substantial paper required. May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 410A. International Relations Theory, Part I. 3-5 Units.
First of a three-part graduate sequence. History of international relations, current debates, and applications to problems of international security and political economy.
POLISCI 410B. International Relations Theory, Part II. 3-5 Units.
Second of a three-part graduate sequence. History of international relations theory, current debates, and applications to problems of international security and political economy. Prerequisite: 410A.
POLISCI 410C. Research in International Relations. 5 Units.
Third of a three-part graduate sequence. Focus is on developing research papers begun in 410A or B, and exploring active areas of research in the field. Prerequisite: 410B.
POLISCI 411A. Workshop in International Relations. 1 Unit.
For graduate students. Contemporary work. Organized around presentation of research by students and outside scholars. May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 411B. Workshop in International Relations. 1-2 Unit.
For graduate students. Contemporary work. Organized around presentation of research by students and outside scholars. May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 411C. Workshop in International Relations. 1 Unit.
For graduate students. Contemporary work. Organized around presentation of research by students and outside scholars. May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 412. The Politics and Economics of Modern Europe. 3-5 Units.
What are the implications of European integration for social and economic policy and outcomes? In this course, we will examine how EU membership has altered the democratic politics of Europe, with a special focus on policymaking during Europe's most recent financial crisis.
POLISCI 420A. American Political Institutions. 3-5 Units.
Theories of American politics, focusing on Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the courts.
POLISCI 420B. Topics in American Political Behavior. 3-5 Units.
For graduate students with background in American politics embarking on their own research. Current research in American politics, emphasizing political behavior and public opinion. Possible topics: uncertainty and ambivalence in political attitudes, heterogeneity in public opinion, the structure of American political ideology, political learning, the media as a determinant of public opinion, and links between public opinion and public policy.
POLISCI 420C. Discovery in American Politics. 5 Units.
What are the "novel facts" being generated in the study of American politics, and how are these discoveries being made? Emphasis on strengths and limitations of emerging methodologies and review of the substantive contributions they yield. Student-led replication of extant research and development of original research ideas a key component of the course. Prerequisites: 420A,B.
POLISCI 421K. Questionnaire Design for Surveys and Laboratory Experiments: Social and Cognitive Perspectives. 4 Units.
The social and psychological processes involved in asking and answering questions via questionnaires for the social sciences; optimizing questionnaire design; open versus closed questions; rating versus ranking; rating scale length and point labeling; acquiescence response bias; don't-know response options; response choice order effects; question order effects; social desirability response bias; attitude and behavior recall; and introspective accounts of the causes of thoughts and actions.
Same as: COMM 339, PSYCH 231
POLISCI 421R. American Political Development, 1865-present. 3-5 Units.
In this reading-intensive course, we will conduct a wide-ranging survey of major transformations in the American political system in the post-Civil War period. Our inquiries about these transformations will focus on the origins of the modern administrative state, the interactive role of the state and social movements, and changes in the party system. We¿ll examine these developments not only to understand institutional change, but to learn how changing institutions have shaped the behavior of the American electorate.
POLISCI 422. Workshop in American Politics. 1 Unit.
Research seminar. Frontiers in mass political behavior. Sources include data sets from the 2004 election cycle. Prerequisite: 420B or equivalent. Course may be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 423A. The Laboratory of the Study of American Values I. 1-5 Unit.
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment is limited to members of the Laboratory for the Study of American Values.
POLISCI 423B. The Laboratory of the Study of American Values II. 1-5 Unit.
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment is limited to members of the Laboratory for the Study of American Values.
POLISCI 423C. The Laboratory of the Study of American Values III. 1-5 Unit.
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment is limited to members of the Laboratory for the Study of American Values.
POLISCI 425. Political Communication. 1-5 Unit.
An overview of research in political communication with particular reference to work on the impact of the mass media on public opinion and voting behavior. Limited to Ph.D. students. Prerequisite: 260 or consent of instructor.
Same as: COMM 360G
POLISCI 425S. Topics in Political Communication: Media Bias, Selective Exposure, and Political Polarization. 1-5 Unit.
This course surveys theories of media bias, biased processing of information, and the empirical challenges facing researchers attempting to link changes in the composition of audiences to attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. (Limited to PhD students).
Same as: COMM 362
POLISCI 426S. Theories of Racism in American Politics: A Critique. 0 Units.
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POLISCI 427R. Race and Racism in American Politics. 5 Units.
Topics include the historical conceptualization of race; whether and how racial animus reveals itself and the forms it might take; its role in the creation and maintenance of economic stratification; its effect on contemporary U.S. partisan and electoral politics; and policy making consequences.
