Political Science

This course provides a sweeping overview of the American political tradition. It traces the origins of the United States Constitution and the development of the federal government, paying particular attention to the relationships among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and the distribution of power among political institutions across the national, state, and local levels. It also studies the nature of campaigns and elections, citizen participation and public opinion, as well the roles of political parties, interest groups and the news media. All of this will be addressed with a sweeping historical perspective as well as in relation to the current public health and leadership crisis in the United States and the upcoming presidential election in November. In this course, students learn the basics of American government as well as how American politics has informed much of our general knowledge in the field of political science, both in terms of how political institutions actually function (or fail to function) and the gaps that have long persisted between philosophical ideals and the realities on the ground.

This course examines the roles of women in politics from the nineteenth century to the present from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include the historical evolution of relative problems, the political behavior of women and their absence in politics, women's place in the workforce, and education. The course also explores French and American feminism, women's suffrage in France, homosexual theories and practices, sexism and homophobia, and the debate over parity, universalism, and communism.

This course provides a study of the principle theories of human rights and the role of human rights in democratic societies. It looks at the challenges of guaranteeing human rights in different cultural contexts, the function of human rights in the constitutional order, and issues regarding justice of law, the legitimacy of power, and rights-based theories.

The course discusses the central elements of the Chilean political process between 1833 and the era following the end of the authoritarian regime in March 1990. It examines the traits that created the current state of contemporary Chilean democracy. Due to this large historical period, the course focuses on the features and evolution of three main elements: political regime, political institutions, and the main political actors. 

This course examines the study of international relations from 'global south' perspectives, focusing on the question of development. It covers: Eurocentrism; capitalist modernity; the Western challenge; the expansion of Europe; the 'great divergence'; imperialism and colonialism; 'catch-up' strategies; state-led industrialization; the neoliberal approach of the Washington Consensus; the rise of China; urbanization; informalization and gender relations; migration; social movements and revolution; Covid-19; and climate change. 

This course provides an overview of theories on international politics and security as well as specific security issues between China, South Korea, North Korea and the US. 

The course explores the international political economy of sanctions in the constantly changing context of economic warfare and geopolitical rivalry. The aim is to investigate various theoretical approaches to sanctions and to apply those to case studies (e.g. Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, etc.). Sanctions are analyzed with reference to wider political debates over essential topics, such as national security, state sovereignty, economic warfare and sustainability, legality and legitimacy. The plurality of visions is explored by listening to alternative voices and narratives. By counterposing the justifications for the use of sanctions by sender states to diverse perspectives, expressed by the target states, as well as to increasingly heterodox views of third parties, students develop their critical thinking, and obtain a comprehensive and holistic understanding of sanctions.