This roster lists graduate-level courses in the Department of Political Science, with prerequisites and brief descriptions, and units of credit shown within parentheses.

• POL 201 - 215

• POL 201. Urban Government and Politics (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Survey and analysis of the literature in the field of local government and politics in the United States. Approaches to the study of political reform, local autonomy, community power, representation, expertise, service delivery, policymaking and political change. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 202. American State Government and Politics (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Survey and analysis of the literature in the field of state government, politics and policy. Approaches to the study of the American states as political systems, including their governing institutions and processes and their role in the Federal system. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 203A. American Government: The Presidency (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Thorough overview of the current research on political executives, with particular emphasis on the American presidency. Two principal goals: the development of important and innovative student research programs; and adequate preparation for qualifying examinations.

  POL 203B. American Government: Congress (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Thorough overview of the current research on Congress, with particular emphasis on political representation. Two principal goals: the development of important and innovative student research programs; and adequate preparation for qualifying examinations.

  POL 203C. American Government: Courts (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Survey and analysis of the literature in the field of American government with a focus on courts. Emphasis on the development and testing of theories of behavior and processes.

  POL 207. Environmental Public Policy (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Analysis of the interface between the world of academic reflection about ecological and environmental problems and the world of political action. Evaluation of alternative approaches to policy analysis and recommendation. Individual research, including field research, will parallel discussion of the literature.

  POL 208. Policy Analysis (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Social science techniques applied to public policy formation and evaluation.

  POL 209. The American Political System (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Analysis of selected theoretical and empirical issues posed by contemporary research in American government and politics.

  POL 210. Research Design in Political Science (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; discussion/laboratory—1 hour. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
  Introduction to philosophy of science and research design for political science. Topics include: logic of empirical research; overview of research design approaches for political science research.

  POL 211. Research Methods in Political Science (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing. Pass 1 open to graduate majors; pass 2 open to graduate students.
  Introductory seminar introducing data analysis methods critical to basic empirical investigations in political science.

  POL 212. Quantitative Analysis in Political Science (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 211. Pass 1 open to graduate majors; pass 2 open to graduate students.
  Introductory statistics course with an emphasis on applications in political science. Topics include descriptive statistics for samples, probability and probability distributions, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, bivariate regression, and introduction to multiple regression.

  POL 213. Quantitative Analysis in Political Science II (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: courses 211, 212. Pass 1 open to graduate majors; pass 2 open to graduate students.
  More advanced topics in the use of statistical methods, with emphasis on political applications. Topics include: properties of least squares estimates, problems in multiple regression, and advanced topics (probit analysis, simultaneous models, time-series analysis, etc.).

  POL 214A. Research in Political Science (4)

  Discussion—2 hours; lecture—1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: course 213.
  Research seminar sequence required of all Ph.D. students. Design, execution and defense of an original piece of research in political science, culminating in a paper of publishable quality. (Deferred grading only, pending completion of sequence.)

  POL 214B. Research in Political Science (4)

  Discussion—2 hours; lecture—1 hour; term paper. Prerequisites: courses 212 and 214A; advanced level graduate students in the Department of Political Science only. Research seminar sequence required of all Ph.D. students.
  Design, execution and defense of an original piece of research in political science, culminating in a paper of publishable quality. (Deferred grading only, pending completion of sequence.)

  POL 215. Introduction to Modeling Political Behavior (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: courses 211, 212. Pass 1 open to graduate majors; pass 2 open to graduate students.
  Introduction to formal and game theoretic analyses of politics. Students will learn basic game theory and modeling skills. We examine the benefits of modeling, and look at examples of formal analysis in a variety of political science subfields.

• POL 216 - 231

• POL 216. Qualitative Research Methods (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Methodology for utilizing theoretically-oriented case studies and controlled comparison of a small number of cases to develop and test theories. Examination of how the case study method compliments experimental, statistical and deductive modes of research. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 217. Social Choice Theory and Spatial Modeling (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Introduction to social choice theory and formal spatial modeling, including Arrow’s Theorem, the paradox of voting, cycling and agenda control. Focus on mastering modeling techniques as well as interpretation of classic works. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 218. Topics in Political Theory (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Topics vary and may be the work of a single theorist, time period, or political concept, such as justice. May be repeated three times for credit when topic differs.

  POL 219A. Political Theory Sequence (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Survey of the great works in ancient and medieval political theory, including writers such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, Aquinas, Alfarabi and Marsilius. Discussion of various interpretations of these authors. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 219B. Political Theory Sequence (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Survey of the great works in early modern to contemporary political theory including writers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche and Rawls. Discussion of various interpretations of these authors. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 219C. Contemporary Political Theory (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Survey of important works in contemporary political theory including writers such as Nietzsche, Heidegger, Arendt, Rawls, Nozick, Sandel. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.

  POL 220. Seminar in Political Theory (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
  Introduction to political theory and current debates over its study. Readings from and textual interpretations of political theory including the Federalist Papers and major works by thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Rawls. Other readings addressing issues of textual interpretation.

  POL 223. International Relations (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.

  POL 225. The International System (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Analysis of the international system by means of theory formulation and integration; critique of research designs; use of various techniques of data generation and analysis.

