Submitted by Stephen Dunne
on
Dear Political Science Majors,
If you haven't yet enrolled in all of your Winter 2026 courses, several taught by Political Science still have space. This is the list of courses with the most room. All are 5 credits. Scroll down for information about each course, including links to MyPlan.
- POL S 249, INTRO LABOR STUDIES - Counts for Labor Studies Minors and Human Rights Minors
- POL S 299, SPECIAL TOPICS: Can Democracy Be Saved?
- POL S 328, INTL ORGANIZATIONS - Counts for Human Rights Minor. Will not be taught in 2026-27.
- POL S 331, MID EAST N AFRICA
- Pol S 334B, AMERICAN POL TOPICS : Social Movements. Counts for LSJ Major and Minor
- POL S 364, SUPREME CT & POL DVP - Counts for LSJ Major and Minor
- POL S 405, AM POLITICS ADV SEM
- 405A : The Politics of Philanthropy and Social Movements
- 405C: Inequality and Public Policy. Counts for LSJ Major and Minor.
- POL S 407, INTERNATL CONFLICT
Limited seats are also available in other courses. If they are full, use Notify for notification if space opens up.
Instructor: Josh Sturman
Lecture: MW 1:00-2:20pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Field D, American Politics
Labor Studies Minor Foundations Course.
Human Rights Minor Broader Context Course.
Description: Labor studies is an interdisciplinary and intersectional field that explores the history, ideas, and politics of working people, broadly conceived. This class introduces participants to Labor Studies by asking questions including “why do we work?”, “what are the conditions we work in?”, and “how has work changed over time?” Click here for full description.
Instructors: Prof. Megan Francis and Prof. George Lovell
Lecture: MW 2:30-3:50pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Field D, American Politics
Description: Democracy is under threat in the United States and elsewhere, leading to widespread concern about human rights, election legitimacy, delivery of essential government services, and increasing violence. Nearly every metric used to measure the strength of democracy concludes that democratic backsliding has occurred in the 21st century. How we understand the source of democratic unraveling and the possible solutions will shape what type of world we live in moving forwards. In this class, we will focus in particular on the urgent question of can democracy be saved and how different institutional arrangements, financial resources, and collective movements shape the field of what is possible. Click here for full description.
POL S 328, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS - Will not be taught in 2026-27
Instructor: Prof. Geoffrey Wallace
Lecture: MW 11:30am-12:50pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Credits: 5
Field C, International Relations
International Security Option Elective
Human Rights Minor Broader Context Course
Description: International organizations (IOs), such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the International Criminal Court, and the World Health Organization, have become increasingly prominent across a wide range of domains in world affairs. Though states are sovereign actors in the international system, they often choose to surrender some of their authority to these international institutions. Why do IOs exist in the first place? Why do states create and join IOs? What are the ways in which IOs can influence interests and outcomes in the international and domestic arenas? Click here for full description.
Instructor: Prof. Asli Cansunar
Lecture: MW 10:00am-11:20am. Quiz on Fridays.
Field B, Comparative Politics
International Security Option Elective
Description: For decades, the Middle East was widely perceived as a bastion of authoritarianism and a hotbed of ethnic and religious politics and political violence. What explains the persistence of these perspectives, and why have citizens across the region risen up to try to overthrow dictators and authoritarian regimes? Why have Islamists gained prominence in many MENA countries, and why has sectarian violence appeared to spike in recent decades? By learning about key questions and debates in the field of Middle East politics, this course aims to give students a critical understanding of politics in the region. The course combines systematic analytical approaches to big questions with concrete knowledge of events and developments in specific countries. Topics include “persistent authoritarianism” in the Middle East, Political Islam, women's rights in MENA, economic development and underdevelopment, social mobilization, and the foundations of the Arab Spring.
Topic: Social Movements
Instructor: Prof. Perez Brower
Lecture: W 10:30am-1:20pm
Field D, American Politics
Description: Through the lenses of power, resistance, and identity, this course provides an introduction to American social movements. Drawing from history, sociology, and politics, it examines a range of social movements, including: Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter movement, Occupy Wallstreet, second and third wave feminism, gender-based violence movement, LGBTQ+ movements, and Right-wing mobilization. Throughout the course you will learn how to (1) identify social movements, (2) understand movement tools for mobilization, (3) learn leadership roles and infrastructure that make movements possible, (4) evaluate the effectiveness of contentious politics and (4) build your own movement. Click here for full description.
Instructor: Prof. Scott Lemieux
Lecture: MW 2:30-3:50pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Field D, American Politics
Counts for LSJ Major and Minor
Description: This class will examine the development of the Supreme Court and its role as a political institution through a careful examination of several critical historical junctures. With one exception, we will not be reading Supreme Court case law. Rather, we will be reading an analyzing political science and legal scholarship about the Court, the source of its power, and its impact on American politics. The central paradox the course seeks to asses is how an inherently fragile institution, lacking the powers of coercion or taxation, has come to become so powerful. Click here for full description.
Topic: The Politics of Philanthropy and Social Movements
Instructor: Prof. Megan Francis
Seminar: MW 10:00-11:50am
Field D, American Politics
Description: What is the role of money in politics? We are at a zenith of philanthropic giving. Foundation assets have grown to well over $800 billion today. As a result, there has been an explosion in private charitable foundations and innovative donor initiatives. Click here for full description.
Topic: Inequality and Public Policy
Instructor: Prof.Margaret Perez Brower
Seminar: W 2:30-5:20pm
Field D, American Politics
Description: Social policy in the United States has long been used as a tool to address inequities and economic disparities--but does it succeed? How would we know? And what if this very tool is responsible for creating and exasperating inequality in America? In this course you will learn how social policy is designed, implemented, and evaluated. Click here for full descripton.
Instructor: Prof. Gabriella Levy
Lecture: TTh 11:30-12:50pm. Quiz on Fridays.
Field C, International Relations
International Security Option Required Course
Description: Why do countries go to war? Is it inevitable because of the structure of the international system, or are some countries and some leaders more likely to initiate conflicts? What tactics can help countries win these wars, and which tactics are counterproductive? This course will focus on conflicts between two states as well as conflicts in which states fight armed actors based outside of their borders. There will be two midterms, each consisting of a series of IDs and long-answer questions, and a final research paper which considers which theory we’ve read about best explains the outbreak or ending of a conflict of your choice. It is recommended that you take POL S 203 Introduction to International Relations prior to enrolling in this class.
Topic: Religion, Politics, and Violence
Instructor: Prof. Mark Smith
Seminar: MW 2:30-4:20pm
Field B, Comparative Politics
Description: Many important events, both historical and contemporary, lie at the intersection of religion, politics, and violence. Prominent examples include the Roman execution of Jesus, the European conquest and colonization of the Americas, the partition of India, 9/11, and Myanmar’s persecution of the Rohingya. At the same time, religions contain teachings promoting peace and nonviolence. What are the conditions under which their violent possibilities emerge? How do group identity, political leadership, and the social context contribute to events where religion is either a motivating factor for committing violence, or where people are targeted in part because of their religion? This course explores those questions. Click here for full description.