Political Science

This course is designed to provide students a comprehensive introduction to Comparative Politics through the discussion of a broad range of thematic topics. These are supplemented with a selection of academic readings and real-world case studies from various regions of the world. In general, Mondays will be dedicated to the basic concepts of the week’s readings (ECP), Wednesdays to the related scholarly readings (ERCP) and Thursdays/Fridays (sections) will focus on the comparative cases (CCP) as a platform for applying what was learned in the other readings.

Classification of political systems according to institutional and developmental characteristics. Causes and costs of political stability and instability. Comparison will relate to contemporary political institutions and processes in specific countries.)

Sub-Saharan Africa is an evolving, diverse, young, and frequently misrepresented part of the world. Over the last two decades the continent has undergone far reaching political, social, and economic upheavals challenging its conventional image as a failed continent. The course is designed as a survey class exploring the changing dynamics of African politics since independence from European colonial domination. Key topics include the long-term legacies of European colonialism; the emergence and the modus operandi of autocratic rule; the struggle for democratization and the outcome of that struggle; the origins, causes, and manifestations of violent conflict; the impact of ethnic identities on political contestation; and the different forms of political engagement shaping contemporary Africa. The course combines in-depth regional knowledge with comparative theory thereby addressing central questions about the notion of African exceptionalism, democracy, and political culture.

Introductory overview of political patterns and political behavior in Latin America within comparative and developmental perspectives. Emphasizes the social, economic, and political factors shaping contemporary political structures and processes. This course delves into the political transformations that have shaped Latin America from the late 20th century to the present. We begin by examining the autocratic rule of military dictatorships that seized power in the 1960s and 1970s, exploring the mechanisms of their control and the societal fissures they exploited. The course then pivots to the painstaking, often fraught, journey towards democracy. In this process we analyze the role of political elites and mobilized citizens in constructing new democratic institutions. The course then focuses on the adoption of neoliberal economic policies and how these reforms exacerbated existing inequalities, fueling social unrest and increasing crime. Subsequent modules investigate the “left turn” in the region, dissecting its origins, development, and its varied impacts on democratic consolidation and the struggle against inequality. In the final module we analyze the rise of populist illiberal governments and movements, as well as the way different groups -including women, indigenous, and Afrolatinx- have resisted autocratization. This course combines theoretical frameworks with case studies, integrating current events and documentaries to illuminate the enduring legacies of authoritarianism and the ongoing challenges to achieving equitable and democratic societies.

This class will provide a survey of the politics of postcommunist Eastern Europe, from the emergence of national states in the interwar period through their accession to the European Union, and the phenomenon of democratic backsliding since. Just as the collapse of the region’s communist regimes took social scientists by surprise in 1989, so too has the divergence of political and economic trajectories since. In some countries, democratic institutions were swiftly consolidated. In others, initial gains have been reversed and “illiberal democracies” are taking shape. Likewise in the economic sphere, outcomes have varied widely: while some governments quickly managed difficult reforms and laid the conditions for growth, others faced extended economic stagnation. Finally, a number of the region’s states have joined the European Union and NATO, a process that, arguably, has deepened democracy and cemented economic reforms even as it adds new complexity to the postcommunist transition. Most recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destabilized security for the whole region. In short, the range of outcomes in postcommunist Europe makes the region an ideal laboratory for testing the explanatory power of major theories of comparative politics. Our survey of political and economic developments in this region will cover (de-)democratization and political participation; privatization and macroeconomic reform; nationalism and ethnic conflict; as well as regional integration. Though we will cover the whole region, the countries that will receive primary consideration are Poland, the former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, and Romania.

In the late twentieth century, the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union led some scholars to speak about “the end of history” where liberal democracy would be the only form of government left standing. However, authoritarian regimes in different parts of the world continue to demonstrate their resilience. In this course, we will explore the different types of authoritarian regimes, exploring their characteristics and political workings, including legitimation strategies, through various examples. Specifically, we will examine military, singleparty, personalistic/sultanistic, and hybrid regimes, exploring how they manage to stay in power and asking ourselves whether regime change could occur. This course has a heavy reading load, and it will be structured following the Team-Based Learning (TBL) system. During the first week of the course, I will place you in a team. You will work in the same team for the entire semester through various assessment sessions and application exercises. I expect that you will come to class fully prepared to discuss and apply the reading contents in class activities. Please feel free to come to my office hours to discuss your concerns regarding any class readings, assignments, etc.

This course undertakes an intensive analysis of the contemporary history, politics, and governments of Ireland—both in the Republic and Northern Ireland. The course examines the foundations of the state and society from an historical and political-cultural perspective, including the impact of emigration in themid-nineteenth century, the role of the Catholic Church on Irish politics and culture, the 1916 Easter Rising, the establishment of Michael Collins’ Free State (Saorstat Éireann) and partition of the North 8/15/25, 7:59 AM Syllabus for CPO4145 – Irish Govt and Politics (Ulster), the Civil War of 1922-23, and the leadership of Eamonn de Valera in the establishment of the Republic (1949). The course also focuses on the legacy of British rule in the North (Ulster), the“Troubles” of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the Peace Process, and governmental structures in the North, as well as in the Republic of Ireland. We will also address the implications of “Brexit”–the British exit from the European Union–on relations between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Irish cinema—both fiction and documentary in nature—are utilized to enhance a grasp of the history and contemporary nature of state and society in the Republic and the North.

What is democracy and why has it spread across the globe? Will it continue? This course will teach students about dictatorships, democratization, and democratic breakdown. We will examine the different “waves” of democratization, explore how country-specific attributes and international factors shape democratic transitions, and discuss how institutional arrangements impact democratic consolidation.

This course exposes graduate students to major trends in the study of comparative politics, particularly its theoretical and methodological foundations. Like the larger subfield, Comparative
Politics at the University of Florida focuses on the study of domestic politics in countries besides the United States. While the United States may be an important case for comparison, our emphasis
in this class lies beyond America’s borders. Student may acquire detailed knowledge of U.S. politics via the Department’s American Politics subfield. Over the course of the semester, the seminar will address a wide range of questions and issues. I view the course as an introduction to the subfield; thus, the material covered is, by necessity, quite broad in age, methods, and scope. The readings range from foundational works to recently published research. Students will engage in debates about the advantages and disadvantages of different methodologies, as well as the validity and eneralizability of different hypotheses and theories. Substantive themes include the politics of development, revolutions, democracy, and authoritarianism as well as questions related to the state, political culture, civil society, ethnic conflict, and political institutions. Despite a conscious attempt to cover an array of topics, students should be aware that the readings are mere samples of rich research traditions. Each book or article gives only a taste of what Comparativists (political scientists who study Comparative Politics) do. The Department offers many additional courses that provide the kinds of depth that an introductory seminar must forego. Still, if you adequately fulfill your responsibilities in this class and other classes, then you can be confident that your initial footing in the subfield will be solid.

The seminar exposes graduate students to major issues related to the comparative study of elections and political parties. Major topics in the course include the functions and operation of elections in authoritarian and democratic regimes, the features and effects of electoral systems, the roles that electoral institutions and elite behavior play in producing a proliferation or scarcity of parties, and the development and evolution of parties and party systems.

