Political Science

POLS UN1101 POLITICAL THEORY I. 4.00 points.

This course considers key questions at the foundation of political thought. What is justice? How do we justify the coercive power of states? Do we have an obligation to obey the government? Who should make and enforce the law? What basic rights and liberties should governments protect? How should our economic system produce and divide wealth and material resources? What are the claims of excluded or marginalized groups and how can these claims be addressed? We explore these questions through the works of several classical and contemporary political thinkers. A major goal of the course is to practice the skills needed to understand a political thinker’s arguments and to construct one’s own

POLS BC1210 INTRO TO AMERICAN POLITICS. 4.00 points.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles of American politics and governance. Upon completing the class, students should be more informed about the American political process and better able to explain contemporary American political phenomena, as well as being more likely to engage with politics and elections. BEGINNING IN FALL 2025, BARNARD STUDENTS WISHING TO TAKE INTERNATIONAL POLITICS FOR INTRO CREDIT TOWARD THE MAJOR MUST TAKE POLS-BC1210. If Barnard students enroll in POLS-UN2201, the course will only count toward their major as elective credit. Columbia College students who take POLS-BC1210 can only apply the course toward their major for elective credit. Students may not get credit for more than one of the following courses: POLS BC1210, POLS UN1201, or POLS-UN2201

POLS BC1510 INTRO TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS. 4.00 points.

This course provides a broad overview of the comparative politics subfield by focusing on important substantive questions about the world today. The course is organized around four questions. First, why can only some people depend upon the state to enforce order? Second, how can we account for the differences between autocracies and democracies? Third, what different institutional forms does democratic government take? Finally, are some institutions more likely than others to produce desirable social outcomes such as accountability, redistribution, and political stability? BEGINNING IN FALL 2025, BARNARD STUDENTS WISHING TO TAKE COMPARATIVE POLITICS FOR INTRO CREDIT TOWARD THE MAJOR MUST TAKE POLS-BC1510. If Barnard students enroll in POLS-UN2501, the course will only count toward their major as elective credit. Columbia College students who take POLS-BC1510 can only apply the course toward their major for elective credit. Students may not get credit for more than one of the following courses: POLS BC1510, POLS UN1501, or POLS-UN2501

POLS UN1601 INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. 4.00 points.

This introductory course surveys key topics in the study of international politics, including the causes of war and peace; the efficacy of international law and human rights; the origins of international development and underdevelopment; the politics of global environmental protection; and the future of US-China relations. Throughout the course, we will focus on the interests of the many actors of world politics, including states, politicians, firms, bureaucracies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations; the interactions between them; and the institutions in which they operate. By the end of the semester, students will be better equipped to systematically study international relations and make informed contributions to critical policy debates

POLS BC1401 DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP IN EUROPE. 4.00 points.

This course will examine the development of democracies and dictatorships in Europe from the ancien régime to the present day. It will analyze the nature and dynamics of European political history and use the European experience as a foundation upon which to build a broader understanding of how different types of political regimes emerge, function and are consolidated over time

POLS BC1605 GLOBAL POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. 4.00 points.

Climate change mitigation is the greatest global political challenge of our times. This course uses concepts drawn from the broader political science literature to analyze the recent history and possible future trajectories of interactions between international and domestic politics and climate change. It focuses on mitigation questions, and includes the international political economy of various relevant commercial sectors. It has no prerequisites, and no background knowledge is required. The course has two fundamental goals: to increase student understanding of the complexity of political issues and interests involved in global climate change problems, and to counter growing climate despair by suggesting realistic paths forward toward global net zero carbon emissions. Class lectures will leave significant time for student questions and discussion. There is also a required weekly discussion section

POLS BC2604 PEACE AND CONFLICT. 4.00 points.

If Barnard or Columbia had a major in Peace and Conflict Studies or a minor in Conflict Resolution, this would be its core class: your introduction to the key concepts, ideas, theories, cases, and debates in the field. How can we understand violence in wars? Why do wars and other violent conflicts start, grow, and persist? Can we end—or decrease, contain, or even perhaps prevent—mass violence? What role do outsiders play, both in war and in peace… and what about ordinary people? Cross-listed with Human Rights and Africana Studies

POLS BC2875 RUSSIA AND THE WEST. 3.00 points.

What explains Russia’s foreign and security policy choices and its terrible relationship with the West today? We will discuss and debate the motivations behind Moscow’s actions, asking whether they have been driven by realist great power considerations; by Russia’s domestic patronage system and Russian President Putin’s desire to stay in power; by an ideology of ethnic Orthodox nationalism or neo-Eurasianism; or by decision-making factors that are either unique to Putin or common across human psychology. In turn we will examine how choices made by the United States and the European Union have affected Russia, and evaluate what all of this means for concrete recent and current Russian and Western foreign and security policy choices. Students will be encouraged to come up with their own answers to these riddles in class discussions and written assignments, and the course concludes with a rigorous negotiation simulation where students will apply the knowledge gained in this course in a practical exercise. This course has no prerequisites, and no background knowledge is expected

POLS BC3003 POLITICAL THEORY AT THE BORDER. 4.00 points.

This lecture course in political theory examines pressing questions related to borders, migration, exile, and displacement: Why do we have borders, and how are they constructed and governed? How do borders relate to political membership and rights? What can borders teach us about modern sovereign power? Are there any limits to state coercion and violence in border enforcement? In what ways do borders manifest racial hierarchies and divides within the global order? How do we rethink political responsibility in response to problems of rightlessness generated by borders? In addressing these questions, the course prioritizes borders as crucial sites for understanding and interrogating key political concepts such as sovereignty, membership, rights, and violence

POLS BC3017 AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT. 3.00 points.

This course is a study of the development of American political ideas, through critical analysis of the writings of intellectuals and political leaders from the American Founding to the present. As our central theme, we will focus on the traditions of American Political Thought (APT) as simultaneously theorizing freedom and liberty on the one hand, and intense, often violent forms of domination on the other, especially domination on the basis of race. Consequently, we will devote time to both classic readings in APT (the Founders, Tocqueville, Lincoln, etc.) and to multiple strands of US political thinking that challenge the dominant narratives of APT. In analyzing the competing traditions of equality and inequality in theory, we will also explore the connections between this theory and practices of equality and inequality

POLS BC3025 AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES. 3.00 points.

Political parties have evoked widespread scorn in the U.S. since the founding era; and yet, they arose almost immediately and have endured for over two centuries. In this course, we will examine why parties formed despite the Founders’ disdain for them. (In 1789, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go at all.” In 1800, he won the presidency as a candidate of a major party.) We will dig into scholarly debates about what exactly parties are, what purpose they serve, and how and why they have changed over time as organizations, in the electorate, and in government. Topics will include the presidential nomination process from the founding through the much-discussed 2016 primary election season, the life cycle of third parties, and the relationship between political parties and interest groups. Students will learn what is and is not unique about the current historical moment, and how history might shape our expectations of parties moving forward. Throughout the course, we will pay particularly close attention to the roots of contemporary party polarization, and the implications of this phenomenon for representation and governance. In 1950, the American Political Science Association released a report criticizing the two major parties for excessive similarity; today, party polarization evokes widespread concern. Is there an ideal level of party difference? How much is too much? We will address these difficult questions, among others, in this broad survey of American political parties

POLS BC3031 THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. 3.00 points.

This course explores the role of the presidency in U.S. politics. Presidents have long been at the center of politics, yet the nature of the presidency has changed dramatically over time. The first part of the course will examine these long-run changes. It begins with debates over the form of the presidency at the U.S.’s founding and examines how the institution has been altered – and with what effects – at key historical moments. Having gained foundational historical knowledge during the first part of the course, the course’s second part will focus on various theories of the presidency. These theories primarily address, in various ways, one primary question: which factors best explain presidential “success”? By the end of the course, students should be able to systematically assess contemporary presidential politics using various scholarly theories and by putting the president’s actions into a broader historical context. The course, occurring during the 2020 presidential primaries, will also include “sidebars” in which we will discuss the election

POLS BC3035 Feminist Political Thought. 3.00 points.

Feminism is often recognized as a political movement. But is there a feminist way of thinking about politics? In this course, we’ll investigate the core premises, provocations, proposals, and tensions of feminism as they relate to specifically political problems, focusing particularly on feminist political thought as it developed in the twentieth century. Who is the subject of feminist politics? What is the meaning of “difference,” and how can—or should—feminists seek to organize across it? What are appropriate topics for politics, and what should remain private? Is the family a space for politics? The household? The body? How much of the personal can, and should, be made political? Are there feminist ways of doing politics? We will consider these questions with reference to texts from both feminist activists and feminist scholars

POLS UN3213 AMERICAN URBAN POLITICS. 3.00 points.

This course examines the pattern of political development in urban America, as the countrys population has grown in urbanized locations. It explores the process by which cities and suburbs are governed, how immigrants and migrants are incorporated, and how people of different races and ethnicities interact in urbanized settings as well as the institutional relations of cities and suburbs with other jurisdictions of government. The course focuses both on the historical as well the theoretical understandings of politics in urban areas

POLS UN3250 AMERICAN POLITICAL BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points.

