Graduate Courses
Graduate
Courses (2007 - 2008)
Contact info: polsgrad@u.washington.edu
Winter 2008 Courses
Political Science 501A: ADVANCED POLITICAL RESEARCH DESIGN
AND ANALYSIS
(Joint w/- CS&SS 501A)
Days/Times: MF 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Segura, G Graduate students only
Description: This course is intended as a graduate
level introduction to statistical methods in political science.
Topics covered include the basics of sampling and probability theory,
the logic of hypothesis testing, measures of central tendency and
dispersion, tests of association for nominal, ordinal, and interval
level variables, and OLS regression. Evaluation will be based on
regular home works and two examinations.
Political Science 505A: COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Days & Time: T 2:30-5:20 5 credits
Instructor: Hanson, S Graduate students only
Description: This course is designed as a broad
introduction to the major theoretical paradigms, methodological
perspectives, and empirical issues that have shaped the social scientific
study of comparative politics. The course begins with an overview
of the Marxian, Weberian, Parsonian, and rational choice approaches.
Next we will examine some of the basic methodological debates concerning
how the study of comparative politics should best be pursued. Finally,
we will survey works on central topics such as the origins of dictatorship
and democracy, the problem of economic development and underdevelopment,
the nature of revolutionary change, and the relationship between
the state and society.
Assignments: Grades in this course will be based upon two analytic
essays (45% each) and class participation and preparedness (10%).
Texts: Readings will include works by Marx, Weber,
Huntington, Olson, Moore, Skocpol, Migdal, and others.
Grading: Papers: 90 %; Class/quiz participation:
10 %.
Political Science 510A: MAX LIKELIHOOD METH
Days / Time: M 1:30 – 4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Ward, M Graduate Students only
Description: Theory and practice of likelihood
inference for social science models, spanning binary, nominal, ordinal,
count, and continuous random variables. Estimation, interpretation,
and presentation of results will also be emphasized.
Political Science 511A: SEMINAR IN ETHICAL AND POLITICAL
THEORY
Days / Time: TH 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Mayerfeld, J Graduate students only
Description: This course explores the meaning,
value, and limits of constitutionalism. While most constitutional
theory confines itself to the level of individual states, we will
ask whether there can be such a thing as a transnational or even
global constitution. The intuition behind the course is that constitutional
theory may help us conceptualize a more just global order, and that
the attempt to theorize solutions to global problems may enhance
our understanding of constitutionalism itself. Among other questions,
we will ask whether sovereignty is a precondition of, or obstacle
to, constitutional order; whether constitutionalism presupposes
a certain understanding of citizenship; and whether it is possible
or even desirable to construct transnational forms of citizenship.
Thinkers studied in the course will include Aristotle on mixed government;
Thomas Hobbes on sovereignty; James Madison on the separation of
powers; Immanuel Kant on the idea of an international federation;
Hannah Arendt on constitutionalism and power; Peter Singer and Thomas
Nagel on global justice; T. H. Marshall and Yasemin Soysal on citizenship;
Jürgen Habermas and Alec Stone Sweet on transnational constitutions;
and Carl Schmitt and Elaine Scarry on states of emergency.
Requirement: Students are expected to complete
the readings, attend seminar meetings, and participate in class
discussion. Each student will also be responsible for two seminar
presentations. Students will have a choice of submitting three short
(7 to 8-page) essays interspersed throughout the term or an article-length
paper (20 pages or more) due at the end of the term.
Grading: Papers: 75% Discussion and presentations:
25%.
Political Science 519A: MODERN SCANDINAVIAN POLITICS
(Joint w/SCAND 519A)
Days/Time: F 1:30-3:50 5 credits
Instructor: Ingebritsen, C Graduate students only
Description: Modern Scandinavian Politics reviews
the major approaches to the study of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland
and Iceland in the social science literature. Students are expected
to take an active role in presenting course material and to write
a final paper comparing and contrasting two Nordic political systems.
Texts: Required readings: Geyer, Ingebritsen and
Moses, Globalization, Europeanization And The End of Scandinavian
Social Democracy? Rothstein, Just Institutions Matter; Ingebritsen,
The Nordic States And European Unity; Matthews and Valen, Parliamentary
Representation; Kurzer, Markets And Moral Regulation; Katzenstein,
Small States in World Markets; Tilton, The Political Theory of Swedish
Social Democracy.
Grading: Readings: 10 %; Final Paper: 90 %.
Political Science 527A: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPICS
Topic: International Conflict and Cooperation
Days/Times: M 4:30-7:20 3 credits
Instructor: Ward, M Graduate students only
Description: This seminar will introduce students
to quantitative approaches to international conflict and cooperation.
