Race in Contemporary Politics

The Department of Political Science supports the broad mission of the .  On the specific topic of race, we can do our part by applying the tools of political science to try to understand the role and consequences of race in American politics, and to study problems of race and ethnic politics globally.

Our faculty are actively engaged in research and teaching that address these issues. If you are a current student at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, or if you are interested in receiving an education in political science at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, please visit our faculty websites and our course list. For courses specifically related to race and ethnic politics, you may want to consider:

  • INTR 205 Global Sustainable Development: Policy and Practice
  • PSCI 216 Environmental Health and Justice in the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Community
  • PSCI 224 Incarceration Nation
  • PSCI 225 Cultural Politics of Prison Towns
  • PSCI 226 Act Locally? Local Government in the U.S.
  • PSCI 228 Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics
  • PSCI 233W Innovation in Public Service
  • PSCI 240 Criminal Procedure and Constitutional Principles
  • PSCI 241 Urban Change and City Politics
  • PSCI 248 Discrimination
  • PSCI 252 Ethnic Politics
  • PSCI/INTR 255 Poverty and Development
  • PSCI 267 Identity, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
  • PSCI 290 Unequal Development and State Policy: Brazil, the U.S., and Nigeria
  • PSCI 294 Political Economy of African-American Communities
  • PSCI 304 Urban Crime and Justice
  • PSCI 394 Local Law and Politics Internships

For those interested in learning more about the history and role of race in American politics, the following list contains recommendations for starting points:

  • Michelle Alexander
  • Ta-Nehisi Coates for The Atlantic
  • James Forman
  • Daniel Gillion
  • Ira Katznelson
  • Megan Ming Francis
  • Richard Rothstein
  • Tom Sugrue

We would also direct your attention to the of Stanford's ongoing series, Race and Criminal Justice System: Where Do We Go from Here? For those who want to delve further into the academic literature on policing, we recommend consulting "Further Reading on the Politics of Policing, Protest, and Criminal Justice," compiled by Professor Mayya Komisarchik, which contains a reading list of articles and books organized by topic.