department of political science phd in political … of political science _____ phd in political...

DepartmentofPoliticalScience

__________________________________________________________PhDinPoliticalScience ComprehensiveExaminationGuidebookSpring2017

Contents Pages2-3: ExaminationOverviewandGeneralDirectionsPages4-8: ReadingLists

Page4- GeneralTheoryandMethodologyPage5- AmericanGovernmentPage5- ComparativePoliticsPage6- InternationalRelationsPage7- PublicPolicy

Page8-13: SampleQuestionsforWrittenExamination

Page9- GeneralTheoryandMethodologyPage10- AmericanGovernmentPage11- ComparativePoliticsPage11- InternationalRelationsPage11- PublicPolicy

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EXAMINATIONOVERVIEWANDGENERALDIRECTIONSDoctoralstudentssitforthecomprehensiveexaminationattheconclusionofallrequiredcoursework.Thecomprehensiveexaminationconsistsofawrittenandoralcomponent.Thewrittencomponentoftheexamisbasedontheliteratureandresearchintherelevantfieldofstudyandonthestudent’scompletedcourseworkinthatfield.PetitioningtoSitfortheExaminationYourfirststepistopetitiontoparticipateintheexamination.UsetheDepartment’sgraduatepetitionformandincludethefollowinginformation:

1) generalstatementofintenttositforacomprehensiveexamination,2) proposedprimaryandsecondaryfieldsareas(seebelow),and3) alistortablelistingallgraduatecoursescompletedalongwiththefacultyinstructorforthe

courseandthegradeearnedThispetitionshouldbecompletedearlyintheregistrationperiodforwhenthestudentplanstositfortheexam.Allexamineesmustselectaprimaryandsecondaryfieldfromthefollowinglist:

• AmericanGovernment• ComparativePolitics

• InternationalRelations• PublicPolicy

Afteryourpetitionissubmitted,youshouldcontactandspeakwiththechairofthePhDprogram,ProfessorDenisSullivan.Ifatallpossible,thisinitialmeetingshouldtakeplacepriortothesemesterwhenyouplantositfortheexam.Basedonthisdiscussion,ProfessorSullivanmayreferyoutootherfacultymembersdependingonyourproposedfieldareasandquestions.Althoughtherearereadinglistsandsamplequestionslaterinthisbooklet,facultymayrecommendotherreadingsandquestionsthatwillhelpyoufocusonareasofpotentialweakness.RegistrationOnceyourpetitionhasbeenapproved,youmustregisterforPOLS8960,QualifyingExaminationPreparation,forthesemesteryouaretakingthecomprehensiveexam.Thisconstitutesfull-timeregistration.ExceptforspecialcircumstancesapprovedbytheDepartmentandtheGraduateSchool,nocoursesshouldbetakenduringthesemesterwhenyouaresittingforyourcomprehensiveexaminations.TheExaminationTheexaminationisofferedinthefallsemesterandthespringsemester.ThewrittenportionwillgenerallybescheduledinNovemberinthefallandmidMarchinthespring.Theexamisapproximately5hoursinduration(whichincludesarequiredbreak)andconsistsofatotalofthreequestions,onequestionfromeachofthreeofthefollowingcategories:

• generaltheoryandmethodology• thestudent’sprimaryfield• thestudent’ssecondaryfield