We will survey recent research into 1) arms races, proliferation,
and weapons trade; 2) power and its role in world affairs; 3) the
role of preferences in decision-making in foreign policy; 4) the
role of alliances in international conflict; 5) the linkage between
domestic and international conflict; 6) economic relations and international
conflict, specifically trade, foreign aid, and foreign investment;
7) diffusion of conflicts; 8) domestic constraints on foreign conflict;
9) political
geography of war and peace. Weekly discussion of readings will be
required. A paper—which can be a replication, a research design,
or a research paper--is required.
Texts: A number of books and articles will comprise
the required reading
Assignments: Class presentations, discussion, and
a research paper.
Grading: Paper: 50 % Class/quiz participation:
50 %.
Political Science 527B: SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS RESEARCH
Topic: International Political Economy II: Economic Development
Days/Time: W 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Prakash, A Graduate students only
Description: This course covers the emergence and
development of the modern world system, the transition from feudalism
to capitalism, development debates of the 1950s and the 1960s, dependency
and post-dependency, economic transitions of the 1990s, the East
Asian experience including the 1997 crisis, and developmental challenges
of the future. We will also cover debates on the impact of property
rights protection, social capital, democracy, colonialism, aid,
and FDI on development.
Political Science 530A: TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONS: THE U.S.
AND EUROPE IN WORLD POLITICS
Days/Time: W 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Cirtautas, A Grad students only
Trans-Atlantic Program Students Add code required
Description: This seminar is planned as an in-depth
investigation of US-European relations in the aftermath of the Cold
War. The readings and discussions are divided into three major parts.
Section I provides both an historical and a theoretical overview
of how these relations have evolved and how they have been analyzed
by the major schools of international relations theory, constructivism
and neorealism. Section II focuses on the major areas of critical
disagreement between the US and the European Union; disagreements
that Cold War realities helped to contain but that now loom much
larger in challenging the stability of the transatlantic community.
Section III considers the future of transatlantic relations by addressing
the fundamental nature of what is at stake: either a joint reconfiguration
of power, purpose and preferences that will give new impetus to
the transatlantic community or an increasingly divergent approach
to the challenges of the 21st century that will replace the post-WWII
community of identities and interests with a 'realpolitik' world
of conditional and shifting alliances.
Grades: 20% seminar participation; 15% oral presentation
of research paper; 65% ca. 20 page research papers.
Political Science 532A: THE CHINESE POLITICAL SYSTEM
(Joint w/SISEA 532A)
Days/Time: M 2:00-4:50 5 credits
Instructor: Whiting, S Graduate students only
Description: This seminar introduces both classic
and cutting-edge research addressing some of the most important
issues and debates in contemporary Chinese politics. These debates
concern our understanding of the Chinese revolution, the origins
of the reform process, the question of institutional adaptability
vs. decay, the evolution of property rights, the significance of
expanding political participation and protest, and the nature and
impact of Chinese nationalism. In engaging these debates, the course
will address issues of theory, methodology, and data in the study
of Chinese politics. Toward this end, the readings selected for
the course draw on a broad range of primary sources and research
methodologies. Throughout the quarter, we will critically examine
the interplay among theory, data, and method in the study of Chinese
politics.
Assignments: Short response papers with presentations; final paper
Texts: Saich and van de Ven, New Perspectives on
the Chinese Communist Revolution; Kelliher, Peasant Power in China;
Huang, The Political Economy of Central-Local Relations; Whiting,
Power and Wealth in Rural China; Shi, Political Participation in
Beijing; Zheng, Discovering Nationalism in China; among other readings.
Grading: Final Papers: 40 %; Short Papers:40 %;
Class/quiz participation: 20 %.
Political Science 534A: INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
(Joint w/PBAF 534A, SIS 534A)
Days/Time: MW 12:30-1:50 3 credits
Instructor: Anderson, L Graduate students only
Entry codes, 215A Smith
Description: No course description available at
this time. Following is that taken from the UW General Catalog:
Provides a broad understanding of international issues and United
States policy. Students explore U.S. foreign policy and theories
of major international actors in international trade, security,
and strategic concerns, refugee policy, conflict resolution, development
assistance, and the environment.
Political Science 539A: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF NORTHEAST
ASIA
(Joint w/SISEA 551 A)
Days/Time: F 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Hellmann, D Graduate students only
Description: Comprehensive survey of contemporary
international relations of East Asia with emphasis on Japan, China,
and the United States and regional international institutions. A
multidisciplinary approach placing contemporary problems in historical
context, drawing on modern social science theories. In particular,
the connections between defense and economics are examined.
Political Science 553A: PUBLIC OPINION
Days/Time: TH 1:30-4:20 3 credits
Instructor: Parker, C Graduate students only
Description: This course examines various
facets of American public opinion. Substantively, the first section
of the course surveys the ingredients of opinion including beliefs,
values, and the concomitant schemas. In the second portion, we consider
how these ingredients drive opinion in the areas of race and tolerance.
