Fall Semester 2021

This course will examine race and ethnic politics through the lens of social movements, public policy, and democratic governance. The #Black Lives Matter Movement was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer and engages us to utilize a human rights lens to combat racial injustice, inequality, racism, and white supremacy. We will use a human rights and democratic governance approach often used in a U.S. foreign policy context to reconceptualize our understanding of the lived experiences and quest for freedom, justice, and equality on part of African Americans, Latinx, Asian Americans, Native Americans and other groups. Given the racial and ethnic demographic shifts over the past two decades, particular attention will focus on race, representation, and racism from President Obama to President Trump with a central focus on the 2020 elections, U.S. Census, and voting rights. We will analyze democratic governance under the Trump administration and the ways in which President Trump has invoked identity politics and white nationalism in governance. Finally, you will learn the tactics of effective social movements/activism, civic engagement, data analysis, policy influence. There will be an applied component of this course and guest speakers will bring to life the theories and literature we read and review in class. Students will leave this class smarter on the topics addressed and also equipped with the tools for effective grassroots organizing, persuasive public speaking skills, and strategic policy influence.

*Note: This class will be taught remotely via Zoom.

Most of us have been inundated with elections and politics for the past year. Many Americans can name several presidents and even have opinions on “good” versus “bad” presidents. But what do they actually do and how do we measure and evaluate their performance and our expectations for their leadership? What can we expect during the next four years of a Biden/Harris administration? This course will put the modern presidency in historical and theoretical context, drawing on a variety of readings and approaches to determine which framework best explains presidential (in)action. At its core, this class is about the question of executive power in democratic government. In addition to studying and reflecting on the theme of presidential power, we will also consider the limits to this power and how presidents achieve their goals. Ultimately, we aim to understand the work of the presidency and some of the different perspectives by which we might analyze or assess presidents and their administrations, especially at a time when we transition from one administration to another.

Disclaimer: We will deal with real world issues of today. Our discussions will reflect these parameters and engage in some controversial topics. This is an important part of our course, and you should be prepared to understand the politics of the situation separated from your own views.

Syllabus

About the Instructor: I am a Ph.D. of American government and politics with specializations in the American presidency, public policy, and polarization. My research focuses on presidential governance via executive orders and how political factors influence the ability of presidents to issue their most significant orders. I have taught UCDC’s presidency seminar since Fall 2017. While earning my degree at the University of Maryland, I taught classes about public policy and Congress to students who had internships related to those fields in a format similar to the UCDC program. Outside of the classroom, I work at Community Change & Community Change Action, non-profit organizations focused on building a movement led by everyday people to create change in their communities and across the country. As the Electoral Data Manager, I work with many different teams and partner organizations to identify target audiences and track the work we are doing in communities affected by injustice.

What is the difference between “fake news""and journalism? Why does President Trump call news organizations “the enemy of the American people""? Should the media report what people want to know or ought to know? Does objectivity exist?

This seminar examines the extraordinary changes to communication and journalism over the past half century and the consequences for American politics. The 2020 campaign is a perfect backdrop to assess the news media’s mission, goals, and biases. We will look at the media’s incentives to fuel controversy, politicians’ efforts to manipulate (if not lie to) the media, and how the digital revolution – for both better and worse -- has fundamentally restructured the future of political communication. Each week will feature an hour-long presentation combining lectures, guest speakers and videos to be viewed in advance of the two-hour live class. The live class will combine discussion and exercises with an emphasis on current developments, lectures, and readings. Readings will include an assortment of news and scholarly articles.

Syllabus

About the Instructor:  Professor Marc Sandalow is the Associate Academic Director of the University of California Washington Program (UCDC). He is the author of three books, including “Madam Speaker,” a biography of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has been a journalist for 30 years, including 21 years at the San Francisco Chronicle and more than a decade as the paper’s Washington Bureau Chief. He is a former columnist and contributing editor for the California Journal, and is a currently a political analyst for Hearst Argyle television stations and KCBS radio in San Francisco. Professor Sandalow has been the UCDC program since 2008.

The general research seminar introduces you to some of the main tools of social science research methods. You will learn and apply tools that will help you a) ask and try to answer critical questions about the world around you; b) understand the logic and significance of evidence-based research for analytical writing, policy recommendations and decision-making; and. c) explore research tools for your own research project. You will learn how to formulate focused and researchable questions, identify reliable data and relevant sources, and produce a robust literature review. You will also learn the uses and merits of case studies, and develop tools to reading statistical analyses and findings to better support your own research projects. Finally, you will be introduced to the elements of a policy brief and will be encouraged to use your internship experience to apply your research skills for the final research project. Ultimately, this class aims to strengthen your research competence and confidence in using tools relevant to whatever career path you choose.

Syllabus

About the Instructor: Professor Loubna Hanna is a scholar-practitioner with subject area expertise in the politics of development, gender, youth and communication. She's taught at numerous universities in Morocco and the United States, including the American University’s School of International Service and the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous publications in my subject areas. She consulted with numerous intern/national development organizations and agencies including USAID, the World Bank, World Learning, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State and the Global Fund for Women. Hanna earned her BA from Mohamed V University in Rabat (Morocco), her MA in socio-cultural anthropology from Essex University (England) and her PhD from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. 

What are the United States’ interests in the Middle East? Who and what determine those interests? And how are those interests pursued? This course addresses these questions in three parts. First, we will examine debates on what U.S. interests are in the Middle East, and the various actors and factors that shape policy outcomes. Next, we will examine pivotal American relationships in the Middle East, and debates regarding those relationships. Finally, we will examine key policy dilemmas during the administrations of Geroge W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Students should leave this class with a strong understanding of the challenges that the U.S. faces in the Middle East, as well as an informed viewpoint regarding how the U.S. should address those challenges.

Past Syllabus

About the Instructor: Eric Trager is an expert on Egyptian politics and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and was the Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington Institute until 2017. He was in Egypt during the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolts and returns frequently to conduct firsthand interviews with leaders in Egypt's government, military, political parties, media, and civil society. His writings have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the Atlantic, and the New Republic.

Trager is the author of Arab Fall: How the Muslim Brotherhood Won and Lost Egypt in 891 Days (Georgetown University Press, 2016) which chronicles the precipitous rise to power of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, culminating in the election of President Mohamed Morsi in 2012, and its sudden demise just a year later. The book also assesses the current state of Egyptian politics and the prospects for a reemergence of the Brotherhood.