Political Science
Rosenkranz Hall, 203.432.5241
http://politicalscience.yale.edu
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Chair
Gerard Padró i Miquel
Director of Graduate Studies
Hélène Landemore
Professors Bruce Ackerman, Akhil Amar (Law), Jennifer Gandhi, Bryan Garsten, Alan Gerber, Jacob Hacker, Gregory Huber, Hélène Landemore, Isabela Mares, Adam Meirowitz, Gerard Padró i Miquel, Nicholas Sambanis, Jasjeet Sekhon, Ian Shapiro, Stephen Skowronek, Steven Smith, Milan Svolik, Steven Wilkinson, Elisabeth Wood
Associate Professors P. Aronow, Katharine Baldwin, Ana De La O Torres, Alexandre Debs, Daniel Mattingly
Assistant Professors Kevin DeLuca, Allison Harris, Melody Huang, Joshua Kalla, Christina Kinane, Shiro Kuriwaki, Egor Lazarev, Soyoung Lee, Charles McClean, Mellissa Miesels, Giulia Oskian, Elizabeth Parker-Magyar, Didac Queralt, Noam Reich, Lucia Rubinelli, Emily Sellars, Nazmul Sultan, Ian Turner
Fields of Study
Fields include American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political economy, political theory, quantitative empirical methods, qualitative and archival methods, and formal theory.
Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Students are required to pass fourteen term courses by the end of their fourth term in the program, to receive a grade of Honors in at least two political science courses, and to maintain an overall High Pass or above average (for purposes of calculating this average, Honors=3, High Pass=2, Pass=1, and Fail=0). To remain in good standing throughout their time in the Ph.D. program, students are expected to actively participate in classes and workshops, produce high-quality written work, and demonstrate regular progress toward completion of the dissertation. The department regularly offers about sixty term courses for graduate students each year. Courses are conducted as seminars and typically have small enrollments. Students may count up to four courses outside the Department of Political Science toward the degree without prior approval from the director of graduate studies (DGS). Of these, up to two may be advanced language courses, subject to DGS approval. With the DGS’s permission, students may take up to two additional outside courses, for a maximum of six non-political-science courses counted toward the degree.
Each student must demonstrate elementary reading competence in one foreign language. Such competence is usually demonstrated by taking, or having completed, two years of undergraduate course work or by examination. Alternatively, the language requirement can be satisfied by successfully completing two terms of formal theory or two terms of statistical methods at the graduate level (beyond the introductory course in statistical methods offered in the department).
Courses are offered in five substantive fields—political theory, international relations, comparative politics, American politics, and political economy—and three methods fields: quantitative empirical methods, qualitative and archival methods, and formal theory. Courses taken must include one each in at least three of the department’s substantive fields. Courses cannot be counted in more than one field. Each student must demonstrate competence in two fields (one of which must be a substantive field) before the start of the fifth term. Certification in the primary subfield must be by exam. Certification in the nonprimary subfield can be in any route allowed by the subfield. The fields of formal theory and quantitative empirical methods offer certification only through examination. Students who do not pass an exam on the second try cannot certify in that subfield. The department offers exams twice a year, in late August and in early January. Students are expected to pass their comprehensive examinations by August of their second year. Each examination is based on a reading list compiled by the faculty within the field and updated each year. Each list offers an introduction and framework for study in the field and preparation for the examination. A committee of faculty within the field grades the exams as Distinguished, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory.
Students who successfully complete the Ph.D. in Political Science will often join the faculties of colleges and universities. For that reason, learning what is involved in teaching and gaining teaching experience are also essential components of graduate education. The department normally expects students to devote themselves exclusively to course work and comprehensive examinations in their first two years in the Ph.D. program. Students in Political Science typically teach in their third and fourth years.
During each year in residence, graduate students are expected to participate actively and regularly in one or more of the many research workshops run by the department. Students beyond their fourth term are required to enroll in at least one of the workshops for credit, and all workshops are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. (At the discretion of the DGS, this requirement may be waived for a term for students whose situations make participation temporarily unfeasible.) All students are expected to present a research paper of their own at one of these workshops before the end of their fourth year. Workshop participation does not count toward the requirement of fourteen term courses.
