This seminar explores the causes and consequences of race politics around the world, using theories and methods from political science to elucidate substantively important questions. The course begins by considering the very concept of race, and how it compares with the related notion of “ethnicity”. Students study the making and unmaking of white supremacy, “racial democracy”, and other racial orders, including the cases of South Africa, the United States, and Brazil. Other topics include conflict over census categories; preference policies; and the effects of racial diversity on trust.
