Teaching Evaluations

Download a copy of my teaching evaluations and teaching philosophy by clicking here.
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​Course Syllabi
Below are several syllabi from courses I have taught at Colby College and the University of Virginia. When given to students, all syllabi are "clickable," directing students to various readings on various learning management systems. Due to copyright restrictions, these features are not-available on this site. 

The American Presidency

This course interrogates the constitutionalizing of “executive power” in American political development.  It explores what power presidents have gained and lost in the country’s constitutional history, paying particular attention to the expectations and problems confronting modern presidents. It also considers how constitutional obligations and popular expectations conflict with other ideals of democratic government, including American federalism and separation of powers.
go211_-_american_presidency_-_fall19.pdf
File Size: 490 kb
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Constitutional Choice and Its Consequences 

This is a course about change and continuity in American politics. Topics include the development of various political institutions in the United States (presidency, Congress, state and local government), but also the creation of the welfare state, the administrative state, the carceral state, and other mediating institutions such as the press and public schools. Key themes include the role of the State in shaping citizens, the success and failure of various reform movements, and the role of cultural prejudices in Americas exceptional development
go328_-_apd_-_spring20.pdf
File Size: 316 kb
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Political Science Research
Introduction to American Government
This course introduces students to the foundational theories and methodological approaches that make political science, scientific. Students will learn how rational inquiry into political phenomena differs from the ways in which we often discuss politics, and students will engage in a reasoned critique of that rational process to better cope with the limits of social science research. Students gain practical experience in conducting scientific research on social behavior, and work collaboratively to test an original hypothesis.
This course surveys the fundamentals of American government and politics. It emphasizes constitutional development and political science’s role in analyzing and evaluating institutional and cultural change since the founding period. This course does not use a textbook, and instead relies on historical and contemporary works of political science in order to facilitate the student’s understanding of American politics.
go281_-_methods_-_fall19.pdf
File Size: 291 kb
File Type: pdf
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go111_-_american_government_and_politics.pdf
File Size: 248 kb
File Type: pdf
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