Along the way, we encounter the ways in which opinion is manipulated
through experimentation and framing. The final part of the course
is devoted to practical issues surrounding survey research. Here,
we consider measurement and methodological issues as they pertain
to constructing the survey instrument.
Political Science 555A: AMERICAN POL TOPICS
Topic: Immigration and American Politics
Days/Time: W 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Barreto, M Graduate students only
Description: Immigration and American Politics.
This class will examine the history and contemporary role of immigration
in the U.S. political system. The class will focus on two aspects
of immigration: First, a historical examination of immigration policy
from the founding of the country all the way forward to the current
debate over immigration reform. Second, we will evaluate and assess
the political incorporation and political participation of immigrant
groups in the U.S. and determine whether immigrants are being incorporated,
and if not, why?
Grading: Research Presentation: 30 points, Final Paper: 70 points.
Political Science 559A: POLITICAL METHODS TOPICS
Topic: Survey Research and Experimental Methods
Days/Time: W 4:30 – 7:20 5 Credits
Instructor: Albertson, B Graduate Students Only
Description: This course has two main goals: to help students
become critical consumers of survey and experiment based research,
and to give students the skills they need to incorporate surveys
and experiments into their own research.
Experimental Methods: In this section, we’ll
cover the basics of experimental design, field vs. lab experiments,
and survey based experimentation.
Survey Research: Topics covered will include issues
related to questionnaire design, such as social desirability and
question order effects. We will also cover sampling techniques and
while this is not a statistics course, we will address statistical
issues related to survey analysis, such as non-response.
Political Science 575A: PUBLIC POLICY PROCESSES
(Joint w/PBAF 575A)
Days/Time: W 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: May, P Graduate students only
Description: This course is broadly concerned with
political science research about policy processes. We will conduct
this course as a research seminar in American politics focusing
on key perspectives about the policy process. Students with theoretical
interests will find the course useful in providing frameworks for
studying policy processes and American politics. Students with applied
interests in particular policy areas will find the course useful
in thinking about the forces that shape policies.
For much of the quarter, we will be moving back and forth between
theoretical notions and discussion of student research. Each week’s
topics will typically consist of a mix of theoretical perspectives
and prior research illustrating or testing those perspectives. In
addition, we will devote time in most sessions to discussion of
the development of student-initiated research projects.
Assignments: Each student will be required to develop: (1) a research
paper that analyzes an aspect of the perspectives for one or more
policy domains; (2) a set of short papers that contribute to development
of the final research paper; (3) a review of a recent book about
policy processes; and (4) a reflective essay about the course material.
Texts: Baumgartner and Jones, Agendas and Instability
in American Politics; Sabatier, ed., Theories of the Policy Process
(2nd ed); and other books and journal articles to be designated.
Political Science 593A: THEORIES OF DECISION-MAKING
Days & Times: T 1:30-4:20 5 credits
Instructor: Jones, B Graduate students only
Description: This course will explore the decision-making
foundations for political choice. We will compare the rational model
as it has developed in economics, decision sciences, and political
science with critiques of that model in political science, psychology,
and behavioral economics. We will explore the notion that rational
models capture the objective task environment of the decision-maker,
while bounded rationality, the major alternative to rational choice,
is sensitive to limitations in adjustment to the task environment
imposed by the cognitive constitutions of decision-makers. Finally,
we will tie the literature on decision-making to policymaking and
other organizational processes.
Assignments: Each student will prepare a research
paper drawn from his or her area of interest that explores rational
decisional models or their limits either theoretically or empirically
or in combination.
Political Science 597A: DIRECTED READINGS
Days/Time: ARR 1 - 10 credits
Graduate Students Only Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Intensive reading in the literatures
of political science, directed by the chair of the doctoral supervisory
committee.
Political Science 598A: INDEPENDENT WRITING I
(MA Essay of Distinction)
Days/Time: ARR 1 – 5 Credits
Graduate students only Contract and Entry code, 215 Smith
Description: Supervised research and writing for
graduate students completing the M.A. Essay of Distinction. Intended
to provide students with the opportunity to undertake for-credit
research and writing leading to the required Essay of Distinction
for the department.
Political Science 600 A/B: INDEPENDENT STUDY OR RESEARCH
Days/Time: ARR 1 -10 credits
Graduate Students Only Contract and Entry Code, 215 Smith
Description: A contract must be completed and signed
by the faculty supervisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator prior
to obtaining an entry code for POL S 600. POL S 600A is decimal
graded; POL S 600B is credit / no credit.
Political Science 800 A: DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
Days/Time: ARR 1 – 10 credits
Graduate students only Entry code, 215 Smith
Credit / No Credit Only
Description: Registration in POL S 800 is limited
to doctoral candidates.
|
