INTL 3300 – Intro to Comparative Politics

Fall 2015 - Syllabus

Instructor / Contact / Office Location & Hours
Tara Trask (M.A.) /
taraetrask.com / Tuesdays 9a.m.-11a.m.
Office: Candler B03

Course Description & Materials

The main goal of this course is to provide students with a general understanding of the basic theories and issues in the field of Comparative Politics. After a short introduction that covers the essentials of comparative methodology, the first part of the course is devoted to the issues of economic development and regime type. We will explore the factors that lead to economic growth and the establishment of stable democratic systems. In the second part of the class, we will take a closer look at the institutions of government. We will investigate the reasons why different countries work under different political institutions and explore the benefits and shortcomings of different institutional configurations. Finally, we will focus on a wide variety of important social issues and analyze them from a comparative perspective.

Required Texts:

Dickovick, J. Tyler, and Jonathan Eastwood (2012). Comparative Politics: Integrating Theories, Methods, and Cases. Oxford: University Press.

Regan, Patrick M. (2009) Sixteen Million One: Understanding Civil War. Paradigm Publishers, Boulder, CO.

Most weekly readings will come from these books; they are required. We will be using the FIRST edition of the Dickovick & Eastwood. It is absolutely essential that you carefully read all of the required material prior to each class session. I expect you to take your responsibilities seriously. Failing to do so will both significantly impact your grade and the quality of in-class discussion for all.

Course Policies

Page 3

Grades:

Participation/Quizzes 10%

Group Project 10%

Papers (2) 10% (each)

Midterm Exams (2) 15% (each)

Final Exam 20%

Grade Scale:

A 93 –100

A-  = 90 – 92

B+ = 87 – 89

B = 83 – 86

B-  = 80 – 82

C+ = 77 – 79

C = 73 – 76

C-  = 70 = 72

D = 60 – 69

F = 0 – 59

Page 3

Attendance & Participation:

1.  Excused Absences: I am aware that events beyond our control conspire to keep us from meeting our normal obligations; in these cases, I grant excused absences. An excused absence is one where you have an officially documented college-sanctioned event, a documented medical excuse, or proof of a deceased direct relative. I will accept documentation to receive an excused absence for up to a week after the missed day. Contacting me ahead of time is, of course, preferable.

2.  Unexcused Absences: You may also use up to THREE (3) unexcused absences without penalty. You do not need to contact me if you are using one of these. I care for you all, but flooding my inbox with unimportant emails about you oversleeping or how the-struggle-is-real just annoy me, and may incur my wrath upon your poor classmates should this happen too often. Beyond these three, any unexcused absences will result in lowering your grade by one letter per unexcused absence.

3.  Participation: I will regularly take attendance in class. I will also take note of both the quantity and the quality of your contributions to class discussions. I will also randomly give out five (5) quizzes, on days with low attendance or participation. Finally, I should note that points for attendance and participation are not simply given out; they are earned. Grades in my classes are often raised by attendance and participation. However, others have found their grade lowered when they paid little attention to attendance and participation. As such, it is in your best interest to attend class and participate in discussion where appropriate.

Readings:

Those readings not in the assigned books, are available electronically via ELC, the UGA library electronic database, and/or Google Scholar.

I am here for guidance and to share knowledge with you, which I will do extensively most days in class. However, the best way for you to learn in this course is to engage with the material and to debate and discuss it at length with your peers in class. Thus, excellence in participation means more than just talking a lot in class; rather, it requires that your participation be high in both quality and quantity. In order to pull this off, you should do your best to be a critical reader. Critical readers are (Schumm, J.S., and Post, S. A. 1997. Executive Learning, 282; Richards 2006).

Page 3

·  Willing to spend time reflecting on the ideas present in their reading assignments.

·  Able to evaluate and solve problems while reading rather than merely compile a set of facts to be memorized.

·  Eager to express their thoughts on a topic, and seekers of alternative views.

·  Open to new ideas that may or may not necessarily agree with their previous thought on a topic.

·  Able to base their judgements on ideas and evidence, and take a critical stance.

·  Able to recognize errors in thought and persuasion as well as to recognize good arguments.

·  Able to ask penetrating and thought-provoking questions to evaluate ideas.

·  In touch with their personal thoughts and ideas about a topic.

·  Willing to reassess their views when new or discordant evidence is introduced and evaluated.

·  Able to see connections between topics and use knowledge from other disciplines to enhance their reading and learning experiences.

Page 3

Group Projects:

You will pick one of the big political questions / phenomena that we are going to explore in this class.

Your group will then pick three-four cases (countries) and apply the comparative method to help explain the phenomena we are seeing. To organize your project, please refer to the Dr. Crepaz’s Edicts of Candler Hall, available on ELC. Your group will be expected to give a presentation on the Friday class of that particular subject. The presentation should be 15-20 min. You will then receive feedback and advice on how to improve your project, for the final paper explained below. Each individual will be graded on their particular involvement with the presentation, and familiarity with the subject.

