2008-09 Gov Courses Cheat Sheet - Department of Government

2011-12 Gov Course Summaries: Spring 2012 Page 1 

Summary of Government Courses: Spring 2012 

(times subject to change) 

Course Meets Instructor Description 

Foundational Courses 

Gov 10 

Foundations of 

Political Thought 

Tu/Th 

11 

Eric Beerbohm 

This course investigates the central problems of political theory that concern the 

justification of democracy. Is democratic rule the uniquely just form of collective 

decision-making? What political institutions best express the democratic values of 

equality, deliberation, and participation? What are the moral responsibilities of citizens - 

whose representatives exercise political power in their name? Is democracy a human 

right? Readings integrate contemporary work in political philosophy with canonical 

thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, and J.S. Mill. Note: This course, when 

taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for Ethical Reasoning 

or the Core area requirement for Moral Reasoning. 


US Government: A 

New Perspective 

M/W 11 Steve Ansolabehere and Paul Peterson Provides an overview of contemporary American politics, showing how recent changes 

in elections and media coverage have helped shape key aspects of American 

government. From the courts, Congress, and the Presidency, to the workings of interest 

groups and political parties, and, also to the making of public policy, the pressure on 

political leaders to run permanent campaigns has altered governmental institutions and 

processes. The course explains how and why. Note: This course, when taken for a letter 

grade, meets the General Education requirement for United States in the World or the 

Core area requirement for Social Analysis. This course fulfills the requirement that one 

of the eight General Education courses also engages substantially with Study of the Past. 


International Conflict 

and Coooperation 

MW(F) 

10 

Stephen Rosen 

Why do states wage war? Why do they cooperate? Have the answers changed 

historically? Are economic globalization, ecological interdependence, and global civil 

society eroding traditional state sovereignty? Or do nationalism, protectionism, and 

power politics firmly limit the spread of world order? The course begins with the 

Peloponnesian War, the European state system, imperialism, the spread of free trade, 

and the two World Wars. It continues after 1945 with the spread of democracy and 

human rights, trade liberalization, international law, and ecological cooperation, as well 

as enduring sources of conflicts like the Cold War, nuclear weapons, civil strife, and 

rogue states. Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General 

Education requirement for Societies of the World or the Core area requirement for 

Historical Study A. This course fulfills the requirement that one of the eight General 

Education courses also engages substantially with Study of the Past.



Tutorials 

Gov 91r 

Supervised Reading 

and Research 

n/a Members of Gov dept Supervised reading leading to a term paper in a topic or topics not covered by regular 

courses of instruction. 

Note: Limited to juniors and seniors. Does not count for concentration credit. Offered at 

the discretion of the individual instructors. Written proposal and signature of Director of 

Undergraduate Studies required. 


Sophomore Tutorial 

M 

2-3:30 

Nancy Rosenblum and Daniel Ziblatt 

This one-semester course is designed to provide all Government Department 

concentrators with a unified and challenging intellectual experience in the study of 

politics. The course covers a selection of topics on the theme of "Democracy" and draws 

on materials ranging from classics in political theory to cutting edge research in the 

discipline today. 

Gov 99r TBA Members of Gov dept Note: Taken as two half courses by those who have elected the honors program and in 

order to write their senior theses. Prerequisite: One half course of Government 98 

Gov90bw 

Markets and Morals 

Gov90nf 

Athenian Democracy 

and Its Critics 

Gov90da 

Democracy, Islam and 

Alienation 

Undergraduate Seminars - Theory 

Tu 2-4 Michael Sandel The seminar will examine controversial cases of commodification, and ask whether 

there are some things money cannot or should not buy. Topics to include organ sales, 

surrogacy, college financial aid, pollution permits, for-profit prisons, mercenary armies, 

and others. Some previous course work in political theory is recommended but not 

required. 

W 4-6 Matthew Landauer (grad student) This course investigates the ancient Athenian experience of democracy through the 

writings of some of its staunchest supporters and fiercest critics. Topics covered include 

Athenian democratic ideals in theory and practice; the relationship between democracy 

and tyranny; Athenian democracy and imperialism; and the role of rhetoric in 

democracy. Readings include Athenian historians, philosophers, dramatists, and 

rhetoricians, as well as modern scholars. 

