Syllabus for Fall 2007
This course is an introduction to the comparative study of domestic politics. We will
begin by studying basic distinctions in government institutions and we will then apply and
develop those distinctions in a variety of settings. During this semester, we will examine
several contemporary political issues including: the challenges presented by ethnic,
racial, and religious conflict; democratic consolidation amid severe economic scarcity;
the role of the military in politics; and the politics of communism and post-communism.
EVALUATION:
Class Participation -- 10%
Take-Home Essay #1 -- 15%
Test #1 -- 15%
Test #2 -- 15%
Take-Home Essay #2 -- 15%
Final Exam -- 30%
PROCEDURES:
As a point of fairness to your classmates, the honor code must be observed at all times
and tests & written work must be handed in promptly. Tests must be handed in at the
end of the class period. Essays that have been turned in late will be penalized 5 points
plus an additional 5 points for every additional 24-hour period. The class participation
grade will be largely determined by performance in the class simulation. Make-up exams
will be given only under exceptional circumstances; do not assume that you will be
permitted to take a make-up test. Readings should be completed by class time of the date
listed. The professor reserves the right to alter this course outline as circumstances
demand. For further discussion of course policies, click here.
TEXTS:
Cotta, Maurizio & Luca Verzichelli. Political Institutions in Italy.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
[JKK] Joseph, William, Mark Kesselman, & Joel Krieger, eds. Introduction
to Politics of the Developing World. 4th ed.; Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
Wilson, Frank. Concepts and Issues in Comparative Politics. 2nd ed.; Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, 2002.
Additional readings will be made available
in online form.
COURSE OUTLINE:
REMEMBER: Many of the dates in this
syllabus are hyperlinked. Right-click on the active links to download outlines and tables
associated with the day's class session. A menu will pop up; left-click on "save
link as" to get a dialog box for downloading the file. Specify the appropriate
drive, folder, and file name and then left-click on save to download the file. These are
rich text format outline (RTF) files that are most compatible with WordŽ. From Word you
can modify formatting and/or print the outlines.
If your computer has Word installed, you also have the option of left-clicking on
the link to load the file immediately into Word for editing and/or printing.
PART I – DEMOCRATIC POLITICS: France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the United
Kingdom
Points of Emphasis: democratic institutions
(governmental and non-governmental); the language of political science; Italian
politics
WEEK ONE
Aug. 27 – Introduction to Comparative Politics
Aug. 29 – Societal Cleavages
= Wilson, pp.2-53
Aug. 31 – Political Regime Types: Democratic
& Non-Democratic Political Systems
= JKK, pp.5-11
= online reading on Course Documents section of
Blackboard
WEEK TWO
Sep. 3 – Political Culture and Legitimacy
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.1-34
= review Wilson, pp.8-9,22-27
Sep. 5 – Interest
Groups & Lobbying
= Wilson, pp.105-121
Sep. 7 – Election Campaigns in the U.S. and the
U.K.
= Wilson, pp.78-104
= online reading on Course Documents section of
Blackboard
WEEK THREE
Sep. 10 – Interest
Groups
= online reading on Course Documents section of
Blackboard
= review Wilson, pp.105-121
Sep. 12 – Political Parties
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.39-62
= review Wilson, pp.78-104
Sep. 14 – Electoral Systems
= Wilson, pp.57-76
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.67-102
WEEK FOUR
Sep. 17 – Executive-Legislative Relations
= Wilson, pp.154-164
= BBC News website
"Analysis: German Power Struggle" 9/19/05 {a look at coalition formation
options}
Sep. 19 – Executive-Legislative Relations in
Italy
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.137-170
Sep. 21 – Subnational Government: Unitary v.
