Political Science
Rosenkranz Hall, 203.432.5241
http://politicalscience.yale.edu
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Chair
Gregory Huber
Director of Graduate Studies
Alexandre Debs
Professors Bruce Ackerman, Akhil Amar (Law), Bryan Garsten, Alan Gerber, Jacob Hacker, Gregory Huber, Hélène Landemore, Isabela Mares, Adam Meirowitz, Gerard Padró i Miquel, John Roemer, Kenneth Scheve, Jasjeet Sekhon, Ian Shapiro, Stephen Skowronek, Steven Smith, Milan Svolik, Peter Swenson, John Wargo (School of the Environment), Steven Wilkinson, Elisabeth Wood
Associate Professors P.M. Aronow, Katharine Baldwin, Sarah Bush, Ana De La O Torres, Alexandre Debs, Kelly Rader
Assistant Professors Alexander Coppock, Allison Harris, John Henderson, Joshua Kalla, Sarah Khan, Christina Kinane, Shiro Kuriwaki, Egor Lazarev, Daniel Mattingly, Salma Mousa, Giulia Oskian, Tyler Pratt, Didac Queralt, Lucia Rubinelli, Fredrik Sävje, Emily Sellars, 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
Overall program requirements Students are required to pass sixteen 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). The High Pass average must also be met for graduate courses listed in the Political Science department. 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. Four of the courses required for the degree may be in departments other than Political Science (two of these can be advanced language courses with the approval of the director of graduate studies [DGS]).
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 three fields (two of which must be substantive fields) before the start of the fifth term. Competence can be demonstrated either by passing the comprehensive examination in the field or by course work, provided that each student takes at least two comprehensive exams. The fields of formal theory and quantitative empirical methods offer certification only through examination. For fields to be certified by course work, students are required to satisfactorily complete three courses in the field, where courses in the field are determined by the faculty and the DGS, including one in which a research paper is written and presented. The paper must be submitted to review by the instructor of the course for which the paper was written. 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 sixteen term courses.
Prior to registration for the second year (1) Students must have taken and passed at least seven courses, including the required Introduction to the Study of Politics (PLSC 510), and maintained an overall High Pass average. At least five of these courses must be graduate courses in Political Science. While only seven courses are required, students are normally expected to complete eight courses in the first year to be on track to complete sixteen courses by the end of the second year. (2) Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one field certification prior to the beginning of their second year. (3) 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 (1) Students must have taken at least sixteen term courses and have received a grade of at least Pass in each of them, including the two-term required Research and Writing course (PLSC 540, PLSC 541) 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 two of the sixteen credits needed to advance to candidacy. (2) Students must have received a grade of Honors in at least two Political Science courses and maintained an overall High Pass average. (3) Students must have completed certification in three 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. (4) 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.
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 Yale Department of Political Science. One of the committee members is designated as chair. 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 Yale Department of Political Science. The DGS will also appoint one additional member of the department to write an additional evaluation.
Combined Ph.D. Programs
Political Science and African American Studies
The Graduate School offers a combined degree in Political Science and African American Studies. For details, see African American Studies in this bulletin.
Political Science and Statistics & 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.
Course work Students must take at least sixteen graduate-level courses.
Students must complete at least eight courses in the Political Science department before the start of the seventh term, including PLSC 510 (taken in the first term) and three courses in quantitative methods: PLSC 500, PLSC 503, and PLSC 508 (or a suitable equivalent, as approved by the Political Science DGS). In addition to these four 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 eight courses may be courses outside the department that appropriately build the student’s substantive interests. Students may optionally take the two-course Research and Writing sequence in year two or three, but this sequence does not count toward the eight-course requirement.
Students must also complete at least eight 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 541 (taken in the first term), S&DS 542 and S&DS 661 (taken in the second term), S&DS 612 and S&DS 625 (taken in the third term), S&DS 551 (taken in the fourth term), and S&DS 626 (taken in the fifth 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 three fields, and one of these fields must be quantitative methods, which is certified by examination. The other two fields 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 at the end of the first term, the Statistical Theory Comprehensive Exam at the end of the second term, and both the Practical Exam and the Oral Exam at the end 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 [TF] 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 co-adviser 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. (Certification for the third field in Political Science may take place after prospectus approval.) 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. 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 a full year of course work in the program (at least eight term courses) with an average of High Pass. The courses must include at least six listed in the Political Science Department and one each in at least three of the department’s substantive fields. Language requirements are the same as for the Ph.D. degree.
