Political Science

Political Science
https://politicalscience.rice.edu/
105 Herzstein Hall
713-348-4842

Brett Ashley Leeds
Department Chair
leeds@rice.edu

Songying Fang
Director of Undergraduate Studies
sfang@rice.edu

Randolph T. Stevenson
Director of Graduate Studies
randystevenson@rice.edu

The mission of the department of political science at Rice University is to contribute to the university and discipline through excellence in research, graduate training and undergraduate teaching. We train graduate students in modern techniques of social science research in three substantive areas of political science—American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations—to prepare them for successful careers in academic research. We contribute to the liberal arts education of our undergraduate students with courses aimed at developing their skills in critical and analytical thinking and writing, increasing their understanding of political processes, and encouraging responsible and active citizenship. In addition, we train our political science majors to conduct independent political science research.  We aim to prepare all of our students for successful careers in academia, government, business, law, education, non-governmental organizations, and many other professional paths.

Master's Program

  • Master of Arts (MA) Degree in the field of Political Science*

Doctoral Program

Chair

Brett Ashley Leeds

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Songying Fang

Director of Graduate Studies 

Randolph T. Stevenson

Professors

John R. Alford
William P. Hobby
Mark P. Jones
David W. Leebron
Brett Ashley Leeds
Melissa J. Marschall
T. Clifton Morgan
Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer
Robert M. Stein
Randolph T. Stevenson
Richard J. Stoll

Associate Professor

Songying Fang

Assistant Professors

Connor Huff
Jaclyn Kaslovsky
Erik Peterson
Kaitlyn Robinson
Matthew Tyler

Professors Emeriti

John S. Ambler
Earl Black
Paul Brace
Keith Edward Hamm
Jerrold G. Rusk
Rick K. Wilson

Assistant Teaching Professor

Joseph Cozza

Visiting Assistant Professor

Brenna Armstrong

For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule

Political Science (POLI)

POLI 102 - QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES: POLITICAL SCIENCE LAB

Short Title: POLI SCI STATISTICS LAB

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 0

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This lab companion course to SOSC 302: Quantitative Analysis for the Social Sciences involves political science-specific applications of statistical analysis. The lab focuses on the use of software to analyze data from research in political science. Students who enroll in this lab section must also enroll in SOSC 302 during the same semester.

POLI 110 - AP/OTH CREDIT IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Short Title: AP/OTH CREDIT AMER GOVERNMENT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Transfer

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course provides credit for students who have successfully completed approved examinations, such as Advanced Placement exams. This credit counts toward the total credit hours required for graduation.

POLI 111 - IB/OTH CREDIT INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: IB/OTH CREDIT INTERNATL REL

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Transfer

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course provides credit for students who have successfully completed approved examinations, such as the International Baccalaureate exam for Global Politics. This credit counts toward the total credit hours required for graduation only. This course is for transfer credit only.

POLI 112 - AP/OTH CREDIT IN COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT

Short Title: AP/OTH CREDIT COMPAR GOVERNMNT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Transfer

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course provides credit for students who have successfully completed approved examinations, such as Advanced Placement exams. This credit counts toward the total credit hours required for graduation.

POLI 209 - INTRODUCTION TO CONSTITUTIONALISM AND MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Short Title: INTRO TO CONST & POLI THOUGHT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course will examine constitutionalism and authoritarianism, including Plato, Machiavelli, and Marx, and introduce students to classical and contemporary political theories.

POLI 210 - INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: INTRO TO AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course introduces students to major topics in the subfield of American Politics, including public opinion, group politics, political parties, elections, congressional-presidential-bureaucratic politics, and judicial politics. This course helps students navigate upper division courses in American Politics and understand American government and politics.

POLI 211 - INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: INTRO TO INTERNAT'L RELATIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course introduces students to major topics in the subfield of International Relations, including the causes of war, political dimensions of the international economy, international organizations, and interstate cooperation to address contemporary global challenges. This course helps students navigate upper division courses in International Relations and explore the international world.

POLI 212 - INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Short Title: INTRO TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course introduces students to major topics in the subfield of Comparative Politics, including emergence and survival of democracy, authoritarian government, democratic institutions, and mass and elite political behavior in countries around the world. This course helps students navigate upper division courses in Comparative Politics and explore the political world.

POLI 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study, Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture/Laboratory, Seminar, Lecture

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 250 - SEX, MONEY, AND POWER AROUND THE WORLD

Short Title: SEX, MONEY, AND POWER

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An interdisciplinary course exploring lives and well-being in the context of gendered international and domestic politics and economic processes. Emphasis on the implications of power relations at levels from the household to the global for women and men around the world (with particular attention to Asia). Cross-list: ASIA 251, SWGS 250.

POLI 260 - ADVOCATING FOR IDEAS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Short Title: ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Advocating for change is an experiential learning course that teaches students how to engage in issue advocacy as a method of social change. Students work in teams with faculty mentors to develop and implement an advocacy plan for a particular cause or policy of interest. Cross-list: LEAD 260.

POLI 301 - STATE POLITICS

Short Title: STATE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course comparatively examines state governments and political institutions in the U.S. states. We will also focus on how state political institutions and organizations influence the creation, adoption, and implementation of public policy.

POLI 305 - DIRECTED READING I

Short Title: DIRECTED READING I

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Independent reading under the supervision of a full-time member of the department. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 306 - DIRECTED READING II

Short Title: DIRECTED READING II

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Independent reading under the supervision of a full-time member of the department. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 307 - POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP

Short Title: POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Internship/Practicum

Credit Hour: 1

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course provides credit for a student who is required to receive course credit for an internship related to political science. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 310 - THE BIOLOGY OF POLITICS

Short Title: THE BIOLOGY OF POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course is an interdisciplinary survey of the role that human biology plays in our political behavior. The biology covered ranges from genes to neural structures to neuro-chemistry, while the political behavior covered ranges from levels of participation to political beliefs to left/right ideology.

