Political Science
This class introduces students to 13 important puzzles about contemporary Japanese politics, domestic policy, and foreign policy, discusses various ways in which scholars have attempted to solve these puzzles, and suggests pathways for future research. Together, we seek to explain public policy outcomes across a wide range of topics, including constitutional revision, defense, economic growth, energy, gender, immigration, income inequality, population aging, territorial disputes, and trade. In the process, we learn (1) the important actors in Japanese politics (e.g., voters, politicians,...
Analysis of contemporary Chinese politics, with focus on how the country has become a major power and how the regime has endured. Topics include China’s recent history, state, ruling party, economy, censorship, elite politics, and foreign policy.
