Department of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Political Science 801: Scope and Methods (PhD and Masters Level; Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019)
This course has two basic objectives. First, the course provides an introduction to the substantive, methodological, and philosophical underpinnings of the political science discipline. This objective entails examining the major philosophical and methodological approaches employed by political scientists. The point is not to convince you that there is one correct approach, but rather to familiarize you with the concepts and approaches scholars use in the analysis of political phenomena. Second, we will discuss in depth the mechanics of research design. While many of you have already been introduced to research design, it’s always good to refresh your memory. Being able to write a good research design is also a skill you will need to have well refined to be able to write a good thesis or dissertation. Throughout the semester, you will (I hope) sharpen your analytical and critical skills.
Political Science 395H: Threats to World Order (Honors Seminar; Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019)
This course is an introduction to the major approaches and central topics in the contemporary academic study of international security and the specific problems states face in the international system. Questions we will examine include: What are international crises and why do they sometimes escalate to war? What policies do states enact to increase their national security? What is the role of the international community in preventing crises from escalating to war and what peace-building strategies have they used to end wars that already started? What factors lead the international community to intervene in civil or domestic crises? Is peace sustainable and how? Why do states pursue weapons of mass destruction and what is their affect on international security? Finally, is there room to negotiate with terrorists? As this is an an honors course, participation in in-class simulations, war-gaming exercises, table-top exercises is critical and represents a significant portion of your course grade and participation and is strongly encouraged/required.
Political Science 260: Problems in International Relations (Undergraduate; Fall 2015)
Rather than broadly survey the literature, this course will delve deeply into a small number of issue areas, with the aim of identifying and understanding both the potential and the shortcomings at the cutting edge of current theoretical and empirical work in international security scholarship. While the course will be of great relevance to understanding contemporary global affairs, it will not focus directly on the analysis of current events or the policy making process. Instead, the course will emphasize the concepts, theories, and methods that undergird the analysis of global security affairs. The course will address systemic, choice-theoretic, and behavioral approaches to security, and it will include materials that use both quantitative and qualitatively/historical methods. We will ask: what are international crises and why do they sometimes escalate to war? What policies do states enact to increase their national security? What is the role of the international community in preventing crises from escalating to war and what peace-building strategies have they used to end wars that already started? What factors lead the international community to intervene in civil or domestic crises?
Political Science 286: Political Analysis (Undergraduate; Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Spring 2019)
Students in this class should be able to write and evaluate empirical political science research papers. This includes, but is not limited to, the following specifics: understanding the scientific method and its application to social, economic, and political behavior; developing rigorous research questions; formulating theories and conceptual frameworks to answer these research questions. We will work on creating hypotheses from these theories and writing a review of the relevant literature on these topics. To do so, students will focus on understanding basic research design and the operationalization of concepts and learning basic quantitative approaches to measurement and data analysis to empirically falsify a research hypothesis. Next, students will make and interpret inferences from empirical analyses and conclude with recommendations for the policy community.
This course has two basic objectives. First, the course provides an introduction to the substantive, methodological, and philosophical underpinnings of the political science discipline. This objective entails examining the major philosophical and methodological approaches employed by political scientists. The point is not to convince you that there is one correct approach, but rather to familiarize you with the concepts and approaches scholars use in the analysis of political phenomena. Second, we will discuss in depth the mechanics of research design. While many of you have already been introduced to research design, it’s always good to refresh your memory. Being able to write a good research design is also a skill you will need to have well refined to be able to write a good thesis or dissertation. Throughout the semester, you will (I hope) sharpen your analytical and critical skills.
Political Science 395H: Threats to World Order (Honors Seminar; Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019)
This course is an introduction to the major approaches and central topics in the contemporary academic study of international security and the specific problems states face in the international system. Questions we will examine include: What are international crises and why do they sometimes escalate to war? What policies do states enact to increase their national security? What is the role of the international community in preventing crises from escalating to war and what peace-building strategies have they used to end wars that already started? What factors lead the international community to intervene in civil or domestic crises? Is peace sustainable and how? Why do states pursue weapons of mass destruction and what is their affect on international security? Finally, is there room to negotiate with terrorists? As this is an an honors course, participation in in-class simulations, war-gaming exercises, table-top exercises is critical and represents a significant portion of your course grade and participation and is strongly encouraged/required.
Political Science 260: Problems in International Relations (Undergraduate; Fall 2015)
Rather than broadly survey the literature, this course will delve deeply into a small number of issue areas, with the aim of identifying and understanding both the potential and the shortcomings at the cutting edge of current theoretical and empirical work in international security scholarship. While the course will be of great relevance to understanding contemporary global affairs, it will not focus directly on the analysis of current events or the policy making process. Instead, the course will emphasize the concepts, theories, and methods that undergird the analysis of global security affairs. The course will address systemic, choice-theoretic, and behavioral approaches to security, and it will include materials that use both quantitative and qualitatively/historical methods. We will ask: what are international crises and why do they sometimes escalate to war? What policies do states enact to increase their national security? What is the role of the international community in preventing crises from escalating to war and what peace-building strategies have they used to end wars that already started? What factors lead the international community to intervene in civil or domestic crises?
Political Science 286: Political Analysis (Undergraduate; Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Spring 2019)
Students in this class should be able to write and evaluate empirical political science research papers. This includes, but is not limited to, the following specifics: understanding the scientific method and its application to social, economic, and political behavior; developing rigorous research questions; formulating theories and conceptual frameworks to answer these research questions. We will work on creating hypotheses from these theories and writing a review of the relevant literature on these topics. To do so, students will focus on understanding basic research design and the operationalization of concepts and learning basic quantitative approaches to measurement and data analysis to empirically falsify a research hypothesis. Next, students will make and interpret inferences from empirical analyses and conclude with recommendations for the policy community.