This class looks at one of the most important issues facing the world today: China’s climate policy and energy transition, and its impact on global climate change. The course aims to expose students to the driving forces behind China’s position and policy related to climate change, with a strong emphasis on political economy. The course will also examine barriers and challenges related to meeting China’s ambitious climate commitments. An important part of the course will be guest speakers representing the U.S. and Chinese government officials; multilateral institution officials; researchers; journalists; and civil society.

Consult department for detailed descriptions. Recent topics include: Globalization; Race & Criminal Justice; Democracy & Markets in Postcommunist Europe.

Consult department for detailed descriptions. Recent topics include: Globalization; Race & Criminal Justice; Democracy & Markets in Postcommunist Europe.

Course examines Russian politics, with an eye to how political, economic and social changes have been engineered, experienced, and perceived by Russians. For those with graduate standing or advanced background in Russian studies, graduate credit is available for additional readings and research to be discussed with the professor. For either version, the goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of contemporary Russia, its regime, its economy, its society, and its foreign policy (the latter being especially critical against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine).
This process begins with a consideration of the historical inheritance bequeathed by the Soviet era. Thus, the first part of the course examines the origins and evolution of the Soviet regime from Lenin to Gorbachev. The point is not to master historical details but to grasp the continuities and changes in political dynamics, social conditions, and planned economic development, since some of these would shape aspects of the post-Soviet transition. The second part delves into the evolution of Russia's politics, economics, society and foreign policy, first during the early years of transition under Boris Yeltsin (1992-99), and then primarily under Vladimir Putin (2000- ). In this section, we cover Russia’s state and political system, the fluctuations in economic growth, changing social conditions over time, as well as foreign policy. In the process, we will also consider the origins and role of oligarchs, patterns of political protest, social/demographic trends and the management of Russia’s energy resources. We will also seek to better understand the shifts in Russia’s foreign policy over time and the sources of the sharp decline in US-Russia relations, with a focus on the conditions leading up to the Ukraine war and the increasing alienation of Russia from the West. In all these domains, we will consider what the empirical evidence suggests about Russia relative to conventional images as presented in the West and also in comparison to the trajectories of other non-Western countries (e.g. China, Turkey, India). 

This course seeks to understand contemporary political divisions in the United States. Guiding our analysis will be scholarship from the discipline of political science, with particular attention given to political culture, American political development and federalism while incorporating scholarship from several other disciplines. As we study political culture at the national level, we will unpack our own individual attitudes towards politics. There will be an emphasis throughout the course on personal wellness during dialogue with assignments ranging from written reflections on experiences to textual analysis to their combination.

International Organizations play a powerful role in mitigating conflict at the global level. What role do they play in solving problems related to global politics, economic development, corruption, inequality and civil society in Latin America? How much power, influence and control do they possess in the region? This course examines the role and impact international organizations have had on Latin America since the mid-20th century. After a review of theoretical and methodological persectives on the significance of IOs in international relations, students will examine the workings, issues and often controversies surrounding IOs in Latin America, including the IMF, World Bank, UN, OAS and ICC as wellas regional organizations such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and area trade blocs and agreements of Mercosur, NAFTA and others. Students will also explore the regional impact of transnational civil society organizations, such as human rights organizations and the International Olympic Committee. Students will be invited to participate in the Washington Model OAS from April 10-17.

The main goal of this course is to familiarize students with experiments, quasi-experiments, survey experiments and field experiments as they are widely used in the social sciences. Some introductory level statistics background will be assumed, though this is a research design course, not a statistics course. By the end of the course, students will be expected to develop their own original experimental design that makes some original contribution to knowledge. Throughout the course of the semester, we will also consider how to deal with the issue of causality as it occurs in observational studies, and draw parallels to experimental research.

The seminar will focus on the role that innovations in Information Communication Technologies can play in improving development outcomes in low-income countries. The seminar will focus especially on the promises and perils for utilizing mobile technologies and GIS for better governance: to improve citizen voice and government accountability. This is an exciting area of research that brings together tech gigs, policy makers, Non-government organizations and researchers. The seminar will be of interest to undergraduates from diverse backgrounds, such as political science, engineering, communication, sociology and business administration. The idea will be to highlight not only the promise of ICT4D but also the challenges (e.g., that it widen participation, since it tends to exclude marginalized populations). The course will survey innovative applications in agriculture, financial services, health services, but also governance. The trip to Uganda during spring semester will allow students to meet with NGOs and local governments that are experimenting with new products and applications; hear their challenges and participate in meetings to brainstorm new apps.

This course examines the politics of international economic relations. The course will analyze the interplay between politics and economics in three broad areas: international trade, international finance, and economic development. In each section, we will first discuss economic theories that explain the causes and consequences of international commerce, capital flows, and economic growth. We will then explore how political interests, institutions, and ideas alter these predictions, examining both historical examples and current policy debates.

This course examines the politics of international economic relations. The course will analyze the interplay between politics and economics in three broad areas: international trade, international finance, and economic development. In each section, we will first discuss economic theories that explain the causes and consequences of international commerce, capital flows, and economic growth. We will then explore how political interests, institutions, and ideas alter these predictions, examining both historical examples and current policy debates.