Teaching

Texas A&M University - Bush School of Government & Public Service

Quantitative Methods II for Public Management - Spring 2024 (Syllabus)

An advanced graduate course in quantitative social science research methods focusing on public policy and administration. We discuss the available tools to tackle research questions such as can we study a federal or local agency’s performance? What are the more common measures/metrics for government performance? How can we estimate employees’ satisfaction with their job? How can we measure and estimate public evaluations of government services?

Throughout this course, students learn about empirical tools that are regularly used in public management such as survey design and analysis, probability and uncertainty, correlation and regression analysis and more. In addition, students become proficient and learn of advanced uses of Microsoft Excel to manage and analyze data. I place an emphasis on the practical application of these tools in government, non-government organizations and private industry. Students’ assignments include data analysis tasks using Excel and a research project in which students evaluate large-scale survey data, and then design their own survey instrument and collect relevant data. Students investigate the collected data and prepare professional presentation as well as executive summary of their project.

Quantitative Methods for Public Policy - Spring 2023 (Course Website), Fall 2022 (Course Website),

Fall 2021 (Course Website), Spring 2022 (Course Website)

A graduate course in quantitative social science research methods that covers the tools and techniques of quality research design and an introduction to basic statistical skills to conduct research in the social sciences. I discuss multiple methods to design a research and use quantitative data to tackle a variety of questions in politics as a whole, and international affairs in particular. For example, What is the best way to predict election outcomes? What factors drive the onset of wars? What is the likelihood of a successful sanctions regime? Which type of leaders are more prone to concede in an interna- tional dispute? and how public opinion may shape the decision to begin negotiations?

The course integrates discussions about research design and data analysis with the focus on causal reasoning. It also emphasizes learning and practicing the skills to become proficient in the use of statistical software to manage and analyze data. Finally, as a writing course, we explore the essentials of writing professional documents such as technical and background reports, or executive summaries. Students submit tasks in which they design research relevant to their field of interest, practice programming, and prepare a final project that combines data analysis with policy relevance into a data-oriented infographic as well as a professional document.

Textbook: Imai, Kosuke. 2017. Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction. Princeton University press.

Online Syllabus - Fall 2022

Texas A&M University - Political Science

Theories of International Relations - Fall 2020 (Syllabus; Course Website), Spring 2021 (Syllabus, Course Website)

The course offers an overview of the field of international relations. The primary purpose is to understand and evaluate the main theories, arguments, claims, and conjectures made by scholars in the field. The central question we will address is what are the main ways in which scholars organize and assess knowledge in the field? In the first half of the course, we will discuss the main theories used to understand international politics, including their application to central world events. In the second half, we go deeper on some specific issues such as international institutions, economic statecraft, and several aspects of international and national conflict including coercion, reputation, terrorism, modern technology and covert action. We integrate discussions on theoretical frameworks with various quantitative and qualitative methodological tools that scholars used to assess these theories.

Online Content: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this course is taught in an online format. Links to online content (slides and recorded lectures) are available in the Course Website link above.

International Terrorism - Fall 2019 (Syllabus), Spring 2020 (Syllabus; Course Website)

An upper-class undergraduate course that theoretical and historical approach, attempting to nest contemporary challenges within the broader context of terrorism as a phenomenon. I address questions as Why is it so difficult for people to agree on a common definition of terrorism? Why do groups take up arms against civilians to effect political change? How does the act of violent terrorism shape public perceptions and counter terrorism policy preferences? What are the most effective ways to combat terrorism? What is the "new age" terrorism and how it differs from existing forms of terror?

The course integrates discussion about the historical evolution of international terrorism while introducing six major theoretical approaches to the study of terrorism.

Textbook: Chenoweth Erica and Pauline Moore. 2018. The Politics of Terror. Oxford university press.

Spring 2020 update: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was shifted to an online format. Links to online content (slides and recorded lectures) are available in the Course Website link above.