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TheexammustbetypedonacomputerinRenaissancePark.Studentsdonothaveaccesstonotesorothermaterialduringtheexam.Thewrittenportionoftheexamisreviewedconsideringthethefollowingcriteria:1)knowledgeoftheliterature;2)effectivecommunication;3)synthesisofmajorthemesintheliterature;4)applicationoftheoreticalandmethodologicalconceptstocurrentpoliticalpoliciesandproblems;and5)independentthoughtbeyondtheliterature.Thewrittenportionoftheexamisnotinandofitselfgraded,thoughitisassessedbyacommitteeoffaculty.Ifthatassessmentispositive,thestudentproceedstotheoralexamination.Theoralcomponentoftheexaminationisapproximately90minuteslongandisusuallygivenwithintwotothreeweeksaftercompletionofthewrittenexamination.Thisexamcoversquestionsandissuesraisedinthewrittenexam,butitmaygobeyondthattocovermoregeneraltopicsrelevanttothestudent’sareaofstudy.Discussionmayalsotakeplaceonthestudent’slikelydissertationtopic.Anoverallassessment–passwithdistinction,pass,orfail–ismadeaftertheoralexamination.Thoseassessedaspassorpasswithdistinction,andwhohavesatisfactorilycompletedallrequiredcoursework,areformallynominatedfordoctoralcandidacy.Studentswhofailtheexaminationaftertheirfirstattemptareallowedtopetitiontore-taketheexaminationinasubsequentsemester.Barringextraordinarycircumstances,aPhDstudentwillnotbeallowedtositfortheexammorethantwotimes. AfterPassingtheExaminationAdissertationisrequiredofallPhDCandidates.OnceaPhDstudenthasreachedcandidacy,he/shehasfiveyearstocompleteanddefendthedissertation.Additionally,oncedegreecandidacyisattained,registrationmustbecontinuousuntilgraduationrequirementshavebeenmet.ForeachofthefirsttwosemestersthatadoctoralcandidateisworkingonadissertationthestudentmustregisterforPOLS9990:DoctoralDissertation.Foreachsemesterbeyondthefirsttwosemesters,thestudentmustregisterforPOLS9996:DoctoralDissertationContinuationuntilthedissertationisapprovedbytheGraduateSchoolandissubmittedtotheUniversityLibrary.StudentsdonotregisterforPOLS9990orPOLS9996duringthesummer,unlessthatiswhenthedefenseisscheduled.PleaseseethegraduateprogramofficeortheDepartmentwebsiteforgeneralinformationonpreparingyourdissertationproposal.Thisproposalistobecompletedwithinsixmonthsafterreachingdoctoralcandidacyandiswritteninclosecollaborationwithfacultyonyourdissertationcommittee.Fordetailedinformationonguidelines,rules,andregulationsonthepropersubmissionofacompleteddissertationpleaseseetheGraduateSchoolSubmissionguideonthiswebpage,(http://www.northeastern.edu/casgraduate/commencement/thesis_guidelines/.

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COMPREHENSIVEEXAMREADINGLISTS Updated—Spring2017Thewrittenportionofthecomprehensiveexamsconsistsofthreequestions:

1) AquestioninGeneralMethodologyandTheory2) AquestionfromyourPrimaryField3) AquestionfromyourSecondaryField

Please note, students should review the most recent syllabi of the respective field seminars and, if necessary, consult with the instructor for that course. The required readings in these seminars are an important starting point for reviewing the literature. The readings listed below constitute the other major source for reviewing the literature. In addition, relevant writings by faculty in the Department might also be consulted. This list will be updated periodically. GENERALMETHODOLOGYANDTHEORY

— Berg,BruceL.2006.QualitativeResearchMethodsfortheSocialSciences.6thed.Boston:Allyn&Bacon.

— Carlson,JamesM.andHyde,MarkS.2003.DoingEmpiricalResearch.Boston:HoughtonMifflin.(orJohnson&Reynoldsetal.)

— Cramer,DuncanandHowitt,Dennis.2004.TheSageDictionaryofStatistics.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

— Geddes, Barbara. 2003. Paradigms and Sand Castles: Theory Building and Research Design in ComparativePolitics.AnnArbor:UniversityofMichiganPress.

— Goodin,RobertE.andKlingermann,Hans-Dieter,eds.1996.ANewHandbookofPoliticalScience.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.

— Johnson, JanetB.andReynolds,H.T.2004.PoliticalScienceResearchMethods.5thed.Washington,DC:CQPress.(orCarlson&Hyde)

— Jones,GeraldE.2000.HowtoLiewithCharts.Lincoln,NE:AuthorsChoicePress.

— King,Gary;Keohane,RobertO.andVerba,Sidney.1994.DesigningSocialScienceInquiry:ScientificResearchInferenceinQualitativeResearch.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Nardi,PeterM.2003.DoingSurveyResearch.Boston:Allyn&Bacon.

— Pollock,Philip.2005.TheEssentialsofPoliticalAnalysis.2nded.Washington,DC:CQPress.

— Przeworski,AdamandTeune,Henry.1982.TheLogicofComparativeSocialInquiry.Malibar,FL:Krieger.

— Ragin, Charles C. 1992. The ComparativeMethod:Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies.Berkley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress.

— Salkind,Neil.2006.ExploringResearch.6thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall.

— Shoemaker,PamelaJ.;Tankard,JamesW.,andLasorsa,DominicL.2003.HowtoBuildSocialScienceTheories.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

— Rochefort,DavidA.,ed.2006.QuantitativeMethodsinPractice:ReadingsfromPS.Washington,DC:CQPress.

