RPOS 364: Building Democracy Fall 2012 Mark Baskin RPOS 364 T-Th 10:15 11:35 HU 132 mbaskin@albany.edu Office Hours: T-Th 3-4 443-5261 Contact Office: HU 016 Course Objectives: Our efforts at Democracy promotion do not work. Yet by the first decade of this century, the number of full-fledged democracies has grown from about 40 to almost 90. This course will analyze the decay of authoritarian and emergence of democratic institutions, as well as the role played by international donors in these changes. It will begin with a comparison of dictatorship and democracy; continue with a brief examination of some habits of democracies ; explore democratization in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia; and conclude with a critical review of efforts to promote democracy. This exploration of how democratic theory has been put into practice will lead students to develop and what causes experiments in democracy to succeed or fail. Core Readings: Available at Mary Jane s Books Bernard Crick, Democracy, A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2002) Christian W. Haerpfer, Patrick Bernhagen, Ronald F. Inglehart and Christian Welzel, Democratization (Oxford University Press, 2009) Assessments, articles and reports available on e-reserve/blackboard Mass media, including New York Times, blogs, web sites. Requirements Attendance & Participation 10% Group Exercises 10% Paper 30% Quizzes 20% Midterm 30% Learning Objectives: Summarize classical and contemporary definitions and approaches to democracy, democratization and de-democratization as these are understood in different types of political systems, and in developed and developing countries. How are they different from dictatorships? Analyze the different paths taken by governments in democratization, including delayed democratization and de-democratization Evaluate the validity for different theories of democratization Assess different strategies for democratization. 1
Compare and analyze the possibilities and limits for assisting in the development of democracy and democratic practice Develop research skills: finding materials, reading closely and summarizing texts and drawing inferences concerning motivations and causation of policies and events Develop analytic and writing skills that enable you to distill and summarize source materials Develop coherent, written arguments with support from diverse sources Writing and Plagiarism. Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another s words or ideas without giving credit to that person. While this includes copying text word for word without the use of quotation marks, it also includes paraphrasing another person s work without proper citation. Intellectual honesty is a core value of university and the foundation of faculty and student development. Students guilty of plagiarizing any material will receive a failing grade for the course and the evidence will be automatically turned over to the Office of Student Conduct. During the first week of class, all students must review the UAlbany Library s tutorial on plagiarism entitled: Plagiarism 101 (http://library.albany.edu/usered/ncplaga/index.html). It is really far easier to do your own work than to plagiarize and students would be most unwise to consider it. Participation. Class participation consists of preparation for and engagement in class discussion. It entails regular class attendance, completing assigned readings, participation in groups, and asking relevant questions. Groups/Teams. Students will be divided into six teams on Day 1 of the class. They will sit together with team members throughout the class, and there will be a number of group exercises during the class. Class Etiquette. There will be no texting in class. Class discussions will take place in a spirit of mutual respect and deference. There will certainly be differences in viewpoints among us, and students will respect these differences. Quizzes. Three Short quizzes will test students knowledge of the material. Group exercises will enable students to explore important issues. Midterm: These essay exams will give the opportunity to present views on the material covered in class and in readings. Written Assignment: Students will work in their groups to develop a strategic plan to support democratic practice in a particular country. Detailed assignment will be handed out in class. Due December 10. Penalties for late papers. 2
Unit 1: Dictatorship and Democracy COURSE OUTLINE How does democracy differ from dictatorship to emerge as the dominant norm in governments throughout the world? August 27-29, September 3, 10, 12: Dictatorship and Democracy Is democracy the best of all possible systems? What makes it a desirable system? How do democracies differ from dictatorships? What is central to the definition and practice of democracy? How do we know that a government is democratic? How can democracy be measured? People s Democracy Crick, Democracy, A Very Short Introduction, entire book, Marx, The Communist Manifesto, Preamble and Chapter eres/blackboard Carl Friedrich, Totalitarianism, e-res/blackboard Richard Rose, Democratic and Undemocratic States, Democratization, pp. 10-23 Patric Berhnagen, Measuring Democracy and Democratization, Demoratization, pp. 24-40. Recommended Reading John Gerring, and Michael Coppedge, Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy: A New Approach, Perspectives on Politics 9:2 (June 2011) 247-67, ERES Carole Pateman, Participatory Democracy Revisited, Perspectives on Politics 10:1 (March 2-12) 7-19, ERES September 17, 19: Sources, Origins and Emergence How do democracies emerge? Is democracy an especially modern phenomenon? Is it inevitable? What conditions best support the development of democracy? What alternative paths to development compete with the development of democracy? Dirk Berg-Scholsser, Long Waves and Conjunctures of Democratization, Democratization, pp. 41-54 John Markoff, The Global Wave of Democratization, Democratization, pp. 55-73 September 19: Group Exercise and Quiz 3
