Go to bottom of document
213. Introduction to Greek Political Thought. This course is an
introduction to the main categories of Greek political thought, such as city
and citizenship, justice, law, political office, and factions, in their
historical context. Readings include selections from Thucydides'
Peloponnesian War; Plato's Republic, Statesman, and Laws;
and Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and Politics. B. Manin.
Spring. (A)
219. Thucydides (=Fndmtl 293). This course is a study of one of the classic
guides to domestic and international politics. Themes include: progress and
decline; justice and expediency; the role of rhetoric in domestic and foreign
policy; the virtues and vices of democracies and oligarchies in domestic and
foreign policy; strategy and statesmanship; the causes and domestic effects of
war; and imperialism and alliances. N. Tarcov. Spring. (A)
222. Feminism and U.S. Politics. This course examines how gender, feminism,
and women's political behavior shape U.S. politics. We look at how women vote
and how they act when they assume political office, and we ask whether the
institutions of U.S. politics address feminist concerns. L. Sanders. Autumn.
(B)
223/423. Introduction to Rational Choice Theory. This course introduces the
basic topics of rational-choice optimizing, decision making under risk, and
game theory with some applications to political science. It includes a survey
of limitations and failures of rational choice theory, and a discussion of
alternative approaches. No acquaintance with formal models or economic theory
is presupposed. J. Elster. Winter. (A)
226. Lies, Statistics, and Power: The Political Uses of Number. A critical
review of the uses of quantitative and statistical concepts, techniques, and
data in political argument. Examples center on the measurement, construction,
and uses of concepts such as "inequality" and "public opinion" in contemporary
U.S. politics, drawing on work on the social construction of reality, the
history and philosophy of the social sciences, democratic theory, and
elementary statistics. Fundamentally this course is about politics, science,
and scientific rhetoric; no math or statistical background is required. S.
Jackman. Spring. (B)
233. Interest Group Politics. In this course, we take up claims about
interest groups and their role in American politics and consider ways to
evaluate them systematically. We discuss their formation and maintenance as
organizations, their efforts to influence Congress and the bureaucracy, their
part in campaigns and elections, and their overall effect on the conduct of
American democracy. M. Hansen. Spring. (B)
235. Public Choice (=Econ 269, PubPol 258). PQ: Background in
microeconomics. This course is an introduction to the major ideas in the
literature and seeks to apply the economic notion of rational choice to the
context of politics and social choice. Some of the authors covered are
Samuelson, Arrow, Buchanan, Olson, and Downs. H. Margolis. Winter.
(B)
236-237. Research Project in Sociology and Public Policy I, II (=PubPol
264-265, Sociol 283-284). This is a two-quarter sequence
designed to acquaint advanced College students with specific research
experience. It includes reading, hypothesis development, and research design in
the autumn, and completion of research projects in the winter. Starting from an
overview of urban policy analysis, we focus on leadership patterns of public
officials and their implications for urban finance and economic development.
What strategies encourage or discourage fiscal health and economic development?
Which specific cities and leaders have followed different sets of strategies,
and with what consequences? What shifts in urban political cultures have
accompanied different sets of policies? Case studies of individual cities and
projects and comparative analyses across cities are used. Class meets with
Sociol 256 in the autumn and Sociol 410 in the winter. T. Clark. Autumn,
Winter. (B)
