Teaching

TA Classes

  • Political Science 210 – Empirical Methods
    This course provides an introduction to the empirical methods political scientists use to answer questions about politics. The field tries to analyze politics in a rigorous and scientific manner. It will thus introduce you to a number of ways to do political science research, specifically, quantitative, qualitative, and experimental research.
  • Political Science 221 – Urban Politics
    This course explores the origins of the distinctive politics of American cities, the social conditions and political struggles that led to their development, and the effects that different institutional configurations can have on political outcomes. Employing the most prominent models of local politics to explain local political outcomes both historically and contemporarily.
  • Political Science 230 – Law in the Political Arena
    This class examines the nature and functioning of the legal system. The first half of the course focuses on courts as policy makers, and the second half focuses on courts as policy implementers in areas such as criminal and civil justice.
  • Political Science 327 – African American Politics
    This course takes stock of African-American politics in the aftermath of the civil rights movement. We will explore the complex internal dynamics of Black political life, paying attention to the “who-gets-what-when-where-how” dimension of politics. As we chart the shifts in the political fortunes and policy interest of blacks, we will focus on class, gender, and other cleavages within the population. One of our chief aims will be to consider how different segments of the population have been affected by these shifts and changing fortunes. We also will examine Blacks’ relations with whites and their engagement with mainstream political institutions.