Margaret Hanson
Office
Munroe Hall 303
Email
mh1@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
By appointment

Margaret Hanson is a political economist and sociolegal scholar. Her research examines how law, politics, and economics interact to shape state-society relations in former Soviet states, particularly autocracies. This includes projects focused on migration, democracy and citizenship, corruption, and economic governance. Her work has been published in Perspectives on Politics, the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, Law and Social Inquiry, and Problems of Post-Communism, and her book, Seeking a Corruption Equilibrium: Authoritarian Legality in Central Asia, is under review.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Introduction to Comparative Politics
This course offers an introduction to the comparative study of political systems and to the logic of comparative inquiry. How are different political systems created and organized? How and why do they change? Why are some democratic and others authoritarian? Why are some rich and others poor? Other topics covered in this course include nationalism and political ideologies, forms of representation, the relationship between state institutions and civil society, and globalization. The goal in this course is to use comparative methods to analyze questions of state institutions -- how they arise, change, and generate different economic, social, and political outcomes. 3 hrs. lect. disc. (Comparative Politics)

Terms Taught

Fall 2025

Requirements

CMP, SOC

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Course Description

Frontiers in Political Science Research
Nothing is more controversial among political scientists than the topic of how to study politics. In this course, we consider a variety of advanced techniques for studying political phenomena, including statistical methods, game theory, institutional analysis, case study techniques, experiments, and agent-based modeling. We will work with concrete examples (drawn from major political science journals) of how scholars have used these techniques, and consider the ongoing philosophical controversies associated with each approach. Students will have the opportunity to conduct original research using a method and subject of their choosing. (Any political science courses) 3 hrs. lect.disc (Methods)

Terms Taught

Fall 2025

Requirements

DED, 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

Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026

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Course Description

Honors Thesis
(Approval required)

Terms Taught

Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026

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