— Vogt,W.Paul.2005.DictionaryofStatisticsandMethodology:ANontechnicalGuide for theSocialSciences.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

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— Yin,RobertK.2002.CaseStudyResearch.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

AMERICANGOVERNMENT

— Aldrich, John. 1995.Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America. Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.

— Allison,Graham.1971.EssenceofDecision.NewYork:HarperCollins.

— Arnold,Douglas.1990.TheLogicofCongressionalAction.NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress.

— Burns,JamesMacGregor.2009.PackingtheCourt:TheRiseofJudicialPowerandtheComingCrisisoftheSupremeCourt.Penguin.

— Canon,BradleyandCharlesJohnson.1999.JudicialPolicies:ImplementationandImpact,2ded.CQPress.

— Carmines,EdwardandStimson,James.1989.IssueEvolution:RaceandtheTransformationofAmericanPolitics.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Dahl,Robert.1956.APrefacetoDemocraticTheory.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.

— Edwards,George.1989.AttheMargins:PresidentialLeadershipofCongress.NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress.

— Epstein,Lee.1995.ContemplatingCourts.Washington,DC:CQPress.

— Fisher,Louis.1988.ConstitutionalDialogues:InterpretationasPoliticalProcess.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Forina,Morris. 1989.Congress: Keystoneof theWashington Establishment.NewHaven, CT: YaleUniversityPress.

— Hedge,David.1998.GovernanceandtheChangingAmericanStates.Boulder,CO:WestviewPress.

— Levinson,Sanford.2006.OurUndemocraticConstitution.OxfordUniversityPress.

— Light,Paul.1997.TheTidesofReform.NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress.

— Light,Paul.1992.ForgingLegislation.NewYork:W.W.Norton.

— Meier,Ken.1985.Regulation:Politics,Bureaucracy,andEconomics.NewYork:St.MartinsPress.

— Neustadt,Richard.1990.PresidentialPowerandtheModernPresidents.NewYork:TheFreePress.

— O’Brien,DavidM.2008.StormCenter:TheSupremeCourtinAmericanPolitics.Norton.

— Rakove,Jack.1996.OriginalMeanings:PoliticsandIdeasintheMakingoftheConstitution.Vintage.

— Rosenthal,Alan.2012.TheBestJobinPolitics:ExploringHowGovernorsSucceedasPolicyLeaders.CQPress.

— Rosenthal,Alan.2008.EnginesofDemocracy:PoliticsandPolicymakinginStateLegislatures.CQPress.

— Schattschneider,ElmerE.1960.TheSemisovereignPeople:ARealist’sViewofDemocracyinAmerica.Hinsdale,IL:DrydenPress.

— Segal,JeffreyandHaroldSpaeth.1993.TheSupremeCourtandtheAttitudinalModel.CambridgeUniversityPress.

— Skowronek,Stephen.1993.ThePoliticsPresidentsMake:LeadershipfromJohnAdamstoGeorgeBush.Cambridge,MA:BelknapPress.

— Tribe,LaurenceH.2008.TheInvisibleConstitution.OxfordUniversityPress.

— Walker,David.1995.TheRebirthofFederalism.Chatham,NJ:ChathamHouse.

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— Weaver,R.KentandRockman,BertA.1993.DoInstitutionsMatter?:GovernmentCapabilities intheUnitedStatesandAbroad.Washington,D.C.:BrookingsInstitution.

— Whittington, Keith. 1999.Constitutional Construction: Divided Powers and ConstitutionalMeaning.HarvardUniversityPress.

— Wilson,JamesQ.1989.Bureaucracy.NewYork:BasicBooks.

COMPARATIVEPOLITICS— Almond,GabrielandSydneyVerba.1963.TheCivicCulture:PoliticalAttitudesandDemocracyinFiveNations.NewburyPark,CA:SagePublications.

— Almond,GabrielandSydneyVerba,eds.1989.TheCivicCultureRevisited.NewburyPark,CA:SagePublications.

— Anderson,Benedict.1983.ImaginedCommunities.NewYork,NY:Verso.

— Barreto,Amilcar.2009.NationalismandItsLogicalFoundations.Palgrave-MacMillan.

— Bates,RobertH.2001.Prosperity&Violence:ThePoliticalEconomyofDevelopment.NewYork:W.W.Norton.

— Bermeo,Nancy.2003.OrdinaryPeopleinExtraordinaryTimes:TheCitizenryandtheBreakdownofDemocracy.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Chilcote,RonaldH.1994.TheoriesofComparativePolitics.Boulder,CO:WestviewPress.

— Dahl,Robert.1971.Polyarchy.NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress.

— Dahl,Robert.1956.APrefacetoDemocraticTheory.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.

— Fearon,JamesandDavidLaitin.2003.“Ethnicity,Insurgency,andCivilWar,”AmericanPoliticalScienceReview97:75-90.

— Hall,P.A.andTaylor,R.1996.“PoliticalScienceandtheThreeInstitutionalisms.”

— Huntington,Samuel,PoliticalOrderinChangingSocieties,1968,pp.1-92and344-361.— Huntington, Samuel, 1991. The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, University ofOklahomaPress.pp.xiii-xv,chapters1-4.

— Lichbach,MarkI.andAlanS.Zuckerman,eds.1997.ComparativePolitics:Rationality,Culture,andStructure.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

— Lijphart,Arend.1999.PatternsofDemocracy.NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress.

— Michels,Robert.1999(1915).PoliticalParties:ASociologicalStudyoftheOligarchicalTendenciesofModernDemocracy.NewYork:Transaction.

— Migdal,JoelS.2001.StateinSociety:StudyingHowStatesandSocietiesTransformandConstituteOneAnother.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

— Moore,Barrington.1968.SocialOriginsofDictatorshipandDemocracy.— Poggi,Gianfranco.1978.TheDevelopmentoftheModernState.Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress.

— Przeworski,AdamandHenryTeune.1970.TheLogicofComparativeSocialInquiry.Malabar,FL:Krieger.

— Putnam,Robert.1993.MakingDemocracyWork:CivicTraditionsinModernItaly.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Schumpeter,Joseph.1950.Capitalism,SocialismandDemocracy.NewYork:Harper.

— Scott,James.WeaponsoftheWeak,prefaceandchapters1,2,and8.— Skocpol,Theda.1979.States&SocialRevolutions:AComparativeAnalysisofFrance,Russia&China.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

— Skocpol,Theda.1973.“ACriticalReviewofBarringtonMoore’sSocialPoliticsandSociety.

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— Smith,AnthonyD.2004.NationsofAntiquity.Malden,MA:Polity.

— Snyder,Jack.2000.FromVotingtoViolence:DemocratizationandNationalistConflict.Chapter1.— Spruyt,Hendrik.1994.TheSovereignStateandItsCompetitors.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Tilly,Charles.1990.Coercion,CapitalandEuropeanStates.Cambridge,MA:BlackwellPublishers.

— Tsebelis,George.1990.NestedGames:RationalChoiceinComparativePolitics.Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress.

— Tocqueville,Alexisde.DemocracyinAmerica.Introduction,vol1.Part1chapters5-6andlast4sectionsof8;vol.1Part2chapter6sections3-4;vol2part2chapters1-13;vol2part3chapters1-4,13-14,19.

— Weber,Max.“Bureaucracy,”inGerth&Mills,eds.,EssaysfromMaxWeberandReinhardBendix,MaxWeber,pp. 285-307 and 324-457.Whitehead, Laurence. 2002. Democratization: Theory and Experience. New York:OxfordUniversityPress

— Wood, Elisabeth Jean. 2000. Forging Democracy from Below: Insurgent Transitions in South Africa and ElSalvador.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

INTERNATIONALRELATIONS— Alter,KarenJ.,andSophieMeunier .2009.ThePoliticsof InternationalRegimeComplexity.PerspectivesonPolitics7(1):13–24.

— Baldwin,David.“PowerAnalysisinWorldPolitics:NewTrendsversusOldTendencies,”WorldPolitics31.

— Barnett,MichaelandMartha,“ThePolitics,PowerandPathologiesof InternationalRelations,” InternationalOrganization53/4

— Bull,Hedley.1977.TheAnarchicalSociety.

— Dolye,Michael,“LiberalismandWorldPolitics,”AmericanPoliticalScienceReview(December1986).

— Finnemore,Martha.1996.NationalInterestsinInternationalSociety.

— Finnemore,MarthaandKatherynSikkink.“InternationalNormDynamicsandPoliticalChange,” InternationalOrganization52:4.

— Finnemore, Martha. The Purpose of Intervention: Changing Beliefs about the Use of Force (Ithaca: CornellUniversityPress,2003).

— Gilpin,Robert.1981.WarandChangeinWorldPolitics.Cambridge,MA:CambridgeUniversityPress.

