2025-26 Edition

Department of Political Science

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Sara Goodman, Department Chair
5225 Social Science Plaza B
949-824-0642
http://www.polisci.uci.edu/

The Department of Political Science offers a wide variety of courses at the introductory, lower-division and more specialized upper-division levels. The curriculum is organized into four areas: American Politics, Political Theory, International Relations, and Comparative Politics. In addition to the traditional fields of political science, the department offers an introductory course in Law and in Racial and Ethnic Politics and a variety of upper-division courses where students can explore specialized courses in those areas. The department also offers an Honors Program in Political Science for juniors and seniors, culminating in a senior honors thesis.

The department is composed of a strong and diverse faculty especially interested in analyzing central questions of political science related to such topics as policy-making, political structures, participation, conflict, change and development, transition to democracy, voting theory, power and authority, and interstate relations. The faculty has particular strength in interdisciplinary approaches, in comparative analysis, in democratic theory, in racial and ethnic politics, and in gender and politics.

Program in Law and Graduate Studies (J.D./Ph.D.)

Highly qualified students interested in combining the study of law with graduate research and/or professional qualifications in political science are invited to undertake concurrent degree study under the auspices of UC Irvine’s Program in Law and Graduate Studies (PLGS). Students in this program pursue a coordinated curriculum leading to a J.D. degree from the School of Law in conjunction with a Ph.D. degree in political science. Additional information is available from the PLGS program director’s office, 949-824-4158, or by email to plgs@law.uci.edu. A full description of the program, with links to all relevant application information, can be found at the School of Law Concurrent Degree Programs website.

Faculty

Edwin Amenta, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Professor of Sociology; Political Science (political sociology, historical and comparative sociology, social movements, social policy)
Matthew N. Beckmann, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Professor of Political Science (presidency, congress, interest groups, mass media, and politics)
Graeme T. Boushey, Ph.D. University of Washington, Associate Professor of Political Science; Urban Planning and Public Policy (California politics and statewide elections, American politics, state and federal policy-making, ballot measures and the initiative process)
Daniel R. Brunstetter, Ph.D. University of California, Davis, Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of Political Science; European Languages and Studies (political theory, international relations, French political thought)
Alejandro E. Camacho, J.D., LL.M. Harvard University, Georgetown University, Professor of School of Law; Political Science
David O. Carter, J.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Lecturer of Political Science
Simone Chambers, Ph.D. Columbia University, Professor of Political Science; Logic and Philosophy of Science (democratic theory, ethics, secularism, rhetoric, civility, and the public sphere)
James N. Danziger, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Elizabeth Jordie Davies, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Assistant Professor of Political Science; Culture and Theory (Black politics and political thought, U.S. social movements, solidarity, Black feminism)
Louis DeSipio, Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, Professor of Chicano/Latino Studies; Political Science (ethnic politics, Latino politics, immigration, naturalization, U.S. electoral politics)
Peter H. Ditto, Ph.D. Princeton University, Professor of Psychology; Logic and Philosophy of Science; Political Science (social psychology, judgment and decision making, political and moral reasoning)
David L. Feldman, Ph.D. University of Missouri-Columbia, Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy; Political Science
Mark J. Fisher, M.D. University of Cincinnati, Professor of Neurology; Anatomy and Neurobiology; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Political Science
David John Frank, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor of Sociology; Education; Political Science (globalization, sexuality, the natural environment, higher education)
Howard A. Gillman, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Chancellor and Professor of Political Science; Criminology, Law and Society; School of Law
Sara Goodman, Ph.D. Georgetown University, Department Chair and Professor of Political Science; European Languages and Studies (citizenship policy, immigration, immigrant integration, ethnic diversity in democracies, diaspora)
Bernard N. Grofman, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Professor Emeritus of Political Science (public choice, mathematical models of collective decision making, formal democratic theory, politics of small groups, representation, voting rights)
Heidi Hardt, Ph.D. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Associate Professor of Political Science (international security, international organizations, NATO, European Union, African Union, crisis management, organizational learning)
Christopher Harris, Ph.D. The New School of Social Research, Assistant Professor of Global and International Studies; Culture and Theory; Political Science
Marek Kaminski, Ph.D. University of Maryland, College Park, Professor of Political Science; Economics (voting models, democratization, political consequences of electoral laws)
Pamela A. Kelley, J.D. Yale University, Lecturer of Political Science (civil rights law, constitutional law, gender discrimination, legal profession, leadership, ethics)
Claire J. Kim, Ph.D. Yale University, Professor of Asian American Studies; Political Science
Jeffrey Kopstein, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor of Political Science; Religious Studies (comparative politics, dictatorship and democracy, ethnic politics, political violence, post-communism)
Ines Levin, Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, Associate Professor of Political Science (elections, voting, statistics)