Papers:

You will have two (2) papers due through the semester. The first will be a 4-5pg critical essay on a journal article of your choosing. It may be one of those assigned on the syllabus, or another that has been published in another peer-reviewed journal. Should you choose one not on the syllabus, you MUST have it approved by me beforehand. Any articles not approved will result in receiving only 50% of the grade you would have otherwise received. This essay must cover 1) how this article relates to a subject we have covered, 2) a brief (1 paragraph max) summary of the argument, 3) any weaknesses, faulty-assumptions, and/or flaws you find in their argument, 4) any points you may agree with, and/or were surprised by.

- These may be turned in at any time. Only hardcopies will be accepted.

- All essays must be received by noon Friday November 20.

The second paper will be the research paper corresponding to your group project presentation. In pairs, you will submit a research question based upon your group’s subfield, no later than class Wednesday September 9. No duplicate subjects or questions will be allowed. First come, first served. Feel free to consult me for ideas or advice. Those students who do not submit research questions will have their final paper grade docked a full letter. The final research paper should be 20-30pgs double spaced. Works-Cited will not count towards your page count, although you should cite a minimum of 10 sources. As you are working in pairs, this paper is expected to be very high quality, meaning it is free of typos and well organized. Your paper should follow APSA citation format. Guidelines can be found online. Please consult the Edicts of Candler Hall.

- These may be turned in at any time. Only hardcopies will be accepted.

- Final papers must be received by noon Tuesday December 8.

Exams:

There are 2 midterm exams in this class (15%) and 1 final exam (20%). Exam material will be drawn from the following: lecture notes, assigned readings, class discussion, any movies shown in class, and any other supplementary materials. Midterm exams will not be cumulative. The final exam will be cumulative. One piece of advice: Do the required readings, attend class, and participate and you will be very well prepared for all three exams.

Grade Appeals:

If you believe your exams or assignments have been graded unfairly, you can appeal your grade in written form. You must hand in your appeal on the day after the assignment or exam was returned. Comparisons to other students’ graded assignments will not be accepted for a complaint. Hand in the original copy of the graded assignment/exam together with the written appeal. I will reevaluate your grade in light of the argument that you made. However, the new grade may be the same, higher, or lower than the original grade. It will be final.

Disabilities:

Students with disabilities of any kind are strongly encouraged to tell me at the beginning of the semester, so appropriate accommodations can be made. Students with disabilities that have been certified by the UGA Disabilities Services Office will be accommodated according to university policy. Contact Disabilities Services for more information.

Cheating & Plagiarism:

All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. See the Academic Honesty Policy for details on what is expected of you (http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm)

Classroom Behavior:

Classroom Behavior: Students should behave professionally throughout the course. Due to the large size of the class, disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Turn off your cell phone while in class (some exceptions may apply - e.g. you a transplant surgeon anxiously awaiting the arrival of a donor heart). Laptops may be used to take notes in class, but not in a way that is disruptive to other students. Texting is never appropriate in class, unless it is to let your friends know that a case concerning the Third Amendment has never been litigated before the Supreme Court, or some similar tidbit of mesmerizing political trivia.

Instructor Availability:

My office hours are on Tuesdays from 9-11 a.m. in Candler B03. If anyone cannot attend my posted office hours, I am available by appointment. Please e-mail me, or use the portal on my website under Class Resources (http://taraetrask.com).

