Comparative Urban Politics – Fall 2013
Pl. Sc. 422
Mr. Myers 230 Theatre Building
319 Pond Lab T/R. 8:00 – 9:15
hone: 8651973 .
SCOPE AND GOALS OF THE COURSE:
Comparative Urban Politics (Pl.Sc. 422) emphasizes how national, regional and local policy makers shape and govern cities and metropolitan regions in the United States and Latin America. It also analyzes the political, social and economic forces involved in this shaping and governing. Pl.Sc. 422 has two major subdivisions. First, the course examines government and political change in the urban regions of the United States. The second focuses on politics in urban Latin American, with an extended case study of selected issues in Caracas (Venezuela).
Students should take away from Political Science 422 a basic knowledge of urban political institutions and actors in the United States and Latin America. Students also are expected to develop a familiarity with the most recent thinking about how cities and citycentered regions shape the urban built environment and reflect the political power and wealth of nations.
The political dynamics of cities in the United States and Latin America are illustrative of analogous processes in Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Obviously, a course that attempted to cover cities in all major geographical regions would be so wide ranging as to be shallow and superficial. In depth analysis necessitates restricting the universe to be studied. Political Science 422's focus on United States and Latin American cities facilitates discussion and analysis of such important urban problems as growth, class conflict, public order, service management, finances, land-use planning and spatial competition within national urban systems.
REQUIRED TEXTS
The following required texts are available for purchase at one of the local bookstores:
Gilbert, Alan. 1998. The Latin American City. Nottingham, UK.: Russell Press.
Spink, Peter, Peter Ward & Robert Wilson. 2012. Metropolitan Governance in the Federalist Americas. Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press
Vogel, Ronald K. & John J. Harringan, 2007.8thed. Political Change in the Metropolis.
New York: Longman.
OPTIONAL TEXT
Jose Galvan. 2006. 3rd ed. Writing Literature Reviews. Glendale, CA.:Pyrczak Publishing
SUPPLEMENTAL
Other required materials are on closed reserve in Pattee Library or on electronic reserve. All electronic reserve materials are accessible through the online Cat. Go to and click on the link to the Cat, then click on the blue Course Reserves button. A search screen will appear, and students can search for reserves by instructor name, course number or course name. As the reserve list for Pl.Sci.422 contains more than one item, click on the Detail Button to the right of the course title to display the link to an electronic reserve document. Click on the Help button at any time for more information. The syllabus specifies the times at which the materials to be downloaded come into play.
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Comparative Urban Politics – Fall 2013
Pl. Sc. 422
CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
DATE TOPIC
I. CITIES AND URBAN POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES
Week 1 (August 26 – 30)
Session 1 - Introduction and Course Overview
Session 2 –Urban Evolution and Political Process
Required reading: Vogel & Harrigan, cp. 1; Neuwirth, cp. 5; Beauregard, Robert A.
“Atop the Urban Hierarchy” (available as a download from closed reserve)
Week 2 (September 2 – 6 )
Session 1 Emergence of Metropolitan America
Required reading: Vogel & Harrigan, cp. 2.
Session 2 Presentation of the Written Assignment and Topic Selection Preliminaries
Required reading: Galvan, Writing Literature Reviews, pp. 1 – 42
Week 3 (September 9 - 13)
Session 1Ethnic-based Politics in the American City
Required reading: Vogel & Harringan, cp. 3
Session 2 TopicsMachine Politics and Reform
Required reading: HarriganVogal, cp. 4
** beginning with this class, half of each second weekly meeting will be
devoted to discussion and “in class” presentations by student teams.
Class discussion/presentation by Team 1
Week 4 (September 16 – 20 )
Session 1 Politics of Racial and Social Change
Required reading: Vogel & Harrigan, cp. 5
Session 2 Changing Urban Political Economy
Required Reading: HarriganVogal, cp. 6
Class discussion/presentation by Team 2
Week 5 (September 23-27 )
Session 1Community Power and Leadership
Required reading, HarriganVogal, cp. 7.
Session 2 Urban Sprawl & Land Use
Required reading: HarriganVogal, cp. 8; Frug.
“City Land Use” cp. 7 (available as an electronicdownload)
Class discussion/presentation by Team 3
Written Team Conferences with the professor must be completed by 5pm on Tuesday, September 24)
Week 6 (September 30 – October 4 )
Session 1: The New Regionalism
Required reading: Harrison & Vogal, cp. 9
Session 2: Metropolitan Government
Required reading: HarriganVogal, cp: 10; Wilson in Spink, cp. 3
Class discussion/presentation by Team 4
Week 7 (October 7 – 11 )
Session 1 National Urban Policy and the Future
Required reading: Harrison & Vogal, cps:11,12.
Review for the first examination
Session 2 First Examination (25% of total grade)
II. CITIES AND POLITICS IN LATIN AMERICA
Week 8 (October 14 – 18 )
Session 1Latin American Cities: Colonial Roots and Growth
Required reading: Eisenstadt, S & A. Sherar, “Latin America.” In Society, Culture
& Urbanization, pp. 97-121 (available as two downloads from electronic reserve).
Session 2 Urban Landscape of Contemporary Latin America
Required reading: Gilbert, cps. 1, 2; John Rapley. 2006. “The New Middle Ages.”
Foreign Affairs, May/June. 95-103 (available as a download from electronic reserve).
Class discussion/presentation by Team 5
Week 9 (October 21 – 25 )
Session 1 Politics of Migration
Required reading: Gilbert cps. 3
Session 2 Politics of Land Access
Required reading: Gilbert cps. 5
Class discussion/presentation by Team 6
Week 10 (October 28 – November 1 )
Session 1 Managing Urban Services
Required reading: Gilbert, cp. 6;
Session 1 Politics of Housing
Required reading: Gilbert, cps. 4;
Class discussion/presentation by Team 7
Week 11 (November 4 – 8 )
Session 1 Politics & Violence in the Shantytowns
Required reading:Enrique Desmond Arias & Corinne Davis Rodriguez. 2006.
“The Myth of Personal Security: “Criminal Gangs, Dispute Resolution and Identity in
Rio’s Favelas.”Latin American Politics and Society 48, 4, pp. 53 – 82;
(availableas a download from electronic reserves)
Session 2 Presentation and Discussion of Tables Summarizing Literature for Written Work
Required reading: Galvan, cp. 7 “Building Tables to Summarize Literature.”
Week 12 (November 11 – 15)
Session 1Presentation and Discussion of Tables Summarizing Literature for Written Work
Required reading: Galvan, cp. 8 “Synthesizing Literature Prior to Writing a Review;” cp. 9
“Guidelines for Writing a First Draft.”
Session 2Urban protest and the law
Required reading: Gilbert cp. 7.
Class discussion/presentation by Team 8
Week 13 (November 18 - 22)
Session 1São Paulo: Political Dynamics
Required reading; Myers/Dietz, Cp. 10
(available as a download from electronic reserves)
Session 2Metropolitan Government in São Paulo
Required reading: Spink, cp. 4
Thanksgiving Holiday (November 25 – 30)
Week 14(December 1 – 6 )
Session 1 Venezuela: Stop-Start Metropolitan Governance
Required Reading: Myers in Spink, cp. 7.
Team Written Assignment due at the beginning of the class on Tuesday, December 3.
Session 2 Caracas: Political Evolution of the Primate City
Required reading: Myers/Dietz, cp. 4.
(available as a download from electronic reserves)
Class discussion/presentation by Team 9
Week 15 (December 9 – 13 )
Session 1 Caracas: Politics of Populist Clientilism
Required reading: Michael Penfold Becerra. 2007. “Clientilism and Social Funds:
Evidence from Chavez’s Misiones.”Latin American Politics & Society 49, 4: 63 – 84.
Session 2New Directions in Latin American urban politics
Required reading: Gilbert, cp. 8; Spink, Ward Wilson, cp.8
Discussion, review for the final examination and course evaluation SRTE’s
Examination #2 (25%) of total grade
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Comparative Urban Politics – Fall 2013
Pl. Sc. 422
LECTURES:
It should be emphasized that the lectures and the reading assignments, although interrelated, are by no means identical, nor are they tied together by the same titles and rigid lockstep schedule. Generally, the lectures tend to deal with more precise topics and to be more interpretive, but less descriptive than the reading materials. Accordingly, the readings should be completed on schedule, and NOT after the lectures have been directed.
