* EP&E 3214a, Classics of Ethics, Politics and Economics  Kevin Elliott

This course is designed to explore the moral and theoretical foundations, critiques, and open questions surrounding the social organization of production and governance in modern societies. A key aim of this class is to better understand the moral and philosophical background of market-based distribution, criticisms of it, and how thinkers have tried to make sense of it.  HU, SO
W 9:25am-11:15am

* EP&E 3217a, Classics of EP&E–Intellectual Origins of Liberalism and Conservatism  Gregory Collins

The purpose of this course is to explore the intellectual origins of liberalism and conservatism through an EP&E framework. We discuss the tensions between collective wisdom and individual reason in the early modern period and survey the thought of thinkers in the proto-liberal and proto-conservative traditions, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke on sovereignty, individual autonomy, reason, and toleration; and Robert Filmer, Richard Hooker, and David Hume on order, custom, and utility. Our main object of inquiry, however, is the intellectual division that emerged between supporters and critics of the French Revolution, the historical event that prompted the modern political identities of liberalism and conservatism. Accordingly, we examine the political, moral, and economic theories of the Revolution; reactions to the Revolution from Edmund Burke, Joseph de Maistre, and other counterrevolutionaries; critical responses to their reactions, including those from Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, and James Mackintosh; and the impact of this debate on the evolution of liberalism and conservatism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Europe and the United States. Class discussions and readings confront liberal and conservative perspectives on human nature; reason; freedom; tradition; individual rights; religion; the Enlightenment; market economies; democratic participation; and equality. 
   SO
Th 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4224a / ECON 4465a / GLBL 4830a, Debating Globalization  Ernesto Zedillo

Facets of contemporary economic globalization, including trade, investment, and migration. Challenges and threats of globalization: inclusion and inequality, emerging global players, global governance, climate change, and nuclear weapons proliferation. Prerequisite: background in international economics and data analysis. Preference to seniors majoring in Economics or EP&E.  SO  RP
M 9:25am-11:15am

* EP&E 4234a / PHIL 3314a, Contemporary Moral and Social Controversies: Freedom, Autonomy, Well-Being  Max Lewis

We are living in a time of moral turmoil. Not only have legal rights we took for granted been overturned (e.g., the right to abortion), but we seem more polarized than ever. In this course, we take a careful and sober look at some of the moral and social controversies that constitute this state of turmoil and polarization. At the heart of the course are debates concerning conflicts between the following rights and values that people in liberal democracies see as sacrosanct, e.g., autonomy (e.g., bodily autonomy), freedom (e.g., free speech and freedom of association), harm prevention, the right to life, and well being. We start by exploring the fundamental theories in morality (e.g., Consequentialism, Deontology, and Rights Theory) and well-being (e.g., Hedonism, Desire-satisfaction, and Objective List views). We then use these theories to critically analyze particular moral and social controversies. In particular, we explore how these theories answer the following questions, “Is abortion morally permissible?”, “Is euthanasia morally wrong?”, “Should there be limits on free speech? If so, when?”, “Should there be limits on what can be bought and sold?”, “Can the state be justified in interfering with who gets to parent children?”, “How open should state borders be?”, “What do we owe the global poor?”  SO
Th 9:25am-11:15am

* EP&E 4235b / PHIL 4457b / PLSC 3346b, Recent Work on Justice  Thomas Pogge

In-depth study of one contemporary book, author, or debate in political philosophy, political theory, or normative economics. Focus varies from year to year based on student interest and may include a ground-breaking new book, the life's work of a prominent author, or an important theme in contemporary political thought.  HU
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4246a / PLSC 3339a, Participatory Democracy  Amir Fairdosi

What does democracy look like without elections? In this class, we discuss the theory and practice of “participatory” forms of democracy (i.e. those that allow and encourage citizens to influence policy directly, rather than indirectly through elected representatives).  SO
T 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4250a / PLSC 3462a, 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.  SO
Th 3:30pm-5:20pm

* EP&E 4255a / PHIL 3208a, Morality and Relationships  Max Lewis

This course explores the nuances of two kinds of relationships: interpersonal relationships and normative relationships. The course starts with foundational work in relational ethics which connects ethics with moral accountability, e.g., moral demands, claims, blame, apology, forgiveness, etc. With a grasp of these views in place, we turn toward the morality of interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships are a central part of our lives. As social creatures, they are essential for our well-being and the meaningfulness of our lives. But they raise important moral questions. For example, do we have special obligations to our friends, family, or co-national? Are we epistemically permitted to ignore evidence if it indicates that our friend or family has done something wrong? Is there a conflict between what morality requires and what is required for being a good friend or family member? What’s wrong or bad about being friends with an immoral person? We also explore psychological and moral aspects of these relationships, e.g., what does loving a person consist of? What reasons do we have to love others? Do we owe our loved ones debts of gratitude?  SO
M 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4256b / ANTH 3807b, Reparation, Repair, Reconciliation: Reckoning with Slavery and Colonialism in Global Perspective  Yukiko Koga