Prior to Registration for the Second Year
- Students must have taken and passed at least six courses and maintained an overall High Pass average. At least five of these courses must be graduate courses in political science. While only six courses are required, students are normally expected to complete seven courses in the first year to be on track to complete fourteen courses by the end of the second year.
- Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one field certification prior to the beginning of their second year.
- Students are strongly encouraged to attend one of the subfield weekly workshops. (Note that these workshops do not count toward the required number of completed courses.)
Prior to Registration for the Third Year
- Students must have taken at least fourteen term courses and have received a grade of at least Pass in each of them, including PLSC 5400, the one-term required Research and Writing course (PLSC 5410 for second-year students). Research and Writing is devoted to the preparation of a manuscript based on original research on a topic of the student’s choice and will count as one of the fourteen credits needed to advance to candidacy.
- Students must have received a grade of Honors in at least two political science courses and maintained an overall High Pass average.
- Students must have completed certification in two fields by the end of their second year. (For purposes of fulfilling this requirement, students registered for the August exams are assumed to have passed those exams when determining eligibility for enrollment in the third year.) At the discretion of the DGS, students who fail an exam may be granted a one-term extension (to January of the third year) for obtaining certification.
- Students are strongly encouraged to attend one of the required subfield weekly workshops. (Note that these workshops do not count toward the required number of completed courses.)
Admission to Candidacy Students must be admitted to candidacy prior to registration for the fourth year of study. Students are recommended to the graduate school for admission to candidacy by the Department of Political Science after having completed departmental requirements listed above and the graduate school’s prospectus requirement. As part of admission to candidacy, a student must have a prospectus approved by a dissertation director and two other members of the faculty. This must occur no later than May 1 of the student’s third year of study. Students who do not have an approved prospectus by May 15 will be placed on academic probation by the DGS.
Submitting the Dissertation A student’s dissertation research is guided by a committee of no fewer than three faculty members, at least two of whom must be members of the Department of Political Science. One of the committee members is designated as chair, and the chair of the committee must be a full member of the department with voting rights. When a dissertation is completed, the student will select two members to write written reports on the final dissertation, at least one of whom must be a member of the Department of Political Science. The DGS will also appoint one additional member of the department to write an additional evaluation.
Combined Ph.D. Programs
Students enrolled in combined programs normally receive a single en route degree if both programs offer the same en route degree. If only one of the programs offers an en route degree, the student will be eligible to receive it from that program. If the two programs offer different en route degrees (for example, one offers an M.A. and the other an M.S.), the student may receive only one en route degree and will choose which one in consultation with their departments and the appropriate academic dean. This policy also applies to ad hoc combined degree programs. See Degree Requirements under Policies and Regulations.
Political Science and Black Studies
The graduate school offers a combined degree in political science and black studies. For details, see Black Studies in this bulletin.
Political Science and Statistics and Data Science
The Department of Political Science also offers, in conjunction with the Department of Statistics and Data Science, a combined Ph.D. degree in political science and statistics and data science. The requirements are designed to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the combined-degree program. Unless otherwise noted, students are required to complete all program requirements in each department’s regular Ph.D. program.
Coursework Students must take at least fourteen graduate-level courses.
Students must complete at least seven courses in the Department of Political Science before the start of the seventh term and three courses in quantitative methods: PLSC 5000, PLSC 5030, and PLSC 5080 (or a suitable equivalent, as approved by the Political Science DGS). In addition to these three courses, students must also take at least two courses each in two other fields (American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and political economy). Two of these seven courses may be courses outside the department that appropriately build the student’s substantive interests. Students may optionally take Research and Writing in year two or three, but this sequence does not count toward the seven-course requirement.
Students must also complete at least seven courses in the Statistics and Data Science department before the start of the seventh term, with the specific course schedule subject to approval by the Statistics and Data Science DGS. A typical course plan would likely include S&DS 5410 (taken in the first term), S&DS 5420 and S&DS 6610 (taken in the second term), S&DS 6120 and S&DS 6250 (taken in the third term), and S&DS 6260 (taken in the fourth term).
In the event course requirements as written cannot be met due to restrictions on course offerings, etc., the DGSs of each program, in consultation with one another, may mutually agree on course substitutions consistent with the intellectual goals of this program.
Qualifying Examination There are separate comprehensive exam requirements in each department. In Political Science, students must certify in two fields, and one of these fields must be quantitative methods, which is certified by examination. The other subfield can be drawn from American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and political economy. For rules about certification in these fields, please see the Political Science department’s solo Ph.D. requirements. Students must complete all of these certifications prior to the start of the sixth term, and it is expected that students will complete their first two certifications the summer after their second term. Students satisfy the Political Science language requirement by certifying in quantitative methods.
In Statistics and Data Science, students will complete the Probability Theory Comprehensive Exam, the Statistical Theory Comprehensive Exam, Practical Exam, and Oral Exam before the start of the fifth term. Please see the Statistics and Data Science department’s solo Ph.D. requirements (https://statistics.yale.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-program/qualifying-exams).
Teaching The teaching requirement of students admitted in the combined program will be split between the two departments (i.e., the student will be serving as a teaching fellow for an equal number of courses in both departments).
Prospectus and Dissertation Requirements For the dissertation, not later than the fifth term, a student shall select a primary adviser from one department, a coadviser from the other department, and a third faculty member from either department who serves as a reader along with the advisers. The dissertation prospectus is due not later than the middle of the sixth term (mid-March for students whose sixth term is a spring term). Subsequently, and not later than the end of classes in the sixth term (usually the end of April for students whose sixth term is a spring term), there is to be an oral presentation of the prospectus by the prospective candidate, followed by a meeting of a faculty committee consisting of the advisers and at least one DGS for prospectus approval. Admission to candidacy for the combined Ph.D. requires DGS signature of prospectus approval from both departments following adviser approval in both departments. In Political Science, this requires all three committee members to attest that the prospectus is approved. Combined dissertations will take a form suitable for both disciplines. We anticipate that many students will write dissertations composed of three papers.
Advising Beginning in the first term of the Ph.D. program, a student shall select an adviser from each department, with one adviser designated as the primary adviser. We strongly suggest the student meet jointly with both advisers to discuss navigating the combined Ph.D. program.
Transfer Admissions Process Students admitted to either Political Science or Statistics and Data Science may apply to transfer to the combined Ph.D. program with the approval of the DGS in both programs. Transfer applications are expected to take place no later than the third term in the Ph.D. program.
Exit from the Combined Program A student admitted into the combined program may elect to exit the combined program and instead pursue a regular Ph.D. in either of the two departments. This election must take place before the start of the sixth term.
Joint Degree
Students may also pursue a joint degree with Yale Law School.
Master’s Degrees
M.Phil. The academic requirements for the M.Phil. degree are the same as for the Ph.D. degree except for the completion of the prospectus and dissertation.
M.A. (upon withdrawal) Students who withdraw from the Ph.D. program may be eligible to receive the M.A. degree if they have met the requirements and have not already received the M.Phil. degree. For the M.A., students must successfully complete at least eight graduate term courses, including at least five listed in the Department of Political Science and one each in at least two of the department’s substantive fields. Language requirements are the same as for the Ph.D. degree. Students must earn qualitative grades of Honors, High Pass, or Pass. At least two grades of Honors are required, and all grades must average High Pass in order to fulfill requirements for the master’s degree.
Candidates in combined programs will be awarded the M.A. only when the master’s degree requirements for both programs have been met.
Simultaneous B.A./M.A. Students must successfully complete eight graduate term courses, including four methods courses across two methodological streams, two core courses in one substantive subfield, two graduate course electives, and a thesis, in consultation with both the DUS and DGS. Students must earn qualitative grades of Honors, High Pass, or Pass. At least two grades of Honors are required, and all grades must average High Pass in order to fulfill requirements for the master’s degree. Upon successful completion of coursework, these grades will be converted to Yale College letter grades.
Interested students must consult both the DUS and DGS prior to the end of the fourth term of enrollment in Yale College.
Courses
PLSC 5000a, Foundations of Statistical Inference P Aronow
This course provides an intensive introduction to statistical theory for quantitative empirical inquiry in the social sciences. Topics include foundations of probability theory, statistical inference from random samples, estimation theory, linear regression, maximum likelihood estimation, and a brief introduction to identification.