— Goldstein,JudithandRobertKeohane(eds.)IdeasandForeignPolicy,chapters1&7.— Gourevitch,Peter.1978.“TheSecondImageReversed,”InternationalOrganization.32:4.

— Haas,Peter.“DoRegimesMatter?EpistemicCommunitiesandMediterraneanPollutionControl,”InternationalOrganization43.

— Hoffman,Stanley.1981.DutiesBehondBorders:OntheLimitsandPossibilitiesofEthicalInternationalPolitics.

— Huntington, Samuel. 1996. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of theWorldOrder. NormanOK:UniversityofOklahomaPress.

— Ikenberry, John. Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,2011).

— Jervis.Robert.1976.PerceptionandMisperceptioninInternationalPolitics.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Kant,Immanuel,“ToPerpetualPeace:APhilosophicalSketch,”inPerpetualPeaceandotherEssaysonPolitics,HistoryandMorals.

— Katzenstein,Peter. 1996. TheCultureofNationalSecurity:NormsandIdentity inWorldPolitics. NewYork:

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ColumbiaUniversityPress.

— Katzenstein,Peter,BetweenPowerandPlenty,Chapters1,9.— Keck,Margaret and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. Activists Beyond Borders: AdvocacyNetworks in InternationalPolitics.Ithaca:CornellUniversityPress.

— Keohane,RobertO.andJosephS.Nye.2001.PowerandInterdependence.3rdEdition.NewYork:Longman.

— Keohane,RobertO.2005.AfterHegemony:CooperationandDiscordintheWorldPoliticalEconomy.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Krasner,Stephen,“StatePowerandtheStructureofForeignTrade,”WorldPolitics.

— Krasner,Stephen,Sovereignty.

— Kydd,AndrewH.,andBarbaraF.Walter."Thestrategiesofterrorism."InternationalSecurity31.1(2006):49-80.

— Legro,JeffreyandAndrewMoravcsik,“IsAnybodyStillaRealist?”InternationalSecurity24:2.

— Martin, Lisa andBeth Simmons, “Theories and Empirical Studies of International Institutions,” InternationalOrganization52:4

— Mearsheimer,John.“TheFalsePromiseofInternationalInstitutions,“InternationalSecurity.

— Milner, Helen, “Globalization, Development, and International Institutions: Normative and PositivePerspectives,”PerspectivesonPolitics3:4,2005.

— Moravcsik,Andrew,“TakingPreferencesSeriously:LiberalismandInternationalRelationsTheory,”InternationalOrganization(Fall1997)

— Morgenthau,Hans.1948.PoliticsAmongNations:TheStruggleforPowerandPeace.

— Nye,Joseph.SoftPower:TheMeanstoSuccessinWorldPolitics,PublicAffairs,2005.

— Owen,John,LiberalPeace,LiberalWar.

— Putnam,Robert,“DiplomacyandDomesticPolitics:TheLogicofTwo-LevelGames,”InternationalOrganization

— Risse,Thomas.“Let’sArgue:CommunicativeActioninWorldPolitics.”Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.

— Rose,Gideon,“NeoclassicalRealismandTheoriesofForeignPolicy,WorldPolitics,October1998.

— Ruggie,John.“WhatMakestheWorldHangTogether,”Neo-UtilitarianismandSocialConstructivistChallenge,”InternationalOrganization52.

— Sagan,Scott,“WhydoStatesBuildNuclearWeapons?ThreeModelsinSearchofaBomb,”InternationalSecurity21.

— SeanM.Lynn-Jones,“Preface”inM.E.Brownetal.,DebatingtheDemocraticPeace.pp.ix-xxxiii.

— Slaughter,Anne-Marie,ANewWorldOrder,PrincetonUniversityPress

— Snyder,Jack,MythsofEmpire,chapters1-2,8.

— Sylvester,C.(2009)“Thecontributionsoffeministtheorytointernationalrelations”inTheoriesofInternationalRelations

— Tannenwald,Nina.“StigmatizingtheBomb:OriginsoftheNuclearTaboo,”InternationalSecurity29:4,2005.

— Thucydides,TheHistoryofthePeloponnesianWar,BookV,TheMelianDialogue

— Tickner,J.Ann.2001.GenderingWorldPolitics:IssuesandApproachesinthePost-ColdWarEra.NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress.

— Walt,Stephen,TheOriginsofAlliances

— Waltz,Kenneth.2001.Man,theState,andWar.NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress.

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— Waltz,Kenneth.1999.TheoryofInternationalPolitics.

