Teaching

Stanford University

This course is an introduction to the systematic study of politics. We ask questions such as: Why do countries go to war? How do social identities—including race, ethnicity, and gender—shape individuals’ political behavior? How can we explain variation in rates of poverty and inequality? How does political representation differ across different electoral systems? How do attitudes towards immigrants influence immigration policy? We will use the tools of political science to investigate some of these basic questions of governance and politics.

This course examines the profound role race plays in American politics. Topics covered include the construction of political identity among Asian, Black, Latino, Native, and White Americans; the politics of immigration and acculturation; and the influence of racial identity on public opinion, voting behavior, the media, social movements, and in the justice system. We will tackle questions such as: What makes a political campaign ad "racist?" Why did Donald Trump's support among Black, Latino, and Asian voters increase from 2016 to 2020? Are undocumented immigrants really more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens? How can we measure whether there is racial bias in policing? What do we even mean when we use the terms "race" and "ethnicity" and how have the definitions of identity groups evolved over time? Throughout, students will be pushed to carefully evaluate data-based claims, critically analyze their own assumptions, and bring to bear empirical evidence to support their arguments in an inclusive learning environment.

Almost one-third of Americans now identify with a racial/ethnic minority group. This seminar examined the relationship between racial identity, group consciousness, and public opinion. Topics included the role of government institutions in shaping identification, challenges in defining and measuring race, attitudes towards race-based policies, and the development of political solidarity within racial groups. Particular attention was paid to the construction of political identities among the growing mixed-race population.

This honors research seminar surveys important topics in the study of mass political behavior including public opinion, political participation, partisanship and voting.

This course is intended to guide students as they begin developing and writing their honors theses. The aim of this seminar is to provide students with the foundation necessary to make steady progress on their theses, both during the Fall term and in the months that follow. This course will facilitate the development, execution, and advancement of students’ thesis research agenda. Emphasis is placed on developing both theoretical and empirical arguments. As such, this course will provide students with a forum to discuss the current status of their projects. The expectation is that students will ultimately produce an outstanding piece of original research under the supervision of their faculty advisor, to be submitted during Spring quarter.

For graduate students with background in American politics embarking on their own research. Examines the significant historical and contemporary research in American political behavior and public opinion. Topics include: foundations of voting behavior; party identification and partisanship; models of public opinion; ideology and polarization; campaigns, elections, and turnout; group identity and group processes; racism and racial attitudes; and emotion and motivated reasoning.

The Laboratory for the Study of American Values aims to help graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. The lab involves two components: a laboratory-style seminar and public opinion polls. The seminar will provide training on all stages in the survey research process and create a collegial environment in which lab members can coordinate their efforts. Students will field several surveys to representative samples of adults in the United States. Lab members will make presentations on their proposed projects; refine the hypotheses they hope to test; develop questionnaires and experiments to assess their hypotheses; pre-test their instruments; and finalize a questionnaire for fielding.

This course considered the role of the mass media in American politics and the influence of the media on Americans' political attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The course examined the nature of news and news making organizations, the role of the news media in electoral campaigns, how the media shape the behavior of politicians once in office, political advertising, and the impact of the media on Americans' political attitudes.

This course examined the structural and political reasons for racial disparities in the rates of cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality and other health issues.

The Community-Based Learning Initiative (CBLI) connects students' academic work with their interest in and concern for the communities around the University. Working with local nonprofits, students develop research projects, collect and analyze data, and share their results and conclusions, not just with their professors, but also with organizations and agencies that can make use of the information. Working with CBLI, students can do community-based research in courses, as a summer research internship, and as part of their junior paper or senior thesis.