This course analyzes the development of the US Congress by focusing on the competing theoretical lenses through which legislatures have been studied. In particular, it compares sociological and economic models of legislative behavior, applying those models to floor decision-making, committee behavior, political parties, relations with other branches of the Federal government, and elections.

This course analyzes the development of the United States Congress by focusing on the competing theoretical lenses through which legislatures have been studied. In particular, it compares sociological and economic models of legislative behavior, applying those models to floor decision-making, committee behavior, political parties, relations with other branches of the Federal government, and elections. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.

This activity aims to facilitate classroom discussion of President Obama's remarks on July 19 about race and the Trayvon Martin case.

What is race? What is ethnicity? How can communication and relationships between men and women be improved? What causes segregation in our society? How do stereotypes develop and why do they persist? How do an individual’s racial, ethnic, and sexual identities form and develop? This course explores these topics and more.

Robert S. McNamara, former Secretary of Defense and former President of the World Bank reminisces with host Harry Kreisler about public service, the War in Vietnam, and the dangers of the superpower confrontation during the Cold War. (59 min)

On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky to discuss activism, anarchism and the role the United States plays in the world today. (59 min)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes UC professors Herbert York and Susan Shirk for a discussion of the role of research universities in meeting today’s national security challenges. York, the first director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and founding director of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) and Shirk, Asian security policy expert and current IGCC Director, compare the Cold War and the Post 911 world. Highlighting the importance of regional contexts and the need for well informed diplomacy, they evaluate the U.S. response in managing these threats and offer recommendations for the future. (55 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Pamela Constable of the Washington Post for a discussion of changes in Afghanistan and Pakistan Since 911. She analyzes the 2008 Pakistan election and its implications for U.S. Pakistan relations and describes the renewal of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. (56 minutes)

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler interviews Joseph Joffe, editor/publisher of Die Zeit, about the implications of the Bush Doctrine for U.S-European relations. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes writer/critic Mark Steyn, the 2007 Nimitz Lecturer at Berkeley. Focusing on his new book, "America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," they discuss Europe and America's relations with the Islamic world. In the interview, their conversation also focuses on the craft of writing in a multi media globalized world. (55 minutes)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Columbia University political scientist Robert Jervis for a discussion of theory in international relations. Their discussion includes an examination of the Bush Doctrine and the failure of intelligence in the lead up to the Iraq War. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes NYU law professor Stephen Holmes for a discussion of the Bush administration's response to the 911 attack. He analyzes the motivations behind policies, examines the interplay between politics and ideas, and highlights the implications for American democracy. He also addresses the options available to the the next President in confronting the tragic errors of the Bush administration. (59 minutes)

On this edition of Conversations with History, Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Nacht, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Nacht discusses the making of U.S. foreign policy and comments on how it is changing in the aftermath of 9/11. (58 min)

Ian Lustick, Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, joins UC Berkley's Harry Kreisler on this edition of Conversations with History to discuss Israel and its ongoing conflict with Palestine in the Middle East. (55 min)

Conversations with History and host Harry Kreisler welcome Harold Wilensky, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UC Berkeley, to talk about his recently published book, Rich Democracies: Political Economy, Public Policy, and Performance. In this landmark work, Wilensky compares rich democracies and explores what makes these modern societies distinct and what makes them alike. (55 min)

UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler and Juan Guzman, Chief judge, Court of Appeals, Santiago, Chile, discuss human rights and the Chilean justice system. (59 min))

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes international lawyer and policy analyst Tom Farer for a discussion of the different world views of liberals and neo-conservatives within the foreign policy community. He analyzes their different perspectives on the U.S. role in the world, on the problem of terrorism, and their choice of means for the conduct of foreign policy. He also discusses the historical continuity in U.S. foreign policy. (56 minutes)

His Excellency Sung-Joo Han, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea joins host Harry Kreisler for a discussion of how domestic and international factors are shaping South Korea's foreign policy as it deals with North Korea, the United States, and international politics in a changing world. (56 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ambassador Barbara Bodine for a discussion of her 30 year career in the foreign service. Topics covered include the work of diplomacy, U.S. policy in the Middle East, the events leading to the first Iraq War, her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Yemen including the response to the Al Qaeda suicide attack on the USS Cole, and the long term consequences of the militarization of U.S. foreign policy under the Bush administration. (59 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Susan Shirk, Professor of Political Science at UC San Diego, for a discussion of her new book, China: Fragile Superpower. A former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Clinton administration, Professor Shirk analyzes how Chinese domestic politics affects its international behavior and how U.S. foreign policy responds to and influences China's international behavior. She also discusses how her work as a scholar of Chinese politics and society informed her work in Washington. (55 minutes)