  POL 226. Seminar in International Political Economy (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students.
  Research in international political economy. Structure of the global economy, as well as specific dimensions of international economic relations, including trade, capital flows, global production structures and migration. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 229. Theories of International Relations (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Central concepts, debates and paradigms in international relations; overview of research in international security and international political economy; interstate and intrastate war; cooperation and conflict resolution; trade and finance; relationship between domestic and international politics, norms and institutions. Open to political science graduate students only unless instructor has given consent. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 230. American Foreign Policy (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.

  POL 231. U.S. Political Culture and Foreign Relations (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Relates U.S. political culture to formulation of foreign policy. Analyzes American ideological preferences in historical perspective, contemporary public opinion, decision making and implementation. Concludes by examining linkages between foreign policy behavior and democratic process. Offered in alternate years.

• POL 241 - 284

• POL 241. Communist Political Systems (4)

  Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: course 141 or the equivalent, or consent of instructor.
  Systematic analysis of selected topics dealing with the political process of communist political systems.

  POL 242. Seminar in Comparative Politics (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
  Systematic survey of theories and methods used in the study of comparative politics.

  POL 243. Comparative Institutional Change (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students.
  Comparison of institutional changes in countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the period of transition to democracy. Special attention to institutions of mass representation—electoral and party systems and national legislatures. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 246. Policymaking in Third-World Societies (4)

  Seminar—3 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
  Included in an analysis of policymaking process in Third-World countries are topics such as political resources, institutional resources, decision making, resource allocations, planning, and budgeting, implementation and distribution of world resources. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 250. Policy Development and Impact in U.S. Courts (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
  Thorough overview of the literature regarding courts as policymaking institutions of government, with emphasis on the formation and implementation of judicial policy. Differences and similarities across the judicial, congressional and executive branch policy processes. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 260. Political Parties (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Survey of selected topics in American and comparative parties.

  POL 261. Political Behavior (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper.
  Survey of selected topics in political behavior and public opinion. May be repeated three times for credit when topic differs.

  POL 274. Political Economy (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students.
  Politics of economic policy as reflected in taxation, spending and regulation; impact of prices, employment and growth on political demands; government responses to economic conditions; electoral politics and the political business cycle. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 279. Political Networks: Methods and Applications (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
  Structure of political networks, socio-matrices and affiliation networks; general networks characteristics: density, centralization, polarization, interdependence, dyadic and triadic characteristics: structural and role equivalence; subsets of networks: cliques, blocks and bloc modeling; characteristics of individuals in networks: centrality and prestige.

  POL 280. Bayesian Methods: for Social and Behavioral Sciences (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 212 or equivalent. Pass 1 open to graduate majors only; pass 2 open to graduate students.
  Methodology seminar introducing Bayesian quantitative methods to issues and problems in political science and other social and behavioral sciences. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 281. Statistical Computing Issues in Political Science (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; discussion/laboratory—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 213 or equivalent; graduate standing.
  Methodology seminar introducing computing issues in empirical models for political science and other social and behavioral sciences. Offered in alternate years.

  POL 282. Advanced Modeling of Political Behavior (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 215 or equivalent; graduate standing or consent of instructor.
  Applications of formal theory to political science. Review of relevant contributions in other social sciences. Consideration of advanced techniques in game theory. Rational and behavioral approaches.

  POL 283. Organizational Behavior (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Organizational behavior as it relates to public sector decision making.

  POL 284. Advanced Network Analysis (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 211, 212, 279.
  Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMS) of networks, game theoretic models of network formation and network dynamics, diffusion processes, shocks and network collapse, percolation, cross-network spillover processes, social and political applications of advanced network models. Offered in alternate years.

• POL 290 - 396

• POL 290A. Research in American Government and Public Policy (4)

  Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students.
  Special research seminar on problems and issues in the study of American government and public policy. May be repeated up to six times for credit if topic differs.

  POL 290B. Research in Political Theory (4)

  Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Special research seminar on problems and issues in the study of political theory. May be repeated six times for credit if topic varies.

  POL 290C. Research in International Relations (4)

  Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Special research seminar on select problems and issues in the study of international relations. May be repeated six times for credit if topic varies.

  POL 290D. Research in Judicial Politics (4)

  Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing in political science or consent of instructor.
  Contemporary research on judicial politics, judicial institutions, jurisprudence and judicial behavior.

  POL 290E. Research in Political Parties, Politics and Political Behavior (4)

  Seminar—4 hours.
  Special research seminar on selected problems and issues in the study of political parties, politics and political behavior.

  POL 290F. Research in Comparative Government and Policy (4)

  Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate students only.
  Special research seminar on select problems and issues in the study of comparative government and policy. May be repeated six times for credit if topic varies.

  POL 290G. Research in Methodology (4)

  Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 212.
  Special research seminar on selected problems and issues in methods in political science. May be repeated three times for credit if topic varies.

  POL 297. Internships in Political Science (2)

  Seminar—2 hours. Prerequisite: open only to persons who have internships or other positions in governmental agencies, political parties, etc.
  Application and evaluation of theoretical concepts through work experience or systematic observation in public and political agencies. May be repeated for credit. (S/U grading only.)

  POL 298. Group Study (1–5)

  (S/U grading only.)

  POL 299. Research (1–12)

  (S/U grading only.)

  POL 299D. Directed Reading (1–12)

  (S/U grading only.)

• Professional

• POL 390. The Teaching of Political Science (1)

  Seminar—1 hour. Prerequisite: graduate student standing in Political Science.
  Methods and problems of teaching political science at the undergraduate level. (S/U grading only.)

  POL 396. Teaching Assistant Training Practicum (1-4)

  Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit. (S/U grading only.)