Erin Lockwood, Ph.D. Northwestern University, Assistant Professor of Political Science (financial derivatives, financial regulation, international political economy, political theory, risk and uncertainty)
Cecelia M. Lynch, Ph.D. Columbia University, Professor of Political Science; Religious Studies (international relations (theory, organization, law) religion and ethics, social movements and civil society actors (on peace, security, globalization, humanitarianism, and religion)
Constantine Manda, Ph.D. Yale University, Assistant Professor of Political Science (African politics, identity, religion, political behavior, social norms, political economy of development, program evaluation)
Richard Matthew, Ph.D. Princeton University, Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy; Political Science
Mary McThomas, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science; Culture and Theory (immigration, theories of citizenship, feminist political theory, gender and politics)
Carrie Menkel-Meadow, J.D. University of Pennsylvania, UCI Chancellor’s Professor of Political Science; School of Law
David S. Meyer, Ph.D. Boston University, Professor of Sociology; Political Science; Urban Planning and Public Policy (social movements, public policy, peace and war, social justice)
Kristen R. Monroe, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Distinguished Professor of Political Science; Logic and Philosophy of Science (ethics, international relations, political and moral psychology, normative political theory, politics of difference, conflict resolution)
Pamela Nwakanma, Ph.D. Harvard University, Assistant Professor of Political Science (political economy of development, Africana studies, comparative politics, identity, gender, entrepreneurship)
Kevin E. Olson, Ph.D. Northwestern University, Professor of Political Science; Culture and Theory; European Languages and Studies (political theory, history of political thought, legal theory, philosophy of the social sciences)
Denise D. Payan, Ph.D., M.P.P. University of Southern California, Associate Professor of Health, Society, and Behavior; Chicano/Latino Studies; Political Science
Davin Phoenix, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Undergraduate Honors Director and Associate Professor of Political Science; Culture and Theory (racial attitudes, affect and behavior, public opinion, political communication, urban politics, mobilization of marginalized groups)
Shawn W. Rosenberg, M.Litt. University of Oxford, Professor of Political Science (political psychology, deliberative democracy, ideology, social theory, social and development psychology)
Kamal Sadiq, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Associate Professor of Political Science (comparative politics, immigration and citizenship in developing countries, India and southeast Asia, Asian security)
William R. Schonfeld, Ph.D. Princeton University, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Sherilyn K. Sellgren, M.B.A. University of California, Irvine, Lecturer of Political Science
Caesar D. Sereseres, Ph.D. University of California, Riverside, Associate Professor Emeritus of Political Science (U.S. foreign policy, U.S. Latin American relations, Mexican-American politics)
Gregory Shaffer, J.D. Stanford University, Director, Center of Globalization, Law and Society and UCI Chancellor's Professor of School of Law; Political Science
Stergios Skaperdas, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, Clifford S. Heinz Chair and Professor of Economics; Political Science
Charles Smith, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego, Professor of Political Science; Criminology, Law and Society; School of Law; Sociology (law and legal institutions, comparative and international law)
Etel Solingen, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney Chair in Global Peace and Conflict Studies and Professor of Political Science (international relations theory, international political economy, international cooperation, macropolitics/institutions, comparative politics, world politics and regional orders)
Dorothy J. Solinger, Ph.D. Stanford University, Professor Emeritus of Political Science (Chinese domestic politics and political economy, comparative politics, East Asian politics)
Rein Taagepera, Ph.D. University of Delaware, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Michael Tesler, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Professor of Political Science (American politics, race, ethnicity and politics, quantitative methods)
Danielle M. Thomsen, Ph.D. Cornell University, Associate Professor of Political Science (American politics, U.S. congress, political parties, gender and politics)
Keith Topper, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Associate Professor of Political Science; Culture and Theory (political theory, critical theory, poststructuralism, theories of power, language and politics, theory and politics of interpretation, politics of culture, philosophy of the social sciences)
Rodolfo D. Torres, Ph.D. Claremont Graduate University, Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning and Public Policy; Political Science
Carole J. Uhlaner, Ph.D. Harvard University, Professor Emeritus of Political Science (comparative political behavior, formal theory/social choice)
Robert M. Uriu, Ph.D. Columbia University, Associate Professor of Political Science (international relations, international political economy, international politics of East Asia/Japan, U.S. foreign policy toward East Asia)
Samantha Vortherms, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Assistant Professor of Political Science (comparative political economy, development, social welfare)
Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, UCI Chancellor's Professor of History; East Asian Studies; Political Science; School of Law (modern China, protest, world history)
Martin P. Wattenberg, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Professor Emeritus of Political Science (American and comparative political behavior)
Christopher A. Whytock, J.D. Georgetown University, Professor of School of Law; Political Science
Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, Professor of Global and International Studies; Comparative Literature; Culture and Theory; Political Science

Courses

POL SCI 11A.  Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis.  4 Units.  
Presents various modes of understanding politics. Emphasis on basic approaches to political analysis, their uses in constructing theories, and their application to particular national political systems.
(III and VIII.)  
POL SCI 21A.  Introduction to American Government.  4 Units.  
Introduction to American political processes and institutions. Topics include elections, political participation, parties, interest groups, the Presidency, Congress, the bureaucracy, and the judiciary.
(III)  
POL SCI 31A.  Introduction to Political Theory.  4 Units.  
Types of questions: What is politics? What are the theoretical and philosophical bases for different types of political arrangements? How do these perspectives get translated into reality? Among others, the works of Rousseau, Locke, Mill, and Marx are read.
(III)  
POL SCI 32A.  Dilemmas of Diversity.  4 Units.  
Focuses on racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, multiculturalism, and their impact on our social and political ideals. Traces the sources of ideas about difference, equality, and toleration, and examines tensions that occur when forms of identity conflict with one another.
(VII)  
POL SCI 41A.  Introduction to International Relations.  4 Units.  
Analysis of political relations between and among nations with emphasis on explanations of conflict and cooperation. The role of ideologies and their relation to international problems are also examined.
Restrictions: Political Science majors and International Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
(III and VIII.)  
POL SCI 51A.  Introduction to Politics Around the World.  4 Units.  
Introduces comparative politics. Compares political systems in a variety of countries. Includes elections, parties, parliaments, presidents, protest movements, and other aspects of national politics. Addresses how to make meaningful comparisons across countries.
(III and VIII)  
POL SCI 61A.  Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in Political Science.  4 Units.  
Examines major theories that attempt to explain the roles of race and ethnicity in U.S. politics.
Same as CHC/LAT 64  
(III and VII.)  
POL SCI 71A.  Introduction to Law.  4 Units.  
An introduction to the study of judicial politics. Questions include: what is law?; what is a court?; who are the judges? Analysis of a wide range of judicial decisions illustrates the political importance of courts in the U.S. and elsewhere.
(III)  
POL SCI 111.  Public Policy and Evaluation.  4 Units.  
Covers qualitative and quantitative research methods relevant for the evaluation of educational programs. Students have the opportunity to plan, execute, and write-up a small evaluation project.
Prerequisite: EDUC 15 or SOCECOL 13 or STATS 7 or ANTHRO 10B or PSYCH 10B or SOC SCI 10B or SOCIOL 10B.   
Same as EDUC 157  
Restrictions: Education Sciences majors and Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 120.  Public Opinion.  4 Units.  
Theories concerning sources of public opinion, processes by which it is altered, organization of citizens’ belief systems, and role of public opinion in government policy. Students analyze survey data as a research project.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 121A.  The American Presidency.  4 Units.  
Presents a comprehensive survey of the American presidency and considers the question of political power.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 121C.  U.S. Elections and Voting Behavior.  4 Units.  
Examines how voters evaluate political parties, candidates, and issues in electoral campaigns to reach their decisions. Numerous controversies concerning the degree of issue voting, sophistication of candidate evaluations, and the decline of political parties are discussed.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 121F.  Presidents Since World War II.  4 Units.  
Reviews the actions and character of presidents from Harry Truman through Bill Clinton. Each week a different president is examined from a variety of perspectives. Students are expected to write a substantial original research paper.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 21A.   
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 121G.  American Public Policy.  4 Units.  
Focuses on the development and implementation of public policy in the United States. Lectures cover theoretical models of the policy process as well as significant problems facing contemporary American decision-makers.
Same as PUBHLTH 132, SOC SCI 152C, UPPP 129  
POL SCI 121HW.  Writing for the President of the United States.  4 Units.  
Imagines how White House staffers can help presidents with clear, focused, and effective writing. Through a variety of formats, students study, hone, and practice writing skills that will prove useful in and out of the White House.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 21A. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 121J.  John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.  4 Units.  
Investigates the politics of the 60s through the lens of the presidents who defined them: John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ). Studies each president’s campaign and election, options and actions, successes and failures.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 122B.  California Politics.  4 Units.  
Examines the structure and function of California government, traces historical development of political power, with constantly changing casts of power-brokers and seekers. Explores California exceptionalism and the roles played by the electorate, legislature, executive, and organized interests in policy making.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 124A.  The Politics of Protest.  4 Units.  
Examines the Civil Rights, Black Power, and women’s movements in relationship to the Asian American movement. Uses social movement theories to illuminate the cases, and the cases to critique and revise the theories.
Same as ASIANAM 144  
(VII)  
POL SCI 124B.  Latinos in U.S. Politics.  4 Units.  
Comparing the political issues facing Latino groups by examining their migration histories, voting behavior, nonelectoral participation, and policy issues. Latino issues are examined on the national, state, and local levels, including formal representation, immigration, affirmative action, and language policy.
Same as CHC/LAT 151  
(VII)  
POL SCI 124E.  African American Politics.  4 Units.  
Examines politics of African Americans in order to gain a broader perspective of the American political process. Major developments in African American politics (including the civil rights movement, Black presidential bids), continuing problem of racism, responsiveness of key governing institutions.
Same as AFAM 152  
POL SCI 125A.  The United States Congress.  4 Units.  
Does the Congress do a good job of representing the American citizenry? Is it the most appropriate mechanism for the creation, resolution, and implementation of public policy?
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 126C.  U.S. Immigration Policy.  4 Units.  
Examines selected immigration policy debates since the nineteenth century, rationale and consequences of immigration law since 1965, problems of administration, implementation and enforcement, impact of immigration policy on foreign relations, and contemporary debate regarding the future of U.S. policy.
Same as CHC/LAT 163  
(VII)  
POL SCI 126F.  Politics of Animal Rights.  4 Units.  
Examines animal rights/welfare movement’s efforts to transform moral, practical, and legal standing of nonhuman animals in contemporary U.S. Explores intersection of racism, sexism, and speciesism informed by theories of race and ethnicity, including Asian American Studies.
Same as ASIANAM 168  
Restrictions: Political Science majors and Asian American Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 126G.  Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll: The Politics of Prohibition.  4 Units.  
Why and how does the U.S. government prohibit, regulate, or try to control sex, drugs, and rock and roll? Reveals the motivations and politically strategic decisions that underpin these governmental efforts.
POL SCI 128BW.  Political Ideologies: The Way We View Our World.  4 Units.  
Politics has become divisive and ideological. But ideologies are poorly understood and have become mere labels for identifying friends and enemies. Course analyzes the nature of ideology, focusing on liberalism, conservatism, fascism, socialism, and contemporary "liberation" ideologies.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 128C.  Political Psychology.  4 Units.  
Examination of how psychological theory and research may be used to better understand political thought and behavior. Drawing on theories of learning, cognition, and personality, discusses such topics as the formation of political attitudes, and the process of political decision-making.
Same as COGS 176A  
POL SCI 129.  Special Topics in American Politics and Society.  4 Units.  
Studies in selected areas of American politics and society. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 130A.  Game Theory and Politics I.  4 Units.  
Introduction to game theory and a survey of its political applications. Examples of topics covered include voting in small committees, legislatures, and mass elections; interest group activities and environmental issues; institutional design, and the evolution of cooperative behavior.
Same as SOCIOL 134, SOC SCI 103A  
Restrictions: Social Policy and Public Service majors, Political Science majors, International Studies majors, and Sociology majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 130B.  Game Theory and Politics II.  4 Units.  
