Political Science

Ireland, beyond the six counties of Northern Ireland, was once a constituent of the United Kingdom, and remains the UK's closest European neighbor. Ireland's history is simultaneously distinctive and interconnected with that of modern Britain. This course explores the political and social history of Ireland from the period of insurgency and union in the 1790s, when some key political ideologies and movements were constructed, through to the achievement and consolidation of Irish independence in the years before the Second World War. The course provides an understanding of some of the central themes within the history of Ireland in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It addresses the issues of emerging republicanism and unionism, the evolution of Catholic politics, and the impact of famine and migration on Irish society.

This course examines the intersections between international and domestic policy making. It explores the role of international governmental organizations and treaties, multinational corporations and transnational advocacy in shaping policy decisions. The course reflects critically on the scholarly debate around globalization and the state, and the extent to which national governments retain the capacity to determine their own policy directions. It considers the diffusion of policy ideas internationally and the transfer of policies and programs from one country to another. It covers the factors that interfere with intergovernmental cooperation and coordination and evaluate the ways in which policy makers respond to global policy challenges.

This course offers an in-depth critical analysis of right-wing populism, emphasizing its theoretical foundations, historical evolution, and contemporary empirical manifestations. Students explore the ideological underpinnings of right-wing populism, its intersections with nationalism and authoritarian tendencies, and its broader implications for democratic governance. Through interdisciplinary scholarly literature, critical media analyses, and collaborative discussions, the course examines how right-wing populist movements emerge, sustain, and transform within diverse political systems and cultural contexts, focusing particularly on case studies from Europe and North America. Special attention is also given to the relationship between right-wing populism and pressing global issues such as climate change, fostering awareness of how environmental concerns are framed, instrumentalized, or denied within populist rhetoric. Upon completion of this course, students can clearly define and differentiate between key concepts including right-wing populism, radical right, and extreme right. They are capable of analyzing and critiquing the core ideological dimensions of populism and identifying the underlying factors that drive the emergence and rise of right-wing populist movements. Additionally, students evaluate the impact of digital communication technologies on populist rhetoric and political mobilization. They are also equipped to conduct comparative analyses of right-wing populist phenomena across different national contexts and critically assess the consequences of right-wing populism on democratic institutions, civil society, civic norms, and environmental discourse.

This course examines authoritarian politics from a global comparative perspective. It explores what autocracy involves, how autocrats come to and lose office, and how they attempt to hold on to power. This involves studying both blunt and sophisticated tactics ranging from indiscriminate physical repression to digital surveillance, as autocrats seek to mitigate threats to their position from foreign powers, elites within their regimes, and their own people. 

This course covers the politics of immigration in Europe. Students engage with key debates and empirical findings related to public opinion on immigration, including how perceptions of cultural, economic, and security-related threats shape attitudes toward immigrants. The course explores how immigration influences voting behavior and electoral outcomes, particularly in the context of the rise of anti-immigration parties across Europe. Students investigate the causes and consequences of these parties' success, as well as the strategic responses of mainstream political actors. In addition, the course places emphasis on the experiences of immigrants themselves, including political discrimination, integration, and the pathways to political incorporation. The phenomenon of anti-immigrant violence is also addressed. Basic knowledge of quantitative research methods (multivariate regression, causal inference, and experimental design) is desirable but not required.

This course studies Europe both as a collection of countries that exhibit varying political, economic, and policy patterns but face very similar problems at the turn of the millennium and as a political and economic unit that binds those European countries together and determines their collective responses to the challenges they face. It provides an understanding of capitalist diversity within Europe and the challenges faced by European integration in the past decade and a half.

This course introduces students to the range and scope of social policy analysis by showing how the subject has developed over time. It covers the history and development of Irish social policy and examines how social change has influenced and has been influenced by social policy developments since the nineteenth century.

This course covers the transformation of politics in the era of the internet, digital technologies and changes of methodological and conceptual terrain in the studies of politics, and relationship between politics and digital technologies. It helps students understand the role of communications media and mediation in public affairs and the manner in which digital technologies have reworked the political domain. 

This course covers comparative studies of social policy components and administration in ASEAN member countries and Western states, covering topics including social expenditures, theories and approaches to welfare provision and management, effectiveness of the welfare states, education, public health, housing, employment, taxation, social capital, civil society, social security, and social or welfare rights as well as social, economic, and political considerations that shape the welfare state.

This course explores the concept of equality through the lens of analytic philosophy, applying normative theories to pressing global ethical issues. The first part of the course engages in conceptual analysis of equality, examining key debates in distributive justice, structural injustice, and recognition theory. The second part of the course applies these theoretical foundations to real-world ethical challenges, including climate justice, post-colonialism, minority rights, war and conflict, migration, and human rights. Students are evaluated on their ability to mobilize normative concepts in their discussion of the problems and solutions particular to the global sphere.