S-American Political Develpmnt

American Political Development is a research tradition in which important theoretical and empirical questions pertaining to the workings of democracy, the development of public policy, and the evolution of political institutions are investigated using historical and qualitative methods. This graduate course is provides a survey of classic and contemporary readings in this field.

Theories of Interpretation

This course will focus on general approaches to the problem of interpretation in texts and social practices. All areas of political science research entail the investigation of written, spoken, or visual evidence, including books, archival documents of all kinds, speeches, verbal explanations by actors of their actions, images, and so on. These various materials require interpretation, different materials posing different problems for the interpreter. This course is meant to encourage reflection upon the interpretive act.

RightsLiberties&AmConstitution

This course examines the critical role that the Supreme Court has played in shaping the landscape of rights and liberties in the United States over time. We begin with a discussion about the power and potential of textual rights protections. Then, we examine the historic rise of an organizational structure that supported legal mobilization to protect individual rights in the United States, and learn about why certain rights were protected before others.

Independent Study

Consider independently exploring a topic of interest under the guidance of a faculty member. Once you identify the subject, take time to research our faculty and their publications. It is important to ensure your interests intersect before asking if they will work with you. This work will be graded and may apply to your upper-level Political Science degree requirements.
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