249. Problems of Policy Implementation (=PubPol 223/306, Sociol 340).
PQ: Subject to individual prerequisites. PubPol 221-222-223 may be taken
in sequence or individually. This course is a systematic examination of the
interplay among the executive, the administrator, the legislator, and the
public as these relationships affect policy and its undertaking. Emphasis is on
the politics of administration as well as those political forces that organize
around the implementer of public policies. R. Taub. Autumn. (B)
250. Comparative Politics of Latin America. This course introduces the
student to theories of sociopolitical development and change in Latin America
and to the political systems of three Latin American countries (to be
announced). Through theoretical and substantive readings on the region, we
explore concepts such as modernization, dependency, authoritarianism, and
democracy. S. Stokes. Winter. (C)
260. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia (=Anthro 308, SoAsia 209,
SocSci 232). PQ: Consent of instructor. This course focuses
on (1) literary, historical, and pictographic interpretations of the Raj as it
saw itself, as South Asian historians have seen it, and as it has been
retrospectively reconstructed; (2) South Asian social structure as assessed by
an understanding of women's roles, of village, of family, and of law; and (3)
the creation of subcontinental and global Hinduism and Islam in the last fifty
years of politics, television, movements, and anthropological accounts.
Staff. Spring. (C)
266/362. The Origins of Modern War. This course examines several popular
explanations of war. We test these competing theories by exploring some of the
major conflicts of the twentieth century: World War I, World War II, the cold
war, the Indochina War, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. We also consider the
impact of nuclear weapons, the prospects for future great-power wars, and the
different ways that war might be prevented. S. Walt. Winter. (D)
269/357. Socialist and Postsocialist Societies (=Sociol 221/375). This
course is an examination of attempts at radical reform in work, bureaucracy,
income, health, education, welfare, family, and the position of women in
Russia, Eastern Europe, and China. This examination considers the degree to
which modern social systems have social options, as opposed to being
constrained to a single mode of organization. W. Parish. Spring.
(C)
270. Nationalism and International Conflict. Class limited to
thirty-five students. This course examines the diverse relationships
between nationalism and interstate conflict. In the first half we consider the
existing literature on theories of war. In the second half we ask how well
these theories make sense of nationalism's role in current and past interstate
disputes. The empirical focus is on conflicts in Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe,
and Central Asia. Theories of the origins and nature of nationalism are also
introduced. J. Fearon. Spring. (D)
275/375. Organizational Decision Making (=PubPol 335, Sociol 350). This
course is an examination of the process of decision making in modern complex
organizations such as universities, schools, hospitals, business firms, and
public bureaucracies. The course also considers the impact of information,
power, resources, organizational structure, and the environment, as well as
alternative models of choice and other implications. J. Padgett. Autumn.
(B)
277/390. Politics of Economic Development. This course is a
research-oriented review of literature, with a heavily methodological bent. It
focuses on defining what we do not know and on the methods for finding out.
Topics include the concept and theories of economic development, mathematical
models of economic growth, studies of the impact of government politics on
policies, and of politics on growth. Students are assumed to know some
economics (or calculus) and statistics (OLS). Readings are extensive but, with
a few exceptions, not particularly difficult. Assistance will be provided for
those who find the mathematics or statistical materials difficult. A.
Przeworski. Spring. (A)
Go to top of document 278/384. Introduction to Chinese Politics. This course offers a historical
and thematic survey of Chinese politics in the twentieth century. Particular
attention is given to the formation of the party-state, the imposition of
central planning, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, reform and
liberalization, and China's role in the world in the post-cold war era. The
discussion is framed in terms that allow comparison with other countries. D.
Yang. Winter. (C)
279/369. Introduction to Comparative Politics. The underlying purpose of
this course is to identify and explain differences in political life among a
set of diverse states. Attention is focused on the United Kingdom, France,
Japan, the former Soviet Union, and India. Although these countries differ on a
number of dimensions, we pay special attention to three variables: (1) whether
or not the country is a democracy; (2) whether the country has experienced a
social revolution; and (3) whether the country has experienced a period of
rapid industrial growth, and if so, when. The differences among our chosen
countries on these dimensions are manifold. We examine explanations that focus
on both internal (e.g., class alliances within a country or religious beliefs
of its inhabitants) and external factors (e.g., the degree to which a state is
militarily threatened). D. Laitin. Winter. (C)
280/380. Ideology, Organization, and Political Change. This course centers
on the comparative analysis of the emergence and institutionalization of public
bureaucracies in the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and
the Soviet Union. The aim is to see whether there are distinctly different
patterns of organizational rationality or whether bureaucracies are all
culturally unique. B. Silberman. Autumn. (C)
282. Politics and Policy (=PubPol 221). PQ: Open to non-public policy
studies and political science concentrators with consent of instructor. Subject
to individual prerequisites. PubPol 221-222-223 may be taken in sequence or
individually. Public policy choices interact with politics in obvious ways
(elections) but also in subtler ways turning especially on how organizations
work and what governs persuasion and belief. This course surveys some key
aspects of these interactions. H. Margolis. Spring. (B)
288. Introduction to Constitutional Law (=LL/Soc 239). This course is an
introduction to the constitutional doctrines and political role of the U.S.