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program in political science may qualify for the M.A. in history, rather than an M.A. in political science, upon completion of a minimum of six graduate term courses in history at Yale, of which two must have earned Honors grades and the other four courses must average High Pass overall. A student must include in the six courses completed at least two research seminars in the History Department.
Candidates in combined programs will be awarded the M.A. only when the master’s degree requirements for both programs have been met.
Courses
PLSC 500a, 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.
TTh 10:30am-11:20am
PLSC 503b, Theory and Practice of Quantitative Methods P Aronow
This course provides an intensive introduction to the methods used in political science for quantitative empirical inquiry. Topics include: missing data, causal inference, selection on observables, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and panel (TSCS/longitudinal) data. Prerequisites: PLSC 500, with mathematical training at the level of the math camp, and PLSC 529.
TTh 10:30am-11:20am
PLSC 505b / SOCY 508b, Qualitative Field Research Egor Lazarev
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.
T 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 508a, Causal Inference and Research Design P Aronow
This seminar exposes students to cutting-edge empirical and statistical research across the social and health sciences, with a focus on topics relevant to causal questions in the domain of political science. Readings and discussions focus on selected methodological topics, such as experimental design, partial identification, design-based inference, network analysis, semiparametric efficiency theory, and qualitative/mixed-methods research. Topics vary from year to year. Statistical training at the level of PLSC 504 is expected, though training in probability theory at the level of S&DS 541 or ECON 550 is suggested.
Th 4pm-5:50pm
PLSC 510a, Introduction to the Study of Politics Jennifer Gandhi
The course introduces students to some of the major controversies in political science. We focus on the five substantive themes that make up the Yale Initiative: Order, Conflict, and Violence; Representation and Popular Rule; Crafting and Operating Institutions; Identities, Affiliations, and Allegiances; and Distributive Politics. We divide our time between discussing readings on these subjects and conversations with different members of the faculty who specialize in them. There is also some attention to methodological controversies within the discipline. Requirements: an annotated bibliography of one of the substantive themes and a take-home final exam.
T 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 512b, The Design and Analysis of Randomized Field Experiments in Political Science Alexander Coppock
Randomized field experiments are deployed across the social sciences to answer well-posed theoretical questions and to generate new information from which to build fresh theories of social interaction and behavior. Experiments are attractive because they enable the researcher to (mostly) ground statistical and causal inferences in features of the research design rather than assumptions about the world. This course covers the design and analysis of both introductory and advanced experimental designs, using the textbook by Gerber and Green (2012) as the main guide. Strong emphasis is placed on developing practical skills for real research scenarios. Given resources, how should subjects be assigned to conditions? How many treatment arms should be included? How do we plan to analyze the resulting data? The course has a relatively heavy workload: weekly problem sets in R that will prepare students for 95 percent of experimental research tasks they will encounter in the field. Prerequisite: any introductory statistics course that covers regression at any level of detail.
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm
PLSC 518a, 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.
T 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 520b, Advanced Models of Political Economy Ian Turner
This is a second course in Ph.D.-level game theory. The course builds on skills developed in PLSC 518 and focuses on the transition from consumers to producers of theoretical models. Possible topics to be covered include comparative statics, dynamic games, mechanism design, global games, and models of information transmission and persuasion. The course consists of learning new technical skills as well as in-depth study of substantive applications in political economy. Prerequisite: PLSC 518.
T 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 524a, YData: Data Science for Political Campaigns Joshua Kalla
Political campaigns have become increasingly data driven. Data science is used to inform where campaigns compete, which messages they use, how they deliver them, and among which voters. In this course, we explore how data science is being used to design winning campaigns. Students gain an understanding of what data is available to campaigns, how campaigns use this data to identify supporters, and the use of experiments in campaigns. The course provides students with an introduction to political campaigns, an introduction to data science tools necessary for studying politics, and opportunities to practice the data science skills presented in S&DS 523. Can be taken concurrently with, or after successful completion of, S&DS 523.