Introduction to concepts and analytical tools for studying interactions among international actors: states, international organizations, and transnational groups. Social and behavioral science principles are used to analyze concepts such as power and national interest as they relate to social, political, and economic issues. The course is designed as a broad introduction to contemporary issues, actors, theories, debates, and major scholarly traditions in the study of world politics. The course introduces the foundational assumptions, methods, and scope of world politics as defined by a variety of perspectives and approaches. In doing so the course guides the students to core concepts necessary for understanding how the world, although diverse in composition and often, but not always, divided against itself, governs its affairs, and decides whose preferences will win out and whose welfare will be fostered in ways that are viewed as legitimate and authoritative by the contending populations of the world. This course fulfills the General Education Objectives for Social and Behavioral Sciences and International Relations. This means that the course endeavors to provide instruction in the history, key themes, principles, terminology, and underlying theories and methodologies used in the study of world politics and international relations. Students learn to identify, describe, and explain social institutions, structures, and processes of world politics, with an emphasis on the effective application of accepted problem-solving techniques in the study of international relations and world politics. Students are also trained in how to assess and analyze ethical perspectives in individual and societal decisions in variety of world contexts.
The course is structured into lectures (Mondays and Wednesdays) and weekly discussion sessions (Thursdays and Fridays) . The lectures take a thematic approach to the various issues that world politics deals with. At the same time the thematic approach is seasoned with a reasonable amount of conceptual/theoretical discussion to anchor students’ understanding of world politics both on solid empirical and theoretical grounds. Students are thus expected to fully acquaint themselves with the themes discussed in the lectures and discussions sections such as the politics of security, the politics of justice, the politics of power, the politics of the environment, etc. Students are also expected to fully grasp the meaning and scope of concepts such as power, identity, and international political economy, etc. At the end of the semester the students will have acquired enough knowledge (both empirical and theoretical) to be able to form their own critical and knowledgeable views on many important issues of world politics. This means that students will be able to identify, describe, and explain the historical, cultural, economic, political, and/or social experiences and processes that characterize the contemporary world. Students will thus be able to analyze and reflect on the ways in which cultural, economic, political, and/or social systems and beliefs mediate our understandings of an increasingly connected contemporary world.

This course is an introduction to concepts and analytical tools for studying interactions among international actors: states, international organizations, and transnational groups. Social and behavioral science principles are used to analyze concepts such as power and national interests as they relate to social, political, and economic issues. A primary objective of international relations scholars is to explore and explain the many phenomena in world politics by studying the effects of national and transnational actors on the outcomes or developments of international events. These effects are then facilitated and enhanced by actions such as fighting in wars/conflicts, conducting trade, signing treaties/legislations, migrating, and more. Students will be embarking on a journey that will help them better understand the world that we currently live in, and they will be able to better equip themselves with the abilities to ask and answer the “why and how” questions about many world events.

This course is an introduction to concepts and analytical tools for studying interactions among international actors: states, international organizations, and transnational groups. Social and behavioral science principles are used to analyze concepts such as power and national interests as they relate to social, political, and economic issues. A primary objective of international relations scholars is to explore and explain the many phenomena in world politics by studying the effects of national and transnational actors on the outcomes or developments of international events. These effects are then facilitated and enhanced by actions such as fighting in wars/conflicts, conducting trade, signing treaties/legislations, migrating, and more. Students will be embarking on a journey that will help them better understand the world that we currently live in, and they will be able to better equip themselves with the abilities to ask and answer the “why and how” questions about many world events.

This course is an introduction to concepts and analytical tools for studying interactions among international actors: states, international organizations, and transnational groups. Social and behavioral science principles are used to analyze concepts such as power and national interests as they relate to social, political, and economic issues. A primary objective of international relations scholars is to explore and explain the many phenomena in world politics by studying the effects of national and transnational actors on the outcomes or developments of international events. These effects are then facilitated and enhanced by actions such as fighting in wars/conflicts, conducting trade, signing treaties/legislations, migrating, and more. Students will be embarking on a journey that will help them better understand the world that we currently live in, and they will be able to better equip themselves with the abilities to ask and answer the “why and how” questions about many world events.

This course is designed to enable students to understand the policies and objectives of the United States in its relations with others in an international system undergoing tremendous change. It is constructed to help students appreciate the elements of both continuity and change in U.S. foreign policy and to provide students with the basic tools for answering questions about the sources of U.S. foreign policy. Students then will better understand the complexity of international issues, including their interrelationships with domestic events. To achieve these ends students will 1) evaluate the major approaches to analyzing and explaining U.S. foreign policy; 2) review the history of U.S. foreign policy; 3) investigate contemporary U.S. foreign policy and its relationship to world politics; 4) apply these elements in a critical fashion to particular foreign policy issues currently facing the American government.

Security is a contested, multifaceted, and evolving concept, which is what makes the study of security both problematic yet fascinating. The discipline of security studies has made its way into the academic and policy worlds alike, in addition to stretching far beyond the boundaries of International Relations. This course will provide you with an introduction to the various methodological, theoretical, and empirical branches of security studies. A primary aspect of this course will be to identify and critically analyze the commonalities, divergences, and nuances between the conceptualizations of security studies so you can question existing narratives and understandings of what security is, how it is conceptualized, where security goes, who is afforded security, and how security is practiced. Additionally, to gain a more comprehensive perspective, the course will go beyond big academic names, older works, and Western/European viewpoints on security studies by delving into recent scholarship, lesser-known scholars, and non-Western/non-European positions of security studies.

We will carefully consider seven books written by major scholars of international relations. All six scholars share the assumption that the varied interactions among states and nonstate actors in
the global arena are vital elements of our world. But they differ greatly from each other in the conceptual perspectives that they employ to analyze world politics. The primary objective of the
course is to develop an appreciation of the ways in which perspectives shape different understandings of “international relations.”

Over the last thirty years, the Russian Federation has moved from a potential international partner of Western democracies to an emboldened adversary. While this course focuses on contemporary Russian foreign policy, it begins with an overview of the Soviet system and the Soviet Union’s status as a superpower during the Cold War. With this foundation laid, the course considers Russia’s international position during the tenure of its first post-Soviet president, Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin not only guided Russia’s transition away from communism but also played a key role in shaping expectations about how the new Russian state would behave in the international arena. Yeltsin’s tenure and, arguably, the missed opportunities—including those by Western actors—during this period set the stage for a change in tack under Russia’s second and current president, Vladimir Putin. Since Putin has served as Russia’s prime minister or president since August 1999, the bulk of the course will be dedicated to the foreign policy of “Putin’s Russia.” Yet, as the material to be surveyed will illustrate, Russian foreign policy over the last 25 years has changed dramatically,
just as politics within Russia has changed. [Those interested in the latter should consider taking “Politics in Russia” (CPO 3633).]

Despite the importance of gender in global politics, gender is still not fully integrated in the academic study of international politics. Examines the study of feminist work in international relations.

This course provides an overview of Latin American foreign relations. After beginning with a brief overview of international relations theories, we will move on to discussing historical and current Inter-American relationships. Why do Latin American countries do what they do? What are their interests and what can they do to realize them? What historical challenges have they faced, what are their present concerns, and what issues are likely to arise in years to come? We will discuss cooperation and conflict, economic growth and depression, and prospects for regional prosperity. The world is moving toward a new global order, the outlines of which are still murky. As a result, Inter-American relationships are increasingly complex and consequential.

This course is designed to allow students to become familiar with, explore, and analyze the actors, issues, processes and political conditions involved in the making of American foreign policy. At a time when global circumstances are seemingly in a state of flux, when the relative status of American political and economic power is changing, and when new national priorities are replacing old ones, understanding the complexities of national policy making is a necessary challenge. Therefore, in this course students will identify and evaluate the strategic and political importance of various actors and groups (governmental and societal) in the making of U.S. foreign policy. To this end students will polish their analytical and communication (written and oral) skills.

This course surveys different topics in the study of gender and politics with a focus on the Global South. We will study central theoretical concepts developed by feminist scholarship, and use them to understand different issues in political science, such as social movements, democracy and autocracy, representation, and violence.

