Winter Quarter 2021

Day and Time:

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 5 - March 9, 2021

Semester Dates:

January 5 - April 14, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

Congress and other branches of the U.S. government were designed nearly two and a half centuries ago under circumstances and reflecting values and philosophies that bear little relationship to contemporary America. All of these institutions have evolved over time in response to changing conditions domestically and internationally; and the American electorate had undergone significant change as well, especially in the last half century. All of these developments place dramatic and consequential pressures on government, elected officials and voters alike. How are they responding and what can we anticipate, based on historical analysis, will change as a result of these unprecedented, simultaneous crises? What is the appropriate level of idealism, pragmatism and collaboration as ways to govern a diverse and divided democracy?

This course will focus on the performance of Congress, the American government and the electorate during a period in which four historic forces are colliding simultaneously:

The coronavirus pandemic and related societal disruptions;

The widespread political/social responses to systemic racism affecting policing and other public institutions and policies;

The electoral season that elevates partisan anger through the campaigns across the nation; and lastly

The diminished confidence of the American people in the structure and performance of their own government.

About the Instructor: Professor John Lawrence served as a senior staff person in Congress for nearly four decades, the last eight as Chief of Staff to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also served as staff director of two committees and on personal staff. He has taught at UCDC since 2013, and at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and has lectured widely on history and contemporary American politics at Columbia, Princeton, Oberlin and other venues. Professor Lawrence holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of California (Berkeley), and an undergraduate history degree from Oberlin College.

Course ID:

UCDC191B01W21

A Biden-Harris Presidency : Understanding Executive Power in Historical and Contemporary Context

Credits:

Instructor:

Gilbert Nunez

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Thursdays, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 7 - March 11, 2021

Semester Dates:

January 7 - April 14, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

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.

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.

Course ID:

UCDC191C01W21

Power and Purpose: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy

Credits:

Instructor:

Christopher Preble

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 6 - March 10, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Course Number:

UCLA Political Science 120B (Pending)

Category:

Quarter Elective

Description:

This course explores the ideas and assumptions that guide U.S. foreign policy. We will consider how U.S. leaders choose to engage with the rest of the world -- and consider how they might in the future -- by focusing on a number of recurring themes including: relations with China and Russia; nuclear proliferation; the problems of weak and failing states; democracy promotion; terrorism and counterterrorism; resource competition; the importance of culture and national identity; transnational threats such as infectious disease and climate change; and the economics of national security.

About the Instructor: Professor Chris Preble currently serves the co-director of the New American Engagement Initiative, a new project within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He served as Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute for more than 17 years at the Cato Institute. Professor Preble has written two books (on U.S. foreign policy/grand strategy) and edited three others (on Iraq, counterterrorism, and threat perception). He's also written a number of shorter papers and book chapters (on, for example, the Middle East, nuclear weapons, the defense budget, intelligence assessment, fixing failed states, and U.S.-Japan relations). Professor Preble has also taught at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota; and at Temple University, where he earned his PhD in History. He earned his BA (also in History) at George Washington University, and served for four years in the U.S. Navy, including a little more than three years on the USS TICONDEROGA (CG 47).

Course ID:

UCDC15101F21

From Kennedy to Biden: Presidential Campaigns which Shaped Modern American Politics

Credits:

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Mondays, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 4, 2021 - March 8, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Course Number:

UCLA Political Science 141E (Pending)

Category:

Quarter Elective

Description:

After stunning the nation, and the world, with his win in 2016, President Trump is now the third one-term president in 40 years.

How did we reach this point? What are the political lessons from Campaign 2020? How will the results shape the two political parties as they try to govern in the year ahead, while also looking to the next campaign? This course will frame America's current political environment, while providing historical context and background in order to better understand a divided and highly partisan America. We will also examine how debates, scandals, two impeachments and the race for money impacts the outcome of these key presidential races.

