Syllabus

This course provides an introduction to Comparative Politics. The course is organized in three parts. The first part deals with the foundation fof Comparative Politics. In this section, we'll cover concepts and topics such as: What is comparative politics, political culture, political economy, and political institutions.

The second section of the course deals with the development of the communist and post communist countries, as well as the newly industrializing countries. Finally, we'll examine how globalization is reshaping the terrain of global politics.

The third section of the course studies three countries (and the European Union) in depth, and we will apply the principles learned in the first two sections of the course to better understand the challenges facing each of these political entities.

Required Reading

O'Neil, Patrick. Essentials of Comparative Politics. New York, WW Norton, 2004.

Kaplan, Robert D. The Ends of the Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy. New York: Random House, 1996.

Recommended Reading:

The Economist, Financial Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor. Also see links on side of page.

Miscellaneous Items
Make up exams
Make-up exams are given only under exceptional circumstances - such as medical emergencies that can be verified with documentation.

General Policies:

Attendance is not required in that there are no points deducted for being absent. However, students must be present to turn in papers and take exams. Students who are absent for any particular emergency must present some documentation of such emergencies in order to be allowed to turn in, or make up, any missed assignments.

Any assignment turned in late will be penalized 50% of its final grade for each day that passes between the actual due date and the day the assignment is turned in.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in class in any form (cheating on exams, plagiarism, etc.).

The course will rely heavily on in-class discussion and debate. To this end, it is crucial that students come to class each week with assigned readings and other assignments completed, and be ready to participate actively and enthusiastically.

Grading

The grading will be broken down as follows:

Midterm Exam: 25%

Final Exam: 30%

Paper I (Reaction Paper): 15%

Paper II (Research Paper): 20%

Participation: 10%

Exams

There will be two exams given for this class, the midterm and the final. The midterm will be given on Wednesday, October 18, and we will have a mid-term review session on Monday, October 16. This exam will consist of short answer questions (multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank), and an essay portion. We will talk more about the structure and content of the final exam in December.

Papers

Paper I:

This first paper can be handed in any time before NOVEMBER 20TH. This paper will be a reaction to something you have read during class that has piqued your interest. This assignment should be between 3-4 pages, and will be an opinion piece on the material we have covered. It is not a summary of what we have discussed in class. This paper will encourage you to analyze contemporary events and use what you have learned to form your own opinion.

Paper II:

Each student will write a research paper, numbering 5-7 pages, on a topic which has been introduced in the class. The papers should be written in APA Format, and should include five (5) references, one of which may be the textbook. These papers are due on Monday, December 4th.

***We will devote a class period to questions regarding these papers, and I will also conduct a writing workshop for any interested students.***

Participation

Participation is a vital component of this class. I expect you to learn as much from each other as you do from the course materials. Don't be shy!!

LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE

I reserve the right to change or modify the lecture and reading schedule.

PART ONE: THE FOUNDATIONS OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
8/30 I. Course Introduction:

9/4: NO CLASS (LABOR DAY)

The Distinctiveness of Comparative Politics

9/6:
O'Neil, Ch. 1.

Collier, David. “The Comparative Method: Two Decades of Change,” pp. 7-31 in Dankwart A.

Rustow and Kenneth Paul Erickson, eds. Comparative Political Dynamics: Global Research

Perspectives. New York: HarperCollins, 1991

Kaplan, Chapter 1

States
9/11 and 9/13
O'Neil, Ch. 2.

Robert I. Rotberg, “The New Nature of Nation-State Failure,” The Washington Quarterly

25:3 (Summer 2002) 85–96.

Nations and Society

9/18 and 9/20

O'Neil, Ch. 3

James D. Fearon & David Laitin, “Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War,” American

Political Science Review 97:1 (Feb. 2003) p.75-90

Roger Brubaker and David Laitin. Ethnic and nationalist violence. Annual Review of Sociology 24(1):423-430.

Political Economy

9/25 and 9/27

O’Neil, Ch. 4

Henry Bienen and Jeffrey Herbst, “The Relationship Between Political and Economic Reform in Africa,” Comparative Politics, 29(1) (Oct. 1996), pp. 23-42. Stable

Lindblom, Charles E., "The Market as Prison," pp 295-302.

http://www.newyouth.com/archives/theory/faq/principles_of_communism.asp

10/2 – NO CLASS

Authoritarianism

10/3 and 10/4

O’Neil, Ch. 5

Lagnado, “Why the Rural Millions Love a Dictator,” New Statesman, Sep 17, 2001, pp. 20-22.

Authoritarianism in the 1970s: From Bureaucratic- Authoritarianism to Neoconservatism” Comparative Politics Vol. 23 No 2. pp. 201-220

The Greatest Show on Earth,” Economist

10/9 – NO CLASS

Democracy

10/11

O’Neil, Ch. 6

P. Schmitter & T. L. Karl. 1991.“What Democracy is ... and is Not,” J of Democracy, 2:1, 75-88

MID-TERM REVIEW WEEK

10/16 – Finish Chapter 6, review

10/18 – MIDTERM EXAM

Advanced Democracy

10/23 and 10/25

O’Neil, Ch. 7

Studlar, "A Constitutional Revolution in Britain?"

James L. Payne, “Scotland: The Bitter Taste of Independence”

Irwin Stelzer, “The Welfare State Lives On (alas)”

Required Reading on Great Britain can be found at:
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/demo/compol/britain_society.htm

Communism and Post-Communism

10/30 and 11/1

O’Neil, Ch. 8

Pipes, Richard. "The National Problem in Russia." The Formation of the Soviet Union. Pp. 1-8.

Alexander Dallin, “Causes of the Collapse of the USSR”

“Going Nowhere,” by David Remnick.

“Russian Democracy Under Putin” by Timothy J. Colton and Michael McFaul

Less-Developed and Newly Industrializing Countries

11/6 and 11/8

O’Neil, Ch. 9

Larry Diamond, "Can the Whole World Become Democratic? Democracy, Development,

and International Policies" (April 17, 2003). Center for the Study of Democracy.

“The Emperor is Far Away,” by the Harvard International Review

Thomas Sowell, "Second Thoughts about the Third World," Harper's, November, 1983.

Globalization/Contemporary Issues in the Third World

11/13 and 11/15 – LAST DAY TO HAND IN PAPER #1

O’Neil, Ch. 10

Cutter, Spero, and Tyson, "New World, New Deal - A Democratic Approach to Globalization," Foreign Affairs, 79:2 (Mar/Apr 2000), pp. 80-98

John Stopford, “Multinational Corporations.” Foreign Policy, Winter 1998/1999.

Ken Waltz, “Globalization and American Power,” in The National Interest, Spring 2000, 59, pp. 46-56.

COUNTRY CASE STUDIES

IRAN

11/20 and 11/22

Readings to be announced

NIGERIA

11/27 and 11/29

Readings to be announced

INDIA

12/4 – LAST DAY TO HAND IN PAPER #2

Readings to be announced

EUROPEAN UNION

12/5

Readings to be announced

12/11 – GOODBYE LENIN!

12/13 – FINAL EXAM REVIEW

FINAL EXAM – TBA

Good luck!