A study of the basic principles and concepts of political science.
An examination of major theories of political life and politics as they pertain to international politics, conflict, and culture. Emphasis will be given to theories of ethics and morality that pertain to international studies, such as human rights.
A comprehensive study of national government in the United States.
A study of the major factors underlying international relations, the causes of conflict and cooperation among international actors, the role of international institutions, the interactions of domestic and foreign policies, and major issues in security, economy and the environment.
An introduction to empirical research in political science.
A thorough examination of the U.S. Supreme Court in the American political system. Focusing on the Court as an institution-the set of norms, rules, and policymaking processes that lead to the Supreme Court's decisions-and how justices' decision-making processes critically determine substantive legal policy and the meaning of the U.S. Constitution.
An introduction to the persistent challenge of authoritarianism. The course explores the nature of authoritarianism and its evolution from ancient through modern times. Students will study how authoritarian regimes vary, why citizens sometimes comply with them, and when and how citizens rebel. The course concludes with a review of contemporary authoritarianism, focusing on its resilience in the Middle East and East Asia and its potential for a resurgence in the US and Europe.
The rapid ascent of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a major political and economic power has meant that its relationship with the United States has become central in contemporary international politics. To an increasing extent, some of the biggest global challenges require U.S.-China cooperation if they are to be managed effectively. Yet the U.S.-China relationship is at times turbulent, and its future remains highly uncertain.
An examination of issues in international ethics, conflict generated at the international level, and problems in immigration policy and law, including theories of rights and immigration, and ideological sources of international violence.
An overview of the major forces transforming the food system--political, economic, technological, environmental--and the political debates surrounding them.
Experience the excitement and reward of arguing, and perhaps winning your client's case in court. Mock Trial is designed for students who are interested in learning practical techniques for shaping the evidence, using the law, and exploiting the courtroom to create a coherent and convincing case theory.
Also offered as: MLAW217. Credit only granted for: MLAW217, GVPT217, or GVPT319A. Formerly: GVPT319A.
An introduction to the theories of rational choice including theories of negotiation and bargaining, elections and voting in democracies, community organizing and the contrast between the roles and performances of government and market.
Examines some of the salient continuities and breaks between the ancient and modern traditions in Western political philosophy.
This course is an introduction to subnational government in the U.S. context, with some attention paid to state and local government in Maryland.
An overview of modern environmental philosophy, politics, and policy, exploring environmental politics in the US by way of comparison with other developed and developing countries.
An introduction to the comparative study of politics and governance, including the analytical concepts for studies of politics and a survey of the major types of regimes, including democratic and authoritarian/communist regimes.
A study of the domestic governmental institutions; processes and problems such as conflict and economic development; and the socio-economic environments that are common to lower-income countries around the world.
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An examination of identity as a source of civil conflict. The course explores how identity is embedded in context, how identity is manipulated for political ends, and how identity conflict may be resolved.
Focus on three processes of international environmental policy development- identifying problems, negotiating solutions, and implementing agreements- through a range of case studies, including global climate change.
Development of trial advocacy skills through participation in practice trials and intercollegiate mock trial competitions. Student may have an opportunity to represent the university in intercollegiate mock trial tournaments, including the National Mock Trial Championships.
An overview of careers in the social sector ecosystem. We will discuss common jobs and career tracks in nonprofits, foundations, impact investing, social entrepreneurship, social sector consulting, corporate social responsibility, think tanks, and academia.
An overview of career in government and politics. We will discuss human resource rules and processes specific to the government along with career tracks in the federal government (executive,legislative, and judicial), state & local government, running for office and working on campaigns and lobbying.
An introductory course to the study of law with emphasis on how lawyers and judges think and argue. Topics include, contract law, property, family law, torts, and criminal procedure.
This course is a duplication of GVPT331, Law and Society.
Serves as the gateway course for the Minor in International Development and Conflict Management. Provides an introductory foundation in the theory and practice of international development and conflict management. Introduces the structures, key players, intersections, and main trends in the evolution of the fields. Explores causal factors that drive economic growth, poverty, inequality, and conflict, as well as the resources, methods, and tools available to track and address these issues.
