The First Year Politics Seminar introduces incoming students to the Politics Department at the New School and to political science as a discipline. Throughout the term, Politics Department faculty whom are in residence at the New School in the Fall term, as well as some closely affiliated faculty, will present their research to the seminar. Assigned readings will be provided in advance of the faculty presentations. Every three to four weeks, we will hold a reflective session without an external speaker in which the seminar can discuss questions of content and method of individual sessions as well as considering comparisons across presentations. The aim of the seminar is to provide incoming students with an overview of faculty research areas as well as identifying emerging areas of research. Students will be asked to write two short papers (10-12 pages each) during the term. One paper will ask for a comparative analysis of two texts; the second paper will be framed around a political question.