Institutions and Governance with tracks in Economics, Political Science, and Public Policy
The Institutions and Governance major enables students to study the formal and informal rules that societies use to govern themselves at the local, national, and global levels. By focusing on institutions and governance as a guiding framework, students can better understand the dynamics of wealth and poverty, innovation versus technological/economic stagnation, and stability versus turmoil in different states and societies, as well as exploring the dilemmas and questions raised by different conceptions of a just society. Students in this major will be exposed to the deep political science, economic, sociological, historical, anthropological, and normative explorations of institutional designs in a variety of constructs, such as governments, interest groups and social movements, media, and religion, among others. By their senior year, students will be able to speak authoritatively on the comparative theory of institutions, the history of institutional and policy development, the drivers of institutional change, and distributional effects of institutional choices. Particular attention will be paid to the challenges of governance, such as the processes and structures that societies adopt to manage their collective affairs, with an emphasis on the implementation and evaluation of government programs. In this way, students in this major will be able to draw on the empirical and normative resources necessary in order to address pressing global challenges.
The world is more and more interconnected at a variety of levels and students are going to need a better understanding of the institutions that govern this global integration. The more that students can identify, analyze and engage with global institutions and understand their governing processes, the more they will be able to navigate these complexities. This focus in Institutions and Governance will prepare students for a variety of careers requiring expertise in public administration, international development, political risk analysis, multinational investment and work in the non-profit sector at both the domestic and international levels. Students can choose among three disciplinary tracks: Economics, Political Science, or Public Policy.
Major Requirements
(Not every course listed is offered every term, and the course list will be updated periodically. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for Courses offered in 2023-2024.)
Institutions and Governance / Economics
Divisional Foundation Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
SOSC 101 |
Foundational Questions in Social Science |
4 |
|
And choose one from the following two courses |
||
|
MATH 101 |
Introductory Calculus |
4 |
|
MATH 105 |
Calculus |
4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
STATS 101 |
Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods |
4 |
|
POLSCI 104[1] |
Comparative Politics and Institutions |
4 |
|
GCHINA 202 |
Modern Chinese Politics |
4 |
|
ETHLDR 203 |
Conceptions of Democracy and Meritocracy |
4 |
|
POLSCI 307 |
Political Economy of Institutions |
4 |
|
POLSCI 308 |
Global Governance |
4 |
|
INSTGOV 490 |
Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics |
4 |
Disciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
ECON 101 |
Economics Principles |
4 |
|
ECON 201 |
Intermediate Microeconomics I |
4 |
|
ECON 202 |
Intermediate Microeconomics II |
4 |
|
ECON 203[2] |
Introduction to Econometrics |
4 |
|
ECON 204 |
Intermediate Macroeconomics |
4 |
|
And complete one of the following courses |
||
|
ECON 301 |
Health Economics |
4 |
|
ECON 302/ ENVIR 302 |
Environmental Economics |
4 |
|
ECON 303 |
Financial Institutions |
4 |
|
ECON 304 |
Economic Growth |
4 |
|
ECON 307 |
History of Monetary and International Crises |
4 |
|
ECON 309 |
Behavioral Finance |
4 |
|
ECON 310 |
Urban Economics |
4 |
|
ECON 314 |
International Trade |
4 |
|
ECON 333 |
Social and Economic Networks |
4 |
Electives
Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year. (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
Applied Economics and Analysis |
||
|
COMPSCI 206 /ECON 206 |
Computational Microeconomics |
4 |
|
POLECON 211 |
Risk Analysis and Forecasting |
2 |
|
ECON 211 |
Intelligent Economics: An Explainable AI approach |
4 |
|
STATS 302 |
Principles of Machine Learning |
4 |
|
STATS 304 |
Bayesian and Modern Statistics |
4 |
|
STATS 401 |
Data Acquisition and Visualization |
4 |
|
STATS 402 |
Interdisciplinary Data Analysis |
4 |
|
Finance |
||
|
ECON 303 |
Financial Institutions |
4 |
|
ECON 309 |
Behavioral Finance |
4 |
|
China |
||
|
POLECON 105 |
China and the Global South |
2 |
|
PUBPOL 106 |
Urbanizing China: Spatial and Social Dynamics in Chinese Cities |
2 |
|
POLECON 401 /GCHINA 401 |
Political Economy of the Chinese Reform |
4 |
|
GCHINA 301 / POLECON 302 |
China’s Economic Transition |
4 |
|
GCHINA 302 |
The Factory: From Socialist Industrialism to World Assembly |
4 |
|
Topical Interests |
||
|
ECON 301 |
Health Economics |
4 |
|
ECON 310 |
Urban Economics |
4 |
|
ECON 302/ ENVIR 302 |
Environmental Economics & Policy |
4 |
|
Economic and Social Justice |
||
|
SOSC 204 |
Business Ethics |
4 |
|
SOCIOL 306 |
Contemporary Population Problems |
4 |
|
POLSCI 317/ SOSC 317 |
Politics of Organization |
4 |
|
POLSCI 318 |
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 318 |
How to Change the World: The Role of Non-State Actors |
4 |
|
ECON 333/ SOSC 333 |
Social and Economic Networks |
4 |
|
ECON 404/ ENVIR 404 |
Environmental Justice: The Economics of Race, Place and Pollution |
4 |
|
CULMOV 203 |
Wealth, Power, and Inequality |
4 |
|
International and Development Economics |
||
|
ECON 314 |
International Trade |
4 |
|
POLECON 301 |
International Development |
4 |
|
ENVIR 301 |
Environment and Development Economics in Developing Countries |
4 |
Institutions and Governance / Political Science
Divisional Foundation Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
SOSC 101 |
Foundational Questions in Social Science |
4 |
|
SOSC 102 |
Introduction to Research Methods |
4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
STATS 101 |
Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods |
4 |
|
POLSCI 104[3] |
Comparative Politics and Institutions |
4 |
|
GCHINA 202 |
Modern Chinese Politics |
4 |
|
ETHLDR 203 |
Conceptions of Democracy and Meritocracy |
4 |
|
POLSCI 307 |
Political Economy of Institutions |
4 |
|
POLSCI 308 |
Global Governance |
4 |
|
INSTGOV 490 |
Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics |
4 |
Disciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
POLSCI 101 |
International Politics |
4 |
|
ETHLDR 202 |
Ethics, Markets and Politics |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 301 |
Political Analysis for Public Policy |
4 |
|
POLSCI 301 |
Program Evaluation |
4 |
|
POLSCI 302 |
Public Opinion |
4 |
Electives
Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year. (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
China |
||
|
POLECON 105 |
China and the Global South |
2 |
|
GCHINA 202 |
Modern Chinese Politics |
4 |
|
POLSCI 303 |
International Politics of East Asia |
4 |
|
POLECON 401 /GCHINA 401 |
Political Economy of the Chinese Reform |
4 |
|
POLSCI 221 |
US/China Relations |
4 |
|
Political Thought |
||
|
POLSCI 205[4] |
American Ideas and Global Receptions |
4 |
|
POLSCI 105 |
Contemporary Political Ideologies |
2 |
|
POLSCI 106 |
Political Rhetoric, Crisis, and Leadership |
2 |
|
POLSCI 204 |
The U.S. Constitution and its Critics |
4 |
|
ETHLDR 210 |
The Sociology of Morality and Politics |
4 |
|
POLSCI 311/ SOCIOL 311 /PHIL 311 |
The Political and Social Thought of Hannah Arendt |
4 |
|
POLSCI 312 |
Islamic Political Thought |
4 |
|
Democratic Processes and Institutions |
||
|
ETHLDR 108 |
Democracy and Inclusion: Hopes, Prospects, Dilemmas |
2 |
|
CULANTH 214/ POLSCI 214 |
Authoritarianism and the Struggle for Democracy in Latin America |
4 |
|
POLSCI 207 |
Democratic Institutions in America |
4 |
|
POLSCI 208 |
Political and Social Inequality |
4 |
|
POLSCI 209 |
Democratic Erosion |
2 |
|
POLSCI 316 |
Sino-African relations in History and Present |
4 |
|
POLSCI 317/ SOSC 317 |
Politics of Organization |
4 |
|
POLSCI 318 |
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas |
4 |
|
War and Peace |
||
|
HIST 209 |
Refugees and War since 1914 |
4 |
|
HIST 317 |
The Global First World War |
4 |
|
CULANTH 314 /POLSCI 314 |
Refugees and the Biopolitics of Citizenship |
4 |
|
Other Recommended Electives |
||
|
SOSC 204 |
Business Ethics |
4 |
|
CULMOVE 206 |
Ethnic and Religious Diversity in the Middle East |
4 |
|
POLSCI 313 /PSYCH 313 |
Political Psychology |
4 |
|
POLSCI 219/ PUBPOL 219 |
The U.S. Legal System: Lawyers, Judges, Lawmakers, & Bureaucrats |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 318 |
How to Change the World: The Role of Non-State Actors |
4 |
|
MEDIART 401 |
Campaigns, Marketing, and Persuasion |
4 |
|
GCULS 108 |
Science, Culture, and Politics |
2 |
|
Optional Signature Work Electives |
||
|
WOC 201 |
Academic Writing 1: Argumentation Across Disciplines |
2 |
Institutions and Governance / Public Policy
Divisional Foundation Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
SOSC 101 |
Foundational Questions in Social Science |
4 |
|
SOSC 102 |
Introduction to Research Methods |
4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
STATS 101 |
Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods |
4 |
|
POLSCI 104[5] |
Comparative Politics and Institutions |
4 |
|
GCHINA 202 |
Modern Chinese Politics |
4 |
|
ETHLDR 203 |
Conceptions of Democracy and Meritocracy |
4 |
|
POLSCI 307 |
Political Economy of Institutions |
4 |
|
POLSCI 308 |
Global Governance |
4 |
|
INSTGOV 490 |
Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics |
4 |
Disciplinary Courses
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
PUBPOL 101 |
Introduction to Policy Analysis |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 301 |
Political Analysis for Public Policy |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 303 |
Policy Choice as Value Conflict |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 315/ ECON 315 |
Economics of the Public Sector |
4 |
|
Choose one course from the following two courses |
||
|
ECON 201 |
Intermediate Microeconomics I |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 205[6] |
Microeconomic Policy Tools |
4 |
Electives
Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year. (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)
|
Course Code |
Course Name |
Course Credit |
|
China |
||
|
POLECON 105 |
China and the Global South |
2 |
|
POLECON 401 /GCHINA 401 |
Political Economy of the Chinese Reform |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 106 |
Urbanizing China: Spatial and Social Dynamics in Chinese Cities |
2 |
|
Health Policy |
||
|
GLHLTH 203 |
Global Health Control Programs and Policies |
4 |
|
GLHLTH 303 |
Global Comparative Health Care Systems |
4 |
|
GLHLTH 304 |
Global Health Governance and Policy |
4 |
|
Energy and Environmental Policy |
||
|
ENVIR 201 |
Applied Environmental Science and Policy |
4 |
|
ENVIR 301 |
International Environmental Policy |
4 |
|
ENVIR 403 |
Energy Economics and Policy |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 201 |
Climate Change Law and Policy |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 317 |
Plastic Planet: Pollution and Solutions |
4 |
|
ENVIR 301 |
Environment and Development Economics in Developing Countries |
4 |
|
Economic and Political Institutions |
||
|
POLSCI 207 |
Democratic Institutions in America |
4 |
|
POLSCI 219/ PUBPOL 219 |
The U.S. Legal System: Lawyers, Judges, Lawmakers, & Bureaucrats |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 220 |
Introduction to Regulatory Governance |
4 |
|
POLSCI 317/ SOSC 317 |
Politics of Organization |
4 |
|
POLSCI 318 |
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas |
4 |
|
International Dimensions of Policy |
||
|
HIST 110 |
Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Global Issues |
4 |
|
POLSCI 107 |
Political Psychology |
2 |
|
POLSCI 204 |
The U.S. Constitution and its Critics |
4 |
|
CULMOVE 206 |
Ethnic and Religious Diversity in the Middle East |
4 |
|
POLECON 301 |
International Development |
4 |
|
CULANTH 214/ POLSCI 214 |
Authoritarianism and the Struggle for Democracy in Latin America |
4 |
|
CULANTH 314 /POLSCI 314 |
Refugees and the Biopolitics of Citizenship |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 311 |
Economic and Political History of the European Union |
4 |
|
SOCIOL 206 |
Reshaping Global Urbanization |
4 |
|
PUBPOL 318 |
How to Change the World: The Role of Non-State Actors |
4 |
|
Optional Signature Work Preparation |
||
|
SOSC 204 |
Business Ethics |
4 |
|
SOSC 320 |
Data in the World: Applied Social Statistics |
4 |
[1] This course was numbered and named POLSCI 201 Political Institutions and Processes prior to fall term 2022.
[2] Students are encouraged to complete ECON 203 before submitting a Signature Work Project Proposal.
[3] This course was numbered and named POLSCI 201 Political Institutions and Processes prior to fall term 2022.
[4] This course was numbered and named POLSCI 103 American Ideas and the Idea of America prior to fall term 2022.
[5] This course was numbered and named POLSCI 201 Political Institutions and Processes prior to fall term 2022.
[6] This course was numbered PUBPOL 304 prior to fall term 2022.