POLITICAL SCIENCE 407Y / 607Y

Transcription

1 POLITICAL SCIENCE 407Y / 607Y Democracy and Authoritarianism Section XX Course date & time, Course Location Fall 20XX Syllabus Dr. Susanne Martin Office: MSS 237 Office Hours: TBD susannemartin@unr.edu Webcampus: Department Website: Course Description: Winston Churchill is famously remembered by many for surmising that democracy is the worst form of government apart from all others that have been tried. Francis Fukuyama is similarly well-known for his more recent view that the post-cold War victory of liberal ideas would eventually bring an end of history. The result would be a world convergence regarding the legitimacy of liberalism, often associated with democracy and capitalism. Despite these presumed superiority of democratic regimes, the world remains full of varieties of democracies and autocracies. Moreover, there is no reason to think that this status quo will change appreciably in the near future. Attention to the subject has increased as foreign policies have increasingly included plans to promote or assist democracies in places with little, if any, democratic history. Before democracy can be promoted or assisted, it is useful to understand how democracies have come about in the past. This includes an understanding of the presumed prerequisites for democracy, the catalysts for democratization, and the implications of processes of democratization. In this course, students explore some of the most important questions in the study of democracies and authoritarian regimes: What is (and is not) a democracy? Can a regime be partially democratic, or must it be either democratic or authoritarian? Why might this distinction matter and at what point should a line be drawn between these two regimes types? How is democratization the process by which a regime becomes democratic explained? Are there prerequisites or catalysts? Are explanations for democracy and democratic consolidation comparable across cases and over time, or do earlier processes of democratization differ from newer examples? Are regimes naturally making progress toward democracy; are current democracies becoming more democratic over time? How can democratization and democracy be promoted or assisted? How effective have past efforts to support democracy been and what might be the benefits and drawbacks of policies promoting democratization or sustaining democracy? For instance, does the presence of democracy make violent conflict including war and terrorism more or less likely? Answers to each of these questions are the topics of discussion and debate in the study of democracy and authoritarianism. 1

2 Throughout the course, students will evaluate competing explanations for how democracies come into being and the implications of processes of democratization. Students will become familiar with the various types of resources that are available to conduct research in this area and the benefits and limitations of this data. Course objectives will be assessed through a variety of forms, including assignments, analytical papers, presentations, and exams. Prerequisite: PSC 231 or 211; Junior or senior standing with the completion of all core requirements. Note: Students enrolled in this course for graduate credit (PSC 607 Y) must refer to the addendum for information regarding course requirements, grading, assigned readings, and assessments of performance for graduate students. Required Texts and Course Materials: Fareed Zakaria, The Future of Freedom: Illiberal democracy at home and abroad (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2007). Additional required readings noted in the syllabus will be available via WebCT ( or searchable through the UNR Knowledge Center website. The main text book is available at the UNR Bookstore. Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to - Define democracy and non-democracy, recognizing the inclusions and limitations of various definitional elements - Critically examine the complex nature of democratic and authoritarian regimes, including what distinguishes them, how they function, how they are established, and how they endure - Identify existing gaps in the literature and research on democracies, democratization, and authoritarianism - Analyze changes in democracies over time and the relevance of democratic consolidation and collapse as part of a growing global pattern and potential problem through a study of relevant scholarly literature - Evaluate competing explanations for democratization and authoritarian regression and the types of resources that are available to conduct research in this area - Articulate and evaluate the connections between local, national and international actors, including governmental and non-governmental actors - Explain and apply key theories of comparative politics relevant to democratization and authoritarian regression 2

3 With the capstone designation, this course develops competency in Silver Core Objectives CO1 (Effective composition and communication) and CO3 (Critical analysis and use of information); it also satisfies the Silver Core Objective CO11 (Global context) and CO13 (Integration and synthesis). Core Objective CO1 requires students to effectively produce written analysis and CO3 requires students to be critical consumers of information. Students will show competency in these two objectives through multiple written and oral assignments, including composing an analytical paper, conducting additional research, giving a presentation and providing a written summary of the presentation, and answering short answer questions on a periodic basis. Students will be asked to build on previous knowledge gained through in-major and/or in-discipline coursework but incorporate other disciplines and relevant fields. Because students will be identifying and analyzing ethical issues in both theory and in practice, they will have to do so through investigation, observation, critical reading, interpretation and, ultimately, written analysis. In addition to demonstrating this skill through written and oral assignments, students will demonstrate this skill in examinations. Students are also expected to contribute to discussions during class meetings, and will be assessed in this respect through participation grades. The name of the course, Democracy and Authoritarianism, implies students will have a broader and broadened understanding of regime types and the ways in which regimes come about and change. The writing activities mentioned will not only show the student s ability to do research but also the student s understanding of this important global issue. For this reason, this course satisfies CO11 Global Context; students will apply and evaluate modes of academic inquiry, creative expression, or results of research to problems in historical and contemporary global contexts. Students will articulate connections among local, national, and international contexts and evaluate the ways in which historical and contemporary global influences affect their current situations. Together, these objectives satisfy CO13 (Integration and Synthesis): Students will be able to integrate and synthesize Core knowledge, enabling them to analyze openended problems or complex issues. The core objectives are thus broadened because students will be able to frame original research in the context of modern day examples demonstrating inclusion and understanding of the interplay among different case studies and even among different disciplines presented in the relevant literature. Class Policies and Procedures: Attendance Missing classes may have an effect on your grade in this course. Accommodations will be made for students who must be absent under exceptional circumstances, such as those involving serious illnesses or other incidents that cannot be avoided. Under normal circumstances, missing class for work or travel will not be accommodated and will result in grades of 0 for any missed assessments or assessments. In order to 3

4 avoid a grade of 0, communicate with the instructor within one class meeting of an absence and be prepared to provide written documentation. Assigned Readings Students are responsible for completing the assigned readings prior to class. An understanding of the assigned readings is considered to be the starting point for lectures and class discussions, both of which extend beyond the assigned texts. Late Assignment Policy Late assignments are highly discouraged, though will be accepted at a pentalty of 30% after one day. Student responsibilities Read the syllabus: This syllabus acts like a contract for the course, laying out expectations and policies. It is important that students understand the conditions of this contract. Attend class regularly. Failure to attend class will affect course grades. Read. Performance in this course depends in large part on understanding the required readings. Come to class prepared. Complete the assigned readings prior to class. Pay attention to lectures. Lectures contribute to the content of the course independent of and beyond required readings. Engage in discussions. Class discussions offer opportunities for students to test their knowledge and raise questions. Ask questions. Raise questions regarding readings, course content, and class policies. Study. It is very important to read and study the assigned readings and review lecture notes. Reading the assigned materials one time is not the same thing as studying. Attend office hours. Students are encouraged to attend office hours. Office hours offer additional opportunities for students to ask questions about course content and course preparation. Students who perform poorly on any single assessment are expected to attend office hours, review assessments, and discuss preparation for subsequent assessments. Check WebCampus and s regularly. Assigned readings, announcements, study documents, and grades will be posted on WebCampus throughout the semester. On occasion, announcements will be sent through WebCampus. Follow up: It is each student s responsibility to follow up on all matters relating to academic performance and accommodations. Students should not rely solely on communications; rather, many questions are more appropriately raised before or after class meetings or during office hours. Students are responsible for following up on all arrangements made regarding academic accommodations. 4

5 Description of Assignments: Student performance in this course will be evaluated through a combination of assessments. Students should monitor course performance via Grade Center on WebCampus. Exams (25% + 30%): Exams are used to assess a student s understanding of key concepts and debates, as well as the student s ability to think critically about the themes discussed throughout the course, both in the lectures and in the assigned readings. All exams and assessments are cumulative. The first exam will be during Week 7 and the second (aka final) exam will be given during finals week. Analytical paper (15%): Students will answer a pre-assigned prompt in 3-5 pages, typed. The prompts are designed to elicit critical thinking from students, while addressing and analyzing the themes discussed in the literature. This paper will be due during week 4. Presentation and write-up (25%): Most students will work with a partner or small group on this assignment. Student pairs/groups will present and lead discussion on a preassigned topic. There is a research component to this assignment. At least one position will be given in the assigned readings. Students will identify competing arguments to present to the class that go beyond the course readings (with assistance, as needed). Students must outline the debate and take a position on the debate as part of their presentation. Presentations should include a visual component (e.g., Powerpoint, Prezi, etc.) A typed write-up outlining the debate and students position will be due on the day of the presentation. Your paper will be due along with the presentation write up on our last class day during Week 15 (date XXX). Presentations will occur during Weeks 12 to 14. You will be assigned to a specific date around the 3 rd week of school. Your presentation write up will be do along with your paper on our last class day during Week 15 (date XXX). Participation (15%): Participation takes two forms: consistent presence in class and contributions to class discussions and engaging in collaborative assignments. Assignments will include reading and summarizing the argument presented in an article and leading discussion on the article and the argument it presents. Final course grades: Final grades in the course are determined according to the grading guidelines laid out above. The same guidelines apply to all students. 5

6 Grading Criteria: All assignments and exams have the following breakdown: Participation 15% Analytical Paper 20% Presentation and write-up 10% Exam 1 25% Exam 2 30% Total 100% All grading will be on a scale. The following correspond to the approximate letter grades in my class: = A = B = C = D = A = B = C = D = B = C = D+ <60 = F Graduate Course Grading and Assignments: Course Requirements Assignments: Assignments and participation 10% Analytical Paper 10% Exam 1 25% Exam 2 25% Research paper and presentation 30% Total 100% Assessments of student performance Exams (25% + 25%): Graduate student exams will be similar (though not identical) to undergraduate student exams. Graduate student exams will include a writing component. Research paper and presentation (30%): Students will review the literature for a single theme of interest addressed in the course. In order to complete this assignment, students will identify and review scholarship within the political science literature that extends beyond the readings assigned in the syllabus. Topics and bibliographies must be approved in advance. Papers should be approximately pages in length. Students will present their literature reviews to the class during the appropriate week (the week most closely matching the chosen topic). Presentations and papers should focus on key debates within the literature and critiques of the literature. Graduate students will present their research alongside the undergraduates during weeks

7 Analytical paper (10%): Students will answer a pre-assigned prompt in 3-5 pages, typed. The prompts are designed to elicit critical thinking from students, while addressing and analyzing the themes discussed in the literature. This is due during week 4. Participation (10%): Graduate students are expected to be present and participate consistently and substantively in discussions. Graduate student performance: Graduate students are expected to perform at a higher level than undergraduate students in terms of preparation, understanding, and analytical thinking. Graduate students will demonstrate superior performance in these areas through class participation, performance on exams, individual research and review of a chosen literature, and other written work, including assignments and assessments. Course Calendar / Topics and Readings: The syllabus provides a guide for course objectives and student responsibilities. The professor reserves the right to modify the syllabus during the semester. Any modifications will be announced. Week Topic Readings Week 1 Course Introduction Read the syllabus carefully. Zakaria, Introduction: The Democratic Age Week 2 History Zakaria, Ch. 1: A Brief History of Human Liberty Samuel P. Huntington, Democracy s Third Wave, Journal of Democracy 2.2 (1991), Francis Fukuyama, The End of History? The National Interest 16 (Winter ). Dankwart A. Rustow, The Surging Tide of Democracy, Journal of Democracy 3.1 (1992), Week 3 Definitions Zakaria, Ch. 2: The Twisted Path Terry Karl and Philippe C. Schmitter, What Democracy is and is Not, Journal of Democracy 2.3 (1991), Andreas Schedler, What is Democratic Consolidation? Journal of Democracy 9.2 (1998),

8 Week 4 Types of democracy Zakaria, Ch. 3: Illiberal Democracy David Collier and Steven Levitsky, Democracy with Adjectives: Conceptual Innovation in Comparative Research, World Politics 49.3 (1997), Andreas Schedler, The Menu of Manipulation, Journal of Democracy 13.2 (2002), Larry Diamond, Thinking about Hybrid Regimes, Journal of Democracy 13.2 (2002), Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism, Journal of Democracy 13.2 (2002), *Analytical paper due. Week 5 Structural Causes and Conditions I Adam Przeworski, Michael Alvarez, Jose Antonio Cheibub, and Fernando Limongi, What Makes Democracies Endure? Journal of Democracy 7.1 (1996), Adam Przeworski and Fernando Limongi, Modernization: Theories and Facts, World Politics 49.2 (1997), Larry Diamond, Why Democracies Survive, Journal of Democracy 22.1 (2011), Eva Bellin, Contingent Democrats: Industrialists, Labor, and Democratization in Late-Developing Countries, World Politics 52.2 (2000), Week 6 Structural Causes and Conditions II Michael Ross, Does Oil Hinder Democracy? World Politics (2001), Tutu Alicante and Lisa Misol, Resource Cursed, Foreign Policy (August 26, 2009): < ource_cursed>. Charles Kenny, What Resource Curse? Foreign Policy (December 6, 2010): < at_resource_curse>. Week 7 Culture Francis Fukuyama, The Primacy of Culture, Journal of Democracy 6.1 (1995), Zakaria, Ch. 4: The Islamic Exception Francis Fukuyama, Confucianism and Democracy, Journal of Democracy 6.2 (1995), Seymour Martin Lipset, The Centrality of Political Culture, Journal of Democracy 1.4 (1990),

9 Alfred C. Stepan and Graeme B. Robertson, An Arab More Than a Muslim Democracy Gap, Journal of Democracy 14.3 (2003), Larry Diamond, Why Are There No Arab Democracies? Journal of Democracy 21.1 (2010), Daniel Philpott, The Catholic Wave, Journal of Democracy 15.2 (2004), Brzezinski, Zbigniew, The Primacy of History and Culture, Journal of Democracy 12.4 (2001), *Midterm (first) exam given* Week 7 Civil society Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: America s Declining Social Capital, Journal of Democracy 6.1 (1995), Sheri Berman, Taming Extremist Parties: Lessons from Europe, Journal of Democracy 19.1 (2008), Lucan Way, Civil Society and Democratization, Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Larry Jay Diamond, Toward Democratic Consolidation, Journal of Democracy 5.3 (1994), Week 8 Elites and masses Scott Mainwaring, The Role of Elites, Journal of Democracy 5.1 (1994), Christian Welzel and Ronald Inglehart, The Role of Ordinary People in Democratization, Journal of Democracy 19.1 (2008), Philippe C. Schmitter, Dangers and Dilemmas of Democracy, Journal of Democracy 5.2 (1994), Cheng Li, Top-Level Reform or Bottom-Up Revolution, Journal of Democracy 24.1 (2013), Week 9 Transitions I: Democratization, waves, diffusion, revolutions, and consolidation Samuel P. Hungtington, After Twenty Years: The Future of the Third Wave, Journal of Democracy 8.4 (1997), Henry S. Rowen, The Tide Underneath the Third Wave, Journal of Democracy 6.1 (1995), Larry Jay Diamond, Is the Third Wave Over? Journal of Democracy 7.3, (1996), Larry Diamond, Francis Fukuyama, Donald L. Horowitz, and Marc F. Plattner, Reconsidering the Transition Paradigm, Journal of Democracy 25.1 (2014), Philippe C. Schmitter, Twenty-Five Years, Fifteen 9

10 Findings, Journal of Democracy 21.1 (2010), Rene Lemarchand, Africa s Troubled Transitions, Journal of Democracy 3.4 (1992), Valerie Bunce, Comparing East and South, Journal of Democracy 6.3 (1995), Week 10 Transitions II: Democratization, waves, diffusion, revolutions, and consolidation Week 11 Constitutional and electoral design Thomas Carothers, The Sequencing Fallacy, Journal of Democracy 18.1 (2007), Michael McFaul, Transitions from Postcommunism, Journal of Democracy 16.3 (2005), Marc F. Plattner, The End of the Transitions Era? Journal of Democracy 25.3 (2014), Valerie J. Bunce & Sharon L. Wolchik, Favorable Conditions and Electoral Revolutions, Journal of Democracy 17.4 (2006), Lucan Way, The Real Causes of the Color Revolutions. Journal of Democracy 19.3 (2008), Valerie Bunce and Sharon Wolchik, Getting Real about Real Causes, Journal of Democracy 20.1 (2009), Ghia Nodia, How Different are Postcommunist Transitions? Journal of Democracy 7.4 (1996), Participation/Project: Students will work collaboratively to identify articles discussing the Arab Spring revolutions, summarize the argument of one article, and present this argument to the class as a starting point for a broader discussion of revolutions and democratization. Articles will be chosen from the October 2013 issue of Journal of Democracy. Additional information will follow. Juan J. Linz, The Perils of Presidentialism, Journal of Democracy 1.1 (1990), Donald L. Horowitz, Comparing Democratic Systems, Journal of Democracy 1.4 (1990), Juan J. Linz, The Virtues of Parliamentarism, Journal of Democracy 1.4 (1990), Andrew Reynolds, The Case for Proportionality, Journal of Democracy 6.4 (1995), Ben Reilly, Electoral Systems for Divided Societies, Journal of Democracy 13.2 (2002), Joel D. Barkan, Elections in Agrarian Societies, Journal of Democracy 6.4 (1995),

11 Week 12 Issues Carrie L. Manning and Miljenko Antic, The Limits of Electoral Engineering, Journal of Democracy 14.3 (2003), Donald L. Horowitz, Ethnic Power Sharing: Three Big Problems, Journal of Democracy 25.2 (2014), Adrienne LeBas, The Perils of Power Sharing, Journal of Democracy 25.2 (2014), Nancy Gina Bermeo, The Import of Institutions, Journal of Democracy 13.2 (2002), Francis Fukuyama, The Imperative of State-Building, Journal of Democracy 15.2 (2004), F. Gregory Gause III, Can Democracy Stop Terrorism? Foreign Affairs 8.5 (2005), Jennifer L. Windsor, Promoting Democratization Can Combat Terrorism, Washington Quarterly 26.3 (2003), Thomas Carothers, Democracy: Terrorism s Uncertain Antidote, Current History (2003), * Student Presentations Week 13 Democratic decline? Zakaria, Ch. 5: Too Much of a Good Thing Marc F. Plattner, Is Democracy in Decline? Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Francis Fukuyama, Why is Democracy Performing so Poorly? Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, The Myth of Democratic Recession, Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Tarek Masoud, Has the Door Closed on Arab Democracy? Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Andrew J. Nathan, China s Challenge, Journal of Democracy 26.1 (2015), Participation/Project: The other arguments presented in this special issue of the Journal of Democracy will be discussed and debated through a collaborative group project and student-led discussion. Additional information will follow. * Student Presentations Week 14 Authoritarianism Zakaria, Ch. 6: The Death of Authority Pierre Hasner, Russia s Transition to Autocracy, Journal of Democracy 19.2 (2008),

12 Jason Brownlee, Portents of Pluralism: How Hybrid Regimes Affect Democratic Transitions, American Journal of Political Science 43.3 (2009), Azar Gat, The Return of Authoritarian Great Powers, Foreign Affairs 86.4 (2007), Andreas Schedler, Authoritarianism s Last Line of Defense, Journal of Democracy 21.1 (2010), Jose Maria Maravall, The Myth of the Authoritarian Advantage, Journal of Democracy 5.4 (1994), Jan Teorell and Axel Hadenius, Pathways from Authoritarianism, Journal of Democracy 18.1 (2007), Daniel Deudney and G. John Ikenberry, The Myth of the Autocratic Revival: Why Liberal Democracy Will Prevail, Foreign Affairs 88.1 (2009), Liliia Fedorovna Shevtsova, Can Electoral Autocracy Survive? Journal of Democracy 11.3 (2000), * Student Presentations Week 15 Authoritarianism Zakaria, Ch. 7: The Way Out *Student papers and presentation write up due. Final Exam (time/location TBA) Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses" constitute academic dishonesty according to the code of this university. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and penalties can include canceling a student's enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for the assignment. For more details, see the University of Nevada, Reno General Catalog and the Office of Student Conduct ( Disability Services: Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me and the Disability Resource Center as soon as possible to 12

13 arrange for appropriate accommodations. You can refer to the Disability Resource Center website at Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover usage of the Tutoring Center ( or and University Writing Center ( or These centers support your classroom learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services. Keep in mind that seeking help outside of class is the sign of a responsible and successful student. Audio and Video Recording: Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments during class may be recorded. 13