POLI 311 - RACE, ETHNICITY, AND U.S. PUBLIC POLICY

Short Title: RACE, ETHNICITY, & US PUB POL

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The objective of this course to develop an understanding of how race, ethnicity, historical context, and racism inform and interact with American public policy.

POLI 315 - U.S. ELECTIONS AND VOTING BEHAVIOR

Short Title: US ELECTIONS & VOTING BEHAVR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Exploration of U.S. voting behavior and elections. Includes consideration of both individual level behavior and aggregate level patterns of election results.

POLI 317 - THE CONGRESS

Short Title: THE CONGRESS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examines the role of Congress in the American political system. Attention is given to the historical development of Congress, the current status of the Congress, and the functions of Congress in the American political system.

POLI 318 - THE PRESIDENCY

Short Title: THE PRESIDENCY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Analysis of presidential powers and behavior in the context of legal, electoral, personal, and other forces that shape and limit the actions of the President.

POLI 319 - WORLD LEGAL SYSTEMS

Short Title: WORLD LEGAL SYSTEMS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course introduces students to the study of judicial systems around the world. In doing so, we will examine the role of courts in the modern state to better understand their growing importance as political actors. We will engage with different theories to compare how law, politics and judiciaries interact.

POLI 321 - AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: STRUCTURES AND POWERS

Short Title: AMER CONST. LAW:STRUCTRS, PWRS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course explores how the Supreme Court has interpreted and applied the nation's foundational document – the United States Constitution. In doing so, we will examine the powers of the federal and state governments, the executive’s emergency powers, and the Supreme Court’s authority to nullify the acts of other branches.

POLI 322 - POLITICS OF INFLUENCE IN THE UNITED STATES

Short Title: POLITICS OF INFLUENCE IN US

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the major influences upon who gets what, when and how from American government. Major issues (e.g., health care, immigration, agriculture) covered will vary by semester. One component of the course will be devoted to assessing the impact of money on elections and the policy process.

POLI 323 - AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES

Short Title: CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course explores how the Supreme Court has interpreted and applied the US Constitution in the area of civil rights and liberties. We will examine claims related to property, privacy and personhood, First Amendment speech and religious protections, and equal protection of the laws based on race, gender, age, etc.

POLI 324 - FROM DECOLONIZATION TO GLOBALIZATION

Short Title: FROM DECOLONI TO GLOBALIZATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Taught in English. Novels, and films, from North and West Africa, and the immigrant population in France, from 1960 to 2010. Emphasis on the tensions between narratives of political emancipation, modernity, secularism, and religious fundamentalism and mysticism. Extra reading for graduate students in theories of colonialism, postcolonialism, globalization. Cross-list: FREN 324, RELI 476. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 324 if student has credit for RELI 604.

POLI 325 - AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of race in U.S. politics. Includes a discussion of the construction of black identity, historical and contemporary black political leaders and thinkers, and the influence of race in political attitudes and behaviors.

POLI 326 - RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY

Short Title: RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course explores the appropriate relationships between the religious beliefs of the participants in a democracy and the laws and regulations adopted, particularly in the context of the dual commitments to democratic processes and separation of church and state. A broad introduction to the American Constitutional law of religious freedom is provided.

POLI 328 - LATINO POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES

Short Title: LATINO POLITICS IN THE US

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Latinos and public policies affecting Latinos have become a major part of the discourse taking place in American politics as a result of current and projected demographic trends. After reviewing the demographic, historic, and social factors distinctive to the Latino population in the United States, this course examines how Latinos have interacted with political institutions to shape politics and public policy.

POLI 329 - HEALTH POLICY

Short Title: HEALTH POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Applies an interdisciplinary approach to the study of health policy. Objectives are to provide students with a broad introduction to the healthcare system, identify stresses on the current system, and explore possible public policy decisions that may transform the healthcare system.

POLI 330 - MINORITY POLITICS

Short Title: MINORITY POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of the political and social position of minority groups (African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and women) in the U.S. This course explores the political power and behavior of these groups. The key concepts include racism, discrimination, resources, political power, culture, leadership, class, and inequality.

POLI 332 - URBAN POLITICS

Short Title: URBAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Exploration of issues of political behavior and public policy in urban and metropolitan areas. Includes urban decline, regional governance, revitalization, and issues of ethnic and racial conflict.

POLI 333 - LEGISLATURES AROUND THE WORLD

Short Title: LEGISLATURES AROUND THE WORLD

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course will examine legislatures and parliaments in countries around the world, exploring their similarities and differences as well as the causes and consequences of these similarities and differences.

POLI 334 - AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES

Short Title: AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of the American political party system both historically and contemporarily, with important emphasis on the nomination, campaign, and election functions of political parties. Party organization in government will also be explored.

POLI 335 - POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS

Short Title: POLI ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Study of the foundation of government involvement in public policy and the institutional process guiding executive, legislative, and bureaucratic officials. Includes theories of collective action and their application in the political world.

POLI 337 - PUBLIC POLICY

Short Title: PUBLIC POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Exploration of the role that public bureaucracy plays in national policy making. Includes an examination of sources of agency power, which are linked to different policy outcomes.

POLI 338 - POLICY ANALYSIS

Short Title: POLICY ANALYSIS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): (SOSC 302 or STAT 310 or STAT 315 or ECON 209) and SOPA 309

Description: Familiarizes students with the analytical tools necessary for evaluating and analyzing public policies. Cross-list: SOSC 301. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 338 if student has credit for POST 338.

POLI 339 - GENDER AND POLITICS

Short Title: GENDER AND POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: A survey of central topics in gender and politics, including issues such as women's and men's representation in government, women as voters and candidates in political elections, gender and political participation in political parties and social movements, and gender and policy representation.