This course explores the following paradox: peace settlements tend to reinforce and reinstate (inter)national borders but often leave cities divided, with unresolved status in the interstices of the international system. What is it like to live in such divided spaces? What kind of politics colors everyday life in divided cities? What kind of imaginaries do they foster? While in many ways akin to a journey without travel, the course focuses on temporal and spatial dimensions of power and violence – especially on how architecture and infrastructure intersect with memory to delimit horizons of (and create possibilities for) political action in contested places.
The course explores post-conflict politics in Belfast (Northern Ireland) , Nicosia (Cyprus), Sarajevo, Mostar & Kosovska Mitrovica (former Yugoslavia), and Jerusalem (Israel/Palestine). Lectures and discussions about these cities will be informed by comparisons to other European cities, which were formally and/or informally divided in the past – Danzig/Gdansk (before WWII), Trieste (up to the 1950s), Vienna (between 1945 and 1955), Berlin (until 1989) – but also with cities historically segregated or divided or conjoined by class, race and/or imperial politics.

This class examines the politics of contemporary China. It is divided into two large parts. In the first half, we focus on the domestic politics of China. In the second, we look at its foreign relations. Many essential topics concerning China will be covered, such as the political system, authoritarian rule, nationalism, economic openness, strategic thinking, US-China relations, etc. It seeks to maintain a balance between theory and policy, analytics and empirics. Through this class, you will learn how various theories play out in making sense of China’s great transformation.

This course explores the past, present, and potential futures of European security. It will focus in large part on the development of the European Union as a security actor in Europe. However, it
is impossible to separate this discussion from the transatlantic security relationship, which has played decisive roles in the development of European security structures over the past one
hundred years. For this reason, we will also focus on the transatlantic relationship, as well as the developing relationship between the EU and NATO under changing security conditions.

The course will begin with an overview of the issues that led to the outbreak of WWI and the beginnings of the transatlantic security relationship. It will explore the aftermath of WWII and
how security issues factored into the earliest discussions of what becomes the European Union. It will then explore how the transatlantic security relationship was institutionalized in the
form of NATO as well as other structures. At the same time, the course will consider how and why the EU took on an increasingly significant role as a security provider following the end of
the Cold War.

The second part of the course will focus on the current challenges to European security and the ways in which the EU and NATO have attempted to manage them. These include: the relationship with Russia, energy security, terrorism, and cyber-security. We will also consider security “inputs” such as financial resources, military capabilities, and the attempts to boost capabilities through NATO and EU initiatives.

The third part will ask students to consider potential future directions for European security and the transatlantic relationship. Will the EU become a truly independent security actor in the
global environment? Will common concerns about Russia forge a closer security relationship between Europe and the US? Will increased geopolitical competition between the US and the People’s Republic of China create tensions or broad agreement in the US-EU relationship?

Want to understand the Middle East? We will explore six main issues: 1) The role of extraregional powers in stabilising or exacerbating the region; 2) the factors determining the success and failures of different Middle Eastern countries to gain regional dominance; 3) factors determining the success of regional actors, such as Israel or Saudi Arabia, in courting the alliance of extra-regional powers; 4) the degree to which religion and other identityrelated issues (such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) shape regional dynamics; 5) the role of fundamentalist Islam in shaping the region and preventing conflict resolution; 6) why don’t we see liberalism, capitalism or democracy flourishing in most of the region and what are the implications of that for the regional dynamics. No background knowledge is required.

Small states have to conduct themselves in particular ways in world affairs in order to survive and prosper. Yet, studies which look into the factors shaping the diplomatic standing of small states are still lacking given that IR theories have been concerned mostly with great powers. This study will examine the case of Israel. This small state is very often at the centre of world attention. It gets more headlines, and more policy attention from different states and bodies than any other actor which is not an adversarial great power. It is also the USA’s best ally in the vast area between NATO countries and Japan. Given these facts, this course seeks to explain Israel’s evolving relationship with various states and intergovernmental bodies around the world. We will explore the strategic, economic, political and ideological factors shaping the attitudes of different countries and bodies. We will also explore factors determining those Israeli diplomatic choices which affected the country’s standing in the world. These diplomatic relations have been vital for the small state of Israel given its need for both arms and legitimacy to act militarily, as well as its need for commerce to survive economically and prosper. Finally, we will also explore relations between the independent actors in the Israeli society and economy with others abroad. All this should help us better reflect on the difficulties and opportunities of being a small state in the evolving international system. No background knowledge is required.

This graduate seminar examines recent literature in international political economy to understand how domestic and international politics shape foreign economic policies as well as the consequences of global economic flows. This seminar is organized around three main themes: trade, capital, and labor. We will also explore the international sources of development, as well as the economic crisis and reform.

This seminar offers an introduction to the field of international security, which is typically treated as one of the main sub-fields in international relations and is primarily concerned with questions of war and peace. We read highly cited works and cover a wide variety of the traditional topics. The goal is for you to become familiar with the primary theories and approaches to the study of international security, and become proficient in applying them to understanding and explain behaviors, events, and dynamics in international security. You will be introduced to some of the key debates in the field, and you will be asked to sort through the arguments, logic and evidence to come to your own conclusions. The class requires you to engage critically with recent scholarship and for the final assignment to produce your own draft of a research article.

This seminar introduces students to the field of International Relations (IR). The course has three main purposes: (1) to familiarize students with key debates in IR; (2) to help students identify theoretical approaches and empirical problems that they would like to focus on in their research; and (3) to help prepare MA and PhD students for comprehensive exams in IR, if they chose that option.

NB: Students who plan to take the comprehensive exam in IR should not take this syllabus as an exhaustive guide to the field of IR but rather as a starting point. Hundreds of articles are written every year. It is impossible to cover this large, diverse, and dynamic field in one semester. To be adequately prepared for the exam, you will need to develop a general sense of the discipline, acquired both by following citation trails in the readings for this course and by familiarizing yourselves with the general IR reading list.

NB, Part 2: IR is the most self-reflexive subfield of political science. Each year, scholars write dozens of excellent articles that examine how/when/why IR scholars fall short in their analyses of world politics. These are important debates, and we will talk about several of them in this class. These conversations also reveal that one could structure a class like this one in many different ways. Should we study paradigms? Topics? “Great Debates?’ The course is an invitation for you to think about how you would structure a similar seminar or introductory course in International Relations.

The Department offers two opportunities for students to become more engaged with faculty — as Research Fellows and as Teaching Fellows.

The underlying theme of this class is democracy. We will discuss various conceptions of democracy, and how to assess various aspects of the political system using those concepts. We will also read about possible alternatives to the current structures of American politics. By the end of the course, students should be able to critically evaluate claims about the U.S. political system using empirical evidence.

In this course, students will investigate how the national government is structured and how the American constitutional republic operates. It covers the philosophical and historical foundations of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution (the original text and all its amendments), and the Federalist Papers. The course examines the branches of government and the government’s laws, policies, and programs. It also examines the ways in which citizens participate in their government and ways their
government responds to citizens.

This course satisfies a Social and Behavioral Science (S) General Education requirement providing instruction in the history, key themes, principles, terminology, and underlying theory or methodologies used in the social and behavioral sciences. Students will learn to identify, describe, and explain social institutions, structures, or processes. These courses emphasize the effective application of accepted problem-solving techniques. Students will apply formal and informal qualitative or quantitative analysis to examine the processes and means by which individuals make personal and group decisions, as well as the evaluation of opinions, outcomes, or human behavior. Students are expected to assess and analyze ethical perspectives in individual and societal decisions.

In this course, students will investigate how the national government is structured and how the American constitutional republic operates. It covers the philosophical and historical foundations of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the United States constitution and all its amendments, and The Federalist Papers. The course examines the branches of government and the government’s laws, policies, and programs. It also examines the ways in which citizens participate in their government and ways their government responds to citizens.

In this course, students will investigate how the national government is structured and how the American constitutional republic operates. It covers the philosophical and historical foundations
of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and all its Amendments, and the Federalist Papers. The course examines the branches of government and the government’s laws, policies, and programs. It also examines the ways in which citizens participate in their government and the ways their government responds to citizens. The course will address questions such as: How does government work in the United States? How do the three branches of government interact with the public and each other? What is a
democracy, and how does the United States fit into this framework? What are some suggestions for how to better our institutions? Students will engage in thinking through these questions through a
combination of lectures, civic discussions, readings, and exams. Ultimately, students should leave with a better understanding of how to think critically about politics and government, how to understand our political institutions, and how to engage in civic life.