— Walzer,Michael.JustandUnjustWars:AMoralArgumentwithHistoricalIllustration,BasicBooks,2000.

— Wendt,Alexander.1999.SocialTheoryofInternationalPolitics.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.

PUBLICPOLICY— Bardach,Eugene.2011.APracticalGuideforPolicyAnalysis,4thed.CQPress.

— Baumgartner, Frank R. and Jones, BryanD. 2009.Agendas and Instability in American Politics. 2nd Edition.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.

— Blake,CharlesandJessicaAdollno.2007.ComparingPublicPolicies,2nded.CQPress.

— Bobrow,DavisandDryzek,John.1987.PolicyAnalysisbyDesign.Pittsburgh:UniversityofPittsburghPress.

— Downs,Anthony.1957.AnEconomicTheoryofDemocracy.NewYork:Harper.

— Eduardo,Araral,Jr.etal.(eds.).2013.RoutledgeHandbookofPublicPolicy.RoutledgePress.

— Fischer,Frank.1995.EvaluatingPublicPolicy.Chicago:Nelson-HallPublishers.

— Gladwell,Malcolm.2002.TheTippingPoint.BackBayBooks.

— Goggin,Malcolm;Bowman,Ann;Lester,JamesandO’Toole,Jr.,Laurence.1990.ImplementationTheoryandPractice.Glenview,IL:ScottForesman/LittleBrown.

— Hargrove,ErwinandJohnGlidewell.1990.ImpossibleJobsinPublicManagement.Lawrence,KS:UniversityPressofKansas.

— Heineman,Robert;Bluhm,WilliamT.;Peter,StevenA.andKearny,EdwardN.,eds.1991.TheWorldofthePolicyAnalyst.Chatham,NJ:ChathamHouse.

— Hill,MichaelandPeterHupe.2003.ImplementingPublicPolicy.SagePublications.

— Hood,ChristopherandHelenMargetts.2007.TheToolsofGovernmentintheDigitalAge.PalgraveMacmillian.

— Howlett,MichaelandM.Ramesh.1995.StudyingPublicPolicy:PolicyCyclesandPolicySubsystems.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.

— Judd,DennisandSwanstrom,Todd.2002.CityPolitics:PrivatePowerandPublicPolicy.3rded.NewYork:Longman.

— Kingdon,John.2010.Agendas,Alternatives,andPublicPolicies.UpdateEdition.HarperCollins.

— Kraft,MichaelandScottFurlong.2007.PublicPolicy:Politics,Analysis,andAlternatives.2nd.Ed.

— Lipset,SeymourMartin.1997.AmericanExceptionalism.W.W.Norton.

— McDonough,JohnE.2000.ExperiencingPolitics.UniversityofCaliforniaPress.

— Moran,Michael,etal.2006.TheOxfordHandbookofPublicPolicy.OxfordUniversityPress.

— Olson,Mancur.1965.TheLogicofCollectiveAction.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress.

— Osborne,DavidandPlastrik,Peter.1997.BanishingBureaucracy.NewYork:Penguin.

— Parson,D.W.Parson.1995.PublicPolicy.EdwardElgarPublishers.

— Peters,Guy.1997.AmericanPublicPolicy.Chatham,NJ:ChathamHouse.

— PolicyStudiesJournal.2009.SpecialEditiononPolicyTheory.Vol.37,Issue1.

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— Rochefort,DavidandRogerCobb.1994.PoliticsofProblemDefinition.UniversityPressofKansas.

— Rose,Richard.1993.Lesson-DrawinginPublicPolicy:AGuidetoLearningAcrossTimeandSpace.Chatham,NJ:ChathamHouse.

— Rosenberg,Gerald.1991.TheHollowHope:CanCourtsBringAboutSocialChange?Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.

— Sabatier,Paul.2007.TheoriesofthePolicyProcess.2ndEd.Boulder,CO:WestviewPress.

— Schneider,AnneandHelenIngram.1997.PolicyDesignforDemocracy.UniversityPressofKansas.

— Smith,KevinandChristopherLarimer.2009.ThePublicPolicyTheoryPrimer.WestviewPress.

— Stone,Deborah.2012.PolicyParadox:TheArtofPoliticalDecisionMaking,3rded.NewYork:Norton.

— Theodoulou,StellaZ.andCahn,MatthewA.,eds.1994.PublicPolicy:TheEssentialReadings.EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:PrenticeHall.

— Wildavsky,Aaron.1992.TheNewPoliticsoftheBudgetaryProcess.NewYork:HarperCollins.