POLI 341 - RACE AND THE LAW IN THE UNITED STATES

Short Title: RACE AND THE LAW IN THE U.S.

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Introduces legal frameworks of analysis and sources of law pertaining to issues of racial equality and discrimination. Questions include: How has law been used to perpetuate inequality? How has law made it more difficult to achieve reforms to advance equality? How have law and legal institutions helped advance racial equality and justice?

POLI 342 - POLITICS OF THE JUDICIARY

Short Title: POLITICS OF THE JUDICIARY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Explores the role of courts and judges in American politics. Will illustrate major characteristics of judicial institutions in the U.S. and provide understanding of forces influencing judicial decisions. Will cover federal and state organization of trial and appellate courts, judicial selection methods, and the politics of judicial decision-making.

POLI 343 - MEDIA AND POLITICS

Short Title: MEDIA AND POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examines the role of media in politics. Attention is given to the media as a quasi-political institution. It elaborates the role the media plays in elections and the policy process.

POLI 348 - URBAN POLITICS LAB

Short Title: URBAN POLITICS LAB

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The lab course examines urban politics and policy by combining urban theory and methods with an intensive focus on one or more case studies. In addition to social, political and economic issues, the course focuses on history, culture, language, and architecture. The lab features a field research trip to one or more cities (e.g, Istanbul), typically during spring break. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 349 - URBAN LAB ISTANBUL

Short Title: URBAN LAB ISTANBUL

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hour: 1

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 355 (may be taken concurrently) or POLI 362 (may be taken concurrently) or POLI 464 (may be taken concurrently) or POLI 562 (may be taken concurrently)

Description: This course examines the dynamics of urban politics and policy in an emerging global city - Istanbul. In addition to social, political and economic issues, we will also focus on history, culture, language, architecture and the arts. Weekly class sessions will include lectures, case studies, guest lecturers, and group work on research projects. The lab also features an 8-day field research trip to Istanbul. Prerequisites may be taken the same semester as POLI 349/ASIA 349. Instructor Permission Required. Cross-list: ASIA 349.

POLI 350 - URBAN LAB HOUSTON

Short Title: URBAN LAB HOUSTON

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hour: 1

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 332 (may be taken concurrently)

Description: This course examines the dynamics of urban politics and policy in an emerging global city - Houston. The lab is project-based and allows students to engage in hands-on, policy-focused research under the guidance of the faculty instructor. Weekly sessions will include lectures, case studies, guest lecturers, site visits, and work on research projects. POLI 350 requires either POLI 332 as a pre-requisite, which can be taken concurrently. POLI 337 may serve as a Co-Requisite for this course. Department Permission Required.

POLI 351 - ISLAM AND POLITICS

Short Title: ISLAM AND POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course will venture to explore the “rich and diverse particularity” of Muslim political life at a time when Islam has become virtually synonymous with violence and hostility toward modernity. The topics include Islamic principles of government, relationship between political and religious authority, Islamism, Islam and democracy, jihad, and shariah.

POLI 352 - THE POLITICS AND CULTURE OF MEXICO

Short Title: POLITICS & CULTURE OF MEXICO

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Mexico entered the 21st Century as one of the most dynamic societies in Latin America. But Mexico's fast-paced and chaotic transformation cannot be understood without a look at its past and its diverse cultural makeup. This course explores the weight of Mexico's history and culture as it seeks to forge ahead economically, socially, and politically.

POLI 353 - EAST ASIAN DEMOCRACIES

Short Title: EAST ASIAN DEMOCRACIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course examines the functioning of the political system in the three principal East Asian democracies: Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Particular focus is paid to each country's democratic institutions, electoral politics, and political party system. Cross-list: ASIA 353.

POLI 354 - LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Study of the political process in contemporary Latin America, with emphasis on selected major countries.

POLI 355 - GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Short Title: GOVERNMENT&POLITICS MID EAST

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Provides an introduction to politics in the Middle East. Brief historical overview is combined with detailed description of political systems in the area. The region is then used to examine empirically, critique, and revise theories of comparative politics. Emphasis on whether the region would be considered unique or exceptional.

POLI 356 - REPRESENTATION AND POLICY MAKING

Short Title: REPRESENTATION & POLICY MAKING

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The course seeks to understand the relationship between political institutions and the representation of social interests in the policy-making process across a variety of national contexts. The course focuses on the politics behind policy choices and how policy-makers are held accountable in democratic contexts. Case studies will draw upon examples in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

POLI 357 - DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIZATION

Short Title: DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIZATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course will examine the theory of democracy and the functioning of democratic institutions around the world. Themes covered in the course will include: What is democracy? How does democracy arise? Can institutions influence the survival and consolidation of democracy?

POLI 359 - WORLD CONSTITUTIONS

Short Title: WORLD CONSTITUTIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course introduces students to constitutional systems around the world with a focus on constitutional design. The course coves the basics of constitutional theory, drafting, and amendment, political institutions, and constitutional rights and liberties, often using constitutional case law to highlight the critical questions surrounding contemporary constitutional theory and design.

POLI 360 - WESTERN EUROPEAN DEMOCRACIES

Short Title: WESTERN EUROPEAN DEMOCRACIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: A survey of government and politics in Western European democracies, with primary emphasis on Great Britain, France, and Germany.

POLI 362 - COMPARATIVE URBAN POLITICS AND POLICY

Short Title: COMPARATIVE URBAN POL & PLCY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course offers a broad overview of urban politics and policies in cities around the world. We will examine how national, regional and local forces shape the processes and outcomes governance within and across cities and metropolitan areas, paying particular attention to critical problems and policies that affect urban centers: growth, immigration, class conflict, public order, service management, education, housing transportation, environmental protection, sustainability, land-use planning and spatial competition.

