Department of Political Science

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.

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

POLS 509: The Linear Model

Beardsley, TT 8:30-9:45, MAX: 12

Content: This course provides a thorough foundation for understanding and using regression analysis for empirical research in political science. After a basic primer on rudimentary calculus and matrix algebra, and a discussion of the properties of statistical estimators, the course builds the ordinary regression model and estimators from the ground up. It covers model assumptions and techniques for detecting and addressing violations of those assumptions, plus topics such as model specification, interactions and functional forms, measurement error, and endogeneity. The emphasis throughout is on applied techniques common in current political science research.

POLS 512: Conflict

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

Content: This course introduces students both to the historical development of the sub-field of international conflict and to the most recent research on the topic. Readings will include the best examples from a variety of methodologies including formal theory, quantitative analysis, and qualitative research. This class prepares students for the comprehensive exam in conflict.

Texts:
Reiter, Democracies at War
Goemans, War and Punishment: The Causes of War Termination and the First World War
Howard, Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction
Mearsheimer, Conventional Deterrence
Press, Calculating Credibility: How Leaders Assess Military Threat

POLS 513: Introduction to Game Theory

Carrubba, M 9:00-12:00, MAX: 12

Content: Introduction to game theory. The focus of the class will be on the basic tools and solution concepts of game theory. We will also consider the usefulness of formal theory and its appropriate/inappropriate application.

Particulars: Exams--Midterm and final exams
Grading--Midterm exam-30%; Final exam-30%; Problem sets-40%

POLS 520: Comparative Politics

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

Content: This course provides an introduction to the dominant questions, theories and empirical research in comparative politics. The traditional approach to comparative politics involves developing and testing theories of political phenomena that vary across nation-states; however, comparative politics also contains research seeking to explain political phenomena that vary only within a particular state. Consequently, while we will review cross-national research, we will not limit ourselves to such analyses. Substantive topics include democracy and development, democratic performance, political order and conflict, culture, political institutions, elections, parties, representation, accountability and political economy.

Particulars: Course requirements include student-led discussions of theoretical arguments and/or competing empirical tests, and active participation in seminar meetings.

POLS 540: American Government and Politics

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

Content: General survey of classic and recent research on major questions in American politics research. Topics include public opinion, mass media, voting and participation, elections, institutional theories, Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, and inequality. The development of areas of research will be stressed, along with the theoretical frameworks dominant in substantive areas of inquiry.

POLS 571: Longitudinal Data Analysis

Beardsley, TT 10:00-11:15, 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 572: Modeling Social Phenomenon

Brown, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 4

Content: This seminar is ideal for assisting graduate students to develop unique and nontrivial theories of politics and society together with mathematical model specifications that exactly match those theories. Helping students develop theories and specifications useful for dissertation research is a key component of the course. The subject is taught with an extremely user-friendly approach, and students should have little or no trouble mastering the course content. High school algebra is all that is required to begin. Substantively, the course focuses on a system's view of modeling, and students will learn a great many practical tools that help to bridge the divide between a verbally-stated theory and its mathematical representation. Check out the syllabus and other course materials at www.courtneybrown.com. [Click on "Student Area (Emory)" in the navigation menu.]

Particulars: Written assignments; class presentations (students develop and present their own theories).

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Comparative Mass Behavior

Linzer, Tu 1:00-4:00, MAX: 6

Content: How do people around the world think about and participate in politics and government? In this seminar, we will address questions relating to public opinion formation, ideology and partisanship, voting behavior, democratic representation, and mass social movements. Our approach will be broadly comparative in scope, examining evidence for and against various theories of mass behavior in countries with different political institutions, different historical and cultural backgrounds, and at very different levels of economic development. A large amount of reading will be expected, consistent with the large amount of research that has been conducted in these areas of study. (Additional reading and writing assignments will be assigned to graduate students in comparison to undergraduate students in the course.)

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

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

Owens, W 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 via cross-sectoral collaboration, 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 "problems" and "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," "the market," and "civil society" when we focus more on governance and less on government?

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Congressional Politics

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

Content: This seminar will examine the leading theoretical and empirical work on the politics of the U.S. Congress, and on relations between Congress and the executive and judicial branches.

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Law and Politics
[Course follows Law School calendar]

Carrubba, Th 4:00-7:00, MAX: 6

Content: This seminar is designed to expose students to a growing literature on law and politics. Using a mixture of case study, statistical analysis, and game theoretic modeling, scholars are increasingly interested in how the worlds of judicial behavior and politics intersect. This course will provide a survey of some of the most promising areas of study, including models of judicial decision making, the politics of opinions and precedent, inter-branch relations, and inter-court relations. We will also ask questions about the institutional design and change of judicial systems, including why judicial review exists, how courts manage (or not) compliance and enforcement concerns, and how national and international courts compare.

POLS 585: Variable Topics Seminar

Topic title: Courts, Politics and Public Policy

Giles, W 1:00-4:00, MAX: 4

Content: This seminar focuses on courts as political institutions. How are courts like and unlike other institutions of government? What roles do courts play in democratic political systems? What influence do courts have over public policy? How do they constrain the policymaking of other institutions? How are they constrained by other institutions? These are some of the kinds of questions to be addressed in the seminar. (Additional reading and writing assignments will be assigned to graduate students in comparison to undergraduate students in the course.)

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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
For web comments or questions, contact polisci@emory.edu. Last update November 4, 2009