Adam Ramey
Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs; Associate Professor of Political Science, NYU Abu Dhabi; Global Network Associate Professor of Politics, Faculty of Arts and Science, NYU
Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: BA George Washington University; MA, PhD University of Rochester
Research Areas: American Politics; Legislative Institutions; Political Methodology

Adam Ramey is a scholar of American politics, political methodology, legislative institutions, political psychology, and historical political economy
His research primarily focuses on understanding both the psychological underpinnings of legislative behavior as well as the long-run consequences of historical events and institutions. Ramey has published a book with the University of Chicago Press exploring how legislators' personality traits explains their policy and tactical choices over the last three decades. His other work appears in many top journals, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the Journal of Politics, and Political Behavior.
Currently, he is working on developing language-based machine learning models to predict over 60 different psychological constructs using linguistic cues.
Courses Taught
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What are the foundations of political legitimacy and to what extent do governments abide by them? This course will explore these questions using both classical and contemporary accounts. The first half will focus on political systems in Ancient Greece, Rome, Medieval Europe, and Early Modern Europe through the lens of great thinkers, including Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Burke, Weber, and Marx, as well as a series of primary source documents. We then proceed to the "post-1789" world and discuss legitimacy in the context of democratic government. Topics covered include the role of legislators, issue representation, descriptive vs. substantive governance, and the ongoing debate between advocates of majoritarianism and those of proportionalism.
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Adam Ramey - MW 15:35 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Core Curriculum > Structures of Thought and Society
- Majors > Political Science > Political Theory and Institutions
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
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3 credits
Ideology: What is an ideology? How do a series of sometimes disparate beliefs about issues come together to form an ideology? Perhaps most importantly, do ordinary people have ideologies? In this course, we explore these fundamental questions about political belief systems in societies across the globe. We begin by defining ideology and looking at examples from key intellectual movements of the last millennium (e.g., liberalism/conservatism, communism, fascism, political religious movements, and ethnic nationalism). Using a combination of primary source texts and popular media, we will explore both the elite discourse as well as the perspectives of laypeople in order to better understand how ideologies have shaped our world. Leveraging the unique geopolitical location of Washington, D.C., we will explore the practical consequences of these belief systems with daily extracurricular engagements. These will include interviews with major American political thought leaders and visits to major museums and institutes dedicated to the study of political ideas and to the U.S. Capitol.
This course will be offered in January-Term 2025 in Washington, D.C., USA.
Previously taught: Summer 2016, Summer 2017, Summer 2018, Spring 2019, Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Summer 1 2022, January 2024, January 2025
This course appears in...
- Core Curriculum > Field Colloquia
- Core Curriculum > Structures of Thought and Society
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This course addresses key theoretical and empirical topics in political psychology, drawing on both the experimental tradition of social psychology and the survey-based tradition of political science. Consideration is given to the political psychology of collective public behavior, including issues of social identity, intergroup relations, and group interaction, as well as individual political attitude formation and decision-making. Social and psychological antecedents and consequences of political orientation and ideological opinions are also addressed.
Prerequisites: SOCSC-UH 1112 or PSYCH-UH 1001 and SOCSC-UH 1010Q or PSYCH-UH 1002EQ
Previously taught: Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Adam Ramey - MW 14:10 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Adam Ramey - MW 14:10 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science > Political Theory and Institutions
- Majors > Psychology > Advanced Electives
- Minors > Political Science
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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Political parties have been core features of regimes across the world for the last two-hundred years. As such, understanding the role of parties is essential for the study of both political institutions and political behavior. In this course, we examine parties from both a theoretical and empirical lens. We begin by examining why parties form and then proceed to study how they function, what their roles are in both governmental institutions and electoral politics, how they change or die, and other similar questions. For all cases, we draw on historical and contemporary examples from around the globe. Particular emphasis will be placed on exploring the present-day rise of populism and its effects on destabilizing political party systems across the globe.
Previously taught: Fall 2019
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science > Comparative Politics
- Majors > Political Science > Political Theory and Institutions
- Minors > Political Science
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Studying comparative politics sheds light on political outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by examining divergent trajectories among countries in the region. As such, the course will focus on both the modern political history of MENA states since independence up to the contemporary period, but with an emphasis on the application of social-scientific theories that explain these historical processes. The topics of this course include the dynamics of authoritarianism and democracy in the Arab region, political Islamist movements, the weight of its professional and entrepreneurial middle classes, and the role of youth and the unemployed in maintaining or challenging the regime. Students will also examine the organization of the state, including the military and the intelligence services, the role of parliaments and elections, and the distribution of wealth.
Recommended Prerequisite: POLSC-UH 1111
Previously taught: Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Gabriel Koehler-Derrick - TR 09:55 - 11:10 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Core Curriculum > Islamic Studies
- Majors > Political Science > Comparative Politics
- Minors > Arab Crossroads Studies
- Minors > Political Science
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
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This course has as a central focus the political institutions of the United States and the effects of those institutions on policy outcomes. The course also places these institutions in the context of those of other wealthy democracies, as a means of illustrating several of the unique features of US political institutions. Topics covered in the course include separation of powers, federalism, and single-member district electoral rules.
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2020, Fall 2023
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science > Comparative Politics
- Minors > Political Science
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The first decades of the 21 Century have been a period of rapid change & disruption. Seismic events - principally 9/11, the Iraq war, the financial crisis, the Syrian conflict, Russia's invasion of Ukraine & the Coronavirus pandemic - have created an era of economic insecurity & turbulence in international affairs, while helping to fuel the rise of populism in domestic politics. This politics & international affairs course, led by former UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, will help students investigate the causes & consequences of this turbulent period, focusing on the challenges & choices that leaders face. Using original source material & the best contemporary commentary - combined with Cameron’s own experience & insight - students will look at a series of case studies. There will be practical "in the room" exercises, where students consider the choices they would make as leaders & an emphasis on practical skills: drafting letters & articles, speechwriting & constructing solid arguments. There will also be expert witnesses interviewed to add context & the final week of study will take place in London, incorporating visits & guest speakers to deepen understanding of the topics covered. Note: Pending feasible international travel conditions this course will include a regional academic seminar to UK.
Previously taught: January 2023, January 2024
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science > Comparative Politics
- Majors > Social Research and Public Policy > Institutions and Public Policy
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Students develop a research question, construct a research design that allows them to test potential answers to that question, collect relevant data, analyze the results, and write a senior thesis.
Prerequisite: Senior standing
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Christopher Paik - Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Jonathan Andrew Harris, Benjamin Laughlin, Jeffrey Jensen - F 09:25 - 12:05 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Jonathan Andrew Harris, Benjamin Laughlin, Jeffrey Jensen - F 09:25 - 12:05 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Jonathan Andrew Harris, Benjamin Laughlin, Jeffrey Jensen - F 09:25 - 12:05 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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Students develop a research question, construct a research design that allows them to test potential answers to that question, collect relevant data, analyze the results, and write a senior thesis.
Prerequisite: POLSC-UH 4000
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Benjamin Laughlin, Jeffrey Jensen - F 14:20 - 17:00 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Benjamin Laughlin, Jeffrey Jensen - F 14:20 - 17:00 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Jeffrey Jensen - Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Jeffrey Jensen - Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Political Science
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks