Courses

States, Power, and Global Governance

Why do international organizations exist? Do they shape outcomes in international politics? This course considers the role that international institutions have played in addressing global problems. Some argue their role is trivial, since there is no international police force that can constrain states. Others argue their role is profound, as institutions help states overcome important barriers to cooperation. You will apply these theories to understand institutions governing economic stability, human rights, climate change, global development, and more. To do so, you will complete several writing assignments where you step into the shoes of world leaders. You will assess whether your state should join and comply with international organizations; when it might make sense to leave them; and how new institutions should be designed to address the world’s greatest challenges.

The course is a university (freshman) seminar. Click here for the syllabus.

International Political Economy

This course examines how domestic and international politics influence economic relations between states. It will address the major theoretical debates in the field and introduce the chief methodological approaches used in contemporary analyses. We will focus attention on different types of cross-border flows and the policies and international institutions that regulate them: the flow of goods (trade policy), people (immigration policy), production (foreign investment policy), capital (financial and exchange rate policy), and pollution (environmental policy).

The course is open to PhD and Masters students. All interested students should email me for permission to enroll. Click here for the syllabus.

International Organizations

Why do governments and leaders cooperate? What is the role of international institutions in world politics? This course is an introduction to the systematic study of international cooperation and institutions. The purpose of the course is to prepare graduate students for original scientific research in the field. The course emphasizes recent empirical and theoretical research across issue areas.

The course is open to PhD and Masters students. All interested students should email me for permission to enroll. Click here for the syllabus.

Governing the Global Economy

This course examines (1) the intersection of politics and economics in an increasingly interconnected or “globalized” world and (2) how domestic and international politics shape governance of the global economy. While countries have become much more economically interconnected over the last several decades, elevating living standards in many countries, this trend has also sparked new social, economic, and political tensions. This course offers an analytical framework for evaluating the consequences of globalization, providing an overview of several theoretical approaches and empirical strategies that help us understand today’s global economy. Specifically, we will study the politics of trade, international investment, development, monetary policy, immigration, and the environment to answer these questions. For each topic, we will examine several alternative theoretical approaches and evaluate them using historical and contemporary evidence. Last, you will be asked to apply concepts through the analysis of policy-relevant case studies designed specifically for this course.

The course is intended for advanced undergraduate students. Earlier stage undergraduate students may enroll with my permission. Click here for the syllabus (subject to change).