Imperial reckoning for slavery, imperialism, and colonialism has gained new momentum in recent years, from official apologies for colonial violence to reparations lawsuits filed in Asia, Europe, and the US for slavery, genocide, and massacres, to demands for the return of bodily remains and cultural artifacts from established cultural institutions. This seminar explores how these new attempts for belated imperial reckoning are reshaping relations between former empires and their ex-colonies. It approaches imperial reckoning as a site for redressing not only the original violence but also the transitional injustice incurred in the process of the unmaking of empire, which calls for post-imperial reckoning. Drawing on examples from recent cases, this course explores what it means to belatedly reckon with imperial violence today. What does it mean to reckon with imperial violence through legal means, decades after the dissolution of empires? What is the role of law in belated redress? How is historical responsibility articulated and by whom? Who is responsible for what, then and now? What are the stakes in reckoning with distant, yet still alive, pasts? Why and how does it matter today for those of us who have no direct experience of imperial violence? This course approaches these questions through an anthropological exploration of concepts such as debt, gift, moral economy, structural violence, complicity and implication, and abandonment. Prerequisites: Instructor permission required.  HU, SO
T 9:25am-11:15am

* EP&E 4259a / ECON 4460a, From Say's Law to the Global Financial Crisis: Thinking about Economic Fluctuations and Instability  Robert Dimand

This course investigates the changing ways in which economic fluctuations and financial and economic instability have been analyzed in the two centuries from the debates at the end of the Napoleonic Wars over Say’s Law of Markets and the possibility of a general glut of commodities through to the Global Financial Crisis and the present state of macroeconomics. Prerequisite: Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON 2122 or ECON 2126) or permission of the instructor.  SO
T 3:30pm-5:20pm

* EP&E 4264a, Inequality and Polarization in America  Gregory Collins

This seminar examines how the profound economic and social inequality in the United States interacts with our polarized political environment, and how these forces ultimately shape democratic processes and government policy. Throughout, we analyze the interplay of economic incentives and realities with political behavior and institutions. We pay special attention not just to what we know, but also to how we know it, highlighting contemporary empirical research from political science and economics. Substantively, we cover a constellation of topics at the intersection of these two fields: the relationship of income inequality and wealth concentration to campaign finance, the role of education polarization in determining who runs for office, the legacy of slavery and its relationship to identity politics, and the links between racial, economic, and political segregation across neighborhoods. Other topics include social media and internet news–which receive much of the blame for polarization in the press–the (in)effectiveness of campaign advertising, the determinants of voter turnout, the impact of social movements, and the shifting alliances among business, labor, and the major political parties.  Previous courses in econometrics, statistics, and causal inference are suggested.
T 9:25am-11:15am

EP&E 4295a / EP&E 295 / PLSC 2600a, Game Theory and Political Science  Staff

Introduction to game theory—a method by which strategic interactions among individuals and groups in society are mathematically modeled—and its applications to political science. Concepts employed by game theorists, such as Nash equilibrium, subgame perfect equilibrium, and perfect Bayesian equilibrium. Problems of cooperation, time-consistency, signaling, and reputation formation. Political applications include candidate competition, policy making, political bargaining, and international conflict. No prerequisites other than high school algebra. Political Science majors who take this course may not count ECON 159 toward the major.  QR, SO  0 Course cr
HTBA

* EP&E 4306a / PLSC 3221a, First Amendment and Ethics of Law  Karen Goodrow

This course addresses the First Amendment and freedom of speech, focusing on the ethical implications of restrictions on free speech, as well as the exercise of free speech. Course topics and discussions include the “fighting words” doctrine, hate speech, true threats, content regulated speech, freedom of speech and the internet, and the so-called “right to be forgotten.” By the end of the course, students recognize the role free speech plays in society, including its negative and positive impacts on various segments of society. Students also have an understanding of the competing interests arising from the First Amendment’s right to free speech, and can analyze how these competing interests are weighed and measured in the United States as compared with other countries.  SO
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4328a / EP&E 328 / PLSC 2509a / S&DS 1720a, 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. This 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 123, YData.
   QR
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4334b / PHIL 4455b, Normative Ethics  Shelly Kagan

A systematic examination of normative ethics, the part of moral philosophy that attempts to articulate and defend the basic principles of morality. The course surveys and explores some of the main normative factors relevant in determining the moral status of a given act or policy (features that help make a given act right or wrong). Brief consideration of some of the main views about the foundations of normative ethics (the ultimate basis or ground for the various moral principles). Prerequisite: a course in moral philosophy.  HU
Th 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4350a / AFST 3385a / HIST 2391a / HIST 3344a / PLSC 3439a, Pandemics in Africa: From the Spanish Influenza to Covid-19  Jonny Steinberg