W 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 527a, From Concept to Measure: Empirical Inquiry in Social Science Sarah Khan
This course focuses on a specific aspect of the research design process: the operationalization of abstract into concrete measures that can be used for analysis and inference. The task of operationalization is common to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research, and this course draws on lessons from varied approaches. Readings are divided equally between (1) foundational theoretical texts dealing with broad concepts of interest to social scientists with an interest in politics (including but not limited to identity, norms, preferences, responsiveness, and accountability) and (2) recent approaches to measuring these concepts in the fields of political science, psychology, sociology, and economics. Key assignments include a paper critiquing the measurement strategy and developing an alternative measure in response to an existing study, and an original research proposal. There is flexibility to devote time to concepts and measurement strategies that are of particular relevance to enrolled students’ dissertations/thesis projects, if not already included on the syllabus.
M 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 530a / S&DS 530a, Data Exploration and Analysis Ethan Meyers
Survey of statistical methods: plots, transformations, regression, analysis of variance, clustering, principal components, contingency tables, and time series analysis. The R computing language and web data sources are used.
HTBA
PLSC 536a, Applied Quantitative Research Design Shiro Kuriwaki
Research designs are strategies to obtain empirical answers to theoretical questions. Research designs using quantitative data for social science questions are more important than ever. This class, intended for advanced students interested in social science research, trains students with best practices for implementing rigorous quantitative research. We cover techniques in causal inference, prediction, and missing data, such as fixed effects, time series, instrumental variables, survey weighting, and shrinkage. This is a hands-on, application-oriented class. Exercises involve programming and statistics used in exemplary articles in quantitative social science. The final project advances a research question chosen in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: Any statistics or data science course that teaches ordinary least squares regression and p-values, such as DS&S 230. Some past or concurrent experience with a programming language such as R is also presumed. Ph.D. students in political science can join without prerequisite.
MW 4pm-5:15pm
PLSC 540a and PLSC 541b, Research and Writing Ana De La O and Christina Kinane
This is a required course for all second-year students. It meets for the first six weeks of the fall term and the first six weeks of the spring term. The fall meetings are devoted to discussion of research design as well as individual student projects. The spring meetings are devoted to discussion of drafts of student papers. The work of the spring-term seminar includes criticism of the organization, arguments, data evaluation, and writing in each student’s paper by the instructors and the other students. Using this criticism, and under the supervision of the instructors, each student conducts additional research, if necessary, rewrites the paper as required, and prepares a final paper representing the best work of which the student is capable. Students must submit a one-page outline of the proposed project for the first fall-term meeting and a complete draft of the paper at the first meeting in the spring.
W 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 546b, Prospectus Writing Workshop Julia Istomina
A non-credit workshop for third-year Ph.D. students in the Political Science department, in which they develop, revise, and present their prospectus. 0 Course cr
F 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 562b, The English-Speaking Enlightenment Steven Smith and Anthony Kronman
Beginning in the first half of the seventeenth century, and lasting until the latter part of the eighteenth, the Enlightenment brought a sweeping reassessment of age-old beliefs about morality, religion, politics and the ends of human life. But the Enlightenment was not a single event. There were different streams of thought within it. The assumptions and implications of these different Enlightenments were at points quite distinct, even conflicting. In this seminar, we examine one of these Enlightenments—the one centered in eighteenth century London and Edinburgh—through a close reading of selected works by four of its leading figures: David Hume, Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and Edward Gibbon. The goals of the seminar are to identify points of difference and commonality among these four writers, to explore the contours of the English-speaking Enlightenment as a distinctive intellectual tradition, and to examine its relevance today. Limited enrollment. A paper is required.
W 1:10pm-3pm
PLSC 571a, Designing and Reforming Democracy Ian Shapiro and David Froomkin
What is the best electoral system? Should countries try to limit the number of political parties? Should chief executives be independently elected? Should legislatures have powerful upper chambers? Should courts have the power to strike down democratically enacted laws? These and related questions are taken up in this course. Throughout the term, we engage in an ongoing dialogue with the Federalist Papers, contrasting the Madisonian constitutional vision with subsequent insights from democratic theory and empirical political science across the democratic world. Where existing practices deviate from what would be best, we also attend to the costs of these sub-optimal systems and types of reforms that would improve them.
