FP220: Political Science Research Methods This course serves as an introduction to the scientific study of politics. We will begin with the logic of social scientific inquiry and the basics of research design, and then move on to the quantitative and qualitative methods that are commonly used by political scientists to study important political questions such as: Why do (and why don't) people vote? Why are some governments more stable than others? Why do nations go to war? Does campaign spending improve a candidate's chances of getting elected? By the end of the course, you should be able to evaluate and critique the design, logic, and statistical conclusions of newspaper reports and academic articles dealing with these issues and others. It should also help fill your social science methodological took kit in order to undertake research and better understand arguments made in fields across the social sciences.
FP230: Introduction to Comparative Politics Political systems throughout the world face a number of similar challenges in establishing and maintaining democracy. This course is based on the premise that through comparison of these challenges we can begin to make some generalizations concerning the variables that affect the relative success or failure of distinct countries in balancing the dual challenges of representation and stability inherent in all democratic systems.
FP323: Government and Politics of Latin America Latin America is a region of political, social, and economic contrasts. Despite differences within and among states, they still share a common origin and history, and confront many of the same challenges to development and prosperity Moreover, almost every country in the region has undergone a relatively recent democratic transition from authoritarian rule. This class provides an introduction to the political development and the current context of politics in Latin America. It combines material on historical and theoretical topics with material on the current politics of specific countries. The course considers the impact of political culture, economic development, representative institutions, and the legacies of authoritarian and revolutionary regimes on the contemporary politics of the region.
FP324: Foreign Relations of Latin America The course studies the origins and historical evolution of the Latin American state system since the early 19th century. It is designed to help students have a better understanding of the complex relationship between the United States and Latin America but also addresses the topics of power political dynamics and the parallel efforts at cooperation, inter‐state solidarism, and regional order. Contrary to other approaches, which tend to conflate IR with Comparative Politics, or simply with the study of individual countries’ foreign policies, this course advances an “IR approach” that emphasizes regional and systemic processes shaping the development of Latin America’s international relations as a distinctive and self‐standing regional system of states, worthy of its own academic attention. In this context, students will have the opportunity to read extensively about the origins and evolution of Latin America as a discrete regional system of states, holistically understanding its unique features as well as its commonalities with other regional actors, institutional phenomena, and global trends.
FP471D: Coups and Impeachment in Comparative Perspective (Seminar) Why do some countries experiences coups and others do not? Why do some coups fail and other succeed? Why are some presidents overthrown, others impeached, and yet others survive? These questions and their answers are germane to the study of comparative politics and international relations, and inform the way politicians, soldiers, policymakers, and citizens behave in democratic (and non-democratic) society. This seminar uses historical accounts and the scholarly literature to unpack these questions and others, as it examines inter-branch conflict and institutional instability, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The course shows how institutional design and the actions of political actors, including the military, social movements, and political-economic elites, contribute to survival or fall of governments and democratic regimes across the globe.
FP471F: Unilateral Executive Power in the U.S. and Abroad (Seminar) Presidents all over the globe are powerful. They possess a range of formal and informal powers, from decrees, executive orders, signing statements, and presidential memoranda, to things like bureaucratic and judicial appointment power, judicial review, and partisan powers, all of which have consequences for parties, voters, and democracy. This seminar asks the following questions: when do presidents use executive orders or decrees to make policy? What other formal and informal “unilateral powers” do presidents possess, and when do they use them? Are there differences across presidents and countries? Lastly, what implications does the use of unilateral executive power have for democracy? The capstone will use historical accounts and the scholarly literature to unpack these topics and others, as it examines executive policymaking and the changing nature of presidential power in the U.S. and abroad. The course begins with a focus on the U.S. presidency before moving to a comparative analysis of American and foreign presidential power. We will use a “president vs. presidency” theoretical framework of executive power to illustrate how personal ambition and institutional factors interact to condition executive behavior.
Courses at other institutions
From Perón to Chávez: Populism in Latin America (GOVT 390 at the College of William & Mary; 6-week course) From Juan Domingo Perón and Evita’s mobilization of workers in Argentina to Hugo Chávez’s demagoguery and charismatic appeals to the Venezuelan poor, populism is an enduring political tradition in Latin America. Politicians in the region have repeatedly sought to make direct, personal, and emotional pleas to their countrymen in their quest for power. This course examines the question of what exactly populism is, why it has flourished in Latin America, and how it has evolved over time. In it, we will try to identify and define populism, examine its social, economic, and political origins, and analyze some of the consequences of populism for democracy, stability, and economic development. We will also take a historical look at populism in Latin America, using case studies from the early twentieth century to the present.
Introduction to International Relations (POL 116 at Wake Forest University) The purpose of this course is to help students develop tools for understanding the complexities of the global (i.e. international) system. After an introductory look at some of the contrasting realities in global politics, the course will examine the international system as it exists in reality and as it is explained in theory. After an introduction, we will address six major areas of the study of global politics: 1) the paradigmatic theories scholars and policy analysts use to understand and craft global relations; 2) the nature and evolution of international conflict; 3) the organization of the global system, including both government and non-government actors; 4) the design and function of international political economy; and 5) the world’s environmental capacities and limitations, and 6) the disparity of development among and within states.
Introducción a la política comparada (español) (Graduate course at FLACSO-Ecuador) Este curso pretende familiarizar a los(as) estudiantes con las principales herramientas metodológicas e insumos teóricos necesarios para la comprensión del sub campo de la Ciencia Política conocido como Política Comparada. El curso inicia con una revisión de la lógica de la investigación comparada y las principales estrategias metodológicas utilizadas en este sub campo. Posteriormente, se discuten las corrientes teóricas más influyentes en la investigación de Política Comparada, enfatizando en las bondades y debilidades de cada una de ellas. Finalmente, se analizan investigaciones emblemáticas relacionadas con los principales temas de interés para la Política Comparada de América Latina.