Natalie Chwalisz
Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science
- Office
- Munroe Hall 313
- Tel
- (802) 443-2582
- nchwalisz@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Wednesday 10:00 - 12:00 and 2:30 - 3:30 and by appt.
Natalie Chwalisz is Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs Faculty Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Middlebury College. She received her PhD from American University in 2024. Her work examines how institutions (formal and informal) can promote cooperation or the resort to violence by both criminalized communities and states. Her current research project investigates experiences of undocumented migrants with their smuggler. The National Science Foundation has funded her work.
Courses Taught
PSCI 0103
Intro to Comparative Politics
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
Requirements
PSCI 0247
Current
Politics of Int'l Migration
Course Description
Politics of International Migration, Borders, and Migration Controls
Currently, both forced and voluntary migration is at historic highs. Simultaneously, immigration control is becoming a global phenomenon. The rise of border control contrasts with the vulnerability of many migrants today. This course will give an overview of migration and forced migration, and then look at issues and rationales in migration control from a comparative perspective. The questions we will ask are: What drives migration? What are the historical roots of migration? What is the purpose of immigration control? What are the politics of migration control in comparative perspective? This course incorporates various levels of analysis (international, national, subnational, transnational) and draws on interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks. Students will gain an understanding of migration and the legal frameworks governing the process. Students will then explore how migration relates to state sovereignty, human rights, and international law. Students will also interrogate the process of creating immigration policies, and the actors and stakeholders driving this process. (International Relations and Foreign Policy) /This course is part of the Axinn Center for the Humanities’ Mellon Foundation Public Humanities Initiative./
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSCI 0304
Current
Internatl Political Economy
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
Requirements
PSCI 0422
Illicit Econ/GlobalPerspective
Course Description
Guns, Drugs, People: The Illicit Economy in the Global Perspective
In this course, we will focus on patterns of illegal activity in the international economy. Students will study phenomena such as illegal trade in arms, animals, and drugs, and the trafficking and smuggling of human beings. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the systematic analysis of the illicit global economy. Students will be taught to examine the causes of illicit markets, the actors involved ( entrepreneurs, consumers, governments), and how markets respond to efforts to combat them. The objective is for students to understand the phenomenon and its drivers, and to translate this understanding into a critical evaluation of current policy approaches. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)
Terms Taught
Requirements