Teaching

POLI4593

International Relations of the Middle East

Media coverage of the Middle East increases by the day, but in-depth knowledge of the region and its politics remain in short supply. Why has the Middle East seemingly experienced so much conflict? How do ethnic and religious identities, domestic politics, and the balance of power between nations help explain state behavior in the region? What explains variation in the political situation of Middle Eastern states since the Arab Spring? This course will address the international relations of the Middle East from World War I to today.

The course will focus on the most powerful states in the region—Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey—in addition to foreign powers that have historically played a significant role in the Middle East, such as the United States and Great Britain. As international relations theory suggests, these states have collectively driven the structure and politics of the modern Middle East. They are the key actors in the past and present wars, negotiations, alliances, revolutions, movements, interventions, and peace treaties that are the focus of the course.

In addition to its topical focus, this course could rightly be called a methods course. Students in the class will learn how to improve their analytical thinking, conduct high quality research, and present an effective argument, both orally and in writing. They will learn the potential and pitfalls of theories of international relations through constant analysis and engagement with the modern history of the Middle East. By the conclusion of the course, students will emerge not only with a far richer understanding of the region and its politics, but also as more sophisticated consumers, analysts, and producers of knowledge.

POLI3570

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza are only the latest tragic chapters in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The broader struggle, which involves not just Israelis and Palestinians, but also regional states like Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, has been at the core of Middle East politics over the past century. But the character and outcomes of this conflict have varied significantly across time and space. This course will address the origins, dynamics, and effectiveness of Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, the causes of war and peace, and changes in territorial and political control of the region from the early 1900s to the present.

Students will learn and analyze the perspectives and behaviors of state and non-state actors on all sides to gain a greater appreciation for a struggle that continues to drive regional dynamics and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. By the conclusion of the course, students will emerge not only with a far richer understanding of the region, its people, and its politics, but also as more sophisticated consumers, analysts, and producers of knowledge.

Whatever your background and perspective, you are welcome in this course. You will always be evaluated based on the quality of your effort and performance—not on your political sympathies. Personal attacks and bigoted language are not accepted, but you should be prepared to have your thinking constantly challenged by me and others in the class. The constructive conversations that we have throughout the course will make you a much more knowledgeable and empathetic observer of the region regardless of the extent to which you want to learn and/or advocate thereafter.

POLI3527

Terrorism, Insurgency, and Political Violence

Terrorism, insurgency, and political violence are unfortunately all around us. Whether it’s the vehicle attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, the shooting of a health care executive in New York, the killing of civilians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, or ongoing civil wars in Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence by and against non-state actors is the most common form of conflict in the 21st century. Are terrorism and political violence inventions from the modern era, or do they have a deeper past? What drives an individual to join an armed group? Why do some groups choose to employ violence, while others do not? Are terrorism and insurgency effective political tactics? Just how significant is the threat of terrorism to you and to others around the world? This course will address these and other questions, while introducing students to relevant analytical frameworks, theories, and cases concerning terrorism, insurgency, and related forms of political violence.

In addition to its topical focus, this course could rightly be called a methods course. Students in the class will learn how to improve their analytical thinking, conduct high quality research, and present an effective argument, both orally and in writing. They will learn the potential and pitfalls of theories and political violence through constant analysis and engagement with the history of terrorism and insurgency. By the conclusion of the course, students will emerge not only with a far richer understanding of these issues, but also as more sophisticated consumers, analysts, and producers of knowledge.

INTL3541/POLI3541

Research Methods in Political Science

Welcome to our engaging, accessible, hands-on course for learning research methods! Rigorous, systematic research methods are at the foundation of quality scholarship for students and professors alike. This class will introduce students to a wide array of research methods in an engaging, accessible way.

Each module is engaging and hands-on: focused not on long lectures, but rather short, engaging videos of faculty, students, and alumni discussing why and how they build and utilize certain skills, coupled with a variety of short practice tasks to train you in methods you can use inside and outside the classroom. You can learn how to ask great research questions, define and measure concepts, generate original arguments, and create high quality research designs.

The course focuses on applied methods using scholarship and examples from history, international studies, political science, psychology, and sociology. This is a great course for students thinking about writing a thesis, pursuing a research-focused career, or for those who simply want to supercharge their analytical skills.

INTL2501

Introduction to International Relations

This course provides an introduction to international relations. It is designed for students who intend to pursue further courses in the international studies major and assumes no prior coursework in related disciplines. This course lays the groundwork for understanding the ways in which international influences shape the world's economies, polities, societies, and cultures, as well as the consequences of international interactions for global conflict and cooperation.

Topics covered in the course include the international causes and effects of war and peace, nuclear proliferation, globalization, trade, international institutions, immigration, women’s rights, humanitarian intervention, the environment, terrorism, and U.S. foreign policy. Students will learn to analyze the key mechanisms and generalizable characteristics of these issues using abstract paradigms and theories, while they will also grapple with the unique aspects of each topic by analyzing historical accounts of significant international events.

In addition to its topical focus, this course could rightly be called a methods course. Students in the class will learn how to improve their analytical thinking, conduct high quality research, and present an effective argument, both orally and in writing. By the conclusion of the course, students will emerge not only with a far richer understanding of international studies, but also as more sophisticated consumers, analysts, and producers of knowledge.

POLI1202

Research Methods and Political Violence

This is a hands-on course designed to provide students with training and experience in serious political science research. The course is the latest outgrowth of the Political Violence Project. Existing studies and data sets lack adequate information on the strength, strategies, and successes and failures of national movements and their constituent groups. Finding and analyzing this information from primary and secondary sources lays the groundwork for new scholarly books and articles, the creation of original datasets, and an improvement of our understanding of the causes and effects of violence, national movements, and collective struggles during periods of state formation. This course will teach the history and skills necessary for students to make a significant contribution to a shared research project and to their own intellectual development.

POLI7804

Politics and Society in the Middle East

This graduate seminar provides a comparative survey of the Middle East and North Africa, with emphasis on the international relations of the region. After a broad historical introduction, it explores the contemporary patterns of war and peace, authority and governance, the persistence of authoritarianism and the quest for democracy, ethnicity and identity politics, natural resources and economic inequality, and the role of religion in politics. A special focus in the latter part of the seminar will be on the causes, dynamics, and consequences of the recent revolutionary and protest movements in the region.