POLISCI 428. Political Economy and Political Behavior. 4 Units.
[Same as POLECON 677] This seminar will expose students to cutting-edge research in political behavior and political economy published in the leading political science (and other social science) journals. The aim is for students to learn the contemporary literature so that they can be producers of research. To that end, the required assignments in the class will be aimed at professional development: writing an original research note, writing a review, and delivering a scholarly presentation.
POLISCI 430A. Ancient Greek Economic Development. 4-5 Units.
(Formerly CLASSHIS 330A.) Drawing on Herodotus and other literary sources, ancient historians have traditionally seen classical Greece as a very poor land. Recent research, however (much of it conducted here at Stanford), suggests that Greece in fact saw substantial economic growth and rising standards of living across the first millennium BCE. This seminar tests the poor Hellas/wealthy Hellas models against literary and archaeological data. We will develop and test hypotheses to explain the rate and pace of economic change in the Greek world.
Same as: CLASSICS 384A
POLISCI 430B. Ancient Greek Economic Development. 1-5 Unit.
(Formerly CLASSHIS 330B.) Drawing on Herodotus and other literary sources, ancient historians have traditionally seen classical Greece as a very poor land. Recent research, however (much of it conducted here at Stanford), suggests that Greece in fact saw substantial economic growth and rising standards of living across the first millennium BCE. This seminar tests the poor Hellas/wealthy Hellas models against literary and archaeological data. We will develop and test hypotheses to explain the rate and pace of economic change in the Greek world.
Same as: CLASSICS 384B
POLISCI 432R. Selections in Modern Political Thought. 5 Units.
This graduate-level seminar will explore selections from the canon of Western political thought from the late fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Throughout the course, we will engage in close textual readings of individual thinkers and consider some of the larger questions raised by political modernity. The readings will expose students to the republican, liberal, conservative, and democratic traditions that had a formative influence on the United States. The thinkers covered will include: Niccolò Machiavelli, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, Publius (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay), and Alexis de Tocqueville.
POLISCI 433. Workshop in Political Theory. 1-2 Unit.
For graduate students. May be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 434. Egalitarianism. 5 Units.
This seminar will explore different theories of equality in contemporary political philosophy. Topics include: the currency of equality (equality of what?); equality versus sufficiency or prioritarianism; the relationship between equality and responsibility; the value of equality; and different interpretations of equality of opportunity. Readings will be drawn from the work of Elizabeth Anderson, G.A. Cohen, Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, Amartya Sen, and others.
POLISCI 434A. Ethics, Economics and the Market. 4 Units.
Economic analysis inevitably raises moral questions. Getting clear on those moral questions, and the competing answers to them, can help improve both economic analysis and our understanding of the values involved in alternative social policies. This course focuses on a central economic institution: the market. How have the benefits and costs of using markets been understood? For example, it is often claimed that markets are good for welfare, but how is welfare to be understood? What is the connection between markets and different values such as equality and autonomy? What, if anything is wrong with markets in everything? Are there moral considerations that allow us to, distinguish different markets? This course examines competing answers to these questions, drawing on historical and contemporary literature. Readings include Adam Smith, JS Mill, Karl Marx, Michael Walzer, Dan Hausman and Michael McPherson and Debra Satz among others. For graduate students only.
Same as: ETHICSOC 303R, PHIL 375
POLISCI 435R. Political Realism. 3-5 Units.
This seminar will explore various articulations of political realism in their historical contexts. Realism is generally taken to be a pragmatic approach to a political world marked by the competition for material interests and the struggle for power. Yet beyond a shared critique of idealism and an insistence on the priority and autonomy of the political, realists tend to have very different normative visions and political projects. We will consider the works of several political realists from the history of political and international relations thought, including: Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Carr, Niebuhr, and Morgenthau.
Same as: PHIL 372R
POLISCI 436R. Amartya Sen's capability theory. 2-4 Units.
Amartya Sen's pioneering work attempts to open up economics to missing informational and evaluative dimensions. This seminar will explore Sen's "capability approach" and its implications for the study of economics, gender, and justice. It will look at different ways that the capability approach has been developed, in particular, by Martha Nussbaum, but also by other political philosophers.
Same as: PHIL 378
POLISCI 437. Autonomy. 5 Units.
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POLISCI 438. Democracy and the Constitution. 5 Units.
(Same as LAW 268) Connections between democratic theory and constitutional theory. Sources include literature from political philosophy, constitutional law, and jurisprudence, and arguments about freedom of expression, campaign finance, legislative apportionment, federalism, and separation of powers. Readings from Scalia, Breyer, Ely, Ackerman, Dahl, Rawls, Habermas, Dworkin, Riker, and Schumpeter, as well as constitutional cases.
