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Teaching Philosophy

Imagine yourself in a cave, shackled among a crowd of others so you can see only shadows on the wall. This is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: you break free, step into the light, and see the world as it truly is. If you are someone who returns to the cave to help free others, then you are an educator. Your challenge is in guiding those who may not yet want to be freed.

That is how I see teaching. Students often arrive with the “shadows” of politics: fragments from news feeds, social media, or inherited assumptions. My role is to help them move beyond those shadows, even when it is uncomfortable, by confronting hard questions and encouraging deeper inquiry.

In political science, that means going where the action is. I bring students to Congress, into simulations of legislative bargaining, and into direct contact with institutions of power. These experiences move them from seeing politics as abstract to understanding how decisions are actually made. Education, at its best, is stepping out of the cave together and returning with the responsibility—and the challenge—of helping others see more clearly.

Portrait of Darrian

Photo with the Frm. Secretary of the Navy

Portrait of Darrian

Trip to the U.S. Capitol


Current Courses

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This course introduces students to the foundations of American politics by tracing the Constitution’s creation, evolution, and enduring debates. We study how the framers’ design has shaped the separation of powers, federalism, and civil rights and liberties, and how institutions have adapted to crises and change. Connecting historical development to contemporary challenges, students learn how the Constitution continues to structure political conflict and opportunity in the United States. The course ultimately seeks to cultivate an engaged citizenry—especially among those who have taken an oath to defend the Constitution—by equipping students with the knowledge needed to understand, uphold, and critically evaluate the system they are sworn to protect.

This course examines Congress and the dynamics of lawmaking in the American system. We study the electoral and legislative process, the role of parties and committees, and how the separation of powers shapes congressional action. At the same time, the class becomes a legislature of its own: students choose a leader and attempt to share decision-making power. Along the way, they confront the same dilemmas that define Congress itself—collective action problems, struggles over leadership, and the balance between cooperation and domination. The goal is not only to understand how Congress works but to prepare students to be engaged citizens, capable of navigating and improving the institutions they inherit.

This capstone course investigates why Congress so often appears unable to act. Students examine explanations for dysfunction—ranging from electoral incentives and partisan polarization to institutional rules and procedural barriers—and assess their consequences for American governance. Each student then designs and carries out an independent research project, working closely with the instructor to frame questions, gather evidence, and develop original analysis. The course concludes with presentations that connect individual findings to broader debates about reform and responsibility. Combining scholarship with hands-on research, the course challenges students to grapple with institutional limits while preparing them to be thoughtful citizens and leaders within a constitutional system.
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