Unit II: What Makes Democracy Tick? What are the economic, social, organizational, and cultural correlates of democracy? What are the dynamics of democratization and de-democratization? How are institutions significant in democracy and democratization? September 24, 26: Democratization and De-Democratization What leads to democratization and de-democratization? How does the quality of public life differ in democracies from non-democracies? How is democracy related to the capacity of governments to govern? How important are trust, inequality, and autonomous institutions of power in democratization? What are some alternative paths of democratization and de-democratization? Christian Welzel, Theories of Democratization, Democratization, pp. 74-90. Charles Tilly, Inequality, Democratization and De-democratization, Sociological Theory, Volume 21, no 1 (March 2003), pp. 37-43. E- res/blackboard Charles Tilly, Grudging Consent, The American Interest, Vol. 3, no. 1 (Autumn 2007), pp. 17-23. October 1, 3: Cultures of Democracy What values are most supportive of democracy? How do traditional values differ from modern values? How does the size of a unit of government affect the prospects for democracy? How does ethnic and cultural pluralism affect the development of democracy? How does the evolution of social capital affect the development of democracy? Christian Welzel and Ronald F. Inglehart, Political Culture, Mass Beliefs, and Value Change, Democratization, pp. 126-144 Pamela Paxton, Gender and Democratization, Democratization, pp. 145-157 Natalia Letki, Social Capital and Civil Society, Democratization,pp. 158-169 October 8, 10, 15, 17: Constitutions and Institutions What institutional arrangements are most conducive to the development of democracy? How can the institutions of government be accountable to the people? What is the best arrangement between governing institutions: executives, parliaments, judiciaries, security forces? How do electoral systems and parties help to shape political outcomes? Leonardo Morlin, Political Parties, Democratization, pp. 201-218 4
Matthijs Bogaards, Electoral Systems and Institutional Design in New Democracies, Democratization, pp. 210-233. M. Steven Fish and Jason Wittenberg, Failed Democratization, Democratization, pp. 249-265. Katrin Voltmer and Gary Rawnsley, The Media, Democratization, pp. 234-248. Frederico Rossi, an da Donatella della Porta, Social Movements, Trade Unions and Advocacy Networks, Democratization, pp. 172-185. Ian McAllister and Stephen White, Conventional Political Participation, Democratization, pp. 186-200. Recommended Timothy Meisburger, Getting Majoritarianism Right, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 23, no. 1 (January 2012), pp. 155-163. Andrew Reynolds and John Carey, Getting Elections Wrong, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 23, no. 1 (January 2012), pp. 164-168. October 15: In Class Group Project/Quiz October 22: MIDTERM Unit III: The Practice of Democratization and Reform Unit III considers whether it is possible to build democracy. It explores a series of case studies in democratization and de-democratization that highlight different timings, cultural settings, institutional change, and political evolution. October 24, 29, 31: Cases in Democracy Building What specific patterns have different governments gone through in the path of democratization? Are culturally/ethnically plural states condemned to a violent transition? What are the chief difficulties in advancing and sustaining a process of democratization? Who has benefited most from democratization? Southern Europe, pp. 268-289. Latin America, pp. 290-308. Post-Communist Europe, pp. 309-320. Middle East and N. Africa, pp. 321-338 Sub-Saharan Africa, pp. 339-355 East Asia, pp. 356-376. Unit IV: Promoting and Supporting Democracy Unit IV considers the practice of foreign aid to support processes of democratization. Does globalization imply a requirement to assist in processes of democratization 5
abroad? Is it possible to assist democratization in other countries? Why do developed and democratic governments decide to assist other governments to democratize? November 5: Hand Out Assignment Strategic Planning for Democracy November 5, 7: The Wisdom of assisting in democratization Abroad? What are the costs and benefits of providing assistance to democratization abroad? What is the most effective strategy of assisting governments to become more democratic? Who are the actors in democratization? How does the type of assistance given by individual governments and multilateral institutions and non-governmental organizations differ from each other? Is it possible to coordinate this assistance effectively? What actually takes place in assisting democratization? Thomas Carrothers, The Elusive Synthesis, Journal of Democracy Vol. 21, no4 (October 2010), pp. 12-26, eres/blackboard. Hakan Yilmaz, The International Context Democratization, pp. 92-105. Patrick Bernhagen, Democracy, Business and the Economy, Democratization, pp. 107-124. Conclusions, Democratization, pp. 378-385. November 12, 14: Case Studies in Democracy promotion Does everyone play nicely in the sandbox? How does development assistance for democratization really work on the ground? How do implementers work with their donors, their clients and other implementer in practice? How has democratization worked in specific sectors of governance: public sector management, legislative development, elections, strengthening integrity, advancing human rights, decentralization, and improving access to justice? James D. Long, et al, Choosing Peace over Democracy, Journal of Democracy Vol. 24, no. 3 (July 2012), pp. 140-155., eres-blackboard Afghanistan, Eres Transacting Transition, e-res/blackboard November 19, 21, 26, December 3, 5: Democratization and Development II: How do agencies involved with international development approach democratization and reform of governments? What types of programs have been employed in supporting democratic elections, in combating corruption, strengthening parliaments and promoting human rights? How does the experience of supporting democracy on the ground differ USAID Strategy on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, eres/blackboard 6
United Nations, Guidance Note of the Secretary-General on Democracy, eresblackboard Joel Barkan, Democracy Assistance, What Recipients Think, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 23, no. 1 (January 2012), pp. 129-137. Eres-blackboard Ann Wetzel and Jan Orbie, The EU s Promotion of External Democracy: In Search of the Plot, Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Policy Brief #281, 13 September 2012, eres-blackboard December 5: Quiz and Class Exercise December 10: PAPER DUE on blackboard 7