Supreme Court, focusing on its evolving constitutional priorities and its
response to basic governmental and political problems, including maintenance of
the federal system, promotion of economic welfare, and protection of individual
and minority rights. G. Rosenberg. Not offered 1995-96; will be offered
1996-97. (B)
290/398. Introduction to International Relations. This course is a survey
of modern approaches to international relations. The first weeks are devoted to
national security issues and the general problem of war. The second part of the
course deals with political aspects of the world economy, such as international
disputes over oil resources. The readings and lectures compare several
different theoretical perspectives and consider their applicability to specific
cases. Among the topics covered are nuclear strategy, the cold war,
international debt, multinational corporations, and the difficulties of
achieving international cooperation. C. Lipson. Autumn. (D)
294. International Relations: Perspectives on Conflict and Cooperation (=SocSci
204). PQ: Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students
of third- or fourth-year standing. This course introduces multiple
perspectives on classic issues in international relations, especially the
problems of conflict and cooperation, war and peace. Lectures by Professor
Lipson and other University faculty introduce major analytic topics, such as
anarchy, alliances, revolutions, and war. Faculty lectures are held on Monday;
the Wednesday class utilizes a seminar format to explore the Monday lecture and
related readings. C. Lipson. Autumn. (D)
295. Political Economy: A Mathematical Introduction. PQ: Knowledge of
static maximization techniques. This course is an introduction to
mathematical approaches to political economy. The main question is why
different governments do what they do and what the consequences are for
efficiency, equality and growth. The organizing concept is "politico-economic
equilibrium," in which (1) government policy is chosen to maximize interests of
the institutionally determined decision makers, (2) decisions of other actors,
individual or collective, are optimal given the policy. Both behavioral and
welfare consequences of such equilibria are examined. After a remedial
introduction to neoclassical economics, topics include political
decision-making mechanisms, comparisons of political regimes, contrasting views
of the tradeoff between efficiency and equality, and the role of governments in
endogenous growth models. A. Przeworski. Autumn. (A)
296. International Relations: Cultures, Societies, and Globalization (=SocSci
205). PQ: Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students
of third- or fourth-year standing. In contrast to a state-oriented approach
to international conflict and cooperation, this course brings together
interested faculty and students to explore problem formation and research
strategies for investigating conflict and cooperation within a global reality.
Areas of inquiry include the global domain and boundary designation,
transnational and post-colonial identities, nationalism and resistance,
communication and technology, and the media and the public sphere. Lectures are
held on Monday; the Wednesday class utilizes a seminar format to explore the
Monday lecture and related readings. M. Eder, C. Lipson. Winter.
(D)
297. Independent Study. PQ: Consent of faculty supervisor and
concentration chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and
Research Course Form. Available for either Pass or letter grading.
Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.
298. Fourth-Year Paper. PQ: Consent of instructor and concentration
chairman; may be taken for one or two quarters. Students are required to submit
the College Reading and Research Course Form. Normally taken for a
letter grade. Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.
299. Reading Courses. PQ: Consent of instructor and concentration
chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research
Course Form. Normally taken for a letter grade. Staff. Summer, Autumn,
Winter, Spring.
The following graduate courses are all open to College students. Some require
the consent of the instructor and others have additional
prerequisites.
