Syllabus for FALL 2007
How does serious economic scarcity affect politics? When is democracy more
likely than dictatorship? How do political leaders cultivate support? What are the
political dynamics of economic reform? This course will examine these & other issues
while providing students with a working knowledge of the Latin American political
landscape. While we deal directly with seven countries, students are encouraged to write
policy briefs focusing on any country(ies) in the region of particular interest to them.
EVALUATION:
Class Participation -- 10%
Take-Home Essay #1 -- 10%
Mid-Term -- 20%
Take-Home Essay #2 -- 10%
Policy Brief -- 30%
Final Exam -- 20%
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. Assignments 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 role-play debates.
Written work must be original work created for this course. Make-up exams and
late course withdrawals will be permitted only under exceptional circumstances; do not assume that you
will be allowed to take a make-up test or to withdraw from the course late in
the semester. 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:
Blake, Charles. Politics in Latin America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
2005.
Green, Duncan. Silent Revolution: The Rise and Crisis of Market Economics in
Latin America. 2nd ed.; New York: Monthly Review, 2003.
Wright, Thomas. State Terrorism in Latin America.
Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
Additional readings are 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 Word®. From Word (or
other word processors) 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.
The online articles referred to on the paper syllabus are detailed here -- item
by item. Many are INFOTRAC or PROJECT MUSE listings while others are archived on
the Blackboard site. Click on the link to go the article. In
Blackboard, you will need to click on the Class Documents button and then open
the folder with class readings to search for the readings listed there by due
date. In INFOTRAC, if you
want to print it out, please scroll down toward the bottom of the page where you can
reformat the file for faster, paper-saving printing. PLEASE READ THE ONLINE ARTICLES FOR
EACH CLASS SESSION IN THE ORDER LISTED HERE.
PART I – AN OVERVIEW OF LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS
Points of Emphasis: trends & terms in the
region re: groups & institutions; major policy & political problems
WEEK ONE
Aug. 27 – Introduction
Aug. 29 – Colonization to
the Present
= Blake, pp. xv-xix, 1-46
Aug. 31 – Elections in Latin America
= Blake, pp. 49-76, 123-162
= INFOTRAC
"Mexican
Standoff" Newsweek International 7/17/06
WEEK TWO
Sep. 3 – Political Institutions in Latin America
= Blake, pp. 79-119
PART II: NATIONAL CASE STUDIES -- democratization and the politics of
economic policy
Points of Emphasis: government institutions;
parties & political leaders; major events & their political dynamics;
democratization; the politics of economic reform; indigenous movements
Sep. 5 – Argentina I
= Blake, pp. 123-162
Sep. 7 – LIBRARY RESEARCH SESSION for POLICY
BRIEFS in Carrier Library, room 301
= Green, pp. 7-38
WEEK THREE
Sep. 10 – Argentina II
NOTE: The outline arg1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= review Blake, pp. 123-162
= Green, pp. 39-71
Sep. 12 – Argentina III (VIDEO)
{POLICY BRIEF QUESTION(S) and PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE}
NOTE: The outline arg1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= INFOTRAC
"Latin
America's Left Turn" Foreign Affairs v85, #3
(2006): 28-43
= Green, pp. 72-118
Sep. 14 – Argentina IV
= INFOTRAC
"Why Argentina Crashed -- and Is Still Crashing" NACLA Report on the
Americas v36, #1 (2002): 30-35
= INFOTRAC
"Argentina
2002: A Case of Government Failure" The Cato Journal v23, #1 (2003):
29-31
= INFOTRAC
"Fund-Razing in Argentina" Foreign Policy v81 (May-June 2005): 81-84
= INFOTRAC
"Tucking
in to the Good Times: Argentina" The Economist 12/23/06
= Green, pp. 119-150
WEEK FOUR
Sep. 17 – Argentina ROLE-PLAY DEBATE: Should
Argentina emphasize market capitalism or state capitalism?
