|
Political
Science 040, Section 1002: Introduction to
Comparative Politics Spring 2005 Time: MWF |
Prof. Lowell Office: 452 WWP; Phone: 288-5983 Office Hrs.: MWF E-mail: Lowell.Barrington@mu.edu |
Course Overview: This
course provides an introduction to the comparative study of domestic politics
in countries around the world. In this course, you will be introduced to some
of the most important concepts, theories, and issues in this subfield of
political science. There is some debate about what ¡°comparative politics¡±
means. Many see it simply as the study of domestic politics in countries
outside the
While many introductory courses
in comparative politics spend the first half of the semester on concepts and
theories and the second half on specific countries, I take a different
approach. Each week of the semester, we will focus on a different topic that is
important to comparative politics. During most weeks, we will also examine that
topic in a group of countries representative of different types of political
systems around the world: The United Kingdom (
Requirements and
grading: You
are expected to do the readings for the course on time (during the week that
they are listed in the syllabus), and there are several incentives to do so.
First, lectures will be easier to follow if you have completed the readings.
Second, the amount of reading is reasonable, but not small. It will not be easy
to catch up if you fall behind. Third, from time to time, we will discuss
readings in lecture. This is particularly true of our coverage of the topics in
practice in the countries. We will generally discuss those readings ¡ª from Sodaro and Brooks ¡ª at the end of the week. Along with your
attendance, your participation in these and other discussions can affect your
final semester grade (see below). Fourth, there will be six quizzes covering
the readings during the semester. Finally, on the midterm and final exams,
those who mention specific ideas from course readings will receive higher
grades ¡ª all other things equal ¡ª than those who do not.
Your
final semester grade will be based on the quizzes (15% total), the paper (25%),
an in-class midterm (25%), and the final exam (35%). Quizzes will be multiple
choice; the exams will be essay-based. On your paper (but not the in-class
exams), spelling, grammar, and other elements of polished writing will be taken
into account in determining your grade.
Class
attendance is mandatory. But, since certain situations may arise that make it
difficult or impossible to attend a particular class session, you will be able
to miss six sessions of this class
during the semester without an effect on your grade. After that, I will lower
your final semester grade by one-half letter grade (B to BC, for example) with
each additional absence. In addition, anyone ending the semester in the ¡°gray
area¡± between two letter grades will be bumped up or down depending on
attendance and participation.
While generally a nice person, I take academic dishonesty very
seriously. Academic dishonesty violates the principles of
The Sodaro textbook will usually provide
the ¡°core¡± reading for a given week, as well as readings about particular
countries. The Brooks book will provide necessary information about
PART I: Political
Science and Comparative Politics.
Week 1 (January 19-21):
Introduction: Science, Political Science, and Comparative Politics.
Michael J. Sodaro
(hereafter, ¡°Sodaro¡±), Comparative Politics: An Introduction (
*Bernard Brown, ¡°Introduction: On
Comparing Nations¡± Comparative Politics:
Notes and Readings, 9th edition (
Week 2 (January 24-28): Key Concepts: Power, Legitimacy, State, and
Nation.
Sodaro, ch. 2 (pp. 37-38 only) and chs. 4-5 (pp. 96-140).
*Lowell Barrington (hereafter, ¡°
Stephen Brooks (hereafter
¡°Brooks¡±), Canadian Democracy (2003),
ch. 1 ¡°An Introduction to Political
Life¡±).
*Max Weber, ¡°What is a State?¡± Comparative Politics: Notes and
*
Week 3 (January 31-February 4): Making Causal Arguments: Comparative
Politics Theories.
Sodaro, ch. 2
(pp. 34-37 and 51-52 only), ch. 3 (pp. 56-95).
*
Week 4 (February 7-11): Culture
and Identity I: Religion, Ethnicity, and Nationalism.
Sodaro, ch. 2
(pp. 38-48 only) and ch. 6 (pp. 141-161).
*
Brooks, chs. 12-13 (¡°Language Politics¡± and ¡°Diversity and
Politics¡±).
Week 5 (February 14-18): Culture
and Identity II: Political Culture.
Sodaro, ch.
11 (pp. 255-269).
*Ronald Inglehart,
¡°Values, Economic Development and Political Change¡± Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings,
9th edition (
Brooks, ch. 2 (¡°Ideological and Institutional Roots¡±).
Week 6 (February 21-25): Economic
Development and Class Divisions.
Sodaro, chs. 13-14 (pp. 295-337).
PART III:
Institutional Arrangements.
Week 7 (February 28-March 4):
Institutions I: Constitutions, Regimes, and Regime Transition.
Sodaro, chs. 2, 12, 7, and 9 (in that order, pp. 31-34 only,
270-294, 162-184, and 215-241).
*Samuel Huntington, ¡°The Future
of the Third Wave¡± ¡± Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings, 9th
edition (
Week 8 (March 7-11): Institutions
II: Federal vs. Unitary States, and Local Government.
Sodaro, ch. 5 (re-read pp. 132-133).
Brooks, ch. 7 (¡°Federalism¡±).
Midterm
Exam: March 9 (Wednesday), in class.
Week 9 (March 14-18):
Institutions III: Executives, Legislatures, Courts, Bureaucracies (and
Militaries).
*
Sodaro, ch. 8 (pp. 185-196 only).
Brooks, ch. 8 (¡°The Machinery of
Government¡±).
(pp. 700-703 only).
No Class, March 21-28. Easter Break.
Week 10 (March 30-April 1): Institutions
IV: Electoral Systems and Political Parties.
Sodaro, ch. 11 (pp. 230-241 only).
Brooks, ch. 9 (¡°Parties and Elections¡±).
Part IV: Elites,
Masses, and Policymaking.
Week 11 (April 4-8): Elites, Masses, Pluralism, Clientelism,
Corporatism, and ¡°Civil Society.¡±
Sodaro, ch. 11 (pp. 242-254 only).
*Robert Putnam, ¡°Bowling Alone¡± Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings,
9th edition (
Brooks, ch. 10 (¡°Interest
Groups¡±).
chapter: ch.
20 (608-617 only),
ch. 22
(pp. 693-695 only).
Paper
due: April 4 (Monday), in class. See assignment description at the end of
the syllabus.
Week 12 (April 11-15): Policy Outcomes and Political ¡°Performance.¡±
*Peter Hall, ¡°Policy Paradigms,
Social Learning, and the State¡± Comparative
Politics: Notes and Readings, 9th edition
(
PART V: Conclusion.
Week 13 (April 18-22):
International Relations and Comparative Politics.
Week 15 (May 2-6): Conclusion:
From Separate Countries to General Theories.
Sodaro, read the ¡°Conclusion¡± sections
at the end of chs. 15, 17, 19, 20,
21, and 22.
*
FINAL EXAM: Monday May 9,
Paper
Assignment: Due in class, April 4 (Monday).
In
approximately five double-spaced pages
(25 lines per page, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, and 1 inch margins), answer
the question below. Make sure that you refer to any readings that you use (you
may use endnotes or parenthetical citation; you must have a reference page). Plagiarism is not acceptable in any
form. Direct quotations must be in quotation marks. If you
are using someone¡¯s argument, ideas, or wording ¡ª from readings or the internet
¡ª you must cite the work whether you
are directly quoting it or not.
Spelling, grammar, and overall quality of
writing will be factored into the grade of this assignment. If you cannot
present ideas clearly, you cannot present ideas clearly about politics. This is
a political science course, not a ¡°creative writing¡± course. Your arguments can
certainly be creative, but your writing should be formal and free of mistakes.
I challenge you to write a crisp paper without an error in spelling or
punctuation. I will give you a handout with spelling and grammar tips. Read it
and use it; it will help.
While
short, this is a research paper. I expect you to find current information about the country on which you choose to write.
You should look not only at news magazines like The Economist but also at
academic journals that may carry articles on your country. Also, you can (and
should) use the readings from class where appropriate.
Question: What country should we study in week 14,
and why?
In your answer, consider the
topics that we have discussed in the course. How will your country help us to
understand better any or all of the concepts and issues we have examined? Does
it fill a void, providing an example of something important that the other
countries we are looking at do not? Finally, why will it be interesting for
your fellow students (and me) to examine politics in this particular state?
Consider why people in the
Your only restriction on possible
cases is that it must be a developing country and cannot be
Finally,
while it will be tempting to do so, do not
describe a lot of the country¡¯s basic history in your paper. Cover only the
history that you need to mention to make your points about the country¡¯s value
as a case. I will probably have some knowledge of the country¡¯s history
already. I want to know why you think that I and your fellow classmates should
spend a week studying the country you choose.