WTh 4pm-5:30pm
PLSC 5030b / S&DS 6140b, Causal Inference Staff
This course provides an intensive introduction to the statistical theory and practice of causal inference. Topics include: the potential outcomes framework, experimental design, selection on observables, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, and panel data. Prerequisite: PLSC 500 or equivalent. Students are expected to come in with prior knowledge about statistical inference, regression/linear models, and statistical computing in R.
HTBA
PLSC 5050b / SOCY 5750b, Qualitative Field Research Adam Auerbach
In this seminar we discuss and practice qualitative field research methods. The course covers the basic techniques for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing ethnographic data, with an emphasis on the core ethnographic techniques of participant observation and in-depth interviewing. All participants carry out a local research project. Open to undergraduates with permission of the instructor.
HTBA
PLSC 5180a, Introduction to Game Theory Adam Meirowitz
This course offers a rigorous introduction to noncooperative game theory. The course covers normal and extensive form games of perfect information and normal and extensive form games of imperfect information. We end with a brief introduction to mechanism design. Through lectures and problem sets students gain familiarity with creating and analyzing models of political phenomena. Applications are drawn from a broad set of topics in political science and students are pushed to think about how game theoretic analysis connects with empirical work in political science. A capstone project pushes students to create and analyze a novel model of politics in their own research area. Students are assumed to have mathematical knowledge at the level of the Political Science Math Camp.
Th 9am-11:30am
PLSC 5190b, Introduction to Formal Political Economy Emily Sellars
This course surveys key applications of game theory and related methods to the study of politics and political economy. Topics include electoral competition, political accountability, special interest politics, delegation, political agency, legislative bargaining, collective action, and regime chance. Prerequisite: PLSC 518 or an equivalent course in game theory.
HTBA
PLSC 5230a, Mixed Methods Research Elizabeth Parker-Magyar
This course trains students to conduct research using a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The course begins with a discussion of concept formation and measurement. We then examine observational designs, randomized experiments, ethnography, and case-based approaches. We also discuss applications to both article and book-length research. Prerequisite: PLSC 5000 or equivalent courses in statistics and/or game theory.
T 9:25am-11:20am
PLSC 5300a or b / S&DS 5300a or b, Data Exploration and Analysis Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
An expansion of introductory statistics topics that also provides an extensive introduction to the R programming language. A concise review of foundational statistical methods moves into topics such as bootstrapping, permutation tests, multiple regression, ANOVA, ANCOVA, generalized linear models, and logistic regression. All topics emphasize the use of appropriate statistical graphics. This course also builds a strong foundation in R, RStudio, and RMarkdown, including data cleaning, data types, and strategies for handling missing data. Lectures incorporate examples of how AI can support both R coding and data analysis. This is a highly applied course, with lectures and homework focused on performing data analysis and communicating results.
HTBA
PLSC 5330a, Formal Models of International Relations Alex Debs
This course offers a survey of game-theoretic models of international relations. Students learn how to evaluate and present existing models and how to develop their own research projects. Topics covered include nuclear deterrence theory, war duration, the democratic peace, militarization and war, mediation, and mutual optimism. Prerequisites: PLSC 5180 and PLSC 5190 or the equivalent.
M 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 5360a, Applied Quantitative Research Design Shiro Kuriwaki
Research designs are strategies to obtain empirical answers to theoretical questions. This class trains students with the best practices for implementing and communicating rigorous quantitative social science research. We cover econometrics techniques of causal inference, prediction, and missing data. These include fixed effects, time series, instrumental variables, survey weighting, and shrinkage. This is a hands-on, application-oriented class. Students practice programming, statistics, and data visualizations used in exemplary quantitative social science articles. Formal section enrollment is not required but highly encouraged. Prerequisite: Statistics, econometrics, or data science courses that teach ordinary least squares regression and p-values, such as S&DS 2300. Some past or concurrent experience with R/Stata/Python is also presumed. This class is designed for juniors, seniors, master’s students, and Ph.D. students. Ph.D. students in political science can join without a prerequisite.
TTh 9am-10:15am
PLSC 5410b, Research and Writing Emily Sellars
This is a required course for all second-year students. The purpose of the course is to guide students through the process of writing and revising a publication-quality research paper. The course meets during the spring term, but the preparation work begins in the fall. By Thanksgiving break, students must select a faculty adviser and submit a short outline of their proposed project. Over the course of the semester, students develop these projects and receive regular feedback from their faculty adviser, the course instructor, and their peers. Meetings alternate between student presentations and structured discussion of the writing and publication process. In early April, students submit a draft of their paper for review by an outside faculty member. A response memo and final draft of the paper incorporating this feedback is due in May.
HTBA
PLSC 5650a, Democracy and Distribution Ian Shapiro
An examination of relations between democracy and the distribution of income and wealth. The central focus is on ways in which different groups and coalitions affect, and are affected by, democratic distributive politics. This course also examines the variation among democracies in the provision of education, social and health insurance, and policies designed to ameliorate inequalities.
W 9:25am-11:20am
PLSC 5820b, Politics and the Passions Giulia Oskian
This seminar explores different paradigms in political psychology. Classical political theory, since Plato and Aristotle, observed that any set of political institutions needs to be supported by corresponding public ethics, and, conversely, promotes, orients, or inhibits certain emotions. What people are afraid of, angry at, indignant about, or hopeful for varies according to political circumstances so that, as Montesquieu and Tocqueville noticed, the passions of a democratic citizen are inevitably different from those of someone living in a hierarchical society. However, more recent political theory tends either to disregard the relation between shared emotions and political institutions or to view it as a social pathology. On the one hand, emotional phenomena are simply dismissed as mere deviations from the behavior expected from the highly abstract ideal of a rational citizen; on the other hand, when appreciated, the impact of emotions on political life is most often interpreted as a pathological feature of current democracies. Departing from both these strands of theory, this seminar explores the emotional foundations of public ethics, political practices, and institutions, as well as the political potential of psychological realism. Focusing on moments of political mobilization, social conflict, and institutional change, which bring to the foreground the emotional component of politics, we retrace emotional transformations together with the evolution of the psychological and moral discourses: How are our emotional experiences related to social expectations? In what way can political movements induce us to reorient our feelings and find new objects for our anger, indignation, fear, or hope? The seminar is structured in three parts. An introductory part compares different methods in the study of emotions and their political relevance. In the second part we study the psychological conditions for the emergence of authoritarianism in 1920s–1930s continental Europe. Based on readings by Theodor Adorno and Erich Fromm we discuss questions such as: Is there such a thing as an authoritarian personality? What social conditions foster its development? How can people come to desire to escape from freedom? The third part explores the emancipatory potential of psychological realism: we discuss militant texts from classical feminist (Simone de Beauvoir, Carol Gilligan) and black (James Baldwin, Audre Lorde) political thought, which relate the possibility of a deep and lasting social reform to a transformation of the emotional disposition of the citizenry.
HTBA
PLSC 6110b / PHIL 6657b, Recent Work on Justice Thomas Pogge
In-depth study of one contemporary book, author, or debate in political philosophy, political theory, or normative economics. Depending on student interest, this might be a ground-breaking new book, the life’s work of a prominent author, or an important theme in contemporary political thought.
T 4pm-5:55pm
PLSC 6170a, Deliberative Democracy and Beyond Helene Landemore-Jelaca
The course examines the connection between the idea of democracy and the practice of deliberation. While deliberation is at the core of contemporary normative theories of “deliberative democracy,” deliberation is not by itself democratic. One of the aims of the seminar is to clarify to what extent democracy needs to be deliberative and to what extent deliberation can be democratic.
T 9:25am-11:20am
PLSC 6270b, Aristotle’s Political Thought Bryan Garsten
A careful reading of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics and Politics, along with selected debates in the secondary literature and consideration of Aristotle’s place in recent political theory.
HTBA
PLSC 6400a or b / HIST 6610, Advanced Topics in Modern Political Philosophy Giulia Oskian
This seminar explores key concepts in modern political philosophy at a level appropriate for graduate students (to help prepare for the political theory field exam) and for advanced undergraduates who have completed substantial course work in intellectual history and/or political theory.
HTBA
PLSC 6480a, Max Weber Lucia Rubinelli and Isaac Nakhimovsky
This course offers an in-depth survey of Max Weber’s thought, ranging from his methodological writings to his reflections on economy, religion, bureaucracy, and the logic and limits of democratic politics. The course aims to reassess the centrality of Weber’s thought within the history of twentieth-century political theory, while exploring how his ideas offer insights into our contemporary political landscape.
Th 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 6910a, Identity and Conflict Lab Nicholas Sambanis
The Identity and Conflict Lab (ICL), led by Professor Nicholas Sambanis, is offering a graduate-level course focusing on the politics of intergroup conflict broadly conceived. The lab’s research is motivated by major problems of our time, such as civil war, ethnic violence, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, and native-migrant conflict. The lab conducts research on all these themes of identity politics. The ICL course reviews the state of the debate on key topics where the ICL has active research contributions and engages with cutting edge research conducted in the lab as well as by other scholars/research groups. Students and lab affiliates taking the course must be interested in engaging with interdisciplinary, experimental research on a broad range of topics and have data analysis skills that allow them to replicate studies, and conduct research. Weekly attendance is mandatory for all participants and no audit roles will be approved. Students are expected to complete reading assignments that are outlined in the course syllabus, comment on lab affiliates’ work in progress, and make presentations on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. Permission of instructor is required. For more information, please send inquiries to nicholas.sambanis@yale.edu. Open to graduate students only.
HTBA
PLSC 6950b, International Security Alex Debs
This course covers the main theories and problems in international security, including the causes of war; crisis bargaining; diplomacy and coercion; war termination; and civil wars. Students acquire broad familiarity with the canonical literature in international security and learn how to identify opportunities for new research. The course is designed for Ph.D. students in political science.
HTBA
PLSC 6980a, International Political Economy Didac Queralt
This course examines how domestic and international politics influence the economic relations between states. It addresses the major theoretical debates in the field and introduces the chief methodological approaches used in contemporary analyses. We focus attention on four types of cross-border flows and the policies and international institutions that regulate them: the flow of goods (trade policy), the flow of capital (financial and exchange rate policy), the flow and location of production (foreign investment policy), and the flow of people (immigration policy).
T 4pm-5:55pm
PLSC 7090a, Comparative Constitutional Law Bruce Ackerman
An effort to define the key concepts adequate for an evaluation of the worldwide development of modern constitutionalism since the Second World War. Enrollment limited. Follows Law School academic calendar.
MT 4:10pm-6pm
PLSC 7210a / ECON 7734a, Political Economy of Development Rohini Pande and Gerard Padro
This course analyzes empirically and theoretically the political, institutional, and social underpinnings of economic development. We cover an array of topics ranging from power structures to corruption, state capacity, social capital, conflict, democratization, and democratic backsliding. We focus on recent advances to identify open areas for further research.
T 1pm-3:30pm
PLSC 7230b, Political Power and Inequality in Latin America Ana De La O
Overview and analysis of politics in Latin America. The emergence of democracy and the forces that led to the unprecedented increase in inequality in the twentieth century. Topics include institutional design, historical legacies, corruption, clientelism, and violence.
HTBA
PLSC 7340a / SOCY 6100a, Comparative Research Workshop Julia Adams
This weekly workshop is dedicated to group discussion of work-in-progress by visiting scholars, Yale graduate students, and in-house faculty from Sociology and affiliated disciplines. Papers are distributed a week ahead of time and also posted on the website of the Center for Comparative Research (http://ccr.yale.edu). Students who are enrolled for credit are expected to present a paper-in-progress.
T 11:35am-1:15pm
PLSC 7433a, Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy Charles McClean
This class introduces students to thirteen important puzzles about contemporary Japanese politics and foreign policy, discusses various ways in which scholars have attempted to solve these puzzles, and suggests pathways for future research. Together, we seek to explain policy outcomes across a wide range of topics, including constitutional revision, defense, economic growth, energy, gender, immigration, income inequality, population aging, territorial disputes, and trade. In the process, we learn (1) the important actors in Japanese politics (e.g., voters, politicians, parties, bureaucrats, and firms); (2) the positions that different actors take with respect to various policies, as well as the sources of these policy preferences; and (3) how political institutions block or enhance the representation of these actors’ interests.
W 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 7435a, Advanced Democracies Charles McClean
This course examines political challenges facing advanced democracies in the twenty-first century. Rather than focusing on democratic transitions or regime stability, we investigate what political problems emerge after democracy consolidates. Topics include the puzzle of redistribution, unequal political representation, welfare state restructuring, globalization’s winners and losers, migration and membership, populism and democratic backsliding, demographic change, gender and care policy, and climate change. The course emphasizes both foundational theoretical frameworks and cutting-edge empirical research in comparative political economy.
T 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 7770a, Comparative Politics I Isabela Mares
This survey course provides a general introduction to the field of comparative politics, with an emphasis on the most important theories and research themes. Topics include the foundations of political regimes, state formation, identity and nationalism, party development, electoral reforms, programmatic and clientelistic linkages, and social policy development. At the same time, the course seeks to strengthen students’ analytical skills in evaluating comparative research and prepare students to take the examination in comparative politics.
M 4pm-5:55pm
PLSC 7780b, Comparative Politics II Staff
This survey course—as a follow-up to Comparative Politics I—continues to introduce students to important concepts, themes, and approaches in the comparative study of politics. The course is organized thematically with two goals in mind: first, to enable students to understand the intellectual trajectory of the study of these topics and second, to expose them to research frontiers in these areas. The expectation is that students complete the course not only with a better understanding of the comparative subfield but also with their own ideas for further research.
HTBA
PLSC 7790a / ANTH 6841a / ENV 836a / HIST 8160a / SOCY 7170a, Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development Jonathan Wyrtzen and Elisabeth Wood
An interdisciplinary examination of agrarian societies, contemporary and historical, Western and non-Western. Major analytical perspectives from anthropology, economics, history, political science, and environmental studies are used to develop a meaning-centered and historically grounded account of the transformations of rural society. Team-taught.
W 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 7830b, Democratic Backsliding Milan Svolik
This class examines the process of democratic backsliding, including its causes and consequences. Our analysis builds on prominent contemporary and historical cases of democratic backsliding, especially Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, and Venezuela. Implications for democratic stability in the United States are considered.
HTBA
PLSC 7930a, Chinese Politics Daniel Mattingly
Study of the politics of contemporary China with a focus on recent research. Topics include authoritarianism, representation, local governance, elite politics, censorship, propaganda, protest, and the rule of law.
T 9:25am-11:20am
PLSC 8000a, Introduction to American Politics Jacob Hacker
This course is an introduction to American politics for students pursuing graduate work in political science. It surveys current research paired with several classics. Topics and approaches given consideration include institutional design, historical political development, mass attitudes, ideology, econometrics of elections, rational actors, urban politics, interest groups, and political economy. This class, PLSC 8100 (behavior, fall), and PLSC 8030 (institutions, spring) form the sequence that Ph.D. students are recommended to take for the examination in American politics.
M 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 8030b, Introduction to American Institutions Gregory Huber
This is a graduate-level course, open to undergraduates, designed to introduce students to research on American political institutions. We examine different explanations for and models of the sources of institutions, discuss their internal organization and governance, and consider the effects of institutions on outcomes of interest. Prerequisites: Students must take PLSC 5000 and PLSC 5180.
HTBA
PLSC 8100a, Political Preferences and American Political Behavior Joshua Kalla
Introduction to research methods and topics in American political behavior. Focus on decision-making from the perspective of ordinary citizens. Topics include utility theory, heuristics and biases, political participation, retrospective voting, the consequences of political ignorance, the effects of campaigns, and the ability of voters to hold politicians accountable for their actions. Prerequisites: must have completed or be enrolled in PLSC 5180 and either PLSC 5000 or PLSC 5030.
W 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 8390a, Congress in the Light of History David Mayhew
A critical investigation of the United States Congress, the primary democratic institution in the American political system. Focus on individual members of Congress, institutional features, and the role of Congress within the larger separation-of-powers system.
W 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 8700a, Advanced Topics in American Political Behavior Gregory Huber and Alan Gerber
This course is an advanced lab-style course for second-year and above Ph.D. students working on topics in American political behavior, broadly construed. We split our time between reviewing recent and exemplary papers that introduce new theories, data collection strategies, and methodological approaches with discussing and advancing student-driven projects. Prerequisites: completion of the first two courses in the graduate quantitative methods sequence and at least the first semester of formal models.