Undergraduate Seminars – Comparative 

W 2-4 Justin Gest (college fellow) This seminar develops an in-depth understanding of modern democratic citizenship and 

political identity, examining Western Muslim communities as an evocative case study. 

We first consider the shifting foundations of democratic participation and political 

alienation in a globalizing world. We then illustrate new developments by exploring the 

experiences of Muslim communities’ in Western democratic polities. Finally, these 

concepts and observations are applied to understand three contemporary socio-political 

phenomena - global Islam, transnational Muslim politics, and terrorist networks.



Gov90sa 

Political and Social 

Movements in the 

Modern Middle East 

none 

Gov90hu 

Human Rights 

Scholars Seminar 

none 

Gov98al 

Global Distributive 

Justice 

SS98ji 

French Political 

Thought Since 1930 

Gov98ni 

Topics in African 

Politics 

M 4-6 Sa’ed Atshan (grad student) The Middle East has witnessed significant socio-cultural, political, and economic 

transformations in recent decades. This seminar will explore the role of both state and 

non-state actors in these processes. In the face of globalization, liberalization, 

democratization, conflicts, and regional instability, what social movements have 

emerged and in what specific contexts? Additionally, how have civil society, the mass 

media, global discourses, and Islamist institutions and ideologies shaped the 

contemporary reality? What are the prospects for peace, prosperity, and pluralism in the 

region? These are central questions we will attempt to address in this course. 

Undergraduate Seminars – American 

Undergraduate Seminars – IR 

Tu 2-4 Cosette Creamer (grad student) This seminar is open to juniors in any concentration interested in human rights research. 

During the first half of the semester, we will review key theoretical concepts and discuss 

various disciplinary approaches to and methodologies for conducting human rights 

scholarship. During the second half, students will develop and workshop a research 

prospectus on a human rights topic in which they are interested. Preference will be given 

to students intending on writing a senior thesis. Note: Preference given to juniors 

considering writing a senior thesis on human rights related topic (from all 

concentrations) or engaged in a serious research project on a human rights topic. 

Junior Research Seminars – Methodology/Formal Theory 

Junior Research Seminars – Theory 

F 11-1 Katie Gallagher (lecturer) This course examines how concerns about socio-economic justice apply beyond the 

limits of the domestic state. Do we have reason to care about equality at the 

international level? If so, should we care about the relative standing of individuals, or of 

nation-states? Who, if anyone, is responsible for addressing global inequalities? Topics 

covered include the moral relevance of borders, natural resource distribution, 

immigration policy, climate change, the international status of women, and global 

institutional design. 

Tu 2-4 Stanley Hoffmann This course will explore the ideas of Raymond Aron, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, 

Simone Weil, and Michel Foucault. Note: This course will be lotteried. 

Junior Research Seminars – Comparative 

M 2-4 Nahomi Ichino This seminar surveys major issues in contemporary African politics. Topics include 

democratization, civil conflict, economic development, and ethnicity. The course draws 

on readings from several disciplines and covers multiple methodological approaches to 

the social scientific study of Africa.



Gov98sm 

Political Regimes 

Around the World 

W 2-4 Sebastian Mazzuca (lecturer) French Revolution, Rise of Nazism, breakdown of USSR. Do these transformations 

involve a change of government, or regime or of state? What are the causes? Would you 

like to be confident in answering such questions, and deepen your ability to analyze big 

political events? If so, this course is for you. It will cover: the conceptualization of 

political regime, democracy and authoritarianism; the characterization of political 

regimes around the world; the explanations of regime change. 

Gov98fh 

Rights, Resources, and 

Democratic Equality in 

Brazil 

EAS121 

Global Cities in East 

Asia 

Gov98ef 

Black Politics in the 

Post-Civil Rights Era 

Gov98qa 

Community in 

America 

Gov98ia 

Sino-US Relations 

W 2-4 Frances Hagopian (visitor) Introduces students to researching politics and society in Latin America’s largest and 

most unequal country through an examination of an array of grassroots movements and 

initiatives organized to redress inequality, including women’s, landless, environmental, 

and religious movements; racial quotas, and participatory budgeting experiments. 

Seminar focuses on citizenship rights under neoliberalism and how social movements 

intersect with formal political institutions, political parties, and unions and other 

organizations to reorder the national political and policy agendas. 

