Political Science

This course provides an overview of empirical political science, introducing important concepts, theories, methods, and findings in the discipline. The course examines some of the major questions in political science and encourages critically thinking about the discipline's best answers to those questions. The course covers basic concepts relevant to the study of different types of political systems (such as democracy or sovereignty) and explores the challenges of defining and measuring such concepts while also acquiring some historical understanding of these concepts. The course explores how political scientists assess causal relationships between social, economic, and political variables, and how scholars study political behavior and political identity. 

This course examines the process by which government agencies select certain values as policy goals, focus on particular dimensions of complex social problems, and formulate policy solutions. Key concepts and theories are examined along with systematic discussion of relevant cases.

This course focuses on the comparative study of the four formerly Communist Central European countries, commonly referred to as the Visegrad Group. The course draws upon students' basic knowledge of current and classic themes of comparative politics and takes these to the next level by analyzing how applicable they are to the region under study where democratic institutions are young. It focuses on historical and current developments in Central Europe, looking at how the legacy of Communist rule shaped the creation of a particular type of political institutions and political actors. The course looks at and compares the systems of legislatures, executives in the four countries and analyses the role of the fragile judiciary systems in the region. Among other topics covered are corruption, democratization, mass protesting, party development as well as changing values. The course briefly looks at the backlash in the European integration process and rise of populism and far-right movements in the region.

This course is an introduction to undergraduate writing skills focused on the discipline of international relations. It seeks to develop skills such as reading and analyzing academic literature, finding research questions, constructing arguments, reasoning, using evidence to support arguments, essay structuring, and so on. It does so through a careful analysis of selected texts in the IR field, through lectures about specific writing skills, as well as through the interactive development of in-class exercises and written assignments.

Students research a self-chosen topic and develop an extended research essay under the direct tutelage of an appointed mentor. Students engage in conversation with teachers who are experts in the subject being studied. These tutorials allow students to develop their own ideas under the direct supervision of a tutor.

This course examines the background, context, conduct and implications of politics relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (TSI) communities and policy affecting Indigenous Australians. It explores aspects of inclusion and exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the formal political system, internal power relations within and between communities, social movements and representative bodies, Australian Indigenous politics with those of other nations, and looks at a range of policy areas.