Political Science

This course covers essential analytical and conceptual tools for examining foreign policy processes. It equips students to identify and critically assess differences, similarities, changes, and continuities in the foreign policies of states worldwide. Through diverse historical case studies, the course highlights key theoretical debates while addressing the connect/disconnect between theoretical frameworks and practical decision-making in foreign policy. Along with a midterm and final exam, students participate in a team debate. 

This advanced seminar course explores the problems associated with global political economy. The first half of the course provides students with the analytical and conceptual tools to better understand the complexities of international politics and economics. The second half is issue-based,  focusing on major developments in contemporary international and economic relations and how states manage these issues. The course consists largely of student research, consultation, group presentation, and peer review/comments. Student should expect to complete a 3500 word case study and participate in group presentations.

China’s rise has been one of the defining issues of contemporary world history. Examine this transformation in global affairs from both outside-in and inside-out perspectives. This course explores how China has shaped, and been shaped by, its encounters with the international order, from the Qing Empire to the present. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this course brings together research from history, international relations, and international political economy.  

The course examines New Zealand’s relations with major countries, its policies in key regions, and its position on contemporary issues in international politics. It explores how a small state navigates complex global environments where optimal outcomes are not always possible. It also provides an insider’s perspective on how strategic decisions are made, drawing on conversations with senior political leaders, diplomats, and national security officials. It analyzes how New Zealand evaluates options, develops policy, and responds to global challenges in ways that safeguard its defense, economy, and societal interests.

This course explores international justice from the perspective of international political philosophy, covering a wide range of topics including peace-building and military intervention. It primarily considers the realization of justice from the perspectives of political ideology and human security, and provides detailed explanations of Syrian and Ukrainian issues. 

This course presents an overview of research frontiers relating to international and domestic climate policy, politics, and government; comparative politics discussions related to climate change, such as the role of democracy, economic development, and corruption in shaping countries’ commitments to climate change mitigation; and political theory discussions relating to just climate transition, and ways to ensure accountable and democratic support for climate action. 

This lecture course examines the interaction between capitalism and different forms of government. First, it introduces the discipline of political economy. In this connection, it examines the classical theories of the interaction between politics and markets. Then it focuses in more detail on how the economy affects politics, and how politics—in particular, political interests, institutions, and ideas--shape economic outcomes. It looks at both developed and developing countries, asking how economic growth and development is affected by politics. It concludes by considering the place of political economy in analyzing firms and markets.

This course examines international security issues, especially those related to inter-state conflict such as arms races, international law, nuclear weapons, crisis bargaining and cyber warfare. 

This course aims to develop students' capacities in research, data and writing in political science and international relations. Topics may include: critical analysis of sources, critique of data sources, constructing explanatory models, standards of logical demonstration, and organizing and presenting research results.

The class offers an introduction into the modern approaches to causal identification in quantitative political science research. Traditional view implying that quantitative work can establish only correlations, and no causal links, has been challenged recently by new research designs allowing scholars to identify causal effects using quantitative data. This class reviews these methods (such as appropriate strategies of selecting control variables in regressions, matching, instrumental variables, experiments and regression discontinuity design), as well as discuss their application to the practical problems of political science research. It uses specific examples to train students' ability to develop effective research designs.