Spring 2026

POLECON 165 001 - LEC 001

Power and Opportunity in American Capitalism

Crystal Chang

Jan 20, 2026 - May 08, 2026

10:00 am - 11:59 am

Social Sciences Building 118

Jan 20, 2026 - May 08, 2026

10:00 am - 10:59 am

Social Sciences Building 118

Class #:32012

Units: 4

Instruction Mode: In-Person Instruction

Offered through International and Area Studies Teaching Program

Current Enrollment

Total Open Seats: 5

Enrolled: 25

Waitlisted: 10

Capacity: 30

Waitlist Max: 10

Open Reserved Seats:

5 reserved for Students with Enrollment Permission

Hours & Workload

3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials per week, and 9 hours of outside work hours per week.

Other classes by Crystal Chang

This course examines how institutions, ideologies, and social actors have shaped political and economic opportunity in the United States from the colonial era to the present. Through interdisciplinary readings and collaborative projects, students explore how American capitalism has simultaneously opened and obstructed pathways to opportunity—especially for marginalized communities. The course interrogates the enduring effects of systemic discrimination on social mobility and highlights how communities have resisted exclusion and demanded change. Students will build skills in research, public speaking, teamwork, and critical analysis as they challenge dominant narratives and develop solutions to contemporary inequalities.

Class Notes

If you are a declared/intended GS/PE major or minor and cannot enroll in this class via standard methods, there will be an enrollment permission seat request form which will open December 1 and close January 9. Permission seats will be given only to declared/intended GS/PE majors or minors who are on the waitlist. Completing this form is not a guarantee of a seat. Do not contact the instructor for permission to enrollment.
Here is the form:
https://forms.gle/zZtegHsTa7BnAeR66 show less