Courses

This political science course provides an introduction to the politics of judges, courts, and law in the United States.  We will evaluate law and courts as political institutions and judges as political actors and policy-makers.

The topics we will study include what courts do; how different legal systems function; the operation of legal norms; the U.S. judicial system; the power of courts; constraints on judicial power; judicial review; the origin of judicial institutions; how and why Supreme Court justices make the decisions they do; case selection; conflict between the Court and the other branches of government; decision making and conflict within the judicial hierarchy; the place of courts in American political history; and judicial appointments.

We will explore some common but not necessarily true claims about how judges make decisions and the role of courts.  One set of myths sees judges as unbiased appliers of neutral law, finding law and never making it, with ideology, biography, and politics left at the courthouse door. Another set of myths sees the judiciary as the “least dangerous branch,” making law, not policy, without real power or influence.

Our thematic questions will be:  How much power and discretion do judges have in the U.S?  What drives their decision-making? 

Prerequisites: POLS V1501 or the equivalent. Admission by application through the Barnard department only. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Barnard syllabus. Comparative political economy course which addresses some important questions concerning corruption and its control: the concept, causes, patterns, consequences, and control of corruption. Introduces students to and engages them in several key social science debates on the causes and effects of political corruption.

This class aims to introduce students to the logic of social scientific inquiry and research design. Although it is a course in political science, our emphasis will be on the science part rather than the political part — we’ll be reading about interesting substantive topics, but only insofar as they can teach us something about ways we can do systematic research. This class will introduce students to a medley of different methods to conduct social scientific research.

With the rise of extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, the demand for “climate justice” has become a popular backdrop for environmental and climate movements to demand more specific political action to address the climate crisis. This course will cover the origins and development of the concept of environmental justice and its relationship to issues of race and power, as well as the transition from environmental justice to climate justice and its political implications today. Establishing the connection of environmental and climate justice principles to existing political institutions, the course will also include a field trip to visit South Bronx Unite and do a walking tour of heavily polluted waterways in the Bronx. Additionally, students will choose an institution or movement of their choice and create a report which analyses what concepts of justice these institutions refer to, what their goals and demands are, and how their strategies relate to these demands and where they might be falling short.

The course focuses on the nexus between energy and security as it reveals in the policies and interaction of leading energy producers and consumers. Topics include: Hydrocarbons and search for stability and security in the Persian Gulf, Caspian basin, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America; Russia as a global energy player; Analysis of the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on energy markets, global security, and the future of the energy transition; Role of natural gas in the world energy balance and European energy security; Transformation of the global energy governance structure; Role and evolution of the OPEC; Introduction into energy economics; Dynamics and fundamentals of the global energy markets; IOCs vs NOCs; Resource nationalism, cartels, sanctions and embargoes; Asia's growing energy needs and its geo-economic and strategic implications; Nuclear energy and challenges to non-proliferation regime; Alternative and renewable sources of energy; Climate change as one of the central challenges of the 21st century; Analysis of the policies, technologies, financial systems and markets needed to achieve climate goals. Climate change and attempts of environmental regulation; Decarbonization trends, international carbon regimes and search for optimal models of sustainable development. Special focus on implications of the shale revolution and technological innovations on U.S. energy security.

Introduction to the science of human behavior. Topics include history of psychology, brain function and development, sleep and dreams, sensation and perception, learning and memory, theories of development, language and cognition, research methods, emotion, mental illness, and therapy.

Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. 

The aim of this course is to critically examine the complex interaction of biological, psychological and environmental factors which impact the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse and dependence. The course focuses on those drugs which have abuse and dependence potential with specific emphasis on Alcohol and the Depressants, the Psychostimulants, and the Opiates.  A primary objective is to provide insight into factors which contribute to challenges with substances for some individuals and to better understand their felt and lived experience with drugs.

The course begins with a review of theoretical perspectives including disease, behavioral, cognitive, social learning, psychodynamic, and neurobiological models.  The physical, psychological, and socio-cultural effects/impact of each major class of drug will then follow. Within each category, we will also discuss controversial issues related to each drug for example: methadone maintenance, needle exchange programs, Ritalin/Adderall abuse, the “opiate epidemic.”  Throughout the course, case histories, film documentaries and memoirs will provide personal accounts of the drug experience.  We conclude the course with an overview of treatment interventions.

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. 

The aim of this course is to critically examine the complex interaction of biological, psychological and environmental factors which impact the etiology, symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse and dependence. The course focuses on those drugs which have abuse and dependence potential with specific emphasis on Alcohol and the Depressants, the Psychostimulants, and the Opiates.  A primary objective is to provide insight into factors which contribute to challenges with substances for some individuals and to better understand their felt and lived experience with drugs.

The course begins with a review of theoretical perspectives including disease, behavioral, cognitive, social learning, psychodynamic, and neurobiological models.  The physical, psychological, and socio-cultural effects/impact of each major class of drug will then follow. Within each category, we will also discuss controversial issues related to each drug for example: methadone maintenance, needle exchange programs, Ritalin/Adderall abuse, the “opiate epidemic.”  Throughout the course, case histories, film documentaries and memoirs will provide personal accounts of the drug experience.  We conclude the course with an overview of treatment interventions.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent Traditional psychologists have focused primarily on answering “how?” questions regarding the mechanisms that underlie behavior (i.e. How does the system work?). In contrast, evolutionary psychologists focus primarily on answering “why?” questions (i.e. Why does this system exist, and why does it have the form it does?). This course is designed to apply our knowledge of evolutionary theory to psychology in order to answer such questions.