Undergraduate Program

Course Sequencing Recommendations by Subfield 

The following recommendations are general suggestions basedon common choices made by Gov concentrators. You should speak with your Concentration Adviser about what path will work best for you.

Political Theory 

Political Theory involves fundamental inquiries: What is human nature? What are the standards of right and wrong, just and unjust, legitimate and illegitimate? How can we know the answers to such questions? Political theory is also comprehensive: rather than taking as its focus any one particular historical context or political setting, it includes every historical period in its purview and studies political thought with an eye to what is relevant for our time, and for every time. Studying political philosophy is more like participating in an ongoing debate than mastering a set doctrine. Thus courses in the field are likely to be investigations of several different political philosophers and their various answers to important questions of the discipline. 

What would a logical progression be for a student concentrating in Government who is interested in political theory?

There is no single best sequence of courses that students interested in political theory should take.  Gov 10: Foundations of Political Thought, considers fundamental problems in political theory and it exposes students both to canonical and contemporary readings, so some students may find it a useful starting point.  Other have found Moral Reasoning 22: Justice, helpful for the same reasons. Students interested in starting with 1000-level courses should feel free to start there, however, since there are no prerequisites for them.  If students know they have an interest in the history of political thought, they may want to consider taking Government 1060: Ancient and Medieval Political Philosophy and/or 1061: The History of Modern Political Philosophy, which provide a solid foundation in canonical texts from Plato through Nietzsche. Students interested especially in political theory as it pertains to contemporary issues and questions in political science might want to consider a course like Government 98vm:  Contemporary Democratic Theory or Moral Reasoning 68:  Legalism.  Finally, though they might not be the best place to start the study of political theory, students are encouraged to consider junior research seminars, which are excellent preparation for writing a thesis, but which many students also find worth while as electives. These courses vary from year to year, but each provides the chance to work closely with a professor on a research topic and to explore specific thinkers or topics.

Comparative Politics 

Courses in Comparative Politics include the study of various political phenomena from a comparative perspective (revolution and political violence, political elites, political modernization and development, public policy), and the study of government and politics in particular geographical areas (Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe). The field is based upon the premise that only through careful understanding and comparison of many political systems can one generate a set of propositions valid for all political systems, or for any one.

International Relations

Courses in International Relations consider political, economic, and military interactions across national boundaries. The field includes the study of international development, international political economy, international law, national security and defense policies of various countries, nuclear weapons and arms control, terrorism and guerilla warfare in a global perspective, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, bargaining and negotiation.

American Politics

The field of American Politics includes the study of political behavior (electoral politics, public opinion, politics of interest groups and social movements), public policy (economic policy, social welfare policy, urban public policy), and governmental institutions (the Presidency, Congress, judicial process and public law, bureaucracies.) Americanists conduct theoretical, institutional, and behavioral analyses of topics in both domestic politics and foreign relations, using a variety of methodologies ranging from literary analyses to mathematical modeling.

Just as with the other subfields, there is no single, standard plan of study for American politics. Despite the many advantages of taking a foundational course like Government 30, you may be wary of taking an foundational course on material you think you already know. In general, however, many students will begin with the foundational course before they take the Sophomore Tutorial. Sometimes Government 30 will give the student a better idea of what interests them within the American government subfield.

Beyond Gov 30, you can think of American Politics courses as examining Political Behavior (e.g. courses on public opinion, voting, interest groups); Institutions (e.g. courses on the three branches of Government); Policymaking (e.g. public health, education, and environmental policy); and Identity (e.g. courses on race, gender, ideology, and religion). Many courses will, of course, cut across these lines.

In choosing your courses, a question to ask yourself is: how focused do I want to make my coursework? If you want to maintain breadth, then take courses across the American politics spectrum. One semester you can take Constitutional law, and the next semester you can take a course on American foreign policy. If you want even more breadth, you can eschew specialization in the subfield altogether and take an equal number of courses in each subfield.

If, however, you want more focus, then consider these tracks. If you want to study the law and legal institutions, start with Constitutional Law, and then progress to more specialized courses related to law and politics (e.g. a research seminars on the courts or law). If you want to get into real-world politics, then make sure to take courses on political behavior and institutions: Congress, the Presidency, public opinion, campaigns and elections. If you are interested in public policy, then you can find courses in education policy, health policy, and environmental policy and politics. If you’re interested in race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, you’ll also see courses being taught in each of these areas. In each of these areas,you can become a mini-expert by taking a self-made sequence of 3-4 courses, combining lecture and research seminar experiences. At the end of your sequence, you’ll have several Professors with interests that align with yours,and gained significantly knowledge about this area of the American political landscape.