Same as: PHIL 374C
POLISCI 440A. Theories in Comparative Politics. 3-5 Units.
Required of Political Science Ph.D. students with comparative politics as first or second concentration; others by consent of instructor. Theories addressing major concerns in the comparative field including democracy, regime change, the state, revolutions, national heterogeneity, and economic performance.
POLISCI 440B. Comparative Political Economy. 5 Units.
Required of Political Science Ph.D. students with comparative politics as a first or second concentration; others by consent of the instructor. The origins of political and economic institutions and their impact on long run outcomes for growth and democracy. Emphasis is on the analysis of causal models, hypothesis testing, and the quality of evidence.
POLISCI 440C. Methods in Comparative Politics. 5 Units.
Required of Political Science Ph.D. candidates with comparative politics as a first or second concentration; others by consent of instructor. Current methodological standards in comparative politics. Students develop their own research design that meets these standards.
POLISCI 440D. Workshop in Comparative Politics. 1-2 Unit.
Faculty, guest speakers, and graduate students conducting research in comparative politics present work-in-progress. Graduate students may enroll for up to 5 total units apportioned by quarter. Auditors welcome. Graduate students whose major or minor field is comparative politics must make at least one presentation to the seminar. Course may be repeated for credit.
POLISCI 441L. Grad Seminar on Middle Eastern Politics. 5 Units.
Survey of major topics in the study of Middle Eastern politics including state formation, authoritarian resilience and political Islam.
POLISCI 443S. Political Economy of Reform in China. 5 Units.
Content, process, and problems of China¿s post-Mao reforms. Changes in property rights, markets, credit, and the role of the state in economic development. Comparative insights about reform in the Chinese communist system that distinguishes it from the experience of regimes in E. Europe and the former Soviet Union.
POLISCI 443T. Approaches to Chinese Politics. 3-5 Units.
Major secondary literature on Chinese politics, involving the evolution of theoretical concepts and social scientific approaches characterizing the field. Subjects include changes made to defining fundamental issues of Chinese political theory, and the implications of shifts in research methods and analytical tools. Prerequisite: basic knowledge of politics of post-1949 China.
POLISCI 444. Comparative Political Economy: Advanced Industrial Societies. 3-5 Units.
Political economy approaches to key policy outcomes including redistribution, the size of government, fiscal behavior, and pork-barrel politics. Theories related to institutions, interest groups, and geography, focusing on middle- and upper-income countries.
POLISCI 446. Models and Empirical Methods in Political Economy. 5 Units.
This course surveys the use and empirical evaluation of formal models in political economy to explain policy outcomes, the determinants of political regimes, the sources of institutional persistence, and the causes and consequences of electoral rules. The course has two main goals. The first is to become better consumers and producers of formal work through the study of leading applications in political economy. The second is to introduce innovative approaches to research design and measurement for evaluating formal theories in political economy.
POLISCI 448R. Workshop: China Social Science. 1 Unit.
For Ph.D. students in the social sciences and history. Research on contemporary society and politics in the People's Republic of China. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Same as: SOC 368W
POLISCI 451. Design and Analysis of Experiments. 3-5 Units.
Political scientists increasingly rely on experimental methods. This course covers the principles and logic of experimental design as applied to laboratory, field and survey experiments. We discuss the strengths and limitations of experiments in relation to observational methods. Design considerations include randomization, the construction of treatments, the use of deception, the ethical implications of deception, and new developments in subject recruitment. Turning to the analysis of experimental data, we describe the methods for estimating treatment effects, interactions, and more complex indirect effects stemming from either mediator or moderator variables. We also cover appropriate data analytic strategies for quasi-experimental designs including interrupted time series, matching and propensity scores.
POLISCI 452. Text as Data. 3-5 Units.
Topics covered will include preprocessing texts (unigrams, bigrams, and a brief introduction to natural language processing), unsupervised learning (clustering, topic models, and computer-assisted methods), supervised learning (includingnSVM, lasso, naive Bayes, and a matrix smoothing method), and methodsnfor evaluation (cross-validation, model based, expert based). Thenclass is ideal for students in the dissertation phase of research whonhave texts they would like to analyze, but aren't quite sure what tondo with them. Prerequisites are at least 350a and 350b and anwillingness to learn programming skills (including Python and R).
POLISCI 474. Design and Analysis of Surveys. 1-5 Unit.
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POLISCI 801. TGR Project. 0 Units.
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POLISCI 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Units.
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