Grading. Shair-Rosenfield 1

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1 Poli 130: Introduction to Comparative Politics 112 Murphy Hall Instructor: Sarah Shair-Rosenfield Class: Tuesday/Thursday 8-9:15am Office hours: Tuesday 10am-12pm, Wednesday 12-1pm, or by appointment Contact info: Department of Political Science, 300 Hamilton Hall, The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of comparative politics by seeking to understand thematic similarities and differences among a diverse set of countries around the world. Attention will be focused on two themes: 1) identifying basic state structures, such as types of political and economic regimes, levels of sovereignty and electoral systems, and 2) describing dynamic political, social and economic factors, such as political parties, social movements, and ethnic diversity. We will compare many different countries, in addition to the United States, as real-world examples of our thematic types. Through lectures, discussion groups, and role-playing simulations we will try to interpret what, if any, relationship exists between these state structures and dynamic factors and how different combinations result in very different forms of governments and societies. This course also seeks to develop analytic and research skills. Reading assignments will provide students with the tools to interact in both discussion and simulation of the themes and cases, and writing assignments will enable students to communicate their understanding of those themes and cases in clear, reasoned essays. In-class simulations will allow students to develop deeper knowledge of particular actors roles in the choices and development of a country s political institutions. Finally, students are required to attend and actively participate in class. Grading There will be three participatory simulations during the semester, each student is expected to take part in ONLY ONE simulation, but the final paper will cover topics addressed during ALL simulations so attendance at all three is required. There are three papers required for this course, two short (3-5 pages) papers comparing and contrasting two particular readings, and a final paper (5-6 pages) analyzing the outcomes of the simulations in the context of a historical country comparison. There will be one in-class midterm exam consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions. The final exam will be given on December 13 th and will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Both exams will be closed book. 10% In-class attendance and participation 20% Short analytical papers (10% each) 20% Simulation participation (10% participant, 5% observer, 5% observer) 15% Final paper 15% In-class midterm 20% Final exam Shair-Rosenfield 1

2 Grading scale A C A C B D B D B D C F 0-59 Paper policies Papers must be submitted in hard copy (duplex printing is fine) at the beginning of the class session on the date listed in the syllabus. Name and PID should be printed on the first page, the honor code should be written and signed on a separate page at the end of the paper. A latepenalty will be assessed as follows: for each additional day late there will be an automatic 5- point deduction from the final grade for that assignment. No late papers will be accepted after 1 week past the assignment deadline (i.e. if the paper is due on a Tuesday at the beginning of class, no papers will be accepted after the beginning of class the following Tuesday). Attendance policies Non-simulation classes: 0-2 Unexcused absences No penalty 3 Unexcused absences Lose 1/3 participation grade (ie. 3% overall course grade) 4 Unexcused absences Lose 2/3 participation grade (ie. 6% overall course grade) 5+ Unexcused absences Automatically fail course Simulation classes: 1 Unexcused absence (observer) Lose 5% overall course grade 1 Unexcused absence (participant) Lose 10% overall course grade 2 Unexcused absences (any role) Automatically fail course An absence is unexcused if you do not provide a note from a doctor or Student Health Services regarding a medical emergency, a note from a University-sanctioned activity such as an athletic event or religious holiday observance, or give me plenty of warning in advance about family or personal issues that would cause you to miss class. Please note that scheduling an appointment for non-emergency or unexpected services at Student Health does not count as an excused absence (ie. please do not schedule your annual check-up or physical therapy appointment during class time and expect to be excused for it). Participation policies Attend most classes and participate actively in discussion Start from % Attend most classes and participate minimally in discussion Start from 90-95% Attend some classes and participate actively in discussion Start from 85-90% Attend some classes and participate minimally in discussion Start from 80-85% Attend most classes and do not participate in discussion Start from 75-80% Attend some classes and do not participate in discussion Start from 70-75% Attend few classes: See above attendance policy Shair-Rosenfield 2

