Selected Course Summaries

Problems in World Politics: "Border Politics" (PSC405F/605F) at the University of Nevada Reno, Fall 2020 and 2022
Course Summary: This class explores several contemporary issues shared between the United States, Mexico, and the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador): drug wars, gangs, and migration – as well as the interconnections between these issues. Since 2006, Mexico’s “Drug War” has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and more than 60,000 disappearances. In this class, we will examine the politics behind the ongoing narco-violence in Mexico. We’ll look at how legacies of U.S. policies during the Cold War and contemporary politics have fueled cycles of violence and contributed to a transnational gang crisis between the US and the Northern Triangle. We explore the challenges and political implications of responding to the maras (MS-13 and M-18) gangs in Central America. We look at how violence and neo-liberal economic policies in the region drive migration. We will analyze the consequences of decades of increased border militarization, US policies such as Prevention Through Deterrence, and the debate around constructing a wall on the US-Mexico border. And, lastly, we explore the evolution of US immigration policies, including asylum and family separation.  

​Political Violence (PSC407Q/607Q) at the University of Nevada Reno, Fall 2021 and 2022
Course Summary: This course explores the causes and consequences of political violence. We begin by defining political violence and exploring the individual and structural level factors that lead to it. What leads to political violence? What makes groups or individuals more likely to engage in it? What tactics are commonly used? We then explore various types and cases of political violence, including riots, revolution, massacres, coups, civil war, organized crime, assassinations, terrorism, and genocide. We conclude by briefly examining responses to political violence. 
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​Political Systems of Latin America (PSC407E) at the University of Nevada Reno, Spring 2021 and 2022
Course summary: This course provides a survey of politics in Latin America. In this course, we will come to understand the contemporary political, economic, and social history of the more than 20 countries that comprise the region collectively called “Latin America.” We’ll look at democratization and democratic decline in the region, as well as the rise of populism. We’ll examine social movements in the region, indigenous politics, and agrarian reform. We will explore how Latin America has been impacted by US foreign policy and intervention in the region. We’ll compare party systems and institutions and look at how religion has impacted politics. We’ll explore persistent and current issues impacting Latin America, such as inequality, organized crime, and corruption. We’ll also delve into specific cases to illustrate these substantive issues.
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Special Topics in Public Policy and Public Administration: The U.S. War on Drugs (PSC403Z) at the University of Nevada Reno, Fall 2021 
Course summary: This course explores the domestic implications of the US “War on Drugs.” We begin by reviewing the history of narcotics prohibition, what motivated various policy developments, and how policy has shifted over time. We will delve into issues such as mass incarceration and police militarization and analyze policies including mandatory minimums and civil asset forfeiture. We will examine the ongoing opioid crisis in the US, as well as the legalization of marijuana. We conclude by exploring the potential for changing policy and ending the so-called “War on Drugs.”



The Politics of the Drug War (PO300) at Boston University, Summer 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2020
Course summary: This course explores the modern history of the United States’ counter-narcotics policy, or as it is commonly referred to, the “War on Drugs.” This course aims to examine both the domestic and international implications of the long-standing US prohibitionist policy, as well as the potential for change. We begin reviewing the history of the “War on Drugs,” what motivated various policy developments and how policy has shifted over time. Then we explore the domestic implications, particularly mass incarceration and police militarization. Next, we move on to look at the international implications of the drug war, including rising violence in Mexico and Central America, the US role in the region’s militarization as well as illegal arms trade, the consequences for nascent democracies in the region, and the often-overlooked environmental damage that accompanies the drug trade. We then examine two “hot topics” in terms of drug policy – the shift towards legalizing marijuana and the opioid crisis in the US. For both these topics, we pay close attention to the role of lobbyists and also consider the international as well as domestic implications. Finally, we wrap-up by exploring the potential for changing drug policy, pulling together the entirety of the course material while considering both the domestic and international stake holders.
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