Federal States
= Wilson, pp.164-169
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.171-201
{ESSAY #1 assigned}
WEEK FIVE
Sep. 24 – The Bureaucracy
= Wilson, pp.171-178
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.202-231
Sep. 26 – The Judiciary
= Wilson, pp.178-181
= Cotta & Verzichelli, pp.232-254
=
"Dear Mr. Berlusconi" The Economist 8/2/03
Sep. 28 – POLITICS WORKSHOP: Policy Reform Exercise under presidential system
WEEK SIX
Oct. 1 – POLITICS WORKSHOP: Policy Reform Exercise under parliamentary system
Oct. 3 – TEST #1
Oct. 5 – TEST REVIEW & WRITING WORKSHOP
= JKK, pp.248-262
{SIMULATION assigned}
PART II - NON-DEMOCRATIC POLITICS & DEMOCRATIZATION: Brazil & Nigeria
Points of Emphasis: theories of politics amid
late industrialization; the military in politics; the politics of colonialism &
decolonization; ethnic conflict; the politics of institutional reform; Nigerian
politics
WEEK SEVEN
Oct. 8 – Late Industrialization & Politics
= Wilson, pp.184-201, review pp.36-40
= JKK, pp.11-27,205-216
{ESSAY #1 due}
Oct. 10 – The Military in Politics
= Wilson, pp.138-151
Oct. 12 – Military Coups & Military Rule in Brazil
= JKK, pp.193-204,216-224
WEEK EIGHT
Oct. 15 – Democratization & Civil-Military
Relations in Brazil & Beyond
= JKK, pp.224-242
Oct. 17 – Colonial Nigeria
= review JKK, pp.248-255
Oct. 19 –
FALL HOLIDAY: no class
WEEK NINE
Oct. 22 – From the First Republic to Civil War
= JKK, pp.262-275
= review JKK, pp.255-257
Oct. 24 – From the Second Republic to the Return of
Military Rule
= review JKK, pp.257-259
= JKK, pp.275-301
Oct. 26 – The Fourth Republic
= review JKK, pp.259-262
= PROJECT MUSE
"Nigeria:
Completing Obasanjo's Legacy" Journal of Democracy v17, #3 (2006): 100-115
WEEK TEN
Oct. 29 – The 2007 Elections
= review JKK, pp.259-262
= online reading on Course Documents section of
Blackboard
Oct. 31 – Simulation Group Meetings
= online reading on Course Documents section of
Blackboard
NOTE: To review the simulation assignment, click on the link
on today's date.
{ESSAY #2 assigned}
Nov. 2 – SIMULATION: Nigeria Constitutional Convention Day I
WEEK ELEVEN
Nov. 5 – SIMULATION: Nigeria Constitutional Convention Day II
Nov. 7 – SIMULATION: Nigeria Constitutional Convention Day III & Simulation Debriefing
Nov. 9 – TEST #2
PART III – REVOLUTION & REFORM: China, Iran, Mexico
Points of Emphasis: the politics of
revolution; "the reformer’s dilemma" (e.g. Deng, Khatami, & Fox)
WEEK TWELVE
Nov. 12 –The Politics of Revolution & Reform;
the Chinese Revolution
= Wilson, pp.202-218
= JKK, pp.36-61
Nov. 14 – Revolutionary Politics: China
= review JKK, pp.36-61
Nov. 16 – The Reformer's Dilemma: Deng Xiaoping
in China
= JKK, pp.61-90
{ESSAY #2 due}
WEEK THIRTEEN
Nov. 19 – Revolutionary Politics: Iran
= JKK, pp.306-330
Nov. 21-25 –
THANKSGIVING BREAK: no class
WEEK FOURTEEN
Nov. 26 – The Reformer's Dilemma: Mohammad
Khatami in Iran
= JKK, pp.330-351
Nov. 28 – The Reformer's Dilemma: Iranian Media in the Crossfire
– film & discussion
Nov. 30 – Revolutionary Politics: Mexico
= JKK, pp.144-164
WEEK FIFTEEN
Dec. 3 – The Reformer's Dilemma: Vicente Fox
in Mexico
= JKK, pp.164-188
= INFOTRAC
"The
Fox Experiment Begins: Fox's Agenda for Mexico" The Economist 12/2/00
= INFOTRAC "Mexico's
New and Reef-Ridden Waters" World and I 5/02
= INFOTRAC
"Six Years of Refried Beans, and Little Confidence of Better to Come" The Economist
7/1/06
Dec. 5 – FINISH UP re: Mexican politics
Dec. 7 – Iranian Politics Revisited & discussion of U.S.-Iranian foreign
relations
= BBC News website
"Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue" 12/3/07
= BBC News website
"Iran welcomes US nuclear report" 12/4/07
= BBC News website
"Bush says Iran remains a threat" 12/4/07
FINAL EXAM: Friday 12/14/07 from 8am to 10am