Serves as one of the two capstone courses for the Minor in International Development and Conflict Management. Focuses on advanced theory and the practice and profession of international conflict management and is designed to provide students an introduction to, and a chance to engage with, a core set of practical skills relevant to the field.
Serves as one of the two capstone courses for the Minor in International Development and Conflict Management. Focuses on advanced theory and the practice and profession of international development and is designed to provide students an introduction to, and a chance to engage with, a core set of practical skills relevant to the field.
A study of the complexities of international negotiation and cross-cultural decision-making. Students will apply advanced computer technology in an interactive simulation involving actual negotiations.
Local, state and federal governments must periodically draw and redraw political boundaries to account for shifts in the population. This course will be an introduction and overview of district drawing and redistricting as an important application of GIS research in political science and public policy. This class will equip students to use convenient GIS tools to create and consider alternative district scenarios to find the best possible solution.
The application of major concepts of political science to the realities of the political process. The course connects internship experiences with larger themes of political science. Students must be admitted to the GVPT Internship Program.
GVPT 388A (online) studies the different psychological and political aspects of terror. We engage in this study in an intensive three-week workshop that combines films dealing with various approaches to terror and readings that demonstrate the role of terror both within the self, the community and the state.
How does innovation occur in the public sector? How can government serve as a catalyst for problem-solving? Using the tools of innovation and entrepreneurship, this laboratory course engages students in a semester-long project to innovate change around a specific public sector issue or industry in our local or regional community. Some examples might include: public broadband access, sustainability infrastructure, transportation improvements, or health care access in the College Park, Prince George's, or Maryland communities.
This course will examine Maryland's political history, its present, and potential future. Attention will be focused on the legislative process and the legislative institution. We will discuss current policy issues before the General Assembly and the State as well as methods by which to approach issues, develop possible solutions, and negotiate agreements. The course will be led by an individual with extensive experience in the Maryland legislative branch.
Students interested in registering for this course must have an internship secured and must apply to the CAPC Internship Program.
Introduction to game theory with applications to political science, economics and sociology. Topics include preference theory, expected utility theory, Nash equilibria, subgame perfection, repeated games, folk theorems, and evolutionary stability.
A basic introduction to the full range of international organizations that have come into being over the past century and one-half, including those that aspire to be universal or global, those with a geopolitical or regional focus, and those that address specific structural or functional areas of human endeavor or issue areas.
Seminar in International Relations and World Politics
This course will explore international relations in East Asia, focusing mostly on Northeast Asia.
The course will provide some background on the evolution of international politics in the region
over the past several decades, and will examine several contemporary issues—including the
North Korean nuclear issue, the relationship across the Taiwan Strait, and the maritime
disputes in the East and South China Seas—in depth. The last several weeks of the course will
The rise of global corporations is one of the distinctive features of globalization. What are the origins of the modern global corporation? What is their impact on politics, society and the economy? This course seeks to convey a sophisticated understanding that goes beyond bumper stickers maligning corporations or celebrating unfettered capitalism, to deepen the students understanding of multinationals as complex and powerful organizations, and to learn a variety of perspectives on multinational corporate activity.
Seminar for students in the GVPT Honors program. Topics vary.
This course is an advanced seminar on nationalism and ethnic conflict. Students are expected to gain an understanding of the major causes and consequences of ethnic, nationalist, and separatist conflict.
This course is an advanced seminar on nonviolent resistance. Students are expected to gain an understanding of the major causes, dynamics, and consequences of nonviolent resistance. Additionally, students will learn how to interpret and evaluate social science research. The course will focus on both theoretical approaches to nonviolence and the scientific study of nonviolence. The course will also explore empirical trends in nonviolent resistance.
Seminar in International Relations and World Politics.
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Despite a flourishing research agenda that increasingly considers complexity and implements theory, foreign aid is often misunderstood by well-meaning policymakers or misconstrued by those with an agenda. This course is designed to provide perspective on the empirical realities of foreign aid. We will dive into the recent research on the causes and effects of aid, especially as they relate to politics and economics. The goal is to understand when foreign aid works and why it sometimes backfires, in order to craft better aid policy as practitioners and better research as scholars.
Seminar
In this course, we will examine conflict, peace, and conflict resolution in contemporary international politics. We will interrogate what we mean by concepts such as peace, conflict, and violence, the different forms that these phenomena can take, and how we can measure their occurrence. We will discuss theoretical explanations for why individuals and groups have disputes, why these actors choose to use violence (or not) in these disputes, and ways in which violent disputes can be resolved peacefully.
A series of critical tools and methods used to analyze environmental policy. This class should be of interest to students who are either considering a career or graduate studies in environmental protection.
Seminar
In this course students will learn how to apply theories of public polic y and evaluate policy effectiveness. Students will examine several policy areas and consider the challenges faced both in implementation and in attempts to evaluate policy outcomes. Students will collect and analyze data related to a policy area of their choice and derive assessments and recommendations from the data. By the end of the course students will have a better understanding of the policy implementation process and of the skills necessary to find evidence for whether or not policy is successful.
Introduction to concepts and practices used for measuring political behavior. Political analysis is an increasingly quantitative field, It is crucial for students of political behavior to learn how to define concepts in concrete ways, examine different methods of measuring concepts, learn how to test the quality of chosen measures, learn how to construct richer measures out of multiple questions, and finally how to examine the relationship between multiple measures of similar concepts. Common pitfalls, errors, bias, and ethics will be examined along the way.
Advanced quantitative methods for political science research.
Introduction to quantitative methods of data analysis, including selected statistical methods, scale construction, multivariate regression, and statistical software instruction.
An examination of various topics relating to elections; the focus includes the legal structure under which elections are conducted, the selection and nomination process, the conduct of election campaigns, and patterns of political participation and voting choice in different types of elections.
An examination of various topics relating to elections; the focus includes the legal structure under which elections are conducted, the selection and nomination process, the conduct of election campaigns, and patterns of political participation and voting choice in different types of elections.
A comprehensive introduction to the quantitative study of international conflict. Students will perform statistical analysis of international conflict data using the R software platform.
This class covers normative theories of individual and group decision-making. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data to identify common decision errors. Cases and applications are drawn from all social sciences.
This course is an advanced seminar on voters in the American political system. Broadly, we will cover topics ranging from what factors influence how individuals vote to discussions of social groups, partisanship, opinions, and other characteristics that shape Americans as political actors.
This course explores the digital strategies used by dictatorial regimes as well as the digital data and methodology scholars use to understand autocratic politics. Students will pursue a semester-long project of their choosing.
This seminar presents students with an integrated view of media politics, combining political psychology, computational social science, and network analysis. The goal is to provide students with the technical know-how to work with social media data and the knowledge to interpret relevant information. In this seminar, students will learn to process social media data, program survey experiments, and identify political narratives in a multiplatform environment. The seminar will introduce students to the computational techniques required for big social media data analyses.
A systematic inquiry into the general principles of the American constitutional system, with special reference to the role of the judiciary in the interpretation and enforcement of the federal constitution.
A study of civil rights in the American constitutional context, emphasizing freedom of religion, freedom of expression, minority discrimination, and the rights of defendants.
Seminar in Public Law.
The purpose of this course is to explore the various facets of the First Amendment. Why protect speech and the practice of religion? Are these “special?” What is speech? What is religion? Do rights to speech and religion trump other rights?
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The United States has one of the highest levels of economic inequality in the developed world. While some level of economic inequality is inherent and even desirable in a capitalistic economy, many scholars believe that the level of inequality that prevails in the United States erodes generalized levels of trust, poisons interpersonal relationships, and ultimately makes it far more difficult to govern a democratic society.
A survey of the principal political theories set forth in the works of writers before Machiavelli.
The study of Marxist thought and an assessment of the critical transformations and reassessments of the theory and practice of Marxism.
This course is a critical review of the major theories of social justice that have emerged from the history of Western political thought. It begins by presenting the dominant strain of liberalism underpinning Western Democracies. It then surveys challenges raised by the disparate experiences of women, people of color, and other historically marginalized groups. The course concludes by considering the future when white Americans will be a minority, and the implications for culture and traditional social norms.
