Course Descriptions
Courses Primarily for Undergraduate Students
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Politics of Conflict - Civil Wars
Events of the past two decades highlight the roles of state failure, ethnic strife, enterprising commanders, and elements of international politics in civil wars. Are ethnic tensions, great power strategies, religious extremism, colonialism, class warfare, resource competition, ideology or state failure causes of these conflicts or consequences of civil wars? Why and how do civil wars end? What is the impact of international efforts to mediate conflicts? This course will provide students with analytical tools to understand and evaluate different explanations of the causes of civil wars This course will be useful for those who are interested in the politics of ethnic conflict, the relationship between the character of civil wars and changes in the international system, the (potentially diverse) causes of civil wars, civil wars and state-building, and the causes for variations in the organization and behavior of armed groups.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Small-N and Case Study Methods
This seminar offers a broad and advanced introduction to the field of comparative methodology. The emphasis is on what are conventionally regarded in political science as “qualitative” methods for the analysis of a relatively small number of cases. In sociology, this field is generally known as comparative-historical methodology. The course focuses on recent methodological writings, though a few classical pieces are also included. The readings are not specific to any substantive subfield in political science or sociology. The course assumes no prior background in qualitative methodology, but the material is advanced.
Course Number – Special Topic: Comparative Political Theory: Methods, Issues, and Applications
This course will explore how political thought from outside the Western canon should be studied, and how to think normatively about polities outside the industrialized West. It involves an overview of the growing field of Comparative Political Theory, as well as related discussions in the disciplines of comparative literature, philosophy, history, and anthropology. The first half of the course will focus on methodological debates, while the second will turn to applied work in CPT on the topics of democracy, liberalism, self-determination, and multiculturalism.
Courses Primarily for Graduate Students
POLI_SCI 403 – Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Set theory, sample spaces, combinatorics, conditional probability, Bernoulli and binomial random variables and distributions. Some discussion of estimation and inference.POLI_SCI 405 – Linear Models
Theory and application of linear regression and extensions such as limited dependent variables. Consequences of violating the assumptions underlying the classical linear regression model. Prerequisites: Knowledge of introductory econometrics.
This course is about linear models, the major workhorses of statistics for description and prediction - and the most common quantitative methods in political science. We will use a linear models framework to discuss significance tests, graphical displays, tests of assumptions, interpretation of coefficients and interactions, and questions of causal inference. We will also work through statistical computing skills such that students can use all of the above in their own work.
POLI_SCI 406 – Quantitative Causal Inference
What is causation, how is it related to correlation, and how can we make causal inferences without invoking extremely strong assumptions about the relationships between variables? In POLI_SCI 406, we answer these questions. We'll explore the main tools of the quantitative toolkit for causal inference: the potential-outcomes framework, experiments, regression, instrumental variables, mediation analysis, regression-discontinuity designs, panel inference, and matching. Prerequisites: POLI_SCI 405 or equivalent.POLI SCI 407 – Experimental Political Science
No description available.
POLI_SCI 408 – Methods of Political Inquiry
This seminar is intended for graduate students in political science and related fields who are interested in empirical research using interpretive methods. It examines a wide range of logics of research and argument and considers their utility for the study of politics.POLI_SCI 410 – American Political Institutions and Behavior
Introduction and review of major studies in American politics on such topics as the presidency, the Congress, the courts, interest groups, political parties, and voting behavior. A basic course for graduate students.POLI_SCI 411 – Theories of American Political Institutions
This course provides a broad overview of the literature on American political institutions, introduces some of the major theoretical perspectives and controversies, and encourages a wide-ranging familiarity with the substance of American politics. Although not all subjects are covered nor is the entirety of any topic covered, my hope is that each student will gain a better understanding of the field and some of the newest directions of research on institutions.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1) Critically evaluate the arguments and evidence in articles and books.
2) Write analytic papers.
3) Understand the range of substantive and methodological approaches to studying American Politics.