3 Short Writing Assignments During this course you will read a number of articles by scholars who take sides during a debate about a particular policy outcome or system of government. Two of your writing assignments will assess your ability to evaluate social scientific methods, applying the comparative method yourself, and to convey your findings in a written piece. Both of the short writing assignments require you to choose which of two scholars arguments you find most compelling, recap that argument (in the context of the opposing argument, if necessary), and explain what makes that argument compelling and why. Each of your writing assignments should include: a thesis statement about which author s piece you find more convincing, a brief summary of both arguments and the evidence each author uses to support her/his argument, an explanation of why you find one author s argument more convincing than the other, and a conclusion that sums up your position and supporting evidence. Your explanation should directly reference the methodological, empirical and/or theoretical aspects of her/his argument, including evidence (citations or parenthetical documentation) from the reading itself, and address, where needed, the contrasting approach taken by the alternate reading. Role-playing Simulations & Writing Assignment During this course you will participate in an in-class simulation of a real world event, similar to a model United Nations or a moot court. The purpose of these simulations is two-fold: 1) to understand the individual political decisions made by actors from the perspective of having to make decisions in similar environments; and 2) to make comparisons from real historical examples to the contemporary and fictitious scenarios in our academic class setting. The first simulation sets up and follows the possible transition from authoritarian rule in a fictitious country as the existing authoritarian regime suffers from popular protest due to three years of economic recession that have caused rising unemployment and prices of household staples. The characters include the outgoing authoritarian leader, some of her/his military leaders, the leaders of the potential political opposition group, business leaders, labor leaders, the leader of a rural guerilla group, and an exiled communist leader. The second simulation is conducted as a discussion relating to the division of power and inclusion in the post-transition state among representatives of marginalized social groups, many of whom had been politically and physically repressed under the authoritarian state. The characters include the representatives of women s groups, ethnic and religious minorities, labor and farming leaders, and the local police. The third simulation is conducted as a debate over the formal institutional structure in a newly-democratic state, something akin to a constituent assembly that must decide the rules and regulations governing issues such as accountability mechanisms, elections, political party registration and competition, and balance of power between branches of government. The characters include the outgoing and rising opposition political elites, civil society and interest group representatives, international observers and consultants. None of the simulations will have a predetermined outcome, all decisions will be the result of the during-simulation choices of the simulation s participants. There will be supplementary readings provided and you should conduct some additional research on your own, based on the readings and cases discussed during regular class lectures and discussions, to prepare for your individual role. There will be a final paper in which you will summarize the outcomes in the context of a historical case comparison. Shair-Rosenfield 3

4 Required Texts There is a primary text and reader available at UNC Student Stores, we will use the vast majority of both of these books, neither of which are available on reserve or in the UNC libraries: Essentials of Comparative Politics 3 rd Edition. Patrick O Neil (referred to as Text ) Essential Readings in Comparative Politics 3 rd Edition. Patrick O Neil and Ronald Rogowski (referred to as Reader ) All other readings listed on the syllabus are posted in Blackboard under Assignments and are noted with [BB] in the syllabus. Supplementary readings for the simulations will be posted in Blackboard in folders found in Course Documents. These are highly recommended for those participating in the simulation itself, as well as for those observing the simulation. Finally, there are recommended readings listed throughout the syllabus which will include broad theories or specific cases discussed during lectures. Only materials from the required readings and these recommended readings that are covered in lectures will appear on exams, but doing the recommended readings will make it easier when studying your lectures notes for the exams. Blackboard This course will make frequent use of Blackboard including: reading assignments not available in the Textbook or Reader, simulation and research information and readings, announcements, and open discussion forums for people to discuss concerns and additional research resources. If you are not familiar with Blackboard, please familiarize yourself via this online manual provided by UNC: Graduate Research Consultant In this course, you will be working with a Graduate Research Consultant who will assist you in the research for the simulations and final writing assignment. The GRC Program is sponsored by the Office for Undergraduate Research ( I encourage you to visit this website to see other ways that you might engage in research, scholarship and creative performance while you are at Carolina. The GRC will assist in preparation for the simulations and will be available as a research resource when you are working on your final papers, GRC contact info and availability are posted in the Staff Information section on Blackboard. The GRC is only available to answer questions pertaining to research for the simulations and final paper. This means you should not send her/him questions regarding exam preparation, the short analytical papers, or your grades. Shair-Rosenfield 4

