DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

This course examines the politics of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Topics include the construction of “illegality” and unauthorized immigration policy in historical perspective; political identities among the undocumented, foregrounding the role of race and ethnic/national origin; public opinion toward and among the undocumented; media framing and representations of undocumented immigrants; participation and mobilization with a focus on undocumented youth activism (DREAMers); and policies targeting undocumented immigrants (e.g., racial and ethnic profiling, sanctuary cities, detention and deportation, birthright citizenship and mixed status families, access to work permits and public benefits). Throughout the course, we attend to how undocumented immigrants fit into larger—and increasingly contentious—local and national immigration debates in the contemporary U.S., examining the distinct challenges that undocumented immigrants face, and theories and evidence of how unauthorized immigration impacts American politics and society.

This course provides an introduction to the empirical methods political scientists use to answer questions about politics, and the reasons why such methods matter. We begin by considering how we use data and information in social science in general and political science in particular. We then examine three basic strategies for overcoming the obstacles to reliable knowledge about the political world: experimentation, quantitative studies (statistics) and smaller case studies with a qualitative emphasis. This course will prepare you to take a more in-depth look into these methods in subsequent coursework.

The course is divided in three parts. In part I we will focus on explaining the causes of war, and reflect on current security problems, particularly in terms of inter-state conflicts. In part II we turn to how we have moved from traditional inter-state relations to a globalized economic environment in which states, non-state actors, and international organizations interact.  Part III discusses some global problems that we are facing and possible solutions.

More specifically the emphasis in part I will be on achieving a theoretical understanding of how one might explain the occurrence of war or peace. This course is not a discussion of current events, although they might be introduced to clarify particular perspectives. In other words, the emphasis is on developing a “toolkit” which you can use to understand international relations in general. The emphasis is not on memorizing details and empirical data, although of course you will need to understand key concepts and definitions. Instead you should ask yourself what caused war in this instance but not others? What are the underlying causes behind these observations?

Explanations of conflict occur at the individual level; at the state level; and at the level of the international system.  We will use these different levels of analysis, or different images, to explain the outbreak of WW I. Analyzing this conflict will demonstrate the various approaches to understanding complex, macrohistorical phenomena in general. We will then apply some of these methodological insights to understand the absence of super power conflict during the Cold War, and to study security issues that have emerged since then.

In Part II we turn to global issues in the areas of international economic management (particularly trade).  How did the post-war international economic order differ from the 1930s? How will the rise of economic powers such as China possibly affect this international order?  

Advanced urban politics. Analyzes opportunities for action in local politics and challenges for effective governance in the modern metropolis.

Most politics in the US is local, but few Americans know much about or participate in local politics. For students interested in politics in the Chicago area or similar large cities, understanding the political traditions, contemporary debates, and avenues for fruitful action are key elements of thoughtful political analysis. Taught from an historical-institutional perspective, this course focuses on the key institutions of local governance, and how entrepreneurial actors can navigate and/or change those institutions to achieve their policy goals. Using this lens, it identifies both opportunities for meaningful political action and challenges for successful local governance in large cities. The course capstone is a case study of a particular contemporary political actor and an analysis of that actor’s strategy for pursuing a specific goal, with attention to both the hurdles and opportunities that present themselves to local political actors. Over the term, students learn current models of local politics; encounter illustrations of how actors can design institutions that structure outcomes, and how layered institutions intersect with each other; and learn how these ideas have been important in shaping the course of Chicago’s political and social realities. This year's edition will also include significant attention to the ongoing 2019 Chicago election.

Political problems associated with human impact on natural environment; pollution, natural resources, public lands, land use, energy, and population.

This course explores the ongoing socio-political challenges of addressing environmental problems. Drawing primarily on research in political science and political ecology, we will analyze the diverse types of social dilemmas that produce environmental problems. We begin by examining the nature of environmental problems through different theoretical frameworks, including collective action, distributive, and ideational explanations of environmental problems. We then explore three core debates in environmental politics that interrogate the role of science, ethics, and economics in shaping environmental policy solutions. In the third part of the course we shift our gaze to evaluate different policy approaches to solving environmental problems. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the values conflicts that shape environmental policy and how politicians respond. This course is designed to give students an understanding of important conceptual issues in environmental politics and policy.