Tu 2-4 Nara Dillon (lecturer) This course examines urbanization and globalization in East Asia, focusing first on the 

development of Tokyo as a global city, then turning to the socialist cities of 

contemporary China, before concluding with an examination of uneven development in 

Southeast Asian cities. In each section of the course, we will examine how urbanization 

and globalization affect major social groups (in particular, entrepreneurs and women) 

who have both propelled and been marginalized by these processes. 

Junior Research Seminars - American 

M 4-6 Claudine Gay Course examines shift among African Americans from protest to politics. Emphasis is 

on development and use of political resources as the means to achieve policy objectives 

in the post-Civil Rights Era. Beginning with 1965 Voting Rights Act, course will 

explore the issues, opportunities, and challenges that have defined African American 

political life in the last forty years, as well as the attitudes and debates that have shaped 

efforts to increase African American influence over the political process. 

Tu 2-4 Robert Putnam Has the social fabric of America’s communities and the civic engagement of its citizens 

changed over the last generation? Why? Does it matter? What lessons might we find in 

American history? These questions are at the focus of this seminar. 

Junior Research Seminars – IR 

M 2-4 Iain Johnston Assesses theoretical arguments and empirical evidence concerning the implications of 

Chinese economic and military modernization for conflict and cooperation between 

China and the US. Some issues examined include global arms control, trade, the 

environment, and regional security.



Gov98jk 

International 

Organizations and Law 

W 4-6 Joseph Kochanek (lecturer) The rise of international organizations in the twentieth century has given rise to vigorous 

debate over their purposes and their actions. This course will acquaint students with the 

formal structure of the League of Nations, the United Nations, the European Union, and 

NATO, as well as examining the activities of these organizations. In addition, as a 

research seminar, this course will help prepare students to write a senior thesis in the 

Department of Government. 


Advanced Quantitative 

Political Methodology 

1000-level Courses – Methodology/Formal Theory (see “Advice for Gov Students on Methods”) 

M 2-4 Gary King Introduces theories of inference underlying most statistical methods and how new 

approaches are developed. Examples include discrete choice, event counts, durations, 

missing data, ecological inference, time-series cross sectional analysis, compositional 

data, causal inference, and others. Prerequisite: Government 2000 or the equivalent. 

Gov 1009 

Advanced 

Geographical 

Information Systems 

M/W 

10-11 

Sumeeta Srinivasan (preceptor) 

This course is a workshop for students who have taken the introductory Geographical 

Information Systems course and want to explore detailed applications. The course will 

meet two times a week for a lecture and a laboratory exercise. 


Election Polling and 

Public Opinion 


Spatial Models for 

Social and 

Environmental Policy 

W 4-6 Patrick Moynihan (preceptor) This course will provide students an opportunity to examine the intersection between 

research methods and political discourse by focusing attention on election and public 

opinion polls, particularly as reported in the media and used as a source of political 

information by both the general public and political leaders. Students will gain practical 

skills in survey design and evaluation by analyzing and critically assessing current 

opinion polls, designing survey questions and interpreting results. Jointly offered with 

the Kennedy School. Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as DPI 615. 

W 1-3 Sumeeta Srinivasan (preceptor) Introduces the fundamental statistical and mapping tools needed for analysis of 

environmental and social policy. Topics are linked by environmental and social themes 

and include spatial statistics; surface estimation; raster algebra; suitability modeling and 

remote sensing. Students acquire technical skills in both mapping and spatial models. 

Software packages used include STARS - Space-Time Analysis of Regional Systems, 

GeoVISTA, ArcGIS, Geoda and MULTISPEC. 

Prerequisite: Some prior experience with GIS and knowledge of basic statistics. 


Intermediate Math for 

Social Scientists 

W/F 

1-2:30 

Pedram Safari (preceptor) 

This course is geared toward graduate students of social sciences (such as government, 

education, psychology, etc.). The focus is on a conceptual understanding of vector 

calculus and probability, as well as applications.