POLI 363 - POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Short Title: POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course introduces students to the study of leadership, with a focus on leadership in the political arena. Using a social science framework, we will examine the role of individuals as leaders of governmental and political bodies in shaping the culture, performance, and outcomes of those bodies.

POLI 365 - BRITISH POLITICS

Short Title: BRITISH POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: An examination of British politics and government, with emphasis on both the contemporary and historical setting. This course also emphasizes a comparison of the British political system with the American political system.

POLI 370 - CORRUPTION IN POLITICS

Short Title: CORRUPTION IN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The objective of this course is to understand the causes and consequences of corruption in politics and engage critically with cutting-edge research on corruption in the social sciences.

POLI 371 - CIVIL WARS

Short Title: CIVIL WARS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course seeks to examine the origins and dynamics of civil war, including civil war onset, duration, outcome, termination, why people join rebellions, the effectiveness of various forms of civil war management and resolution, and more. It aims to impart to students a solid understanding of theories and empirical evidence regarding the causes, conduct, and termination of civil wars in general.

POLI 372 - AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Short Title: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of internal and external aspects of foreign policy leadership, presidential initiative, congressional control, press, public opinion, and crisis management. Not a Managerial Studies elective.

POLI 373 - WAR AND POLITICS

Short Title: WAR AND POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Exploration of the theoretical basis of, and empirical evidence for, a number of explanations for interstate war. Includes contemporary theories dealing with dispute escalation, arms races, deterrence, crisis management, and low-intensity conflict.

POLI 374 - STRATEGIC INTERACTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: STRATEGC INTERACT INTERN'L REL

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Introduction to the uses of game theory in the study of international relations.

POLI 375 - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Study of the development and role of international organizations in world politics. Topics include the history and evolution of international organizations, the effects of international law on behavior, and the extent to which international cooperation has been effective at resolving global problems.

POLI 376 - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course explores patterns of and explanations for human rights violations over time, as well as international and domestic solutions to protect human rights.

POLI 377 - CHINESE POLITICS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Short Title: CHINESE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course explores the range of theories and empirical research methodologies from comparative political science, political-economy, and Asian studies commonly applied to understanding Chinese politics: political participation, political organizations, collective action and popular protest, political culture, and political institutional change. This course will be a seminar requiring weekly presentations, extensive readings at the graduate level in social science, and an original research paper. There is no prerequisite for this course, but participants are assumed to already possess extensive knowledge of Chinese history, culture, and society. Cross-list: ASIA 377. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 377 if student has credit for ASIA 489/POLI 489.

POLI 378 - POLITICS OF AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY

Short Title: POLITICS OF AMER NATL SECURITY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The primary focus on this course is the use of military force in pursuit of the national security of the US. A wide variety of topics are covered including the people in the military, weapons of mass destruction, and various types of conflict that have involved (or might involve) the United States.

POLI 380 - POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Short Title: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examines basic concepts in political behavior including political socialization, models of voting behavior, public opinion, and political participation.

POLI 381 - GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN TEXAS: FROM 1835 TO THE PRESENT

Short Title: GOVT & POLITICS IN TEXAS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The course examines Texas government, politics and society from the formation of the Texas Republic to the present. In addition to historical overviews, students will consult primary sources and utilize data from the Texas Legislative History Project to better understand key events, trends and dynamics in the Lone Star State.

POLI 392 - JERUSALEM

Short Title: JERUSALEM

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: A course on Jerusalem's past and present, its religious meanings in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and its role in the modern conflict in the Middle East. Instructor Permission Required. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 395 - APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Short Title: APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): SOSC 302

Description: This course uses a lecture/lab combination to introduce students to research design, applied research methods, and statistical software in political science. Students will learn key skills and tools to conduct research in political science and have an opportunity to apply those in an individual or group project.

POLI 401 - STATE POLITICS RESEARCH SEMINAR

Short Title: STATE POLITICS RESEARCH SEM

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: A research seminar in state politics and policy with an emphasis on state institutions.

POLI 405 - THESIS I

Short Title: THESIS I

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This is the first course in the Political Science Honors Program. Students will conduct independent research and prepare a formal research proposal for their planned thesis by the end of the semester. Students must complete both POLI 405 and 406 to get Honors in Political Science. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 406 - SENIOR THESIS

Short Title: THESIS II

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This is the second course in the Political Science Honors Program. Students will conduct independent research and write a thesis paper by the end of the semester. Students must complete both POLI 405 and 406 to get Honors in Political Science. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 415 - THE PRESIDENT, THE CONGRESS, AND THE COURTS IN THE U.S.

Short Title: US PRESIDENT CONGRESS COURTS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course focuses on American political institutions. We will use current and historical research in political science to examine the inner-workings of Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, and inter-branch relations. Students can expect to gain insight into topics such as how scholars study elections, ideology, and oversight.

POLI 416 - SURVEY RESEARCH IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: SURVEY RSRCH AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The major objectives of this course are to introduce students to the skills and resources needed to design and conduct a survey. The principle substantive focus of the course will be public opinion surveys on topics of politics, public policy and individual political behavior.

POLI 418 - MODERN AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Short Title: MODERN AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The course examines the modern presidency since World War II with a focus on the extent to which the Trump presidency has influenced the office and been influenced by it. It specifically studies the ways in which a single president can change the office and the government. The examination considers the expansion of presidential power especially during war and its relation to the Constitution. It assesses the public presidency through television, the internet and social media. It investigates the organization of the White House and the nature of presidential decision-making. The central question is how much of a difference do individual presidents make to the office they hold.

POLI 419 - POLITICAL PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The goal of this seminar is to provide the student with knowledge of the formation, organization, activity, and impact of political parties and interest groups in the United States. Special attention will be given to changes in the operation of these two types of organizations over the last 20 years.

POLI 420 - ELECTION SYSTEMS, TECHNOLOGIES, AND ADMINISTRATION

Short Title: ELECTION SYSTEMS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This multidisciplinary course will consider how elections are conducted to enhance participation, to accurately measure the will of the electorate, and to be sufficiently rigorous to convince all parties that the results are legitimate. This course will consider the design and evaluation of election technologies, ranging from voter registration through the polling booth and vote tabulation. This course will consider three questions: how do individual voters interact with the voting technology, how are voting technologies engineered to be accurate and secure, and how do the social aspects of voting fulfill democratic goals for elections? A central requirement for this course will be group research projects, many operating in our community, built around the November election. Cross-list: COMP 435, PSYC 420.

POLI 421 - CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: CONTMPRY ISSUES AMER POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This seminar will focus on major issues (e.g., immigration, voting rights, budget deficits, healthcare) in American society. After examining the history of national and state policies, seminar participant swill discuss social science contributions to the ongoing policy discussions. Specific topics covered will vary by semester.

POLI 429 - BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICS

Short Title: BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF POLI

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course is an introduction to the biological underpinnings of political behavior. The influence of genes and evolution are covered, as well as the relevance of neural structures, brain organization, and neuro-chemistry for both universal political traits and individual variation in political orientations. NOTE: This seminar is in the theory and methods field. It is not an American politics seminar.

POLI 430 - SEMINAR IN TEXAS POLITICS

Short Title: SEMINAR IN TEXAS POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Research seminar in the history of Texas politics.

POLI 431 - ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS

Short Title: ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Examines the role of campaigns in determining the outcome of political races.

POLI 432 - URBAN POLITICS

Short Title: URBAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Research seminar on political behavior and public policy in urban and metropolitan areas.

POLI 433 - COMPARATIVE LEGISLATURES

Short Title: COMPARATIVE LEGISLATURES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The course aims to understand current challenges related to the US Congress -- such as party polarization and gridlock -- using the experience of the policy-making processes of other nations. In addition to recent discourse on failures of representation in Congress, the course covers politics in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

POLI 434 - PUBLIC POLICY AND METROPOLITAN AREA GOVERNANCE

Short Title: PUBLIC POLICY&METRO AREA GOV'T

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course will examine the market-like relationship among metropolitan area governments. It will address questions of urban/suburban relationships as well as policy topics such as education and local service provision.

POLI 435 - SEMINAR ON MONEY AND POLITICS

Short Title: SEMINAR ON MONEY AND POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course explores the possible ways money may affect American politics and public policy at the national, state, and local levels of government. In addition to discussing the strategies used in allocating money in campaigns, we will examine the impact of money on elections and on the legislative process.

POLI 437 - EDUCATION POLICY

Short Title: EDUCATION POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395 or POLI 338 or SOSC 301

Description: Examines educational politics and policy from micro and macro perspectives. We will focus on school governance, structure, and finance at the federal, state, and local levels and examine the design, implementation and effects of various school reform initiatives in U.S., and to a more limited extent in other countries.

POLI 438 - RACE AND PUBLIC POLICY

Short Title: RACE AND PUBLIC POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Study of minority group politics and how race structures contemporary U.S. politics. Includes myths and realities of minority groups, symbolic politics and race, pluralism as a model of U.S. democracy, the intersection of class, race, and gender, civil rights movements, group consciousness, public opinion regarding minorities, and responses of national institutions to race issues.

POLI 440 - RESEARCH SEMINAR ON PUBLIC POLICY

Short Title: RESEARCH SEM ON PUBLIC POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course provides students an opportunity to conduct original research on wide range of public policy questions. Students will be provided specific research questions to investigate over the course of the semester for which they will design and complete an original program of research.

POLI 441 - GOVERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMONS

Short Title: GOVERNING ENVIRONMNTL COMMONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Common Property Resources (CPRs), such as fisheries, aquifiers, and the Internet, appear in many guises and pose a fundamental problem for governing. Exploration of theoretical underpinnings for CPRs, their growing literature, and the political and economic institutions mediating CPR dilemmas. Included is an original research project in conjunction with the instructor. Cross-list: ENST 441.

POLI 445 - SEMINAR IN JUDICIAL PROCESS AND BEHAVIOR

Short Title: SEM JUDICIAL PROCESS & BEHAVR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Thinking about law school? This seminar explores social scientific literature in judicial process and behavior and examines selected controversies in the study of judicial processes. Learning is based on active participation in seminars covering assigned readings and a research project on a related topic selected by the student.

POLI 450 - ELECTIONS IN THE AMERICAS

Short Title: ELECTIONS IN THE AMERICAS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The course examines the electoral process in Latin America. Students will follow, discuss, and analyze campaigns and elections in a selected group of countries while developing an expertise in the general functioning of the respective countries' political systems.

POLI 457 - CONDITIONS OF DEMOCRACY

Short Title: CONDITIONS OF DEMOCRACY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course starts with definitions and theories/preconditions of democracy and then looks at specific cases of democratic transition throughout the world, democratic consolidation, reaction, and the prospects for the future.

POLI 459 - SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA

Short Title: GENDER & REP IN LATIN AMERICA

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Latin American countries have elected suprisingly large numbers of women to presidencies, cabinets, and legislatures in recent years. This seminar explores how this happened in a region long known for its culture of cachismo and weak democracy and what the consequences of gender divesity are for politics.

POLI 461 - WOMEN AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Short Title: WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: A research seminar focusing on women as political leaders worldwide. Topics include: leadership as a gendered concept; conditions that promote women’s inclusion in/exclusion from leadership posts; whether, when, and why women leaders behave differently than men; and citizens’ reactions to men and women in leadership roles.

POLI 462 - COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY

Short Title: COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Seminar examining the process and substance of public policy across nations, with emphasis on social policy in industrialized democracies.

