Political Science

This course examines the intricate relationship between large urban areas, climate change, and the governance of risks, crises, and disasters from a geographic and political science perspective. The unique vulnerabilities of urban areas to the impacts of climate change is examined, alongside an analysis of the pivotal role of politics and policy in mitigating and responding to these challenges. The course delves into the political, social, and environmental dimensions of global cities' challenges in facing a changing environment and the policies and governance strategies for promoting sustainability and resilience. It explores how the existing frameworks, tools and instruments dealing with risk, crisis and disasters, may be used in the context of climate change risks. The course explores risk, crisis, disaster and climate adaptation governance with a multi-level perspective, from international negotiations to local implementation and contestations. Each session is dedicated to discussing key notions through text analysis, providing the opportunity to work on case studies in groups.

The modern history of Iran has been tumultuous, full of revolts, revolutions and reversals. Key political developments in the nineteenth century included the impact of European political philosophies and Western educational systems, the Tobacco Revolt (1891), the Constitutional Revolution (1906-1911) and its aftermath, the rise of feminist movements and its effects in the revolutionary uprising in 2022. Pivotal events in the twentieth century included the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty and the modernization project, the nationalization of oil production, the CIA-staged coup that removed the democratically-chosen Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq (1882-1967), the White Revolution and urbanization, the repression of intellectuals and the 1979 Revolution, the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), and the consolidation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These events have been followed in recent decades by reforms and most recently, the revolutionary uprising with the powerful slogan “Women, Life, and Freedom” (zan, zendegi, azadi). The year 1979 marked the start of several weighty political developments in the Middle East, which have considerably changed the region and international relations. The rivalry between Iran and Saudi-Arabia, the Shiite-Sunnite divide, the role of Iran in Afghanistan, the ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and Hizballah in Lebanon are among topics which are going to be treated in this course. The course surveys this period from the perspectives of Iranians, seeing how they view their own history and use religious tenets, poetry, art and material culture to contribute to the modernization of their country. The course address how they positioned Iran in the regional and international political settings? While secondary sources are used to examine Iran’s modern history, key primary sources are introduced in translation, to show how Iranians look at their own history in relation to their neighbors and Western powers.

In this course, students examine how institutions, including structures of governance, bureaucracies and political parties, adapt to changing circumstances. Students explore how they respond to demands from interest groups while dealing with the ongoing pressures of social and economic development in India. The course is divided into two main parts. Part one covers India’s political history and independence, with a focus on analyzing the institutional mechanisms of governance. Students investigate the design of the Indian constitution, including its key features such as federalism, secularism, and political and electoral system. Part two explores the main instruments of governance in India: legislatures, bureaucracy, judiciary, army, and election commission. The course considers how these institutions operate in a complex political and social environment, focusing on relationships between politics and economy, politics and society, and politics and conflict. 

This is a Public International law and European Union law course for political science students. It focuses on the legal structures underpinning international relations, covering selected topics to provide the basic concepts for understanding the nature and function of International Law and EU Law. Students will deepen their understanding of the complex legal framework governing international and European affairs, shaping contemporary international politics and global governance. The course covers: the making and sources of International Law; subjects of International Law; responsibility in International Law; settlement of disputes and enforcement of International law: the return of sovereignism and use of force; the crisis of post-Second World War international law: the restoration of aggressive use of force in territorial disputes; the EU as a supranational organisation; the EU as an autonomous legal order; the impact of EU law and International Law in domestic systems; the law of the internal market: the fundamental freedoms; the crisis of the rule of law and supranational cooperation in Europe. Written midterm, final exam, group project.

This course covers the issues surrounding public policy on internal security in France, at a time when these questions are at the heart of public debate. It introduces the often overlooked actors responsible for implementing these public policies, as well as their diverse and complex missions and the challenges they face today—and those that await them tomorrow.

This course introduces ongoing debates on human rights by returning to their philosophical sources, in particular theories of natural law and their long intellectual history. Why were natural law theories the original source of the idea of human rights? Why did they
cease to be the dominant theoretical framework from the nineteenth century onward? What replaced them? Can human rights be conceived without reference to natural law? Do human rights retain their validity if one abandons the idea of a universal human nature? The course is structured around three methodological choices. First, it is situated at the interface of philosophy, legal theory, and legal history. Second, it adopts a long-term historical perspective, ranging from ancient philosophy through the Middle Ages to contemporary theories. Third, it sheds light on present-day debates concerning human rights.

 

Through rigorous analysis of policy theories, historical transitions, and contemporary challenges, students develop sophisticated frameworks for understanding and governing complex change. The course bridges academic theory with real-world application, and equips students with analytical tools used by policymakers, consultants, and researchers worldwide.

This course offers a critical examination of migration policies and governance tools in Western countries, drawing on sociological, political science, and empirical case study approaches. It interrogates the mechanisms of control, dominant discourses, and power dynamics that shape contemporary migration flows. The course focuses on state administrations, associations, international organizations, private actors, and civil society, as well as their interrelations. During the different sessions, it explores the evolution of migration policies and their connections to colonialism, nationalism, and globalization from a comparative perspective. It also provides a broad understanding of contemporary issues—such as securitization, the externalization of borders, the criminalization of solidarity, and the commodification of migration. The course analyzes how stereotypes and discursive frameworks shape public policies and social perceptions, influencing the design and implementation of migration policies, often in ways that reinforce exclusionary practices. It then examines the instruments used to regulate migration, including border technologies (such as AI and biometrics), legal frameworks, outsourcing practices, and the roles of NGOs and private actors. Finally, the course highlights forms of resistance led by migrants, solidarity networks, legal challenges, and sanctuary cities. Firsthand accounts from activists offer insights into grassroots strategies for contesting exclusionary policies and imagining alternative governance models.

This course examines the interactions between markets and politics. Is globalization responsible for the rise of populism in the West? How will the power struggle between China and the United States shape global business? This course introduces students to the key concepts and theories of IPE in order to analyze and understand these pressing issues and questions facing policymakers and citizens. Topics include globalization, international trade, finance, debt, foreign direct investment, development, international migration, and consequences and controversies of globalization.

This course uncovers the realities of diplomacy in action. Students explore how nations negotiate, respond to crises, and manage relationships behind the scenes. From drafting urgent communiqués in the early hours to navigating the complex rules of protocol, students gain insight into the skills and strategies that shape international affairs—and discover what it truly takes to succeed in the field.

The course teaches what diplomats do and how they do it with an exceptional group of LSE faculty including Professors who have served as the former Deputy Foreign Minister of Mexico, the Chief Economist of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, an advisor to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of State, and acting High Commissioner (Ambassador) to India and Pakistan.