Our American Politics program is broad-gauged, with wide coverage of substantive areas and sufficient depth to permit specialization in a variety of areas.
Graduate study in the field of American Politics includes courses in a variety of substantive areas, including Judicial Politics, Political Psychology, Political Behavior, Gender and Politics, Interest Groups, Legislative Politics, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Race and Ethnicity, and Intergovernmental Relations. The field emphasizes rigorous theoretical and empirical analysis of American political processes.
American Politics Faculty
Alex Acs, Jan Box-Steffensmeier, Gregory Caldeira, Ryan Kennedy, Vladimir Kogan, Arvind Krishnamurthy, Gregory Leslie, Michael Neblo, Thomas Nelson, Julia Park, Melinda Ritchie, Maria Silfa, Thomas Wood, and Nicole Yadon.
Focus Field
Those choosing a focus field in American Politics are required to take PS 7100 (Foundations of American Politics) and at least two other substantive courses within the American Politics subfield. We encourage students to use those electives to take at least one behavior class and one institutions class. Students who are putting together a program of study in American Politics should consult closely with the field coordinator and other faculty to choose courses that will best provide exposure to the basic core of American Politics, including classes on both political institutions and political behavior, as well as satisfying the student’s own academic goals.
Students who select American Politics as a focus field are also required to enroll in the year-long prospectus workshop, PS 7095.01, 7095.02, upon passing the Candidacy Examination.
Finally, students are expected to attain basic competence in statistics, formal theory, and research design, which involves a minimum of five courses (15 credit hours) in Political Methodology. As with their substantive course work, students are encouraged to consult closely with faculty to choose methods courses that will best prepare them to undertake high quality research.
Research Workshop
The American Politics field sponsors the American Politics Seminar which is a forum for the presentation and discussion of research by graduate students and faculty in American Politics.