POLI 465 - MAKING AND BREAKING GOVERNMENTS: THE POLITICS OF COALITION IN EUROPE

Short Title: MAKING & BREAKING GOVERNMENTS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Seminar examining the politics of coalition formation, coalition governance, and coalition breakup in the European multi-party democracies in which coalition governments are the norm.

POLI 466 - POLITICAL PARTIES AND VOTING BEHAVIOR IN WESTERN DEMOCRACIES

Short Title: PARTIES & VOTING BEHAVIOR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Seminar on the determinants of party systems, the structure and functions of parties, and theories of voting behavior in Western democracies.

POLI 467 - THE POLITICS OF GLOBAL MIGRATION AND REFUGEES

Short Title: MIGRATION AND REFUGEES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: An interdisciplinary course that will equip students with the analytical tools for understanding the dynamics driving the politics of migration and refugees globally. Students will examine why and how states try to control their borders, the factors that shape the making of migration policy, and different types of migration, with a particular focus on refugees.

POLI 468 - THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF POLICY AND IDEAS

Short Title: GLOBAL SPREAD POLICY & IDEAS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course explores the spatial nature of politics. It examines how policies, ideas and behaviors spread globally among political actors. Topics covered include: government and parties’ policy diffusion. The contagion of civil war and terrorism, the spread of protests and social movements, and the dynamics of economic globalization.

POLI 469 - CIVIL WAR AND TERRORISM

Short Title: CIVIL WAR AND TERRORISM

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Seminar on causes, consequences and dynamics of civil wars. Will analyze why they break out, how sustained, how ended, thinking conceptually, theoretically, empirically about conflict dynamics and processes. Explores transnational dynamics, terrorism, roles of groups, organizations, insurgency-counterinsurgency dynamics and how these affect the evolution of civil conflicts. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 469 if student has credit for POLI 571.

POLI 470 - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Topic varies from year to year. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 472 - AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Short Title: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: The content of American foreign policy, its sources, and the process of policy formulation.

POLI 473 - THE CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS: PREDICTION AND CONNECTING THE DOTS

Short Title: THE CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course will introduce students to the problems faced by intelligence analysts. Students will study historical examples of intelligence analysis. Placed in teams, they will monitor streams of actual events and provide assessments of these events.

POLI 474 - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: THEORIES AND PRACTICE

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This course has two goals: First to introduce students to the current theoretical debates in the field of international organizations and to assess the value and limitations of these theories; second, to understand the working of important world organizations, including (but not limited to) the UN, the WTO, and IMF. The course assumes some basic knowledge of IR theory and previous debates about the origin and impact of international organizations on world politics. It is designed for students at an advanced stage in the study of political science and International Relations.

POLI 475 - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Research seminar on theories and evidence of international cooperation. The course will explore conditions conducive to establishing and maintaining cooperation in international politics, the design of international agreements and institutions, and the influence of international agreements and institutions on international relations.

POLI 476 - INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Short Title: INTRNT'L RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: In this research seminar, students explore key concepts and debates in political science such as power, authority, democratization, globalism, national security, and representation, as they emerge in a specific part of the world. The course includes a faculty-led site visit to another country in which students conduct their research first hand. Students learn how to conduct research in an international setting. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 477 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar, Lecture, Laboratory, Internship/Practicum

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Topics and credit hours may vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 478 - US - CHINA: CONFLICT AND COOPERATION

Short Title: US-CHINA: CONFLICT & COOPRTN

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: This is a research seminar for advanced undergraduate students to read and discuss international relations theories in the context of US-China relations. Students are expected to read cutting edge IR research, follow current events, think critically of the applicability of the existing IR theories on the issues surrounding the bilateral relationship.

POLI 480 - INFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: INFO & MISINFO AMERICAN POLTCS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: What do Americans know about politics and how does it matter for their political behavior? This course explores how information, uncertainty and misinformation influence political decision-making. It also considers how the public acquires factual beliefs and reviews efforts to correct political misperceptions and reduce knowledge deficits.

POLI 481 - UNDERSTANDING WAR AND PEACE

Short Title: UNDERSTANDING WAR AND PEACE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Understanding War and Peace: Why do countries resort to the use of military force, and how can such conflicts be resolved? This course will Introduce students to current research on the causes and consequences of international conflict. In addition to reading and discussing current scholarship, students will have the opportunity to engage in their own research.

POLI 490 - POLITICS AND THE ARTS

Short Title: POLITICS AND THE ARTS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): POLI 395

Description: Study of the development of modern political theory and its relevance to contemporary problems. NOTE: This seminar is in the theory and methods field. It is not an American politics seminar.

POLI 500 - SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC THINKING I

Short Title: SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC THINKING I

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course introduces students to the practice of social science research including empirical description, theoretical development, and hypothesis generation and testing. It includes projects on the design and implementation of surveys, controlled experiments, archival data collection, fieldwork, case studies, and qualitative analysis.

POLI 501 - SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC THINKING II

Short Title: SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC THINKING II

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Prerequisite(s): POLI 500

Description: This course is a continuation of POLI 500. Students will plan and execute an original research project and write a paper reporting the results.

POLI 502 - INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course aims at providing students with a working knowledge of statistics in political science. It involves the study of descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as hands-on experience with computer statistical packages.

POLI 503 - TOPICS IN METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS

Short Title: TOPICS METHODS&DATA ANALYSIS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Applications of least squares and general linear mode. Cross-list: STAT 503.

POLI 504 - INTRODUCTION TO MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION

Short Title: INTRO MAX LIKELIHOOD EST

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Study of applications of maximum likelihood estimation.

POLI 505 - ADVANCED MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION

Short Title: ADV MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD EST

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Prerequisite(s): POLI 504

Description: Special topics in political methodology. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 506 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN POLITICAL METHODOLOGY I

Short Title: ADV TOPICS POLI METHODS I

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Prerequisite(s): POLI 502

Description: This course provides an analytic and quantitative framework to design and implement causal analysis, especially in observational studies. It focuses on understanding the logic, mathematical foundations and implications of causal reasoning using diverse frameworks, and covers tools for its implementation such as randomization, weighting, difference-in-difference, matching, and others.