This course will focus on the mechanisms that drive political behavior in the United States. “Political behavior” is a broad concept, and can include many areas of engagement with civic life such as voting, donating, organizing, advocating, protesting, and more. As we consider “behavior,” we must therefore also take on its foundations: Public opinion, ideology, and partisanship. We will focus primarily (but not exclusively) on mass politics—beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of ordinary citizens—rather than on behaviors of activists or elites. We will also explore the connection between behavior and other factors such as race and place

POLS BC3254 FIRST AMENDMENT VALUES. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS W1201 or an equivalent. Not an introductory course. Not open to students who have taken the colloquium POLS BC3302. Enrollment limited to 25 students; L-course sign-up.
Prerequisites: POLS W1201 or an equivalent. Not an introductory course. Not open to students who have taken the colloquium POLS BC3302. Examines the first amendment rights of speech, press, religion and assembly. In-depth analysis of landmark Supreme Court rulings provides the basis for exploring theoretical antecedents as well as contemporary applications of such doctrines as freedom of association, libel, symbolic speech, obscenity, hate speech, political speech, commercial speech, freedom of the press and religion. (Cross-listed by the American Studies Program.)

POLS UN3290 VOTING AND AMERICAN POLITICS. 3.00 points.

Elections and public opinion; history of U.S. electoral politics; the problem of voter participation; partisanship and voting; accounting for voting decisions; explaining and forecasting election outcomes; elections and divided government; money and elections; electoral politics and representative democracy.

POLS BC3402 The Comparative Politics of Gender Inequality. 3 points.

BC: Fulfillment of General Education Requirement: Social Analysis (SOC I).

Prerequisites: Not an introductory-level course. Not open to students who have taken the colloquium POLS BC 3507. Enrollment limited to 20 students; L-course sign-up through eBear. Barnard syllabus.

Uses major analytical perspectives in comparative politics to understand the persistence of gender inequality in advanced industrial states. Topics include: political representation and participation; political economy and capitalism; the historical development of welfare states; electoral systems, electoral quotas; the role of supranational and international organizations; and social policy.

POLS BC3438 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. 3.00 points.

This course will introduce students to basic concepts in American Constitutional Law - including the history and development of the U.S. Constitution, theories and practice of constitutional interpetation, and the historical context of major controversies of the Supreme Court. Students will develop the intellectual ability to read case law, properly conceptualize and analyze constitutional issues, and will foster an informed perspective on the nature and limits of constitutional decision making. Class will spend particular attention on the development of civil rights and civil liberties

POLS BC3513 POLITICS OF ILLICIT ECONOMIES IN THE AMERICAS. 3.00 points.

A major challenge for governments across the Western Hemisphere is the complex relationship between illicit economies, violence, and politics. We can see this relationship operating at multiple levels, from everyday politics in gang-controlled neighborhoods where drugs are trafficked to the Amazon where illegal extraction of natural resources poses significant threats to the environment at the local and global levels. Today, the dynamics and consequences of the politics of illicit economies touch all our lives in different ways, including individual and family struggles with substance abuse, everyday encounters with militarized police, environmental degradation, state corruption, and the strains on democracy and citizenship, among many others. This course will examine some of these dynamics and consequences with a theoretical and empirical focus mainly on the Western Hemisphere. Throughout our time together we will connect these pressing issues to broader theories, concepts and empirical findings in political science

POLS BC3521 CIVIL RIGHTS ＆CIVIL LIBERTIES. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS W1201 or the equivalent. Not an introductory-level course. Not open to students who have taken the colloquium POLS BC3326. Enrollment limited to 25 students; L-course sign-up through eBear. Barnard syllabus. Explores seminal caselaw to inform contemporary civil rights and civil liberties jurisprudence and policy. Specifically, the readings examine historical and contemporary first amendment values, including freedom of speech and the press, economic liberties, takings law, discrimination based on race, gender, class and sexual preference, affirmative action, the right to privacy, reproductive freedom, the right to die, criminal procedure and adjudication, the rights of the criminally accused post-9/11 and the death penalty. (Cross-listed by the American Studies and Human Rights Programs.)

POLS UN3560 PLCS URBAN DEV LATIN AMERICA. 3.00 points.

What shapes the ways cities develop politically and socioeconomically? Why do some cities become seeming "models" of urban governance whereas others struggle with perpetual corruption, inequality, and crime and violence? How do formal and informal political and social institutions interact to shape patterns of urban development? How do relations between cities and other levels of the state, including regional and national governments, impact local democracy and development? Are impoverished urban peripheries fertile grounds for political revolution? These are some of the questions that we will tackle in this course through a focus on urban politics and development in Latin America.  Perceptions among both scholars and policymakers regarding Latin America's urbanization are polarized. Some see the region's development including innovative forms of governance, like participatory budgeting, social urbanism through participatory planning, and community policing. Others view the swift and unprecedented pace of clientelism, and violence. Our task this semester is to mediate between these two perspectives as we explore and analyze urban politics and development in the region.

POLS UN3565 DRUGS ＆ POLITICS IN AMERICAS. 4.00 points.

A major challenge for governments across the Western Hemisphere is the complex relationship between illicit drugs, violence, and politics. We can see this relationship operating at multiple levels, from everyday politics in gang-controlled neighborhoods to the global arenas where governments debate and craft international drug policy. These links also reach back in history to global wars of empire and colonial rule, race relations during and following the collapse of the institution of slavery, and contemporary drug wars being waged across the Western Hemisphere and other parts of the world. Today, the dynamics and consequences of the politics of illicit drugs touch all our lives in different ways, including individual and family struggles with substance abuse, everyday encounters with militarized police, and the strains on democracy and citizenship, among many others. This course will examine some of these dynamics and consequences with a theoretical and empirical focus mainly on Latin America and the United States. Throughout our time together we will connect these pressing issues to broader theories, concepts and empirical findings in political science. The course is divided into several individual modules (denoted below with the headings A – G) under three overarching themes for this semester: 1. Politics of Drugs in a Historical Perspective: The first theme is a broad historical overview of the political origins of illicit drugs and the global drug regime. Some of the main questions we will tackle are: When and why did states label drugs as illicit? How did domestic and global politics come together to shape the global drug regime and the “war on drugs?” What role did race and gender play in the early social construction of illicit drugs? 2. Illicit Drugs, Politics and Governance: The second theme focuses on contemporary linkages between illicit drugs, violence, and politics. Here we will examine the conditions under which illicit drug markets are either violent or (relatively) peaceful. We will tackle questions like: Do states always seek to dismantle drug markets? What is the relationship between illicit drugs and electoral politics? What role do illicit drugs play in governance by armed non-state actors? Are states and criminal actors involved in the drug trade always at “war” with each other? 3. Democracy, Citizenship, and the War on Drugs: The third and final theme centers on the political consequences of the war on drugs for questions of democracy and citizenship in the Western Hemisphere. Some of the questions that will help us make sense of these consequences are: How does the war on drugs impact democracy and citizenship? What is the political economy of imprisonment? And in what ways do imprisonment and police-citizen interactions – stemming from the war on drugs – shape individual and collective political behavior and political subjectivity?

POLS BC3601 INTL LAW ＆ U.N. IN PRACTICE. 4.00 points.

POLS UN3604 War, Peace, and International Interventions in Africa. 4 points.

This course analyzes the causes of violence in wars and examines the debates around emergency aid, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. In addition, it focuses on recent conflict situations in Africa -- especially Congo, Sudan, and Rwanda -- as a background against which to understand the distinct dynamics of violence, peace, and international interventions in civil and international conflicts.

POLS BC3695 Race and Ethnic Politics. 3.00 points.

Race has served as an enduring organizing principle of American politics. This course will survey how race shapes politics and how politics shapes race in the United States. In the first of the semester, we focus on the political processes and institutions that “make” race and interrogate what we mean exactly when we say race is socially constructed. In the second half of the semester, we turn to looking at how racialized groups engage in politics on multiple fronts, paying particular attention to electoral politics and social movements. Throughout the course, we grapple with both the challenges to and possibilities of diversity and racial justice in the contemporary America. Topics include but are not limited to political representation, voting, intersectionality, citizenship, immigration, community activisms, and solidarity

POLS BC3697 GLOBAL AUTHORITARIANISM. 3.00 points.

Welcome to "Global Authoritarianism." Over the past two decades, scholars and policymakers have grown increasingly alarmed about the state of democracy worldwide. Freedom House, V-Dem, and other monitoring organizations have documented what many call a "democratic recession" in which authoritarian governance is expanding globally while the number of democracies shrinks and democratic institutions within liberal democracies weaken. This purely domestic framing, however, misses how authoritarian states now cooperate with and learn from one another, project power across borders into democracies, exploit the openness of democratic societies, and actively reshape international institutions and norms to serve their interests. Authoritarianism has gone global. In this course, we will analyze the mechanisms, tools, and strategies that authoritarian states use to extend their reach beyond their borders and push back against the liberal international order. We also confront an uncomfortable reality: many of the networks, institutions, and professional services that enable authoritarian power are actually embedded within democracies themselves, including law firms, lobbyists, financial centers, think tanks, global media outlets and sports leagues based in New York, London and other democratic locations

POLS UN3706 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH METHODS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: At least sophomore standing recommended. Corequisites: Computer Lab: TBD (50 minutes per week). Enrollment limited to 40 students: "L" sign-up through eBear. Not an introductory-level course. Barnard syllabus. The course introduces students to the systematic study of political phenomena. Students will learn how to develop research questions and executable research designs. Then, taking an applied approach, students learn basic statistical and case study techniques for evaluating evidence and making empirical claims. No prior experience with statistics is assumed

POLS BC3731 DATA SCIENCE FOR POLITICS. 3.00 points.

This course explores techniques to harness the power of “big data” to answer questions related to political science and/or American politics. We will teach students how to use R—a popular open-source programming language—to obtain, clean, analyze, and visualize data. We will focus on applied problems using real data wherever possible, with a particular focus on R’s “Tidyverse.” In total, in this course we will cover concepts such as reading data in various formats (including “cracking” atypical government data sources and pdf documents); web scraping; data joins; data manipulation and cleaning (including string variables and regular expressions); data mining; making effective data visualizations; using data to make informed prediction, and basic text analysis. We will also cover programming basics including writing functions and loops in R. Finally, we will discuss how to use R Markdown to communicate our results effectively to outside audiences. No previous knowledge of R is required

POLS GU4428 EUROPEAN POLITICL DEVELOPMENT. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: Course in European history or political science or relevant comparative politics courses.
Prerequisites: Course in European history or political science or relevant comparative politics courses. This is an upper-level course in European political development. It is designed for undergraduates who already have some exposure to European history and politics and graduate students. The course will analyze important theoretical works, and debates about, the evolution of European political systems and institutions since the Second World War and place the European experience in comparative perspective

POLS BC3019 AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: (POLS UN1201)
Prerequisites: (POLS UN1201) In this survey of American political development, we will discuss how and why major institutions and policies emerged, why they took certain forms, when and why they have changed over time, and what kinds of factors limit change. We will also discuss how policies, in turn, shape citizens and institutions

POLS BC3026 Gun Politics in the United States. 4 points.

Prerequisites: (POLS UN1201) or approved substitute for 1201

This course examines the politics of guns from a number of different angles. We will critically assess the multitude of direct and indirect explanations of gun control politics that have been offered by scholars and informed observers, including those related to interest groups, political parties, and mass political behavior.

POLS BC3048 COLL: CAPITALISM AND ITS CRITICS. 4.00 points.

Capitalism is usually thought of as an economic system, but what does it have to do with politics? This course examines how thinkers of contrasting perspectives have understood capitalism politically. Some have celebrated the market as an escape from coercion, while others criticize it as a source of disguised domination; some see capitalism as leveling social hierarchies, while others point to its creation of class and racial hierarchy; some see capitalism as an engine of wealth creation and heightened living standards, while others emphasize its destruction of existing ways of life and production of inequality; some see capitalism as an engine of peace, while others emphasize its reliance on violence. In particular, we will consider the relationship between state and market, moral critiques of markets and exchange, analyses of the role of force and violence in accumulation, and theories of freedom and domination

POLS BC3055 COLL: POLITICAL VIOLENCE ＆ TERRORISM. 4.00 points.

Not offered during 2024-2025 academic year.

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or POLS V1601 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus.
When is violence used against noncombatants in conflicts and what is the impact of such violence? This course focuses on violence against civilians by armed organizations, whether states or non-state actors. We will examine a variety of explanations for such violence, including rationalist, psychological/emotion-based, and organizational approaches. We will also discuss the impact of political violence. Does it get the job done, so to speak? Does violence move terrorist groups closer to their goals? Does indiscriminate violence by the state spur rebellion or suppress insurgencies? Does insurgent violence against civilians make insurgencies more or less effective? While we emphasize violence intentionally causing harm to civilians we will also consider collateral damage. In addition to our discussions of this literature we will explore what light selected empirical evidence might shed on our questions. You will each select a theoretical problem of interest—e.g., two competing theories, a theory that might be revised or applied in a new context—and write a paper addressing this problem on the basis of empirical research (either through qualitative case studies or quantitative analysis). Your ongoing research will be shared when relevant during our class discussions, and the final weeks of the semester will be set aside for a research workshop

POLS BC3118 COLL:PROBLMS IN INTNL SECURITY. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or POLS V1601 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus.
Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or POLS V1601 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus. Examination of causes and consequences of major current problems in international security. Topics will focus on state power dynamics: the rise of China and the reemergence of the Russian military, challenges facing NATO with the rise of populism and authoritarianism in the West, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, cyber conflict and information war, and chemical and biological weapons

POLS BC3325 COLL:PLTCS OF BAD BEHAVIOR. 4.00 points.

This course explores the politics of what happens when people, institutions, or states deviate from expected behavior. The course will span all subfields of political science, engaging issues such as lies, scandal, money laundering, corruption, campaign finance, election fraud, racism, and incarceration

POLS BC3334 COLL: ELECTION SCIENCE. 4.00 points.

Election administration has become an increasingly contested policy area of late, and efforts to “reform” elections have grown increasingly contentious. Yet, we often lack good data on the effect of electoral reforms—however well-intentioned. The purpose of this course is to examine how the combined tools of political and data science (a field increasingly known as “election science”) can shed light on how election rules shape a number of outcomes. The prerequisites for this course are Introduction to American Politics (POLS BC1210) and Empirical Research Methods in Political Science (POLS UN 3706) or an equivalent course such as Scope and Methods at Columbia. These are hard prerequisites, as students lacking methods training in R will not be able to complete the necessary tasks in this class. Enrollment from the waitlist (should one exist) will be made at the sole discretion of the instructor in consultation with the Political Science Department Administrator

POLS BC3337 ELECTION LAW AND REFORM. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS 1201 or an equivalent intro-level course in American Politics.
Prerequisites: POLS 1210 or an equivalent intro-level course in American Politics. This course blends “election science”—a new and growing subfield in empirical political science—with a close examination of election law. We will examine not only how political scientists study elections, but also the federal court decisions that have shaped the rules of American elections. This course will therefore be particularly useful not only for students interested in data-driven assessment of electoral policies, but also for those considering professional legal education as a next step

POLS BC3341 COLL: GRASSROOTS ACTIVISMS AND SOCIAL CHANGE. 4.00 points.

How do ordinary people come together to enact social change in society? Focusing on the United States, this course explores how everyday people engage in collective action from the ground up, through social movements, community organizing, and other forms of advocacy and activisms. In particular, we will consider the role of grassroots movements and organizations as agents of democratic representation and catalysts for political transformation for marginalized communities. We will engage key questions about why groups choose to make political demands outside of formal institutional spaces, what kinds of visions for social change they put forward, how they seek to achieve their ideals, and how successful they are. The course will focus on contemporary activisms around racial justice, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, feminism, and labor

POLS BC3367 Colloquium: Transnational Kleptocracy. 4.00 points.

The term “kleptocracy” literally means “rule by thieves” and refers to the extensive grand corruption that elite rulers, allies and their family members engage in to privately enrich themselves at the expense of their populations. Traditionally, kleptocracy has been viewed as a scourge on developing countries, associated with greedy authoritarian rulers in conflict-prone, resource rich and/or aid dependent states. However, in recent years scholars and policymakers have increasingly become aware of the critical role played by international actors, institutions, legal structures and professional service providers that facilitate kleptocracy at a global level. Unlike other transnational illicit sectors such as narcotics trafficking or terrorism, many aspects of kleptocracy networks are publicly visible and perfectly legal. Overall, these networks function to enable the domestic plundering of these elites, the whitewashing of their reputations, and the exacerbation of vast inequality, both within the countries that kleptocrats systemically plunder and between the Global South and the West which receives and benefits from many of the proceeds of these corrupt activities. The first part of the course (Weeks 2-5) examines the transnational actors, service professionals and institutions that facilitate money laundering by kleptocrats. The second part (Weeks 6-7) concentrates on how kleptocrats launder their reputations, by presenting themselves as global philanthropists or business professionals and by acquiring residency in other jurisdictions through the growing market for citizenship. The final part of the course (Weeks 8-10) examines recent developments in international policy efforts to counter kleptocracy, including incorporating such efforts into national security strategies, enacting extraterritorial legislation to punish corporate bribery, sanctioning individual kleptocrats and oligarchs, and amending libel laws in countries like the UK that are routinely used by kleptocrats to intimidate journalists and deter investigations into their dealings. Finally, throughout the course we will grapple with the methodological challenges posed by trying to study and detect illegal and secretive patterns of behavior. What are the tools, resources and research techniques available to researchers and policy makers interested in making more evidence-based assessments about kleptocracy and grand corruption?

POLS BC3410 COLLOQUIUM ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN A DIVERSE WORLD. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS V1013 or W3001 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus.
Examination of human rights within the context of international migration. The course covers topics such as citizenship, state sovereignty, border control, asylum-seekers, refugees, and undocumented immigrants. (Cross-listed by the Human Rights Program.)

POLS BC3411 *Colloquium on Building Peace. 4 points.

Prerequisites: POLS 1601 (Intro to International Politics) or equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students.

How can we build peace in the aftermath of extensive violence? How can international actors help in this process? This colloquium focuses on international peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts in recent conflicts. It covers general concepts, theories, and debates, as well as specific cases of peacebuilding successes and failures. Cross-listed with Human Rights.

POLS BC3435 COLL: LAW AND VIOLENCE. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: Admission by application through the Barnard Political Science Department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Requires POLS 1011 (Political Theory) or equivalent. This colloquium examines how the law can participate in the justification of various forms of violence, exclusion, and inequality. It focuses on the power of law to determine which subjects get recognized as persons entitled to rights. Possible topics include slavery, migration, gender, sexual orientation, disability, homelessness, and nonhuman animals

POLS BC3445 COLL: GENDER ＆ PUBLIC POLICY. 4.00 points.

In this course, we will examine how notions of sex and gender have shaped public policies, and how public policies have affected the social, economic, and political citizenship of men and women in the United States over time

POLS BC3451 COLLOQUIUM ON ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES. 4.00 points.

In recent decades, economic inequality in the United States has soared to levels not seen for nearly a century: Wages for workers have stagnated, while the proportion of wealth concentrated among the most well-off Americans has steadily increased. These trends may have dire consequences for the state of representative democracy in the United States, as they endow a relatively small number of citizens with a disproportionate amount of resources to deploy politically. The result is a political system that often responds to the preferences of the wealthiest Americans, while frequently ignoring the views of most ordinary citizens. This course, in diverse ways, explores the political causes and consequences of rising inequality, especially with regards to who has political power. We will begin by examining the contours of inequality in the U.S. while also exploring the various ways that power manifests itself in politics. We’ll then explore the relationship between wealth and public policy outcomes in the United States, along with the ways that the very wealthiest Americans – both individually and collectively – work to advance their policy views. Beyond just examining national-level politics, we will also discuss inequality and power on the state- and local-levels. We’ll then explore how political and economic inequality are interrelated with race and social class, and how all of this connects to the rise of Donald Trump. Finally, we will assess potential remedies to political and economic inequality

POLS BC3540 COLL: CONSTRUCTING AND DECONSTRUCTING STATES AND NATIONS. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students.
Why do some countries develop well-functioning states capable of providing security and public services to their citizens while others do not? Why do some develop a strong sense of national identity and unity, while others are plagued by ethnic and communal divisions? How do the structure and strength of the state shape the development of national and other identities, and how do those identities in turn shape the state? This course examines these and related questions from historical and comparative perspectives, drawing on cases from different world regions in both the past and the present

POLS BC3500 COLL:POLIT ECON:CORRPTN/CONTRL. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus. Comparative political economy course which addresses some important questions concerning corruption and its control: the concept, causes, patterns, consequences, and control of corruption. Introduces students to and engages them in several key social science debates on the causes and effects of political corruption

POLS BC3501 COLL: URBAN VIOLENCE. 4.00 points.

POLS BC3505 COLL: MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK. 4.00 points.

Beginning in the mid-1970s a democratic wave swept the globe. It started in Southern Europe, spread throughout Latin America, parts of East Asia and Africa, and engulfed the former Soviet bloc. In all, dozens of new democracies emerged during the late twentieth century and by the early 21st century there were more democracies in the world than there had ever been before. Over the last decade and a half, however, a democratic undertow has sent in. Many new democracies have slid back towards dictatorship and many old democracies have experienced significant problems as well. This colloquium will exam the literature on democratic consolidation and backsliding, providing students with an overview of the most important theories about what makes democracy work—or not

POLS BC3512 Pandemics and Politics. 4.00 points.

The COVID-19 crisis offers a rare and unique opportunity to social science students to study how governments respond and how people behave during the pandemic.In this class, we focus on the government responses to the COVID pandemic (along with some other major pandemics in history) and investigate the questions of why governments around the globe did what they did in response to the pandemic, and how some social, political, and economic factors affected the kind of responses and the effectiveness of such responses. In analyzing different factors, we will survey and learn from existing relevant theoretical frameworks in social sciences particularly political science. we will cover a wide range of topics that are also major topics in political science such as federalism, authoritarianism, leadership, and trust in government. By examining this important contemporary global crisis from political science perspectives, students can learn about broader theories in social sciences in general and political science in particular. Another goal of this course is for students to learn how to make social science inquiry and analysis with comparative methods. Through the readings, class discussions, research, and writing of a research paper, students will be exposed to various ways to conduct research and making analysis which will be realized in a research paper

POLS BC3543 COLL:NON-STATE GOV CRIME/WAR. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: (POLS UN1501)
Prerequisites: (POLS UN1501) The conventional wisdom is that crime and civil war are linked to disorder. But these are far from disorderly and ungoverned spaces. Unpacking these settings reveals complex forms of non-state governance constructed by a range of actors, including rebel and guerillas, gangs, vigilantes, and protection rackets – sometimes facilitated by the state

POLS BC3555 COLLOQUIUM: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR. 4.00 points.

Not offered during 2024-2025 academic year.

This course explores how and why people take action in the political sphere. We will pay particular attention to questions such as why people vote, form interest groups, and/or contribute money to candidates. We will also study the origins of partisanship, polarization, opinion, and political ideology. Finally, we will cover topics in "elite" behavior, examining candidates, lawmakers, and party officials

POLS BC3801 COLL:POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: V 1501 or equivalent Description: The semester-long course aims to study political and social factors behind economic development and exam empirical cases of the success and failure in economic growth in order to understand the key features of the development processes. In the last two centuries, some countries successfully achieved economic growth and development, while other failed to do so. Even in the post-WWII period, the world has witnessed the rise and decline of economies around the world. Why do nations succeed or fail in economic development? How do political institutions affect economic outcomes? What are the ways in which state and market interact and influence each other? Can democracy be considered a cause of development, an outgrowth of development, or neither and to which extent? How do external factors such as foreign aid encourage or discourage development? We will try to examine these questions by taking a historical-institutional and comparative approach and take a critical look at the role of political and other institutions by applying theoretical guidelines and empirical cases. We will explore competing explanations for the successes and failures of economic development in the world. Objective:1. Understand some important concepts and theories within the fields of comparative politics and political economy. To explore the interconnections between politics, economy, and society in the context of development policy and practice.2. Develop basic analytic skills to explore various factors that shape political, economic, and social development and underdevelopment in the world;3. Understand some country specific political economy processes and how these processes prove or disprove certain theories and policies

POLS BC3810 *Colloquium on Aid, Politics & Violence in Africa. 4 points.

Prerequisites: POLS V1601 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus.

Explores the concepts, theoretical traditions and debates around development and humanitarian aid, focusing on the relationships between aid, politics, and violence. It looks at the political and military impacts of aid, the linkage between humanitarian aid and conflict resolution, and aid's contribution to perpetuating subtle forms of domination. (Cross-listed by the Africana Studies and the Human Rights Programs.)

POLS BC3812 * Colloquium on State Failure, Warlords, and Pirates. 4 points.

Not offered during 2024-2025 academic year.

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or POLS V1601 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus.

What are sovereign states, why do they fail, does their failure matter, and can the international community help? This course examines these questions using social science theories and historical case studies. It focuses on the political economy and security consequences of two current forms of state failure: warlordism and piracy.

POLS BC3816 COVID-19 and International Relations. 4.00 points.

Welcome to “International Relations of COVID-19.” The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic has sent political shockwaves around the world, affecting almost every aspect of international political life. From how countries cooperate with one another to redefining what constitutes national security, to recasting pressures for globalization and de-globalization, the world as we knew it prior to February 2020 appears to be dramatically changing. At the same time, scholars and policymakers are increasingly divided about how to understand and respond to many of these challenges. Is the COVID era truly new or will it actually accelerate recent trends in international politics and global governance? What are the similarities between this pandemic and previous global health crises and what lessons should we draw for managing international order? What are the implications for US leadership, and broad perceptions about the erosion of the US-led liberal world order, and how have strategic competitors like China dealt with the crisis globally? Finally, what are the tools, resources and networks available to researchers and policy makers interested in making more evidence-based assessments about international public policy? What are the challenges? The intensive nature of this colloquium is reflected in two ways- preparation and focus. First, the course carries a substantial reading load designed to inform and prepare students for each course session. These assignments will mostly be academic readings, but may also include podcasts, news articles, and digital archival materials. New materials and resources dealing with the course topic are added daily and may be added to the syllabus, so please check the Courseworks syllabus before each meeting for the current assignments. Importantly, our class lectures, group activities and individual assignments will build upon, not review, the assigned materials for the session. Second, the remote nature of the course will require active listening and focus. Each session typically will be split into 2 segments, roughly of 55-60 minutes each. Many of these segments will feature guest lecturers or experts who will give 25-30 mins presentations on their topic and then field questions. During our limited time for Q＆A students should ask single, concise questions

HRTS BC1025 HUM RGTS IN THEORY＆ PRACTICE. 3.00 points.

Provides a broad overview of the rapidly expanding field of human rights. Lectures on the philosophical, historical, legal and institutional foundations are interspersed with weekly presentations by frontline advocates from the U.S. and overseas

HRTS BC3061 INTERNATIONAL LAW & THE UNITED NATIONS IN PRACTICE. 4 points.

HRTS UN3001 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS. 3.00 points.

Evolution of the theory and content of human rights; the ideology and impact of human rights movements; national and international human rights law and institutions; their application with attention to universality within states, including the U.S. and internationally

MDES UN3260 RETHINKING MIDDLE EAST POLITCS. 4.00 points.

CC/GS/SEAS: Partial Fulfillment of Global Core Requirement

This course examines a set of questions that have shaped the study of the politics of the modern Middle East. It looks at the main ways those questions have been answered, exploring debates both in Western academic scholarship and among scholars and intellectuals in the region itself. For each question, the course offers new ways of thinking about the issue or ways of framing it in different terms. The topics covered in the course include: the kinds of modern state that emerged in the Middle East and the ways its forms of power and authority were shaped; the birth of economic development as a way of describing the function and measuring the success of the state, and the changing metrics of this success; the influence of oil on the politics of the region; the nature and role of Islamic political movements; the transformation of the countryside and the city and the role of rural populations and of urban protest in modern politics; and the politics of armed force and political violence in the region, and the ways in which this has been understood. The focus of the course will be on the politics of the twentieth century, but many topics will be traced back into developments that occurred in earlier periods, and several will be explored up to the present. The course is divided into four parts, each ending with a paper or exam in which participants are asked to analyze the material covered. Each part of the course has a geographical focus on a country or group of countries and a thematic focus on a particular set of questions of historical and political analysis

URBS V3833 New York City: Politics and Governing. 4 points.

This course will examine through readings, class discussions, and in class debate, the complex politics and governing of New York City- the key political institutions, and who holds urban political power, voting and elections, and the changing roles of the electorate will be covered.  We will examine the structure or New York City government and how the New York City Budget is developed and adopted; the interplay between Mayoral and City council powers, the city charter, the process of governing and the role of political parties, special interest groups, lobbyists and labor unions. We will look back in the City’s political history and consider that time in the mid 1970’s when New York City suffered a major fiscal crisis and was close to financial bankruptcy.  In this context, New York City’s relationships with the state and federal governments will also be covered.