Note: This syllabus is subject to change as needed. Students are required to check Canvas and their UF email regularly to ensure they maintain the most current version of the syllabus, which may
include changes to deadlines or assigned readings. Please note that aspects such as the course’s grading scheme, learning objectives, and University policies are not subject to change.

This course provides a college-level introduction to American Federal Government. In it, we will cover various conceptions of democracy, and how they are translated into real-life political systems in the United States. We will examine how the American constitutional republic is structured and operates, as well as the philosophical and historical foundations of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and all its Amendments, and the Federalist Papers. The course also examines the branches of government, the government’s laws, policies, and programs, and the ways in which citizens participate in their government and how their government responds to citizens.

This course addresses questions such as: How does government work in the U.S.? How do the three branches of government interact with each other and the public? What is a democracy, and how does the U.S. fit into this framework? What are some suggestions for how to better our institutions? We will engage these questions through a combination of lectures, civil discussions, readings, and videos. Ultimately, students should leave with a better understanding of how to engage in civic life, the ability to think critically about politics, and how to understand our institutions and their functions.

Note: Students are required to check Canvas Announcements and their UF email regularly to ensure they maintain the most current version of the syllabus and assignment deadlines.

This course introduces the institutional, social, and psychological influences on political behavior. This course crosses disciplinary lines to offer an introduction to the study of political behavior with a global, comparative focus. Although this class will touch on some aspects of American, Latin American, and African political behavior, the key focus is on comparative political behavior within the democracies of Europe.

Politics & Public Opinion (POS 3233) is an upper-level undergraduate course that explores the causes and consequences of public opinion, a key concept in the broader study of democracy. This
course specifically focuses on the United States, but many of the insights we have gleaned from the study of American public opinion can be applied to other countries and contexts. In this course,
we will study the fundamentals and logic of survey design, explore the various sources of political attitudes, and examine the policy consequences of mass opinion. You will also ideally become
more statistically literate and “less afraid” of numbers than you were coming into this course. To do this, we will read a variety of academic articles and get hands-on experience in analyzing and
manipulating high-quality public opinion data.

This survey course is designed to study and understand American Constitutional Law. It is not a course solely concerning “law” or the “U.S. Constitution,” but rather this course seeks to expose students to broad legal reasoning and historical analysis that will explain the rationale embraced by the United States Supreme Court, as well as State and Local Governments, as they all seek to preserve or expand their respective governmental powers by limiting those of others, within the parameters of the U.S. Constitution.

Together we will learn the history, structure, terminology, and basic operating rules of the American judicial and constitutional law systems. Furthermore, each student will also embrace this unique method of legal analysis and reasoning by preparing select “case briefs,” and by actively participating in a teaching approach known as the modified
Socratic Method, so that the Constitution is seen and confirmed as being adaptable, and hence more viable.

As stated by my colleague and predecessor in this course, “Because the student is developing case analysis and legal reasoning skills, the student must be able to think to be successful in this course.” A multifaceted examination of relevant substantive and procedural segments of the U.S. Constitution, relevant current events, as well as interpretation of the same by the United States Supreme Court will comprise a major focus of this course. Given our collective learning approach, there will be an underlying emphasis on each student’s evolving ability to hone and continually sharpen their reasoning/analytical skills, as we approach the study of American Constitutional law through our readings, cases, guest speakers, videos, research paper(s), Group and/or any individual projects.

This survey course is designed to examine several categories of enduring and emerging civil liberties granted to each person by the United States Constitution. The major purpose of this survey course is to investigate the role and functions of courts, especially the United States Supreme Court, in addressing major interpretive/enforcement issues concerning the role of civil liberties in America today. Additionally, we shall explore and assess the interconnected relationship of the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches of federal and state government during the semester. Students seeking a more in-depth exposure to purely legal/jurisprudence aspects of civil liberties should locate and take separate criminal justice, and/or constitutional law courses.

Note: This Syllabus is a general outline of the course and is subject to change. The Professor or the TA will let you know when modifications are made, therefore class attendance is important.

This course uses the sometimes (mostly) true but other times make-believe stories told in popular novels and Hollywood motion pictures to provide insights into the nature of real-life politics in the United States and beyond. The focus is mainly on process (political competition and decision making) rather than substance (policy), and each of the stories we encounter raises issues that are as relevant today as they were when the tale was originally told. We will consider, for example, whether the temptations of politics and power are beyond the capacity even of fundamentally decent people to resist; whether the actions of organized interest groups promote or undermine the principles of representative government; whether the media glare of contemporary politics weakens the capacity of our leaders and institutions to govern; and whether modern candidate-centered campaigns pose as great a threat to popular democracy as some critics believe. Our goal is not to use politics as a basis for studying the mass culture; that is a course better taught elsewhere (say, in English or Fine Arts). Instead, we will be using elements of the mass culture as a means for better understanding the character of our politics.(WR)

Given the course title, you’d be correct to guess that we’ll examine American political parties and elections. However, we’ll approach it in reverse order and in a topical and timely fashion rather than the traditional chronological order approach. We’ll begin the course at the end by getting immediately into the nitty-gritty of campaign strategies and tactics and what the modern parties are up to and, briefly, how they are structured. We’ll spend large parts of the first 3-4 weeks on campaigns and elections and less on parties and then beginning about the 4th or 5th week, we’ll revert back, possibly way back, and take a historical look at democratic theory and political parties.

I realize this is a Political Science class, but one of the weaknesses of our discipline is its focus on short periods of time and the consequent underestimation of and lack of appreciation for history and historical context. We’ll rectify that and spend several weeks discussing the historical development of the American Party system from the philosophical and theoretical arguments against parties in the 18th century, to the practical and logistical and legislative necessities that drove their development in the 19th century, and finally to the institutionalization of the two major parties of the modern era. We’ll also touch briefly on third party and interest group movements as well as the growth of the media and its role in politics.

Coverage of topics will combine class discussion, lecture, academic and non-academic readings and other hands-on materials as appropriate to our topics. By the end of the course, the hope is that you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of several things – the historical reasons why we have political parties in America, their theoretical as well as functional and institutional purposes, our electoral system and its intricacies, and various strategies and tactics employed in campaigns and elections. Hopefully, by Xmas, you’ll be armed and dangerous and ready to make some informed decisions on the candidates, races, and issues of your choice….if you haven’t already☺

This is an important time to be studying the U. S, Congress. Even before the pandemic, politics in America had grown increasingly volatile and many worried that a heightened partisanship had made the national government incapable of governing. For its part Congress is a complex institution that is pulled in several different directions by a myriad of influences within and outside its chambers. Throughout the semester, we will look at how those influences shape the Congress’ ability to represent the American people while working with the President and others to govern wisely. Among the topics we will consider are: (a) elections; (b) congressional organization; (c) executive-legislative relations; (d) legislative policy-making; and (e) congressional reform. In doing that, a number of issues will be addressed, including:

• What kinds of changes have occurred in the basic operations of the Congress in recent decades? What are the implications of those changes for the quality of congressional life?

• What forces operate in congressional elections? How have congressional elections changed in recent years? What changes, if any, need to be made in how congressional elections are financed and contested?

• What should be the respective roles of Congress and the President? Has the balance of power shifted even more to the president?

• To what extent is the Congress able to produce effective public policies that are responsive to the needs and demands of the American people? What institutional characteristics contribute to and detract from Congress’ ability to govern and govern wisely?

• What changes are needed to make Congress a viable democratic institution? To what extent, and in what ways, are those changes likely to occur in the first decades of the new century?

Examines the theoretical foundations, historical context and current activities of special interest groups in the United States.

