Political Science

Office Hours

Wednesday 12:00-1:00 p.m., Thursday 3:00-5:00 p.m. or by appointment via Google Calendar

Specialty

Comparative Politics

Teaching

Fall 2020

MWF 10:25am-11:25am

Introduction to the central questions in comparative politics. Fundamental differences in the organization of states, democratic political institutions (presidentialism versus parliamentarism, for example), and domestic social forces (for example, social capital, ethnic versus nonethnic identities). The impact of political organization on economic performance and social peace. Propositional and predicate calculus, deductive techniques, and translation into symbolic notation.

Prerequisites: None.

POLS 325: European Politics

TTH 11:40am-1:10pm

This course addresses the many political challenges that face individual European countries and the European Union in the 21st century. To contextualize and understand these challenges, this course will first investigate Europe’s historical political development and then use a combination of in-depth case studies and comparative analyses to examine topics such as political parties, electoral systems, political participation, immigration, and post-communism. Throughout the course, we will frequently compare the trajectory of Europe and individual European countries with the United States.

Prerequisites: POLS 102

Restrictions: Sophomore standing required

POLS 435: Topics in Comparative Politics

MW 3:00-5:00pm

Advanced seminar focusing on problems and concepts in comparative politics. Specific content varies; examples of topics include state failure and civil war, electoral competition and legislative behavior, migration and integration, institutional design, and ethnicity and nationalism. Assignments are organized around a substantial seminar paper (25 pages or longer).

Prerequisites: POLS 102.

Restrictions: Senior Standing Required

Research

Leah Gilbert. 2020. “Regulating Society after the Color Revolutions: A Comparative Analysis of NGO Laws in Belarus, Russia, and Armenia.” Demokratizatsiya 28, no. 2: 305-332.

Leah Gilbert and Payam Mohseni. 2020. “NGO Laws After the Colour Revolutions and the Arab Spring: Nondemocratic Regime Strategies in Eastern Europe and the Middle East” Mediterranean Politics, 25: 182-214.

Leah Gilbert and Payam Mohseni. 2018. “Disabling Dissent:  The Colour Revolutions, Autocratic Linkages, and Civil Society Regulations in Hybrid Regimes.” Contemporary Politics 24, no. 4: 454-480.

Leah Gilbert. 2016. “Crowding Out Civil Society:  State Management of Social Organizations in Putin’s Russia.” Europe-Asia Studies 68, no. 9: 1553-1578.

Leah Gilbert and Payam Mohseni. 2011. “Beyond Authoritarianism:  The Conceptualization of Hybrid Regimes.” Studies in Comparative International Development 46, no 3: 270-297.

Leah Gilbert and Harley Balzer. 2012. “Civil Society in Russia” in Routledge Handbook of Russian Politics and Society, edited by Graeme Gill and James Young, 464-374. New York: Routledge.

Leah Gilbert. 2010. “Civil Society and Social Capital in Russia” in International Encyclopedia of Civil Society, edited by Helmut K. Anheier and Stefan Toepler, New York: Springer.

Leah Gilbert. 2009. “The Dark Sides of Social Capital: Organized Crime in Russia” in The Paradox of Social Capital: Fueling Conflict and Building Peace through Trust and Networks, edited by Michaelene Cox. 57-74. New York: Routledge.  

Marc Morjé Howard and Leah Gilbert. 2008. “A Cross-National Comparison of the Internal Effects of Participation in Voluntary Organizations.” Political Studies 56, no. 1: 12-32 

Academic Credentials

PhD, Political Science, Georgetown University (2012) BA, Political Science and German, St. Olaf College (2002)