Research Groups in Political
Science
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American Politics |
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American politics specialists are
engaged in cutting-edge scholarship that frequently has real-world political
ramifications, in their research on minority voting rights, primary systems,
legislative term limits, and the impact of the media and technology in
American politics. Public law, public policy, minority and urban politics
are also subfields in which a rich array of courses are offered through this
Department.
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Comparative Politics |
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The
Department faculty specializing in comparative politics pursue topics in
democratization, comparative political behavior and electoral systems, human
rights, globalization, political economy, immigration, and citizenship. The
faculty have specialists in Western Europe, China, Latin America, Japan,
Korea, and South Asia. The strength of the Department in comparative
politics is exceptional because of its links to the interdisciplinary
Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD).
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Democracy Studies |
Democracy Studies at UCI integrates comparative politics and American
politics in the study of both established and emerging democracies. UCI has
become one of the leading places in the world to study empirical democratic
theory.
Department faculty are
very active scholars in these areas and are joined by nearly two dozen
sociologists and economists in organizing a set of core courses in democracy
studies administered under the umbrella of the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD).
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International Relations |
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The
Department has exceptional strength in international relations. Department
faculty are experts is the fields of foreign policy, ethics and
international relations, human rights, the environment and movement
politics, security studies, and international political economy. Some are
regionalists, mostly in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.
In addition, there is the interdisciplinary
Research Center in Global Peace and Conflict Studies
(GPACS).
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Political Theory |
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The political theory group has particular strengths in contemporary European political theory; democratic theory; critical theory and poststructuralism; multiculturalism, diversity, and identity; colonialism and imperialism; and the philosophical and methodological foundations of political inquiry. This group has a strongly interdisciplinary focus and maintains close connections with a number of campus research centers in the humanities and social sciences.
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Political Psychology |
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The
Department has some of the world's leading scholars in political psychology
on its faculty, including distinguished international visitors. Students
interested in this field can take courses leading to a specialization in
political psychology in our graduate program.
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Political
Economy/Games and Decisions/Public Choice |
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The
Department faculty have some of the most prolific and visible scholars in
the fields of public choice and political economy, including the past
president of the
Public Choice Society. The
faculty teach statistical analysis techniques. Joint with Economics, the
Department also offers a concentration in political economy/public
choice to its doctoral students.
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Race, Ethnicity, and Politics |
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The
Department has assembled a team of nationally known scholars working in the
field of race, ethnicity, and politics who have produced seminal scholarship
on questions pertaining to racial redistricting, racism and intra-minority
group conflict, electoral and insurgent group politics.
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