Courses

POLS B121 Introduction to U.S. Politics

Fall 2025

As the American political system continues to face challenges from both the right and the left, it is more important than ever to understand its key features, institutions, personnel and policy-making processes. This course provides a broad overview of the structures, personnel and institutions that govern and shape elections and policymaking in the United States. This course provides an overview of these key features. Writing Attentive.

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POLS B131 Introduction to Comparative Politics

Spring 2026

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the discipline of comparative politics. We will explore the primary approaches and concepts scholars employ in order to systematically analyze the political world. In doing so, we will also examine the political structures, institutions, and behaviors of a number of countries around the world. Questions we will engage with include: What is power and how is it exercised? What are the differences between democratic and authoritarian regimes? How do different countries develop their economies? What factors shape the relationships between states and their societies? By the end of this course, students will be equipped to answer these questions and prepared for further study in political science.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: International Studies; International Studies.

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POLS B141 Introduction to International Politics

Fall 2025

This course offers an introduction to international politics to acquaint students with major trends and themes in international relations and global affairs. The course is divided into two units. The first unit explores the foundational concepts and theories and the history of international relations. The second unit focuses on key issues in international relations, such as the rise of populism & authoritarianism, international organizations, global peace & security initiatives, human rights, and forced migration. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to connect these theories and topics to issues that are playing out in the world today. This course is a pre-requisite for other International Politics courses within the Pol Sci department.

Counts Toward: Peace Justice and Human Rights.

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POLS B205 European Politics: Coming Together or Falling Apart?

Spring 2026

Coming together or falling apart - which best describes the state of European politics in the third decade of the 21st century? In this course we will analyze both trends, exploring the changing relationship between supranational organizations, states, and societies in Europe. The European Union is one of the most ambitious experiments in international cooperation ever attempted. Despite the EU's many successes, sources of conflict between and within European countries have persisted. With the recent Greek financial crisis ("Grexit"), the Syrian refugee crisis, Britain's departure ("Brexit"), and the rise of far-right nationalist parties in many member countries, and the twin refugee and energy crises precipitated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the union is starting to look frayed around the edges. In fact, each move toward European unity has dropped barriers for some while raising them for others. In this course, we will explore European politics from the edges, from the borders separating the included from the excluded. These borders may be geographical, political, socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, or cultural in nature. Our focus will be on political initiatives from the bottom up and the outside in. From this perspective, we will try to make sense of the interactions that produce cross-cutting pressures toward European unification on the one hand and toward dissolution of the European experiment on the other. We will cover issue areas such as migrant labor, housing and urban quality of life, immigration and refugee policy, public health, marriage equality, education and collective memory, defense and security, and information politics.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: Environmental Studies.

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POLS B221 Gender and Comparative Politics

Fall 2025

This course explores the dynamic intersection of gender and politics within a comparative framework. Through a feminist and intersectional lens, students will engage in major debates in the field of comparative politics, including but not limited to the State, social movements, authoritarianism, populism, democracy, institutions, and backlash. The course maps the trajectory of feminist work across various areas of comparative research, using examples from different world regions and periods to analyze similarities and differences across global cases. This course fulfills a 200-level requirement for both Comparative Politics and American Politics for Political Science majors. Prerequisite: Students must have taken either Intro to International Politics, Intro to Comparative Politics, or Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies.

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POLS B229 Politics of Women's Empowerment

Spring 2026

The "empowerment of women" has become a key goal, whether real or rhetorical, of governments and politically involved non-governmental institutions across the globe. Whether through foreign aid programs targeted at women or reserved seats within domestic legislatures, it is not uncommon to see policies meant to "empower" women. But what does "empowerment" actually entail? Is it about assimilating women into existing political and economic structures? What types of power are being given to women, and how are they to use it? Which women are being "empowered"? How does the "empowerment" of women fit with other goals of those already in power? Is this a victory for feminism? We will take a cross-national approach to the issue, looking at how various polities are approaching women's empowerment, both at home and abroad.

