Spring 2023
Introduction to Comparative Politics
George Soroka PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
This course is designed to offer an introduction to major concepts and theories in comparative politics, as well as to familiarize students with the basic tools of comparative analysis. During our time together, we ask and attempt to answer questions such as when do revolutions occur? Why are some countries democratic while others are not? What is the interplay between culture and politics? How do economic factors influence political development? To what extent are political processes the result of individual volition versus larger structural forces? In doing so, we examine cases from around the globe and across time. The objective of this course is two-fold: to provide students with a theoretical grounding through which to understand the political world we inhabit, as well as to introduce the academic field of comparative politics, along with its empirical expectations and modes of argumentation.
Spring 2023
International Conflict and Cooperation
Dustin Tingley PhD, Professor of Government, Harvard University
This course is an introduction to the analysis of the causes and character of international conflict and cooperation. Theories of international relations are presented and then applied to contemporary and historical cases. The course begins with a foundational review of the different levels at which states interact and the primary theoretical paradigms in the field. It then addresses how states achieve cooperation in the face of international anarchy, a question that has attracted the attention of scholars since Thucydides. The course next addresses basic bargaining theory, which uses insights from economics to explore how bargaining breakdowns, commitment problems, and incomplete information can lead to war. Thereafter we examine three popular topics in contemporary international relations research: the roles that psychology, leaders, and domestic politics play in explaining international conflict and cooperation. We also explore the sources and effects of international institutions such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization. We spend a week studying terrorism, a problem of particular significance in the modern world. We also look at trade, foreign aid, international development, and climate change. We conclude with international law and an exploration of the future of international relations.
Fall 2022
International Conflict and Cooperation
Dustin Tingley PhD, Professor of Government, Harvard University
This course is an introduction to the analysis of the causes and character of international conflict and cooperation. Theories of international relations are presented and then applied to contemporary and historical cases. The course begins with a foundational review of the different levels at which states interact and the primary theoretical paradigms in the field. It then addresses how states achieve cooperation in the face of international anarchy, a question that has attracted the attention of scholars since Thucydides. The course next addresses basic bargaining theory, which uses insights from economics to explore how bargaining breakdowns, commitment problems, and incomplete information can lead to war. Thereafter we examine three popular topics in contemporary international relations research: the roles that psychology, leaders, and domestic politics play in explaining international conflict and cooperation. We also explore the sources and effects of international institutions such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization. We spend a week studying terrorism, a problem of particular significance in the modern world. We also look at trade, foreign aid, international development, and climate change. We conclude with international law and an exploration of the future of international relations.
Fall 2022
Deliberative Justice: The Theory and Practice of Good Citizenship
Sergio Imparato PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
The course is an introduction to the theory, methods, and practice of deliberative moral reasoning. Students learn how to effectively identify and analyze ethical dilemmas relevant to their communities, how to constructively engage in civic debates, and how to present persuasive moral arguments in public settings. Class meetings feature presentations that address the students' topics of interest, discussions on methods of moral deliberation, and assignments that bolster written and oral communication. Emphasis is placed on the development of the written and rhetorical skills needed to advance moral arguments of a political nature. Examples include issues of social, political, and economic inequalities, environment, healthcare, and biomedical issues, migration, civic membership, and issues of privacy, technology, and dignity of work.
Fall 2022
Deliberative Justice Precapstone: The Theory and Practice of Good Citizenship
Sergio Imparato PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
The course is an introduction to the theory, methods, and practice of deliberative moral reasoning. Students learn how to effectively identify and analyze ethical dilemmas relevant to their communities, how to constructively engage in civic debates, and how to present persuasive moral arguments in public settings. Class meetings feature presentations that address the students' topics of interest, discussions on methods of moral deliberation, and assignments that bolster written and oral communication. Emphasis is placed on the development of the written and rhetorical skills needed to advance moral arguments of a political nature. Examples include issues of social, political, and economic inequalities; environment, healthcare and biomedical issues; migration, civic membership, and issues of privacy; technology; and dignity of work.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, GOVT E-599c, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Fall 2022
Policy Writing and Analysis Precapstone
Michael David Miner PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course prepares students for advanced study, writing, and research in policy analysis. Lectures and in-class activities prioritize diagnosis and communication of problems followed by the development of methodological policy prescriptions. Topical readings encompass the foreign and domestic spectrum including historical case studies to illustrate dynamics in motion. Coursework stresses tangible skills to better evaluate, design, and write policy papers. A policy paper is a scholarly work that analyzes a relevant issue and provides evidence-based, actionable recommendations for decision-makers and organizational leaders. Emphasis is placed on the identification of policy challenges, the use of methodological tools to analyze them, and the design and presentation of potential solutions. This course further explores public policy including a comprehensive review of processes that drive and inform decision making at the local, state, federal, and international levels. Students are provided ample writing and research opportunities to explore issues of personal and professional interest in the production of a high-quality policy paper. Assignments include practical tools and skills most frequently used in policy settings such as memos and briefings, but also longer analytical papers and presentations.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, GOVT E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course with the same instructor. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Fall 2022
Policy Writing and Analysis Precapstone
Nicholas Coburn-Palo PhD, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Harvard University
The aim of the course is to provide students with the critical and analytical skills to evaluate, design, and write a policy paper. A policy paper is a scholarly work that analyzes a relevant policy issue and provides evidence-based, actionable recommendations. Emphasis is placed on the identification of policy problems, the use of methodological tools to analyze them, and the design and presentation of potential solutions. Class meetings feature presentations of policy papers that address the students' topics of interest, discussions of research strategies employed by policy analysts, and assignments that bolster written and oral communication. Students learn about all aspects of policy paper design, including the identification of relevant data sources, techniques for analysis, and the proper method of presenting policy paper findings. Examples of policy paper topics include migration and refugee policies, social and economic inequality issues, environmental and sustainability issues, gender equality and gender-based violence issues, cyberwarfare strategies, counterterrorism strategies, and issues of international security and nuclear proliferation.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, GOVT E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course with the same instructor. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Fall 2022
National Security Writing and Analysis Precapstone
Derek Reveron PhD, Lecturer in Extension and Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, and Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College
