Courses

The Center provides curricular opportunities for students to develop skills in reasoning and civil discourse that are fundamental to democratic citizenship.

Offered 2026-2027

POLS 150: Foundations of American Democracy

Discussion based course on the foundational ideas that underlie American democracy and other major American political debates from the revolutionary era to the present. Readings drawn from classic texts and original documents, speeches and writings of leading American political figures. This course is part of Emory's Voluntary Core Curriculum program.

POLS 361/DATASCI 385: Policy Debates: Left and Right

Evaluation, analysis, and discussion of contemporary policy debates in the United States. Students will engage with a variety of different viewpoints from across the ideological spectrum. Students will improve their ability to conduct civil and constructive dialogue on contentious policy issues.

POLS 360: Public Policy

How national public policies develop. Focus on who American governing actors and elites are, what they control, how they work together, and how issues thereby develop, recur, and evolve into policy.

POLS 385/DATASCI 385: Progress and Prosperity

Why do some societies grow rich while others stagnate? This course examines how progress happens: what drives invention and investment, and why the things people need most (housing, energy, scientific research, medical advances) can be hard to produce more of. Using evidence, data, and real policy cases, students consider how markets and institutions shape progress, and where they fall short.