1000-level Courses – Theory 


History of Modern 

Political Philosophy 

Tu/Th 

11 

Nancy Rosenblum 

Political philosophy from Machiavelli to Nietzsche, with attention to the rise and 

complex history of the idea of modernity. Note: This course, when taken for a letter 

grade, meets the General Education requirement for Ethical Reasoning or the Core area 

requirement for Moral Reasoning. This course fulfills the requirement that one of the 

eight General Education courses also engages substantially with Study of the Past. 

Gov 1092 

Progressive 

Alternatives: 

Institutional 

Reconstruction Today 

Gov 1093 

Ethics and 

BioTechnology 

Gov 1109 

Comparative 

Institutional Design 

Tu 8-10 Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Law School) The past and future agenda of progressives, whether liberals or leftists. What should 

they propose now that they no longer believe that governmental direction of the 

economy works or that redistributive social programs suffice? A basic concern is the 

relation of programmatic thought to the understanding of change and constraint. Draws 

on several disciplines and considers examples from many contexts. The central theme 

this year will be innovation, education, capabilities, and creativity, as well as the 

policies and institutions that they require. Co-taught (through video conferencing) with 

Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia University and Laurence Tubiana, at Sciences Po, Paris. 

Note: Extended take-home examination. Offered jointly with the Law School as 

44605A. 

M 2-4 Michael Sandel and Douglas Melton Explores the moral, political, and scientific implications of new developments in 

biotechnology. Does science give us the power to alter human nature? If so, how should 

we exercise this power? The course examines the science and ethics of stem cell 

research, human cloning, sex selection, genetic engineering, eugenics, genetic 

discrimination, and human-animal hybrids. Note: May not be taken concurrently with 

LS 60. May not be taken for credit if LS 60 has already been taken. Moral Reasoning 22 

(Justice) is recommended as background. This course, when taken for a letter grade, 

meets the General Education requirement in Ethical Reasoning or the Core area 

requirement for Moral Reasoning. 

1000-level Courses – Comparative 

M 2-4 Pippa Norris (HKS) Institutional choices are vital for effective peace-building and for strengthening the 

quality of democratic governance. This course compares: (i) the principles and goals of 

constitutional design; (ii) the mechanisms of institutional design (electoral rules, 

parliamentary and presidential executives, decentralization, and minor reforms); (iii) 

political processes determining institutional choices; and (iv) the consequences (for 

political behavior, economic performance, regime stability, the quality of governance, 

democracy and democratization). Materials draw upon global comparisons and selected 

cases from long-standing and younger liberal democracies, as well as from countries 

emerging from conflict.




Democratic and 

Authoritarian 

Institutions: How 

Regimes Work 

M/W 11 Nahomi Ichino This course broadly examines how formal political institutions vary across countries, 

why these differences matter, and how these institutions change. Topics covered include 

regime type, presidentialism, parliaments and legislatures, government formation, rules 

governing elections, the franchise, political parties, the judiciary, bureaucracy, and 

federalism. 


The Political Economy 

of Europe 


Capitalism and 

Democracy in Eastern 

Europe 


Government and 

Politics of Modern 

Japan 


Comparative Politics 

of Latin America 

M/W 

11:40 

Tu/Th 

11 

Jacques Mistral (HKS) 

Grzegorz Ekiert 

This course intends to decipher the political economy of Europe as a major actor in the 

world economy. It is policy oriented and designed to offer a better understanding of 

European structures and methods to all those who will have to deal with Europe in the 

private or public sectors. Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as IGA-662. 

Meets at HKS. 

General introduction to East European politics focusing on the countries outside the 

former Soviet Union. Examines critical periods and dynamics of political and economic 

changes in the region from the end of World War I to the recent enlargement of the 

European Union. 

M/W 10 Amy Catalinac (lecturer) An introduction to political life in contemporary Japan. Explores the interaction of 

political parties, the bureaucracy, interest groups, the media and the government, with 

an emphasis on the ongoing transformation of the Japanese political system. Special 

attention will be paid to current policy issues, such as disaster preparedness and nuclear 

power; foreign policy; and administrative and political reform. 

M/W 

2-3:30 

Steve Levitsky 

Examines dynamics of political and economic changes in modern Latin America, 

focusing on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela. Topics include the 

rise of populism and import-substituting industrialization, revolutions and revolutionary 

movements, the causes and consequences of military rule, the politics of economic 

reform, democratic transitions, and democratic consolidation. The course analyzes these 

phenomena from a variety of different theoretical perspectives, including cultural, 

dependency, institutionalist, and leadership-centered approaches. Note: This course, 

when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis. 