More advanced game theory and its political applications, beginning where Game Theory and Politics I ends. Examples of topics covered include revolutions; arms race; spatial models of party competition; political manipulation; political coalitions and their power.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 130A or ECON 116A.   
Same as SOC SCI 103B  
Restrictions: Social Policy and Public Service majors, Political Science majors, and International Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 131C.  Modern Political Theory.  4 Units.  
Examines major thinkers and intellectual movements in the political thought of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 131F.  Modern Political Theory.  4 Units.  
Examines major thinkers and intellectual movements in the political thought of the 20th century.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 31A.   
POL SCI 134F.  Social and Political Theory.  4 Units.  
Focus is on recent major work in social and political theory. An in-depth analysis of a relatively small body of writing. Authors discussed include Jurgen Habermas, Anthony Giddens, and Richard Rorty.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 135B.  Just War Revisited.  4 Units.  
Examines the evolution of the doctrine of the just war across the history of Western political thought, the importance of changes in the doctrine and whether it applies today; examines international relations case studies to determine today's relevancy.
POL SCI 136BW.  Cannibals and Conquistadores: The Philosophy of the Other.  4 Units.  
Examines critically the notion of the "other" by looking at the philosophical challenges difference poses in the context of the European discovery of the New World. Seeks to understand the naissance of the concept of human rights and tolerance.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Overlaps with POL SCI 136B.  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 136E.  France and You: Trans-Atlantic Problems and Partnerships - Past, Present, Future.  4 Units.  
Co-taught by professors from UC and Sciences Po, French and UCI students are brought together in a virtual classroom. Students engage in joint projects on issues of global import: democratic fragility, race relations, international security, and climate change.
POL SCI 138AW.  Moral of the Story: Introduction to Ethics.  4 Units.  
Focuses on how we learn about ethics from stories, in the form of fables, bedtime stories, religious stories, soap operas, television, and movies as adults. Students bring in stories that informed their own ethical development.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 138CW.  Ethics of Difference.  4 Units.  
Examines differences traditionally judged politically salient—race, ethnicity, religion, gender. Personal interviews with an elderly person encourage students to understand the social construction of difference and to reexamine their own attitudes by putting themselves in the place of another.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
(Ib)  
POL SCI 138DW.  The Moral Life During War.  4 Units.  
Can people keep their humanity during war? What does the term humanity signify when simply surviving requires faith, courage, and desperation? When facing wartime brutality, must we abrogate morality? What does it mean to compose a moral life during war?
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
Concurrent: POL SCI 238D  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 139.  Special Topics in Political Theory and Methods.  4 Units.  
Studies in selected areas of political theory and methods. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 141B.  International Political Economy.  4 Units.  
Examination of problems in global political-economic relations through competing conceptual lenses or grand theories: mercantilism, liberalism, and Marxism. Surveys North-North and North-South issues relating power and wealth.
(VIII)  
POL SCI 141C.  International Political Economy of East Asia.  4 Units.  
Integration of theoretical perspectives in international political economy with the study of economic development in East Asia, with special emphasis on regional integration.
(VIII)  
POL SCI 141E.  US Foreign Policy Toward Asia.  4 Units.  
U.S. policy toward the countries of East Asia: bilateral and regional security relationships, U.S. economic relations with the major Asian countries, the development of regional institutions, and human rights.
POL SCI 142B.  The International Relations of East Asia.  4 Units.  
Surveys various aspects of relations between the nations of East Asia. Topics include the historical development of the region; current political and security relations, including the impact of the American military presence.
Restrictions: Political Science majors and International Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 142D.  U.S. Foreign Policy I: Globalism and Cold War.  4 Units.  
Looks at changing international perspectives, policy responses, and military strategies of presidential administrations from Truman to Reagan. In assessing the motives and objectives of U.S. foreign policy leaders during the “Cold War” era, the concept of “national interest” is examined.
Restrictions: Political Science majors and International Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 142J.  U.S. Intervention in Latin America.  4 Units.  
Explores political, economic, social, and cultural ties that bind Latin America to the United States. Focuses on U.S. intervention and Latin American response from early nineteenth century to present day. Case studies include Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, and Central America.
Same as HISTORY 166, INTL ST 177D, CHC/LAT 150  
POL SCI 143D.  East Asian Security.  4 Units.  