= Green, pp. 151-192, 229-231
Sep. 19 – Brazil I
= Blake, pp.165-203
Sep. 21 – Brazil II
= INFOTRAC
"Tax
Evasion Is a Way of Life in Brazil" World and I v19, #9 (2004)
= INFOTRAC
"Bloated,
Wasteful, Rigid & Unfair: Public Spending in Brazil" The Economist 9/4/04
= INFOTRAC
"Lula's
Leap" The Economist 3/4/06
=
"Governance Reform
& Institutional Change in Brazil"
Institute of Development Studies Discussion Paper
#384 (2006)
WEEK FIVE
Sep. 24 – Brazil III (VIDEO)
= PROJECT MUSE
"Rewarding
Lula" Latin American Politics and Society
v49, #1 (2007): 1-30
Sep. 26 – Brazil ROLE-PLAY DEBATE:
Should Brazil Raise or Cut Tax Rates on the Wealthy?
= Green, pp. 193-228, 232-235
Sep. 28 –
Guatemala I
= Blake, pp. 287-324
= Green, pp. 243-244
{ESSAY #1 assigned}
WEEK SIX
Oct. 1 – Guatemala II (VIDEO)
NOTE: The outline gua1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= INFOTRAC
"The Emergence & Performance of Indigenous Peoples' Parties in South America"
Comparative Political Studies v39, #6 (2006):
709-732
Oct.
3 – Guatemala III
= INFOTRAC
"New
Law Recognizes Indigenous
Languages" Interpress Service 5/31/03
= INFOTRAC
"Rigoberta
Menchú Steps Beyond Tradition to Move Indigenous Agenda"
NotiCen 2/19/04
= INFOTRAC
"Holistic
Healing: Guatemala's Civil-War Victims" The Economist 10/16/04
= INFOTRAC
"Cleaned
Slate? Mayan Troubles in Guatemala" Harvard International Review v28, #2 (2006):
10-11
= INFOTRAC
"Before
the Sunrise: Guatemala" The Economist 3/31/07
Oct. 5 – Guatemala ROLE-PLAY DEBATE: Should
Indigenous Guatemalans Support Expressly Indigenous Political Parties?
{POLICY BRIEF OUTLINE DUE}
WEEK SEVEN
Oct. 8 – Mexico I
= Blake, pp. 327-365
= Green, pp. 249-251
Oct. 10 – Mexico II (VIDEO)
NOTE: The outline mexico1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
"Electoral
Fraud: Causes, Types, & Consequences" Annual Review of Political Science v6, (2003):
233-256
= PROJECT MUSE
"Promoting
Democracy at Home" Journal of Democracy
v12, #2 (2001): 133-138
= PROJECT MUSE
"Lessons
from Mexico" Journal of Democracy
v12, #2 (2001): 151-156
Oct. 12 – Mexico III
{ESSAY #1 due}
= "The
Smoking Volcano" The Nation [web edition] 8/14/06
= PROJECT MUSE
"Taught
to Protest, Learning to Lose" Journal of Democracy
v18, #1 (2007): 73-87
= PROJECT MUSE
"The
Mobilization of Distrust" Journal of Democracy
v18, #1 (2007): 88-102
= PROJECT MUSE
"Looking
to the Future" Journal of Democracy
v18, #1 (2007): 103-112
PART III – NATIONAL CASE STUDIES -- democratization and the politics
of liberty & human rights
Points of Emphasis:
government institutions; parties & political leaders; major events & their
political dynamics;
democratization;
human rights;
civil-military relations; revolution
WEEK EIGHT
Oct. 15 – Mexico ROLE-PLAY DEBATE:
Should every ballot be recounted in the 2006 presidential election?
Oct. 17 – MID-TERM
Oct. 19 – FALL HOLIDAY: no class
WEEK NINE
Oct. 22 –
POLICY BRIEF WORKSHOP
= Blake, pp. 207-244
Oct.
24 – Cuba I
= Blake, pp. 247-284
= Green, pp. 237-238
Oct. 26 – Cuba II
NOTE: The outline cuba1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= INFOTRAC
"Castro's Cuba"
Catholic New Times 3/20/05
= INFOTRAC
"Stuck
in Time" New York Times Upfront 4/18/05
= Wright, pp. 1-43
WEEK TEN
Oct. 29 – Cuba III
= ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
"Not
Gone Yet" The Economist 8/19/06
= PROJECT MUSE
"Raúl
Castro: Confronting Fidel's Legacy in Cuba" Washington Quarterly
v30, #3 (2007): 53-65
= Wright, pp. 47-94
Oct. 31 – Cuba IV
NOTE: The outline cuba2.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= INFOTRAC "Symposium:
Opinions on the Embargo of Cuba" Insight on the News 6/17/02
= INFOTRAC
"Should
the U.S. End its Cuba Embargo? [DEBATE]" New York Times Upfront 4/18/05
= INFOTRAC
"U.S.
Policy on Cuba Beyond the Last Gasp" NACLA Report on the
Americas v39, #4 (2006): 15-24
= INFOTRAC
"Bill
in Congress Would Ease Trade, Travel with Cuba" Delta Farm Press 6/22/07
= Wright, pp. 95-137
Nov. 2 – Cuba ROLE-PLAY DEBATE: Should the
U.S. Embargo Continue?
= Wright, pp. 141-178
WEEK ELEVEN
Nov. 5 – Chile I
= review Blake, pp. 207-244
= Green, pp. 233-235
= Wright, pp. 179-221
Nov. 7 – Chile II (VIDEO)
NOTE: The outline chile1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= Wright, pp. 225-232
Nov. 9 – Chile III
WEEK TWELVE
Nov. 12 – Chile ROLE-PLAY DEBATE:
Should Human Rights Trials Be Held?
= ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
"Is Transitional Justice Really Just?" Brown Journal of World Affairs
v11, #1 (2004): 101-113
= ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
"Encounters with the Torturer" Mother Jones v31, #3 (2006): 32-35
= PROJECT MUSE
"The
Politics of Impunity [review essay]"
Latin American Research Review
v42, #1 (2007): 167-185
Nov.
14 – Venezuela I
= Blake, pp. 369-407
= Green, pp. 259-261
{ESSAY #2 assigned}
Nov. 16 – Venezuela II (VIDEO)
NOTE: The outline ven1.rtf above contains the relevant materials for today.
= PROJECT MUSE
"Democracy's
Doubles" Journal of Democracy
v17, #2 (2006): 52-62
= PROJECT MUSE
"One
Act in an Unfinished Drama" Journal of Democracy
v16, #1 (2005): 109-123
WEEK THIRTEEN
Nov. 19 – Venezuela III
= INFOTRAC
"In
Search of Hugo Chávez" Foreign Affairs v85, #3 (May-June
2006): 45-59
= INFOTRAC
"A
Benign Revolution" Foreign Affairs v85, #4 (July-Aug.
2006): 195-198
= PROJECT MUSE
"Venezuela:
Crowding Out the Opposition" Journal of Democracy
v18, #2 (2007): 99-113
Nov. 21-25 THANKSGIVING BREAK: no class
PART IV – SPECIAL TOPICS in LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS
Points of Emphasis: inter-American relations;
drug policy; democratization
WEEK FOURTEEN
Nov. 26 – Venezuela ROLE-PLAY DEBATE:
Is Contemporary Venezuela a Democracy?
Nov. 28 – U.S.-Latin American Relations
{ESSAY #2 due}
= review Blake, pp. 57-60
= INFOTRAC "But
Does He Really Love Her: George Bush and Latin America" The Economist
3/23/02
= INFOTRAC
"The Latin Chill May Get Even Frostier" Business Week 1/26/04
= INFOTRAC
"The
View from Abroad -- Anti-Americanism" The Economist 2/19/05
= INFOTRAC
"Trading
Up?: The Uncertain Future of the FTAA" Harvard International Review v28, #1
(2006): 10-11
= INFOTRAC
"Rethinking
Latin America: A New Approach in U.S. Foreign Policy" Harvard International Review v28, #2
(2006): 28-31
Nov. 30 – Drug Use, Drug
Trafficking, & Drug Policy in the Americas
= INFOTRAC "The
Case Against Legalization" Newsweek International 11/1/99
= INFOTRAC "War
No More: The Folly & Futility of Drug Prohibition" National Review
2/5/01
= INFOTRAC
"Battles
Won, A War Still Lost" The Economist 2/12/05
= INFOTRAC "Realpolitik
or Imperial Hubris" Orbis v50, #3 (2006):
481-499
WEEK FIFTEEN
Dec. 3 – Democratization in Latin America
= Blake, pp. 411-446
Dec. 5 – The Politics of Poverty & Inequality in Latin America
= PROJECT MUSE
"Latin
America's Populist Revival" SAIS Review
v27, #1 (2007): 3-15
Dec. 7 – COURSE WRAP-UP
{POLICY BRIEF DUE}
**FINAL EXAM: Monday 12/10/07 8am to 10am**