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Seminar in Political Philosophy
Seminar in Political Philosophy. A survey of political ideologies. The course begins by tracing the lineage of liberal democracy from Ancient Greece to modern conceptions of democracy. It then considers theoretical and political responses to this lineage, from within and out of the tradition.
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Politics Through Popular Fiction and Short Stories
Examination of the definition, causes and organization of terrorist activity, along with key domestic and international counter- and anti-terrorism responses. Special emphasis on challenges and opportunities to the scientific study of terrorism.
The principles and machinery of the conduct of American foreign relations, with emphasis on the Departments of State and Defense, and an analysis of the major foreign policies of the United States.
This class will take place in a seminar-like format.
The goal of this class is to give you an introduction to the relationship between politics and economics in the developing world.
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This class exploreS the politics of civil war (and civil war studies).
Seminar
This course examines the multiple ways in which race and ethnicity become meaningful categories shaping political behavior. We will examine how race and ethnicity are socially constructed, why people accept (and sometimes reject) the categories imposed on them, and how categories and identities become drivers of political behavior. The course takes a comparative perspective on identity politics, looking at cases from multiple regions around the world.
This course surveys the big debates about the nature of democracy and democratization. The course is organized around five broad themes: 1) core concepts and definitions of democracies and non-democratic regimes, 2) the nature and causes of democratization, 3) democratic principles, 4) democratic forms and institutional variation, and 5) contemporary issues in democratic politics, including democratic backsliding.
Seminar in Comparative Politics; Comparative Politics of the Middle East
India has a well-established reputation for violating social science generalizations" -India After Gandhi, by Ramachandra Guha. Starting with its origins as an independent country and over the following seven decades, there has been speculation about whether India would stay united or would sustain its democratic institutions. Yet, in a relatively short period of time of seventy-five years, India s political system has become an example of a consolidated democracy in Asia.
Seminar in Comparative Politics. This course will cover the primary theories, concepts, and concerns of weak and failing states in the international system. The course material will address these issues at both the international and domestic levels, demonstrating how they interconnect. Using real-world examples such as Somalia and Afghanistan, the class will link readings to reality, and challenge students to analyze cases at both the component-level and the holistic-level.
Thirty-five years ago protest movements from below led to the world-shattering events known as the revolutions of 1989. What were their causes and consequences? What were the communist regimes and why did they fail? The course will highlight the (re)birth and consolidation of liberal democracies, NATO and EU extensions, the ongoing ideological confrontations, and the rise of populist and nationalist parties and movements.
Seminar in Comparative Politics.
This course will address four main themes: 1) regime change from a democracy to an autocracy; 2) regime change from an autocracy to a democracy; 3) democracies becoming less democratic; and 4) autocracies becoming less autocratic.
Seminar
The goal of this course is to give you an introduction to the relationship between politics and economics.
Seminar in Comparative Politics; Social Movements
Seminar in Comparative Politics.
Seminar in Comparative Politics; Politics of Authoritarian Regimes
Seminar in Comparative Politics
Seminar in Comparative Politics, An exploration of the political impact of nationalism. The course examines the nature and origins of nationalism, change and variation between civic forms of nationalism and both ethnic and religious nationalism, and how nationalism shapes and is shaped by domestic and foreign politics. The course will also explore the relationship between nationalism and populism in contemporary society.
The course will explain the appeals of revolutionary politics and the role of “true believers” in totalitarian mass movements.
Seminar in Comparative Politics.
Seminar in Comparative Politics
This course examines revolution as a means of political and social change. In the first part of the course, we will examine competing theories about the causes, processes, actors and outcomes of revolution. In the second part of the course, we will apply these theories and approaches to case studies of contemporary revolutions from the 19th century to thepresent.
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Seminar.
A comparative survey of leading political ideologies, including their origins, core tenets, and implications. Specific attention is given to ideology's relationship to material practice, both western and non-western interpretations, and ramifications for contemporary politics. Includes nationalism, populism, religious fundamentalism, liberalism, socialism, and neoliberalism, among other influential ideologies.