5 Class outline What is comparative politics? 8/23 Tuesday: Introduction: What is Politics? What is Government? Why study comparatively? 8/25 Thursday: Introduction: The Regions/Countries, Comparing Most-Similar and Most- Different, Measurement instruments Text: 1-20 Reader: 1-19 Robertson 2011 Think Again: Dictators [BB] What is power and what is the state? 8/30 Tuesday: What is power? What is the state? Text: Reader: 20-28, Text: (highly recommended) Reader: 29-43, (highly recommended) Conducting university research 9/1 Thursday: Online databases and search engines, citable sources, guidelines for research State power: democracy vs. authoritarianism different power sources in the modern world 9/6 Tuesday: What is democracy, what is authoritarianism? Text: , , Reader: , /8 Thursday: What are hybrid regimes? Text: (up to green box titled Institutions in Action ), (from section titled Freedom and Equality ), (up to section titled The Collapse of Communism ) Reader: , /13 Tuesday: Transitions to Democracy Part I Munck & Leff 1997 Modes of Transition [BB] Carothers 1999 The End of the Transition Paradigm [BB] 9/15 Thursday: Transitions to Democracy Part II Text: Reader: , /20 Tuesday: Transitions to Democracy Simulation Prep No Class Simulation participant meetings with GRC & instructor 9/22 Thursday: Simulation: Authoritarian Transitions to Democracy Shair-Rosenfield 5

6 People in democratic states different issues in the politics of identity 9/27 Tuesday: Domestic Issues I: Identity politics in plural societies Text: Htun 2004 Is Gender Like Ethnicity? [BB] Dawisha & Diamond 2006 Iraq s Year of Voting Dangerously [BB] Reader: (highly recommended) 9/29 Thursday: Domestic Issues II: Ethnic divisions and conflict Kaspin 1995 The Politics of Ethnicity [BB] Posner 2004 Salience of Cultural Differences [BB] 10/4 Tuesday: Domestic Issues III: Gender and Politics Schmitter 1998 Contemporary Democratization: The Prospects for Women [BB] Baldez 2006 The Pros and Cons of Gender Quota Laws: What happens when you kick men out and let women in? [BB] Krook 2006 Gender Quotas, Norms and Politics [BB] Shair-Rosenfield 2011 Gender and politics [BB] 10/6 Thursday: Religion and Politics Reader: 58-66, , Reader: (highly recommended) Security within states different issues in civil conflict and political violence 10/11 Tuesday: Political Violence I: Revolutions Text: Reader: /13 Thursday: Political Violence II: Terrorism, Security and Foreign Policy Issues Text: Reader: ***(paper due in class)*** Midterm exam 10/18 Tuesday: Mid-term Exam 10/20 Thursday: Fall Break No Class Democratic states different structures of democratic states in the modern world 10/25 Tuesday: Forms of power distribution The Legislature: Structure & Composition Reader: Sisk 2002 A Typology of Conflict Regulating Practices [BB] 10/27 Thursday: The Executive: Presidentialism & Parliamentarism Text: (up to Political Parties ) Linz 1990 The Perils of Presidentialism [BB] Linz 1990 The Virtues of Parliamentarism [BB] Shair-Rosenfield 6

7 11/1 Tuesday: Electoral politics: Plurality Systems & Proportional Systems Text: (beginning with section titled Electoral Systems up to Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ) Barkan 1995 Elections in Agrarian Societies [BB] Reynolds 1995 The Case for Proportionality [BB] 11/3 Thursday: Political parties: What are political parties? What is a political party system? Text: (section titled Political Parties ) Reader: Lipset 2002 The Indispensability of Political Parties [BB] Mainwaring 1998 Party Systems in the Third Wave [BB] 11/8 Tuesday: Preference Formation Simulation Prep No Class Simulation participant meetings with GRC & instructor 11/10 Thursday: Simulation: Group Identity Preference Formation 11/15 Tuesday: Political Institutions Simulation Prep No Class Simulation participant meetings with GRC & instructor 11/17 Thursday: Simulation: Constitutional Design Debate 11/22 Tuesday: Civil Society, Social Capital and Voting Behavior Reader: ***( paper due in class or before)*** 11/24 Thursday: THANKSGIVING No Class The market capitalism, welfare, globalization, development 11/29 Tuesday: Political Economy I: Components & Systems Text: 77-96, , Reader: Reader: (highly recommended) 12/1 Thursday: Political Economy II: Globalization & Development Text: , Reader: , Reader: , (highly recommended) 12/6 Tuesday: Political Economy III: Outcomes & Inequality Text: Reader: , Carbone 2009 The Consequences of Democratization [BB] Reader: (highly recommended) ***(final paper due in class or before)*** 12/13 Tuesday Final Exam 8 AM in 112 Murphy Hall Shair-Rosenfield 7