The course is comprised of interactive lectures and discussion sections. The lectures will provide an opportunity for students to contemplate different approaches to explaining and addressing environmental challenges. Discussion sections will challenge students to delve more deeply into a particular topic by applying concepts introduced in readings and lectures to a specific US-based case, as well as seek to understand the critical variables that explain how a case evolved.

Note that this course is not an environmental law class. As such, you should not expect a full survey of environmental policies in the US. Instead, our treatment of US environmental policies is designed to assist students in understanding and applying concepts so that they may independently understand and evaluate a variety of environmental problems and solutions.

Implications of Latino politics including contemporary social and political developments of Latino communities in the United States from a comparative urban framework. Focus on Mexican and Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans.

Introduction to the politics of international economic relations. Roots and evolution of the international political economy. Fundamental controversies about international trade, finance, and development. Prerequisite: 240 or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on the forces shaping countries’ foreign economic policies. Why do governments choose to protect some industries behind high tariff walls while leaving others exposed to the vagaries of international competition? Why do most countries rely on the U.S. dollar for their primary reserve currency – and will the dollar continue to serve that function? Why have many countries removed barriers to cross-border financial flows – and what are the social and political consequences of financial market openness? Does international trade and investment make military conflict less or more likely? Do economic sanctions even work? Have the series of economic crises over the past half-decade – the 2008 financial market meltdown in the U.S., the global credit crunch the followed, and the ongoing sovereign debt crises (in the Eurozone countries and elsewhere) – shifted the distribution of global economic and political power?

In this course we will develop an analytical toolkit to provide some insight into these and other questions, paying particular attention to evaluating the theoretical arguments with two types of evidence: qualitative and historical and quantitative and cross-national.

The course is organized thematically. We start with an introduction to the study of International Political Economy (IPE) and explore why it is distinct from international economics; following the introduction to the course we will discuss the problem of international cooperation when national economic policies have spillover effects. The next three topics (weeks 2-6) are devoted to three of the main issue areas that concern IPE specialists: the politics of the international trade, monetary, and financial systems. We then turn our attention to economic development strategies pursued by low- and middle-income countries and the role of foreign development aid in promoting growth. The last two weeks of the course are devoted to the relationship between transnational economic linkages and conflict and to the rise of new economic powerhouses (namely, China) and the possible consequences of this shift for American influence in global economic affairs.

Chinese politics since 1949, focusing on social issues and state-society relations since 1989. Basic foundation for the nonspecialist as well as preparation for advanced study.

Political structures and relation of cultural factors to political stability and change; development of modern political systems.

This class will consider some key questions about politics in Africa at the present time. This will not be a survey. The primary focus will be the nation state: governance, democracy, and development. A second theme, sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit, is what happens when an African state fails and when international intervention such as humanitarian aid appears necessary. Our case studies will be Ethiopia and Rwanda (genocide/post genocide) and famine). Sub-themes will include the strength of internal institutions and government effectiveness.

Basic dynamics of Chinese foreign policy toward a variety of countries and regions.

Institutions in a broad societal context. How institutional frameworks apply to government, family, education, and the environment; implications of institutions. Taught with SOCIOL 288; may not receive credit for both courses.

The Political Research Seminar is required of all political science majors; ordinarily taken during junior year or in fall quarter of senior year. With consent of the department, students may receive full credit for more than 1 395 seminar provided that 399 and 395 courses together do not exceed a total of 4 course credits.

This course explores the history and politics of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. We will study the conflict’s development from its origins until the present, as well as a range of perspectives on topics such as the sources of violence, the rise and fall of the peace process, United States policy toward the conflict, and the nature of internal politics for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Two consecutive quarters (fall and winter) during which students work on their senior theses. Prerequisite: 395 and admission to the honors program.