{"id":63,"date":"2017-04-11T01:52:24","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T01:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jvictor.gmu.edu\/?page_id=63"},"modified":"2026-09-24T20:57:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T20:57:43","slug":"teaching","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jvictor.schar.gmu.edu\/index.php\/teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

Courses for the public<\/h2>\n

“Understanding the U.S. Government,”<\/a> a 24-lecture series written by Professor Victor and produced by The Great Courses.<\/p>\n

Election Postmortem Lecture, Nov. 7, 2024 (Slides)<\/a>
\nElection Postmortem Lecture, Nov. 7, 2024 (Video)<\/a><\/p>\n

Undergraduate Courses<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introduction to American Politics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2023)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2022)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2021)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Spring 2021)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2020)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2018)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 103, GMU, Fall 2017)<\/a>
\nClass Activity –\u00a0Marbury v. Madison<\/a><\/p>\n

Political Networks<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 400, GMU, Spring 2024)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 400, GMU, Spring 2019)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 319, GMU, Spring 2017)<\/a>
\nClass activity: flocking<\/a>
\nClass activity: contagion<\/a><\/p>\n

Election Analysis<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 319, GMU, Spring 2024)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 319, GMU, Spring 2023)<\/a><\/p>\n

Legislative Behavior or Process<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 307, GMU, Fall 2016)<\/a><\/p>\n

Interest Group Politics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 318, GMU, Spring 2013)<\/a><\/p>\n

Social Science Research Methods<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 300, Spring 2018)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 300, Fall 2018)<\/a><\/p>\n

Seminar in Political Polarization\/U.S. Democracy in Crisis<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 490, GMU, Spring 2022, “U.S. Democracy in Crisis”)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 490, GMU, Spring 2020, “U.S. Partisan Polarization”)<\/a><\/p>\n

Perspectives on the 2020 Election<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 319, GMU, Fall 2020)<\/a><\/p>\n

Democracy Lab\u00a0<\/strong>— a Schar School Living Learning Community<\/h4>\n

Syllabi: Fall 2023<\/a>, Spring 2024<\/a>
\nSyllabi:Fall 2022<\/a>, Spring 2023<\/a>, Hidden Curriculum (Fall 2022)<\/a><\/p>\n

Graduate Courses (Ph.D.-level)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Scientific Method and Research Design<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 500, GMU, Spring 2020)<\/a><\/p>\n

American Politics Core Pro-Seminar<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 510, GMU, Spring 2023)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 510, GMU, Spring 2022)<\/a>
\nSyllabus\u00a0(GOV 510, GMU, Spring 2021)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 510, GMU, Spring 2015)<\/a><\/p>\n

Legislative Behavior or Process<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (GOV 604, GMU, Spring 2019)<\/a>
\nSyllabus (GOV 604, GMU, Spring 2014)<\/a><\/p>\n

American Political Behavior<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (POGO 841, GMU, Fall 2021)<\/a><\/p>\n

Interest Group Politics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Syllabus (PS 2270, U. Pitt, Spring 2007)<\/a><\/p>\n

Resources for Students<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Instructions for students seeking letters of recommendation from me<\/a>
\nAPSA Citation Style<\/a>
\nStudy Tips from memory experts<\/a>
\nProf. Victor\u2019s Writing Tips<\/a>
\nFinancial Advice for Students<\/a><\/p>\n

Teaching Portfolio<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

Submitted for George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award, 2019<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Public Presentations (select)<\/h2>\n

LWV Electoral College Talk<\/a> “The Calculus of US Presidential Elections.”\u00a0Talk presented June 2024 in Springfield, VA for the League of Women Voters.<\/p>\n

Campaign Finance April 2024<\/a>, Talk presented to a graduate class at Marquette University, taught by Julia Azari.<\/p>\n

“Why are we like this?<\/a>“, sample class, George Mason University, March 2023.<\/p>\n

“Food4Thought: Biden’s First 100 days”<\/a>, presented at Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, VA, June 2021.<\/p>\n

“Elections and Voting in America”<\/a>, Presented at Annandale Public Library, October 2021.<\/p>\n

2020 Election not-quite-postmortem, slide deck November 5, 2020 10:30am<\/a><\/p>\n

“How did face masks become a partisan symbol? And other questions you didn’t learn in school.”<\/a> Talk presented to the Alexandria Public Library Speaker Series, Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 3pm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Videos (select)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“The Political Implications of Covid-19,”<\/a> lecture for Covid-19 and the Mason Impact, July 7, 2020 (UNIV391), July 7, 2020<\/p>\n

Graduation Video for students in GOVT 490 in spring 2020 (original version)<\/a>(Updated version, with more authors)<\/a><\/p>\n

Graduation Video for students in GOVT 500 in spring 2020<\/a><\/p>\n

Testimony Text to House Committee on the Modernization of Congress, hearing on congressional civility, September 26, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Course Offerings Matrix<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nFall 2024<\/td>\nSpring 2024<\/td>\nFall 2023<\/td>\nSpring 2023<\/td>\nFall 2022<\/td>\nSpring 2022<\/td>\nFall 2021<\/td>\nSpring 2021<\/td>\nFall 2020<\/td>\nSpring 2020<\/td>\nSpring 2019<\/td>\nFall 2018<\/td>\nSpring 2018<\/td>\nFall 2017<\/td>\nSpring 2017<\/td>\nFall 2016<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 103<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 307<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 300<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PolNet<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 490<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elections<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 500<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 510<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GOV 604<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
POGO 841<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Courses for the public “Understanding the U.S. Government,” a 24-lecture series written by Professor Victor and produced by The Great Courses. Election Postmortem Lecture, Nov. 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