W 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 578a, What is the University? Mordechai Levy-Eichel
The University is one of the most influential—and underexamined—kinds of corporations in the modern world. It is responsible both for mass higher education and for elite training. It aims to produce and disseminate knowledge, and to prepare graduates for work in all different kinds of fields. It functions both as a symbol and repository of learning, if not ideally wisdom, and functions as one of the most important sites of networking, patronage, and socialization today. It is, in short, one of the most alluring and abused institutions in our culture today, often idolized as a savior or a scapegoat. And while the first universities were not founded in the service of research, today’s most prestigious schools claim to be centrally dedicated to it. But what is research? Where does our notion of research and the supposed ability to routinely produce it come from? This seminar is a high-level historical and structural examination of the rise of the research university. We cover both the origins and the modern practices of the university, from the late medieval world to the modern day, with an eye toward critically examining the development of the customs, practices, culture, and work around us, and with a strong comparative perspective. Topics include: tenure, endowments, the committee system, the growth of degrees, the aims of research, peer-review, the nature of disciplinary divisions, as well as a host of other issues.
Th 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 579a, Rousseau's Emile Bryan Garsten
A close reading of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s masterpiece, Emile. Though the book poses as a guide to education, it has much grander aspirations; it offers a whole vision of the human condition. Rousseau called it his “best and worthiest work” and said he believed it would spark a revolution in the way that human beings understand themselves. Many historians of thought believe that the book has done just that, and that we live in the world it helped to create—a claim we consider and evaluate. Presented as a private tutor’s account of how he would arrange the education of a boy named Emile from infancy through young adulthood, the book raises fundamental questions about human nature and malleability; how we learn to be free; whether we can view ourselves scientifically and still maintain a belief in free will; whether we are in need of some sort of religious faith to act morally; how adults and children, and men and women, ought to relate to one another; how the demands of social life and citizenship affect our happiness—and more. Ultimately the question at issue is whether human beings can find a way to live happily and flourish in modern societies.
Th 12pm-1:30pm
PLSC 601a / CPLT 610a / GMAN 701a / SOCY 701a, Theories of Freedom: Schelling and Hegel Paul North
In 1764 Immanuel Kant noted in the margin of one of his published books that evil was “the subjection of one being under the will of another,” a sign that good was coming to mean freedom. But what is freedom? Starting with early reference to Kant, we study two major texts on freedom in post-Kantian German Idealism, Schelling's 1809 Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom and Related Objects and Hegel's 1820 Elements of the Philosophy of Right.
M 3:30pm-6:30pm
PLSC 611b / PHIL 657b, 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.
Th 7pm-8:50pm
PLSC 638b, Political Philosophy in a Time of Crisis: Strauss, Berlin, Oakeshott, and Aron Steven Smith
This course examines four giants of twentieth-century political philosophy—Leo Strauss, Isaiah Berlin, Michael Oakeshott, and Raymond Aron—who all wrote under the shadow of totalitarianism. The themes of the course include (but are not limited to) the sources of contemporary anti-liberalism, the revival of political philosophy in an age of positivism, the case for value pluralism, and the role of liberal education in a free society.
HTBA
PLSC 673a, International Conflict Michael-David Mangini
Why do states pay the costs of war when they could resolve their differences by negotiation? When do states choose war over sanctions? What types of economic relations make conflict less likely? This course is an overview of international conflict for advanced undergraduate students and early graduate students. Topics include the causes of war, understanding alliances, colonialism, state formation, and the political economy of conflict.
Th 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 677a, New Challenges for International Cooperation: Automation and Climate Change Carlos Balcazar
International Political Economy (IPE) scholars largely focus on invesgating how can countries achieve and sustain international cooperation. This is of utmost importance because international cooperation generates lower transaction costs, which can increase global well-being, and because it creates conditions that tie the hands of political actors to participate in violent conflict. While international cooperation has faced many challenges since World War II, two new challenges have currently become center-focus for IPE scholars: the domestic and international political consequences of automation and the impending societal consequences of climate change. This course tackles these two relevant issues in world politics. Overall, the course takes a hands-on approach: We closely interrogate the arguments and evidence presented in the readings, prioritizing depth of analysis over quantity of articles covered. Then, on the basis of this these inputs, our goal is to propose and test (new) theories that help us understand the implications that automation and climate change pose for world politics. The course has two parts: In the first part, we cover numerous puzzles in the study of the International Political Economy of technological change. In particular, we try to understand its redistributive consequences and the implications that automation has had for sustaining the commitment in Embedded Liberalism. We also inquire about the need for an approach of tackling the political consequences of automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) through global governance. In the second part, we address the multiple threats that climate change poses for social and political stability. Most importantly, we explore how can we create domestic coalitions in support of climate policy and how societies can achieve international cooperation regarding climate change despite its diffuse impacts. Prerequisites: Notions of quantitative analysis and (or) game theory are strongly recommended but not required.
