Department of Political Science

POLS 500: Political Theory

Owen, M 1:00-4:00 MAX: 12

Content: This course will serve as a broad introduction to the history of political philosophy, including prominent issues in contemporary political theory. We will attempt to relate the works we read to issues of concern for today’s political science, but our primary task will be to approach these works on their own terms.

Texts: A tentative list of texts to be covered includes Plato’s Republic, Hobbes’s De Cive, Locke’s Letter on Toleration, Kant’s Perpetual Peace, Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, and select articles of Rawls, Rorty, Pangle, and Sandel.

Particulars: Grading will be based on class participation, one short paper, one long paper, and a final exam.

POLS 507: Research Design & Data Collection

Giles, F 9:00-12:00 MAX: 12

Content: This course is designed specifically for students in their first year of the Ph.D. program. It provides an introduction to the discipline, the philosophy of science and research design.

POLS 508: Data Analysis

Reinhardt, MW 10:45-12:00 MAX: 12

Content: This course is designed to introduce students to quantitative empirical research. The primary objective is to give students some basic skills in conceiving and conducting statistical analysis for their own research, in addition to becoming more informed readers of the research reported in the major social science journals. Our approach will emphasize practice (e.g., preparing a dataset, choice of an appropriate statistical procedure, analysis of data, diagnostics, interpretation, presentation) as opposed to theory (mathematical derivations and proofs). Statistical topics covered include measures of central tendency and dispersion, bivariate analysis (crosstabs, correlation, t-tests), and multivariate regression. Assignments will involve the use of statistical analysis software (Stata) on data sets provided by the instructor or, alternatively, on a data set the student may wish to provide.

Texts: Statistics textbook

Particulars: Homework; midterm exam; final exam; and one short research paper (9-12 pages)

POLS 510: World Politics

Reiter, Tu 9:00-12:00 MAX: 12

Content: This is the introductory course to international relations for political science graduate students. The emphasis is theoretical, covering issues such as international conflict, decision-making, trade, and system structure. The class uses a discussion format.

Particulars: One exam; several short papers. All students other than political science graduate students must receive permission from the instructor.

POLS 520: Comparative Government & Politics

Tworzecki, Th 4:00-7:00 MAX: 12

Content: This seminar gives a comprehensive introduction to major theories in the field of comparative politics. Each week focuses on a different conceptual framework and/or level of analysis, and addresses key features of domestic politics in relevant countries. Central concepts include democratic and authoritarian transitions, political institutions and the state, political participation, civic culture, ethnicity and nationalism, public policy, and globalization. We will also examine the particular problems of cross-national and single country research.

Particulars: Course requirements include student-led discussions based on papers that address key elements in the readings, and active participation in the seminar meetings.

Assignments and grading:
Four short papers (8 pages double-spaced) (10% each)
One 25-page literature review on one topic (30%)
Participation (30%)

POLS 551: Judicial Behavior

Walker, Th 1:00-4:00 MAX: 12

Content: An examination of social science approaches to the question of why judges behave as they do. Emphasis will be placed on extra-legal explanations, such as personal attribute models, attitude theory, role theory, political influence approaches, and strategic decision-making theories.

Texts: Primary reading materials will come from political science journal articles.

Particulars: Students should have a solid grounding in social science research methodology.

POLS 571: Longitudinal Data Analysis

Hallerberg, W 1:00-4:00 MAX: 12

Content: This course will explore a variety of techniques for modeling social science data which contains a temporal component. Topics will include time-series analysis, pooled time-series cross-sectional models, and models for panel data, including models for discrete dependent variables.

Particulars: Prerequisites: Familiarity with basic differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, and OLS/GLS regression.

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Transitions to Democracy

Gandhi, Th 9:00-12:00 MAX: 12

Content: This seminar is a thematic introduction to understanding why and how transitions to democracy come about. We first review broad macrohistorical approaches that emphasize the importance of economic structures (i.e., development, crisis, resources) and cultural forces in determining whether transitions from authoritarianism take place. We then examine intentionalist approaches that examine either how dictatorial regimes break down or how authoritarian rulers extricate themselves from power. In particular, we explore whether political institutions under dictatorship provide opportunities for the opposition to challenge these regimes. The course ends with a look at what happens during and just after the transition when democratic forces are bargaining over the shape of new institutions and determining to what extent legacies of authoritarianism remain.

Particulars:
Paper proposal (20%), research paper (50%), and take-home final exam (30%)

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Governance & NGOs in the U.S.

Owens, Th 9:00-12:00 MAX: 12

Content: “Governance” is the processes by which government defines problems, designs responses, and implements policies. But governance isn’t just about government. The challenges of contemporary society, especially in the United States, don’t respect governmental and sub-governmental borders. Formal hierarchies are proving to be ineffective at dealing with many of these complex problems. Thus, much of what was once government’s “work” is now being done by quasi-governmental organizations, by nonprofit agencies and for-profit firms, or by networks of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses. Within nations, and across nations, citizens are devising innovative mechanisms for making and implementing public-policy decisions with little or no involvement by traditional government.
Accordingly, this course examines “the new governance” -- the medley of non-governmental institutions, quasi-organizational arrangements, and even less formal collaboratives that we are evolving to solve our collective-action problems. It will focus on the translation of laws into policies and programs into outcomes, highlighting and considering important questions for Political Science and the polity that relate specifically to governance. How does the work of government get done? Following the passage of laws, how does government transform policies into programs to resolve domestic problems? In particular, how does government involve the other sectors of society in addressing domestic “crises” (e.g., crime, poverty, failing public schools, sprawl and environmental degradation), especially in its metropolitan areas, inclusive of cities and suburbs? In short, how does government govern and what happens to our understanding of the "state" and "civil society"?

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The Department of Political Science, 327 Tarbutton Hall, 1555 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-727-6572 phone, 404-727-4586 fax
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