Writing Attentive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

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POLS B231 Introduction to Political Philosophy: Modern

Fall 2025

A continuation of POLS 228, although 228 is not a prerequisite. Particular attention is given to the various ways in which the concept of freedom is used in explaining political life. Readings from Locke, J.S. Mill, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and others.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B233 Intro to Research Design and Data Analysis for PoliSci

Not offered 2025-26

This course offers students an introduction to the research design and methods used in political science. Topics are as follows (but are not limited to): (1) Positivism vs. interpretivism, (2) Causal vs. descriptive inference (3) Conceptualization, operationalization and measurement, (4) Experimental design, (5) Quasi-experimental design, (6) Survey research and sampling, (7) In-depth interviewing, (8) Quantitative data analysis and statistics, (9) Case selection, and (10) Multi-method research design. Students will have problem sets to finish every two weeks for which they will use the necessary software (usually R and R Studio). At the end of the semester, they will submit a research design which they can use as a basis for their senior thesis.

Quantitative Methods (QM)

Counts Toward: Data Science.

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POLS B237 Latin American Politics

Spring 2026

This course examines Latin American politics through the lens of authoritarianism and populism. Since the mid-twentieth century, the region has undergone sweeping political transformations, including a shift from military rule to electoral politics. Despite these changes, democratic instability remains a persistent challenge. Students will analyze key historical and contemporary political moments to understand how colonial legacies, Eurocentrism, religion, patriarchal systems, and neoliberal economic policies have shaped-and often undermined-democratic goals. By the end of the semester, students will have a nuanced understanding of the region's political dynamics from the early 1950s to the present. Prerequisite: One course in Political Science or Latin American Studies

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Latin American Iberian Latinx; Spanish.

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POLS B241 The Politics of International Law and Institutions

Spring 2026

An introduction to international law, which assumes a working knowledge of modern world history and politics since World War II. The origins of modern international legal norms in philosophy and political necessity are explored, showing the schools of thought to which the understandings of these origins give rise. Significant cases are used to illustrate various principles and problems. Prerequisite: POLS B141

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: International Studies; International Studies.

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POLS B245 Philosophy of Law

Fall 2025

Introduces students to a variety of questions in the philosophy of law. Readings will be concerned with the nature of law, the character of law as a system, the ethical character of law, and the relationship of law to politics, power, authority, and society. Readings will include philosophical arguments about law, as well as judicial cases through which we examine these ideas within specific contexts, especially tort and contracts. Most or all of the specific issues discussed will be taken from Anglo-American law, although the general issues considered are not limited to those legal systems. Recommended Prerequisite: sophomore standing, freshman only with professor's consent.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B249 Politics of Economic Development

Fall 2025

How do we explain the variations of political and economic systems in the world? What is the relationship between the state and the market? To what extent does the timing of industrialization affect the viability of certain developmental strategies? This seminar introduces the intellectual history of comparative political economy and development studies with readings on both comparative political economy and international political economy. First, we will examine the debates on the dynamics of the state and the market in the development and globalization process. Second, we will explore specific case studies to discuss: 1) how the political and economic processes have changed in response to the interaction of the domestic and international arenas, 2) whether and how the late developers learned from the experiences of early developers, 3) how the international economy and international financial crisis shaped domestic development strategies. Lastly, we will analyze the developmental concerns at the sub-national level with financial liberalization. Prerequisite: Freshman can enroll after they have taken 100 level courses in social science and after getting instructor permission.

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Counts Toward: International Studies.

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POLS B251 Democracy, Politics and the Media

Fall 2025

This course explores the politics of mass communication with an emphasis on the United States. Special attention will be paid to the relationships between the public, media, and government; the institutional structure of the news media and recent changes to the communication system; and factors shaping the construction of the news such as journalistic routines, media economics, and interactions with political actors. Students will critically engage with contemporary political discourse and journalism. Throughout, the course will highlight connections between empirical research and relevant concepts from political theory and philosophy.