M 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 695b, International Security Matthew Fuhrmann
This course covers the main theories and problems in international security, including the causes of war; the security dilemma; military effectiveness; coercion and crisis bargaining; nuclear proliferation. 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 master’s students in Global Affairs and Ph.D. students in Political Science.
W 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 698b, 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 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 714b, Corruption, Accountable Government, and Democracy Susan Rose-Ackerman
A seminar on the link between corruption, government accountability, and democratic institutions. The seminar draws on research from law, economics, and political science with a comparative focus. Term paper or self-scheduled, take-home examination. Prerequisite: Students interested in the seminar should submit a paragraph to the instructor summarizing their background and expressing interest.
HTBA
PLSC 721b / ECON 548b, 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.
W 1pm-3:30pm
PLSC 734a / SOCY 560a, Comparative Research Workshop Philip Gorski
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 11:50am-1:20pm
PLSC 746b, The Economics and Politics of Migration Emily Sellars
This course provides an introduction to contemporary social science research on immigration and emigration. Key questions we examine include: (1) Why do people migrate (or not)? Who migrates and why? Where do people migrate? (2) What are the consequences of migration for migrants and for the broader economy/society? for politics? (3) What is the relationship between migration and conflict? (4) How do different types of migration (for example, female vs. male migration, high-skill vs. low-skill migration, refugee flows vs. “economic” migrants, internal vs. international migrants, etc.) differ and how do those differences matter for public policy? (5) What are some of the methodological challenges associated with measuring and studying migration? (6) What are some of the political challenges associated with creating migration policies? Throughout, we review important methods and theories for the social-scientific study of migration. We also read new work on the research frontier of this topic, drawing on examples from both developed and developing countries across the world. Students have the opportunity to develop their own research projects on the politics and economics of migration.
HTBA
PLSC 756a, The European Union David Cameron
Origins and development of the European Community and Union over the past fifty years; ways in which the often-conflicting ambitions of its member states have shaped the EU; relations between member states and the EU's supranational institutions and politics; and economic, political, and geopolitical challenges.
Th 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 761b, Democracy, Dictatorship, and Regime Change Milan Svolik
Examines key topics, major contributions, and recent advances in the study of democratization, authoritarian politics, and regime change.
T 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 777a, Comparative Politics I: Research Design Katharine Baldwin
This course is part of a two-term course series designed to introduce students to the study of comparative politics. This half of the sequence focuses on issues related to research design and methodology in comparative politics. Although there are a handful of weeks devoted entirely to methodological debates, most of our weekly discussions are focused around one book as an exemplar of a particularly interesting or important research design. The course is helpful for students who plan to take the comparative politics field exam.
W 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 778b, Comparative Politics II 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 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 779a / ANTH 541a / ENV 836a / HIST 965a / SOCY 617a, Agrarian Societies: Culture, Society, History, and Development Jonathan Wyrtzen and Marcela Echeverri Munoz
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-3:20pm
PLSC 780a, Law and Society in Comparative Perspective Egor Lazarev
This advanced seminar is about the functions of law across historical, political, and cultural contexts. We discuss what is law, why people obey the law, and how societies govern themselves in the absence of strong state legal institutions. The class explores the relationship between law and colonialism as well as the functioning of law under authoritarianism and democracy, and in conflict-ridden societies.
W 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 783a, 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.
T 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 798a / AFST 567a, Bureaucracy in Africa: Revolution, Genocide, and Apartheid Jonny Steinberg
A study of three major episodes in modern African history characterized by ambitious projects of bureaucratically driven change—apartheid and its aftermath, Rwanda’s genocide and post-genocide reconstruction, and Ethiopia’s revolution and its long aftermath. Examination of Weber’s theory bureaucracy, Scott’s thesis on high modernism, Bierschenk’s attempts to place African states in global bureaucratic history. Overarching theme is the place of bureaucratic ambitions and capacities in shaping African trajectories.
W 1:30pm-3:20pm
PLSC 800a, Introduction to American Politics Gregory Huber
An introduction to the analysis of U.S. politics. Approaches given consideration include institutional design and innovation, social capital and civil society, the state, attitudes, ideology, econometrics of elections, rational actors, formal theories of institutions, and transatlantic comparisons. Assigned authors include R. Putnam, T. Skocpol, J. Gerring, J. Zaller, D.R. Kiewiet, L. Bartels, D. Mayhew, K. Poole & H. Rosenthal, G. Cox & M. McCubbins, K. Krehbiel, E. Schickler, and A. Alesina. Students are expected to read and discuss each week’s assignment and, for each of five weeks, to write a three- to five-page analytic paper that deals with a subject addressed or suggested by the reading.