Interest groups are a critical link between citizens and the institutions of government. To understand American politics—how it really works—you must understand where groups come from, what they do, and how they influence public policy. This course surveys the role of interest groups in American politics, including representation, lobbying, and electioneering.

Students are expected to have basic knowledge of American government before taking this course. As an upper-division seminar, this class emphasizes analytical reading, evidence-based discussion, and clear communication. We will read widely across the interest group literature and consider both normative and empirical questions. For example: Do interest groups enhance or undermine democracy? How much influence do they have, and how can we tell? We will also reflect on how well existing academic models explain the current partisan
environment and policy making process. What are the limitations of literature, and
what might be done—by scholars, practitioners, or citizens—to better align theory and
practice?

Discourse within political science is filled with references to data and statistics. This course will help students understand how those data are produced and how to evaluate their validity.
Specifically, students will learn to develop research questions, generate hypotheses, evaluate experiments and observational studies, measure variables, and perform statistical tests. In so
doing, students will see how social scientists develop and test theories to explain phenomena. With these newly acquired skills, students will be better able to evaluate research they encounter in
their professional and day-to-day lives. Additionally, the goal is to prepare students for the indepth research and critical thinking skills needed in their future coursework.

Please be aware that this course relies on a different background than most other courses that our department offers. You do not need to be a math or computer-wiz to do well in this course – I was
not when I took this course in college. However, the material in this course may not come as easily to you compared to other courses. I encourage you to set some time aside to reread the textbook,
study/work with your classmates, and visit during office hours if concepts are unclear.

Introduction to basics of data science including programming for data analytics, file management, relational databases, visualizations, geographic information systems, and web development with application to large-scale election databases.

This is an upper-level course designed to introduce students to the practice of applied policy research. This course will cover how public policy practitioners approach real problems. Students
will be required to identify, research, and proposed a solution to real world public policy issue. Much of the course will focus on refining policy analysis, research, and writing skills.

This course is intended to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a scholarly and practical overview of direct democracy, focusing on statewide ballot measures in the American states, and Florida in particular. It is our goal not only to critically assess whether direct democracy promotes democratic norms and representative public policies, but also to investigate the “educative” and “spillover” effects of the process itself. Some of the central questions we will address include: What are the origins and historical development of direct democracy in the American states? How are ballot measures placed on the ballot, by whom, and for what reasons? What are the direct and indirect effects of the initiative process in the making of public policy? How do systems of direct democracy—and the regulation of direct democracy—differ across the states? What is the role of money and the media in direct democracy contests? How informed is the public about ballot questions and can citizens make rational decisions? Are minority rights jeopardized by direct democracy’s majoritarian nature? What are the educative effects of direct democracy, and do ballot measures have spillover effects on candidate elections? And perhaps most significantly, does direct democracy complement or undermine our system of representative democracy? These are not easy questions to answer, as the study of direct democracy is anything but settled.

Selected topics in political science; precise course content will be announced in advance.

The course is designed to introduce students to the history, institutions and politics of the European Union (EU) through a comprehensive analysis of its origins and functioning. The EU is contextualized within the broader framework of political science, largely eschewing sui generis approaches in favor of ca comparative political systems lens. The course is designed to encourage consistent active engagement and requires timely completion of all reading assignments. Assessment is largely paper based, using multiple smaller papers to ensure regular feedback. The course is designed to provide a solid foundation in EU Studies to facilitate pursuit of additional more specialized and advanced courses. It is designed for Political Science, EU Studies and European Studies students, but all with an interest in the EU are welcome.

It is fair to say that the American public’s interest in election administration is at an all-time high.

The 2000 Florida election revealed how esoteric mechanics of how elections are conducted – punch cards, ballot design, voter roll purging practices, and recount procedures – can affect who is elected president. Twenty years later, these mechanics of election administration arose again as Trump and his supporters challenged the results of the 2020 election, even though Trump’s Attorney General Bill Barr – one among many Republican officials expressing similar sentiments – stated, “we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.”

The last decade also witnessed the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v Holder decision, which effectively voided an important section of the Voting Rights Act. States across the country enacted new voting laws ostensibly to combat vote fraud, but opponents charge are intended to suppress votes. This has given way to voting rights organizations using another section of the Voting Rights Act to sometimes successfully challenge these new laws. Other decisions surrounding campaign finance, notably Citizens United v. FEC, dramatically changed how campaigns are funded.

In this class we will learn election law and its application to minority voting rights. We will cover the recent evolution of the so-called voting wars to understand how we got to where we are today, and where we are likely to go in the future. Will there be a catastrophic election meltdown? We came close in 2000 and again in 2020. The election law issues we cover will thus likely figure prominently in the courts and among the public moving forward.

Examines the laws, political dynamics, and fundraising that shape U.S. elections, with emphasis on federal campaign finance with comparisons to select state systems.

Campaign Finance & Fundraising examines the legal frameworks, political dynamics, and practical realities of raising and spending money in American elections. While the course focuses primarily on U.S. federal campaign finance law and practice, it also compares state-level approaches, with special attention to Florida and Colorado. Students will explore the intersection of legal rules, political strategy, and democratic theory, considering both normative questions (how campaign finance should work) and empirical evidence (how it actually does).

Through a mix of legal analysis, political science research, and real-world case studies, the course addresses key topics including the evolution of campaign finance law, the role of the Federal Election Commission, independent expenditures and Super PACs, contribution limits, disclosure rules, and enforcement challenges. We will also examine the mechanics and strategy of political fundraising, from small-dollar online campaigns to high-dollar events.

By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate whether — and how — campaign finance rules shape electoral competition, policy outcomes, and public trust in government.

This course surveys European Holocaust memorialization as an ethical foundation and as a site of contestation and identity politics. In the EU, the memory of WWII and particularly the Holocaust has, over the last two decades, taken on the status of a negative foundation myth. The EU effort to institutionalize a transnational memory of the Holocaust has been ongoing since the Stockholm Declaration in 2000 framed the Holocaust as a universal moral lesson, and as the crucible for a shared set of values– tolerance, democracy, human rights, anti-racism—which would define European identity.

As a result, the European Union’s integration of member states entails, also, adoption of the European benchmarks on Holocaust recognition and memorialization. However, this process of adoption is strongly shaped by local and national contexts, and increasingly evokes revisionist (and often ultra right wing) reactions that contest the supremacy of Holocaust memory and the moral imperatives attached to it.

Moreover, the contours of the “moral compass” derived from the Holocaust has led to the “universalization” of the Holocaust, with the Holocaust being used as a moral template for fighting other injustices. This universalization also is highly controversial. This course examines these dynamics across various European national and regional
contexts.

“If I were to do it again from scratch, I would start with culture.” is a phrase attributed to Jean Monnet, one of the EU’s founding fathers. It is quoted ceaselessly. The catch is that Jean Monnet never actually said that.

Nevertheless, the last two decades have seen a flourishing of investments in culture,
from government support for libraries over language policies to creative industry
incentives.

In what sense can we speak of an EU ‘politics of culture’? How is ‘Culture’ understood as a policy realm? And what are the policy goals of this ‘politics of culture’?

Culture’ is generally endowed with integrative powers. It articulates individual and collective differences, values and practices. The traditional linkage of cultural institutions, media and public arts with social governance and the encoding of collective identities means that far from just talking about ‘intellectual and aesthetic ractices, EU politics of culture establishes linkages between culture and citizenship and EU identity, the EU as a ‘demos’, and EU legitimacy. Moreover EU concern with the straddling of diversity and cohesion also means that ‘inter-culture, or ‘cultures’, has emerged as a cultural policy domain, couched in terms of interfaith and intercultural dialogue. How do the supranational, national, regional, and the local interface in these initiatives?

In this course we will examine and analyze the development of ‘culture’ as an EU terrain of politics, examining specific EU policy initiatives across a broadly understood concept of ‘culture.

This course is designed to provide students with a unique perspective on the political economy of European Union (EU) economic integration. While economic integration has been at the heart of the European project, each step toward further integration has led to (often) intense political dialogue on the implications for member states’ sovereignty and more broadly for the political trajectory of the EU. From the single market to banking union, students will analyze the political consequences of economic integration and examine the future of the economic integration project.

This course examines the political behavior of Caribbean Americans in the United States with an emphasis on Caribbean Americans of African descent (Afro Caribbeans). There are 13 sovereign nations in the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Many African Americans who have achieved prominence in civil rights and politics are of Caribbean origin. Candace Baker-Motley, Marcus Garvey, Kamala Harris, Malcolm X, Colin Powell, and Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) are some of the individuals we will analyze in the class. We will also discuss issues of concern to Afro Caribbeans both in the U.S. and in their home countries with an emphasis on Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. I welcome your feedback on the course if you have any questions or problems.

We will also participate in a virtual exchange project with faculty and students from Sheffield Hallam University’s departments of global health, international relations, and sociology (located in Sheffield, England). We will focus on the themes of health inequalities, international human mobility, and Caribbean migration. At the end of the semester, you will watch lectures recorded by both me and their faculty members. On Thursday, November 6th you will participate in an online live session with their students during our class session. We will discuss the icebreaker activity

This course serves to answer an important question: How do we empirically examine judicial actors and institutions in the United States and globally? Perhaps the best place to start is by acknowledging a few important concepts:

1. Judges are policy-oriented actors whose positions grant them considerable political power.

2. Judicial decision-making hardly exists in a vacuum and can serve to uphold or upend social and political understandings of what the law is.

3. A critical understanding of legal actors and institutions is about more than just the caselaw. Rather than focus on caselaw, this course will largely view judicial processes, behaviors, and institutions through the lens of empirical social science. In particular, we will explore how a multitude of competing elements shape the American judiciary, especially as it relates to the federal system and the United States Supreme Court. Upon successful completion of this course, students will retain a critical understanding of, among other things:

• Origins and Structures of American Legal Institutions.
• Core theories of Judicial Decision-Making.
• Judicial Selection and Retention.
• How Judicial Institutions Coexist in a Separation of Powers System.
• The Role of Extra-Judicial Groups and Actors (e.g., Lawyers, Clerks, Interest Groups, etc.).
• How Courts Influence Public Discourse and Perceptions of Legal Actors and Institutions.
• Contemporary Empirical Strategies for Studying Judicial Behavior.

State, county, and municipal communities – both within Florida, and beyond – face several pressing issues in contemporary public management, including shifting demographics, increasing barriers to homeownership and insurance, limited budgets, hurricane disaster preparation/management, coastal erosion, climate change, rapid development, and intergovernmental negotiation. Further, local communities are diverse, and the problems facing one entity are unique compared to others. The purpose of Public Management and the Gulf is to provide students with the opportunity to study public
management theory and practice by examining the current challenges facing local communities. This course hopes to more broadly encourage students to consider a career in public service – particularly within the field of local government.

This class is designed to introduce students to the constitutional, historical, legal, and ethical foundations of public management – and apply these concepts to local public management in Florida and nationally. The course will emphasize the conceptual and structural elements that distinguish public and nonprofit organizations from each other and from private sector firms. The course will focus on the activities taken directly by the government or indirectly by its partners to meet the democratically expressed, and often conflicting, needs of the public. Students will assess why values such as democratic processes/civic engagement, accountability, fairness, transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency are essential in both the theory and practice of public management.

Privacy is a concept that is both omnipresent and elusive. Lawyers, economists, political scientists, and philosophers – among others – try to capture its essence. Despite their efforts, the concept of privacy remains in flux: we have too much to study, we know too little about it, and even what we know is too unclear. For this reason, we will seek to clarify a pragmatic approach to privacy and embed it within a broader framework for understanding law, authority, and power. This means that we will establish the boundaries of the concept and look at its applications by using a multi-disciplinary approach grounded in both law and social science. Because of this, the course has the following objectives: 1) to explore the conceptual basis of privacy; 2) to outline how governments, corporations, and individuals view the concept of privacy and deploy it to attain their objectives; and, 3) to learn the difference between the American and European concepts of privacy and the regulatory implications of these differences. States, corporations, and individuals are involved in the negotiation, contestation, and regulation of privacy. We will study how these actors developed strategies for controlling, monetizing, and exploiting privacy. We will refrain from studying the technological aspects of privacy and their relations to global commerce and business. Overall, this course asks how law and social science conceptualize privacy and develop remedies for its protection in furtherance of personal autonomy and human dignity.

Students will master the concept of privacy by participating in structured class discussions. They will hone their skills by analyzing privacy problems and arguing the opposite sides of complex privacy problems. The purpose of these exercises is to bolster students’ intellectual confidence and self-assurance in presenting and communicating their expertise.
In this class, you will learn different styles of analysis and argumentation. Understanding these styles might prove challenging. Because of this, be prepared to discuss them in class. The class discussion is a deliberative exercise: you are expected to contribute to it because everyone will benefit from a vigorous exchange of ideas. To facilitate this exchange, I will call people in class. Please be advised that class attendance is mandatory. In addition, please respect your colleagues’ views: we will study problems open to multiple interpretations. Don’t forget that collegiality and tolerance are virtues not vices.

In this course, we will explore the interplay between legal rules and social science theories in a comparative perspective. You will learn different styles of analysis and argumentation. Understanding these styles might prove challenging. Because of this, be prepared to discuss them during the class. The class discussion is a deliberative exercise: you are expected to contribute to it because everyone will benefit from a vigorous exchange of ideas. In addition, please respect your colleagues’ views because we will study problems open to multiple interpretations. Don’t forget that collegiality and tolerance are virtues not vices.

This course will consider how politics and policies can assist in shaping housing, cities, homelessness, and suburbia in Latin America. Some examples of class material will consider the early origins of modern cities, the development of suburbia, recent developments such as public housing, gentrification, and gated communities.

This course will consider the Caribbean as a subject of political study. It will consider the political forces that have impacted the Caribbean since colonization, after independence, and those who are still in a territorial, dependency, or colonial status. Some of the topics that will be discussed in the class will be colonialism, decolonization, imperialism, geopolitics, nationalism, populism, authoritarianism, clientelism, democratization, drug trafficking, neoliberalism, and migration. Finally, the course will consider if we can effectively approach the Caribbean as a single object of study, or whether we should understand it as a more fluid political region.

Turkey’s membership application to the EU has been a long and drawn-out affair, beginning in the 1960s. Throughout the Cold War, Turkey was felt to be a “tangible” asset within the western alliance to help combat the spread of Communism. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, Turkey’s membership within the emerging European Union was questioned and initially rejected. Put simply, several member states and a sizeable portion of public opinion in the West did not feel that Turkey belonged in the “new Europe” for a variety of reasons. Despite this initial setback, Turkey continued to press for membership and began full accession negotiations with the union in 2005, which has helped to spark a larger debate in Europe over what constitutes European or “European-ness”. In concise terms, Turkey has been seen by many as Europe’s “other.” It is often cited as an example of the opposite of what the “West” stands for. It is a country with a 99.6 percent Muslim population, constructed from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, largely perceived as the eastern threat to western Christendom. In the present climate, however, the debate over Turkey’s candidacy to formally join the “West” represents in many ways the types of conceptual problems that the EU is grappling with more generally. Primary among these are:

•What does it mean to be European and can non-Christians be a part of it?
•Where do borders of Europe lie and how far can (should) the EU enlarge?
•How can the EU stem the tide of ultra-nationalist sentiment rising in individual member states?
•Can the EU help promote liberal democratic norms outside its own borders?
•What is the EU’s impact as a regional and/or global actor, and what the EU has to bear in mind when considering a common foreign and security policy?
While using Europeanization and (de)Europeanization as a broad theoretical framework, this course explores the current state of Turkey’s EU accession bid from a variety of perspectives, structured along issues, dynamics, actors and policies that drive Turkish politics and it provides an integrated assessment of the dynamics in Turkey-EU relations. Moreover, this course situate the Turkish accession process through comparisons with the contemporary Western Balkan countries.

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the trajectory of state building in Europe, beginning with its medieval origins and progressing through the development of centralized monarchies, the formation of modern nation-states, and the evolution of democratic institutions. It critically examines the political, economic, and social processes that have shaped European states, highlighting key moments such as the emergence of absolutism, the impact of warfare and taxation, and the complex interactions between state and society. Moving beyond historical foundations, the course also addresses contemporary challenges faced by European states, including the processes of European integration, the transformation and democratization of post-communist countries, and the tensions created by globalization, migration, and supranational governance.
In an era marked by rising nationalism, populist movements, debates over sovereignty, and increasing demands for accountability and legitimacy, understanding the dynamics of state-building is more critical than ever. The course equips students with analytical frameworks and historical context necessary to grasp how states adapt to changing political realities and the pressures of transnational organizations such as the European Union. By linking classical theories with recent political developments and policy debates, students gain a nuanced appreciation of the challenges facing Europe today and the vital role of state institutions in navigating these challenges. Whether students aim to pursue careers in political science, international relations, or policymaking, this course provides essential knowledge for critically engaging with contemporary European politics and governance.

Examines the laws, political dynamics, and fundraising that shape U.S. elections, with emphasis on federal campaign finance with comparisons to select state systems.

Campaign Finance & Fundraising examines the legal frameworks, political dynamics, and practical realities of raising and spending money in American elections. While the course focuses primarily on U.S. federal campaign finance law and practice, it also compares state-level approaches, with special attention to Florida and Colorado. Students will explore the intersection of legal rules, political strategy, and democratic theory, considering both normative questions (how campaign finance should work) and empirical evidence (how it actually does).

Through a mix of legal analysis, political science research, and real-world case studies, the course addresses key topics including the evolution of campaign finance law, the role of the Federal Election Commission, independent expenditures and Super PACs, contribution limits, disclosure rules, and enforcement challenges. We will also examine the mechanics and strategy of political fundraising, from small-dollar online campaigns to high-dollar events.

By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate whether — and how — campaign finance rules shape electoral competition, policy outcomes, and public trust in government.

This course examines the political behavior of Caribbean Americans in the United States with an emphasis on Caribbean Americans of African descent (Afro Caribbeans). There are 13 sovereign nations in the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Many African Americans who have achieved prominence in civil rights and politics are of Caribbean origin. Candace Baker-Motley, Marcus Garvey, Kamala Harris, Malcolm X, Colin Powell, and Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) are some of the individuals we will analyze in the class. We will also discuss issues of concern to Afro Caribbeans both in the U.S. and in their home countries with an emphasis on Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. I welcome your feedback on the course if you have any questions or problems.

We will also participate in a virtual exchange project with faculty and students from Sheffield Hallam University’s departments of global health, international relations, and sociology (located in Sheffield, England). We will focus on the themes of health inequalities, international human mobility, and Caribbean migration. At the end of the semester, you will watch lectures recorded by both me and their faculty members. On Thursday, November 6th you will participate in an online live session with their students during our class session. We will discuss the icebreaker activity

Professional development for a graduate career in Political Science. Covers the research process, emerging issues, developing a professional scholarly identity, and careers. Required course for
graduate students in their first year. Although this is a 0-credit course, please note that you may be charged 1 credit if you are not enrolled in other courses.

This course serves as an introductory graduate-level seminar in American Politics. It is designed to expose students to a wide range of foundational debates across the many subfields of American
political science. Rather than aiming to resolve these debates, the course introduces major questions and scholarly traditions related to topics such as public opinion, political behavior, institutions (Congress, presidency, courts, and bureaucracy), state politics, race and representation, and polarization.

The course also provides practical training in how to read and interpret political science research. Students will learn how to approach scholarly articles critically, evaluate theoretical arguments
and empirical strategies, and contribute constructively to graduate-level seminar discussions.

By the end of the semester, students will have a broad overview of the intellectual landscape of American Politics. This will help them identify their research interests and select future courses
in the Political Science Department that offer deeper engagement—such as seminars on Congress, political behavior, the presidency, or racial and ethnic politics.

This seminar will review the scholarly literature on political participation and provide students with the theoretical background and empirical tools to write a research paper about the subject.

As this is the introductory survey course to the Political Campaigning Masters Program, we will cover every aspect of the modern American political campaign and set the stage for the rest of the program, always hoping to blend the academic with the practical. We’ll touch briefly on many topics which you will have entire courses on down the road – Behavior, Parties & Interest Groups, Florida Politics, Advanced Strategy, Polling, Lobbying, Fundraising, Campaign Finance Reform, Direct Democracy, etc. Although all types of races will be discussed, special emphasis will be given to state and local races as we progress step by step through the important facets of campaign planning and management.

Coverage of topics will combine much class discussion, some lecture, academic and non-academic readings, guest speakers and other hands-on materials as appropriate to our topics. We aim to arm the student with the knowledge and a playbook in order to be able to make a meaningful contribution to a campaign in the next cycle. With that in mind, we will study in-depth the components of a campaign, how they work together and complement one another, the role they play, their relative importance and chronological significance, i.e., how it all hangs together. The ultimate goal is for each student to write and present a campaign plan at the end of the course.

By the end of the semester, students will have been introduced to all aspects of a campaign from the academic and practical sides. As each student will have written and exchanged many documents on every conceivable topic, by the conclusion of the semester, you will have organized and compiled a veritable A to Z campaign bible. With any luck, you’ll be armed and dangerous.

This course is intended to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a scholarly and practical overview of direct democracy, focusing on statewide ballot measures in the American states, and Florida in particular. It is our goal not only to critically assess whether direct democracy promotes democratic norms and representative public policies, but also to investigate the “educative” and “spillover” effects of the process itself. Some of the central questions we will address include: What are the origins and historical development of direct democracy in the American states? How are ballot measures placed on the ballot, by whom, and for what reasons? What are the direct and indirect effects of the initiative process in the making of public policy? How do systems of direct democracy—and the regulation of direct democracy—differ across the states? What is the role of money and the media in direct democracy contests? How informed is the public about ballot questions and can citizens make rational decisions? Are minority rights jeopardized by direct democracy’s majoritarian nature? What are the educative effects of direct democracy, and do ballot measures have spillover effects on candidate elections? And perhaps most significantly, does direct democracy complement or undermine our system of representative democracy? These are not easy questions to answer, as the study of direct democracy is anything but settled.

Examines the theoretical foundations, historical context and current activities of special interest groups in the United States.

Interest groups are a critical link between citizens and the institutions of government. To understand American politics—how it really works—you must understand where groups come from, what they do, and how they influence public policy. This course surveys the role of interest groups in American politics, including representation, lobbying, and electioneering.

Students are expected to have basic knowledge of American government before taking this course. As an upper-division seminar, this class emphasizes analytical reading, evidence-based discussion, and clear communication. We will read widely across the interest group literature and consider both normative and empirical questions. For example: Do interest groups enhance or undermine democracy? How much influence do they have, and how can we tell? We will also reflect on how well existing academic models explain the current partisan
environment and policy making process. What are the limitations of literature, and
what might be done—by scholars, practitioners, or citizens—to better align theory and
practice?

This graduate seminar investigates the epistemological foundations of contemporary political science research. We will confront basic questions about political knowledge: How do social scientists construct valid inquiries? What links explanation to prediction in political phenomena?

Does political science research reflect objective reality or the researcher’s own values? How do individual behaviors connect to collective political outcomes? These questions divide the discipline, as do debates over whether prediction or explanation should take priority in social scientific research.

Classical and contemporary debates over explanation models, causality, and research design constitute the course’s core content. We will analyze major theoretical traditions: causal mechanisms,
qualitative interpretation, rational choice theory, and institutional analysis. This exercise will provide analytical tools to better understand how political scientists generate knowledge.
Special attention goes to ongoing tensions between different research traditions. The course balances theoretical rigor with practical application. Students will acquire critical tools for evaluating
existing research and theoretical foundations for developing their own investigations.

Conduct of Inquiry (POS 6736) is a graduate-level course that introduces students to the logic and methods of research design in the social science. It is geared toward students pursuing a Master’s
Degree in political science. This course is fundamentally about the logic of scientific inference. That is, how we go about exploring and testing whether “X causes Y,” with a focus on political
phenomena. In doing so, we will draw upon the logic of the scientific method and focus on research design, rather than crunching numbers (although there will be a bit of that). My hope is that by
the end of this course, you will move from being primarily a passive receiver of research toward being both a critical consumer of existing research and a producer of new knowledge.

Political Science 6737 is an introduction to probability and statistics targeted toward political science PhD students. A primary purpose of the course is to build a strong foundation for regression and generalized linear models, which will be studied in great depth in Political Science 6747 and beyond. To accomplish this goal, we will study the basics of probability theory, properties of random variables, asymptotic approximations, methods for developing and evaluating statistical estimators, and hypothesis testing. In addition, the course will provide a hands-on introduction to statistical computing.

The course will be taught as a combination of lectures by the instructor and practical exercises at the computer.

Introduction to basics of data science including programming for data analytics, file management, relational databases, visualizations, geographic information systems, and web development with application to large-scale election databases.

This course will introduce you to the study of civil wars—internal wars predominantly between states and domestic actors—and to the various approaches to this topic in political science. This research program spans the subfields of international and comparative politics and thus the course will explore civil war from both broad fields.

In addition to reading the course materials carefully and coming each week prepared to discuss them in detail, your major assignment will be writing. Exactly what you write, and in which format, are questions about which I am flexible. I want us to find ways to make your writing project in this course maximally productive to each of you and your own developing research agendas as scholars. To that end, I will meet each of you early in the semester to agree on the structure of your own writing plans. These could include a variety of different writing options and will be settled on during consultations between each of you and me. I am happy to accommodate different writing priorities, keeping in mind the central priority that is to help you develop a coherent and compelling research agenda.

What is wrong, if anything, with residential segregation? Should people have the right to determine their own food systems, or is ensuring adequate food access sufficient? How should competing claims over land between different groups (farmers, indigenous peoples, corporations) be resolved? Do indigenous communities have the right to veto the expansion of oil, mining, and energy businesses? Is economic growth desirable? Should punishment reduction be employed to influence perpetrators to cooperate with authorities in confronting the problem of disappeared persons in transitional justice contexts? On what grounds can states claim Antarctic territory? What constitutes a just energy system? Should we be concerned about informality and the underground economy? How can we define the demos of a given political community?

In this class, we will approach these and other normative questions through the methodological and substantive inputs of political theory. We will engage in exercises of applied political theory, in which conceptual and normative analysis will be informed by empirical research. In particular, our focus will be mostly centered on studying pressing issues occurring in Latin America. This regional focus will help us contextualize and elaborate specific theoretical answers to the problems at hand. Likewise, we will aim to learn from these different contexts and understand their relevance and adaptability to other settings and circumstances.

Political science research often grapples with complex data structures and nuanced causal relationships that exceed the capabilities of the Classical Linear Regression Model (CLRM). While CLRM remains a foundational tool, its assumptions—such as homoscedasticity, linearity, and normally distributed errors—are frequently violated when studying real-world political phenomena. Dependent variables of substantive interest are often categorical, ordinal, count-based, or censored, and data may be subject to selection bias, endogeneity, or missingness To address these challenges, this course introduces advanced statistical methods rooted in Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), with an emphasis on Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), Survival Models, and Causal Inference Models. These frameworks extend the classical approach and are essential for modeling limited dependent variables, time-to-event data, and causal inference. The focus is both theoretical and mostly applied, equipping students to analyze data across American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.
The course is structured into three thematic parts:

1.Generalized Linear Models (GLMs): We begin by covering a suite of models for non-continuous outcomes, including logit, probit, multinomial logit, ordinal logit/probit, and count models such as Poisson and negative binomial regressions, selection bias models. Emphasis is placed on model specification, diagnostics, and interpretation in applied research.

2.Survival and Event History Analysis: We then explore models where the timing of events is the key variable of interest. This includes parametric and semi-parametric models (e.g., Cox proportional hazards, exponential, Weibull), with applications in political/social science processes.

3.Causal Inference: The final module addresses causal inference, a central concern in empirical social science. While MLE models estimate associations, understanding causal mechanisms requires more than prediction. This part introduces frameworks and tools for causal inference, including Potential Outcomes Framework (Rubin Causal Model), Counterfactual reasoning and assumptions, Matching methods (propensity score matching, coarsened exact matching), Difference-in-Differences (DiD) and fixed effects models, Instrumental Variables (IV), Regression Discontinuity Designs (RDD), and Sensitivity analyses and robustness checks.

Throughout the semester, students will gain hands-on experience applying these models to real political/social science datasets, using the python computer language. By the end of the course, students will be equipped not only to choose appropriate statistical models for their data, but also to critically evaluate causal claims and contribute rigorously to empirical debates in political science.

Per the approved General Education description taken from the course catalog, this class covers the following material: “Basic principles of political thought. Examination of nature of state and relationship between individual and state. Covers topics such as authority, consent, freedom and obligation. Exploration of these concepts throughout western tradition as well as in other areas.”

The Objective of this class is to familiarize students with a number of thinkers and intellectual traditions that have shaped political thought and action from antiquity to the present.

This class is designed to familiarize students with a number of thinkers, concepts, and issues that are central to political modernity. While the course is in no way meant to be exhaustive in its scope, the authors we read have all been crucial to the articulation of a number of intellectual traditions that continue to exert a profound impact on the contemporary world (including political absolutism, classical and welfare liberalism, capitalism, socialism, American political thought, Black political thought, feminism, and anarchism). Topics to be covered include (but will not be limited to): the idea of the social contract; political obligation, political obedience, and resistance; the various sources, meanings and theoretical status of such topics as natural rights, popular sovereignty, private property, history, and human nature; and the salience of race and gender. We will also touch on additional topics such as political inclusion and exclusion, the relationship between ethics and politics, the relationship between commercial and political life, and the like. The broader goal of the course is to encourage critical thinking about the ways in which knowledge derived from reflection upon old texts might inform one’s approach to political life in the present. No lecture or discussion, however, is intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel a particular feeling, perception, viewpoint or belief.

The global popularity of democracy today has been increasingly haunted by its ambiguous meaning and contested substance. While it has been often associated with various ideas such as freedom, equality, constitution, representation, and even revolution, democracy, the venerable Greek term, originally signifies the rule (kratos) by the people (demos). But who are the people? How do and should they rule? What are the justifications and, if any, limitations of their ruling? An investigation on how past political thinkers and activists reflected on these questions not only helps us de-familiarize and problematize current opinions about democracy but also points toward alternative futures of democratic ideals.

This advanced undergraduate course situates the ongoing debates about democracy and its problems in a larger historical and philosophical framework. We will study a sampling of classic and contemporary literature on democracy. We will begin with the history of democracy, ranging from ancient Athenian democracy to revolutionary democracies in the modern world, and draw insights from their advocates and critics. We will then return to the contemporary world and examine debates about the normative values and justifications of democracy. Finally, we will interrogate current challenges to democracy (i.e. populism, racial domination, social media) and consider various attempts to solve or mitigate these problems.

No lesson is intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel a particular feeling,
perception, viewpoint or belief.

Framework to understand the formation, adoption, budgeting, implementation and evaluation of
public policy. This framework provides a basis for detailed discussions and debates about current
policy issues