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POLS B256 Global Politics of Climate Change

Fall 2025

This course will introduce students to important political issues raised by climate change locally, nationally, and internationally, paying particular attention to the global implications of actions at the national and subnational levels. It will focus not only on specific problems, but also on solutions; students will learn about some of the technological and policy innovations that are being developed worldwide in response to the challenges of climate change. Only open to students in 360 program.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: Environmental Studies; Environmental Studies; Growth and Structure of Cities.

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POLS B263 Which Way to Freedom?: Debates in Black Political Thought

Spring 2026

This course explores the central debates of Black political thought from slavery to the present. Students will encounter major figures including Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Angela Davis, and Toni Morrison. Each thinker is placed in the historical context that shaped their arguments about freedom, justice, democracy, and resistance. Class sessions emphasize active debate and dialogue, giving students the chance to inhabit and contest competing visions of liberation. By the end of the course, students will understand how these enduring arguments continue to shape contemporary struggles over race and democracy.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: Africana Studies; Africana Studies.

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POLS B272 The Power of the People: Democratic Revolutions

Fall 2025

We often invoke "democracy" as the very ground of political legitimacy, but there is very little agreement on what democracy means, why we might desire it, or how state institutions, law, and political culture might embody it. In this seminar we will grapple with some recent and influential accounts of democratic governance and democratic movements today. Our objective will be to develop a critical vocabulary for understanding what democracy might mean, what conditions it requires, and what "best practices" citizens committed to democracy might enlist to confront political challenges such as the structural divisions that persist among class, gender, and race; persistent inequality and influence of money and corporations; and the potential for democratic, grass-roots power as a vital ingredient to democratic flourishing. Writing Intensive.

Writing Intensive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B275 Interpretive Research Design & Methods in Political Science

Spring 2026

This course introduces students to interpretive research in political science, an approach that centers meaning-making, context, and the lived experience of political life. Rather than focusing on hypothesis testing or causal inference, interpretive methods ask how political realities are made, experienced, and contested by individuals and communities. Prerequisites: Any Intro level course in Political Science.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

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POLS B279 City and Immigration

Fall 2025

This course explores how immigration has shaped the social, economic, and political development of American cities. We will examine urban governance, racial and ethnic politics, and the formation of immigrant communities through foundational theories and contemporary case studies. Students will engage with frameworks such as political machines (Erie, Banfield & Wilson), urban regime (Stone), urban growth regimes (Logan & Molotch), and political incorporation (Browning, Marshall, and Tabb), applying them to modern-day issues like sanctuary cities, gentrification, labor resistance, and coalition politics. Particular attention will be paid to Philadelphia-a city shaped by waves of migration, industrial transformation, and immigrant-led activism. American cities have always been built at the crossroads of aspiration and exclusion. From the German and Irish wards of 19th-century Philadelphia to Korean grocery stores in post-uprising Los Angeles, immigrant communities have created, contested, and redefined the urban experience. Yet these same communities have often been scapegoated, surveilled, or displaced by freeways, by finance, by reformers in the name of progress. This course invites students to trace these contradictions through the lens of gender, race, and class, from Chinese homecare workers in New York City to Puerto Rican migrants in Philadelphia to the immigrants resisting displacement today. We will read theory, walk the streets of Chinatown, and ask: who builds the city-and who is it for?

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Growth and Structure of Cities.

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POLS B283 Middle East Politics

Fall 2025

This course offers an overview on the contemporary politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the relevant social (mostly political) science work on it. It brings together empirical knowledge on domestic and transnational politics in different countries of the region and how empirical political science around the big questions is conducted. Each module of the course revolves around a central question that has been keeping social and political scientists busy in the last decades: What triggers risky protest movements in authoritarian settings? Why has the MENA region remained authoritarian despite successive global waves of democratization? Under which conditions do transitions to democracies succeed? Do monarchies in the Middle East have an advantage in ensuring political stability, and if so, why? Is it impossible to ensure good governance and peace at the same time in divided societies? What motivates people to take up arms in the name of religion and sect? What are the reasons behind the economic underdevelopment of the MENA region? Students are also invited to think about these "big questions" and take MENA countries as their case studies, while at the same significantly enhancing their contextual knowledge about the region. No prerequisites, but either some prior familiarity with the Middle East or a prior political science course encouraged.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Hebrew and Judaic Studies; International Studies; International Studies.

