College of Charleston POLITICAL SCIENCE 323 POLITICS OF EAST ASIA Dr. Guoli Liu Spring 2010 Maybank Hall 207, Tuesday and Thursday 10:50-12:05 Office: 114 Wentworth Street, Room 103 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 8:30-11:30, and by appointment Telephone: 843-953-5883; E-mail: Liug@cofc.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will introduce students to politics of East Asia. We shall examine East Asia's cultural and historical traditions, social structure and economic system, political institutions and governmental processes, and current challenges and opportunities. After a general introduction to East Asia, the Chinese and Japanese cases will be analyzed in detail. A major focus is on the interaction of political change and socioeconomic development in China. We also examine China in comparison with India and other Asian countries. In addition to studying the historical legacy and institutional features of Asian political systems, we will ask questions about the nature of the state-society relations, the nature of power, and continuity and change in East Asian politics. What are the major trends of political change in the post-world War II era? What are the patterns of decision making in countries with different historical backgrounds and diverse political cultures? How do China and Japan deal with critical political issues in pursuing socioeconomic development? What is the relation between economic development and political transformation? How have changes in their societies affected the conduct of politics? What are the main sources of contentions and social conflicts? By addressing these questions, students should acquire valuable knowledge about Asian politics and improve their skills for comparative political analysis. I have selected a number of documentary films that we will be watching in class. COURSE REQUIREMENT AND GRADING POLICY Students are expected to (1) complete and study carefully all required readings; (2) participate in class discussion on key issues; (3) write one research paper, (4) present the paper in class, (5) write an analysis paper, and (6) follow current affairs and news analysis of Asia. The grade for the class will be based on class participation including two written reports (10%), an analysis paper (10%), one mid term exam (30%), one research paper (20%) and presentation (10%), and a comprehensive final exam (30%). The lowest ten percent of your 1
grade will be dropped from your final grade. No make-up exams will be given except in documented cases of emergency or illness. The research paper should be 10-12 pages (double-spaced, regular margins, in 12 point font). By Thursday, February 4, you should submit a prospectus with a tentative bibliography for the research paper. In this prospectus each student is to describe the paper topic with central research questions, the principal sources to be utilized, and the comparative political theory literature to which your paper relates. The prospectus will be returned to you with comments by the following week and the final paper is to be handed in on Thursday, April 1, 2010. The paper must demonstrate significant research; it is to make reference to broader theoretical and comparative work; and it is to be adequately documented following the political science guide to referencing (http://polisci.cofc.edu/pdf/polscitationguide5-16-6.pdf). As the lectures and class discussions are an essential part of the course, attendance is mandatory. A class sign-up sheet will be distributed at the beginning of each class. You are allowed a maximum of two unexcused absences during the semester; additional absences, unless you can clearly prove personal emergencies or illnesses, will result in grade penalties. Grading Scale: A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 88-89 B 83-87 B- 80-82 C+ 78-79 C 73-77 C- 70-72 D+ 68-69 D 63-67 D- 60-62 F: Below 60 Any student with a diagnosed learning or psychological disability which impedes his or her from carrying out required course work, or which requires accommodations such as extended time on examinations, should advise me during the first two weeks of the course so we can review possible arrangements for reasonable accommodations. Academic honesty is very important! When you enrolled in the College of Charleston, you signed the Honor Code. I expect you to abide to the code and it is the only way to maintain the integrity and value of your degree. You will fail this course if you cheat on an exam or plagiarize any portion of your paper. I will turn an Honor Code violation in to the Honor Board and vigorously pursue further disciplinary action. Everyone must highly value academic integrity and abide to the Honor Code. REQUIRED READINGS 1. Sue Ellen M. Charlton, Comparing Asian Politics: India, China, and Japan. Third edition. Boulder: Westview Press, 2010. 2. Xiaoming Huang, Politics in Pacific Asia: An Introduction. New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2009. 2
3. June Grasso, Jay Corrin, and Michael Kort, Modernization and Revolution in China: From the Opium Wars to the Olympics. Fourth edition. M. E. Sharpe, 2009. 4. Shalendra D. Sharma, China and India in the Age of Globalization. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 5. Kishore Mahbubani, The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East. New York: PublicAffairs, 2008. ESSENTIAL READINGS FOR ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH PAPERS 6. Mark Borthwick, Pacific Century: The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia. Third edition. Boulder: Westview Press, 2007. 7. Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Anne Walthall, and James B. Palais, East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 8. Ming Wan, The Political Economy of East Asia: Striving for Wealth and Power. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2008. 9. Willy Wo-Lap Lam, Chinese Politics in the Hu Jintao Era: New Leaders, New Challenges. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. (E-book available). 10. Katherine Palmer Kaup ed., Understanding Contemporary Asia Pacific. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2007. 11. Tony Saich, Governance and Politics of China. Second edition. New York: Palgrave, 2004. 12. Lowell Dittmer, Haruhiro Fukui, and Peter N.S. Lee eds., Informal Politics in East Asia. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. 13. Susan L. Shirk, China: Fragile Superpower. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 14. Dean W. Collinwood, Global Studies: Japan and the Pacific Rim. Ninth edition. Dubuque, IA: McGraw/Hill/CLA, 2008. 15. Warren I. Cohen, East Asia at the Center: Four Thousand Years of Engagement with the World. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000. (E-book available) 16. Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China: From Revolution Through Reform. 2 nd edition. New York: Norton, 2004. 3
17. Lowell Dittmer and Guoli Liu, Domestic Politics in Transition: China s Deep Reform. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. 18. Louis D. Hayes, Introduction to Japanese Politics. Fifth edition. Armond: M.E. Sharpe, 2009. COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS 1. Introduction: Themes in Asian Politics Charlton, Chapter 1. Huang, Introduction. Kaup, the entire book. (Deadline for completing the readings, January 14, 2010) 2. People and Politics Charlton, Chapters 2-4. Grasso, Corrin, and Kort, Chapters 1-3. Borthwick, Chapters 1-3. Collinwood, the entire book. (January 21, 2010) 3. The Historical and Cultural Perspectives Huang, Chapter 1. Charlton, Chapters 5-7. Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais, Parts 1-5. Cohen, Chapters 1-9. Lieberthal, Chapter 1. Hayes, Chapters 1-2. (January 26, 2010) 4. Revolution and Nationalism Grasso, Corrin, and Kort, Chapters 4-6. Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais, Chapters 23-27. Borthwick, Chapters 4-5. Lieberthal, Chapter 2. Cohen, Chapters 10-12. (February 2, 2010) 5. The Maoist System: Ideas and Governance Grasso, Corrin, and Kort, Chapters 7-9. Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais, Chapter 28. Lieberthal, Chapters 3-4. Saich, Chapters 1-2. 4
(February 9, 2010) 6. The Politics of Reform Grasso, Corrin, and Kort, Chapters 10-13. Ebrey, Walthall, and Palais, Chapter 29. Saich, Chapter 3. Lieberthal, Chapter 5. Dittmer and Liu, Introduction and Conclusion, Chapters 1-7. Lam, the entire book. Shirk, Chapters 1-4. (February 16, 2010) 7. Key Features of the Political Systems Charlton, Chapters 8-11. Huang, Chapters 2-4. Lieberthal, Chapters 6-7. Saich, Chapters 4-6. Hayes, Chapters 3-7. Dittmer, Fukui, and Lee, the entire book. (February 23, 2010) 8. Development and Democratization Charlton, Chapters 12-13. Huang, Chapters 8-9. Borthwick, Chapter 8. Dittmer and Liu, Chapters 10-12. (March 2, 2010) 9. Modernization and the Asian Capitalists Huang, Chapters 5 & 9. Wan, the entire book. Saich, Chapter 9. Dittmer and Liu, Chapters 8-9. Lieberthal, Chapters 8-10. Hayes, Chapters 8-9. Borthwick, Chapters 6-7, and 10. Cohen, Chapters 13-14. (March 9, 2010) 10. Participation and Power Huang, Chapters 6-7. Saich, Chapters 7-8. Dittmer and Liu, Chapters 13-15. 5
(March 16, 2010) 11. China and India in Globalization Sharma, Chapters 1-5. Shirk, Chapter 5. (March 23, 2010) 12. Asia and the United States Sharma, Chapters 6-7. Borthwick, Chapter 9. Shirk, Chapters 7-9. (March 30, 2010) 13. The New Asia and the West Mahbubani, the entire book. Borthwick, Chapters 11-13. (April 6, 2010) 14. Asia and the World Charlton, Chapter 14. Huang, Chapter 10. Sharma, Chapter 8. Saich, Chapters 11-12. Hayes, Chapters 12-14. (April 13, 2010) Additional required readings will be assigned in class. The course outline could be adjusted to best serve the needs of the class. Final Examination: Saturday, May 1, 2010. 6