Provides an overview of issues in East Asian security including U.S.-China relations, economic interdependence, global supply chains, South China Sea, environmental cooperation, COVID-19, and others. Includes Oxford-style debates.
POL SCI 143G.  Homeland Security .  4.0 Units.  
Examines the 9/11 origins of the concept of homeland security; assess the evolution, structure, and operations of the Department of Homeland Security; critically examines the evolution of threat assessment to the U.S. and the utilization of risk management methodologies.
Same as INTL ST 141B  
POL SCI 147CW.  International Humanitarianism.  4 Units.  
Examines, analyzes, and evaluates the humanitarian phenomenon, the actors involved in it (including states, international organizations (IOs), and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)), the rise of a body of international humanitarian law, and the problems and debates associated with international humanitarianism today.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Same as INTL ST 147CW  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 147D.  International Organizations.  4 Units.  
Active learning course that examines origins, decision-making processes, activities, and evolution of leading international organizations (e.g. U.N., NATO, EU, AU, WTO, World Bank, IMF). Activities include drafting reforms, applying theory, assessing dysfunctions, and participating in U.N. negotiation simulations.
POL SCI 147E.  Critical Investigations into Humanitarianism in Africa.  4 Units.  
Explores the complex phenomenon of aid to Africa (emergency and development aid), and the representational, cultural, historical, and other reasons why some participants and many observers critique it. Students occasionally engage with peers and faculty in African institutions.
Same as SPPS 102  
Repeatability: May be taken for credit 1 time  
(VIII)  
POL SCI 149.  Special Topics in International Relations.  4 Units.  
Studies in selected areas of international relations. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 151B.  Political Power in Contemporary China.  4 Units.  
Analyzes the sources of political power in contemporary China, including historical legitimacy, political institutions, and Chinese Communist Party power. Identifies challenges to the CCP’s rule and rising socio-political issues such as mass protest, censorship, and the environment.
Same as INTL ST 176C  
Restrictions: Political Science majors and International Studies majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 151H.  Voting and Political Manipulation.  4 Units.  
Introduction to social choice and cooperative games. Topics include majority rule, types of voting methods, apportionment and proportional representation, agenda manipulation, coalition formation, voting power, political consequences of electoral laws.
Same as ECON 154, SOC SCI 121T  
Restrictions: Business Economics majors, Political Science majors, International Studies majors, and Social Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 152JW.  Political Economy of Development.  4 Units.  
Why are some countries rich and some countries poor? In Political Economy of Development, students assess and evaluate competing hypotheses on what drives social, economic, and political development around the world.
(Ib)  
POL SCI 152K.  Immigration Politics.  4 Units.  
Examines immigration politics in advanced democracies, analyzing trends and policy from the postwar period through to today. Topics include citizenship, immigrant integration, asylum, the far-right, and a rotating focus on contemporary issues, e.g., terrorism, birthright citizenship.
POL SCI 153G.  Cuban Society and Revolution.  4 Units.  
Explores the causes, development, and legacy of the 1959 Revolution. Themes include economic dependency, democracy, race, gender, culture, and the always volatile relations between Cuba and the United States.
Same as INTL ST 177E, HISTORY 166C, CHC/LAT 157  
POL SCI 154F.  Peoples and Cultures of Post-Soviet Eurasia.  4 Units.  
Examines the cultures and political conflicts of the more than 130 indigenous ethnic groups in the European and Asian territories of the former U.S.S.R. Emphasis is on the theoretical issues of ethnicity, nationalism, and conflict management.
Same as INTL ST 162B, ANTHRO 164P  
(VIII)  
POL SCI 154G.  Conflict Resolution in Cross-Cultural Perspective.  4 Units.  
Examines theories of conflict management. Analyzes how conflict is mitigated in diverse cultures: at the interpersonal level, between groups, and on the international scale. Students discuss readings, hear from conflict management practitioners, and simulate negotiations.
Same as ANTHRO 136D, SOC SCI 183E, INTL ST 183E  
(VIII)  
POL SCI 154J.  Jews and Power.  4 Units.  
Examines the relationship between the Jewish people and political power over a 3500 year period. How have Jews preserved their communal interests and personal safety? How have they defined the proper relationship of the people to political authority?