COMPREHENSIVEEXAMSAMPLEQUESTIONS Updated—Fall2016Thefollowingquestionsaretypicalofthoseaskedineachofthecomprehensiveexamareas.However,theyaresamplesonly.Theydonotnecessarilycovereveryquestionorareayoumightbeaskedaboutinyourexamination. SampleMethodologyandGeneralTheoryQuestions

1. Youhavejustagreedtoteachacourseonmethodstograduatestudentsinpublicpolicyatyourlocaluniversity.Onceyou’vemetthestudents,youfindthattheyfallintotwowarringcamps:onegroup is very quantitatively oriented and loves learning about the application of statisticaltechniquesinpolicyresearch;theothergroupeschewsthisapproach,favoringthemethodsandinsightsofqualitativeresearch.Howwouldyouteachthiscoursetobringthesestudentfactionsto somekindofmiddlegroundwherebothunderstandandappreciate theuseof theother’sapproach? Inteachingthisclass,whatwouldyoutellstudentsaboutthekindsofproblemsorquestionsthatarebesthandledbyeachmethodology?Howwouldyoudemonstratethatthereareresearchtopicsrequiringquantitativeaswellasqualitativeanalysisforafullunderstandingofthepolicydynamicsinvolved?

2. Congratulations!YouhavesuccessfullypassedyourPh.D.ComprehensiveExamsatNortheasternUniversityandyouhavedecidedthata“casestudy”approachisthemostappropriatedesigntouseforyourdissertation;however,youhavebeentoldbyyourdissertationadvisorthatyoumustuseacomparativecasestudyapproachinthisresearch,givenyourresearchquestion.Youareplanningtomeetwithyourentirecommitteetoexplainyourproposedresearchdesign.Inpreparingforthisyouradvisorasksyoutoprepareahandoutwithadiscussionofeachofthefollowing.

• Whatisthenatureofyourproposedresearchincludingtheresearchquestion?(1paragraph)

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• Howandwhymightyouusea“mostsimilarsystems”design?(Becertaintorelateyourresponsetothenatureofyourresearchquestion.)

• Howandwhymightyouusea“mostdifferentsystems”design?(Becertaintorelateyourresponsetothenatureofyourresearchquestion.)

• Whatarethemostimportantfactorsindecidingwhichapproachtousebetweenthesetwochoices?

3. Scholarsinourdisciplinecontinuetodebatetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofstudiesbasedonthecase-studyapproachversustheso-called“large-N”studies.

a) Whatwouldyouhighlightastheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthetwoapproaches?b) Howdothetwolendthemselves,ornot,toquantitativeandqualitativeanalyses?c) Aretherewaysthetwoapproachesmightbecombinedwithinasingleresearchdesign?

Finally,pleasediscusshowtheseapproacheshavebeenappliedinthepolicyareayouaremostinterestedinstudyingandwithwhatresults?

SampleAmericanGovernmentQuestions1. Incomparativeterms,itisoftenclaimedthatAmericanpoliticalpartiesareweakerthanparties

inmostothercountries,whileAmericaninterestgroupsarestronger.Takeeitherhalfofthisclaimandassessit.AreAmericanpartiesespeciallyweak/interestgroupsespeciallystrong?Ifso,whatfeaturesofAmericansocietyandtheAmericanpoliticalsystemareresponsibleforthischaracteristic?

2. ThedevelopmentofpublicpolicyatthelevelofAmericannationalgovernmentisoften

portrayedascomingfromaclashbetweenCongressandthepresidency.Selectoneofthesetwobranches,andassessitspower.Whatconstitutionalorotherresourcesdoesithave?Whatobstaclesdoesitface?Howhasitspowerchangedovertime?

3. TwokeycharacteristicsinAmericangovernmentaretheseparationofpowersandfederalism.Ingeneral,whatimpactdoeseachhaveonpublicpolicymakingintheAmericancontext?Howdosuchinstitutionalfactorsfigureintocontemporarytheoreticalmodelsofthepolicyprocessthatfocusontopicslikeagendasetting,policyinnovation,andpoliticaleconomy?Usespecificexamplesandmakereferencestotheliteraturewhereappropriate.

SampleComparativePoliticsQuestions1. Chooseanimportantissueregardingacountryinwhichyouhaveaparticularresearchinterest.

