Consistent with her mission to promote robust, inclusive citizenship, Mallory approaches her teaching and mentorship with the goal of helping students from diverse backgrounds develop their capacities to critically analyze and engage with their respective political, civic, and professional communities.
She aims to equip her students not only with knowledge of the American political system, but also with skills that will allow them to successfully navigate and change their institutions and communities for the better once they leave the classroom. To that end, Mallory designs classes that bridge traditional academic approaches with applied reading, research, and writing. She is committed to providing opportunities for research and professional development to students underrepresented in both political and academic life.
She aims to equip her students not only with knowledge of the American political system, but also with skills that will allow them to successfully navigate and change their institutions and communities for the better once they leave the classroom. To that end, Mallory designs classes that bridge traditional academic approaches with applied reading, research, and writing. She is committed to providing opportunities for research and professional development to students underrepresented in both political and academic life.
GOVT 101: Intro to U.S. Politics
Americans have always had a tempestuous relationship with government. They have time and again turned to government when neither individuals nor markets could resolve emerging issues, and yet Americans have never been entirely comfortable ceding power to the state. Most Americans venerate the founders and the Constitution, but they increasingly dislike and distrust the politics produced by the constitutional arrangement the founders created. Americans staunchly support democracy, but many citizens turn away from engaging in traditional civic and political activities at the heart of the democratic process. Americans frequently say that they believe government should be smaller, but nearly all have benefited from government social programs and few are willing to part with those benefits. They complain that bitter partisan disputes keep government from getting things done; and yet at the polls, many voters increasingly punish moderate elected officials who are willing to compromise. In sum, despite having produced one of the most enduring and robust democratic governments in the world, Americans across the political spectrum remain unsatisfied with the ability of that government to address pressing national problems. By studying U.S. government and politics, you will be able to understand many of these paradoxes.
In this introductory course, we will explore why the U.S. government operates the way it does, what constraints today’s political actors face, and what opportunities for change exist. We will cover a broad range of topics including the founding of the U.S. government, its central political institutions, the policymaking process, and the political power of individuals and groups. This course is specifically designed to help you to better understand why and how the U.S. political system works, to critically analyze the problems that emerge from that system, and to provide you with the tools to become savvy participants—and perhaps leaders—in U.S. civic and political life.
Americans have always had a tempestuous relationship with government. They have time and again turned to government when neither individuals nor markets could resolve emerging issues, and yet Americans have never been entirely comfortable ceding power to the state. Most Americans venerate the founders and the Constitution, but they increasingly dislike and distrust the politics produced by the constitutional arrangement the founders created. Americans staunchly support democracy, but many citizens turn away from engaging in traditional civic and political activities at the heart of the democratic process. Americans frequently say that they believe government should be smaller, but nearly all have benefited from government social programs and few are willing to part with those benefits. They complain that bitter partisan disputes keep government from getting things done; and yet at the polls, many voters increasingly punish moderate elected officials who are willing to compromise. In sum, despite having produced one of the most enduring and robust democratic governments in the world, Americans across the political spectrum remain unsatisfied with the ability of that government to address pressing national problems. By studying U.S. government and politics, you will be able to understand many of these paradoxes.
In this introductory course, we will explore why the U.S. government operates the way it does, what constraints today’s political actors face, and what opportunities for change exist. We will cover a broad range of topics including the founding of the U.S. government, its central political institutions, the policymaking process, and the political power of individuals and groups. This course is specifically designed to help you to better understand why and how the U.S. political system works, to critically analyze the problems that emerge from that system, and to provide you with the tools to become savvy participants—and perhaps leaders—in U.S. civic and political life.
GOVT 218: Politics of Public Policy (writing seminar)
Public policies affect almost every aspect of our daily lives. The food we eat, the air we breathe, the taxes we pay, the government services we receive, and the security we are provided with are all influenced by the decisions of both elected and un-elected policymakers. So, whether you want to be an informed citizen, a knowledgeable scholar of American politics, or a future policymaker, it is essential to know what goes into creating the policies that shape our lives. While many people approach the study of public policy through an economic lens, learning the tools to evaluate programs and propose efficient policy solutions, the reality is that public policies are shaped just as much, and frequently more, by political considerations. Without understanding the politics of public policy, we cannot begin to address some of the most pressing issues confronting U.S. lawmakers. For example, why hasn’t Congress enacted more comprehensive reform to Social Security even though the current system may be unsustainable? Why do many policymakers focus on border security when enforcing employer sanctions might be a more effective method of addressing undocumented immigration? Why do some states offer more generous social welfare benefits than other states with more poverty?
