Government Courses

This course introduces the systematic analysis of international society, the factors that motivate foreign policies, and instruments used in the conduct of international relations. Particular attention is given to power and economic relations; to cultural differences that may inhibit mutual understanding or lead to conflict; to nationalism and other ideologies; to the requisites and limits of cooperation; and to the historical structuring and functioning of international institutions.

The course traces the economics history of Latin America since 1870 by highlighting the different stages in macro-policy (export-led growth, import substitution industrialization, current models juxtaposed) and by focusing on the role of commodities in the national and regional developmental process. Specific commodities to be studied include silver, guano, nitrates, coffee, sugar, cereals, beef, henequen, rubber, cocaine, and oil. Topics will be covered more or less chronologically, with the last classes analyzing current developments. Particular attention will be paid to the larger economies of the region (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela) and the development strategies they pursued. The course will take on the issues of why Latin America has failed to reach levels of development achieved by industrialized countries in Europe and Asia and what can be done to achieve sustained development.

This course examines how countries in Europe and North America are responding to (and being transformed by) international migration.  In the first half, we will focus on the determinants of migration, as well as governments' attempts to manage and control population flows. In the second half, we will examine the increasingly contentious politics surrounding immigrant settlement, and will investigate the consequences of policies that seek to promote the exclusion or inclusion of immigrants after arrival.

The latest wave of economic globalization has differently affected various regions of the world. One of the most often repeated (and disputed) assertions is that the economic power of the United States is fading and that the fortunes of the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) as well as other selected Emerging Economies ("the Second World") will mark the dawn of a more equal and, economically speaking, a more balanced global economy. The most recent financial crisis has put into question many of the assertions on both sides of this debate, in ways that question the very basic assumptions analysts of the global economy have been making since the creation of the Bretton Woods system in the aftermath of World War II. In this course we investigate the impact of the economic boom of the last two decades, the current crisis, and their impact on the economic fate and standing of particularly the United States, India, China, and Russia. We focus in part on efforts to create a new financial architecture for the global economy, and investigate how the debate between markets and state intervention has been affected by the ongoing financial crisis-and what this may mean for both countries that rely extensively on markets, and for those that strategically promote state intervention.

This course explores the growth of Chinese wealth and power, and implications of that growth for international politics. We begin by studying China's economic and military rise, debating whether China can join the ranks of the world's great powers. Then we discuss how China's growing power will affect its relations with world's current superpower, the United States. Is China catching up to the US? Are the United States and China doomed for superpower confrontation, or can China's rise be accommodated within the US-led international order? In addition, we explore the implications of China's rise for its relations with its neighbors, and for regional stability. Not open to students who have received credit for GOVT 81.10.

This course examines the recent emergence of foreign assistance as a tool of counterinsurgency and post-conflict reconciliation in countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Liberia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The course has three broad purposes: (1) to introduce students to leading research on the motives and dynamics of violence in civil war settings, with a focus especially on the post-1945 era; (2) to develop an understanding of the multiple ways in which different actors - including militaries, rebel organizations (i.e. the Taliban), state agencies (i.e. USAID), non-governmental organizations (i.e. Doctors Without Borders), and international organizations such as the World Bank - have used aid in these environments, and how aid and violence intersect; and (3) to provide students with a grasp of the different approaches that have been used to evaluate aid in these settings, including randomized control trials, quasi-experiments, interviews and focus groups, and survey experiments.

Note that the course does not presume any background in either political science or economics, though introductory courses (especially in microeconomics and development studies) will prove useful. Familiarity with quantitative social science (i.e. regression analysis) will also be helpful but is not essential.

This course examines the onset, conduct, and consequences of civil wars. Questions include: why (and how) do armed insurgencies emerge? Why do individuals join insurgent organizations rather than stay safely on the sidelines? Why are civil wars now the most frequent form of war, and why are states increasingly likely to lose these conflicts? How effective is third-party intervention in preventing the recurrence of civil war? And what are the long-term effects of civil wars? Equal weight is given to non-Western and Western examples of civil wars. We also pay particular attention to recent methodological advances in the study of civil war, including the use of (survey) experiments, fine-grained spatial data, and cellphone data to measure wartime dynamics. Students will have the opportunity to explore theoretical debates about civil war but will also draw on existing datasets to undertake their own research on a civil war (or wars) of their choice. The course does not presume any background with either prior Government courses on international security or quantitative methods, though these of course will be helpful.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of major theories and empirical approaches to the study of identity politics. Throughout the term we will read a combination of the classics and cutting-edge research in political science as well as sociology, economics, and social psychology to explore a range of topics with implications for politics and societies around the world. These topics include: how identity should be conceptualized and measured; why some forms of identity are activated, mobilized, and contested; how identities are represented politically; how racial and ethnic identities intersect with other salient identities; how social diversity and civil society are interrelated; what factors affect the integration of immigrants; and which varieties of democracy enable the flourishing of plural identities. Readings for these topics will span countries and contexts from around the world. You will have the opportunity to delve in more detail the topics and regions that interest you for the final research paper and present your research to the class. To that end, we will also analyze and practice the elements of conducting effective social science research.

This course examines the use of economic instruments – trade, investment, and financial sanctions or inducements – by states to achieve foreign policy and national security objectives. We will develop theoretical perspectives and examine classic and contemporary cases to examine whether economic sanctions and inducements are effective; the relationship between economic statecraft, diplomacy, and the use of force; the impact of globalization on economic statecraft; and how domestic politics enable or constrain economic statecraft.  Cases will include NATO sanctions against Russia, Chinese economic diplomacy in the South China Sea, multilateral restrictions on Iran and North Korea, and financial sanctions in the war on terrorism.

US foreign policy is at a pivotal moment because of dramatic internal and external changes. At home, frustrations have mounted with the costs of the longstanding bipartisan, globalist foreign policy posture. The U.S. financial situation also casts doubt on the US ability to maintain this ambitious foreign policy. The second Trump administration – as well as a new generation of "America First" foreign policy advocates, suggests real potential for a new direction in US foreign policy. Outside the US, other trends are also raising the costs, risks, and viability of America's post-Cold War strategy. While Europe grows more dangerous due to Russian resurgence, America's European partners themselves are in the midst of a backlash to a center-left globalist foreign policy posture. And China's rise – and potential bid for regional hegemony in Asia – will make an expansive U.S. foreign policy posture increasingly expensive and dangerous. 

The first part of the course examines different national security policy visions for the future of US foreign policy. Our focus will be on Asia, but – as will soon become apparent – U.S success in Asia also depends on what happens in other regions. We discuss the current globalist US strategy, and then analyze different possible alternatives: prioritization, restraint, and progressivism. Part II of the course then explores specific topics in East Asia to understand how US policy would differ according to the different grand strategies, what are possible outcomes, and how these would affect US national security. At the end of the course, armed with this understanding of both strategic options and regional issues, students debate what strategy they feel best advances US interests.