PG 304 | Race and American Politics

Race is central to understanding American politics.This course asks the questions: what does race mean; how has it changed over time; what is the relationship between race and ethnicity and power; and what is the role of race in American politics. This course examines these questions by looking at a variety of historical and contemporary moments, and a variety of political forces including electoral politics, social movements, government institutions, and everyday politics. By the end of this course, students should be able to talk critically about the evolution of the concept of race in America, identify how race shapes our political language and outcomes, and evaluate contemporary racial politics.