OFFICE HOURS:
Professor Myers' scheduled office hours are on Tuesday Thursday, from1:30pmto 3:00pm. For exceptional problems additional hours can be arranged, by special appointment in advance. Students are urged to make regular use of the scheduled office hours of the professor.
GRADES:
For all students in this course, Political Science 422, the final course grade will be based approximately on these percentages:
Examination #1 25%
Examination #2 - 25%
Written project 35%
Conference (5%)
Class presentation (5%)
Final review (25%)
Participation & Presentation 15%
TOTAL 100%
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES:
1. Attendance: It is expected that students will attend the lecture and discussion sessions, starting at 8:00am. Absence from class in this course, or for that matter in virtually any course, places the student at a disadvantage. It is the student's responsibility to overcome that disadvantage by: a) obtaining the notes on classroom lectures, preferably from at least two fellow students. b) requesting a new test to be administered or for a short extension of a project deadline IF the absence was a valid one (illness, death in the family, etc.); c) undertaking other remedial actions deemed appropriate.
2. Dropping the Course: Students who drop the course will do so with the grade on record at this time.
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Comparative Urban Politics – Fall 2013
Pl. Sc. 422
3. Due Dates and Times: Scheduled tests are administered on the stated date, at the announced time. Written work submitted after class on Tuesday, December 3will be subject to the same grade penalty that would be accorded if the paper had been turned in at the next meeting of the class.
4. Failure to meet ALL requirements: A student who fails to submit ALL written requirements for this course including the two scheduled tests and the written exercises has NOT met the requirements of this course. Failing to meet all requirements of this course will mean an "F" grade for the semester. The fundamental principle or ethic for this course is that the mature student accepts responsibility with accountability, as does the professor.
5. Makeups: None. There will be no makeup tests in this class. In a genuine hardship case, appropriately documented, an entirely new test will be given. Since students who miss a test will have had additional time in which to study and prepare, that new test will include all new material assigned up to the date on which the new test is given.
6. Pass/Fail: Students who take the course pass/fail should understand that the pass/fail cannot be revoked later on in the semester. This universitywide regulation has been a matter of some concern to students who earned "A" and "B" grades in this course in years gone by. As a matter of record, moreover, there have been very few "D" grades in this course over the years.
THE TESTS:
There will be twoscheduled examinations. Each will include critical essays and multiple-choice questions. The student will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of BOTH the lectures and the assigned readings. Critical essay study questions will be distributed prior to each examination.
THE WRITTEN EXERCISE
This exercise, includingthe team conference with the professor, is worth 35% of the total grade. Materials pertaining to the exercise will be distributed and discussed in class during the second week of the semester.
Academic Dishonesty
The Department of Political Science, along with the College of the Liberal Arts and the University, takes violations of academic dishonesty seriously. Observing basic honesty in one's work, words, ideas, and actions is a principle to which all members of the community are required to subscribe.
All course work by students is to be done on an individual basis unless an instructor clearly states that an alternative is acceptable. Any reference materials used in the preparation of any assignment must be explicitly cited. Students uncertain about proper citation are responsible for checking with their instructor.
In an examination setting, unless the instructor gives explicit prior instructions to the contrary, whether the examination is inclass or takehome, violations of academic integrity shall consist but are not limited to any attempt to receive assistance from written or printed aids, or from any person or papers or electronic devices, or of any attempt to give assistance, whether the one so doing has completed his or her own work or not.
Lying to the instructor or purposely misleading any Penn State administrator shall also constitute a violation of academic integrity.
In cases of any violation of academic integrity it is the policy of the Department of Political Science to follow procedures established by the College of the Liberal Arts. More information on academic integrity and procedures followed for violation can be found at:
Disabilities
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible. Reasonable accommodations will be made for all students with disabilities, but it is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor early in the term. Do not wait until just before an exam to decide you want to inform the instructor of a learning disability; any accommodations for disabilities must be arranged well in advance.
Web sites of interest
The web site for Professor Myers’ home page:
The Political Science Department is in the process of upgrading its web site and will continue to do so during this and future academic years. In the undergraduate section you will find a wealth of information including course schedules, faculty office hours, faculty home pages describing their areas of teaching and research activities, answers to questions about advising, internship opportunities, announcements, and much, much, more. Check back often: we will continuously update our information about internships and career opportunities:
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