Department of Political Science
Political science is concerned with the systematic study of government and the political process. Within the discipline, scholars analyze the development, distribution, and uses of political power; determinants and consequences of various forms of political behavior and sources of political conflict; ways in which conflicts are both intensified and resolved; and the relationship between the individual and the state. Political science is a discipline of special interest to scientists and engineers who must understand the political system within which they live in order to evaluate their influence upon that system. It is of interest as well to those students who are considering careers in public service or university teaching and research.
The Department of Political Science has a research-oriented faculty that welcomes both undergraduate and graduate students in ongoing research. The department, which offers degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, covers the fields of American politics and public policy, comparative politics, international relations and foreign policy, political philosophy, and models and methods.
Undergraduate Study
Bachelor of Science in Political Science (Course 17)
The political science curriculum for undergraduates combines professional social science training with opportunities for a broad liberal arts education. Students may choose subjects from a wide range of both undergraduate and graduate offerings, and are encouraged to engage in independent research projects. In addition, the department sponsors an internship program in which students work in governmental agencies, legislative offices, community associations, international organizations, and advocacy groups at all levels.
The undergraduate program prepares students for study in political science, law, public policy, and related fields, and for careers in government, business, law, research, teaching, or journalism. This program is also designed to give students, whatever their career objectives, an understanding of political institutions and processes. Some students want to focus on political systems themselves while others choose to concentrate on political behavior and public opinion, or on the public policies that emerge from political processes, such as policies on the environment, health, or international security. All of these perspectives are found in the program.
Subjects are offered by the department in the following fields: political theory, political economy, American politics, public policy, international relations and security studies, comparative politics, and models and methods. Students may arrange individualized programs with the assistance of a faculty advisor.
In the junior year students are introduced to the major theoretical and methodological themes of political science in two subjects:
| 17.801 | Political Science Scope and Methods (typically fall term, junior year) | 12 |
| 17.803 | Political Science Laboratory (typically spring term, junior year) | 15 |
The department believes that every political science major should have the experience of conducting and writing at least one substantial research project, a requirement that is fulfilled by 17.803. In addition, there are numerous other opportunities for students to pursue research interests. Students are eligible to receive academic credit or limited funding for expenses or wages through the Institute-wide Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Students should consult the department's UROP coordinator to discuss specific projects.
The undergraduate program also allows students to undertake a substantial, year-long independent research project under the guidance of a faculty thesis advisor. Students who choose this option must submit a viable research proposal by fall of the senior year and secure a faculty advisor; the student then registers for:
| 17.THT | Thesis Research Design Seminar (fall term, senior year) | 12 |
| 17.THU | Undergraduate Political Science Thesis (spring term, senior year) |
Minor in Political Science
The objective of the minor is to deepen and expand student knowledge of the discipline of political science. It consists of six subjects divided into two tiers, selected from the discipline's subfields as listed in the online MIT Subject Listing & Schedule. The requirements of the minor are as follows:
| Tier I | ||
| Select at least one but no more than two introductory classes, which are designated by two-digit numbers. These classes provide broad theoretical and/or empirical overviews of their subject matter. Examples include: | 12-24 | |
| Justice | ||
| Introduction to the American Political Process | ||
| American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Tier II | ||
| Select at least four but no more than five upper-level classes, which are designated by three-digit numbers. These specialized classes provide students with advanced and in-depth examination of their subject matter. Examples include: | 48-60 | |
| US Social Policy | ||
| Nuclear Strategy and Proliferation | ||
| US Military Power | ||
| European Politics | ||
| Total Units | 72 | |
For a listing of available subjects in these areas, consult Katherine Hoss in the Political Science Undergraduate Office, Room E53-484 or the SHASS Dean's Office, Room 4-240. Examples of subject selections for this minor are also available on the department's website.
Minor in Applied International Studies
The interdisciplinary HASS Minor in Applied International Studies, described in the Interdisciplinary Programs section, prepares students for an increasingly global business and research environment by integrating international learning into their course of study.
Minor in Public Policy
The Department of Political Science and Department of Urban Studies and Planning jointly offer a Minor in Public Policy (Course 11), described in the Interdisciplinary Programs section.
Graduate Study
The Department of Political Science offers programs leading to the Master of Science in Political Science and the Doctor of Philosophy.
Admission Requirements for Graduate Study
All applicants must take the GRE general test. Non-native English speakers must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants from all disciplines are welcome—an undergraduate degree in political science is not necessary. Applicants are encouraged, however, to complete significant coursework in political science or related subjects such as history, economics, philosophy, psychology, or sociology before applying to one of our graduate programs.
Master of Science in Political Science
The Master of Science in Political Science is a one-year program intended for students who wish to develop skills in applied research in preparation for a career in public policy or with a business or research organization. The master's program emphasizes intensive preparation in a single field of study. Applicants to the SM program should specify their field of specialization.
The minimum number of subjects required for the SM degree is six graduate subjects, at least four of which must be completed in the Political Science Department at MIT. The remaining two may be taken elsewhere at MIT or through cross-registration at Harvard University. A 3.5 GPA must be maintained. A master's thesis is required. See the section on Graduate Education for the general requirements for the SM.
Accelerated Master of Science in Political Science
The department offers a five-year program leading to the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science, awarded simultaneously. This program is open to MIT undergraduate Political Science majors only, and requires a single combined SB-SM thesis written during the last three terms at the Institute. Undergraduate Institute requirements may be completed during the fifth year of the program.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctoral students must complete the following requirements:
- One class for first-year students introducing principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science
- One class in statistics
- One class in empirical research methods
- One class in political philosophy
- Reading proficiency in one language other than English (demonstrated by two semesters of intermediate-level college coursework or an exam) or knowledge of advanced statistics (demonstrated by three semesters of course work or an exam)
- A second-year paper and related workshop
- A doctoral thesis
In addition, doctoral students are required to elect two of the following major fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, models and methods, political economy, and security studies. In each of the two elected fields, students will take a written general exam followed by a single oral general exam covering both fields. Specific fields may have additional requirements.
Students may take subjects in other MIT departments. Cross-registration arrangements also permit enrollment in subjects taught in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University and in some of Harvard's other graduate schools. Students are encouraged to do field research and develop close working ties with faculty members engaged in major research activities.
Interdisciplinary Program
Political Science and Statistics
The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Statistics provides training in statistics, including classical statistics and probability as well as computation and data analysis, to students who wish to integrate these valuable skills into their primary academic program. The program is administered jointly by the departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Economics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Political Science, and the Statistics and Data Science Center within the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. It is open to current doctoral students in participating departments. For more information, including department-specific requirements, see the full program description under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.
Inquiries
Additional information regarding graduate programs in the department and admissions may be obtained from the graduate administrator, Susan Twarog, 617-253-8336, Room E53-467.