This course prepares students for advanced study, writing, and research in national security. This course explores the national security system and policy processes that drive and inform decision making. Readings span current affairs and historical cases to illustrate dynamics of strategic decision making. Assignments include the development of practical tools and skills most frequently used in national security settings such as memos, briefings, and working group presentations. There is individual and in-class group work that simulates the experience of real-world practitioners working in national security from the front lines of the military, intelligence community, and civilian workforce to top level decision making inside the White House.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, GOVT E-599b, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Fall 2022
Precapstone: Strategies to Advance Social Change
Flavia Perea PhD, Lecturer on Sociology, Harvard University
How can we make change? In this course we explore the ethical foundations, principles, methods, tools, and skill-set essential for designing strategies to advance social change. We explore various perspectives and practices for students to equip themselves with the tools to imagine and design novel, rigorous, and equity-centered strategies to make progress towards justice in society. Together we engage with various ideas and materials drawn from law and policy, community organizing, advocacy, the social sciences, journalism, documentary film, community health, and personal narrative, as well as scholarly literature, both contemporary and historical, with an eye towards the future. The course emphasizes collaborative approaches for advancing social change through partnership, movement and coalition building, collective agency, empowerment, and organizing to cultivate and sustain collaborative efforts that leverage individual and collective agency and capacity for our liberation. Interrogating and dissecting harmful systems of power is central to our work, as students each develop individual projects that leverage inquiry for purposeful transformative action to help dismantle structures of domination and oppression. Students may not take both GOVT E-597a and GOVT E-1072 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, government, international relations, or religion, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, GOVT E-599a, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
Deliberative Justice Capstone
Sergio Imparato PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course allows students to apply the knowledge acquired in GOVT E-594 to produce a capstone essay. In consultation with the instructor, students work in groups to identify ethical conflicts that affect their communities and work towards the development of an argumentative essay. Throughout the semester, students receive feedback both from their peers and the instructor to aid in the development of their group projects. Class meetings include the development of writing schedules, discussions focused on moral reasoning methodology, and peer-review analysis of student projects. The capstone culminates with a formal presentation of the students' argument to a local town hall meeting.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, GOVT E-594, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
National Security Analysis Capstone
Derek Reveron PhD, Lecturer in Extension and Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, and Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College
This course provides candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, an opportunity to complete a policy research project on behalf of a US national security organization. The students frame a problem for analysis, complete a group in-depth research project, and present their findings to senior representatives from a government organization. Students work in small groups to address the question: What challenges do gray zone conflicts pose to the United States? Individually, students write strategic options memos to address pressing national security challenges.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, GOVT E-597, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
Policy Analysis Capstone
Michael David Miner PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course offers candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in GOVT E-595 to conduct independent policy analysis, write a comprehensive paper, and brief a professional audience. In consultation with the instructor, students select a concrete policy problem, conduct autonomous research to analyze the topic in detail, and provide a set of actionable recommendations for consideration by an outside panel of experts. Throughout the semester students receive feedback from their peers, instructors, and staff to aid project development. Class meetings include the creation of writing schedules, discussions focused on policy analysis methodology, and peer-review analysis of student projects. As time permits special guests are invited to share insights on policy related issues. Students are provided ample writing and research opportunities to explore topics of personal and professional interest in the production of high-quality policy papers worthy of publication outside of the course. Projects are team oriented reflecting a real-world approach seen at the local, state, federal, and international levels on policy matters foreign and domestic. Emphasis is placed on the identification of potential target audiences, such as governmental agencies, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), policymakers, and practitioners. The capstone project culminates with a formal presentation of projects to a panel of policy experts and includes detailed feedback and consideration of the arguments, ideas, and recommendations.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, GOVT E-595, with the same instructor in the prior fall term. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
Policy Analysis Capstone
Nicholas Coburn-Palo PhD, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Harvard University
This course offers candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in GOVT E-595 to conduct independent policy analysis and write a professional policy paper. In consultation with the instructor, students select a concrete policy problem, produce autonomous research to analyze it, and provide a set of actionable recommendations to solve it. Throughout the semester, students receive feedback both from their peers and the instructor to aid the development of their projects. Class meetings include the development of writing schedules, discussions focused on policy analysis methodology, and peer-review analysis of student projects. Emphasis is placed on the identification of potential target audiences, such as governmental agencies, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and policy makers and practitioners. The capstone project culminates with a formal presentation of the students' projects to a panel of experts.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government or international relations, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, GOVT E-595, with the same instructor in the prior fall term. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
Social Justice Capstone: Equity and the Struggle for Justice
Flavia Perea PhD, Lecturer on Sociology, Harvard University
In this course, candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government, international relations, or religion further develop and implement the project they began designing in GOVT E-597a, as students move from concepts, theory, and aspirations to their concrete applications in the real world. Projects require a strong conceptual foundation ground in evidence, best practices, as well as the principles and methods integral for the formulation of equitable, impactful, and transformative strategies to advance social change. The course takes a workshop approach where students work in small groups, continually supporting each other to further develop individual projects that engage collaborators, communities, stakeholders, or the broader public to plan and carry out action. Students share their work and progress in their small groups and with the whole class throughout the term.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, government, international relations, or religion, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, GOVT E-597a, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Spring 2023
Global Ethnic Politics
Gloria Ayee PhD, Lecturer in Extension Harvard University
This seminar provides a comparative, global analysis of race and ethnicity, and is designed to help students understand the history, dynamics, and salience of ethnic inequality and political cleavage. Issues under consideration include definitions of race and ethnicity, colonization, nationhood, the politics and political history of indigenous peoples, the history and persistence of white supremacy, multiculturalism, legacies of slavery, ethnic political mobilization, panethnicity, diasporas and transnationalism, migration, ethnic cleansing and genocide, contemporary racial stratification, causes of ethnic conflict and violence, and responses to ethnic conflict.