The overarching aim of the course is to understand the unfolding Covid-19 pandemic in Africa in the context of a century of pandemics, their political and administrative management, the responses of ordinary people, and the lasting changes they wrought. The first eight meetings examine some of the best social science-literature on 20th-century African pandemics before Covid-19. From the Spanish Influenza to cholera to AIDS, to the misdiagnosis of yaws as syphilis, and tuberculosis as hereditary, the social-science literature can be assembled to ask a host of vital questions in political theory: on the limits of coercion, on the connection between political power and scientific expertise, between pandemic disease and political legitimacy, and pervasively, across all modern African epidemics, between infection and the politics of race. The remaining four meetings look at Covid-19. We chronicle the evolving responses of policymakers, scholars, religious leaders, opposition figures, and, to the extent that we can, ordinary people. The idea is to assemble sufficient information to facilitate a real-time study of thinking and deciding in times of radical uncertainty and to examine, too, the consequences of decisions on the course of events. There are of course so many moving parts: health systems, international political economy, finance, policing, and more. We also bring guests into the classroom, among them frontline actors in the current pandemic as well as veterans of previous pandemics well placed to share provisional comparative thinking. This last dimension is especially emphasized: the current period, studied in the light of a century of epidemic disease, affording us the opportunity to see path dependencies and novelties, the old and the new.  SO
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4356a, Constitutional Law and Business Ethics  Gregory Collins

The purpose of this course is to explore how the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court case law have had an impact on business and commercial activities throughout U.S. history. We first identify provisions of the Constitution that relate to economics and familiarize ourselves with methods of constitutional interpretation, including originalism and living constitutionalism. We then apply this guiding framework to our analysis of key Supreme Court cases that have addressed the Commerce Clause, the Takings Clause, the First Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and a number of other constitutional provisions that relate to commercial exchange and the legal status of corporations. Additional concepts we discuss include the countermajoritarian difficulty, the rational basis test, strict scrutiny, substantive due process, fundamental rights, disparate impact, public accommodations law, antidiscrimination law, and antitrust law. The guiding question we confront is whether the courts should a.) defer to legislatures in regulating business actors; or b.) overturn democratically enacted laws to protect the economic liberties of individuals. 
T 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4390a / EVST 3212a / PLSC 3217a, Democracy and Sustainability  Michael Fotos

Democracy, liberty, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Concepts include institutional analysis, democratic consent, property rights, market failure, and common pool resources. Topics of policy substance are related to human use of the environment and to U.S. and global political institutions.  WR, SO
Th 9:25am-11:15am

* EP&E 4396a / AMST 4469a / PLSC 3238a, American Progressivism and Its Critics  Stephen Skowronek

The progressive reform tradition in American politics. The tradition's conceptual underpinnings, social supports, practical manifestations in policy and in new governmental arrangements, and conservative critics. Emphasis on the origins of progressivism in the early decades of the twentieth century, with attention to latter-day manifestations and to changes in the progressive impulse over time.  SO
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* EP&E 4399a / AMST 3365a / ER&M 3695a / FILM 2680, Platforms and Cultural Production  Julian Posada

Platforms—digital infrastructures that serve as intermediaries between end-users and complementors—have emerged in various cultural and economic settings, from social media (Instagram), and video streaming (YouTube), to digital labor (Uber), and e-commerce (Amazon). This seminar provides a multidisciplinary lens to study platforms as hybrids of firms and multi-sided markets with unique history, governance, and infrastructures. The thematic sessions of this course discuss how platforms have transformed cultural production and connectivity, labor, creativity, and democracy by focusing on comparative cases from the United States and abroad. The seminar provides a space for broader discussions on contemporary capitalism and cultural production around topics such as inequality, surveillance, decentralization, and ethics. Students are encouraged to bring examples and case studies from their personal experiences.   HU, SO
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* EP&E 4478b / PHIL 4450b, The Problem of Evil  Keith DeRose

The challenge that evil's existence in the world poses for belief in a perfectly good and omnipotent God. The main formulations of the problem of evil; proposed ways of solving or mitigating the problem and criticism of those solutions. Skeptical theism, the free-will defense, soul-making theodicies, and doctrines of hell.  HU
T 3:30pm-5:20pm

* EP&E 4490b / CGSC 4260b / PHIL 4426b / PSYC 4220b, The Cognitive Science of Morality  Joshua Knobe

Introduction to the emerging field of moral cognition. Focus on questions about the philosophical significance of psychological findings. Topics include the role of emotion in moral judgment; the significance of character traits in virtue ethics and personality psychology; the reliability of intuitions and the psychological processes that underlie them.  HU
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* EP&E 4491a, The Senior Essay  Gregory Collins

A one-term senior essay. The essay should fall within the student's area of concentration. If no appropriate seminar is offered in which the essay might be written, the student, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies, should choose an appropriate member of the faculty to supervise the senior essay. Students must obtain the signature of the faculty member supervising their independent work on an Independent Study Form (available from the Ethics, Politics, and Economics registrar's office). This form must be submitted to the director of undergraduate studies at the time the student's class schedule is submitted.
HTBA

* EP&E 4492a and EP&E 4493a, The Yearlong Senior Essay  Gregory Collins

A two-term senior essay. The essay should fall within the student's area of concentration. The student, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies, should choose an appropriate member of the faculty to supervise the senior essay. Students must obtain the signature of the faculty member supervising their independent work on an Independent Study Form (available from the Ethics, Politics, and Economics registrar's office). This form must be submitted to the director of undergraduate studies at the time the student's class schedule is submitted.
HTBA