Faculty and Teaching Staff
David Andrew Singer, PhD
Raphael Dorman-Helen Starbuck Professor of Political Science
Head, Department of Political Science
Professors
Suzanne Berger, PhD
Institute Professor
Professor of Political Science
Adam Berinsky, PhD
Mitsui Professor of Political Science
Professor of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Andrea Louise Campbell, PhD
Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science
Professor of Political Science
Devin Caughey, PhD
Professor of Political Science
Nazli Choucri, PhD
Professor of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Fotini Christia, PhD
Ford International Professor in the Social Sciences
Professor of Political Science
Director, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
M. Taylor Fravel, PhD
Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science
Professor of Political Science
Evan S. Lieberman, PhD
Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa
Professor of Political Science
Vipin Narang, PhD
Frank Stanton Professor in Nuclear Security Policy Studies
Professor of Political Science
Melissa Nobles, PhD
Class of 1922 Professor of Political Science
Chancellor
Kenneth A. Oye, PhD
Professor Post-Tenure of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Barry R. Posen, PhD
Ford International Professor
Professor of Political Science
Richard J. Samuels, PhD
Ford International Professor
Professor of Political Science
Ben Ross Schneider, PhD
Ford International Professor
Professor of Political Science
Charles H. Stewart III, PhD
Kenan Sahin (1963) Distinguished Professor
Professor of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
(On leave, spring)
Kathleen Thelen, PhD
Ford Professor
Professor of Political Science
Lily L. Tsai, PhD
Ford Professor
Professor of Political Science
Associate Professors
Volha Charnysh, PhD
Ford Career Development Associate Professor in Political Science
Associate Professor of Political Science
Mai Hassan, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
F. Daniel Hidalgo, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
In Song Kim, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
J. Chappell H. Lawson, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
Erik Lin-Greenberg, PhD
Leo Marx Career Development Associate Professor in the History and Culture of Science and Technology
Associate Professor of Political Science
Noah Nathan, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
Richard Nielsen, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
Member, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Caitlin Talmadge, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
Ariel R. White, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science
(On leave, fall)
Bernardo Zacka, PhD
Class of 1943 Career Development Professor
Associate Professor of Political Science
(On leave)
Assistant Professors
Mariya Grinberg, PhD
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Lecturers
Katherine Hoss, PhD
Lecturer in Political Science
Professors Emeriti
Joshua Cohen, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Roger D. Petersen, PhD
Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Michael J. Piore, PhD
David W. Skinner Professor Emeritus
Professor Emeritus of Political Economy
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Harvey M. Sapolsky, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Eugene B. Skolnikoff, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and Society
Stephen W. Van Evera, PhD
Ford International Professor Emeritus
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Political Philosophy/Social Theory
17.000[J] Political Philosophy
Same subject as 24.611[J]
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Can be repeated for credit.
Systematic examination of selected issues in political philosophy. Topic changes each year and subject may be taken repeatedly with permission of instructor.
Fall: B. Zacka. Spring: B. Skow
17.006[J] Feminist Thought
Same subject as 24.637[J]
Subject meets with 17.007[J], 24.137[J], WGS.301[J]
Prereq: Permission of instructor, based on previous coursework
G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Analyzes theories of gender and politics, especially ideologies of gender and their construction; definitions of public and private spheres; gender issues in citizenship, the development of the welfare state, experiences of war and revolution, class formation, and the politics of sexuality. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
E. Wood
17.007[J] Feminist Thought
Same subject as 24.137[J], WGS.301[J]
Subject meets with 17.006[J], 24.637[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Analyzes theories of gender and politics, especially ideologies of gender and their construction; definitions of public and private spheres; gender issues in citizenship, the development of the welfare state, experiences of war and revolution, class formation, and the politics of sexuality. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
E. Wood, S. Haslanger
17.01[J] Justice
Same subject as 24.04[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject 24.04[J].
B. Zacka
17.021[J] Philosophy of Law
Same subject as 24.235[J]
Prereq: One philosophy subject or permission of instructor
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject 24.235[J]. Enrollment may be limited; preference to Course 24 majors and minors.
Staff
17.03 Introduction to Political Thought
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines major texts in the history of political thought and considers how they contribute to a broader conversation about freedom, equality, democracy, rights, and the role of politics in human life. Areas covered may include ancient, modern, contemporary, or American political thought.
K. Hoss
17.031 American Political Thought
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines political thought from the American colonial period through the 20th century. Considers the influences that gave rise to American political ideas and the implication of those ideas in a modern context, with particular emphasis on issues of liberty, equality, and the role of values from a liberal democratic lens.
K. Hoss
17.035[J] Libertarianism
Same subject as 21H.181[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject 21H.181[J].
M. Ghachem
17.04[J] Modern Conceptions of Freedom
Same subject as CC.111[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject CC.111[J]. Preference to students in Concourse.
L. Rabieh
17.043[J] Liberalism, Toleration, and Freedom of Speech (New)
Same subject as 24.150[J], CMS.125[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-H
See description under subject 24.150[J].
A. Byrne, B. Skow
17.045[J] Power: Interpersonal, Organizational, and Global Dimensions
Same subject as 11.045[J], 15.302[J], 21A.127[J]
Subject meets with 21A.129
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
See description under subject 21A.127[J].
S. Silbey
17.05[J] Humane Warfare: Ancient and Medieval Perspectives on Ethics in War
Same subject as CC.117[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
See description under subject CC.117[J]. Preference to Concourse students.
L. Rabieh
17.055 Just Code: The Ethical Lifecycle of Machine Learning
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines the moral and political questions that arise at each step of the development of a machine learning system: from problem definition and data collection, to model selection and training, evaluation, interface design, deployment, and use. Brings work in STS, sociology, anthropology, and political science into conversation with perennial concerns in political theory about power, authority, legitimacy, justice, liberty, and equality. Considers the political agency of technology. Limited to 18; preference to juniors and seniors.
B. Zacka
Political Economy
17.100 Field Seminar in Political Economy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines broad range of topics — such as social classes, states, interest groups, inequality welfare states, comparative capitalism, race, and gender — from both classical (Marx and Weber) and contemporary theorists. Limited to 12; preference to Course 17 PhD students.
Consult B. Schneider
17.115 International Political Economy
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Provides an introduction to the politics of international economic relations, including a range of analytical "lenses" to view the global economy. Examines the politics of trade policy, international monetary and financial relations, financial crises, foreign direct investment, third-world development and transition economies, the debate over "globalization," and international financial crime.
D. Singer
17.150 The American Political Economy in Comparative Perspective
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Examines the origins and impact of key features of the American political economy in comparative perspective. Considers a range of political-economic topics, including labor markets, finance, taxation, social policy, and the role of money and organized interests. Highlights the distinctive aspects of American political economy in terms of both institutional structure and substantive outcomes (such as poverty and inequality) by comparing the US with other nations, particularly other rich democracies.
K. Thelen
17.154 Varieties of Capitalism and Social Inequality
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Focuses on the advanced democracies of Europe, the United States, and Japan. Explores trajectories of change that bear on issues of economic and social inequality. Examines whether contemporary trends (globalization, deindustrialization) undermine institutional arrangements that once reconciled economic efficiency with high levels of social equality. Considers the extent to which existing theoretical frameworks capture cross-national variation in the dynamics of redistribution in these societies.
K. Thelen, P. Hall
17.156 Welfare and Capitalism in Western Europe
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Considers theoretical models that attempt to capture the distinct paradigms of capitalism and welfare regimes prevalent in Western European economies. Analyzes content and processes of contemporary changes in the political economy and social policy - from a broad view of the challenges, to closer inquiry into specific reforms. Includes a theoretical discussion of how change occurs and trajectories of development.
K. Thelen
17.174 Historical Political Economy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Surveys recent work in historical political economy, a field that combines a historical perspective with statistical methods for causal inference or formal theory. Topics include the origins of democratic and authoritarian institutions, long-run economic development, colonial legacies, state building, and intergenerational transmission of political attitudes and behavior. Readings drawn from different political science subfields, economics, and history. Intended as a research seminar for PhD students.
V. Charnysh
17.178 Political Economy of Institutions and Development
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Explores institutional diversity in capitalist development, both historical and contemporary, and various explanations (e.g. economic, institutional, sociological, and political) for the divergent economic organization. Examines dimensions of comparison, including issues in business-government relations, labor relations, vocational training, and multinational corporations. Also considers global production networks, natural resource dependence, diversified business groups, industrial policy, and globalization.
B. Schneider
17.181 Sustainability: Political Economy, Science, and Policy
Subject meets with 17.182
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines alternative conceptions and theoretical underpinnings of sustainable development. Focuses on the sustainability problems of industrial countries, and of developing states and economies in transition. Explores the sociology of knowledge regarding sustainability, the economic and technological dimensions, and institutional imperatives. Considers implications for political constitution of economic performance. 17.181 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Graduate students are expected to explore the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.182 Sustainability: Political Economy, Science, and Policy
Subject meets with 17.181
Prereq: None
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Examines alternative conceptions and theoretical underpinnings of sustainable development. Focuses on the sustainability problems of industrial countries, and of developing states and economies in transition. Explores the sociology of knowledge regarding sustainability, the economic and technological dimensions, and institutional imperatives. Considers implications for political constitution of economic performance. 17.181 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Graduate students are expected to explore the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.198 Current Topics in Comparative Political Economy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Analyzes and compares approaches in current political economy literatures. Weekly topics are selected by instructor and participants. Examples include the organization of interests, industrial policy, growth and inequality, resource "curse", late development. Topics vary each year depending on the research interests of the seminar participants. The subject is for graduate students in social sciences with previous coursework in political economy.
S. Berger
American Politics
17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Provides a substantive overview of US politics and an introduction to the discipline of political science. Surveys the institutional foundations of US politics as well as the activities of political elites, organizations, and ordinary citizens. Explores the application of general political science concepts and analytic frameworks to specific episodes and phenomena in US politics. Enrollment limited.
D. Caughey
17.200 American Political Behavior I
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Analyzes mass political behavior within the American political system. Examines political ideology, party identification, public opinion, voting behavior, media effects, racial attitudes, mass-elite relations, and opinion-policy linkages. Surveys and critiques the major theoretical approaches and empirical research in the field of political behavior.
A. Berinsky
17.202 American Political Institutions
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Analyzes the institutions of the American political system, with primary emphasis on the national level. Examines American federalism, political parties, national political institutions, and the policymaking process. Focuses on core works in contemporary American politics and public policy. Critiques both research methodologies and the explicit and implicit theoretical assumptions of such work.
D. Caughey
17.210 American Political Behavior II
Prereq: 17.200
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Analyzes mass political behavior within the American political system. Goes beyond the topics covered in 17.200, to explore additional areas and research frontiers in political behavior. Examines recent research on political ideology, party identification, public opinion, voting behavior, media effects, racial attitudes, mass-elite relations, and opinion-policy linkages. Introduces new topics such as personality, emotion, networks, polarization, opinion on war.
A. Berinsky
17.251 Congress and the American Political System I
Prereq: 17.20 or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Focuses on both the internal processes of the House and Senate and on the place of Congress in the American Political System. Attention to committee behavior, leadership patterns, and informal organization. Considers relations between Congress and other branches of government, as well as relations between the two houses of Congress itself. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
C. Stewart
17.262 Congress and the American Political System II
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Analyzes the development of the US Congress by focusing on the competing theoretical lenses through which legislatures have been studied. Particularly compares sociological and economic models of legislative behavior, applying those models to floor decision-making, committee behavior, political parties, relations with other branches of the Federal government, and elections. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
C. Stewart
17.263 Electoral Politics, Public Opinion, and Democracy
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Considers the role of elections in American politics. Issues explored include empirical and theoretical models of electoral competition, the effect of elections on public policy, and proposals to improve elections. Special emphasis is given to mass voting behavior, political parties, the media, and campaign finance. Subject focuses on US elections, but provides some contrasts with other countries, especially the United Kingdom.
A. Berinsky
17.265 Public Opinion and American Democracy
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Introduces students to public opinion in politics and public policymaking. Surveys theories of political psychology and political behavior. Examines empirical research on public understanding of and attitudes towards important issues, including war, economic and social policies, and moral questions.
A. Berinsky
17.269 Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores the role of race and ethnicity in modern American politics. Focuses on social science approaches to measuring the effects of race, both at the individual level and more broadly. Topics include race and representation, measurement of racial and ethnic identities, voting rights and electoral districting, protest and other forms of political participation, and the meaning and measurement of racial attitudes.
A. White
17.270 American Political Development
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Examines the evolution of American national political processes over time: how political culture, governing institutions, and structures of political linkage (parties and organized interests) shape political conflict and public policy. Topics include the evolution of electoral politics and the party system, eras of political reform and state expansion (Populist, Progressive, New Deal, and Great Society), major wars and their effects, and the adaptation of government institutions to crisis and complexity in society and in the economy. Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.
D. Caughey
17.271 Mass Incarceration in the United States
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Covers the current state of incarceration in the United States and proposals for reform. Class materials include a mix of first-hand/media accounts of incarceration and social science literature on the causes and effects of high incarceration rates. Topics include race and the criminal legal system, collateral consequences of incarceration, public opinion about incarceration, and the behavior of recently elected "reform" prosecutors.
A. White
17.275 Public Opinion Research Design and Training Seminar
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Studies the basic skills required to design, use, and interpret opinion surveys and survey experiments. Acts as both a reading subject on survey analysis and a practicum on collecting and analyzing observational and experimental survey data. Culminates in a group project involving a survey experiment on a particular topic chosen by the class and the instructor.
A. Berinsky
17.276 Public Opinion Research Training Lab
Prereq: 17.800 or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Offers practical training in public opinion research and provides students with an opportunity to conduct their own survey research. As a group, students design a national sample survey and field the survey. Students analyze the survey results and examine literatures related to the content of the survey. Ideal for second and third year PhD students and advanced undergraduates, though others are welcome.
A. Berinsky
17.279 Political Misinformation in the Age of Social Media
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores the factors that make people vulnerable to political misinformation and why corrections so often fail to reduce its prevalence. Pays especially close attention to the role of social media, and the internet more generally. Analyzes how patterns of misinformation are exploited by political elites and considers possible approaches that journalists, civic groups, government officials, and technology platforms could employ to combat misperceptions.
A. Berinsky
17.28[J] The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime
Same subject as 21H.213[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines the relationship between war and domestic politics in the US since the start of 20th century. Students engage in historical and social scientific research to analyze the ways that overseas military commitments shaped US political institutions, and how domestic politics has in turn structured US engagements abroad. Moving chronologically from World War I to the Iraq War, subject draws on materials across the disciplines, including political documents, opinion polls, legal decisions, and products of American popular culture.
A. Berinsky, C. Capozzola
Public Policy
17.30[J] Making Public Policy
Same subject as 11.002[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
4-0-8 units. HASS-S; CI-H
See description under subject 11.002[J].
Staff
17.303[J] Methods of Policy Analysis
Same subject as 11.003[J]
Prereq: 11.002[J]; Coreq: 14.01
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
See description under subject 11.003[J].
C. Abbanat
17.307 American Public Policy for Washington Interns
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Fall, Spring; partial term)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines US policymaking process, with special attention to making of policy for science and technology. Subject spans the second half of Spring and first half of Fall terms. Spring term attends to origins and development of American policymaking institutions and their roles in settling controversial policy questions. Fall term focuses on development of representative policies in the US, such as pollution controls, biotechnical engineering, and telecommunications. Selection and participation in Washington Summer Internship program required. Fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor.
C. Stewart
17.309[J] Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Same subject as IDS.055[J], STS.082[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
4-0-8 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Credit cannot also be received for 17.310[J], IDS.412[J], STS.482[J]
Analysis of issues at the intersection of science, technology, public policy, and business. Cases drawn from antitrust and intellectual property rights; health and environmental policy; defense procurement and strategy; strategic trade and industrial policy; and R&D funding. Structured around theories of political economy, modified to take into account integration of uncertain technical information into public and private decision-making. Meets with 17.310[J] when offered concurrently.
N. Selin
17.310[J] Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Same subject as IDS.412[J], STS.482[J]
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
4-0-8 units
Credit cannot also be received for 17.309[J], IDS.055[J], STS.082[J]
Analysis of issues at the intersection of science, technology, public policy, and business. Cases drawn from antitrust and intellectual property rights; health and environmental policy; defense procurement and strategy; strategic trade and industrial policy; and R&D funding. Structured around theories of political economy, modified to take account of integration of uncertain technical information into public and private decision-making. Meets with 17.309[J] when offered concurrently.
N. Selin
17.315 Health Policy
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
4-0-8 units. HASS-S
Analyzes the health policy problems facing America including adequate access to care, the control of health care costs, and the encouragement of medical advances. Considers market and regulatory alternatives as well as international models including Canadian, Swedish, British, and German arrangements. Emphasis on historical development, interest group behavior, public opinion, and organizational influences in shaping and implementing policy.
A. Campbell
17.317 US Social Policy
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Spring)
4-0-8 units. HASS-S
Explores historical development and contemporary politics of the American welfare state. Examines interactions among political institutions, elites, the media, and the mass public. Emphasis on reciprocal relationship between policy designs and public opinion/political action. Investigates broad spectrum of government policies that shape well-being, opportunity and political influence, including welfare, social security, health care, education, and tax policy.
A. Campbell
17.320 Social Policy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Examines the politics of social policy in comparative perspective. Empirical and theoretical overview of the origins, development, and future of social provision in industrialized countries, in the context of broader political and historical trends. Examines concepts such as social citizenship, risk sharing, de-commodification, and welfare regimes, and the challenges of globalization, neo-liberalism, and demographic change. Topics include pensions, health care, poverty alleviation, and family policy. Combines classic work and research frontiers.
A. Campbell
17.381[J] Leadership in Negotiation: Advanced Applications
Same subject as 11.111[J]
Prereq: 11.011 or permission of instructor
U (Fall)
4-0-8 units. HASS-S
See description under subject 11.111[J]. Limited by lottery; consult class website for information and deadlines.
B. Verdini
17.389 Education, Inequality, and Politics
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
With a focus on the United States, Europe, and Latin America, discusses how education around the world profoundly affects individual economic mobility, social inequality, and national development, making it a high stakes policy area. Analyzes the contentiousness of education policy as government reformers, parents, business, NGOs, teacher unions, and other stakeholders vie for influence.
B. Schneider
17.391[J] Human Rights at Home and Abroad
Same subject as 11.164[J]
Subject meets with 11.497
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
2-0-10 units. HASS-S
See description under subject 11.164[J].
B. Rajagopal
17.393[J] Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics: Pollution Prevention and Control
Same subject as 1.801[J], 11.021[J], IDS.060[J]
Subject meets with 1.811[J], 11.630[J], 15.663[J], IDS.540[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Analyzes federal and state regulation of air and water pollution, hazardous waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and production/use of toxic chemicals. Analyzes pollution/climate change as economic problems and failure of markets. Explores the role of science and economics in legal decisions. Emphasizes use of legal mechanisms and alternative approaches (i.e., economic incentives, voluntary approaches) to control pollution and encourage chemical accident and pollution prevention. Focuses on major federal legislation, underlying administrative system, and common law in analyzing environmental policy, economic consequences, and role of the courts. Discusses classical pollutants and toxic industrial chemicals, greenhouse gas emissions, community right-to-know, and environmental justice. Develops basic legal skills: how to read/understand cases, regulations, and statutes. Students taking graduate version explore the subject in greater depth.
N. Ashford, C. Caldart
17.395[J] Innovation Systems for Science, Technology, Energy, Manufacturing, and Health
Same subject as STS.081[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
2-0-7 units. HASS-S
See description under subject STS.081[J]. Limited to 25.
W. B. Bonvillian
17.399[J] Global Energy: Politics, Markets, and Policy
Same subject as 11.167[J], 14.47[J], 15.2191[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Credit cannot also be received for 11.267[J], 15.219[J]
See description under subject 15.2191[J]. Preference to juniors, seniors, and Energy Minors.
Staff
International Relations/Security Studies
International Relations
17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Reasons for America's past wars and interventions. Consequences of American policies. Evaluation of these consequences for the US and the world. History covered includes World Wars I and II, the Korean and Indochina wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis and current conflicts, including those in in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against al Qaeda.
S. Van Evera
17.407 Chinese Foreign Policy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Credit cannot also be received for 17.408
Explores the leading theoretical and methodological approaches to studying China's interaction with the world since 1949. Readings include books and articles that integrate the study of China's foreign policy with the field of international relations. Requires basic understanding of Chinese politics or international relations theory. Meets with 17.408 when offered concurrently.
M. T. Fravel
17.408 Chinese Foreign Policy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Credit cannot also be received for 17.407
Explores the leading theoretical and methodological approaches to studying China's interaction with the international system since 1949. Readings include books and articles that integrate the study of China's foreign policy with the field of international relations. Requires basic understanding of Chinese politics or international relations theory. Meets with 17.407 when offered concurrently.
M. T. Fravel
17.41 Introduction to International Relations
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Provides an introduction to the causes of international conflict and cooperation. Topics include war initiation, crisis bargaining, international terrorism, nuclear strategy, interstate economic relations, economic growth, international law, human rights, and environmental politics.
R. Nielsen
17.410 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations
Subject meets with 17.411
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Tracing the evolution of international interactions, subject examines the dimensions of globalization in terms of scale and scope. Includes international environmental issues, impacts and expansion of human activites, and the potential implications for global and national policy. Linkages among individuals, nation-states, transnational organizations and firms, international systems, and the global environment. Special focus on models of globalization, challenges of sustainable development, and on evolving types. Institutional responses to globalization and global change. 17.411 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Students taking the graduate version are expected to explore the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.411 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations
Subject meets with 17.410
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Tracing the evolution of international interactions, subject examines the dimensions of globalization in terms of scale and scope. Includes international environmental issues, impacts and expansion of human activites, and the potential implications for global and national policy. Linkages among individuals, nation-states, transnational organizations and firms, international systems, and the global environment. Special focus on models of globalization, challenges of sustainable development, and on evolving types. Institutional responses to globalization and global change. 17.411 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Students taking the graduate version are expected to explore the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.416 Theoretical Models in International Relations and Comparative Politics
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Develops the skill of generating elegant, creative, satisfying theories of politics, with a focus on theoretical models in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Discusses views on theory from the philosophy of science and techniques for theorizing in several theoretical traditions. Students examine and critically analyze theoretical work in the field with an eye to learning what makes influential theories influential. Complements the IR and CP field seminars, Scope and Methods, and Game Theory.
R. Nielsen
17.418 Field Seminar in International Relations Theory
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Provides an overview of the field of international relations. Each week a different approach to explaining international relations is examined. Surveys major concepts and theories in the field to assist in the preparation for further study in the department's other graduate offerings in international relations.
T. Fravel
17.42 Causes and Prevention of War
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
4-0-8 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Examines the causes of war, with a focus on practical measures to prevent and control war. Topics include causes and consequences of misperception by nations; military strategy and policy as cause of war; religion and war; US foreign policy as a cause of war and peace; and the likelihood and possible nature of great wars in the future. Historical cases include World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Seven Years' War, the Arab-Israel conflict, other recent Mideast wars, and the Peloponnesian War.
S. Van Evera
17.420 Advances in International Relations Theory
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Critical analysis of contending theories of international relations. Focus is on alternative theoretical assumptions, different analytical structures, and a common core of concepts and content. Comparative analysis of realism(s), liberalism(s), institutionalism(s), and new emergent theories. Discussion of connections between theories of international relations and major changes in international relations. Open to undergraduates by permission of instructor.
N. Choucri
17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Focuses analytically on how interest groups, voters, political parties, electoral institutions, ideas and power politics interact to shape policy outcomes. Topics include globalization, international trade, international monetary and financial relations, and security.
D. Singer
17.426 Empirical Models in International Relations and Comparative Politics
Prereq: 17.802 or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Explores statistical methods as applied to international relations and comparative politics. Discusses methodological issues unique to these subfields, primarily in the areas of measurement and causal inference. Students examine and critically analyze existing work in the field to gain familiarity with the array of models and methodological choices employed thus far in published research articles. Complements Quantitative Methods I and II by exploring how the methods developed in those subjects have been applied in the field.
R. Nielsen
17.428 American Foreign Policy: Theory and Method
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Examines the causes and consequences of American foreign policy since 1898. Readings cover theories of American foreign policy, historiography of American foreign policy, central historical episodes including the two World Wars and the Cold War, case study methodology, and historical investigative methods. Open to undergraduates by permission of instructor.
S. Van Evera
17.430 Research Seminar in International Relations
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
While this seminar provides an overview of recent literature, its principal purpose is to help graduate students develop skills suited to production of research papers and/or dissertations. Begins by reviewing general theoretical and methodological issues, then turns to specific empirical studies that examine the effects of systems structure, national attributes, bargaining processes, institutions, ideas, and norms on security affairs and political economy. The last two sessions of the seminar are devoted to evaluating research proposals generated by all members of the class.
K. Oye
17.432 Causes of War: Theory and Method
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Provides an in-depth survey of scholarly theories associated with war. Examines when, where, and why wars—both interstate and intrastate—occur, why some conflicts escalate, and how wars end. Drawing from scholarship in political science and other disciplines, students explore debates over the variables that cause war and the mechanisms through which conflicts unfold. Includes readings that offer both theoretical and empirical insights.
E. Lin-Greenberg
17.433 International Relations of East Asia
Subject meets with 17.434
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Introduces and analyzes the international relations of East Asia. Examines the sources of conflict and cooperation during and after the Cold War, assessing competing explanations for key events in East Asia's international relations. Readings drawn from international relations theory, political science and history. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
M. T. Fravel
17.434 International Relations of East Asia
Subject meets with 17.433
Prereq: None
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Introduces and analyzes the international relations of East Asia. Examines the sources of conflict and cooperation during and after the Cold War, assessing competing explanations for key events in East Asia's international relations. Readings drawn from international relations theory, political science and history. Students taking graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
M. T. Fravel
17.445 International Relations Theory in the Cyber Age
Subject meets with 17.446
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines cyber dynamics and processes in international relations from different theoretical perspectives. Considers alternative theoretical and empirical frameworks consistent with characteristic features of cyberspace and emergent transformations at all levels of international interaction. Theories examined include realism and neorealism, institutionalism and liberalism, constructivism, and systems theory and lateral pressure. Highlights relevant features and proposes customized international relations theory for the cyber age. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.446 International Relations Theory in the Cyber Age
Subject meets with 17.445
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Examines cyber dynamics and processes in international relations from different theoretical perspectives. Considers alternative theoretical and empirical frameworks consistent with characteristic features of cyberspace and emergent transformations at all levels of international interaction. Theories examined include realism and neorealism, institutionalism and liberalism, constructivism, and systems theory and lateral pressure. Highlights relevant features and proposes customized international relations theory for the cyber age. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri
17.447[J] Cybersecurity
Same subject as IDS.050[J], MAS.460[J]
Subject meets with 17.448[J], IDS.350[J], MAS.660[J]
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Focuses on the complexity of cybersecurity in a changing world. Examines national and international aspects of overall cyber ecology. Explores sources and consequences of cyber threats and different types of damages. Considers impacts for and of various aspects of cybersecurity in diverse geostrategic, political, business and economic contexts. Addresses national and international policy responses as well as formal and informal strategies and mechanisms for responding to cyber insecurity and enhancing conditions of cybersecurity. Students taking graduate version expected to pursue subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri, S. Pentland
17.448[J] Cybersecurity
Same subject as IDS.350[J], MAS.660[J]
Subject meets with 17.447[J], IDS.050[J], MAS.460[J]
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Focuses on the complexity of cybersecurity in a changing world. Examines national and international aspects of overall cyber ecology. Explores sources and consequences of cyber threats and different types of damages. Considers impacts for and of various aspects of cybersecurity in diverse geostrategic, political, business and economic contexts. Addresses national and international policy responses as well as formal and informal strategies and mechanisms for responding to cyber insecurity and enhancing conditions of cybersecurity. Students taking graduate version expected to pursue subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
N. Choucri, S. Pentland
17.449 Emerging Technology and International Security
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores how emerging technologies — including drones, artificial intelligence, social media, additive manufacturing, and cyber warfare — affect international security. Examines how states develop these technologies, identifies barriers to innovation in the security domain, and considers how the proliferation of new military and dual-use technologies affect decisions on war and peace. Designed for students interested in international relations, security studies, and emerging technologies.
E. Lin-Greenberg
17.452 Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: Deliverance, Delusion, or Both
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines the effect of emerging technologies on the organization and operation of intelligence agencies and how these technologies can and cannot address the steady-state challenges of interpretation, uncertainty, politicization, and surprise. Readings and case studies ground students in the work of leading intelligence scholars and, focusing on intelligence analysis, examine the effect of rational actor assumptions on intelligence failure. Designed for students interested in security studies, public policy, and emerging technologies.
J. Brenner
17.456 The International Politics of Emerging Technology (New)
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Provides an in-depth survey of the international political and security implications of new technologies. Explores emerging technologies as both a dependent and independent variable. Readings and discussion assess the factors that contribute to military innovation and the proliferation of new technologies and analyze technology's effects on international politics.
E. Lin-Greenberg
Security Studies
17.46 US National Security Policy
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the making of US foreign and national security policy. Examines the laws that guide policy-making, studies the actors and organizations involved in the inter-agency process, and explores how interaction between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches shapes policy development and implementation. Students acquire practical experience through policy writing and a crisis simulation. Designed for students interested in international relations, security, and public policy.
E. Lin-Greenberg
17.468 Foundations of Security Studies
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Develops a working knowledge of the theories and conceptual frameworks that form the intellectual basis of security studies as an academic discipline. Particular emphasis on balance of power theory, organization theory, civil-military relations, and the relationship between war and politics. The reading list includes Jervis, Schelling, Waltz, Blainey, von Clausewitz, and Huntington. Students write a seminar paper in which theoretical insights are systematically applied to a current security issue.
B. Posen
17.472 International Conflict in the Gray Zone Between War and Peace
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines US strategic, legal, and organizational readiness to deal with intensifying international conflict below the level of armed attack, including covert action, offensive cyber operations, propaganda, and economic coercion. Cases include Ukraine, Stuxnet, and South China Sea operations. Substantial reading ranges across Western, Leninist, and Chinese views of war, covert action history, international law, US strategy, industrial espionage, and the effects of technology on operations.
J. Brenner
17.473 Nuclear Strategy and Proliferation
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Provides an introduction to the politics and theories surrounding the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Introduces the basics of nuclear weapons, nuclear strategy, and deterrence theory. Examines the historical record during the Cold War as well as the proliferation of nuclear weapons to regional powers and the resulting deterrence consequences.
V. Narang
17.474[J] Nuclear Weapons and International Security
Same subject as 22.814[J]
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
4-0-8 units
See description under subject 22.814[J].
R. S. Kemp, V. Narang
17.478 Great Power Military Intervention
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines systematically, and comparatively, great and middle power military interventions, and candidate military interventions, into civil wars since 1991. These civil wars did not easily fit into the traditional category of vital interest. These interventions may therefore tell us something about broad trends in international politics including the nature of unipolarity, the erosion of sovereignty, the security implications of globalization, and the nature of modern western military power.
B. Posen, R. Petersen
17.480 Understanding Modern Military Operations
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Examines selected past, current, and future sea, air, space, and land battlefields and looks at the interaction in each of these warfare areas between existing military doctrine and weapons, sensors, communications, and information processing technologies. Explores how technological development, whether innovative or stagnant, is influenced in each warfare area by military doctrine.
O. Cote
17.482 US Military Power
Subject meets with 17.483
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Examines the evolving roles and missions of US General Purpose Forces within the context of modern technological capabilities and Grand Strategy, which is a conceptual system of interconnected political and military means and ends. Topics include US Grand Strategies; the organization of the US military; the defense budget; and the capabilities and limitations of naval, air, and ground forces. Also examines the utility of these forces for power projection and the problems of escalation. Analyzes military history and simple models of warfare to explore how variations in technology and battlefield conditions can drastically alter effectiveness of conventional forces. 17.483 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
B. Posen
17.483 US Military Power
Subject meets with 17.482
Prereq: Freshmen need permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines the evolving roles and missions of US General Purpose Forces within the context of modern technological capabilities and Grand Strategy, which is a conceptual system of interconnected political and military means and ends. Topics include US Grand Strategies; the organization of the US military; the defense budget; and the capabilities and limitations of naval, air, and ground forces. Also examines the utility of these forces for power projection and the problems of escalation. Analyzes military history and simple models of warfare to explore how variations in technology and battlefield conditions can drastically alter effectiveness of conventional forces. 17.483 fulfills undergraduate public policy requirement in the major and minor. Students taking the graduate version are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.
B. Posen
17.484 Comparative Grand Strategy and Military Doctrine
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
A comparative study of the grand strategies and military doctrines of the great powers in Europe (Britain, France, Germany, and Russia) from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Examines strategic developments in the years preceding and during World Wars I and II. What factors have exerted the greatest influence on national strategies? How may the quality of a grand strategy be judged? Exploration of comparative case study methodology also plays a central role. What consequences seem to follow from grand strategies of different types? Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.
Staff
17.486 Japan and East Asian Security
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Explores Japan's role in world orders, past, present, and future. Focuses on Japanese conceptions of security; rearmament debates; the relationship of domestic politics to foreign policy; the impact of Japanese technological and economic transformation at home and abroad; alternative trade and security regimes; Japan's response to 9/11; and relations with Asian neighbors, Russia, and the alliance with the United States.
R. J. Samuels
17.488 Simulating Global Dynamics and War
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Explores the history, tools, and utility of crisis simulations and war games that model international dynamics. Aims to develop toolkits for future worlds exercises and for the production of conference papers and peer-reviewed publications. Students review historical debates about gaming and simulation methods while gaining experience designing and playing different kinds of exercises, including technical operational games, computerized rapid play games, nuclear crisis games, and global dynamics simulations.
R. Samuels, E. Heginbotham, E. Lin-Greenberg
17.490 Political Economy of International Security
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Introduces the scholarly literature on the political economy of international security, focusing on questions of how economic and security motivations are weighed against each other in both wartime and peace. Wartime topics include economic warfare, war financing, and technological investment. Peacetime topics include sanctions, market power, currency statecraft, and grand strategy.
M. Grinberg
Comparative Politics
17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Examines why democracy emerges and survives in some countries rather than in others; how political institutions affect economic development; and how American politics compares to that of other countries. Reviews economic, cultural, and institutional explanations for political outcomes. Includes case studies of politics in several countries. Assignments include several papers of varying lengths and extensive structured and unstructured class participation. Enrollment limited.
C. Lawson
17.503 How Dictatorship Works
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Investigates the different nature of threats that dictators, kings, and autocrats face from the population who want democratization and other powerful elites who want to replace them. Considers the different ways dictatorial leaders institutionally design their regimes to temper these competing threats. These include coup-proofing their internal security apparatus, repressing the population, controlling the media, and co-opting rivals.
M. Hassan
17.506 Ethnic Politics
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Introduces students to the classic works on ethnic politics, familiarizes them with new research and methodological innovations in the study of ethnic politics, and helps them design and execute original research projects related to ethnic politics. Readings drawn from across disciplines, including political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics. Students read across the four subfields within political science. Graduate students specializing in any subfield are encouraged to take this subject, regardless of their previous empirical or theoretical background.
R. Petersen
17.509 Social Movements in Comparative Perspective
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores why people join grassroots political organizations and social movements. Asks what accounts for the ultimate success or failure of these organizations and examines how social movements have altered political parties, political institutions, and social relations. Critically considers a range of theoretical treatments and several movements, including the US civil rights, poor peoples', pro-life/pro-choice and gay/lesbian movements.
M. Nobles
17.511 Critical Perspectives on Data and Identity
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines how group identities are recorded as "data" in various domains, and the effects of data collection on the formation of identities, inequality, redistribution and conflict around the world. Compares approaches to recording personal information on household censuses and surveys, college admissions forms, via automated, computer-based systems (AI), and other systems. Draws upon a wide variety of primary materials, and scholarly works from political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and economics.
F. Christia, E. Lieberman
17.516 Transitional Justice
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Emerging democracies are now confronted with what has been termed "the torturer problem." The questions are old ones: What is to be done about the perpetrator(s) and what is to be done for the abused? Seminar broadly examines the theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the issues commonly associated with "transitional justice," including its motivations, agents, institutions, and decisions. Cases are drawn from various countries and historical periods, including post-World War II Europe, 19th-century America, and 20th-century Africa and Latin America.
M. Nobles
17.523 Ethnic Conflict in World Politics
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Ethnic and racial conflict appear to be the hallmark of the post-Cold War world. Students explore the rise of ethnic/racial and nationalist sentiments and movements; the basis of ethnic and racial identity; the political claims and goals of such movements, and whether conflict is inevitable. Introduces the dominant theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity, and nationalism, and considers them in light of current events in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
M. Nobles
17.524 State, Society, and Political Behavior in Developing Contexts
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines the political behavior of citizens in developing countries and the question of why governmental performance remains poor in these contexts, despite citizen efforts, international aid, and civil society initiatives. Evaluates and builds on our current understanding of political behavior and state-society relations when democratic institutions are weak, state capacity is low, and regimes are changing. Explores these questions by drawing on new and old literatures from institutional, sociological, psychological, and political economy perspectives.
L. Tsai
17.526 Comparative Urban Development
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines both classic and recent research on urban politics, including studies of resource distribution, clientelism and machine politics, ethnic politics, property rights, economic informality, and violence in cities spanning the developing world, and also draws comparisons to urban areas in developed democracies. Special attention is paid to the effects of urban context on political behavior. Readings are primarily from political science, but also include work from sociology, economics, and related disciplines.
N. Nathan
17.53 The Rise of Asia
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Focuses on social, economic, political, and national security problems of China and Japan -- two of the largest economies in a dynamic region with the potential to shape global affairs. Examines each topic and country from the perspectives of history, contemporary issues, and their relations with one another and the United States.
R. Samuels, T. Fravel
17.537 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan
Subject meets with 17.538
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Analyzes contemporary Japanese politics, focusing primarily upon the post-World War II period. Includes examination of the dominant approaches to Japanese politics and society, the structure of the party system, the role of political opposition, the policy process, foreign affairs, and interest groups. Attention to defense, foreign, industrial, social, energy, technology policy processes. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and class presentations. Assignments differ.
R. J. Samuels
17.538 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan
Subject meets with 17.537
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Analyzes contemporary Japanese politics, focusing primarily upon the post-World War II period. Includes examination of the dominant approaches to Japanese politics and society, the structure of the party system, the role of political opposition, the policy process, foreign affairs, and interest groups. Attention to defense, foreign, industrial, social, energy, and technology policy processes. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and class presentations. Assignments differ.
R. J. Samuels
17.55[J] Introduction to Latin American Studies
Same subject as 21A.130[J], 21G.084[J], 21H.170[J]
Subject meets with 21G.784
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Examines contemporary Latin American culture, politics, and history. Surveys geography, economic development, and race, religion, and gender in Latin America. Special emphasis on the Salvadoran civil war, human rights and military rule in Argentina and Chile, and migration from Central America and Mexico to the United States. Students analyze films, literature, visual art, journalism, historical documents, and social scientific research.
T. Padilla, P. Duong
17.561 European Politics
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines similarities and differences in politics and political economy in Britain, Germany, and Sweden. Particular focus on the structure of political power within the state, and on important institutions that form the link between state and society, especially political parties and interest organizations.
K. Thelen
17.565 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Credit cannot also be received for 17.567
Examines Israeli identity using a broad array of materials, including popular music, film, documentaries and art, in addition to academic historical writings. Topics include Israel's political system and society, ethnic relations, settlement projects, and the Arab minorities in the Jewish state. Students also discuss whether there is a unique Israeli culture and the struggle for Israel's identity. Limited to 60; preference to students in the MISTI MIT-Israel program.
P. Krause
17.567 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity
Prereq: None
U (IAP)
3-0-6 units. HASS-S
Credit cannot also be received for 17.565
Examines Israeli identity using a broad array of materials, including popular music, film, documentaries and art, in addition to academic historical writings. Topics include Israel's political system and society, ethnic relations, settlement projects, and the Arab minorities in the Jewish state. Students also discuss whether there is a unique Israeli culture and the struggle for Israel's identity. Limited to students in the MISTI MIT-Israel program.
N. Karlinsky
17.568 Comparative Politics and International Relations of the Middle East
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Surveys both classic and cutting-edge work on the politics of the Middle East, broadly defined. Topics include the causes and consequences of political and economic development, authoritarianism and democratization, the influence of social movements, the role of women in Middle Eastern polities, regional inter-state relations, Islamism, terrorism, colonialism and foreign occupation, state-building, resistance and rebellion, and the Arab uprisings.
R. Nielsen, F. Christia
17.569 Russia's Foreign Policy: Toward the Post-Soviet States and Beyond
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Analyzes Russia's foreign policy, with a focus on relations with the other post-Soviet states. Frames the discussion with examination of US-Russian and Sino-Russian relations. Looks at legacies of the Soviet collapse, strengths and vulnerabilities of Russia, and the ability of other states to maintain their sovereignty. Topics include the future of Central Asia, the Georgian war, energy politics, and reaction to the European Union's Eastern Partnership. Readings focus on international relations, historical sources, and contemporary Russian and Western sources.
C. Saivetz
17.57[J] Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society: 1917 to the Present
Same subject as 21G.086[J], 21H.245[J]
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
See description under subject 21H.245[J]. Enrollment limited.
E. Wood
17.571 Engineering Democratic Development in Africa
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines the varied relationship between democracy and human development in sub-Saharan Africa. Encourages students to apply engineering thinking to better understand which institutions, practices, and technologies have helped, and which have hindered, the achievement of health, education, infrastructure, and other outcomes. Addresses many of the challenges and dilemmas of democratic practice in poor, diverse, and unequal societies, while inviting students to propose practical interventions.
E. Lieberman
17.572 Political Economy of Africa
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Explores how African leaders have projected authority and built states, and, in turn, how their states' actions have influenced major economic and societal outcomes, including agrarian development, economic inequality and informality, violence, grassroots collective action, and the nature of ethnic and partisan political mobilization. Spans the pre-colonial period to the present day. Readings primarily drawn from political science, but also include work from economics, history, and related disciplines.
N. Nathan
17.577 Electoral Politics in the Developing World
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: U (Fall)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores how electoral competition operates in new democracies across the developing world. Major topics include how voters hold politicians accountable for good governance, how politicians campaign and distribute state resources, and why some elections are free, fair, and peaceful while others are violent and skewed to benefit incumbents. The course materials draw on examples from Africa, Latin America, the post-Soviet countries, South Asia, and the historical United States.
N. Nathan
17.578 Elections and Political Representation in the Developing World
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Focuses on the theoretical and empirical study of elections, representation, and governance in non-industrialized democratic societies. Surveys the contemporary literature on topics such as party systems, clientelism, electorally-motivated violence, ethnic politics, and federalism.
D. Hidalgo
17.581 Riots, Rebellions, Revolutions
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Examines different types of violent political conflict. Compares and contrasts several social science approaches (psychological, sociological, and political) and analyzes their ability to explain variation in outbreak, duration and outcome of conflict. Examines incidents such as riots in the US during the 1960's, riots in India, the Yugoslav wars, and the Russian Revolution, in addition to current international events.
R. Petersen
17.582 Civil War
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Surveys the social science literature on civil war. Studies the origins of civil war, discusses variables affecting duration, and examines termination of conflict. Highly interdisciplinary and covers a wide variety of cases. Open to advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor.
F. Christia
17.584 Civil-Military Relations
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-9 units
Subject consists of five sections. After a general survey of the field, students consider cases of stable civilian control, military rule, and transitions from military to civilian rule. Cases are selected from around the world.
R. Petersen
17.588 Field Seminar in Comparative Politics
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Provides an introduction to the field of comparative politics. Readings include both classic and recent materials. Discusses research design and research methods, in addition to topics such as political culture, social cleavages, the state, and democratic institutions. Emphasis on each issue depends in part on the interests of the students.
C. Lawson
17.590 State Building
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Examines the process of building modern, national states across regions at different levels of development. Focuses on conceptualizing and measuring state power; and on the range of political, economic, and social explanations that account for variation, including the role of technology, war, material endowments, geography, trust, ethnic diversity, and democratic regimes. Evaluates the quality of evidence for different accounts. Theoretical orientation intended for Ph.D. students in political science.
E. Lieberman
17.591 Research Seminar in Applied International Studies
Prereq: Permission of instructor
U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Focuses on research methods in the social sciences as they relate to topics in international studies. Students complete an independent research project on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor; class presentation required. Limited to 18; preference to Applied International Studies minors.
B. Schneider
Models and Methods
17.800 Quantitative Research Methods I: Regression
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
4-0-8 units
Introduction to statistical research in political science and public policy, with a focus on linear regression. Teaches students how to apply multiple regression models as used in much of political science and public policy research. Also covers elements of probability and sampling theory. Limited to 30; preference to Course 17 PhD students.
T. Yamamoto
17.801 Political Science Scope and Methods
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Introduces principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science through research projects currently conducted in the department. Different department faculty lead modules that introduce students to major research questions and different ways of examining those questions. Emphasizes how this research in progress relates to larger themes, and how researchers confront obstacles to inference in political science. Includes substantial instruction and practice in writing (with revision) and oral presentations. Intended primarily for majors and minors.
F. Christia
17.802 Quantitative Research Methods II: Causal Inference
Prereq: 17.800, 17.803, or permission of instructor
G (Spring)
4-0-8 units
Survey of statistical methods for causal inference in political science and public policy research. Covers a variety of causal inference designs, including experiments, matching, regression, panel methods, difference-in-differences, synthetic control methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, quantile regression, and bounds. Limited to 30; preference to Course 17 PhD students.
D. Hidalgo
17.803 Political Science Laboratory
Prereq: 17.801 or permission of instructor
U (Spring)
3-6-6 units. Institute LAB
Introduces students to the conduct of political research using quantitative methodologies. The methods are examined in the context of specific political research activities like public opinion surveys, voting behavior, Congressional behavior, comparisons of political processes in different countries, and the evaluation of public policies. Includes instruction and practice in written and oral communication. Students participate in joint class projects and conduct individual projects. Does not count toward HASS Requirement. Enrollment limited; preference to Course 17 majors who have pre-registered.
T. Yamamoto
17.804 Quantitative Research Methods III: Generalized Linear Models and Extensions
Prereq: 17.802 or permission of instructor
G (Fall)
4-0-8 units
Provides a survey of statistical tools for model-based inference in political science and public policy. Topics include generalized linear models for various data types and their extensions, such as discrete choice models, survival outcome models, mixed effects and multilevel models. Covers both frequentist and Bayesian approaches. Limited to 15; preference to Course 17 PhD students.
T. Yamamoto
17.806 Quantitative Research Methods IV: Advanced Topics
Prereq: 17.804 or permission of instructor
G (Spring)
4-0-8 units
Covers advanced statistical tools that are useful for empirical research in political science and public policy. Possible topics include missing data, survey sampling and experimental designs for field research, machine learning, text mining, clustering, Bayesian methods, spatial statistics, and web scraping. Limited to 15; preference to Course 17 PhD students.
D. Hidalgo
17.810 Game Theory and Political Theory
Subject meets with 17.811
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
4-0-8 units
Introduces students to the rudiments of game theory within political science. Provides all students with the ability to solve simple games. Readings draw from basic texts on game theoretic modeling and applied articles in American Politics, International Relations, and Comparative Politics. Students taking the graduate version evaluate applied theory articles in the major journals.
A. Magazinnik
17.811 Game Theory and Political Theory
Subject meets with 17.810
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
4-0-8 units. HASS-S
Introduces students to the rudiments of game theory within political science. Provides students with the ability to solve simple games. Readings draw from basic texts on game theoretic modeling and applied articles in American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. Students taking the graduate version evaluate applied theory articles in the major journals.
A. Magazinnik
17.830 Empirical Methods in Political Economy
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Reviews recent quantitative empirical studies on important, substantive questions in political economy. Designed to increase students' understanding of the core research designs and measurement strategies employed in the empirical analysis of political institutions and political behavior. Topics include the political and economic consequences of direct democracy, reservations for political minorities, corruption, political effects of the media, and politics in authoritarian regimes.
D. Hidalgo
17.831 Data and Politics
Prereq: None
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Spring)
3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Explores the intersection between politics and data. Introduces principles and practice of data-driven methods used to understand electoral and other types of political behavior. Students use real world datasets to explore topics such as election polling and prediction, the determinants of voter turnout, how campaigns target voters, and how public opinion changes over time.
D. Hidalgo
17.835 Machine Learning and Data Science in Politics
Prereq: 6.100A or permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: U (Fall)
4-0-8 units. HASS-S
Introduces students to politics by analyzing political science data sets with machine learning methodologies. Covers a variety of data science tools, including supervised and unsupervised learning methods, visualization techniques, text analysis, and network analysis. Emphasizes how the research methodologies can be used for studying political science. Topics include lobbying, international trade, political networks, and estimating ideologies of political leaders.
I. S. Kim
17.850 Political Science Scope and Methods
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Introduces principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science. Exposes students to major research questions and different ways of examining them. Limited to Course 17 PhD students.
R. Nielsen
17.860 How to Theory (New)
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: Not offered
Acad Year 2025-2026: G (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Workshop-based subject providing an overview of how to construct a theoretical argument through a mix of conceptual examination and practical application. Examines different components and aspects of theory building, allowing students to refine their own proto-theories and develop their completed theoretical propositions. Complements subjects in research design as well as qualitative and quantitative methods. Project proposal required.
M. Grinberg
17.878 Qualitative Methods and Fieldwork
Prereq: Permission of instructor
Acad Year 2024-2025: G (Spring)
Acad Year 2025-2026: Not offered
3-0-9 units
Prepares students to conduct independent qualitative research, focusing on practical skills acquisition. Topics include methodological controversies, debates about transparency, human subjects protocols and research ethics, interviewing techniques, ethnography, focus groups, comparative historical case studies/archival research, and write-up of qualitative information collected from the field.
C. Lawson
Common Ground Subjects
17.C08[J] Causal Inference
Same subject as 15.C08[J]
Prereq: 6.3800, 6.3900, 6.C01, 14.32, 17.803, 18.05, 18.650[J], or permission of instructor
U (Spring)
4-0-8 units
See description under subject 15.C08[J].
J. Doyle, R. Rigobon, T. Yamamoto
General Subjects
17.UR Undergraduate Research
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Research opportunities in Political Science in theoretical and applied research. For further information, contact the Departmental Coordinator.
Staff
17.URG Undergraduate Research
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Research opportunities in political science in theoretical and applied research. For further information, contact the departmental coordinator.
Staff
17.90 Politics, Policy, and Political Science: What Does It All Mean? (New)
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
2-0-1 units
Explores the scope of political science, policy, and politics through conversations with faculty who research across the field. Topics include misinformation and democracy, dictatorships, nuclear war and AI, and why governments make the policy decisions they do. Gives a broad overview of the role of methods and data in political science. This class counts towards the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students.
A. Campbell, K. Hoss
17.902 Political Science Internship and Research
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
For students participating in off-campus internships relevant to the field of political science. Before registering, students must submit a 1-2 page application statement which describes the internship, the nature of the work, the time commitment (hours per week and number of weeks) and the connection to the field of political science. Students must also submit a formal offer letter from a host employer/organization which provides details of the internship. Subject to departmental approval. Consult departmental undergraduate office.
Staff
17.905-17.911 Reading Seminar in Social Science
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of special topics in the fields of social science. Open to advanced undergraduates by arrangement with individual staff members. 17.909 is taught P/D/F.
Staff
17.922 Martin Luther King, Jr. Design Seminar
Prereq: None
U (IAP)
Not offered regularly; consult department
3-0-3 units
Facilitates design and construction of installations and other community projects in conjunction with and beyond MIT's celebration of Dr. King. Students discuss the ideas and goals of Dr. King and other human rights leaders in the US and the world. The first half of the class develops in-depth understanding of the history of US racial issues as well as past and present domestic and international political struggles. Addresses issues of justice, equality and racism through videos, readings and writings, and class discussions. In the second half, students work as a group complete the installation and projects which serve as models for connecting academics with real life problems and struggle.
T. Weiner
17.925 Fundamentals of Science and Technology Public Policy Making: Science and Technology Policy Boot Camp
Prereq: None
U (IAP)
2-0-1 units
Examines the public policy behind, and the government's role in, the science and technology-based innovation system. Focuses on the US, but also discusses international examples. Prepares students planning careers in and around science and technology with the basic background for involvement in science policy making. Limited to 35. Application required.
W. Bonvillian
17.959 Preparation for General Exams
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall, Summer)
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Selected readings for Political Science doctoral students in preparation for qualifying exams.
Staff
17.954-17.958, 17.960 Reading Seminar in Social Science
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of special topics in the fields of social science. Open to advanced graduate students by arrangement with individual staff members. 17.954 and 17.959 are taught P/D/F.
Staff
17.962 Second Year Paper Workshop
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
3-0-9 units
Workshop for research and writing of major research paper as part of pre-dissertation requirements. Restricted to doctoral students.
D. Singer
17.THG Graduate Political Science Thesis
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Program of research and writing of thesis; to be arranged by the student with supervising committee.
Staff
17.THT Thesis Research Design Seminar
Prereq: 17.803 or permission of instructor
U (Fall)
3-0-9 units
Students writing a thesis in Political Science develop their research topics, review relevant research and scholarship, frame their research questions and arguments, choose an appropriate methodology for analysis, and draft the introductory and methodology sections of their theses.
D. Singer
17.THU Undergraduate Political Science Thesis
Prereq: None
U (Fall, IAP, Spring, Summer)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Program of research leading to the writing of an SB thesis. To be arranged by the student under approved supervision.
Staff
17.S912 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Fall, Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S914 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S916 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged [P/D/F]
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S917 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S918 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Spring)
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S919 Special Undergraduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: None
U (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Reading and discussion of topics in the field of social science not covered in the regular curriculum.
Staff
17.S950 Special Graduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified graduate students who would like to pursue special studies or projects. Please consult graduate administration prior to registration.
Staff
17.S951 Special Graduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Spring)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified graduate students who would like to pursue special subjects or projects. Please consult graduate administration prior to registration.
Staff
17.S952 Special Graduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified graduate students who would like to pursue special subjects or projects. Please consult graduate administration prior to registration.
Staff
17.S953 Special Graduate Subject in Political Science
Prereq: Permission of instructor
G (Fall)
Not offered regularly; consult department
Units arranged
Can be repeated for credit.
Open to qualified graduate students who would like to pursue special subjects or projects. Please consult graduate administration prior to registration.
Staff