About the Instructor: Professor Steven L. Scully is an adjunct faculty member at UCDC and currently serves as C-SPAN's Political Editor. Scully earned his undergraduate degree from The American University in Washington, D.C and earned a Master of Science from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, Illinois. He is past president of the White House Correspondents' Association, served as the back-up moderator during the 2016 presidential debates, and was recently inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Hall of Fame. According to John Oliver (This Week with John Oliver), Professor Scully is the most patient man on television.

Course ID:

UCDC15003F21

Technology, Equity, and Public Policy

Credits:

Instructor:

Shelly Steward

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Tuesdays, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 5 - March 9, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Course Number:

UCLA Public Affairs 191 (Pending)

Category:

Quarter Elective

Description:

From robots to big data, social media to the gig economy, and algorithmic bias to bitcoin, technology has reshaped many aspects of our lives. In some cases, tech has presented major challenges, and in others, it has provided tools for innovative solutions that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. This course considers the relationship between technology and public policy, examining aspects of tech that demand policy interventions and asking how tech can better equip governments to effectively lead. Each week, we will consider a hot topic in tech policy, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, cybercrime, and cryptocurrency, and consider how it reflects long-standing issues like inequality, racism, and exploitation. Through the course, we will identify and develop policy ideas that regulate today’s technologies while addressing these structural challenges.

About the instructor: Professor Shelly Steward is an economic sociologist focusing on the changing nature of work in American society. An expert in labor, culture, and public policy, she holds a PhD in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research examines how people understand their position in the labor market and the economy more broadly. Her dissertation examined experiences of precarious and insecure work in the oil and tech industries. She has been a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, a Kinder Scholar at Rice University, and an Assessment and Evaluation Fellow at UC Berkeley. Her research has been published in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, the Journal of Consumer Culture, and the Berkeley Journal of Sociology, and she has presented her work across the US and internationally. Prior to becoming a sociologist, Shelly taught middle school science on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota as a Teach for America corps member. She holds an AB from Harvard College.

Course ID:

UCDC15801W21

Washington Media: Fake News, Social Media, and the Reshaping of American Politics

Credits:

Instructor:

Marc Sandalow

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

TBD

Quarter Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Semester Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

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.

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.

Course ID:

UCDC191F01W21

The U.S. Supreme Court: Conflict, Change and the Court

Credits:

Instructor:

Jessica Gresko

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

TBD

Quarter Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Semester Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

Immigration. LGBT rights. Healthcare. Abortion. The death penalty. Cell phone privacy. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided cases on all of these topics in recent years, and its decisions ultimately touch the lives of all Americans. In this class we will study the Supreme Court's place in the U.S. legal system. Topics we will cover include: how a case gets to the court, the justices, the role of lawyers before the court, the purpose of oral argument, the court building and its symbolism, and media coverage of the court.

In addition, students will listen to the arguments in current Supreme Court cases and spend class time discussing them. In papers, students will be asked to rigorously explain why the justices likely took those cases and how they will come out based on what they hear at oral argument. This class is geared not only toward anyone who is interested in the law or government service but also toward anyone interested in working on or being informed about the biggest issues of the day.

About the Instructor: For the last decade Professor Jessica Gresko has been a reporter for The Associated Press, first in Miami and now in Washington. As a legal reporter, she covers court cases at all levels, both local and federal. She has been at the Supreme Court for many recent high-profile decisions including cases on gay marriage, healthcare and the death penalty. Professor Gresko earned her B.A. from Columbia University in New York and a M.S.L. (Master’s in the Study of Law) from Georgetown University Law School. She grew up in Southern California and took her first journalism class at UCLA.

Course ID:

UCDC191I01W21

Researching World Politics in Interesting Times

Credits:

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

TBD

Quarter Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Semester Dates:

Week of January 4, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

This seminar is designed to help you to critically engage with the dizzying array of problems faced by human societies today and to guide you through the process of developing a significant research paper on a topic of your choice related to world politics. This is not a field seminar in international relations. Through a combination of pre-recorded presentations, live lectures and discussions via weekly zoom meetings, required and recommended readings will provide you with theoretical and historical frameworks to identify, diagnose, and devise solutions to problem of world politics. To help you develop your own research, readings, lectures, and discussions will also focus on principles of social science and policy research. To help bring theoretical discussions to life, a central component of the course will involve your participation in the on-line Statecraft simulation (http://www.statecraftsim.com/). In the simulation students will represent nation-states in a fictitious world, take on the roles of foreign policy decision-makers, and grapple first-hand with the sorts of tradeoffs and responsibilities that characterize world politics. The issues and problems covered during class discussions and that you read and write about will be driven by your own geographical and substantive interests. The course is also designed to help you to connect your academic pursuits with your professional development through your internships and experiences immersed in the broader political ecosystem of Washington, DC, albeit remotely.

About the Instructor: Professor Michael Danielson has taught at UCDC since 2014. He is also a Research Fellow at the American University Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and has taught courses in Latin American politics at various universities in Washington, DC. His book Emigrants Get Political: Mexican Migrants Engage Their Home Towns (Oxford 2018) examines the ways in which Mexican migrants engage with and shape the politics of their home towns. He has also studied the politics of indigenous rights movements in Latin America and am co-editor of Latin America’s Multicultural Movements and the Struggle Between Communitarianism, Autonomy, and Human Rights (Oxford 2013). My current research includes projects on the climate–migration nexus, migration and refugee studies, violent democracies in Mexico and Central America, and migrant mayors. When not teaching, I work as an expert consultant on social science research methodology, migration and displacement, and Latin American politics and society. Additionally, I regularly serve as an expert witness on country conditions in Mexico and Honduras in US immigration courts. I am a political scientist by training (PhD 2013, American University) with training in comparative and international politics and hold an MA in International Policy Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) and Spanish and Philosophy degrees from Santa Clara University.

Course ID:

UCDC191E01W21

Reducing Poverty and Inequity: Lessons from International Development (Section 1)

Credits:

Instructor:

Loubna Hanna

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 5 - March 9, 2021

Semester Dates:

January 5 - April 14, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

This is an introductory course to the International Development field. The focus is on some of the key questions, challenges, and achievements in this field. Materials from the course (readings, documentaries, discussions of current events) will enhance your understanding of the dominant approaches to poverty alleviation, the role of inter/national development actors, organizations and institutions, the promises of post-2015 Development Goals including empowerment of women and youth and environment sustainability. Exposure to the overview of the field will enhance your understanding of current world events and policy decisions during your internship experiences in the nation’s Capital.

About the Instructor: Professor Loubna Skalli-Hanna is a teacher, scholar and practitioner with subject area expertise in development, gender, youth and communication. She has taught at numerous universities in Morocco and the United States, including the American University (2003-2015). She is the author, co-author and editor of numerous peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters and books. As a practitioner, Professor Skalli Hana co-founded many women’s organizations and participated in the activities of a few others. She also consulted with numerous intern/national development organizations and agencies including USAID, World Learning, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of State. Professor Skalli Hana earned her BA from Mohamed V University in Rabat (Morocco), her MA in social and cultural anthropology from Essex University (England), and her PhD in International Communication from the Pennsylvania State University.

Course ID:

UCDC191E02W21

General Research: Developing Critical Writing and Thinking Skills Through Independent Research

Credits:

Term or Semester:

Day and Time:

Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT

Quarter Dates:

January 6 - March 10, 2021

Semester Dates:

January 6 - April 14, 2021

Campus:

UCDC

Category:

Core Seminar

Description:

Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness” to describe the tendency of people to “go with their gut” rather than facts and evidence in evaluating the world around them. We are all affected by biases that obstruct critical thinking. Challenging these biases is essential to making rational, evidence-based arguments and decisions. A primary concern underlying public discourse and policy making about issues such as COVID-19, climate change, school testing, immigration, poverty, gun control, mass incarceration, and so many other contemporary issues is the availability, validity, reliability, and utility of evidence to support arguments on one side or another. We will spend this term developing and using the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to examine and propose solutions to real-world problems. Students will develop research projects on a topic of their choosing, preferably related to the work of their internship organization. They will work independently and in small groups, if possible, throughout the multi-stage writing process.