Gary Winslett
Office
Munroe Hall 316
Tel
(802) 443-5310
Email
gwinslett@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
ON LEAVE ACADEMIC YEAR
Additional Programs
International Politics and Economics Political Science

I joined the Middlebury faculty in 2018. I was a postdoctoral fellow at the European University Institute in Florence from 2016-2017. I completed my doctoral dissertation on regulation and trade in the automotive, meat, and pharmaceuticals industries and received my Ph.D. from Boston College in 2016. My current research examines the relationship between large technology companies and the U.S. government. I teach courses in political science and the IP&E program on topics such as international political economy, international law, global trade, money and finance, international politics, and climate change. I enjoy skiing and hiking.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Senior Work
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024

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Course Description

Global Security Studies Senior Thesis
(Approval Only)

Terms Taught

Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Spring 2024

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Course Description

Independent Project
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2019

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

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Course Description

International Politics
What causes conflict or cooperation among states? What can states and other international entities do to preserve global peace? These are among the issues addressed by the study of international politics. This course examines the forces that shape relations among states, and between states and international regimes. Key concepts include: the international system, power and the balance of power, international institutions, foreign policy, diplomacy, deterrence, war, and global economic issues. Both the fall and spring sections of this course emphasize rigorous analysis and set theoretical concepts against historical and contemporary case studies. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/

Terms Taught

Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022

Requirements

CMP, SOC

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Course Description

International Law
In this course we will analyze how legal principles operate at the international level and how those principles intersect with national laws. We will examine a variety of legal issues and concepts including but not limited to sovereignty, human rights, trade and investment law, use of force, and environmental treaties. Throughout the class, we will pair those issues and concepts with real-world cases. 3 hrs lect. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/

Terms Taught

Spring 2019, Fall 2020

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

International Political Economy
This course examines the politics of global economic relations, focusing principally on the advanced industrial states. How do governments and firms deal with the forces of globalization and interdependence? And what are the causes and consequences of their actions for the international system in turn? The course exposes students to both classic and contemporary thinking on free trade and protectionism, exchange rates and monetary systems, foreign direct investment and capital movements, regional integration, and the role of international institutions like the WTO. Readings will be drawn mainly from political science, as well as law and economics. 3 hrs. lect./disc./(International Relations and Foreign Policy)/

Terms Taught

Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

The Politics of Taxes
Who gets taxed and how much they get taxed is at least as much a political decision as an economic one. Additionally, the ways governments tax their citizens (and how much they tax them) vary widely between different countries. Moreover, the purpose underlying governments’ use of taxes ranges from fighting inequality to incentivizing various behavioral changes. In this course we will examine sales taxes, wealth taxes, corporate profits, income taxes and the politics around those taxes in a variety of national contexts. (Comparative Politics). 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

CW, SOC

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Course Description

The Politics of Money and Finance
Governments’ choices on money-related matters deeply affect people’s lives. Stock market crashes, inflation, debt, and unforeseen currency fluctuations can scar society. Conversely, if stock markets, inflation, debt, and currencies are all well-managed, prosperity can be created. One of the central aims of governments across the world is to do just that - manage these issues in order to promote economic growth. In this course, we examine the choices governments face in the pursuit of that and, what leads them to make the choices they do, and what kinds of choices have historically been the most successful. 3 hrs. sem. (International Relations and Foreign Politics)/

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2021

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

In this seminar we will examine third-party intervention and its effects on conflict. Why do interveners get involved? In what ways do third parties try to manage or influence conflict? We will discuss various types of intervention, including economic sanctions, military assistance, and covert operations. We will then consider how interveners affect the outbreak, duration, and conclusion of conflict. Do interveners make conflict more or less likely to start? Do they shorten or lengthen fighting? How do they affect war outcomes? Case studies of intervention include Bosnia and Kosovo, World War I and World War II, and various Cold War conflicts. 3 hrs. sem. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/

Terms Taught

Fall 2023

Requirements

SOC

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Course Description

Independent Projects
A program of independent work designed to meet the individual needs of advanced students. (Approval required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

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Course Description

Honors Thesis
(Approval required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

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Course Description

The Politics of Big Technology
What goes on in Silicon Valley and what goes on in Washington D.C. (as well as other capitals) affect each other. The increasing salience of technology in society means that the actions of and reactions to major technology firms have become inescapably political. In this course we will analyze the intersection between big technology firms and politics by examining concerns around privacy, the use of social media for political purposes, technology’s impact on jobs and inequality, and technology firms’ place in geopolitics. (International Relations and foreign Policy)

Terms Taught

Winter 2020

Requirements

SOC, WTR

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