My primary teaching interests are Legislative Institutions, Racial and Ethnic Politics, Latino Politics, Immigration Politics and Policy, Mixed Methods, and Social Movements.
Racial and Ethnic Politics (Winter 2020)
This upper division undergraduate course examines critical questions and debates in race, ethnicity, and politics (REP).
It utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the history of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. and examines the interaction of minority politics with broader American politics. The course begins with theoretical conceptions of race and ethnicity and how they inform notions of citizenship, group membership, structural racism, and racial hierarchies. Subsequent topics include reparations and racial violence, redistricting and the voting rights act, racism, racial resentment, social movement activism, inequality, cooperation and competition within and among minority groups. Finally, selected contemporary policy issues and practices will be discussed including criminal justice policy and mass incarceration, surveillance and policing, immigration politics, and repression in protest politics.
Latino Politics (Fall 2018)
This upper division undergraduate course provides a general survey of Latino Politics in the United States. The purpose of the course is to learn about both the history and political processes Latinos have taken part in but also probe deeper theoretical questions of ethnicity and identity. For example, what is a Latino pan-ethnic identity? The course will also examine the role of the “Latino Vote” and examine the impact of Latino voters on recent campaigns and elections. A significant segment of the course will focus on the policy process and examine the interaction of Latinos with other political actors and groups. For example, legislation aimed at immigrants and Latinos more broadly such as Arizona’s SB1070 and the DREAM Act. The course will also include topics such as social movements, political imagery, public opinion, and political representation. Finally, this course will utilize film and art on immigration, changing demographics, and the Chicano Movement.
Immigration Politics & Policy (Winter 2020)
The aim of this seminar is to address the history of immigration in the U.S., public policy that has been aimed at immigration flows or immigrants, and the political consequences that resulted. A considerable portion of the course addresses social movement responses, political interest groups, politicians, and the incorporation of immigrants.Particular attention is paid to recent legislative responses to immigration.
Racial and Ethnic Politics (graduate) (Winter 2019)
This graduate level seminar examines critical questions and debates in racial and ethnic politics (REP). It utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the history of minorities in the U.S. and examine the interaction of minority politics with broader American politics. Course topics include citizenship, group membership, electoral politics, segregation and discrimination, protest politics, immigration and assimilation, campaigns and media, representation, redistricting, and cooperation and competition within and among minority groups. Finally, selected contemporary policy issues are discussed and evaluated. The goal is to familiarize students with both the theoretical underpinnings of REP as well as how theories in REP can be applied to other topics in American politics.
American Politics Core (graduate) (Fall 2019)
This course is a broad overview of the field of American Politics across a range of topics and methodological approaches. A considerable amount of time in the course will be spent engaging and discussing the scholarly work on American political institutions and political behavior. Themes throughout the course include representation, power, influence, and identities. The goals of the course are to familiarize students with both canonical works and newer approaches to the field, augment students’ ability to assess methodologies and evidence presented and utilized by the authors we read, and help prepare students for the comprehensive exam in American Politics.
Qualitative Methods, Mixed Methods, and Applications (graduate) (Spring 2014)
Building on the methods sequence in the department, this course will expand on qualitative and quantitative topics covered, and expose students to research on mixed methods including methodologies, research design, and empirical applications in published work. Half of the course will focus on learning about the most commonly utilized qualitative methodologies and the other half will focus on mixed methods approaches. Each week will combine theoretical work with practical, hands-on instruction of how to execute the research approach in practice through analysis of applied examples. The mixed methods approaches will cover the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, in addition to combining various qualitative methods and various quantitative methods.
Congressional Politics (Spring 2015)
This upper division undergraduate course provides a general survey of the U.S. Congress. The purpose of the course is to learn about both the history and development of the Congress, but also the workings of the current state of Congress. The course will examine various internal (i.e. institutional rules and procedures) and external (i.e. elections, interest groups) dimensions of the Congress. In addition, a large segment of the course will focus on the policy process and examine the interaction of the legislative branch with other political actors. The course begins with theoretical conceptions of representation and the historical development of the Congress. Subsequent topics include congressional elections, organization within the Congress, partisan politics, and case studies of recent policies.
