This course will help you understand the incentives and motivations of actors throughout the American political system so that you can interpret what you read and hear about American politics in a more analytical manner. The course serves simultaneously as a civics course that helps you become a more confident participant in American politics and as an introduction to the theories and methods used in the study of American politics. (ScS)

An introductory survey of major political systems, representing both Western and non-Western countries. No single political system will be studied in depth. This course provides the tools for such study in the future. Contributes to International Studies. (ScS)

This introduction to contemporary Latin American and Caribbean politics also allows students with previous knowledge about the region to further their interests. The course is built around some of the key issues which confront Latin America and the Caribbean. Contributes to International Studies, Latin American and Border Studies, and Race and Ethnicity Studies/Allied Course. (ScS) (SJ) (PJ).

This course examines how selected Western writers and filmmakers portrayed the Cold War. This course is open only to first years and sophomores. Juniors and seniors may register with the permission of the instructor. (ScS)

This course analyzes the promises, prophesies, problems, and practices that have attached to the concept of America, from the pre-founding era to the twentieth century. We study the stories and fictions that have shaped a sense of community. We explore the positive and negative aspects of American exceptionalism, the unique anxieties attached to American identity, the various conceptions of nature, wilderness, and frontier that formed American ideals, and the paradoxes and contradictions of democracy in the United States. Contributes to Legal Studies Certificate. (ScS) (SJ) (PJ)

This course examines the historical and political experiences of African Americans, American Indians, Latina/o Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in the United States. We'll explore how these groups have sought political incorporation and addressed issues like racial identity, citizenship rights, and inequality in areas such as voting, policing, and housing. The course will delve into current political debates, including voting rights, affirmative action, and immigration reform, while drawing upon critical race theory to understand systemic racism. Prerequisites: Political Science 32-114, Philosophy 18-354, or instructor approval. Contributes to Environmental Studies, Race and Ethnicity Studies/Group-Theme Course, and Legal Studies Certificate. (ScS)

A survey of the comparative and international politics of the Middle East, focusing on major Arab states, Israel and Iran. Contributes to International Studies. (ScS)

This course investigates how norms of sex and gender are expressed as forms of power to shape and limit the opportunities, possibilities, and challenges of certain groups. In this course, we take up the ways in which questions and discourses about sex and gender are employed in political debates and practice through the study of feminist political theory. We examine these norms through critical engagement with political events in the United States, using an intersectional approach to understand how experiences of sex and gender shift across identities of race, class, and sexuality. Contributes to Feminist Studies. (ScS)

An introduction to the systems of ideas, ideals and beliefs through which people view and act in the world. Particular emphasis is placed on the argumentative structure and the political and psychological functions of ideologies; on their historical origin(s) and development; and on their respective conceptions of freedom and democracy. This course is open only to first years and sophomores. Juniors and seniors may register with the permission of the instructor. (ScS)

This course explores the historical and cultural context of contemporary Japanese politics, the political institutions of the 1955 system, the policy-making process in post-war Japan, and the effects of the 1994 political reforms. This course is open only to first years and sophomores. Juniors and seniors may register with the permission of the instructor. Contributes to East Asian Studies and International Studies. (ScS)

In this course, we will investigate the practice, ethics, and legal implications of sex through its connection to the law. Over the course of the semester, we look towards three areas where the state functions to govern sex: sex work, reproductive care, and sexual conduct. To do this, we will use the law as a primary source for analysis, engaging with both the constitutional law and political theory that surrounds gender, sex, privacy, and freedom of speech to understand how the law and the state writ large function to govern sexual practices in the United States today. Contributes to Feminist Studies and Legal Studies Certificate. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-114 or 32-364, or with permission of instructor. (ScS)

An opportunity to compare political theory and practical politics in a work environment at the Texas State Capitol, under supervision of department faculty. This class is offered every other Spring when the Texas legislature is in session and is open to students in good academic and disciplinary standing with eight credits in Political Science. Internships are generally open to juniors and seniors. No more than one internship can count toward the major. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-114 and one additional Political Science course. (ScS)

This course examines the historical and political evolution of hip hop music in the United States, tracing its roots in Black musical expression and its emergence as a response to systemic oppression and mass incarceration. We explore how hip hop reflects and resists the War on Crime and the War on Drugs, addressing issues like the criminalization of Black communities, police brutality, and mass incarceration. By analyzing music, lyrics, and visual culture alongside historical and political developments, students will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between art, activism, and the mechanisms of racial control. Contributes to Race and Ethnicity Studies. Students are strongly encouraged to have taken Political Science 32-214 or Philosophy 18-184. (ScS)

This course introduces students to political theory, through critically analyzing key texts of the Western canon and practicing the methods of conceptual analysis that shape the subfield. We analyze ideologies as well as foundational yet essentially contested political concepts -- such as justice, equality, reason, sovereignty, democracy, consent, obligation, and freedom -- to learn how power shapes ideas and how politics operates within theories. We critically analyze the standpoints, assumptions, and exclusions that shape the canon, with attentiveness to identity and difference. Contributes to Legal Studies Certificate. Prerequisites: Political Science 32-114 or 32-144. (ScS) (WA) (SJ) (PJ)

An introductory study of the theory and practice of international politics. The course examines both the origins and the consequences of the political organization of the modern world. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-114 or 32-144. (WA) (ScS)

This course will introduce students to basic approaches to research design and analysis in political science. Over the course of the semester, we will design research topics and questions, develop empirically testable hypotheses, collect relevant data, and apply basic qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. Topics covered in this course will span all areas of politics, international relations, and political institutions. Pre-requisites: Political Science 32-114 or 32-144, or permission of instructor. Contributes to Data Science. (ScS)

This course provides an in-depth analysis of the political cultures, structures, processes and policies of selected systems in Europe. In addition, the nature and function of the European Union is considered. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-144. (ScS)

This seminar explores the causes of the Cultural Revolution, the role of Mao and Mao Zedong thought, the experiences of various groups in society during the Cultural Revolution, and the effects of the Cultural Revolution on contemporary China. Contributes to East Asian Studies and International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-144, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

This course will explore the behavior of political elites-candidates, consultants, journalists and others-and citizens in the context of campaigns and elections. We will examine the different contexts and characteristics that shape individual voting behavior, as well as the strategies and tactics used by campaigns and candidates in their attempts to win elections. In evaluating candidate and citizen behavior, we will also consider aggregate patterns of representation and institutional designs that can help or hurt political engagement. Pre-requisite: Political Science 32-114. (ScS)

These are advanced selected topics courses which contribute to the two required 500-600 level courses necessary to take the Senior Seminar (capstone). These may be repeated with a change in the topic of the course. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of the instructor. (ScS)

An exploration of issues concerning the characteristics, causes and justifications of occurrences of international peace and violence. The focus is primarily on post-Cold War era state terrorism (internal and external), low intensity conflict, internal conflict resistance, rebellion and revolution, terrorism and peace. Substantial writing required. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisites: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

This course explores the development of African-American politics in the United States. We begin by examining the intellectual and social responses to systemic racism within the Black community. Next, we delve into the social movements that challenged racial segregation in the South, including the legal battles leading to Brown v. Board of Education and the civil rights protests of the 1950s and 1960s. Finally, we will analyze the transition of African-American political engagement from protest to electoral politics and explore contemporary issues and trends. Contributes to Race and Ethnicity Studies/Group-Theme Course. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or Political Science 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

A survey of American foreign policy with particular focus on the Cold War and the post-Cold War period. Societal, ideological and governmental sources of American foreign policy are examined. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

This course compares democratic institutions, economic growth, and political culture in Japan and Germany in the postwar era. It also examines current challenges, including women in politics, nuclear power, immigration and regional dynamics. Contributes to East Asian Studies and International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

Insurrection and revolution have been among the most transformative events and processes in history, destroying powerful systems while creating new ideas, values, relations, and experiences. This course examines both broad conceptual questions about power, collective action, and agency and structuralism and the specificity of such key moments in different times and places. There is a substantial research and writing component. Contributes to International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

This course uses the archives of the Redstocking Feminists, the Black Panthers, the Students for a Democratic Society, and ACT UP as a starting point for crafting political theories of democracy. These activist groups were all engaged in the process of trying to make sense of patriarchy, sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia, and imperialism, while also trying to imagine and enact alternative futures. By investigating the writings, meeting transcripts, photographs, and personal artifacts that make up their archives, we will work towards expanding democratic political theory in addition to learning how archives can ground one's own political science research. Contributes to Feminist Studies and Legal Studies Certificate. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364, or permission of instructor. (ScS)

A study of women and politics in Europe and Asia from a comparative perspective. Explores the role ideology, institutions, culture and social movements play in creating opportunities and constraints for women in the political realm. Contributes to East Asian Studies, Feminist Studies, and International Studies. Prerequisite: Political Science 32-364 or 32-384, or permission of instructor. (ScS) (SJ) (PJ)

This course fulfills the capstone requirement for the major. Requires permission of instructor.