Course Syllabi / Recommended Reading
Russian Politics, Political Science 256, Spring 2016
In this introduction to the study of Russian politics, we will explore how a single person, Vladimir Putin, has come to dominate the national stage, while opposition politicians are jailed, human rights are violated, and journalists fall victim to assassins’ bullets.
Valerie Sperling, Clark University
Politics and Governance of the Russian Federation, Political Science 431, Spring 2016
The goal of the course is to bring together the key theoretical concepts of comparative politics, current scholarly research on Russia, and current events, trends and perspectives.
Caress Schenk, Nazarbayev University
Russian Foreign Policy, Political Science 675, Fall 2016
This course seeks to provide students with sufficient knowledge of historical roots, sources, and major issues of Russia’s foreign policy in its relations with the West, republics of the former Soviet Union, and other nations.
Eurasian Security, Political Science 689, Fall 2011
Inspired by the growing interest in the topic of Eurasian security, this course is designed to define and assess the major security challenges confronting the governments and societies in this region, and explore the origins and implications of the key security issues at the national, regional, and global levels.
Mariya Omelicheva, University of Kansas
Russia and the World, Political Science 4386, Spring 2017
This international relations course will help students analyze and interpret Russia’s current policies and devise a proper response to them.
Sergiy Kudelia, Baylor University
Russian and Soviet Politics, Political Science 329, Winter 2015
This course invites students to investigate this transformation by providing a broad introduction to Russian politics.
Juliet Johnson, McGill University
Political Changes in Post-Soviet Eurasia, Russian and Eurasian Studies (MA), Spring 2017
The course is focused on the emergence and development of political systems of post-Soviet countries within the context of regime changes and state-building.
Vladimir Gel’man, European University at St. Petersburg; University of Helsinki
Socialism and Transitions to the Market, Political Science 534, Spring 2017
This course provides an overview of state socialism, or “communism” and the transition from that system to alternative modes of governance.
Scott Gehlbach, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Russian Politics and Economics, Political Science 40591, Fall 2015
One of the central aims of the course is to force students to question dominant interpretations of recent Russian political and economic history, many of which are inaccurate or incomplete.
Andrew Barnes, Kent State
The Politics of Post-Soviet Russia, Political Science 369, Spring 2014
This course analyzes the political, economic, and foreign policy revolutions that shook Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Jordan Gans-Morse, Northwestern University
Government and Politics of Russia, Political Science 2366-10-86770, Fall 2014
This course is on the driving forces behind Russian politics, in particular how Russia’s political system really works and how its experience relates to that of other countries.
Henry E. Hale, George Washington University
Russian and Soviet Politics, Political Science 329, Winter 2015
This course is on the transformation of the post-Soviet Russian state (and offers a broad introduction to Russian politics).
Juliet Johnson, McGill University
Nationalism, Political Science 2338.10, Spring 2015
This course is on the causes and the political effects of nationalism.
Nation-Building in the Balkans, Political Science 6362.10, Spring 2015
This course covers the historical knowledge on the region, an overview of “unfinished business,” and various nation-building policies over the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nationalism and Nation-Building, Political Science 8388.80, Fall 2014
The course is on the emergence of nationalism across the world, and the background knowledge and tools with which to evaluate them.
Harris Mylonas, George Washington University
Soviet, Russian, and Post-Soviet Politics, Political Science 122, Fall 2015
This course is on the Soviet Union, and the states -– the Russian Federation (Russia) and 14 others -– that were formed from its collapse.
Oxana Shevel, Tufts University
Security Issues in Russia and Eurasia, International Affairs 6338.10, Spring 2015
This course is on regional security issues in post-Soviet Eurasia, with a focus on the relationships between three sets of interactions: between Russia and other post-Soviet states; Russia and external actors; and other post-Soviet states and external actors.
History and Politics of the Caucasus, International Affairs 6338.12, Fall 2015
This course addresses the history and politics of the Caucasus (i.e., the South Caucasus), as well as select economic and security issues.
Politics of Post-Soviet Eurasia, International Affairs, International Affairs 6338.12, Fall 2014
This course is on comparative politics and state building in the non-Russian successor states of the USSR, a region often referred to as post-Soviet Eurasia.
Cory Welt, George Washington University (formerly)