Comparative Politics 0300, Spring 2006
Prof. Scott Morgenstern ()
4807 Posvar Hall
T/TH WWPH 01700 2:30PM 3:45PM
Comparative Politics is a vast subject. In political science, comparative politics covers the study of any country, including the United States, within a comparative context. As such, comparative political scientists (comparativists) have two main tasks: knowledge of the world and focus on the methodology of comparison. That is, we need to know something about different countries and take care in how to draw comparisons amongst them. The goal, overall, is further knowledge of the countries (empirics) and of the factors that drive politics generally (theory).
In an introductory course on comparative politics, it is necessary to choose among the countries to study and the factors that drive politics (which we will call “independent variables”). In this course I have chosen several countries/regions to study: India, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Britain, the European Union, Argentina, and Mexico. We have a bit of extra emphasis on the Latin American region, since this course can count towards a Latin American certificate. In terms of the independent variables, we will focus on several constitutional issues (e.g. presidentialism versus parliamentarism, electoral systems, federalism) and other factors, such as social structure and culture, that can drive political behavior.
The course has several requirements:
1. Current events reports. You are required to read the NY Times daily (quizzes and tests may cover some of the material) and 2-3 people will give a short report each day. The NYT can be purchased through the bookstore.
2. Each student will work in a group to prepare an hour-long presentation on one of the countries. I will meet with each group to discuss the presentations. (The first group will be a partial exception; they will only have about ½ hour for their presentation.)
3. Midterm
4. Paper: Most students will write a short, 5 page paper proposing constitutional changes for your country of choice. I will allow 5 students to earn a W in the course by writing an extended version of this paper.
5. Final
6. I also reserve the possibility of including one or more pop quizzes if attendance falls or there is evidence that students are not doing the reading.
Grading
%Participation and current events reports / 10
Group presentation / 10
Midterm / 30
Paper / 20
Final / 30
*If there are quizzes, they will count for 15 percent of the grade, which will be accounted for by adjusting the weights on the midterm and final.
Books to purchase:
In addition to the NY Times, three books are available for purchase.
Zakaria The Future of Freedom
Payne et al Democracy in Development
Annual Editions Comparative Politics 2005/2006
Putnam Making Democracy Work
Other articles will be on reserve, on our BlackBoard site, or available through the internet.
Unit 1: Introduction to DemocracyThursday, January 05, 2006 / Introduction
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 / Definition of Democracy & Comparative Politics
Annual Editions (AE) pp 79-85 "What Democracy Is…and Is Not"
Thursday, January 12, 2006 / Why do we care about democracy? & Iraq: A report and debate on Democracy
Group 1:
Payne Ch. 2
Start reading Zakaria
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 / Bolivia: Can Democracy Work in a divided and poor society?
Group 2
Read: From Blackboard
Thursday, January 19, 2006 / Democratization & Waves of Democratization
Continue reading Zakaria
Varieties and Development of Democracy
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 / Varieties of Democracy 1:
Reading: Illiberal Democracy, Zakaria
Thursday, January 26, 2006 / India Case
Reading: AE "India's Democracy Provides Lessons"
Continue reading Zakaria
Group 3
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 / No class; showing of Gandhi during the week in the evening
Start reading for next class
Unit 2: Key Institutional features of Democracy
Thursday, February 02, 2006 / Presidentialism and Parliamentarism
Reading: Linz “The Perils of Presidentialism,” Journal of Democracy 1990 pp. 50-68
Mainwaring and Shugart “Juan Linz, Presidentialism, and Democracy: A Critical Appraisal” Comparative Politics. July 1997 (JSTOR)
Tuesday, February 07, 2006 / Party Systems: Definitions and Importance; Support & Change
Reading AE, pp. 57-67
Thursday, February 09, 2006 / Party system differences
Payne Ch. 6
Reading AE pp. 99-107 "The Case for a Multi-Party US Parliament?"
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 / Chile: Democracy, Dictatorship, and Back
Reading: Skidmore and Smith, Modern Latin America: “Chile: Socialism, Represssion, and Democracy”
Group 4
Thursday, February 16, 2006 / Chile 2: Explanations for Democratic Breakdown
Reading: Diamond, et al: Democracy in Developing Countries: Valenzuela: “Chile: Origins and Consolidation of a Latin American Democracy” 205-222
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 / Democratic Transitions and Dealing with Dictators
Reading: Priscilla B. Hayner, "Fifteen Truth Commissions–1974 to 1994: A Comparative Study," Human Rights Quarterly, v. 16, no. 4, November 1994 pp. 598-611, 621-629
Mark Ensalaco: Human Rights Quarterly, Nov 1994, v 16 n4 656-75, “Truth commissions for Chile and El Salvador: a report and assessment.”
Read the introduction and review other parts of the Chilean report at:
Thursday, February 23, 2006 / Electoral systems
Payne Chs 4-5
Tuesday, February 28, 2006 / Executive-Legislative relations
Payne Chs 8-9
Thursday, March 02, 2006 / Midterm
Tuesday, March 07, 2006 / Spring break
Thursday, March 09, 2006 / Spring break
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 / Party Organization and Party Financing
Payne Ch. 7
Unit 3: Democratic Development: A Variety of Directions
Thursday, March 16, 2006 / Political and Economic Development
AE 129-132
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Cuba
Film: Castro
Read: Prevost: “Cuba” in Vanden and Prevost: Politics of Latin America
Thursday, March 23, 2006 / Cuba Discussion: Should Cuba Democratize? How?
Group 5
Readings: NACLA March/April 1999 Inside Cubapp. 41-45“Advancing Democracy in Cuba: The International Context”
Is Venezuela the new Cuba?NACLA July-August 2005 v39 i1 p3(1)
Bush and Cuba: still the full moon.NACLA Sept-Oct 2004 v38 i2 p4(2)
Blackness with a Cuban beat.NACLA Sept-Oct 2004 v38 i2 p31(7)
See also: articles on Blackboard
Suggested film: Cuba Va
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 / China
Group 6
Reading: AE 150-156 "Hu Takes Full Power" "The Quiet Revolution"
Thursday, March 30, 2006 / Mexico: From Authoritarian Presidentialism to Democracy
Group 7
AE, pp 133-137 "Mexico at an Impasse"
Begin Reading Making Democracy Work
Tuesday, April 04, 2006 / Argentina: From Prosperity to Social and Economic Disaster
Film: Garden of Forking Paths
Reading: The Kirchner factor.NACLA Jan-Feb 2005
Continue ReadingMaking Democracy Work
NY Times 1/3/06Dwindling Debt Boosts Argentine Leader
Thursday, April 06, 2006 / ArgentinaGroup 8
Waisman, Reversal of Development in Argentina, Ch. 1 “The Argentine Riddle
Continue ReadingMaking Democracy Work
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 / Europe and the EU
Group 9
Reading: AE pp 1-28 109-121
Continue ReadingMaking Democracy Work
Unit 4: Making Democracy Work
Thursday, April 13, 2006 / Making Democracy Work I
ReadingMaking Democracy Work, Chs 1-5
Tuesday, April 18, 2006 / Making Democracy Work II
Reading: Making Democracy Work Ch. 6
Putnam: “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital” Journal of Democracy and at
Thursday, April 20, 2006 / Constitution designworkshop
Friday April 21, 2006 / Papers Due: 5:00
Final WedApr 262:00 p.m.- 3:50 p.m.
1