Spring 2023
Res Publica: A History of Representative Government
Daniel Carpenter PhD, Allie S. Freed Professor of Government, Harvard University
"A republic, if you can keep it." So did Benjamin Franklin characterize his hopes for American government. What did Franklin and others mean by republic, and why did he and so many others worry that it might be something hard to hold onto? This course provides the theoretical basis and historical evolution of republics so that students can understand the American system of a democratic republic, now spread widely around the planet even as it is considered under threat. Students read Alexander Hamilton alongside Thomas Jefferson, Niccolo Machiavelli alongside Baron de Montesquieu, and Angelina Grimk alongside Frederick Douglass. We consider systems of governance in Republican Rome, medieval Europe, early modern England and France, Native American nations, and the United States. The thinkers and founders we read thought long and hard about what freedom is, how to balance executive and legislative power, and why republics and democracies can be unstable. As a democratic republic, the United States places great faith in the capacity of voters to choose their rulers, who in turn make most of our policies. Is this faith misplaced? What is the role for virtue in a republic, and what is virtue? How does inequality undermine republican stability, and what might be done about it?
Spring 2023
Money, Markets, and Morals
Michael J. Sandel PhD, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University
What should be the role of money and markets in our society? Are there some things that money should not be able to buy? Should people be permitted to buy sex, votes, babies, citizenship, or college admission? What about buying and selling the right to pollute, procreate, immigrate, discriminate, or to hunt endangered species? Should we use markets to govern health care, education, privacy, or criminal law? The course considers what moral limits, if any, the law should impose on market exchanges. Drawing upon classical philosophical works and contemporary moral and political controversies, we attempt to determine what goods and social practices should not be up for sale.
Fall 2022
Pandemic Ethics
Sergio Imparato PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course investigates the ethical dilemmas that arise during global pandemics. Is it morally legitimate to stockpile essential protective material (such as masks and gloves) in times of shortage? If faced with a shortage of beds, how should hospitals prioritize patients in need of medical care? Should hospitals publicly share medical information regarding their sick patients? Should technology and communication companies conduct extensive surveillance to reduce contagion? In a pandemic, should social isolation be voluntary or mandated by the government? We explore these questions through an intensive set of moral debates on the social, political, economic, and technological dimensions of a global healthcare crisis.
Fall 2022
Justice
Michael J. Sandel PhD, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University
This course explores critical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of justice, including discussion of present-day applications. Topics include affirmative action, income distribution, same-sex marriage, the role of markets, debates about rights (human rights and property rights), arguments for and against equality, and dilemmas of loyalty in public and private life. The course invites learners to subject their own views on these controversies to critical examination. The principal readings for the course are texts by Aristotle, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls. Other assigned readings include writings by contemporary philosophers, court cases, and articles about political controversies that raise philosophical questions.
Spring 2023
Human Rights and International Politics
Mathias Risse PhD, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy, Harvard Kennedy School
This seminar is an introduction to human rights and the role they have come to play in international politics. The goal is to provide basic human rights literacy and to put students in a position to debate questions about human rights and dilemmas that arise about them.
Fall 2022
Transitional Justice and the Politics of Truth Commissions
Gloria Ayee PhD, Lecturer in Extension Harvard University
Scholars, policymakers, and political leaders have long debated appropriate responses to severe human rights violations that occur during periods of civil conflict, war, and genocide. This seminar introduces students to interdisciplinary studies in transitional justice and post-conflict reconciliation by focusing on the work of truth and reconciliation commissions. Students examine key concepts and theoretical perspectives that are central to the field of transitional justice. Drawing on cases such as South Africa, Chile, Peru, Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, Panama, and Canada, the course critically examines how truth commissions are used to provide accountability for human rights abuses carried out by the state.
Spring 2023
Ignorance, Lies, Hogwash, and Humbug
Christopher Robichaud PhD, Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Is truth dead? Time magazine posed this question in bold red print on its April 3, 2017 cover. It is a surprising concern, given that information of every sort imaginable is merely a tap away on our phones, access to educational resources is robust for both traditional students and online learners, and direct interaction with public figures is more unencumbered than ever before with the help of social networks. Yet we nevertheless find that "alternative facts" regularly compete on equal footing with actual facts, fake news beats out mainstream news, and expert knowledge is sidelined for gut hunches and whatever feels correct. Such is the so-called post-truth age. Can our democracy survive it? Contrary to what many may think, it is not obvious that it can. Perhaps even more surprising, if it can survive, it may only be by way of the much-maligned practice of politics. In this course, we interrogate the post-truth age, primarily within the American context, through an interdisciplinary engagement with epistemology, political philosophy, media studies, and the behavioral and social sciences.
Fall 2022
Politics of Religion in Liberal Democracies
George Soroka PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
The secularization thesis argues that as societies modernize religion becomes a less important facet of life. However, the evidence for a decline in religion's contemporary political salience is extremely equivocal. Indeed, multiple indicators suggest religious belief and belonging are currently experiencing a political resurgence across the globe, and even among the developed countries of the world partisan fault lines often appear to be drawn along religious dimensions. Why might this be the case today, when by the middle of the twentieth century many social scientists were convinced that the influence of faith over the public square would fade into obscurity and irrelevance? This course begins by examining the broad contours of the role religion has played in shaping political processes and how they have changed (or not) in recent decades, then applies these insights to analyze religion's present-day influence on political realities in the United States (frequently considered exceptional in its religiosity) and Europe (widely held to be a secularized continent). Our purpose in doing so is to assess the degree to which religion affects public life in comparative context. The course concludes by considering what the implications are for democratic governance when religion stakes an overtly political claim. Students are provided with the tools to think critically about religion's role in politics and the tensions accompanying it in liberal, pluralistic societies.
Fall 2022
Bridges to JustPeace
Diane L. Moore PhD, Lecturer on Religion, Conflict, and Peace, Founding Director of Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School
Contrary to popular assumption, many US citizens who find themselves on opposite sides of current political and ideological debates have more in common than is readily apparent. In this course we pursue three main objectives: to uncover and examine the sources of the growing economic disparities and extreme social fragmentation that events over the past several years have revealed; to inspire empathy for the perceived other through narrative, literature, and the arts; and to construct strategies for creative coalition building based in a just peace framework in local and national contexts. Our explorations focus on case studies that include climate change, white poverty, and Black Lives Matter. Other case study options may be included. Though the course focuses on the United States, we examine parallels in other parts of the globe. Final projects involve planning a coalition building action or activity. Students may not take both GOVT E-597a and GOVT E-1072 for degree or certificate credit.
Fall 2022
Political Corruption
Jeeyang Rhee Baum PhD, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
This course provides a comparative analysis of political corruption in rich and poor countries around the world. Why do countries vary in the extent of corruption they experience and with what consequences? This course explores this question using empirical data, as well as related issues. For example, how and why do public officials abuse the public trust and engage in illegal actions while in office? Why is corruption so prevalent in poor countries? Does political corruption decline with economic development? What do politicians gain from political corruption? Under what conditions do countries adopt anti-corruption strategies and how effective have they been? We examine case studies including Afghanistan, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, South Korea, and the US.
Spring 2023
Democracy's Century: Democratic Transitions in Comparative Perspective
George Soroka PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
This course addresses the question of tough transitions. Democracy has come to many different lands in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries, but its record of success once there has been remarkably variable. Consequently, we ask two interrelated questions, drawing upon both theoretical literature and case studies: what conditions are propitious or deleterious for democratic consolidation? And, in the latter instance, are there ways of overcoming less than ideal starting points? Posing these questions requires distinguishing between the process of democratization and the outcome of a stable, well-functioning democratic regime. In doing so, we examine problematic cases, historic and contemporary, where democracy has survived and thrived despite the initial odds (India, Germany). We also look at democratic reversals, where hopes of competitive elections and representative governance have been thwarted (Russia). The point of doing so is to have students think critically about democratic theory and regime change in order to assess events such as the Arab Spring and evaluate what factors are unfavorable to democracy (and why), as well as whether these might be overcome through institutional design or other means.
Spring 2023
Populism and the Erosion of Democracy
Jeeyang Rhee Baum PhD, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
What is populism and how much of a threat is it to democracy? The recent rise of authoritarian-populism, across both long-established and developing democracies, has posed new challenges for good governance. This course explores the conditions for the rise of populism, evaluates how much of a threat it poses for democracy, and examines the different forms it takes. Topics include the role of economic grievances, immigration trends, civic culture, electoral rules, and party competition. We examine these topics through a range of comparative country cases including the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Hungary, Turkey, the Philippines, and India.
Fall 2022
Democracy: Breakthroughs and Breakdowns
Daniel Ziblatt PhD, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, Harvard University
What gives rise to democracy? What leads it to die? This course has a broad comparative and global sweep, seeking to answer these questions by analyzing the development of democracy in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. The course introduces students to competing conceptions of democracy, competing theories of when democracy is created and barriers to democratic survival, and analyzes major episodes of democratic breakthrough and breakdown ranging from the fall of the Berlin wall to the rise of Nazism and the collapse of democracy in cold war Latin America.
Spring 2023
Capitalism, Democracy, and War in Central and Eastern Europe in Historical Perspective
Grzegorz Ekiert PhD, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government, Harvard University
The last one hundred years of east central European history represents a fascinating case for students of comparative politics interested in political transitions and regime changes, as well as social and economic transformations and their political consequences. During this period new states emerged, disappeared, and re-emerged in the region. Democratic, fascist, and communist regimes were established and dismantled. Economic systems were destroyed and rebuilt. Countries experienced wars, foreign invasions, revolutions and civil wars, state- and nation-building processes, economic and political crises, rapid social and cultural transformations, and modernization. This course examines critical periods in central and east European history and politics: the emergence and experiences of newly restored independent states in the aftermath of the First World War, the devastations of the Second World War and subsequent imposition of communist regimes, their evolution and their rapid and largely unanticipated collapse in 1989, subsequent transitions to democracy and a market economy, the accession to the European Union (EU) and the recent slowdown in economic reforms, democratic backsliding, the largely unexpected authoritarian turn in some of the new EU member states and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The course is designed to provide a general introduction to central and east European politics; survey existing interpretations of social, political and economic developments in the region; and examine these developments within the framework of the contemporary literature in comparative politics.
Spring 2023
Race, Film, and American Politics
Gloria Ayee PhD, Lecturer in Extension Harvard University
This course examines the multifaceted ways in which racial and ethnic identity has been represented in American film. Drawing on political science, sociology, anthropology, and film and media studies, we assess the ways in which the mainstream media in the United States focusing primarily on the Hollywood film industry has portrayed different population groups and shaped our understanding of what it means to be American. The course addresses issues of social stratification and considers the intersection of identity and politics by analyzing historical shifts in cinematic representation in the United States.
Spring 2023
American In(Justice): Problems and Possibilities in the American Legal System
Jennifer A. Halen PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
This course introduces problems (and proposed solutions) within the American criminal justice system. The focus is primarily on American policing, jails and prisons, criminal legal policy, and the court system. We begin by unpacking the historical roots and modern day manifestations of racial and socioeconomic disparities within the legal system. We use this information to critically examine the sociopolitical reverberations and repercussions caused by these disparities and institutional harms. Subsequently, we critically discuss a range of proposed solutions ranging from mandating police body cameras to fundamentally recreating systems of safety and accountability. Throughout the course, we discuss the policy process and the social and political dynamics that enable or impede institutional change.
Fall 2022
American Elections and Party Power
Daniel Epstein PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
National elections have enormous consequences. Political parties are the institutional actors that contest and win almost every state and federal election. The present and past development of the US party system and how the parties have contested elections is the focus of this course, especially the parties changing ideologies, personalities, and geographic variation over time, up through and including the midterm elections of 2022. Students learn about theoretical views of political parties, the electoral rules that produce party incentives and structures, and key moments in the development of the US political party system. We also focus on the 2022 election campaign, including not only the House and Senate, but also gubernatorial races.
Prerequisites: GOVT E-30 recommended.
January 2023
The Politics of Policing and Community Safety in the Age of Social Media
Jennifer A. Halen PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
Frequent heart wrenching examples of police brutality have ignited unforeseen momentum for police and prison abolition. In tandem with traditional organizing efforts, online activism and organizing have helped to fuel this unprecedented moment, sparking global protests. That said, many of the tools that help gain attention and support for an issue may not easily provide the nuanced ideas needed to sustain this momentum or coalesce into real social and policy change. In this intensive January session course, we analyze and interrogate topics relating to community safety, accountability, institutional justice, systemic inequality and racism, abolitionist thought, social movements, and internet activism.
January 2023
The Civil Rights Movement in America
Andrew Joseph Pope PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Tens of thousands of African Americans led a decades-long struggle for liberation and equality during the twentieth century. The Black freedom struggle, or the civil rights movement, encompassed a range of economic, social, and political demands that affected every person living in the United States. This intensive January session course re-examines parts of the movement that are well known, like Martin Luther King, Jr., or non-violent direct action, as well as lesser-known elements of the movement like sharecroppers in Alabama joining the Communist Party or the role of Black Power advocates in shaping modern America. Together we study the art, literature, music, and history of the movement and how it transformed American society. The course focuses on deepening our knowledge of the civil rights movement through in-depth discussions during class. Each day students have a reading to complete. In class, we read primary sources together and I offer short lectures to help contextualize each class's discussion topics. There is always time for questions. Students do not need any previous study of African American history in order to take this course.
Spring 2023
Race in a Polarized America
Jennifer L. Hochschild PhD, Henry LaBarre Jayne Professor of Government and Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University
How do we manage issues of race, ethnicity, and immigration in a polarized political era? What role did race play in the election of President Trump, after eight years of the presidency of Barack Obama? How can we be good citizens of the world when Americans have such mixed views and take such mixed actions in engaging with racial hierarchy, identity, or interaction? This course addresses these questions by examining policy disputes around issues such as incarceration and policing, free speech, the role of biology in ancestry and medical care, electoral politics, activism, and movement across borders. We examine class, nationality, and gender differences within and across groups, and how group boundaries are made stronger or weaker. We consider how to reduce unproductive polarization, and how we can promote a better America even, or especially, when we do not agree on just what better entails. Course readings range from public speeches and interviews to works in political science, sociology, economics, and genomic science. Students learn how and where the United States has progressed in promoting group equality and fairness, as well as where it has not or has even moved backwards. Students end the course with a deeper understanding of the core American paradox of the persistence of group hierarchy in a country dedicated to democracy, equality, and liberty, and what people can do to resolve that paradox.
Fall 2022
The Polarization of American Politics: What Has Happened, Why, and Why Does it Matter?
Todd Washburn PhD, Senior Assistant Provost for International Affairs, Harvard University
Scholars, journalists, and the American public broadly agree that political divisions in the United States today are deep and growing. The two major parties seem to have grown more cohesive and more distant from each other, and their supporters view each other with suspicion and growing hostility. Many Americans and many observers of American politics sense that polarization has made governance more difficult and less effective, and a growing chorus of scholars argues that deep polarization can undermine democracy itself. What is the evidence to prove or refute the belief that polarization is on the rise? If polarization is real, what are the main hypothesized causes? What role does human psychology play in driving polarization? Does polarization endanger democracy itself? And what, if anything, can we do about it?
Spring 2023
The Politics of Climate Change and the Environment
Dustin Tingley PhD, Professor of Government, Harvard University
Climate change, as well as a host of environmental challenges like access to clean water, pose an existential threat to our planet. This course studies how politics can be both an obstacle and a solution to solving these problems. Students may not count both GOVT E-1722 and GOVT S-1511 (offered previously) for degree or certificate credit.
Fall 2022
Propaganda, Past and Present
George Soroka PhD, Lecturer on Government, Harvard University
Propaganda has been a factor in politics since antiquity, but in an age when social media has made disseminating ideas easier than ever and the terms fake news and alternative facts have entered the popular lexicon, it appears particularly pernicious. Studying what political propaganda is, as well as by whom (and how) it is disseminated and what its goals are, is therefore particularly relevant today. This course begins by looking at the history of the term and its theoretical underpinnings, distinguishing it from related but nevertheless distinct forms of persuasive speech (for example, advertising, op-eds, and polemics) and obvious misinformation. Next, we examine various examples of propaganda and their manifestations, both historical as well as more contemporaneous (for example, World War I and World War II, Russian and Chinese troll farms, and the 2021 US Capitol riot). The course concludes by considering the normative implications of political propaganda for the societies we live in.
Fall 2022
Intelligence and International Security
Michael David Miner PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course explores the opaque world of intelligence and international security. The course begins with a survey of disciplines and methods of analysis before reviewing intelligence requirements as a component in policy processes that drive and inform decision making within the national security system. We consider various intelligence related topics including espionage, covert action, politicization, counterintelligence, public oversight, intelligence failure, and reform. The course strikes a balance between contemporary issues and the storied histories of intelligence systems around the world. Though predominantly focused on the United States, the course also considers intelligence activities in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and elsewhere. Students grapple with historical and hypothetical problem sets based on real-world scenarios to develop assessment capabilities. Required readings and assignments draw on classic and influential work in addition to declassified documents which illuminate the historical narrative in a tangible way. The course concludes with reflections on how past experience informs current perspectives and might elucidate future intelligence requirements to better anticipate and understand the changing world.
Spring 2023
Intelligence and International Security
Michael David Miner PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course explores the opaque world of intelligence and international security. The course begins with a survey of disciplines and methods of analysis before reviewing intelligence requirements as a component in policy processes that drive and inform decision making within the national security system. We consider various intelligence related topics including espionage, covert action, politicization, counterintelligence, public oversight, intelligence failure, and reform. The course strikes a balance between contemporary issues and the storied histories of intelligence systems around the world. Though predominantly focused on the United States, the course also considers intelligence activities in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and elsewhere. Students grapple with historical and hypothetical problem sets based on real-world scenarios to develop assessment capabilities. Required readings and assignments draw on classic and influential work in addition to declassified documents which illuminate the historical narrative in a tangible way. The course concludes with reflections on how past experience informs current perspectives and might elucidate future intelligence requirements to better anticipate and understand the changing world.
Fall 2022
Grand Strategy and Instruments of National Power
Joan Johnson-Freese PhD - Nazanin Azizian PhD, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Secretary of Defense
This course examines US national security affairs through the lenses of grand strategies and instruments of national power. Based on theories of international relations, grand strategy is intended to provide a plan for a nation to use in achieving its goals through the employment of tools of power, in the face of threats and challenges during war and peacetime. National power is the combination of a country's diplomacy, information and intelligence, military, and economic strength. This course examines the roles, applications, and mutual dependence of three key tools of national power diplomacy, defense, and intelligence. The employment of grand strategy requires careful analysis and understanding of the security environment and risks (including budget) being faced, and a clear statement of goals (ends) so that appropriate means to achieve those ends can be determined within the ways available. This course explores and analyzes salient national security challenges facing the United States, including the rise of China, Russia's growing geopolitical ambitions, Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions, cyber as the fifth domain of international conflict, transnational terrorism, and the regional rivalry with Iran. Students approach the issues discussed in this course as future practitioners in training, learning to support national objectives as analysts, policymakers, and senior officials. The course begins with a consideration of theories of international relations and the general use of grand strategies as planning tools. Then students focus on analyzing the challenges facing the United States foreign policy establishment and how diplomacy, defense, and intelligence capabilities and posture serve the advancement of national interests. In this phase of the course, students develop strategic courses of action and convey them through writing strategic options memos that entail analyzing the challenges, assessing current strategy, and identifying alternative approaches to pursuing national goals. The next segment of the course dives into greater depth about the structure of the United States intelligence community, the way it supports defense and diplomacy, and causes of intelligence failure. Students exercise their learning by writing and briefing a national intelligence estimate based on real-world crises and conflicts.
Fall 2022
American Security Alliances since 1945: Multilateralism, Bilateralism, and Strategic Partnerships
Mesrob Vartavarian PhD, Associate, Harvard University Asia Center
Since the Second World War, the United States has cemented its global power through the formation and consolidation of various security alliances with foreign states. These alliances have not come without costs and questions as to their utility, particularly in recent years. Yet, they have generally benefited the US and its strategic partners. Alliances provide territorial security to overseas allies and enable the forward deployment of US military forces. Furthermore, force aggregation and economic linkages derived from these alliances make for greater global integration and transnational connectivity. They can however also be sources of global tension, particularly when faced with rival powers determined to revise the geopolitical balance of power. This course examines the formation, evolution, and current issues facing the multilateral North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as well as bilateral security treaties with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. It also discusses strategic partnerships not bound by formal security treaties with places like Israel and Thailand.
Spring 2023
Cyberspace and International Security
Derek Reveron PhD, Lecturer in Extension and Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, and Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College
In a very short time, individuals and companies have harnessed cyberspace to create new industries, a vibrant social space, and a new economic sphere that are intertwined with our everyday lives. At the same time, individuals, subnational groups, and governments are using cyberspace to advance interests through malicious activity. Terrorists recruit, train, and target through the internet, hackers steal data, and intelligence services conduct espionage. Still, the vast majority of cyberspace is a civilian space used by individuals, businesses, and governments for legitimate purposes. This course examines current and future threats to cyberspace, studies various approaches to advance and defend national interests, and contrasts the US approach with European, Russian, and Chinese approaches in cyberspace.
Spring 2023
Women, Peace, and Security
Joan Johnson-Freese PhD
This course examines the increasingly recognized role of women in global peace and security affairs, as recognized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. Through politics, the military, nongovernmental, and grass roots organizations, women are involved in conflict prevention, peace building, development, and war. Consideration is given to various perspectives on why gender empowerment has proven difficult, the demonstrated consequences of not including women in security affairs, and what might be expected in the future.
Fall 2022
Women in U.S. Politics
Sparsha Saha PhD, Lecturer on Government and Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
This course examines the causes and consequences of gender inequality in politics, the workforce, and the household. We draw on theory and literature from political science and other disciplines to learn about cutting edge research in the field, focusing on the United States (with some application to other advanced democracies). What explains why women have not yet achieved equal political representation? How did gender play a role in the 2016 US presidential election campaign and beyond? Why should we care about gender parity? What has been implemented to correct gender disparity in politics? Why do women make less money than men? Why do women still do more of the work at home despite becoming more equal in education and professional life? How can we change hearts and minds? How does gender intersect with race and class and sexual orientation? What can people who identify as men do? How are sexism, racism, and speciesism all connected?
Spring 2023
The Governance and International Politics of World Regions
Timothy J. Colton PhD, Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of Government and Russian Studies, Harvard University
This course explores analytical approaches to understanding multi-country neighborhoods defined by physical proximity. It examines and compares patterns of boundary setting, conflict, and cooperation at the regional level. We debate the question of whether we are in transit to a world of regions where geography and regionality are foundational to the whole international system. The majority of sessions delve in depth into the experience of one particular region, for example Europe, post-Soviet Eurasia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or sub-Saharan Africa.
Fall 2022
Crisis Negotiation Practicum: Political and Military Decision Making in a Darker World
Arvid Bell DPhil, Lecturer on Government and Director, Negotiation Task Force, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
This course is conducted over two intensive weekends. The first is held online and the second in-person at Harvard University. This course is designed to equip students with advanced multi-party negotiation and decision-making skills necessary to maintain their leverage in complex, dynamic environments. Conflict is inescapable. Mastering negotiation is necessary to overcome everyday hurdles, mitigate workplace disputes, and create value for yourself and your organization. In this course, students gain insight into next-generation advanced negotiation theory and immediately put these skills into practice through the Red Horizon simulation, a multi-day, immersive crisis exercise on international security offered by the Negotiation Task Force of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University through the Red Horizon: Force and Diplomacy in Eurasia Executive Education program. In the online weekend, students come away with an understanding of multi-party negotiation management and an arsenal of techniques that enable them to achieve their goals in dynamic, disruptive environments. These include an emphasis on coalition-building and crisis leadership in international conflicts. Students are then asked to put these skills to use in the on-campus weekend, the immersive Red Horizon simulation. Red Horizon: Force and Diplomacy in Eurasia provides seasoned and emerging leaders from national security, academia, and industry with a unique training space to push their negotiation and decision-making skills to the next level. Students are assigned to a team (US, China, Russia, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]) and receive a confidential briefing that outlines their objectives. These realistic actor profiles are created from data-driven research, informed by political trends across the Eurasian sphere and the Indo-Pacific. Students conclude the exercise with a scenario debrief led by Negotiation Task Force experts. All students registered in the course must also register with Red Horizon by October 1, 2022, and pay the Red Horizon participation fee by October 7, 2022 (see below). The online weekend is October 21-23, 2022. The on-campus Red Horizon weekend is December 9-11 (Friday 9 am-9 pm, Saturday 9 am-7 pm, and Sunday 9 am-3 pm). In addition to completing all required assignments for the course, students must attend both weekends in full to pass the course. Students cannot arrive late or leave early. If you are traveling to attend the Red Horizon weekend in Cambridge, MA, plan ahead to be able to arrive before the start of class. If you neglect to register for Red Horizon and miss their deadlines, you will not pass the course. If you register for Red Horizon, but do not attend the entire weekend, you will not pass the course. All students who are registered for GOVT E-1756 will be accepted to Red Horizon; therefore, it is important to register for the course first, then apply to Red Horizon. The fee is ordinarily $3,000, but students registered in this course pay $2,200. As students receive this special rate, they are not eligible for other discounts. The Red Horizon fee of $2,200 does not include housing, travel arrangements, or board. After successful completion of Red Horizon experience, students receive a Red Horizon 2022: Force and Diplomacy in Eurasia Certificate of Completion issued by the Negotiation Task Force of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. Harvard Extension School (HES) fall term registration, drop, and withdrawal deadlines apply to GOVT E-1756. See the calendar. If students drop the course, HES will refund tuition payment according to standard refund policy. HES is not responsible for payments made to Red Horizon, travel, or other expenses that students may incur. Scholarships are not available from HES. If you are already receiving financial aid, please contact HES Student Financial Services studentfinance@extension.harvard.edu to learn if there is any federal funding available to you. Please note: HES is not involved in Red Horizon payment policies. Students participate in the program at their own risk and under the umbrella of Red Horizon registration, payment, refund, and other polices. Please refer to the Red Horizon refund policy for their specific policy information and plan accordingly.
Prerequisites: This course is open to degree candidates only. Background (both practical and theoretical) in negotiation and basic knowledge of international security and global politics is recommended. The Red Horizon immersive crisis exercise confronts serious issues such as weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and military combat. Students must be comfortable being exposed to these themes over several hours.
Fall 2022
Korean Politics and Security
Terence Roehrig PhD, Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College
Despite the end of the cold war, the Korean Peninsula has remained a legacy of that conflict. The peninsula continues to be a serious concern for peace and stability in the region, despite the plethora of summit meetings in 2018 and 2019 that raised the possibility of change through increased levels of diplomacy that were unprecedented and unexpected. However, the denuclearization effort has now stalled. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is one of the last surviving communist states with a faltering economy that struggles to feed its people. North Korea maintains a large conventional military force, hundreds of ballistic missiles, and a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. Since 2006, it has conducted six nuclear weapons tests with a growing capability to reach the continental United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. Since his father's passing in December 2011, Kim Jong-un has consolidated his power and the regime appears stable with little likelihood of collapse. Across the demilitarized zone, South Korea has developed into a thriving global economy ranking tenth in the world. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is the sixth largest US trade partner and a world leader in the production of computer chips, cell phones, automobiles, electronics, ships, and nuclear energy technology. South Korea's cultural exports have also become well known with the international popularity of K-pop music and, in 2020, the ROK film Parasite, which won the Oscar for Best Picture, along with the highly watched Netflix series Crash Landing on You and Squid Game. Since 1953, the United States and South Korea have maintained a formal security alliance and the peninsula remains home to 28,500 US troops. Developments in Korea have an important impact on the region and the world, making knowledge of the Koreas and their challenges vital. The talk of war has receded, but many questions remain about the possibility of denuclearizing North Korea and the future of peace and stability on the peninsula. This course explores the history, politics, economics, and security of North and South Korea and their role in the larger context of Asia.
Fall 2022
Globalization and the Nation-State
Nicolas Prevelakis PhD, Associate Senior Lecturer on Social Studies, Harvard University
Despite globalization, the nation is still a major actor in today's world. This course tries to understand why this is so by examining the role that nationalism plays in peoples' identities and the effects of globalization on nations and nation-states. It overviews the origins and nature of economic globalization, as it appeared in the 1990s, including a critical examination of the hopes expressed at the time about an end of history, and of the relationship between economic globalization and such issues as democracy, peace, and poverty. It includes theoretical texts, as well as case studies from the recent rise of populism and authoritarianism, the role of supranational entities such as the European Union, and the urgency of global issues such as climate change, inequality, and migration. Examples are from the United States, Europe, Latin America, China, and the Middle East.
Spring 2023
Grand Strategy in International Relations and US Foreign Policy
Sergio Imparato PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
This course explores the concept of grand strategy in international relations and US foreign policy. The main purpose is to analyze the ways in which nations formulate, implement, and assess strategic options to advance their perceived interests in the international arena. How do states allocate their resources to achieve their goals? Special attention is placed on the study of political, military, and diplomatic resources in the context of American foreign policy. The course has three components. The first addresses the main theoretical approaches to grand strategy in international relations literature. The second traces the historical development of US grand strategy. The third evaluates the policy relevance of grand strategy options available to the US today. Some of the questions that guide our discussions are: what is grand strategy and what is it for? What are the sources of grand strategy and how are grand strategies formulated? What are the main tools to implement a grand strategy? Should the US engage in an active internationalist strategy or retreat from its international commitments?
Spring 2023
Introduction to Public International Law
Houchang E. Chehabi PhD, Emeritus Professor of International Relations and History, Boston University
This course introduces students of international relations to the main concepts of public international law. Topics include the state, treaties, peaceful conflict resolution, the law of the sea, human rights, and the law of international organizations.
Fall 2022
Nuclear Weapons and International Security
Thomas M. Nichols PhD, Professor Emeritus of National Security Affairs, Naval War College and Adjunct Professor, Air Force School of Strategic Force Studies
This course examines the role of nuclear weapons in US and international security. In addition to familiarizing students with the types and effects of nuclear arms, the course considers several topics, including the history and future of nuclear strategy, the control and reduction of nuclear weapons, and the dilemmas of nuclear proliferation. The course is about the politics of nuclear weapons and does not require any specialized technical background.
Fall 2022
Evolution of Deterrence Theory
Nikolas Gvosdev DPhil, Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College
Deterrence is the use of threats to convince an adversary from taking an action and is part of a larger concept of coercion. Throughout history, deterrence has been used by people and states to manage conflict. The formal development of deterrence theory came about after World War II to find ways to think about and utilize nuclear weapons. Deterrence theory has evolved considerably and scholars continue to probe difficult questions that remain unanswered regarding deterrence. This course examines the foundational concepts of deterrence theory and how that theory has evolved over the years. In addition, we consider the application of deterrence to international security through case studies in the cold war and post-cold war years. Finally, we assess current nuclear arsenals and strategy along with the role deterrence continues to play in the future of nuclear weapons, as well as application of deterrence theory to non-nuclear strategic weapons (including cyber and economic tools).
Prerequisites: HIST E-1960 is helpful but not required.
Fall 2022
American Foreign Policy
Joshua Kertzer PhD, Professor of Government, Harvard University
This course explores America's role in international politics, aiming to teach students some of the major theoretical perspectives in international relations (IR) and how to critically analyze the major dynamics shaping American foreign policy today. What would happen if the United States stopped trying to play such an active role in world politics and focused more on problems at home? Is China on the rise and what does Chinese growth mean for the United States? How much of an effect does the media have on how Americans think about the world around them? Do nuclear weapons make us safer? How can we best understand Donald Trump and Joe Biden's foreign policy agendas? The course is divided into two parts. The first half begins with an introduction to IR theory and American grand strategy, before exploring the inputs of the American foreign policy process: the president and congress, bureaucratic politics, public opinion, the media, and interest groups. This half of the course fosters an understanding of why the United States behaves the way it does, while exploring questions like the conditions under which leaders matter, the institutional causes of intelligence failure, and why some interest groups exert more sway than others. If the first half of the course focuses on the inputs to US foreign policy, the second half focuses on the outputs, as we analyze some of the most pressing issues in US foreign policy today. This portion of the course begins with questions about international order and the rise and fall of great powers. We look at the challenges associated with American hegemony and one potential reaction to it, anti-Americanism. We also examine another great power that may or may not pose a challenge to the American-led order: the rise of China. We then turn to an exploration of political violence: terrorism, (counter)insurgency, and asymmetric conflict, all of which loom especially large on the American foreign policy agenda in the wake of the war on terror, the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Finally, we turn to the intersection of technology and American foreign policy: cybersecurity and nuclear weapons.
Fall 2022
The Politics and Ideology of Post-Revolutionary Iran
Payam Mohseni PhD, Lecturer on Government and Director of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
The significance of Iran in Middle Eastern and global affairs is now more important than ever. From its internal domestic politics to its role across the region in Syria and Iraq, the political trajectory of Iran is critical for the future of peace and conflict in the Middle East. To contextualize and understand these processes, this course examines the intricacies of Iranian politics since the 1979 revolution. It explores a broad range of topics including the causes of the Iranian revolution; the institutional architecture of the Iranian political system; competitive factional dynamics within the ruling elite; Iranian foreign policy, Iran-US relations, and the implications of and for the nuclear agreement; and contemporary Shi'a political ideology.
Spring 2023
Shi'a Islam and Politics in the Middle East
Payam Mohseni PhD, Lecturer on Government and Director of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University - Mohammad Sagha PhD, Humanities Teaching Fellow, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago and Associate, Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
From the conflict in Yemen pitting the Shi'a Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition, to the civil war in Syria and the Shi'a majority militia-led fight against the remnants of ISIS in Iraq, dominant media narratives portray conflict in today's Middle East as part of a proxy battle between Iran and Saudi Arabia rooted in an ancient dispute within the Muslim world between the Shi'a and Sunni sects of Islam. In this rendering, primordial hatreds are driving religious wars and civil conflict with Iran, at the heart of the so-called Shi'a crescent, and Saudi Arabia, the stalwart of true Sunni identity. However, such simplistic thinking masks over a more complex understanding of the changes occurring in today's Middle East and prevents accurately differentiating between distinct yet overlapping factors such as actual substantive theological and intellectual differences between Shi'a and Sunni Islam, state competition (that is, between Iran and Saudi Arabia), and historical legacies of empire and state building in the Middle East. This course addresses such dominant narratives and challenges conventional understandings of the interplay between religion and politics in the Middle East and how sectarianism, Shi'a Islam, and geopolitical conflict can be more properly understood from a rigorous analytical perspective and focuses on the foundations and varieties of modern Shi'a political thought; religious clerical institutions; Shi'a political parties and militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen; and Iran's Islamic revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and the Basij paramilitary organization.