F 9:25am-11:15am
PLSC 803b, American Politics III: Institutions Staff
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. Topics include alternatives to institutions, agenda-setting models, influences on bureaucratic decisions, the size of government and state building, congressional organization, the presidency, policy feedback and path dependence, and interest groups. Course work includes reading and writing assignments.
W 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 810a, 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.
W 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 820b, Rise of Presidentialism in the United States Stephen Skowronek
This course is about the rise and makeshift character of “presidentialism” in the United States. It examines different sources of power that have, singly and in combination, put the presidency at the center of government and politics. These include: (1) popular power: in elections, public opinion, parties, and social movements; and (2) institutional power: in control of the executive branch, military command, and war making. Readings delve into cases in which each of these sources of power figured prominently. In every particular, the seminar considers the strains that this power has put on the constitutional frame.
W 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 837b, Gender Politics Andrea Aldrich
Exploration of theoretical and empirical work in political science to study the relationship between gender and politics in the United States and around the world. Topics include women’s representation in legislative and executive branch politics in democratic regimes; the impact of gender stereotypes on elections and public opinion; conditions that impact the supply and demand of candidates across genders; and the underrepresentation of women in political institutions.
HTBA
PLSC 839a, 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-3:20pm
PLSC 841b / EP&E 336b / PLSC 258b, Democracy and Bureaucracy Ian Turner
Exploration of what government agencies do and why; focus on issues of accountability and the role of bureaucracy in representative democracy. Understanding how bureaucracy works internally and how it is affected by interactions with other political actors and institutions.
HTBA
PLSC 842a, The Constitution: History, Philosophy, and Law Bruce Ackerman
What are the roots of America’s current constitutional crisis? If our system of checks and balances manages to survive, is there a need for fundamental reform? Or will only modest adjustments suffice? In either case, which reforms deserve the highest priority? In this course we consider prospects for future reform in the light of the efforts made by previous generations of Americans—from the Founding through the Reagan Revolution—to confront the constitutional crises of their own times, and how their successes and failures shaped today’s predicaments. Some students may, after consulting with the instructor, wish to write a paper that will serve as the basis of further work during the fall term that will merit publication. I am happy to serve as a supervisor for further work during the fall term to encourage students to write an essay worthy of publication and thereby contribute to the ongoing debate over the direction of the reform effort. Self-scheduled examination or paper option.
MT 4:10pm-6pm
PLSC 868b / AMST 724b / WGSS 724b, Gender and Sexuality in American Politics and Policy Dara Strolovitch
This seminar familiarizes students with foundational work on and approaches to the study of gender and sexuality in American politics and public policy. It explores empirical work that addresses these topics, a range of theoretical and epistemological approaches to them, and the social scientific methods that have been used to examine them. It explores the history, findings, and controversies in research about gender and sexuality in American politics and political science, examining work within several subfields of American politics (e.g., political development; public law; political behavior; legislative studies; public policy; interest groups and social movements), important work from other disciplines, and research that does not fit neatly into traditional disciplinary categories, paying particular attention to the implications of this “messiness” for the study of gender, sexuality, and politics. We are attentive to the complicated histories of science and social science when it comes to the study of gender and sexuality and to the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with other politically relevant categories, identities, and forms of marginalization, such as race, ethnicity, class, and ideological and partisan identification.
M 3:30pm-5:20pm
PLSC 930a and PLSC 931b, 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.
W 12pm-1:15pm
PLSC 932a and PLSC 933b, Comparative Politics Workshop Katharine Baldwin, Egor Lazarev, and Jennifer Gandhi
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.
T 11:45am-1:20pm
PLSC 934a and PLSC 935b, 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.
W 4:15pm-6pm
PLSC 938a and PLSC 939b, Leitner Political Economy Seminar Series Adam Meirowitz
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.
Th 11:45am-1:20pm
PLSC 940a and PLSC 941b, International Relations Workshop Alex Debs and Didac Queralt
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.
W 12pm-1:20pm
PLSC 990a or b, Directed Reading Staff
By arrangement with individual faculty.
HTBA