POLI_SCI 412 – Political Participation
Participation of the masses in various political systems; the functions these activities serve. Modes and distribution of activity, protest and other unconventional forms of action, relationship to social stratification, social-choice theories of participation, and effects of different modes and levels of participation.POLI_SCI 413 – Theories of Political Behavior
Contrasting approaches to the study of voting, theories of the survey response, psychological theories of mental process, models of public opinion, dispositional explanations of behavior, political participation, and mathematical models of social interaction.POLI_SCI 414 – The Presidency
No description available.
POLI_SCI 415 – Bureaucracies
No description available.
POLI_SCI 416 – Interest Groups
No description available.
POLI_SCI 417 – Legistlatures
Structure and function of legislative bodies in political systems. Focus on the US Congress; comparison with state and foreign legislatures. Political representation, legislative-executive relations, explanation of legislative behavior, and legislative leadership.POLI_SCI 418 – American Political Parties
Organizational structure of political parties and its consequences; the nature and redefinition of political party coalitions; conflict and consensus building within parties; changes within the parties and their effect on power distributions; parties in governmental decision making; party activists; and policy formation and its implications within the parties.POLI_SCI 419 – American Political Development
The historical construction of politics in the U.S. Topics include liberalism and conservatism; state-building and party-building; industrialization and the welfare state; political traditions, regimes, and orders; electoral realignments; constitutional development; social movements; and racial politics. Historical-institutional themes of timing and sequence, critical junctures, path dependence, policy feedback, political entrepreneurship, and intercurrence.POLI_SCI 424 – Public Opinion Media Democracy
This seminar builds upon micro foundations of individual public opinion to consider collective or aggregate opinion: the nature and origins of collective policy preferences; leadership or manipulation of opinion through the media; and the influence or noninfluence of public opinion on policy making. The focus is on the United States, but research papers concerning any country or locality are welcome.
POLI_SCI 440 – International Relations Theory
Contemporary international relations theory. Basic concepts on the philosophy of social science and substantive theories of international relations, including neorealism, neoliberalism, marxism, and constructivism.POLI_SCI 441 – International Political Economy
Assessment of the relative importance of systemic and domestic factors in the evolution of international economic relations, particularly among advanced industrialized democracies; the structure of dynamics of those relations.POLI_SCI 442 – International Organization
Introduction to theories about the origin and role of international institutions in world politics. Why do states cooperate? Implications for democratic accountability and political legitimacy.POLI_SCI 443 – International Law and International Politics
This seminar examines contemporary social science scholarship regarding international law. International law is a growth area of international relations. Scholars and practitioners recognize that international law and international legal institutions are increasingly important in international politics. The study of international law is also an intellectual arena for theoretical innovation. International law is a place to study the interaction of material and normative forces, and a place where one can employ all of the newest methods and approaches in political science. The new international law scholarship is being built in an unusually interdisciplinary fashion. We read work that builds on economic theories, sociological theories, and traditional international relations approaches. We will also be examining questions of broad interest within political science, sociology and philosophy-- the social construction and influence of norms in international affairs, the importance of murky issues like legitimacy and fairness in shaping public perceptions and actor behavior, and how institutions of international law including international treaties and international courts implicitly and explicitly shape the international political process and state behavior.POLI_SCI 445 – International Security
This class addresses fundamental questions of International Security. What are the causes of war? What are possible paths to peace? How do state, sub-state and non-state-actors use violence or the threat of it? How has U.S. Grand Strategy evolved over the past century? What are momentarily the most pressing national security challenges? What tools exists to counter these challenges? This course will meet weekly as a seminar, with discussions initiated by students. Before each class, two short (500 word) student-authored discussion papers will be circulated in addition to a longer (1000 word) book review. All discussion papers and book reviews are not to be descriptions of the readings. Instead they are to raise questions and criticisms and draw connections and comparisons with readings in other weeks. The authors will circulate their papers at least 24h before the class starts and present the papers at the beginning of the class. In addition to the discussion papers and book reviews, each student will write a “foreign affairs-style” paper (max. 10pp) to be submitted on Dean’s Day. The paper should address a question of current security concern. It should be theoretically interesting but also written in a way that is appealing to an informed mass audience. Students are highly encouraged to submit their papers to Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy or an equivalent journal for publication. Evaluations of student performance in the seminar will depend on evaluations of the book reviews, discussion papers, general participation in class discussion, as well as on the “foreign-affairs” papers. Discussion papers and oral participation will count for 40%, book reviews for 20% and final papers for 40% of the final grade.
POLI_SCI 447 – Critical Studies in World Politics
Scholarship on world politics in the Frankfurt School, Gramscian, and postmodern traditions.POLI_SCI 450 – Comparative Politics Proseminar 1
No description available.
POLI_SCI 451 – Comparative Political Economy of Developing Countries
Examines political explanations for the divergence in economic performance among developing countries. Topics include the developmental state, collective action, property rights, and democracy.
This graduate seminar explores key factors that shape the development trajectory of nations, drawing on work from political science, economics, and sociology. We will examine various aspects of development, with a particular focus on economic growth. A primary area of inquiry is how political institutions influence development outcomes. Topics covered include the relationship between democracy and development, the role of the state, consequences of natural resources and corruption, and the impact of foreign aid. Throughout the course, there is also a focus on methodological debates concerning the pros and cons of quantitative vs. qualitative analysis, macro vs. micro-level data, and observational vs. experimental research.
POLI_SCI 452 – Democratization
The interrelationships between socioeconomic structures and democracy, the importance of political leadership, the historic relationship between capitalism and democracy, and contemporary tensions between market reform and democratization.POLI_SCI 453 – Modern Africa
Interdisciplinary survey of current conditions in Africa; the place of Africa in the modern world.POLI_SCI 454 – Social Movements and Mobilization
This graduate-level seminar explores the political conditions and processes shaping social and political mobilization, examining major theories from the fields of sociology and political science about social movements: collective challenges to authority that aim to change society or institute structural changes in an existing state or states.POLI_SCI 455 – Politics of Latin America
This course provides an advanced introduction to the field of Latin American politics. The material is designed to familiarize students with both the substantive areas and the different theoretical and methodological orientations that characterize work in comparative politics on Latin America. The course assumes no prior knowledge of Latin America and is appropriate for graduate students who work mainly on other parts of the world.POLI_SCI 456 – Comparative Federalism
No description available.
POLI_SCI 457 – Politics of Western Europe
Impact of historical development on contemporary institutions, political and political-economic institutions, interest groups and parties, policy making, and social and economic policy.POLI_SCI 458 – Political Institutions
The new institutionalism is one of the most important recent advances in political science. This course surveys the main varieties of institutionalism - historical, rational choice, sociological - focusing on their main methods and major findings.POLI_SCI 459 – Comparative Political Parties
Theory and methods of studying political parties in different societies; roles of parties in government; effects on public policy; interrelation of parties and electoral systems; types of party systems; environmental change and party change.POLI_SCI 460 – Proseminar in Comparative Politics II
This course surveys the major topics in comparative politics and is intended for Ph.D. students. Its purpose is to introduce the main theoretical and conceptual building blocks of the sub-‐ field. We will focus on the intellectual evolution of the field, the dominant debates and controversies, and the variety of approaches to research within comparative politics. The course develops a shared language and set of references that will prove useful to you throughout your professional career. It proceeds thematically. Each week we discuss a subset of the pertinent scholarly literature, usually focusing on a major theme or theoretical controversy. Key methodological issues in the study of comparative politics are addressed in context of these substantive and theoretical works, as well as in the written assignments for the class.
The course is meant as a kind of “boot camp” for graduate students in the comparative politics field. The main objective is to ensure your basic literacy in the field by introducing key questions and exposing you to classic readings. The proseminar II is a partner to Proseminar I which presents classic great books; this course will focus on contemporary works and controversies in the field.
Inevitably, there is an enormous amount of material that should be on the list but is not, simply for lack of time. In order to complete your education as a comparativist, you will need to take additional courses in the field, master the comparative politics general examination reading list, read the recent journal literature, and learn about the latest research in the field by attending presentations in the department and at conferences. There are many topic areas that I have omitted from this syllabus due to lack of time, but that you will engage with in other ways in your studies and research.
POLI_SCI 461 – Ancient & Medieval Political Thought
Close reading of Greek sources with attention to literary, cultural and historical context and problems of translation. Texts include works in history, philosophy oratory, drama (e.g., Aristophanes, Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle). May be repeated for credit with different texts.POLI_SCI 462 – Early Modern Political Thought
Close reading of late Medieval and Renaissance to early Enlightenment sources. Topics: the separation of church and state; social division and political unity; politics between anthropology and cosmology; the rise of individualism; the state as work of art. may be repeated for credit with different topics and authors.POLI_SCI 463 – Late Modern Political Thought
No description available.
POLI_SCI 464 – Contemporary Political Thought
No description available.
POLI_SCI 465 – American Political Thought
This seminar is an advanced introduction to the development of American political thought in the United States, from the Revolutionaries to the Pragmatists. It will attempt to convey the spirit and substance of some of the most important debates that have identified American political thought at different times, especially over the revolution against British subjection, the founding of a compound republic, federalism and the relationship between the states, the representation of citizens, the varieties of individualism and nationalism, the socialist utopia, the pragmatist vision, and the character of State and Nation. No single theme can adequately capture the richness, diversity, and divisiveness of these debates. However, the seminar will attempt some thematic organization by attending to citizens and the state(s) (and, by implication, nation and subjects, institutions and individuals, federalism and union), as these are discussed in our primary texts. The seminar will also take note of the different kinds of ¿texts¿ of theorizing: from systematic treatises to letters, speeches, pamphlets and even a novel. The texts and debates will be presented roughly in chronological order.POLI_SCI 468 – Problems in Democratic Theory
Consideration of issues such as whether democracy presupposes a demos that is socially unified. What are democracy's prospects in an age of globalization and transnationalism?POLI_SCI 469 – Knowledge & Politics
Examination of the crisis - or promise - of meaning that results from the multitude of ways in which political and linguistic theorists have responded to the challenge to think about language in non-referential terms.POLI_SCI 481 – Politics of Preindustrial Societies
No description available.
POLI_SCI 482 – Political Economy of Industrial Society
No description available.
POLI_SCI 484 – CHSS Workshop
This course is an interdisciplinary seminar designed for graduate students interested in comparative and historical work, broadly defined. Some of the work is more comparative and some is more historical. The workshop includes presentations of new work by Northwestern graduate students, Northwestern faculty, and leading outside scholars in the field of comparative-historical analysis.POLI_SCI 486 – Politics of the Middle East
Middle East Politics Advanced seminar on topics including state formation, regimes, political economy, political culture, political institutions, identity, social movements, and religion in politics. From late Ottoman era through 2011 uprisings.POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Advanced Feminist Theory
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Global Capitalism and Law
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Global (In)Justice
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Law & Politics in Authoritarian/Developing Countries
How do law and politics interact in most of the world that is comprised of authoritarian and developing countries? Most prior scholarship has been biased in favor of comparing only North American and Western European legal systems, engaging with the rest of the world only through fairly narrow prisms like "transitional justice" or seeking mainly to assess how near or far a particular country may be from an ideal-typical "rule of law". This course will review relevant literatures of conceptualizing the rule of law and its alternatives and explore important scholarship on how law actually operates, and with what political roots and implications, across a variety of authoritarian and developing countries around the world.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Machine Learning and Text as Data
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Nation-Building and State Formation After WWII
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Political Theories of Membership
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Political Power in the United States
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Public Opinion and Representation
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Race and Political Behavior
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Race and Public Policy
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: Research Design
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topics: War and Society
No description available.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Pragmatism, Marxism, and Critical Theory
This graduate seminar addresses some fundamental issues related to political theory and social inquiry. In particular, it addresses the political-theoretic dimensions of social inquiry—one might even say “the political philosophy of social science”—in connection with claims that criticism or critique is essential to both political theory and social inquiry.
The seminar will broach these issues and claims by attending to the changing traditions of Marxism, Pragmatism, and Critical Theory (as associated with the Frankfurt School). These traditions have complex and intersecting histories. At different times, they critique and criticize—not to mention challenge, condemn, or complement—one another in a process of mutual transformation. In different ways, they situate “critique” and “criticism” within the defining categories of science, method, and politics. It is the intent of the seminar, then, to investigate these traditions involved in mutual critique and criticism, and to take up their respective and changing understandings of “critique” and “criticism” in matters of political theory and social inquiry, as a contribution to the political philosophy of social science. As a matter or organization and presentation, the readings will unfold more or less historically, from the 1840s down to the present.
Given this broad intent, the seminar involves intellectual history, political theory, and the philosophy of science. It pretends to be no more than an advanced introduction to the issues, figures, and traditions in question. As graduate students in the seminar, you are not expected to have any special preparation, aside from a general interest in the issues at stake and some basic course work in political theory, philosophy, or the social sciences. You are also encouraged to develop paper topics that play to your own particular ongoing research agendas, the better to make the seminar serve your longer-term intellectual growth and academic interests.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Bayesian Analysis
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Religion, Race, and Politics: Global and Imperial Perspectives
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Global Environmental Politics
Global environmental problems are amongst the most intractable challenges facing our global community. As a subfield that emerged from international relations, scholars of global environmental politics seek to understand and explain the ways in which international politics shape the global environment. This seminar addresses fundamental and emerging questions in Global Environmental Politics, such as: What explains global environmental problems? How do politics influence the global environment? Who are the key actors that shape the global environment and what explains their practices, especially related to global commons and transboundary environmental issues? What are the modes and sites that constitute global environmental governance? Under what conditions does cooperation emerge and with what effect? We will direct particular attention to the intersection of global environmental governance, international politics, and justice in the context of the global commons.
This graduate seminar will be of interest to students in environmental politics, international relations, and political ecology. It is of particular importance for those students wishing to understand the complexities of politics and policies that contribute to the possibilities for just and effective global governance. Course requirements include participation, two short review papers, two presentations, and a final project.
POLI_SCI-490 – Special Topic: Politics of Conflict - Civil Wars
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Methods and Approaches to the Interpretation of Machiavelli
Methods and Approaches to the Interpretation of Texts: Machiavelli. The seminar addresses, evaluates, and compares numerous approaches to the interpretation of texts in political theory. We'll focus our inquiries on Machiavelli, a thinker whose writings have provoked a wide array of competing interpretive perspectives and continue to generate contentiousness in the field. The aim is not only to establish familiarity with primary texts (e.g. The Prince; The Discourses; Florentine Histories; Mandragola) but also to come to terms with what it means to say that the meaning of Machiavelli is a matter of interpretation ‘all the way down’ and requires us to contend with competing political theoretical “schools,” strategies, codes, assumptions, and orientations to meaning and understanding in the reading and interpretation of texts. In addition to primary texts of Machiavelli’s and the general source “Interpretation in Political Theory” (ed S Walsh & C Fatovic), readings will include (at least some of these) works by L Althusser; I Berlin; K Burke; M Clarke; A Gramsci; D Herzog; V Kahn; A MacQueen; M Matthes; J McCormick; M Merleau-Ponty; J Najemy; H Pitkin; JGA Pocock; A Saxonhouse; Q Skinner; L Strauss; M Vatter; B Williams; Y Winter; S WolinPOLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Ancient Chinese Political Thought
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Chinese Politics
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Race and Contemporary Political Theory
This course introduces students to philosophical debates over the nature of the race concept, race relations and racial justice in contemporary political theory. The course will explore the following core questions: How have contemporary political theorists conceptualized the race concept and racial difference? How do contemporary political theorists see the relationship between democracy and racial inequality? What theories of racial justice have emerged in contemporary political theory? The course will examine the works of theorists ranging from the late nineteenth century to the rise of the critical race theory movement in the late twentieth century.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Urban Politics
The study of urban politics is re-emerging as a vital field of inquiry in political science. This course surveys central debates in the field, with an emphasis on institutional and mix-methods approaches to the study of local political phenomena in the context of supralocal constraints and social change. With an emphasis on the origins, interactions, and effects of local governance institutions, we will emphasize politics in large American cities, but comparative and transnational perspectives will be engaged as well. Students will engage with new approaches and contribute to current research on city politics.POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Liberal Internationalism
This seminar examines liberal internationalism as an idea, an empirical theory and a practice. We will consider what the term means and how it has been used in scholarship and in government policy-making for various purposes. We draw on writings on history, law, politics and political theory to gain insight into how the idea came to occupy a place in contemporary international politics and the alternatives and challengers against which it is set. Students will write a research paper that explores some aspect of the theory, practice, or contestation around the concept.POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Time Series and Panel Analysis in the Social Sciences
Social scientists routinely attempt statistical and causal inferences using data from a single case in which key variables of interest change over time (time series models), and also using data from multiple cases over time (pooled time series or panel models). These can be powerful techniques; they can sometimes provide more evidence than purely cross-sectional designs, and they can rule out some common inferential problems. However, examining data over time creates its own set of statistical and substantive challenges, and a rich methodological literature has developed around solutions.POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Islamic Political Thought
This graduate-level seminar explores contemporary Islamic political thought with a special focus on Islamic political thinkers and ideas from the early twentieth century to the present. The objectives of the course are to assist students to : (1) acquire advanced knowledge and understanding of the core themes and concepts of Islamic political thought and ideas and their recent reconfigurations ; (2) grasp the complexity and variety of islamic intellectual trends, debates and arguments and their contexts ; 3) engage in critical reading and analysis of primary and secondary sources of Islamic Thought ; 4) prepare a piece of original research.POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Race and Immigration
This course examines the role of immigration in American politics with a focus on influential theories and evidence of the relationship between race and immigration, historically and present-day.
POLI_SCI 490 – Special Topic: Comparative Methods
This seminar offers a broad and advanced introduction to the field of comparative methodology. The emphasis is on what are conventionally regarded in political science as “qualitative” methods for the analysis of a relatively small number of cases. In sociology, this field is generally known as comparative-historical methodology. The course focuses on recent methodological writings, though a few classical pieces are also included. The readings are not specific to any substantive subfield in political science or sociology. The course assumes no prior background in qualitative methodology, but the material is advanced.POLI_SCI 495 – Qualitative Methods
No description available.
POLI_SCI 499 – Independent Study
No description available.
POLI_SCI 519 – Responsible Conduct of Research Training
No description available.
POLI_SCI-490 – Special Topic: Religion, Race, and Politics: Global and Imperial Perspectives
This seminar is an experiment in studying the intersections of religion, race, and global politics. We discuss how particular understandings of ‘religion’ and ‘race’ have informed contemporary scholarship and also shaped national and international legal and governmental practice. These questions are examined in contexts ranging from anti-superstition laws in Haiti, to religious aspects of the colonial encounter in the Dutch East Indies, to the celebration of “moderate” religion at the US State Department, to the politics of secularism, magic and spirituality in India and China, and beyond. Cross-cutting themes include religion and the rise of the nation-state; the politics of religious establishment and religious freedom; the role of race in the formation of the disciplines of religious studies and international relations; the formation of modern vocabularies of religious and racial exclusion; the role of race and secularism in American history at home and abroad, and the international politics of religion and race in colonial and postcolonial contexts. Readings are comprised of books and articles, including new and not yet published work, which draw on international politics, religion, political theory, law, anthropology and history.
Course Number – Special Topic: Perspectives on Southeast Asian Politics
What, if anything, is distinctive about politics across the countries of the region we call Southeast Asia? Are the similarities between different national experiences necessarily greater than the differences? While these are to some extent open questions, what is clear is that the general perspectives arising from analyses of Southeast Asian politics have extended their influence across large parts of comparative politics and beyond. In this class, we’ll focus on reading a mix of classic and recent contributions (with some tilt toward the latter) to a variety of literatures that spring from deep engagement and careful field research across a range of Southeast Asian contexts.