A study of the structure, procedures and policies of state and local governments with special emphasis on the state level and on intergovernmental relationships, and with illustrations from Maryland governmental arrangements.
A study of the structure, procedures and policies of state governments with special emphasis on intergovernmental relationships, and with illustrations from Maryland governmental arrangements.
An introduction to local government and politics in the U.S. context. The course explores the evolution of local jurisdictions, particularly cities, and the politics of local level decision making.
A detailed survey of lawmaking and the legislative process, emphasizing the U.S. Congress, and its members.
A descriptive and analytical examination of American political parties, nominations, elections, and political leadership.
An examination of the U.S. presidency in historical and contemporary perspective: nomination and electoral politics and the president's place in policy-making, administration, and public opinion.
The purpose of this course is to assist students in gaining an understanding of the relationship of people of African descent in the United States to the political system and other structures of power. We critically engage several themes/topics including Black political philosophies and ideologies, electoral politics, Black and mainstream political institutions, political behavior and psychology, gender politics, and public policy. We will also analyze and discuss the informal political spaces that serve as sites for Black politics including social media, entertainment, and pop culture.
This course engages students in experiential learning of the Maryland legislature. The course will involve an exploration of the lawmaking process (i.e. policy analysis), combined with policy advocacy.
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This course offers a thorough examination of the U.S. Supreme Court in the American political
system.
Seminar
Seminar in American Politics; Local Politics and Government
Seminar in American Politics; Political Polarization
Seminar.
A comparative study of the governmental systems and political processes of the Latin American countries.
This is a seminar for students in the GVPT Honors program. A comparative study of the governmental systems and political processes of the Latin American countries.
A comparative study of the governmental systems and political processes of the African countries, with special emphasis on the problems of nation-building in emergent countries.
Discussion of major issues in the study of the domestic politics of the People's Republic of China.
Examines major theories of both international and civil wars and reviews major empirical studies that test theories of conflict. The topics include the onset of armed conflict, the duration and outcomes of wars, and the durability of peace in the aftermath of wars. The focus is on developing an understanding of central debates in the literature and primary empirical findings from quantitative and cross-national analyses that are of policy relevance.
Introduction to quantitiative methods of data analysis, with emphasis on statistical methods and computer usage. Measures of association, probability, correlation, linear regression estimation techniques, introductory analysis of variance, and use of package computer programs.
Investigate how citizens in a democracy think about politics, form attitudes, and how public opinion shapes and is shaped by the political environment. While being exposed to core debates in public opinion and the study of public opinion, students will use a number of surveys that have been central to advancing our knowledge of public opinion.
Introduction to the theoretical and empirical research on political participation, campaigns, and elections. By gaining an understanding of the literature and working with a variety of data sets, including surveys and voter history files, students will be equipped to carry out their own research on these topics.
A seminar in the methodologies of political science, and their respective applications to different research fields. Interdisciplinary approaches and bibliographical techniques are also reviewed.
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Introduction to multivariate analysis. Elementary matrix algebra, multiple linear and curvilinear correlation and regression, analysis of variance, canonical correlation and regression, discriminant analysis, and several types of factor analysis.
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Major issues in international political economy including such matters as the monetary system, trade, debt, and development.
This is the core institutions seminar in American politics. The course surveys the primary literature in the field and addresses substantively significant topics related to the study of political institutions in the American context.
An overview and critical analysis of contemporary theory on international organizations and global governance.
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A practical designed for graduate students interested in field research. Research design, case selection, developing surveys and experiments, analysis of original data, and some qualitative methods will be emphasized, with the aim that students develop the practical skills to conduct their own field research.
The course surveys (a selection of) the literatures on identity across types and political outcomes. These literatures, on ethnicity, religion and gender have, by and large, evolved in isolation from each other.1 Furthermore, within each literature scholars have mostly studied separately the role of identity in shaping non-violent and violent political outcomes. The course starts by pondering the conceptualization, measurement and analytical role of ethnicity, religion and gender across identity types, with special emphasis on variance within identity across time and space.
Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy