GOVT session (FINAL VERSION) Introduction to Comparative Politics Credits: 3 Mondays and Wednesdays 10:30am-11:45am. Innovation Hall Room 103

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1 GOVT session (FINAL VERSION) Introduction to Comparative Politics Credits: 3 Mondays and Wednesdays 10:30am-11:45am. Innovation Hall Room 103 Instructor Dr. Shirin Saeidi shirin.saeidi@gmail.com Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10 am, and by appointment ARLFH 656 Graduate Teaching Assistant Matt Campbell mcampb17@masonlive.gmu.edu PhD Candidate (Political Science) Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00-3:00 PM Robinson A218A (not to be confused with Robinson A218, the extra A is necessary) Overview This course is designed to introduce students to the relevance of a comparative approach for developing a well-rounded understanding of political dynamics. What is comparative politics? Why is it useful? How does one rely on a comparative approach methodologically? How do different states develop and govern themselves? Are people just as significant of actors as institutions when thinking about power dynamics? What does history, gender, race, sexuality and class have to do with comparative politics? How does Western political theory evolve in other parts of the world? These are questions that we will consider together in this course. This course will be of interest to those that will pursue further studies in politics, and students that will venture out into other fields of study. Students will develop a greater appreciate for the diverse ways in which political dynamics evolve in different global contexts. Students will also learn the basic skills for developing academic arguments and writing research papers. My teaching plan is broken down into two parts. The first part of the course introduces students to the notion of comparative politics and its methodological approaches. The second part of the course will examine various facets of state governance in different geographical settings. We will look at nation-state formation, regime types, constitutional features of democracies and nondemocracies, electoral systems, and civil society and NGOs. The course relies on conventional academic texts, but also newspaper articles, personal experience, literature, documentaries and films to think about actors and political dynamics. Students with Special Needs If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.

2 Academic Integrity Faculty in the Schar School have zero tolerance for academic dishonesty and will strictly enforce Mason s honor code. For more information please see: I also rely on several different software systems to detect plagiarism, and often randomly check papers and written pieces for academic integrity. Course Requirements and Graded Evaluation There are four graded requirements for this course, described below. Grades will be calculated on a non-curved typical A-F scale: A A A B B B C C C D D D- < 60 F Documentaries and Films One of the important elements of comparative politics is developing an understanding of one s own political system. As such, we will watch several films and documentaries that examine US politics through the perspective of different social groups. The documentaries draw on the experiences of the LGBTQ and Muslim communities with the US judicial system to shed light on how at times liberal democratic systems of governance have undersides that are typically associated with authoritarian states. The documentaries invite us to think more critically about how (or if) such instances of false accusation, violation of human rights, and false imprisonment

3 can be avoided in modern nation-states. Students will engage more critically with the ways in which the authoritarian/democratic binary emerges and becomes destabilized through a comparative approach. Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four (USA, 2016) (T)Error (USA, 2015) Suggested Websites Students are encouraged to read several different online news sources as an approach for staying up-to-date with national and international news and develop their writing skills Student Requirements This is an introductory course where students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the general themes of the course. The first paper will address some of the key methodological concepts and concerns that must be acknowledged in a comparative study. The material you will rely on for this paper will be taught during the first half of this course. In the second paper, students are expected to focus on one aspect of comparative politics, and address how a comparative approach helps us address a larger question. Additionally, this course also guides students to develop the skills needed to write academic papers. Students are encouraged to make use of the writing center at least once during the course. One mandatory meeting with Dr. Saeidi is required to discuss the papers, and She is available for further discussions during office hours. In an effort to move students beyond a focus on grades, revisions and resubmissions are permitted. The course intents to introduce students to the pleasures of reading, thinking, and creating original thought. Students can submit drafts before the due date to Dr. Saeidi, and she will return them with comments on how to further strengthen the paper. Additionally, our Graduate Teaching Assistant is also available to comment on papers. Please make an appointment with him in advance to discuss your work and other concerns.

4 30% methodology paper 30% empirical paper 40% weekly class attendance (5%); participation (5%); summaries (30%) Dr. Saeidi will learn everyone s name, and students must sign an attendance sheet at the start of each class session with their name and G number. Meaningful participation includes thoughtful comments during class discussion. Your weekly summaries should be typed with your name, G number, and date on them. These weekly writings should include a summary of the reading material and a personal critique and evaluation of the argument. The weekly summaries should be at least two pages, but students can write as much as they feel is necessary. Students are encouraged to think aloud and freely express their thoughts and feelings. Students may also incorporate the recommended reading if they desire to gain superior insight on the topic being addressed. The weekly summaries are intended to support students as they think through the reading material and develop their ideas for the two papers. Submit summaries at the start of each class session. Once returned, you should keep them all in one folder for collectively the pieces will support your write-up of the midterm and final papers. Essay Questions First Essay: How does one construct a comparative study? (Methodology paper, 5-8 pages, 30%) (DUE MARCH 22 TH Submit in person to instructor or GTA during class hours) This first essay question is based on the required reading having to do with methodology in comparative politics. But you are also invited to draw on the other reading material, the list of suggested websites, and your own personal experiences to engage with the material. Second Essay: How does a comparative approach help us engage with larger social science questions? (empirical paper, 5-8 pages, all the archival and visual material you will need is in this syllabus, 30%) (DUE MAY 10, Submit in person to instructor or GTA during class hours) This final essay requires that you think critically about a topic addressed in this course that you found interesting, and would like to think about further. For instance, you could further examine the two books on economic transformations. One book addresses the Arab Uprisings and the another text makes a more general global argument. Through this comparative study, you could consider how thinking about the political economy in a comparative manner helps us engage with larger questions having to do with the distribution of wealth in the modern nation-state. The goal is to construct a comparative project, and pose general questions. Students are not required to develop answers for their questions. In another example, students could rely on specific case studies to explore how a comparative approach helps us understand the formation of nationstates.

5 Required Texts Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Newton, K and van Deth. J Foundations of Comparative Politics 2nd Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press. Enloe, C Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics Doty, R Imperial Encounters. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Starr, A, Fernandez, L.A., and Scholl, C. Shutting down the streets: Political violence and social control in the global era. New York University Press, Achcar, G. The people want: a radical exploration of the Arab uprising. University of California Press, Standing, G. The precariat: The new dangerous class. A&C Black, Recommended Texts Bayly, C.A., (2004) The Birth of the Modern World, (Oxford: Blackwells) Fukuyama, F. (2012) The Origins of Political Order; From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution. London: Profile. Fukuyama, F. (2014) Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy. London: Profile. Huntington, S. (1968) Political Order in Changing Societies. London: Yale University Press. Mann, M. (1986, 1993, 2012) Sources of Social Power, 4 Volumes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Papadopoulos, Y. (2013) Democracy in Crisis? Politics, Governance and Policy. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Tadiar, Neferti X. M. (2009). Things Fall Away: Philippine Historical Experience and the Makings of Globalization. Duke University Press. Grewal, I. Transnational America: Feminisms, Diasporas, Neoliberalisms Part I: What is Comparative Politics? Comparative Politics, an Introduction

6 January 23: An introduction to the course and suggestions for developing good writing skills January 25: Newton, K. and Wan Deth, Jan W Foundations of Comparative Politics 2nd Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press. (introduction) Tripp, A. M Why So Slow? The Challenges of Gendering Comparative Politics. Politics & Gender 2 (2): Comparative Methods January 30: Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (Section I, pp ) Recommended Scott, J.W Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis. American Historical Review 91: February 1: Doty, R Imperial Encounters. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. (Part I) February 6: Imperial Encounters continued (Part III) Recommended: Enloe, C Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics annotated Part II: Comparative Politics of Different Political Processes Nation-State Formation February 8 Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (chapter 4, 12, 13) February 13

7 Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (14, 15, 17, 18) Recommended: Taylor, B. and Botea, R. (2008). Tilly Tally: War-Making and State-Making in the Contemporary Third World. International Studies Review 10: Helling, D Tillyan Footprints Beyond Europe: War-Making and State-Making In the Case of Somaliland, St Antony s International Review 6, no. 1: Grzymala-Busse, A. and Jones Luong, P Reconceptualizing the State: Lessons from Post-Communism, Politics and Society vol. 30, no. 4: February 15 Gupta, A., Blurred Boundaries: The Discourse of Corruption, the Culture of Politics, and the Imagined State. American Ethnologist, 22 (2), pp Recommended Thies, C National Design and State Building in Africa. World Politics vol. 61, no. 4, pp Kroenig, M. and Stowsky, J. (2006). War Makes the State, but Not as It Pleases: Homeland Security and American Anti-Statism, Security Studies 15, no, 2: February 20 Bromley, S., The States-System in the Middle East: Origins, Development, and Prospects. In: Y.M. Choueiri, ed. A Companion to the History of the Middle East. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp Recommended Saeidi, S Reconsidering Categories of Analysis: Possibilities for Feminist Studies of Conflict. Gender & History. Regime Types February 22 Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008 (chapter 5 and 6)

8 Cavatorta, F. The convergence of governance: upgrading authoritarianism in the Arab world and downgrading democracy elsewhere? Middle East Critique 19.3 (2010): Recommend Bunce, V. Comparative Democratization Big and Bounded Generalizations, Comparative Political Studies (2000): Carothers, T. The end of the transition paradigm, Journal of democracy 13.1 (2002): February 27 Teti, A., and Mura, A. Convergent (il) liberalism in the Mediterranean? Some notes on Egyptian (post-) authoritarianism and Italian (post-) democracy, European Urban and Regional Studies 20.1 (2013): Hess, S. From the Arab Spring to the Chinese Winter: The institutional sources of authoritarian vulnerability and resilience in Egypt, Tunisia, and China, International Political Science Review 34.3 (2013): March 1 Lust, E., and Ndegwa. S. N. Governance Challenges in the Face of Transformation, Middle East Law & Governance 2 (2010): 113. Tsoukala, A. Democracy in the light of security: British and French political discourses on domestic counter-terrorism policies, Political Studies 54.3 (2006): Economic Transformations March 6 Achcar, G. The people want: a radical exploration of the Arab uprising. University of California Press, 2013 (Introduction, chapters 1 and 2) March 8 The People Want (chapters 3 and 4) Recommend: Standing, G. The precariat: The new dangerous class. A&C Black, March SPRING BREAK

9 March 20 The People Want (chapters 5, 6, conclusion) Constitutional features of democracies and non-democracies March 22 (FIRST ESSAY DUE, NO READING SUMMARY THIS SESSION) Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (chapter 9) Newton, K and van Deth. J Foundations of Comparative Politics 2nd Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 3) March 27 Film (T)Error Wedel, Janine R., et al. Toward an anthropology of public policy, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (2005): March 29 Film continued April 3 Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four April 5 Southwest of Salem continued Electoral Systems April 10 Caramani, D. Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (chapter 10) April 12 Newton, K and van Deth. J Foundations of Comparative Politics 2nd Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 11) Ghobadzadeh, N Electoral theocracy and hybrid sovereignty in Iran, Contemporary Politics

10 Civil Society and NGOs April 17 Starr, Amory, Luis A. Fernandez, and Christian Scholl. (2011) Shutting down the streets: Political violence and social control in the global era. New York University Press. (Chapters 1, 2, 3). April 19 Shutting down the streets continued (Chapters 4, 5) Recommended No End in Sight: Detention Wears on for American who ran Egypt Children s Clinic April 24 Shutting down the streets continued (chapters 6, 7) Recommended Is this What Democracy Looks Like? (ed. by Bauer, A.J et al.) April 26 Al-Ali, N. (2003). Gender and Civil Society in the Middle East. International Feminist Journal of Politics 5 (2): Hatem, M. F. The Arab Spring meets the Occupy Wall Street Movement: Examples of changing definitions of Citizenship in a global world, Journal of Civil Society 8.4 (2012): May 1 Rostami Povey, E. (2001). Feminist Contestations of Institutional Domains in Iran. Feminist Review Collective, No 69. pp Joseph, S. (1997). The Public/Private: The Imagined Boundary in the Imagined Nation/State/Community: The Lebanese Case Feminist Review, Number 57, May 3 Pratt, N. (2007). The Queen Boat case in Egypt: sexuality, national security and state sovereignty, Review of International Studies Vol, 33, issue.1,

11 May 10 (FINAL ESSAY DUE) FINAL ESSAY DUE BY 10:30 AM TO DR. SAEIDI OR GTA (PRINTED COPY SUBMITTED IN PERSON)