In this course we learn about the mind by looking at (1) multiple levels of analysis, from neurons to social systems, (2) multiple methodologies used in research, and (3) how multiple types of explanation (mechanism, function, ontogeny, phylogeny) shed light on each other. Using these three course objectives, we will build up a framework for understanding the full range of topics in cognitive science, and how they relate to other disciplines both within the social sciences (e.g., political science and economics) and beyond them (e.g., biology and computer science).

Are economic agents really rational? Should governments interfere with markets? Can central banks just print money and “get away with it”? How can policy makers tackle rising prices? What is the socioeconomic legacy of COVID-19 around the world? Today’s economists are grappling with uniquely challenging questions. This course offers students an introduction to economics through a uniquely interdisciplinary lens to better understand these questions. Students will assess how markets work in theory and in reality; evaluate the tools used by governments and central banks to correct market failures; and analyze the workings of the international financial and economic system.

Governments greatly affect their citizens and, in turn, citizens may greatly affect government and their society. The course has four units to examine these influences. The first unit is a brief introduction to the discipline of political science. The second unit covers the rise of the modern state, seeking to understand the ideas, structural factors, and rational decisions that led to different political orders. The third unit examines how society can change the state through revolutionary and reformist social movements. We end by exploring ongoing struggles in the contemporary world to remake states and societies by critically examining case studies of both positive and negative social change. For the final project, students design a campaign to enact a specific social change (at the local, state, or federal level) and devise ways to assess its impact. Note: This course qualifies as part of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability because it provides causal frameworks for understanding the political context of sustainable design, technology, and environmental policy. These causal frameworks include structuralism, constructivism, institutionalism, and rational choice.

We explore broad theories of cognition and emotion through the lens of psychology, also drawing on philosophy and artificial intelligence. Within cognition, we examine different kinds of thinking, including induction, deduction, problem solving, and decision making, and we learn how to integrate theories of different types of thinking (such as inductive reasoning and problem solving). We also combine theories of thinking with theories of other cognitive processes such as attention and memory—so that instead of many seemingly separate cognitive processes, we have a cognitive being who can perform many different types of cognitive tasks. In addition, we examine and evaluate theories of emotions, both traditional and contemporary. How do emotions influence a wide variety of cognitive processes such as problem solving and decision making, and how might this help us to understand cognition and emotion? Finally, we explore theories of creativity from both cognitive and emotion-based perspectives.

SS144 equips students with a broad set of analytical tools that economists use to study behavior from the macro to micro level. We begin with a broad overview of why some economies grow faster than others, and use mathematical tools to illustrate growth dynamics. We then transition to macroeconomic and microeconomic theory by first analyzing macroeconomic models and then decisions made at the firm and individual level by exploring tools such as utility and profit maximization. From there we explore the field of game theory and apply tools such as Nash equilibrium and analyze games in strategic forms. We next progress to the field of international trade and assess trade agreements while applying tools such as graphical analysis and regression outcomes. The next unit focuses on understanding empirical tests of predictions from the models we studied thus far. We end the class with an introduction to behavioral economics and learn to analyze various factors that impact behavior in real-world economic decision making.

What makes good governance? How can governments pursue worthy public policy aims successfully? What are the most innovative ideas and best practices governments can adopt to create positive outcomes for the communities and societies they govern? This course seeks to answer those and related questions by examining governance models at the subnational, national, and international levels. We will delve into the current practices of governance at all these levels in various regions around the world in order to learn what does and does not work. As we critically examine these practices and models, we will develop our own thinking and approaches to governance. Note: This course qualifies as part of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability because sustainability is increasingly a concern in a wide array of governance matters. Using case studies, the course explores sustainability as a governance issue in a variety of contexts, from local environmental regulation to transnational cooperation on climate change.

Explore how the brain gives rise to the mind through the lens of cognitive neuroscience. Learn about the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain and consider the role of this physical substrate in neural computation. This course introduces the methodological foundations of cognitive neuroscience and their application to analyzing specific mental processes and events, with links to related fields such as genetics and computational neuroscience. In addition, it provides a framework for understanding cognitive disorders, mental thriving and human development, which supports student engagement in public policy or social ventures.Topics include the evolution of the brain, consciousness, vision, motor control, speech, memory, executive function, developmental psychology, and disorders of the brain such as depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorder.

Learn how to use core econometric and statistical methods to construct and validate economic and social models. Students will learn methods to conduct and critique empirical studies in economics as well as other social sciences. We apply these techniques to answer causal questions such as: What environmental policy in Europe has been most effective in reducing pollution? Are celebrities involved in international development actually helping alleviate poverty? Do cigarette taxes reduce smoking? Do drunk driving laws actually reduce traffic deaths? Are international sanctions effective in correcting rulers’ behavior? Quantitative approaches used to answer such questions include multiple regression, matching, differences in differences, regression discontinuity, and instrumental variables. The aim of this course is to make you better critique causal studies and more comfortable when performing your own causal study.

This course examines and compares how political systems operate in practice and why they have different outcomes, such as corruption/transparency, racism, political stability/instability, low/high inequality, security/insecurity, and low/high socio-economic standards. Students will learn the ways in which institutions and structures shape the way people act individually and collectively across different countries with diverse political systems to achieve their goals. Note: This course qualifies as part of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability because it takes an in-depth look at the complex interactions that take place between political, social, cultural, and economic factors that are relevant to sustainability. In general, students also learn how to use complexity thinking to analyze and compare the interactions between institutions, structures, and human actions that affect sustainable development issues across different political systems.

How can we effectively change our own habits and behaviors? What is the best way to motivate and persuade others? Is it ethical to consciously motivate or persuade those around us? As the answers to these questions have become better understood, they are being used to help people adopt more beneficial practices across many fields such as medicine, business, and environmental activism. Drawing on personality psychology, health psychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology, we gain a better understanding of what motivates us and learn why specific ways to influence people's beliefs and behavior are most effective in certain contexts.

Examine important challenges facing both developing and developed economies. Explore the development of societies through the analysis of access to education and healthcare as well as sustainable mechanisms for economic growth. Identify the socio-economic impacts of rural to urban migration and technological progress while exploring the reasons for income inequality throughout the world. Generate and critique policies designed to address specific economic issues within an effective institutional and political framework. Note: This course qualifies as part of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability.

This course is an overview of comparative constitution-making and implementation. What distinguishes a constitution from other types of law? What are its purposes? How should it be written, interpreted, and enforced? How do economic, social, political, and cultural context determine the process and substance of a constitution? What have been the most successful constitutional systems and why? These are the guiding questions of this course. In it, students will compare and contrast the constitutions of several different countries and critically examine the nuances of the daunting political tensions inherent to the founding of a new constitutional regime: how should one recognize the positive legacies of the past and the constraints of the present, all the while leaving room for legal development and adaptation to an uncertain future? Students will combine these lessons with their foundational knowledge early in the course to articulate their own framework for approaching constitutional design. Using this framework, they then participate in a multi-class final group project to write a constitution. By the end, the students should be able to think broadly and deeply about how institutions, rules, and structure can order complex social systems and maintain stability, efficiency and justice. (not an ABA or CBA approved law course)