POLI 507 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN POLITICAL METHODOLOGY II

Short Title: ADV TOPICS POL METHODS II

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Prerequisite(s): POLI 505

Description: This course explains how machine learning methods can be used to facilitate discovery, measurement, and predictions of variables relevant to the social sciences. It introduces and illustrates the implementation of several methods and tools such as Bayesian models, classifiers, latent dimension discovery methods, text and image analysis, and others.

POLI 511 - MEASUREMENT AND RESEARCH DESIGN

Short Title: MEASUREMENT & RESEARCH DESIGN

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Prerequisite(s): POLI 504

Description: Study of advanced topics in research design and measurement theory.

POLI 512 - EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Short Title: EXPRMNTL DSGN & SOCIAL BHVR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This seminar develops tools for the design and conduct of experiments in the social sciences. At the conclusion of the course each student will have developed and implemented an experiment testing some aspect of human social behavior.

POLI 513 - SURVEY RESEARCH

Short Title: SURVEY RESEARCH

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: The major objectives of this course are to introduce graduate students to the skills and resources needed to design and conduct a survey.

POLI 520 - APPROACHES TO COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT

Short Title: APPROACHES TO COMPARATIVE GOVT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Core graduate course analyzing basic approaches to the study of comparative government.

POLI 527 - INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

Short Title: INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Theories of institutional analysis and design.

POLI 528 - AMERICAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

Short Title: AMERICAN POLITICL INSTITUTIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: The course examines the theoretical and empirical study of institutions in political science. Its specific focus is on the study of American politics, with attention to the Congress, presidency, courts, and the media as institutions.

POLI 530 - APPROACHES TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Short Title: APPROACHES TO AMERICAN GOV'T

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Core graduate course. Includes an analysis of basic approaches to the study of American politics.

POLI 531 - STATE POLITICS

Short Title: STATE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Examines similarities and differences in the organization of state politics. Major issues include state legislative organization, state elite behavior, and policy implementation.

POLI 532 - COMPARATIVE LEGISLATURES

Short Title: COMPARATIVE LEGISLATURES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Provides the student with the basic concepts and theories necessary to understand the functions and organization of legislatures/parliaments/assemblies in democratic societies. This course takes a broad-based perspective, including research that focuses on national parliaments and U. S. state legislatures.

POLI 533 - POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Short Title: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course examines mass political behavior and the analytical frameworks used to understand it. Topics will include public opinion, vote choice, turnout, campaign contributions, and participation in social movements.

POLI 534 - INTEREST GROUPS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

Short Title: INTEREST GROUP&POLITICAL PARTY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate research seminar in the subfields of interest groups and political behavior.

POLI 535 - RACE, ETHNICITY, AND AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: RACE,ETHNICITY&AMER POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate seminar that examines the role of race and ethnicity in American politics. This course provides an examination of the behavioral and electoral implications of racial and ethnic diversity.

POLI 536 - WOMEN AND REPRESENTATION

Short Title: WOMEN AND REPRESENTATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course examines the causes and consequences of women’s underrepresentation in politics in countries around the world. It considers common theoretical frameworks for the study of women’s representation and the empirical bases of what we know about gender and political representation.

POLI 537 - PUBLIC POLICY AND BUREAUCRACY

Short Title: PUBLIC POLICY AND BUREAUCRACY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Study of the administration and implementation of public policies across federal, state, and substate governments.

POLI 538 - POLITICAL ECONOMY OF POLICY CHANGE

Short Title: POL ECONOMY OF POLICY CHANGE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course will explore policy and political change primarily, but not exclusively, in the United States. Using a political economy approach, we will explore different models of change and identify the actors, institutions, and conditions that facilitate stability in change in state, local and national policymaking.

POLI 539 - POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Short Title: POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Broad survey of the theoretical and methodological approaches used in political psychology. Topics include political information processing, knowledge, attitudes, political trust, emotions, and personality.

POLI 540 - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CORE SEMINAR

Short Title: INTRNTL RELATIONS CORE SEMINAR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Core graduate course. Includes an analysis of basic approaches to the study of international relations.

POLI 541 - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Short Title: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate seminar on theories and evidence of international cooperation. Discussion of the difficulties in establishing cooperation under anarchy and the conditions under which international cooperation is most likely to occur.

POLI 542 - SUBNATIONAL POLITICS

Short Title: SUBNATIONAL POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Examines the role of subnational political institutions in the development and implementation of policy. It compares the myriad of subnational institutions. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 542 if student has credit for POLI 442.

POLI 544 - PRACTICUM IN LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

Short Title: LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course will teach graduate students how to design and conduct original empirical research on US, state, or world legislatures. Students will conduct original quantitative research and produce a publishable research paper. Instructor Permission Required.

POLI 562 - RESEARCH SEMINAR ON COMPARATIVE URBAN POLITICS AND POLICY

Short Title: SEM COMP URBAN POL & PLCY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course offers a broad overview of urban politics and policies in cities around the world. We will examine how national, regional and local forces shape the processes and outcomes governance within and across cities and metropolitan areas, paying particular attention to critical problems and politics that affect urban centers: growth, immigration, class conflict, public order, service management, education, housing transportation, environmental protection, sustainability, land-use planning and spatial competition. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 562 if student has credit for POLI 464.

POLI 563 - COALITION POLITICS AND PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

Short Title: COALITION POLI & PRLMTY GOVT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course examines the extensive scholarship on coalition politics in parliamentary democracies. Topics include coalition formation, the allocation of government ministries, coalition termination, coalition policymaking, and the interaction between coalition governance, party competition, and mass voting behavior.