Racial and Ethnic Politics (Winter 2020)
This upper division undergraduate course examines critical questions and debates in race, ethnicity, and politics (REP).
It utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the history of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. and examines the interaction of minority politics with broader American politics. The course begins with theoretical conceptions of race and ethnicity and how they inform notions of citizenship, group membership, structural racism, and racial hierarchies. Subsequent topics include reparations and racial violence, redistricting and the voting rights act, racism, racial resentment, social movement activism, inequality, cooperation and competition within and among minority groups. Finally, selected contemporary policy issues and practices will be discussed including criminal justice policy and mass incarceration, surveillance and policing, immigration politics, and repression in protest politics.
Latino Politics (Fall 2018)
This upper division undergraduate course provides a general survey of Latino Politics in the United States. The purpose of the course is to learn about both the history and political processes Latinos have taken part in but also probe deeper theoretical questions of ethnicity and identity. For example, what is a Latino pan-ethnic identity? The course will also examine the role of the “Latino Vote” and examine the impact of Latino voters on recent campaigns and elections. A significant segment of the course will focus on the policy process and examine the interaction of Latinos with other political actors and groups. For example, legislation aimed at immigrants and Latinos more broadly such as Arizona’s SB1070 and the DREAM Act. The course will also include topics such as social movements, political imagery, public opinion, and political representation. Finally, this course will utilize film and art on immigration, changing demographics, and the Chicano Movement.
Immigration Politics & Policy (Winter 2020)
The aim of this seminar is to address the history of immigration in the U.S., public policy that has been aimed at immigration flows or immigrants, and the political consequences that resulted. A considerable portion of the course addresses social movement responses, political interest groups, politicians, and the incorporation of immigrants.Particular attention is paid to recent legislative responses to immigration.
Racial and Ethnic Politics (graduate) (Winter 2019)
This graduate level seminar examines critical questions and debates in racial and ethnic politics (REP). It utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the history of minorities in the U.S. and examine the interaction of minority politics with broader American politics. Course topics include citizenship, group membership, electoral politics, segregation and discrimination, protest politics, immigration and assimilation, campaigns and media, representation, redistricting, and cooperation and competition within and among minority groups. Finally, selected contemporary policy issues are discussed and evaluated. The goal is to familiarize students with both the theoretical underpinnings of REP as well as how theories in REP can be applied to other topics in American politics.
American Politics Core (graduate) (Fall 2019)
This course is a broad overview of the field of American Politics across a range of topics and methodological approaches. A considerable amount of time in the course will be spent engaging and discussing the scholarly work on American political institutions and political behavior. Themes throughout the course include representation, power, influence, and identities. The goals of the course are to familiarize students with both canonical works and newer approaches to the field, augment students’ ability to assess methodologies and evidence presented and utilized by the authors we read, and help prepare students for the comprehensive exam in American Politics.
Qualitative Methods, Mixed Methods, and Applications (graduate) (Spring 2014)
Building on the methods sequence in the department, this course will expand on qualitative and quantitative topics covered, and expose students to research on mixed methods including methodologies, research design, and empirical applications in published work. Half of the course will focus on learning about the most commonly utilized qualitative methodologies and the other half will focus on mixed methods approaches. Each week will combine theoretical work with practical, hands-on instruction of how to execute the research approach in practice through analysis of applied examples. The mixed methods approaches will cover the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, in addition to combining various qualitative methods and various quantitative methods.
Congressional Politics (Spring 2015)
This upper division undergraduate course provides a general survey of the U.S. Congress. The purpose of the course is to learn about both the history and development of the Congress, but also the workings of the current state of Congress. The course will examine various internal (i.e. institutional rules and procedures) and external (i.e. elections, interest groups) dimensions of the Congress. In addition, a large segment of the course will focus on the policy process and examine the interaction of the legislative branch with other political actors. The course begins with theoretical conceptions of representation and the historical development of the Congress. Subsequent topics include congressional elections, organization within the Congress, partisan politics, and case studies of recent policies.