POLS 3371-001: Introduction to Comparative Politics Spring 2010 Instructor: Özen Eren Office: 122 Holden Hall Phone: 742-4081 E-mail: ozen.eren@ttu.edu Class times: MWF 9-9:50 am Location: 111 Holden Hall Office Hours: MWF 8-8:50 am The objective of a social and behavioral science component of a core curriculum is to increase the student s knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity. Students graduating from Texas Tech should be able to demonstrate awareness and knowledge of distinct cultures or subcultures, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, class, political systems, religions, languages, or human geography. Course Description This course serves an introduction to one of the major sub-fields of political science: comparative politics. Specialists in comparative politics seek to understand political processes by examining them in and across the different political systems found throughout the world. Often, comparative research focuses on specific countries; however, the field is centered on debates that are analyzed and discussed in many different places and locales. This course is designed to introduce students to the political processes and problems that are found in three specific contexts: advanced industrial democracies, communist and post-communist countries, and developing countries. Required Readings Shively, W. Phillips. 2009. Comparative Governance: Political Structure and Diversity Across the Globe. New York, NY: Primis Publishing. Readings marked with a * are available in JSTOR or other online databases. Readings marked with a ** will be available through the Library s reserve system. 1
Learning Objectives & Assessment After completing this course, students will be able to: 1. Identify the political culture and key political institutions of political systems in at least 3 different countries. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 2. Describe the effect of contextual factors such as history, culture, economic modernization, and social structure on politics. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 3. Explain the effect of political institutions on politics. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 4. Compare and contrast the features of democratic and authoritarian political systems. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 5. Explain the comparative method. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 6. Identify and critique alternative explanations for claims about social issues and human behavior. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 7. Identify and appreciate (demonstrate) differences and commonalities among cultures. Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. 8. Demonstrate awareness and knowledge of cultural differences within one or more global societies (Outside the U.S). Method of Assessment: Exams 1-3 and Final Exam. Evaluation The written requirements of this course will include three mid-term multiple choice exams and one final multiple choice exam. There are no assignments beyond four exams. Thus, there are no opportunities for extra credit. The final exam will be during the University-mandated final exam period. Excused absences are given only for medical reasons and university-approved activities. Final Grade Formula Final Grading Scale Exam #1 25% A 100-90 Exam#2 25% B 89-80 Exam#3 25% C 79-70 Final Exam 25% D 69-60 F 59-0 2
Course Rules & Expectations The following rules govern the requirements for this course: 1. The lectures will supplement, not repeat, the readings for this class. I expect you to do the readings as well as attend lectures. 2. Make-ups for any exams will only be given on account of significant illness or serious emergency and only with a documented excuse. The decision whether to grant a make-up exam is solely at my discretion. No one will be allowed to take a make-up for more than one examination. If you do miss an exam, you must contact me as soon as possible, or face a score of zero. If you have not made arrangements to make up an exam within one week of the original exam date, you will not be allowed to make up the exam under any circumstances. 3. Students are responsible for their own learning. This includes, but not limited to: obtaining the required readings; compliance with the add/drop and exam policies; effective listening and note taking during class sessions; and the like. 4. I expect you to be professionals in your conduct in the classroom. If you infringe on my ability to conduct classes, I will ask you to leave. Please follow the rules listed below. a. Turn off cell phones/pagers. b. Refrain from chatting or sleeping or reading the newspaper. c. If you need to leave early, please sit at the rear of the classroom. 5. The most important requirement of this class is to have an open mind and be willing to participate without fear of being wrong. I expect you to stretch yourself, to test your capabilities to think critically, and to express yourself well. Reciprocally, I would expect every student to treat each participant with courtesy and respect. 3
Accommodations Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary accommodations. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services, Dean of Students Office. No requirement exists to provide accommodations prior to completion of the university-approved process. Religious Observance A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known to the instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence. Academic Honor Code It is the aim of the faculty of Texas Tech University to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a most serious offense and renders the offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor) or the attempt to commit such an act. Please see the definitions of cheating and academic dishonesty, available at Texas Tech University Catalog, p.49. 4