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POLS B289 Revolutions and Political Violence

Not offered 2025-26

The course aims to understand why ethnic riots, civil conflict, and political protest occur and why participation in these events varies among individuals, groups, and states.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: International Studies.

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POLS B290 Power and Resistance

Not offered 2025-26

What more is there to politics than power? What is the force of the "political" for specifying power as a practice or institutional form? What distinguishes power from authority, violence, coercion, and domination? How is power embedded in and generated by cultural practices, institutional arrangements, and processes of normalization? This course seeks to address questions of power and politics in the context of domination, oppression, and the arts of resistance. Our general topics will include authority, the moralization of politics, the dimensions of power, the politics of violence (and the violence of politics), language, sovereignty, emancipation, revolution, domination, normalization, governmentality, genealogy, and democratic power. Writing projects will seek to integrate analytical and reflective analyses as we pursue these questions in common. Writing Intensive.

Writing Intensive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies.

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POLS B304 Community and the Politics of Places

Not offered 2025-26

This course investigates what community means, how communities organize themselves around place, and how these places are integral/included/participants in community, in particular as sources of energy and resources for extraction. We will take orientation from the argument developed by Daniel Kemmis, former minority leader in the Montana House of Representatives and Mayor of Missoula, who articulated a collective, cooperative model for place-based governance in the American West. We'll then consider this model and some of its critics in three key areas where place has mattered, for better or for worse: Appalachia and coal; Athabasca and oil; and Alaska and nuclear power. Each case will offer an opportunity to think through the meaning and politics of community as well as to develop frameworks of power analysis that can illustrate how change might occur. Prerequisite: One Social Science course or permission of instructor

Writing Attentive

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POLS B313 Advanced Topics in Constitutional Law

Not offered 2025-26

This course will focus on cases that are on the Supreme Court's docket for decision in the current term. Through readings of cases and secondary material, students will examine the background of the current controversies, and the political and social issues that they raise. As a part of the course, each student will participate in mock hearings on the cases, acting sometimes as an advocate for one party and sometimes as a judge. In preparation for this, students will conduct research under supervision. Students will also participate in gathering materials on the broader political-social implications of the controversies which will be read and discussed by the class. Prerequisite: one course requiring the reading of legal cases (POLS B220, POLS/PHIL B245, POLS B273, POLS H215, H216) or consent of instructor.

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POLS B323 Consent of the Governed: Mass Opinion and Public Discourse

Spring 2026

This seminar explores how governments maintain widespread consent to their rule, or, in other words, "the ease with which the many are governed by the few." We will study the politics of mass opinion and perception; political language, propaganda, and dissent; and the formation of political identities, with an emphasis on democratic politics and the U.S. in particular. The course includes a mix of political theory and philosophy, empirical social science, and political fiction. Readings from Hume, Rousseau, Marx, Gramsci, Althusser, Foucault, Bourdieu, Orwell, Bradbury and others. Suggested preparation course POLS B251: Democracy, Politics and the Media.

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POLS B339 Bureaucracy & Democracy in America

Spring 2026

This course will focus on the role of the federal bureaucracy in the U.S. political system. It will take an interdisciplinary approach to help us contextualize and understand President Trump's current efforts to dismantle "the administrative state." It will wrestle with questions about how we reconcile bureaucracy and democracy in the United States including the bureaucracy's role in policymaking and the bureaucracy's vulnerability to presidential power.

Counts Toward: Environmental Studies.

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POLS B346 Gender & International Organizations

Spring 2026

Employing a multi-disciplinary feminist lens, this course examines how gender shapes and is shaped by global peace and security governance. With a particular focus on the United Nations Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, students will engage with theoretical, institutional, and empirical perspectives to analyze how global organizations translate gender norms into policy and practice. Through case studies and critical debates, the course interrogates both the promises and limitations of global gender governance in contexts of conflict and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: One Political Science or Gender & Sexuality Studies course.