POLI 564 - POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DEVELOPMENT

Short Title: POLI ECONOMY OF DEVELOPMENT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: A central priority developing nations face today concerns establishing economic growth; how best to achieve strong economic performance has both an economic and political dimension. This course seeks a rudimentary understanding of economic growth, concentrating on its political determinants.

POLI 565 - POLITICAL PROTEST

Short Title: POLITICAL PROTEST

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course looks at various theories of collective action and social movements. It will examine theoretical debates about why individuals and groups occasionally redress their grievances through protest and more often endure hardships passively. It will evaluate the relative merit of these theories in explaining cases of protest and passivity worldwide.

POLI 566 - POLITICAL PARTIES

Short Title: POLITICAL PARTIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate seminar that examines the theoretical and empirical literature on party development, organization, and change.

POLI 567 - COMPARATIVE POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Short Title: COMPARATIVE POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: In this course we will explore the nature and sources of cross-national differences in mass political behavior. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 567 if student has credit for POLI 358.

POLI 568 - COMPARATIVE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

Short Title: COMP POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Examines the design of political institutions in democracies, and their effect on elections, governance, and representation. Explores topics such as the presidential-parliamentary debate, electoral laws and party systems, political parties, electoral institutions and the election of women and minorities, institutional engineering, and U.S. experiences with alternative electoral systems.

POLI 569 - REPRESENTATION IN CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES

Short Title: REP. CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRACIES

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: In this course, we explore the conceptual meanings of democracy and representation, and then examine the theoretical and empirical linkages between citizen preferences, electoral systems, executive and legislative institutions, policymaking and advance industrial democracies. The aim of the course is to understand how citizen preferences ultimately get translated into policy outcomes and how political institutions shape this relationship.

POLI 570 - SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT

Short Title: SEM IN INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Seminar in international conflict. Emphasis on formal theories and quantitative analysis of the causes of war.

POLI 571 - CIVIL WAR AND TERRORISM

Short Title: CIVIL WAR AND TERRORISM

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Seminar on causes, consequences and dynamics of civil wars. Will analyze why they break out, how sustained, how ended, thinking conceptually, theoretically, empirically about conflict dynamics and processes. Explores transnational dynamics, terrorism, roles of groups, organizations, insurgency-counterinsurgency dynamics and how these affect the evolution of civil conflicts. More work will be required of the Graduate level. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for POLI 571 if student has credit for POLI 469.

POLI 572 - FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING

Short Title: FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Study of foreign policy, its sources, and the process of policy formulation.

POLI 574 - COLLECTIVE SOCIAL CHOICE

Short Title: COLLECTIVE SOCIAL CHOICE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Introduction to a growing body of literature on how and why individual preferences dominate those of others. Includes the relationship between decision-making structures and the nature of decisional outcomes.

POLI 575 - GAME THEORY

Short Title: GAME THEORY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Examination of current developments in game theory with application to political science.

POLI 576 - INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

Short Title: INTERNAT'L POLITICAL ECONOMY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Seminar surveying some of the primary theoretical perspectives and analytical approaches for studying international political economy. Includes a survey of contemporary literature, with special emphasis on theory and research, as well as instructions in how to critically evaluate research and set up a research project.

POLI 577 - DOMESTIC POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: DOMESTIC POLITICS & INT'L RELA

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate research seminar on the influence of domestic politics on international relations. The course will explore when, why, and how the political structures and conditions within countries affect foreign policy and international relations.

POLI 580 - SEMINAR IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: SEM IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics vary from year to year. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 581 - SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Short Title: SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE POLTICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics vary from year to year. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 591 - DIRECTED READING-METHODOLOGY

Short Title: DIRECTED READING-METHODOLOGY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of Methodology for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 592 - DIRECTED READING METHODOLOGY

Short Title: DIRECTED READING METHODOLOGY

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of Methodology for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 593 - DIRECTED READING-AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: DIRECTED READING-AMER POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of American Politics for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 594 - DIRECTED READING-AMERICAN POLITICS

Short Title: DIR READING AMERICAN POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of American Politics for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 595 - DIRECTED READING-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: DIR READ-INTERNT'L RELATIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of International Relations for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 596 - DIRECTED READING-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Short Title: DIR READ-INTERNAT'L RELATIONS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of International Relations for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 597 - DIRECTED READING-COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Short Title: DIR READ-COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of Comparative Politics for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 598 - DIRECTED READING-COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Short Title: DIR READ-COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Individualized study on a specific topic in the field of Comparative Politics for Ph.D. students. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 599 - TEACHING POLITICAL SCIENCE

Short Title: TEACHING POLITICAL SCIENCE

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hour: 1

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course prepares graduate students to design and teach classes at the college level. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 600 - MA RESEARCH AND THESIS

Short Title: MA RESEARCH AND THESIS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Research and thesis for resident students. Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 677 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Seminar, Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Visiting Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

POLI 800 - PH.D. RESEARCH AND THESIS

Short Title: PH.D. RESEARCH AND THESIS

Department: Political Science

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Students enrolled in this course are engaged in Ph.D. level research. Repeatable for Credit.

Description and Code Legend

Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference:   

Course Catalog/Schedule

  • Course offerings/subject code: POLI 

Department Description and Code

  • Political Science: POLI  

Undergraduate Degree Description and Code

  • Bachelor of Arts degree: BA  

Undergraduate Major Description and Code

  • Major in Political Science: POLI  

Graduate Degree Descriptions and Codes

  • Master of Arts degree: MA
  • Doctor of Philosophy degree: PhD

Graduate Degree Program Description and Code

  • Degree Program in Political Science: POLI

CIP Code and Description1

  • POLI Major/Program: CIP Code/Title: 45.1001 - Political Science and Government, General