This course will help you make sense of policy paradoxes like these by providing you with an introduction to the politics of policymaking in the United States. We will begin by surveying different types of policies and policy tools lawmakers have at their disposal. Next, we will examine how “problems” and solutions make it on to the policy agenda. Then we will explore how policy is made in a variety of venues from Congress to the states and how different actors influence that process. We will evaluate how public policies, once enacted, have the potential to reshape future politics. Finally, we will consider the circumstances under which policy change occurs, focusing on how past policy decisions limit the options available to policymakers today.
Public policies affect almost every aspect of our daily lives. The food we eat, the air we breathe, the taxes we pay, the government services we receive, and the security we are provided with are all influenced by the decisions of both elected and un-elected policymakers. So, whether you want to be an informed citizen, a knowledgeable scholar of American politics, or a future policymaker, it is essential to know what goes into creating the policies that shape our lives. While many people approach the study of public policy through an economic lens, learning the tools to evaluate programs and propose efficient policy solutions, the reality is that public policies are shaped just as much, and frequently more, by political considerations. Without understanding the politics of public policy, we cannot begin to address some of the most pressing issues confronting U.S. lawmakers. For example, why hasn’t Congress enacted more comprehensive reform to Social Security even though the current system may be unsustainable? Why do many policymakers focus on border security when enforcing employer sanctions might be a more effective method of addressing undocumented immigration? Why do some states offer more generous social welfare benefits than other states with more poverty?
This course will help you make sense of policy paradoxes like these by providing you with an introduction to the politics of policymaking in the United States. We will begin by surveying different types of policies and policy tools lawmakers have at their disposal. Next, we will examine how “problems” and solutions make it on to the policy agenda. Then we will explore how policy is made in a variety of venues from Congress to the states and how different actors influence that process. We will evaluate how public policies, once enacted, have the potential to reshape future politics. Finally, we will consider the circumstances under which policy change occurs, focusing on how past policy decisions limit the options available to policymakers today.
GOVT 215: Campaigns and Elections
Elections are the foundation of democratic governance in the United States. Who runs for office and who wins determines who gets to make the laws that affect nearly every aspect of our daily lives. As a result, knowing how campaigns and elections work is essential not only for understanding American politics more broadly but also for becoming a savvy participant in democratic society. Studying U.S. elections also gives us the opportunity to explore a number of intriguing puzzles. For example, despite the fact that the United States spends more on elections than any other democratic nation, why do fewer Americans turn out to vote than citizens in other democracies? Or why, given the availability of technology that makes connecting with voters from all walks of life easier than ever before, do systematic disparities in electoral participation still persist? And if Americans are so dissatisfied with the political status quo, why do incumbents hold an overwhelming advantage in most elections?
This course will help you make sense of paradoxes like these by providing you with an introduction to campaigns, elections, and voting in the United States. We will begin by exploring the rules that govern elections and voting in the U.S. Then we will examine how those rules influence the strategic and tactical decisions campaigns make in order to win. We will consider how electoral rules and campaign decisions combine to shape who gets represented in American politics and how that representation can mitigate or exacerbate existing economic, social, and political inequalities. Finally, we will contemplate how changes to the current electoral system might reshape representation in American politics.
Elections are the foundation of democratic governance in the United States. Who runs for office and who wins determines who gets to make the laws that affect nearly every aspect of our daily lives. As a result, knowing how campaigns and elections work is essential not only for understanding American politics more broadly but also for becoming a savvy participant in democratic society. Studying U.S. elections also gives us the opportunity to explore a number of intriguing puzzles. For example, despite the fact that the United States spends more on elections than any other democratic nation, why do fewer Americans turn out to vote than citizens in other democracies? Or why, given the availability of technology that makes connecting with voters from all walks of life easier than ever before, do systematic disparities in electoral participation still persist? And if Americans are so dissatisfied with the political status quo, why do incumbents hold an overwhelming advantage in most elections?
This course will help you make sense of paradoxes like these by providing you with an introduction to campaigns, elections, and voting in the United States. We will begin by exploring the rules that govern elections and voting in the U.S. Then we will examine how those rules influence the strategic and tactical decisions campaigns make in order to win. We will consider how electoral rules and campaign decisions combine to shape who gets represented in American politics and how that representation can mitigate or exacerbate existing economic, social, and political inequalities. Finally, we will contemplate how changes to the current electoral system might reshape representation in American politics.
GOVT 317: Inequality and the American State (writing seminar)
William Dean Howells wrote in 1894, “inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself.” At the time, a staggering divide had emerged between the most and least affluent Americans. Well over half the population was denied a formal voice in the political system. Access to education, employment, housing, and other public services was also restricted by race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and a variety of other categories. Fast forward to just over a century later and many of these inequalities have diminished. Formal political participation is no longer restricted to white men. Women actually surpass men in college enrollment. But other disparities remain. The divide between rich and poor, after shrinking for generations, is once again as wide as when Howells was writing during the Gilded Age. A tug-of-war is playing out across the states between those attempting to ease political participation and those seeking to erect new legal barriers that disproportionately affect young, poor, and minority voters. And while several forms of discrimination in employment, housing, and public services are gone, others remain.
