PSC 221 M,W,F 9:10 10:00 AM Room: BH 429 Comparative Politics Spring 2019 Professor: Todd H. Nelson Office: RT 1756 Office Hours: M, 10:30-11:30AM (or by appointment) Email: t.h.nelson@csuohio.edu Course Objectives The dramatic changes that have occurred in the world in the last 30 years including the end of the Cold War, economic globalization, the spread of democracy, and the current focus on international terrorism have seemingly made the world far more complex. Comparative politics works to make sense of this complexity by examining countries in a systematic way, comparing such things as systems of government, political economy, and culture in order to understand political behavior. This class will introduce students to the core concepts and theories that underpin comparative politics. Students should then be able to critically analyze any country in the world, explaining different political outcomes, using these. Students should also be able to understand political behavior as it relates to different institutional configurations among states. Required Textbook Drogus, Carol Ann and Stephen Orvis. 2018. Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in Context. Fourth Edition. Washington DC: CQ Press. Course Requirements and Grading There will be three exams in this class, each of which will be worth 20% of the overall course grade. There will also be a paper, 7-10 pages in length (plus references) that will make up another 20% of your grade. NOTE: You will NOT pass the class if you do not turn in a paper! The remaining 20% will be based on class participation and attendance. Every week, students will choose or be assigned a case study from the textbook and summarize the main points. The idea behind this is that it should help us plough through a large number of case studies in a way that may facilitate class discussion. They will then present this summary informally (no more than five minutes preferably more like two) to the rest of the class. You will be responsible for two such assignments during the course of the semester. (Do NOT be absent on a day when you are due to present unless you have a really compelling reason!) The remainder of the class participation grade will be based on attendance, discussion, and perhaps several quizzes on the assigned readings that we will have during the semester. I reserve the right to supplement (or substitute) 1
readings from our main textbooks with outside articles. Attendance will be taken, so it behooves students to come to class. Paper Topics Each student will choose, or be assigned, a country on which to do a research paper. For the paper you can use Internet sources as well as journal articles, newspapers and books. You must have at least FIVE academic sources, however (i.e. peer-reviewed journals or books). Please see me if you have questions about this. All references must be properly and fully cited. In terms of the composition of the paper, I usually suggest the following: If the country you have chosen is notable for something, focus on that and explain it indepth. If your country is Rwanda, for example, you might want to analyze the reasons for the 1994 genocide that occurred there. Sweden is well-known for its generous and comprehensive social welfare programs, so a detailed analysis of how these came to be might be interesting. Focusing on specific attributes of a country, and their significance, is probably the best option for most students. It helps your paper to become more than a research paper--which tends to make it easier (for you) to write and easier (for me) to read. If you find that you need help finding resources for their papers, you may see me for help at any time during the semester, but obviously, the sooner the better. You may also see me regarding the substance of your paper, if you are having problems. In fact, it s a good idea to see me if you have any questions at all about anything in this class. NOTE: Students will be able to turn in their papers prior to the official due date in order for me to go over them and make corrections/suggestions on how the paper might be better. You are not obligated to take advantage of this opportunity, but you should at least consider taking advantage of my generosity in giving you this opportunity as it will assuredly improve the final grade you receive on the paper. Note on Academic Integrity Students are expected to abide by the University s policies concerning academic integrity. The policy on academic misconduct is found at http://www.csuohio.edu/studentlife/studentcodeofconduct.pdf. Among other rules, you should pay particular attention to the issue of plagiarism: Stealing and/or using the ideas or writings of another in a paper or report and claiming them as your own. This includes but is not limited to the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Cheating is a very serious violation of university policy! I assure you, whatever you may be going through that has anyone contemplating cheating, please come talk to me and we can work something out. 2
Also, and I would assume that this will not be an issue, but I will be very specific there will be absolutely no tolerance for disrespect of others opinions or questions in this class. In this class, we will be discussing a number of issues that can be contentious, and everyone needs to remain open-minded. I encourage you to be tolerant and thoughtful in your classroom discussions. We are all here to learn. Having said that, however, expressed viewpoints should rely on available empirical evidence, as opposed to one s own opinion. We will discuss this more in class. Note on Educational Access Educational access is the provision of classroom accommodations, auxiliary aids and services to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of their disability. Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Disability Services at (216) 687-2015. The Office is located in MC 147. Accommodations need to be requested in advance and will not be granted retroactively. Course Schedule (This is not set in stone and I reserve the right to make changes as the semester progresses, depending on how things go. I will attempt to consider the wishes of the class here, but I make no promises ) Week One Introduction: Why Study Comparative Politics? Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 1. Week Two The State Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 2; Issues in Comparative Politics, 1-24. Week Three The State (con t) Reading: Issues in Comparative Politics, 59-81. Week Four Regime Types Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 3; Issues in Comparative Politics, 89-108. 3
Week Five The State and Identity Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 4; Issues in Comparative Politics, 129-145. Week Six Governing Institutions in Democracies Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 5 Week Seven Exam One Week Eight Institutions of Participation and Representation in Democracies Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 6. Case Studies Week Nine Contentious Politics: Social Movements, Political Violence, and Revolution (regime change) Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 7. Case Studies Week Ten Authoritarian Institutions Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 8 (p. 421) (p. 445) (p. 429) 4
(p. 453) (p. 434) (p. 456) Week Eleven Exam Two Week Twelve Regime Change: Peaceful and Not-So-Much Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 9. Week Thirteen Political Economy Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 10; Issues in Comparative Politics, 271-298. Week Fourteen Political Economy of Development Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 11; Issues in Comparative Politics, 181-210. Week Fifteen Public Policies When Markets Fail Reading: Drogus and Orvis, Ch. 12; Issues in Comparative Politics, 425-450. (p. 650) (p. 653, welfare reform) (p. 666, health care) (p. 673, health care) (p. 688, environmental policy) Final (Last) Exam: Friday, May 10 th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. (I assure you, I had nothing whatsoever to do with the scheduling of our final exam ) 5