This course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

Tentative Course Schedule

Part I: Introduction
Week 1:
The Comparative Method / Mon - 8/17 / Syllabus
Wed - 8/19 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 1
Fri - 8/21 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 2
Week 2:
The State / Mon - 8/24 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 3
Wed - 8/26 / Olson, Mancur. (1993). "Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development." In: American Political Science Review. 87(3). pp. 567-576.
Fri - 8/28 / Evans, P. (1997). The Eclipse of the State? Reflections on Stateness in an Era of Globalization." In: World Politics. 50(1). Pp. 62-87.
Part II: Development & Democracy
Week 3:
Economic Development / Mon - 8/31 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 4 AND J. Diamond (2005). “The Shape of Africa.” National Geographic 208 (3), pp. 25-30. Available at:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0509/resources_geo2.html
Wed - 9/2 / Collier, P. (2010). "The Political Economy of Natural Resources." In: Social Research. 77(4). Pp. 1105-1132.
Fri - 9/4 / Collier, P. & Vicente, P.C. (2010). Violence, bribery, and fraud: the political economy of elections in Sub-Saharan Africa." In: Public Choice, 153, pp. 117-147.
Week 4:
Democracy & Democratization / Mon - 9/7 / LABOR DAY.
Wed - 9/9 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE DUE
Fri - 9/11 / R. Inglehart and C. Welzel (2009). "How Development leads to democracy: What we know about modernization." In: Foreign Affairs, 88(2), pp. 33-48
Week 5:
Democracy & Democratization II / Mon - 9/14 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 6
Wed - 9/16 / F. Zakaria (1997). "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy." In: Foreign Affairs 76(6), pp. 22-43.
Fri - 9/18 / Collier, P. (2009). "The Political economy of state." In: The Political Economy of Developmen." 25(2). Pp. 219-240.
PART III: Institutions of Government
Week 6:
Constitutions & Constitutional Design / Mon - 9/21 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 7
Wed - 9/13 / A. Stephan (1999). "Federalism and Democracy: Beyond the U.S. Model." In: Journal of Democracy 10(4), pp. 19-34.
Fri - 9/25 / Rohrschneider (2002). "The Democracy Deficit and Mass Support for an EU Wide Government."
Week 7:
Legislatures & Legislative Elections / Mon - 9/28 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 8
Wed - 9/30 / E. Liu (2012). "Should Voting be Mandatory?" In: Time Magazine Online (ELC). D. Mathews (2012. "What if it were illegal NOT to vote?" In Washington Post Online. http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/21/should-voting-be-mandatory/
Fri - 10/2 / FIRST MIDTERM EXAM
Week 8:
Executives / Mon - 10/5 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 9
Wed - 10/7 / J. Linz (1990). "The Perils of Presidentialism." In: Journal of Democracy 1(1). Pp. 51-69. D. Horowitz(1990). "Comparing Democratic Systems." In: Journal of Democracy 1(1), pp. 73-79
Fri - 10/9 / Weeks, Jessica L. (2012). "Strongment and Straw Men: Authoritarian Regimes and the Initiation of International Conflict." In: American Political Science Review. 106(3). pp. 430-445.
PART IV: Politics, Societies, and Culture
Week 9:
Revolutions & Contention / Mon - 10/12 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 11
Wed - 10/14 / W. Rees & R. Aldrich (2005). "Contending cultures of counterterrorism: transatlantic divergence or convergence?" In: International Affairs, 85(5), pp. 905-923.
Fri - 10/16 / Reegan, Patrick M. (2009). Sixteen Million One: Understanding Civil War. Paradigm Publishers, Boulder CO. pp 1-94
Week 10:
Nationalism & National Identity / Mon - 10/19 / Reegan, Patrick M. (2009). Sixteen Million One: Understanding Civil War. Paradigm Publishers, Boulder CO. pp 95-202
Wed - 10/21 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 12
Fri - 10/23 / S. P. Huntingon (1993). "Clash of Civilizations?"In: Foreign Affairs 72(3). Pp. 22-49
Week 11: / Mon - 26 / McLaren, Lauren M. (2004). "Opposition to European Integration and the Fear of Loss of National Identity." In: European Journal of Political Research. 43(6). Pp. 895-911.
Wed - 10/28 / SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
Fri - 10/30 / FALL BREAK
Week 12:
Race, Ethnicity, & Gender / Mon - 11/2 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 13
Wed - 11/4 / S. Bush (2011). "International Politics and the Spread of Quotas for Women in Legislatures." In: International Organization 65(1). Pp. 103-177 only!!
Fri - 11/6 / No readings.
Week 13:
Ideology & Religion / Mon - 11/9 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 14
Wed - 11/11 / Kaufman, Chaim D. & R. Pape. 1999. "Explaining Costly International Moral Action." In: International Organizations. 53(4), pp. 631-668.
Fri - 11/13 / Samantha Power, "Bystanders to Genocide." The Atlantic. September 2001: 84-108.
Week 14:
Environmental / Mon - 11/16 / Mitchell, Ronald B. (1994). "Regime design matters: intentional oil pollution and treaty compliance." In: International Organization 48(3). Pp.425-458
Wed - 11/18 / Downs, George W. (2000). "Constructing Effective Environmental Regimes." In: Annual Review of Political Science. 3(1). Pp. 25.
Fri - 11/20 / J. Kurtzman (2009). "The Low Carbon Diet." In: Foreign Affiars 88(5). Pp. 114-122.
CRITICAL ESSAYS DUE
11/23 - 11/27 THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 15:
International Relations / Mon - 11/30 / Dickovick & Eastwood Ch. 15
Wed - 12/2 / Walt, Stephen M. (1998). "International Relations: One World, Many Theories." In: Foreign Policy. 110, pp 29-46.
Fri - 12/4 / Putnam, Robert. (1988). "Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of Two-Level Games." In: International Organization. 42. pp. 427-460.
Week 16: / Mon - 12/7 / Zurn, M. & Checkel, J. (2005). "Getting Socialized to Build Bridges: Constructivism and Rationalism, Europe and the Nation-State." In: International Organization. 59(4). Pp. 1045-1079
Tues - 12/8 / FINAL PAPERS DUE

Page 3