Political Theory, American Constitutionalism, and Behavioral Science

David Tubbs

Interdisciplinary research has a long history in the liberal arts, and in political science today, important scholarship often takes place where the subfields of the discipline intersect. This practicum will introduce students to some of this scholarship, with special attention to several long-running debates in constitutional law and public policy in the United States. Among the controversies to be explored are freedom of speech; affirmative action; lying and deception in politics; the regulation of pornography; and the purposes of state-sponsored punishments. Readings for the course will be chosen from a range of sources, including books and articles in political theory and behavioral science, Supreme Court opinions, law review articles, and scholarly journalism. The primary goal of the practicum is to enable students to choose a topic and write a junior research paper that involves research in more than one subfield in politics.