G53.1300: American Political Institutions and Processes (graduate). Covers leading issues in the study of American politics and government at an advanced level; I assume you know the basics of the system from prior study. How are these issues addressed in current research? These are the questions around which research orbits, and the ones you will need to address in doctoral work in American government. We will give special attention to rational choice interpretations, including their limitations. Syllabus.

G53.2371: Public Policy (graduate). Advanced course on policymaking in the American federal government. Teaches a policymaking approach to doctoral research. Theories of policy and policymaking offer a powerful and researchable way to explain what happens in government and connect it to outcomes. The course will review the basics of economic policy analysis and theories of the national policy process. We will consider several examples of research that connects government's ability or inability to achieve desired outcomes to features of the regime. Students write and present papers on topics of their own. Syllabus. Course page.

V53.0306: Public Policy (undergraduate). Advanced course on policymaking in the federal government. I assume you have already taken at least an introductory course in American politics, such as Power and Politics in America. Covers approaches to agenda-setting, the national policymaking process, and the basics of budgeting and policy analysis. Emphasizes the role of experts and policy argument. Students, organized in teams, do special projects on prominent issues in national policymaking and make presentations to class, mostly recently on school reform and Social Security reform. Syllabus.

V53.0382: The Politics of Poverty and Welfare (undergraduate). Poverty and welfare problems in the United States and the controversies aroused by them. Concentrates on the causes of poverty and dependency among the working-age poor, the history of programs and policies meant to help them, and the enormous impact these issues have had on national politics. A special focus on recent welfare reform, especially in Wisconsin. Students are encouraged to develop their own understanding of poverty and what to do about it, using much of the research used by experts. Syllabus. Course page.

V53.0395: Welfare Politics (undergraduate). An American field seminar that explores the politics of poverty, welfare, and welfare reform in more depth than is possible in V53.0382. After introductory sessions on poverty, welfare, and welfare reform, we consider various dimensions of welfare controversy--public opinion, national politics, state politics, and the change in issues over time. We also address the ethnical issues surrounding poverty and welfare from a secular and also a religious perspective. Students write papers exploring issues of their choice in more depth. Syllabus. Course page.

V53.0715: American Primacy (undergraduate): This course addresses the question: How did the United States become the world's dominant nation?  We presume that America differs from most other countries in fundamental ways.  But what are these?  To seek answers, we range further back in history than most IR courses.  American primacy builds on the earlier ascendancy of Britain and Western Europe.  We will consider several theories of European, British, or American dominance organized under the general headings of geography, economics, sociology, and political science.