Pol Sci 3384
Topics in Politics: Politics in a Time of Crisis
We are living in an unprecedented crisis. The COVID-19 global pandemic has put significant stress on longstanding American political processes and institutions, raising a fundamental question about how politics should work: How do crises shape our political landscape and vice-versa? This course considers the impact of crises on politics throughout Western history in order to sharpen our understanding of the challenge we are currently facing and the far-reaching implications it might have for our future. We'll consider various kinds of crises - political, economic, ecological, environmental, and social - from a political lens, and engage with an interdisciplinary array of authors, both historical and contemporary, from across social and political thought, such as Thucydides, Burke, Du Bois, and Arendt, among others. Note: This course counts towards either the undergraduate American Politics subfield or the Political Theory subfield.
Instructors
Reviews
Dr. Gais is, without question, the best professor I have had over the course of my college career (I am a senior). When you engage in the class, you will learn so much, be exposed to new and different ideas, and be challenged. You have to put in the work and be on top of things, and if you are, you will succeed without a doubt.
8/26/2024
6-8 hrs/week
Amazing professor. Dr. Gais is very adamant about participation as it is one of the biggest grades in the class. You need to think analytically about everything in her class (that’s what she’s looking for). Overall I am glad I took this class, I did well but it did take listening to feedback and putting effort into the class.
6/13/2024
TAKE THIS CLASS! Learned so much and felt like a much better student coming out of it. You have to go to class and participate consistently to get a good participation grade, but you'll feel smarter after doing it. Prof is super great and so intelligent. You get what you put into this class for sure. The students control the experience. No screens.
5/8/2024
Absolutely no criteria for grading, very subjective. She grades things based on her own opinion of them and doesn't tell students how she is going to grade projects until after students turn it in. Be prepared to participate, participation is heavily weighted, though she does prefer to call on male students. Nice professor, but doesn't grade well.
5/4/2024