308. Introduction to Game-Theoretic Methods for Political Science. PQ:
Consent of instructor. This seminar introduces and examines game-theoretic
methods that are increasingly used to analyze politics. Most often found in the
study of American political institutions, formal and particularly
game-theoretic work appears more and more in comparative politics,
international relations, and political philosophy. The course has two primary
objectives: (1) to bring all participants to the point where they can read and
critically evaluate scholarship using these methods, and (2) to provide a set
of basic tools for those who think a formal approach might be valuable in their
own research. J. Fearon. Winter. (A)
312. Political Philosophy: Kant (=Fndmtl 226). This course connects Kant's
practical philosophy with his doctrine of metaphysics. J. Cropsey. Winter.
(A)
316. Philosophy of Law. PQ: Consent of instructor. This course is an
introduction to contemporary philosophy of law. Readings include Dworkin, Raz,
Hayek, and Hart. S. Holmes. Autumn. (A)
323. After Communism. PQ: Consent of instructor. Survey of political
and legal upheaval in postcommunist Eastern Europe, with particular focus on
Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania. S. Holmes.
Autumn. (A)
342. Urban Policy Analysis (=PubPol 248/348, Sociol 256/329). This course
addresses the explanations available for varying patterns of expenditure and
service-delivery which cities take. Topics include theoretical approaches and
policy options, service delivery, productivity, migration as a policy option,
group theory, citizen preference theory, incrementalism, economic base
influences, and an integrated model. T. Clark. Autumn.
(B)
349. Political Sociology (=PubPol 336, Sociol 235/335). PQ: A general
social sciences course. This lecture/discussion course reviews basic themes
and major works in political sociology using the following analytical
perspectives: citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory,
bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and
political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in
considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of
political sociology. T. Clark. Spring. (B)
352. Two Revolutions: American and French (=Hist 557). PQ: Consent of
instructor. A comparative investigation of the principles and practices of
the American and French revolutions. F. Furet, N. Tarcov. Autumn.
(A)
353. Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise (=Fndmtl 248, SocTh
472). PQ: Consent of instructor. This course examines Spinoza's
account in the Theological-Political Treatise of the relations among
theology, philosophy, morality, and politics; his interpretation of the Bible;
his doctrines of divine law, natural law, natural right, and civil right; and
his arguments for religious toleration and the freedom of philosophizing. H.
Fradkin, N. Tarcov. Winter. (A)
366. Language and Politics. PQ: Consent of instructor. This course
addresses four themes: (1) the role of language shift in processes of state
formation; (2) the relationship between language and nationality; (3) attempts
by political movements to use language issues for purposes of gaining political
autonomy; and (4) the relationship among language, political ideology, and
hegemony. D. Laitin. Spring. (C)
409. The Constitution-Making Process. PQ: Consent of instructor. The
course is an introduction to constitutional politics from the Federal
Convention to the present. The first classes consist of a survey of the
substantive issues usually included in constitutions (bill of rights, relations
among the main organs of state, amendment procedures) and discusses the
difference between constitutional and statutory legislation. In the remaining
classes, we discuss selected episodes of constitution making, viewed as
processes of arguing and bargaining. J. Elster. Winter.
(A) 515. Cognition and Deterrence (=PubPol 515). PQ: Knowledge of deterrence
issues and consent of instructor. There is growing interest in attempts to
extend the dominant, rational-actor analysis of strategic issues to take
account of cognitive effects on such matters as behavior by governments in time
of crisis, distortion of communication between military planners and political
managers, and changes in public sentiment with respect to arms control and
defense issues. This seminar reviews recent writing in this area and attempts
to work out an integrated viewpoint on the practicality of some explicit
extensions of the rational-actor analysis. H. Margolis. Spring.
(D)
Go to middle of document
Political Science Courses
Boldface letters in parentheses refer to the areas noted in the previous
Summary of Requirements section.
Go to bottom of document