Pleaseexplainhowatleastthreetheoreticalapproachestothestudyofcomparativepoliticsmighthelpustobetterunderstandthatissue.Notelimitationsaswellaspossibledistortionsproducedbythesetheories.(Youarefreealsotoarguethattwoofthetheoriesyouselectareoflittlehelpinunderstandingtheissue.)

2. WithinComparativePoliticstherearethreeprimaryapproaches:PoliticalCulture,Structure,and

RationalChoice.Somecontendthatthethreearemutuallyexclusive.Otherssuggestthattheymightbecomplementary.Taketwoofthesethreeapproachesanddiscusshowthosetwo

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complementeachotherwhenitcomestocomparativeanalysis.Backyourargumentwithadiscussionofsomeofthekeyfigures/authorsinthetwoareasyouselect.

3. Regardlessofourresearchpreferenceswewillalwaysbeconfrontedwithscholarswhowriteonourtopicareafromdifferenttheoreticalandmethodologicalapproaches.Asastudentofcomparativepolitics,howdoyouorganizethisseemingchaos?Howdomajorresearchparadigmshelporhurtinorganizingthedisciplineandourpersonalresearchprojectinlightoftherestofthediscipline?ProvideexamplesfromthescholarlyliteratureonComparativePoliticsand/orMethodologywhenansweringthesequestions.

SampleInternationalRelationsQuestions1. Takingonemajorconflictinvolvinginternationalactorspleasewriteananalysisexplaininghow

atleastthreeinternationalrelationstheoriescanhelpusunderstandthatconflict.Also,pleasenotelimitationsaswellaspossibledistortionsfromusingthesetheories.(Youarefreealsotoarguethattwoofthetheoriesyouselectareoflittlehelpinunderstandingtheconflict.)

2. Pleasewriteanessayexplaininghowinternationalrelationstheorycanhelpusunderstandonepoliticalsystemorpoliticalprobleminyourprimaryareaofresearch.Youshouldconsiderallmajortheoreticalapproachesyoucouldemploy,butyoushouldfocusprimarilyonatheoryortheoriesyouconsidertobemosthelpfulinunderstandingyoursubstantivefocus.Concludeyouranswerwithabriefconsiderationofthefollowingquestions:Whataspects,ifany,ofyoursubjectareaarenotamenabletotheoreticalanalysis,andhowmightthetheoreticalapproach(s)youpreferdistortone’sunderstandingofthesubject?Howmightyoupreventorcountersuchtheoreticalaswellasideologicaldistortionsinyouranalysis?

3. TheSeptember11,2001,terroristattacksspurredunprecedentedinterestinthestudyofterrorism.Andyet,fundamentalquestionsabouttoday’sterrorismthreatremainunsettled.Identifyadebatewithinthestudyofterrorism,explainitssignificancetounderstandingterrorism,andassesstheevidence.

SamplePublicPolicyQuestions1. Theliteratureonproblemdefinitionandagendasetting,takenasawhole,hasbecomeamajor

componentintheoriesofthepolicyprocessand,even,onapproachestopolicyanalysis.Usingthecoreliterature,applytheseconceptstoaspecificpolicyareaofyourchoice,explaininghowthedynamicsofproblemdefinition(forexample,Stone’snotionof“causalstories”)andofagendasettingshapethenatureofpolicydiscourse,theprobabilityofattentionbypolicymakers,and,finally,policyoutcomes.Whatarethelimitstowhichthesedynamicsofproblemdefinitionagendasettingcanexplainpolicyprocessesandoutcomes?Thatis,howmuchdootherfactors(e.g.,institutionaldesign,processrules)playaroleinshapingtheoutcomeinthisparticularinstance?Citeliteraturewherenecessaryanduseful.

2. Policyanalysishasbeencharacterizedasbothanartandascience.Explainthischaracterization,citingboththescientificandartisticcharacterofpolicyanalysis.Doyouagree?Explain.

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3. Chooseanareaofpublicpolicywithwhichyouhavegoodfamiliarityanddescribethelatestmajor

pieceoflegislationorregulatoryinitiativeadoptedwithinthisdomain.Next,brieflyoutlinethealternativepolicyapproachesthatweresetasideinfavoroftheactualpolicyestablished.Usingconcepts/frameworks/theories from the literature on problem definition and agenda setting,explainwhythepolicymakingprocessonthisissuedevelopedandturnedoutasitdid.Finally,whatimplicationsforprogramimplementation(approach,challenges,likelyeffectiveness)followfromthefactthatpolicymakerssettledonthisparticularpolicydesignwhilerejectingmoreorlessambitiousalternatives?