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies.

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POLS B352 Peace Studies in International Politics

Fall 2025

This course explores the role and processes of peacemaking in international politics. It examines key theoretical and empirical debates on peace mobilizations, peace negotiations, peace agreements, and transitional justice. This course also considers gendered aspects, perspectives, and debates in each of these substantive research areas. While the geographical scope of the course is global, there will be a large focus on the 1998 Northern Ireland and the 2016 Colombian peace processes. This writing-intensive course prepares seniors for their thesis. It will require writing and peer review assignments throughout the semester, culminating in a 25-30-page paper at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: One intro POLS course or permission from instructor

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: Latin American Iberian Latinx.

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POLS B357 Labor and Party Politics in the U.S.

Spring 2026

This seminar explores the central but contested role of labor in American politics. From the rise of industrial unionism in the early twentieth century to the struggles of service, care, and gig workers today, the labor movement has shaped debates over democracy, political representation, and economic power in the United States. We will examine how labor has intersected with race, ethnicity, and immigration, highlighting both solidarities and fractures-such as African American workers' uneasy relationship with organized labor and the exclusion or marginalization of immigrant and Asian American workers. The course investigates labor's shifting relationships with both Democratic and Republican parties, considering the benefits and constraints of those alliances. We will also analyze recent controversies surrounding union power and representation, including the Chicago Teachers Union's role in city politics and SEIU 1199's contested representation of health care workers. Students will engage these historical and contemporary debates through seminar-style discussions, short response papers, documentary reviews, and a final research project.

Course does not meet an Approach

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

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POLS B362 Civil Society and Social Movements in the Middle East

Spring 2026

This course explores the role of civil society and social movements in shaping politics across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Centering this course on practices of society and non-state actors, we will aim to broaden our understanding of the MENA region beyond scholarship more typical to the area, such as authoritarianism, political violence, and international politics. We will examine how civil society has emerged in the region, adapted, and persisted in contexts of political repression, authoritarianism, and conflict. Special attention will be paid to the Arab Spring in 2011, and how those social movements across the region have shaped politics for the past 15 years. Other topics include the rise of Islamist activism, feminist organizing across the region, everyday resistance, labor organizing, the rise of NGOs, and the formalization of civil society, among others. We will engage with the literature on social movements and civil society broadly and specialize our discussion with readings focusing on these themes within the MENA region and the literature. Prerequisite: Preferred course: Middle East Politics

Counts Toward: M Eastern/C Asian/N African St; Middel Eastern Central Asian; Middle Eastern Central Asian.

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POLS B366 From the Great Wall to the DMZ: Power, Politics, and Prosper

Fall 2025, Spring 2026

This senior seminar is designed to examine the political, economic, and strategic transformations that have shaped modern East Asia, focusing on China, Japan, and the two Koreas. From ancient tributary systems to contemporary flashpoints, the course will explore the region's historical foundations and current complexities, with a particular emphasis on how power, politics, and economics have intersected in the formation of East Asian states and their relationships with one another. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and in-class activities, students will engage with key themes that have shaped East Asia's past and continue to influence its future trajectories. This course aims to equip students with the critical tools necessary to analyze the evolving dynamics of East Asia and their broader implications for global politics. Prerequisite: This course is a seminar open to juniors and seniors, featuring extensive readings, discussions, and writing assignments.

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POLS B371 Topics in Political Philosophy

Section 001 (Fall 2025): Governing the Self and Others

Fall 2025

An advanced seminar on a topic in political or legal philosophy/theory. Topics vary by year. Prerequisite: At least one course in political theory or philosophy or consent of instructor.

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B372 Beccaria to Black Lives Matter: The Long Abolition Movement

Spring 2026

This course traces the political thought of the long abolition movement, from early critiques of prisons in the eighteenth century to contemporary struggles against mass incarceration and policing. Students will read foundational thinkers such as Beccaria, Douglass, Wells, and Debs alongside modern abolitionists including Davis, Gilmore, and Kaba. Drawing on Philadelphia's carceral history and present, the course integrates site visits and engagement with local organizations to connect theory and practice. Students will develop the ability to interpret complex political arguments, trace historical transformations in abolitionist thought, and analyze how social movements translate ideas into collective action.

