Teaching

Questions that motivate this course include: Why do governments deal with certain issues/problems, while others are dealt with by the private sector or not at all? How do political actors and institutions shape the policies that exist in America? How do we determine what is best policy? How do scholars, politicians, and administrators evaluate public policies? Can we evaluate policy in a non-political way? These are a handful of the questions we will explore in this course.

In answering these questions, students will be introduced to the fundamental elements of public policymaking in the United States. Attention is given to the various steps of the policy process, the institutions and actors involved, and the conditions that facilitate or impede policy adoption and implementation at all levels of government. We will also discuss policy tradeoffs between efficiency, effectiveness, political feasibility, and equality.

The first half of the course focuses on how and why policies are developed and how they change. The second half deals with substantive policy areas including economic/budgetary, health, welfare, social security, environmental, and education policy. By the end of the course, students should have a social scientific lens that they can use to systematically understand and evaluate public policy issues in their roles as engaged citizens.

Conflict. Compromise. Democracy. From the nation’s founding to the present day, American politics has been defined by struggles over power, rights, and representation. Citizens often ask whether the government works, who it serves, and how it should respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

This course provides a broad introduction to American government and politics. We will explore constitutional design and development, civil liberties and rights, patterns of political participation, campaigns and elections, parties, and the operation of the major political institutions. Along the way, we will consider questions such as: How did fifty-five delegates negotiate the Constitution? What rights and freedoms do Americans actually enjoy, and how have they evolved? What role do voters, parties, and interest groups play in shaping outcomes? And is the federal government capable of governing effectively, or is it fundamentally broken?

Class meetings will combine lecture, discussion, group activities, and simulations. Students are expected to arrive prepared to engage with readings and contribute actively to class discussion. Major assignments will include a midterm exam, a final exam, and two critical response essays.

Gridlock. Chaos. Dysfunction. You have probably heard these terms used to describe the U.S. Congress. After all, we frequently see Congress struggling to legislate, check executive power, and fulfill even its most basic constitutional duties. But why? And what are the consequences of this dysfunction for the future of American politics?

This course takes up these questions by examining key aspects of the U.S. Congress: its constitutional design and institutional development; who runs for and wins office; how elections, parties, and institutions shape lawmakers’ incentives; the fundamentals of legislative and policymaking processes and how those processes influence what becomes law and who has power; the role of the U.S. Congress in representation, oversight, and separation-of-powers bargaining; why public confidence remains so low, and whether reforms can meaningfully restore the institution’s capacity and legitimacy.

As this is an upper-level course, students will be expected to produce advanced work and engage these topics with rigor and sustained effort. This means committing significant time and energy to the readings, thinking critically about them outside of class, and coming prepared to discuss them in depth. Active participation is essential—please come ready to contribute! Major assignments will include member projects, reading quizzes, two congressional simulation activities, a midterm and final exam, and attendance and participation.

Most of the political decisions that affect daily life—what schools teach, how elections are run, which rights are protected, and how communities are policed—are made not in Washington, but in state capitols and city halls. State and local governments are often called “laboratories of democracy” because they experiment with policies that may later spread nationally. But they can also deepen inequality, restrict rights, and create a patchwork of laws that vary widely across the country. Why do states and localities look so different, and what do those differences reveal about American democracy?

This course examines the institutions, processes, and political dynamics of state and local politics in the United States. We will explore federalism and intergovernmental relations, state constitutions, legislatures, governors, courts, elections and parties, interest groups, and policymaking across key issues like health care, education, and voting rights. Throughout, we will emphasize how states and localities innovate, diverge, and interact with national politics in ways that shape opportunities for representation, participation, and reform.

Class meetings will combine lecture, discussion, and applied learning activities. Students will participate in simulations of state legislative debates, analyze current state policy controversies, and engage in a comparative state politics project that requires original research. Major assignments will include the comparative project, short analytical essays, a midterm exam, and a final exam.

Why do some citizens turn out to vote while others abstain? Why do some states or countries adopt new policies quickly while others lag behind? How do identities like race, gender, and religion shape political behavior? Why do citizens sometimes trust institutions—and at other times rebel against them? How do politicians decide whether to compromise or obstruct? Can we measure “representation,” and if so, who is represented? These are the kinds of questions political scientists investigate.

This course introduces students to the scientific study of politics. We will examine (1) the philosophical foundations of political inquiry; (2) the four primary subfields of political science and the key questions that guide them; and (3) the methods political scientists use to answer empirical questions. Along the way, we will explore substantive topics such as elections, policy diffusion, identity, power, and political violence.

Assignments are designed to help you think like a political scientist. You will not only learn the theories and findings of the discipline but also practice the skills political scientists use—asking research questions, evaluating evidence, and designing your own study. By the end of the semester, you will better understand both the political world around you and the scientific tools used to study it. This course satisfies the Political Analysis requirement for PLAD majors and is recommended for students across the social sciences.