POL 230/SPI 325: Introduction to Comparative Politics (Fall 2023)

Why do states exist? Why are some democracies, and others autocracies? And why are some countries rich, while others are poor? This course introduces students to the study of domestic politics of other countries, or comparative politics, by focusing on topics such as economic development, democratization and regime change, political institutions, income redistribution, and political representation. Readings on Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas are used to provide an introduction to politics in different regions of the world and to show how cross-national comparisons provide insight into contemporary political outcomes. Preceptor (teaching assistant) under Prof. Andreas Wiedemann, Princeton University.

POL 378: Politics in India (Spring 2022)

This course will introduce undergraduate students to the politics of India. The big themes of the course are as follows: What does it mean to be democratic in a poor country with diverse identities of language, gender, caste, class, and religion? And how has India balanced economic growth with equity? In order to familiarise students with facts and details, the first five weeks are structured as chronological history. We begin with the colonial period (1757-1947), before studying the eras of Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-64), Indira Gandhi (1965-1984) and the contemporary period (1985-2014). The next five weeks of the course are organised around concepts: the state, democracy and parties, identity and ethnicity, regional politics, and social movements. The final two weeks will focus on the Narendra Modi era (from 2014 to now), applying what we have learnt in the course to the present day. Preceptor (teaching assistant) under Prof. Vinay Sitapati, Ashoka University.

POL 345: Introduction to Quantitative Social Science (Fall 2021)

Why do people vote the way they do? Can universal health insurance lead to a longer lifespan? What countries are more or less likely to erupt in civil conflict? Assessing these questions requires the ability to think analytically about data and statistics. This course will provide an introduction to causal inference, probability theory, and estimation. The focus of this course will be on hands-on data analysis and the practical application of basic statistical methods to real-world, relevant problems. Preceptor (teaching assistant) under Prof. Marc Ratkovic, Princeton University.