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POLS B378 Origins of American Constitutionalism

Fall 2025

This course will explore some aspects of early American constitutional thought, particularly in the periods immediately preceding and following the American Revolution. The premise of the course is that many of the questions that arose during that period-concerning, for example, the nature of law, the idea of sovereignty, and the character of legitimate political authority-remain important questions for political, legal, and constitutional thought today, and that studying the debates of the revolutionary period can help sharpen our understanding of these issues. Prerequisites: sophomore standing and previous course work in American history, American government, political theory, or legal studies.

Counts Toward: History.

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POLS B391 International Political Economy

Fall 2025

This seminar examines the growing importance of economic issues in world politics and traces the development of the modern world economy from its origins in colonialism and the industrial revolution, through to the globalization of recent decades. Major paradigms in political economy are critically examined. Aspects of and issues in international economic relations such as development, finance, trade, migration, and foreign investment are examined in the light of selected approaches. This course is open to all students who have the prerequisites. Prerequisite: One course in International Politics or Economics is required. Preference is given to seniors although juniors are accepted.

Writing Attentive

Counts Toward: International Studies; International Studies.

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POLS B399 Senior Essay

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POLS B403 Supervised Work

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POLS B425 Praxis III: Independent Study

Praxis III courses are Independent Study courses and are developed by individual students, in collaboration with faculty and field supervisors. A Praxis courses is distinguished by genuine collaboration with fieldsite organizations and by a dynamic process of reflection that incorporates lessons learned in the field into the classroom setting and applies theoretical understanding gained through classroom study to work done in the broader community. Note: Students are eligible to take up to two Praxis Fieldwork Seminars or Praxis Independent Studies during their time at Bryn Mawr.

Counts Toward: Praxis Program.

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ENVS B202 Environment and Society

Fall 2025, Spring 2026

An exploration of the ways in which different cultural, economic, and political settings have shaped issue emergence and policy making. We examine the politics of particular environmental issues in selected countries and regions, paying special attention to the impact of environmental movements. We also assess the prospects for international cooperation in addressing global environmental problems such as climate change.

Writing Attentive

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: Environmental Studies; Growth and Structure of Cities; Political Science.

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ENVS B330 Organizing for Climate Action

Spring 2026

To win climate action, you need more than good science, accurate data, and bold ideas. You need power. Behind the scenes of social movements, organizers are setting clear goals, building relationships, and creating meaningful opportunities for others to express their values together. A central premise of this class is that policymaking and social change takes strategic campaigning. Whether you aim to lead campus organizations more effectively, influence public policy, or grow a grassroots movement for a more just and sustainable future, this course will help you develop practical skills for mobilizing collective action.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: Political Science.

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PHIL B252 Feminist Theory

Spring 2026

Beliefs that gender discrimination has been eliminated and women have achieved equality have become commonplace. We challenge these assumptions examining the concepts of patriarchy, sexism, and oppression. Exploring concepts central to feminist theory, we attend to the history of feminist theory and contemporary accounts of women's place and status in different societies, varied experiences, and the impact of the phenomenon of globalization. We then explore the relevance of gender to philosophical questions about identity and agency with respect to moral, social and political theory. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of instructor.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies; Political Science.

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SOCL B262 Public Opinion

Spring 2026

This course will assess public opinion in American politics: what it is, how it is measured, how it is shaped, how it relates to public policy, and how it changes over time. It includes both questions central to political scientists (what is the public, how do they exercise their voice, does the government listen and how do they respond?) and to sociologists (where do ideas come from, how do they gain societal influence, and how do they change over time?). It will pay close attention to the role of electoral politics throughout, both historically and in the current election. It is focused primarily on the United States, but seeks to place the US in global context. If this course is taken to fulfill an elective in the Data Science minor, students will conduct hands-on analyses with real data as a key component to both their Midterm and Final Essays.

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies; Political Science.

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