M 1:30pm-3:25pm
PLSC 8780a, Elite Behavior in Congressional Elections Mellissa Meisels
This seminar examines the behavior of political elites in US congressional elections. Although voters ultimately determine election outcomes, the dynamics of electoral campaigns are fundamentally shaped by the choices of candidates, political parties, activists, and financial contributors. Political elites’ behavior is a function of not just their straightforward preferences, but the incentives that they face. Among other topics, this course covers the congressional election “fundamentals” in primary versus general elections, the positions and priorities candidates articulate in their campaigns, how parties, donors, and interest groups choose which candidates to support, and the potential effects of commonly proposed campaign finance and electoral reforms. Throughout the semester, special emphasis is placed on the challenges involved in making inferences about strategic interactions among political elites. Students not only become familiar with how political scientists conduct research but also learn to reflect critically on the merits and limitations of existing approaches.
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PLSC 9300a and PLSC 9310b, American Politics Workshop Staff
The course meets throughout the year in conjunction with the ISPS American Politics Workshop. It serves as a forum for graduate students in American politics to discuss current research in the field as presented by outside speakers and current graduate students. Open only to graduate students in the Political Science department. Can be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. 0 Course cr per term
W 12pm-1:15pm
PLSC 9320a and PLSC 9330b, Comparative Politics Workshop Staff
A forum for the presentation of ongoing research by Yale graduate students, Yale faculty, and invited external speakers in a rigorous and critical environment. The workshop’s methodological and substantive range is broad, covering the entire range of comparative politics. There are no formal presentations. Papers are read in advance by participants; a graduate student critically discusses the week’s paper, the presenter responds, and discussion ensues. Detailed information can be found at https://campuspress.yale.edu/cpworkshop. Open only to graduate students in the Political Science department. Can be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. 0 Course cr per term
T 12pm-1:20pm
PLSC 9340a and PLSC 9350b, Political Theory Workshop Staff
An interdisciplinary forum that focuses on theoretical and philosophical approaches to the study of politics. The workshop seeks to engage with (and expose students to) a broad range of current scholarship in political theory and political philosophy, including work in the history of political thought; theoretical investigations of contemporary political phenomena; philosophical analyses of key political concepts; conceptual issues in ethics, law, and public policy; and contributions to normative political theory. The workshop features ongoing research by Yale faculty members, visiting scholars, invited guests, and advanced graduate students. Papers are distributed and read in advance, and discussions are opened by a graduate student commentator. Detailed information can be found at http://politicaltheory.yale.edu. Open only to graduate students in the Political Science department. Can be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. 0 Course cr per term
W 4:15pm-6pm
PLSC 9380a and PLSC 9390b, Leitner Political Economy Seminar Series Staff
This seminar series engages research on the interaction between economics and politics as well as research that employs the methods of political economists to study a wide range of social phenomena. The workshop serves as a forum for graduate students and faculty to present their own work and to discuss current research in the field as presented by outside speakers, faculty, and students. Detailed information can be found at http://leitner.yale.edu/seminars. Open only to graduate students in the Political Science department. Can be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. 0 Course cr per term
Th 12pm-1:20pm
PLSC 9400a and PLSC 9410b, International Relations Workshop Staff
This workshop engages work in the fields of international security, international political economy, and international institutions. The forum attracts outside speakers, Yale faculty, and graduate students. It provides a venue to develop ideas, polish work in progress, or showcase completed projects. Typically, the speaker would prepare a 35- to 40-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. More information can be found at http://irworkshop.yale.edu. Open only to graduate students in the Political Science department. Can be taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. 0 Course cr per term
W 12pm-1:20pm
PLSC 9420a or b, Political Violence and Its Legacies Workshop Staff
The MacMillan Political Violence and Its Legacies (PVL) workshop is an interdisciplinary forum for work in progress by Yale faculty and graduate students, as well as scholars from other universities. PVL is designed to foster a wide-ranging conversation at Yale and beyond about political violence and its effects that transcends narrow disciplinary and methodological divisions. The workshop’s interdisciplinary nature attracts faculty and graduate students from Anthropology, Black Studies, American Studies, History, Sociology, and Political Science, among others. There are no formal presentations. Papers are distributed one week prior to the workshop and are read in advance by attendees. A discussant introduces the manuscript and raises questions for the subsequent discussion period. To help facilitate a lively and productive discussion, we ban laptops and cellphones for the workshop’s duration. More informantion is available at https://macmillan.yale.edu/pvl. 0 Course cr
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PLSC 9900a or b, Directed Reading Staff
By arrangement with individual faculty.
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