Why study political science? The study of politics is the study of power, and power is best expressed when it is unseen. Since power relations are ubiquitous in social relationships, the study of politics helps us understand how unobserved processes explain outcomes that we do observe in both politics and in our everyday lives. I study and teach political economy because finance and economics are fundamental to power and survival. I also study and teach political development because I am fascinated with how societies arrive at governing institutions.
Courses I have taught:
I have four years of teaching experience, which includes four in-person courses and five online courses. I have also had tremendous success in the classroom. My student evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive. I attribute my success to my approach in teaching, along with the energy and expertise I bring to lectures. I approach teaching politics with two major thoughts in mind which I make explicit in my classes. First, we study the science of politics and not the politics of the day. This approach enables students with considerably different ideologies to engage in productive and objective debates on questions of political science. Second, I manage my classroom to maintain openness and inclusivity. I guide classroom discussions to allow everyone an opportunity to speak, which sometimes requires limiting my most vocal students to give space to others. I also take actions to encourage participation by students who may be less inclined to participate. For instance, I intentionally include research by women and minority scholars in my lectures, and I print their full names.
Courses I have taught:
- Comparative Democracy
- Introductory Research Methods
- American National Government
- State and Local Government
- Environmental Politics
I have four years of teaching experience, which includes four in-person courses and five online courses. I have also had tremendous success in the classroom. My student evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive. I attribute my success to my approach in teaching, along with the energy and expertise I bring to lectures. I approach teaching politics with two major thoughts in mind which I make explicit in my classes. First, we study the science of politics and not the politics of the day. This approach enables students with considerably different ideologies to engage in productive and objective debates on questions of political science. Second, I manage my classroom to maintain openness and inclusivity. I guide classroom discussions to allow everyone an opportunity to speak, which sometimes requires limiting my most vocal students to give space to others. I also take actions to encourage participation by students who may be less inclined to participate. For instance, I intentionally include research by women and minority scholars in my lectures, and I print their full names.