Same as HISTORY 130F, REL STD 130F  
POL SCI 154K.  Antisemitism.  4 Units.  
Covers the key concepts, sources, and dynamics of historical and contemporary antisemitism. Topics covered include the politics of anti-Jewish hatred, conspiracy theories, and the Holocaust.
(III and (VII or VIII))  
POL SCI 154KW.  US Government in Comparative Perspective.  4 Units.  
Introduction to the United States in comparative perspective, covering general features of the United States and other countries, such as institutional design and policy choices. Addresses the debates about American exceptionalism and American decline.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
(Ib)  
POL SCI 155C.  Organizations.  4 Units.  
How bureaucracies, formal organizations, and voluntary associations work, how/why they grow, and where they are going. History and structure of organizational rationality; dynamics of organized groups; behavior in organizations; limits of bureaucratization and attempts to overcome these limits through decentralization.
Same as SOCIOL 141  
Restrictions: Political Science majors and Sociology majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 156D.  Protests, Movements, and Revolutions.  4 Units.  
A survey of models of collective action drawn from sociology, economics, psychology, and political science. Focus on areas such as social movements, strikes, crowd psychology, cults, fads, fashions, public opinion, and symbolic and mythical elements in collective culture.
Prerequisite: SOCIOL 1 or POL SCI 11A or ECON 1.   
Same as SOCIOL 174  
Restrictions: Political Science majors and Sociology majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 157B.  International Divided Cities.  4 Units.  
Investigates urban divisions in international cities where deep-seated nationalistic ethnic differences create pressures for intergroup conflicts, autonomy, or territorial separation, and can incite violence. Urban political polarization as it is manifest in the urban setting.
Same as UPPP 178, SOCIOL 176  
POL SCI 158D.  Introduction to Contemporary Middle East Politics.  4 Units.  
An overview of basic issues that shape the politics of the Middle East and North Africa. Themes include implication of the colonization era, nation-state formation, inter-Arab relations, nationalism, Arab-Israel conflict, Islamic resurgence, and more.
Same as INTL ST 165, SOC SCI 188A  
POL SCI 159.  Special Topics in Comparative Politics.  4 Units.  
Studies in selected areas of comparative politics. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 171AW.  Law and Society.  4 Units.  
Law and its various roles in society. The nature and meaning of law; legality and power in the American system; law as a mechanism for social change; the role of law in dispute processing, social control, compliance with judicial decisions.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 71A. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
(Ib)  
POL SCI 171D.  American Constitutional Law.  4 Units.  
American constitutional interpretation of cases involving separation of powers, federal-state relations, rights of property, free expression, privacy, criminal due process, political participation, and equality. Includes legal research methods, development of judicial review, legal reasoning, and impact of Supreme Court decisions.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 71A.   
Overlaps with CRM/LAW C122.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 172A.  International Law.  4 Units.  
Examination of the origin, changing structure, application of international law, and the role of legal norms in regulating the behavior of states and maintaining international order.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 71A.   
Same as INTL ST 145A  
(VIII)  
POL SCI 174A.  Civil Liberties.  4 Units.  
Political analysis of selected Supreme Court cases involving claims under the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Topics include: race, sex, and other forms of discrimination; criminal justice; privacy; freedom of speech and related claims.
Prerequisite: POL SCI 71A.   
Overlaps with CRM/LAW C122.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 174C.  U.S. Supreme Court.  4 Units.  
Overview and analysis of the role played by the U.S. Supreme Court in the American political system. Judicial review, appointment of justices, judicial activism and judicial restraint, process of case selection, court deliberation, land decision-making, impact of Supreme Court decisions.
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI 174CW.  U.S. Supreme Court.  4 Units.  
Overview and analysis of the role played by the U.S. Supreme Court in the American political system. Judicial review, appointment of justices, judicial activism and judicial restraint, process of case selection, court deliberation, land decision-making, impact of Supreme Court decisions.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
(Ib)  
POL SCI 179.  Special Topics in Public Law.  4 Units.  
Studies in selected areas of public law. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
Restrictions: Political Science majors have the first consideration for enrollment.   
POL SCI H180D.  Honors Seminar in Political Science.  2-4 Units.  
Course for students enrolled in the Honors Program in Political Science.
Prerequisite: Only open to students in the Political Science Honors Program.  
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times  
POL SCI H182A.  Honors Thesis Workshop.  4 Units.  
A weekly seminar/workshop to facilitate the exchange of ideas and research strategies among students and to review their progress in writing the thesis.
Restrictions: Open only to students in the Political Science Senior Thesis program.  
POL SCI 190.  Senior Thesis.  4 Units.  
Thesis research with Political Science faculty.
Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times  
POL SCI 190W.  Senior Thesis.  4 Units.  
Thesis research with Political Science faculty.
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement.  
Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times  
(Ib)  
POL SCI 197.  Field Study.  1-4 Units.  
Field study with Political Science faculty.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 198.  Directed Group Study.  1-4 Units.  
Directed group study with Political Science faculty.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 199.  Independent Study.  1-4 Units.  
Independent study or research with a Political Science faculty member.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times  
POL SCI 210.  Colloquium.  1 Unit.  
Doctoral training requires more than learning substantive debates and research methods; it also requires students learn professional practices, routines, and expectations. This workshop offers students a mix of professional development, outside speakers, and discussions regarding research with departmental faculty.
Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only  
POL SCI 212B.  Ethics Workshop.  4 Units.  
Students find an important question in ethics, search literature to assess topic's importance, post question to be researched, propose method of analysis and type of data, analyze data, and note how their works contribute to knowledge in the field.
POL SCI 219.  Special Topics in Politics and Society.  4 Units.  
Current research in politics and society.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 221A.  Public Policy.  4 Units.  
Explores different approaches to public policy analysis, the diverse conceptions of the goals and objectives that should be served by policy, and the appropriate role of the policy analyst. Policy consequences are traced to indirect and subtle incentives and disincentives.
Same as UPPP 221, CRM/LAW C255  
POL SCI 229.  Special Topics in American Politics.  4 Units.  
Current research in American Politics. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 231A.  Political Epistemology.  4 Units.  
Focuses on fundamental issues of knowledge in the study of politics, especially interconnections and tensions between politics and knowledge. Counts as the Field Seminar in Political Theory.
POL SCI 231B.  Theories of Textual Interpretation.  4 Units.  
Examination of different theories of textual interpretation, including Straussian, hermeneutical, poststructuralist, feminist, postcolonial, and critical race theories. Key questions include: How does one go about the task of interpreting texts? What makes one interpretation better or more insightful than another?
POL SCI 239.  Special Topics in Political Theory.  4 Units.  
Current research in political theory. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 240.  Seminar in International Relations Theory.  4 Units.  
Overview of the major theories guiding research and scholarship in international relations. Focus on major conceptual approaches (realism, neoliberalism, marxism) and levels of analysis (systemic, state, and subnational), as well as on methodological/epistemological debates engulfing the field.
POL SCI 241E.  Research Design in International Relations.  4 Units.  
Surveys research design primarily through substantive readings in international relations. The purpose is to familiarize students with choices/dilemmas relevant to IR-specific research. Students at various stages in the graduate program and with different methodological orientations are welcome.
POL SCI 249.  Special Topics in International Relations.  4 Units.  
Current research in international relations. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 252.  Introduction to Voting Theory.  4 Units.  
Introduction to voting models. Substantive topics include majority rule, voting methods and their properties, apportionment and proportional representation, agenda manipulation, coalition formation, voting power, political consequences of electoral laws.
POL SCI 254A.  Introduction to Game Theory.  4 Units.  
Introduction to non-cooperative games. The prisoner's dilemma, Nash equilibrium, sequential games, subgame perfection. Applications include collective action, agenda-setter models, spatial competition of political parties, models of revolution and arms race.
POL SCI 259.  Special Topics in Comparative Politics.  4 Units.  
Current research in comparative politics. Topics addressed vary each quarter.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 273A.  Advanced Qualitative Methods: Analyzing Qualitative Data.  4 Units.  
Introduction to the theory and practice of analyzing qualitative data. Students must have already learned about data collection and research design for qualitative research and must have qualitative data they can analyze.
Same as UPPP 213, MGMTPHD 297K  
POL SCI 290.  Dissertation Research.  1-12 Units.  
Dissertation research with Political Science faculty.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary  
POL SCI 299.  Independent Study.  1-12 Units.  
Independent research with Political Science faculty.
Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary