Political Science
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GRS PO 609: The Political Psychology of Group-Based Politics
The study of political psychology, integrating political science and social and cognitive psychology as it informs the dynamics of group-based politics, including especially race, gender, class, and political party affiliation. -
GRS PO 702: Professional Development for PhD Candidates in Political Science
For political science PhD students in their second or third year of study and who are preparing for comprehensive exams or are working on a PhD prospectus. Addresses core issues in numerous fields and is taught by members of the GFPS. -
GRS PO 711: Approaches to the Study of American Politics
Graduate Core Seminar. Introduces students to major theoretical, substantive, and methodological problems in the study of American politics by examining two sets of literature: scholarly debates and discussion of theory and research, and the concrete research of leading Americanists. -
GRS PO 751: Approaches to the Study of Comparative Politics
Graduate Core Seminar. Provides an overview of major theoretical approaches and areas of research in comparative politics, including the comparative method, statebuilding, nationalism, democratization, revolution, culture and identity, electoral and party systems, systems of government, economic development, business politics, and the welfare state. -
GRS PO 760: Problems and Issues of Contemporary Africa
Topics vary. Topic for Spring 2019: Transitional Justice: Explores the use of trials, truth commissions, memorialization, and amnesia as strategies for dealing with legacies of authoritarianism and violence. -
GRS PO 771: Approaches to the Study of International Relations
Graduate Core Seminar. Focuses on the ongoing conversations in the discipline of International Relations. The course addresses the various ways international relations scholars understand and study the world. It also addresses the types of questions international relations scholars ask and how they answer them. -
GRS PO 789: The United States and the International Relations of the Asia-Pacific
Focuses on contemporary issues in U.S. relations with Japan, China, Taiwan, North and South Korea, and Russian involvement in East Asia. The implications of social economic, political, strategic changes in East Asia for U.S. policy and the management of international affairs are highlighted. -
GRS PO 791: Approaches to the Study of Political Theory
Graduate Core Seminar. An overview of some of the more significant texts for the study of political theory today, with attention to both substantive and methodological issues. Selections may vary from year to year. -
GRS PO 796: Ethics and the Use of Force
Acquaints students with the great debates in the ethics and law of war, and examines how the resort to and conduct of war is, or is not, circumscribed by normative concerns. -
GRS PO 840: Political Analysis
An introduction to methodological issues faced in empirical work across the social sciences, with primary reference to political science. Addresses issues using different empirical approaches -- qualitative or quantitative, experimental or observational -- to any sort of theory. -
GRS PO 841: Quantitative Research Methods
An introduction to probability, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and ordinary least squares regression analysis as used in the social sciences. Emphasizes both theory and applications. -
GRS PO 842: Qualitative Approaches to the Study of Political Science
Introduces the analytical tools and methods that underpin qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences. Covers conceptualization and measurement, process tracing, comparative historical analysis, archival research, ethics, ethnography and participant observation, interviews, content and discourse analysis, and mixed methods. -
GRS PO 843: Techniques in Political Analysis: Maximum Likelihood Estimation
An applied course in quantitative empirical analysis using the method of maximum likelihood. Covers models for binary, ordered, unordered, count and duration dependent variables. Focus is on social science data and computation in R. -
GRS PO 844: Methods for Causal Inference
Research methods for causal inference in political science. Randomized experiments (lab, survey, and field), natural experiments (including regression discontinuity and instrumental variable designs), difference-indifferences and fixed effects models, multiple regression and matching, comparative case studies, process tracing, and multi-method designs. -
GRS PO 903: Research Workshop
This course is for Political Science PhD students of all years. It includes preparation for the second year paper, the dissertation prospectus, the dissertation, job talks, and grant and fellowship proposals. -
GRS PO 904: Research Workshop
This course is for Political Science PhD students of all years. It includes preparation for the second year paper, the dissertation prospectus, the dissertation, job talks, and grant and fellowship proposals.