Schedule PART I: Comparing Political Systems Week 1: Introduction and Overview of the Course Wednesday, January 13, 2010: Introduction and Overview of the Course Friday, January 15, 2010: Why (and How) Should We Compare? Shively Chapter 1 Week 2: Why (and How) Should We Compare? Monday, January 18, 2010: ML King Day Campus holiday. No classes. Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Approaches to Comparative Politics Shively Chapter 1 (Cont d) Friday, January 22, 2010: The Comparative Method Shively Chapter 1 (Cont d) Week 3: The State Monday, January 25, 2010: States and Nations Shively Chapter 2 Wednesday, January 27, 2010: Legitimacy Shively Chapter 3 Friday, January 29, 2010: Political Conflict Shively Chapter 4 Week 4: Regime Types; Types of Democracy; The State and the Economy Monday, February 1, 2010: Decision-making in the State Shively Chapter 5 Wednesday, February 3, 2010: The State and the Economy Shively Chapter 6 Friday, February 5, 2010: FIRST MID-TERM Subject to change at the instructor s discretion. 5
PART II: Advanced Industrial Democracies Week 5: Politics in Britain: Modern Politics in a Very Old State Monday, February 8, 2010: Britain: History Shively Politics in Britain Wednesday, February 10, 2010: Britain: Political Culture Shively Politics in Britain (Cont d) Friday, February 12, 2010: Bases of Conflict Shively Politics in Britain (Cont d) Week 6: Britain (Cont d) Monday, February 15, 2010: Britain: Political Organizations Shively Politics in Britain (Cont d) Wednesday, February 17, 2010: Britain: Political Institutions and the Economy Shively Politics in Britain (Cont d) Friday, February 19, 2010: NO CLASS Week 7: Politics in France: The Fifth Republic at Fifty Monday, February 22, 2010: France: History Shively Politics in France Wednesday, February 24, 2010: France: Political Culture Shively Politics in France (Cont d) Friday, February 26, 2010: France: Bases of Conflict Shively Politics in France (Cont d) Week 8: France (Cont d) Monday, March 1, 2010: France: Political Organizations Shively Politics in France (Cont d) 6
Wednesday, March 3, 2010: France: Political Institutions and the Economy Shively Politics in France (Cont d) Friday, March 5, 2010: SECOND MID-TERM PART III: Communist and Post-Communist Political Systems Week 9: Russia: Democratization Gone Awry Monday, March 8, 2010: Russia: History Shively Russia Wednesday, March 10, 2010: Russia: Political Culture Friday, March 12, 2010: Russia: Bases of Conflict Week 10: Spring Break March 13-21 Week 11: Russia (Cont d) Monday, March 22, 2010: Russia: Political Organizations Wednesday, March 24, 2010: Russia: Political Institutions, Political Process, and the Economy Friday, March 26, 2010: Russia: Ethnic Politics Week 12: China: From State Socialist to Capitalist Iconoclast Monday, March 29, 2010: China: History Shively China Wednesday, March 31, 2010: China: Political Culture: Shifting Hegemonies Shively China (Cont d) 7
Friday, April 2, 2010: China: Bases of Conflict and its Organizational Expressions Shively China (Cont d) Week 13: China (Cont d) Monday, April 5, 2010: NO CLASS Wednesday, April 7, 2010: China: Political Institutions and Processes Shively China (Cont d) Friday, April 9, 2010: THIRD MIDTERM Week 14: India Monday, April 12, 2010: India: History Shively India PART IV: The Politics of Development Wednesday, April 14, 2010: India: Bases of Conflict, Political Organizations Shively India (Cont d) Friday, April 16, 2010: India: Political Institutions, Political Process, and the Economy Shively India (Cont d) Week 15: Brazil and Nigeria Monday, April 19, 2010: Brazil: History, Political Culture, and Bases of Conflict Shively Politics in Brazil Wednesday, April 21, 2010: Brazil: Political Institutions, Political Processes and the Economy Shively Politics in Brazil (Cont d) Friday, April 23, 2010: Nigeria: Ethnic Conflict and the Search for a Viable Democracy in a Corrupt Oil Economy Shively Nigeria 8
PART V: Great Debates in Comparative Politics Week 16: Democratization, Economic Reform, Presidentialism Monday, April 26, 2010: Democratization * Lipset, Seymour Martin. 1959. Some Social Requisites of Democracy: Economic Development and Political Legitimacy. American Political Science Review 53:69-105. * Przeworski, Adam, and Fernando Limongi. 1997. Modernization: Theory and Facts. World Politics 49:55-183. Wednesday, April 28, 2010: Economic Reform in Developing Countries * Cohen, Youssef. 1985. The Impact of Bureaucratic Authoritarian Rule on Economic Growth. Comparative Political Studies 18:123-136. ** Haggard, Stephen, and Robert Kaufman. 1995. The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapter 5. Friday, April 30, 2010: Presidentialism ** Linz, Juan. Presidential Democracy: does it Make a Difference? in The Failure of Presidential Democracy, Juan Linz and Arturo Valenzuela, ed. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press. Week 17: Catch-Up for the Final Exam Monday, May 3, 2010: **************************** End of Semester **************************** Week 18: FINAL EXAM - Monday, May 10, 2010. 1:30-4pm (HH111) Good luck! 9