Intro to Congress 

1000-level Courses – American 

M/W 10 Matthew Platt This course seeks to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to Congress. 

The first half of the course addresses the nuts and bolts of how Congress operates in 

terms of foundational theories, the committee system, congressional elections, and 

congressional procedures. In the second half of the course we will apply this knowledge 

to an exploration of how and why Congress pays attention to certain issues rather than 

others. Students are encouraged to view Congress not only as an institution unto itself 

but also as an institution that interacts with a variety of actors to shift public policy.




Presidential Power in 

the U.S. 

M/W 11 Carlos Diaz Rosillo (lecturer) Analyzes the origins and evolution of presidential power in the United States. Studies 

the powers of the President and how those powers translate into power. Examines and 

evaluates the most prominent political science theories, scholarly debates, and public 

controversies about presidential power. Explores the strategic choices available to 

modern American presidents in their efforts to augment the power of the presidency and 

provide active leadership to the political system. 


Political Psychology 


Origins of Modern 

Wars 


International Political 

Economy 


American Foreign 

Policy 

Tu/Th 

10- 

11:30 

Ryan Enos 

This course examines the psychological mechanisms behind political behaviors and 

institutions. Topics covered will include voting behavior, campaigns and media, 

partisanship, political violence, and racial attitudes. For these and other topics we will 

not only ask what happens but examine how human psychology makes it happen. 

1000-level Courses - IR 

M/W 10 Stephen Walt (HKS) This course explores the causes of war. It examines the different theories that have been 

devised to explain organized violence between states (or groups seeking to control a 

state), and evaluates these competing theories by exploring several major conflicts of the 

past 100 years: World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and 

the recent wars in the Persian Gulf. The course also considers the phenomenon of ethnic 

conflict, the implications of nuclear weapons and the question of whether large-scale 

war is becoming "obsolescent." 

M/W 

2-3:30 

Tu/Th 

10- 

11:30 

Jeffry Frieden 

Shawn Ling Ramirez (college fellow) 

Analyzes the interaction of politics and economics in the international arena. Focuses on 

international trade, investment, monetary, and financial relations. Includes discussion of 

developed, developing, and formerly centrally-planned nations. 

Examines and explains the international actions of the US Government. Explanations 

drawn from history, international relations theory, and from the study of American 

political and bureaucratic institutions. Emphasis is placed on the recent rise of the US to 

a position of unprecedented military dominance, how this military power has been used, 

and how other states, non-state actors, or global governance institutions have responded.


Grad Seminars Explicitly Open to Advanced Undergrads (with instructor’s permission) 

Government 2008. Experimental Political Science 

Ryan Enos and Dustin Tingley 

Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. 

Experimentation is increasingly used by political and other social scientists to help 

identify causal relationships. This class will cover arguments for and against the use of 

experiments, as well as a broad cross-section of foundational and cutting edge 

experiments in political science and allied fields. In particular, we will cover the use of 

survey experiments, field experiments, and lab experiments. Substantive applications 

will span the sub-fields as well as integrate work from experimental economics and 

psychology. Note: Open to qualified undergraduates with permission of instructors. 

*Government 2009. Methods of Political Analysis 

Enrollment: Limited to 15. 

Peter A. Hall 

Half course (spring term). Th 4-6 Covers the issues and techniques central to designing 

and researching a good dissertation, whether quantitative or qualitative, including 

principles of research design, case selection, comparison, measurement, and causal 

relations, with many practical examples. Note: Open to all doctoral students, regardless 

of year, and to advanced undergraduates. 

Government 2122. Civil Wars: Theory and Policy 

Monica D. Toft (Kennedy School) 

Half course (spring term). Tu/Th 10:10 This course introduces students to the 

theoretical and comparative study of civil wars. The course aims to provide students 

with solid analytical and historical foundations and highlight the policy dilemmas 

associated with civil wars. 

Note: Open to junior and senior undergraduates with permission of instructor. Offered 

jointly with the Kennedy School as IGA-227. Meets at the Kennedy School.

2008-09 Gov Courses Cheat Sheet - Department of Government

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