There are, of course, myriad ways to explain the ebb and flow of different forms of inequality—from the invisible hand of the market to competition among different social groups. But one of the most influential forces for shaping inequality is the American state itself. This course will explore how U.S. governmental institutions and policies create, reproduce, or mitigate intersecting forms of inequality for individuals and groups. We will begin by investigating trends in different types of inequality in the United States and existing explanations for those patterns. Next, we will consider why the American state is an appropriate starting point for understanding these patterns. Having established a theoretical foundation, we will explore how U.S. political institutions both create and mitigate inequality by defining citizenship, conferring rights, establishing the boundaries of political participation, and designing the infrastructure of representative government. We will then delve more deeply into the effect of different public policies, past and present, on inequality, including welfare policy, labor regulation, financial regulation, education policy, criminal justice policy, and laws about military service. Beyond its substantive focus, this course will also help you cultivate the skills necessary to design an original research project on an issue of inequality in the United States. Specifically, you will learn the basics of conducting survey and survey experimental research through a weekly interactive workshop on research design.
William Dean Howells wrote in 1894, “inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself.” At the time, a staggering divide had emerged between the most and least affluent Americans. Well over half the population was denied a formal voice in the political system. Access to education, employment, housing, and other public services was also restricted by race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and a variety of other categories. Fast forward to just over a century later and many of these inequalities have diminished. Formal political participation is no longer restricted to white men. Women actually surpass men in college enrollment. But other disparities remain. The divide between rich and poor, after shrinking for generations, is once again as wide as when Howells was writing during the Gilded Age. A tug-of-war is playing out across the states between those attempting to ease political participation and those seeking to erect new legal barriers that disproportionately affect young, poor, and minority voters. And while several forms of discrimination in employment, housing, and public services are gone, others remain.
There are, of course, myriad ways to explain the ebb and flow of different forms of inequality—from the invisible hand of the market to competition among different social groups. But one of the most influential forces for shaping inequality is the American state itself. This course will explore how U.S. governmental institutions and policies create, reproduce, or mitigate intersecting forms of inequality for individuals and groups. We will begin by investigating trends in different types of inequality in the United States and existing explanations for those patterns. Next, we will consider why the American state is an appropriate starting point for understanding these patterns. Having established a theoretical foundation, we will explore how U.S. political institutions both create and mitigate inequality by defining citizenship, conferring rights, establishing the boundaries of political participation, and designing the infrastructure of representative government. We will then delve more deeply into the effect of different public policies, past and present, on inequality, including welfare policy, labor regulation, financial regulation, education policy, criminal justice policy, and laws about military service. Beyond its substantive focus, this course will also help you cultivate the skills necessary to design an original research project on an issue of inequality in the United States. Specifically, you will learn the basics of conducting survey and survey experimental research through a weekly interactive workshop on research design.
GOVT 421: American Political Economy (senior seminar)
States and markets are inextricably linked. The decisions of policymakers, both past and present, dramatically influence the structure and function of the U.S. economy and the economic security of ordinary Americans. But this influence goes both ways, with market actors, economic developments, and class identities affecting the political process as well. The results of this reciprocal relationship between political and economic forces touch nearly every aspect of our lives as both citizens and consumers, making it essential to understand the formation and function of the U.S. political economy.
In this course we will explore how political institutions and policies have shaped U.S. economic arrangements from the founding to the present. We will consider key moments in political-economic development including slavery, sectionalism, agrarian populism, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression and New Deal, war mobilization, post-war consumption, the War on Poverty, and deregulation. After completing our historical turn, we will study how economic interests, class identities, and income inequality influence U.S. politics today. Beyond its substantive focus, this course will also help you cultivate the skills necessary to design an original research project on an issue related to political economy.
States and markets are inextricably linked. The decisions of policymakers, both past and present, dramatically influence the structure and function of the U.S. economy and the economic security of ordinary Americans. But this influence goes both ways, with market actors, economic developments, and class identities affecting the political process as well. The results of this reciprocal relationship between political and economic forces touch nearly every aspect of our lives as both citizens and consumers, making it essential to understand the formation and function of the U.S. political economy.
In this course we will explore how political institutions and policies have shaped U.S. economic arrangements from the founding to the present. We will consider key moments in political-economic development including slavery, sectionalism, agrarian populism, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression and New Deal, war mobilization, post-war consumption, the War on Poverty, and deregulation. After completing our historical turn, we will study how economic interests, class identities, and income inequality influence U.S. politics today. Beyond its substantive focus, this course will also help you cultivate the skills necessary to design an original research project on an issue related to political economy.
