POLISCI-45N: Civil War Narratives
Preference to freshmen. Focus is on a new statistics-based theory to account for the susceptibility of countries to civil war. How to write a theory-based historical narrative. Students write and present an original historical narrative focusing on how well the theory explains a particular history and on the importance of factors that are absent from the theory in explaining civil war onsets.
POLISCI-46N: Contemporary African Politics
Africa has lagged behind the rest of the developing world in terms of three consequential outcomes: economic development, the establishment of social order through effective governance, and the consolidation of democracy. This course seeks to identify the historical and political sources accounting for this lag, to provide extensive case study and statistical material to understand what sustains it, and to examine recent examples of success pointing to a more hopeful future. Students will be asked to develop expertise on one or two African countries and report regularly to fellow students on the progress (or lack thereof) of their countries on each outcome and the reasons for it.
POLISCI-146A: African Politics
This course seeks to identify the historical and political sources accounting for Africa’s lag in democracy, prosperity and security, and to provide extensive case study and statistical material to understand what sustains it, and how it might be overcome.
POLISCI-244U/344U : Political Culture
Implications of cultural coordination and cultural difference for political processes and institutions.
POLISCI-440A: Theories in Comparative Politics
Theories addressing major concerns in the comparative field including democracy, regime change, the state, revolutions, national heterogeneity, and economic performance.
POLISCI-400C: Research Design
Current methodological standards in empirical political science. Students develop their own research design that meets these standards.