YORK UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Arts

Department of Political Science

AS/POLS 1000 6.0 / AK/PPAS 1000 6.0 / AK/POLS 2410 6.0

Section C

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS:

EXPLORING THE DEMOCRATIC EXPERIENCE

Fall/Winter 2008-2009

Instructor: Professor Sergei Plekhanov

Prof. Plekhanov’s office hours: Thursdays, 12:30-14:30, and by appointment.

Office address: 383 York Lanes, phone: (416) 736-5156, email:

Website: http://www.yorku.ca/splekhan/

This course introduces students to the study of politics, covering the basic concepts and terms of political science, the various interpretations of democracy and human rights, and the real-world practices of states. It seeks to help students develop critical awareness of political problems and an understanding of how relations of power and authority permeate most aspects of our lives.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

- Attending two lectures and one tutorial seminar each week.

- Weekly readings from the assigned texts.

- Active participation in tutorial discussions.

- Preparation of 1 reading review and 2 short essays, on topics to be chosen from the lists provided by the instructors.

- One formally scheduled 3-hour exam after the conclusion of the course (in April 2009, date to be set by the University during the Winter term).

GRADE COMPONENTS

Reading Review, due date Oct.16 – 10%

Essay 1, due date Nov.20 – 20%

Essay 2, due date Mar.12 – 20%

Exam – 30%

Participation – 20% (10% - attendance, 10% - class activity)

Written assignments are to be handed in to the TAs during tutorials.

NOTE: before submitting the first written assignment, each student must complete the online Academic Integrity Tutorial, accessible at: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/

Note: Students who encounter extenuating circumstances during the term which may interfere with the successful completion of exams or other course assignments should discuss the matter with their tutorial leader or course instructor as soon as possible. Students with physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in teaching style or evaluation methods, as outlined in Appendix A the Senate Policy on Students with Special Needs. They should advise the instructor at the earliest opportunity, so that appropriate arrangements may be with the assistance of the Office for Persons with Disabilities, the Counselling Development Centre, or the Learning Disabilities Program.

Departmental E-mail list: Political Science majors are encouraged to subscribe to the Departmental E-mail list that will post announcements about job opportunities, special events, career information and scholarships and awards. To subscribe, follow the instructions on the Department website at: http://www.yorku.ca/polisci/undergrad_studies/window.html

REQUIRED READINGS

Brodie, Janine and Sandra Rein (Eds.). 2008. Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics. 4th edition. Pearson/Prentice-Hall.

McLean, Iain and Alistair McMillan (Eds.). 2003. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCE

Scott, Gregory and Stephen Garrison. 2002. The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual. 4th edition. Prentice-Hall.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

The Fall Term

Sept. 4

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Sept. 9 and 11

POWER AND POLITICS

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 1

Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics (further referred to as OCDP): “politics”, “political science”, “power”, “authority”

Additional readings:

Peter Bachrach and Morton Baratz, The Two Faces of Power.

http://campus.ru.ac.za/download.php?actionarg=2589

“Tragedy of the Commons”.

http://members.aol.com/trajcom/private/trajcom.htm

IMPORTANT DATE: Sept. 18 is the last day to enrol without instructor's permission.

Sept. 16 and 18

INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND SOCIETY

Required readings:

“Individuals, Groups, and Society”, Lecture notes for 1000C, Prof. Plekhanov’s website

OCDP: “industrial society”, “capitalism”, “society”, “class”, “bourgeoisie”, “proletariat”, “working class”, “middle class”, “peasantry”

Additional readings:

Charles Horton Cooley, Conflict and Cooperation,

http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/Cooley/Cooley_1918/Cooley_1918_04.html

John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, Chapter 8, On the Beginning of Political Societies,

http://jim.com/2ndtreat.htm#8CHAP

Thomas Hobbes, De Cive (The Citizen), Liberty, Chapter 1, Of the state of men without Civill Society,

http://www.constitution.org/th/decive01.htm

Sept. 23 and 25

THE ORIGINS OF THE STATE

Required readings:

“The Origins of the State”, Lecture notes for 1000C, Prof. Plekhanov’s website

OCDP: “state”, “sovereignty”, “property”, “legitimacy”, “authority”, “law”, “feudalism”, “American Revolution”, “French Revolution”, “Russian Revolution (1917)”

Additional readings:

Thomas Hobbes, State and Sovereignty,

http://radicalacademy.com/adiphilpolitics17es.htm

Max Weber, Politics as a Vocation,

http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/polvoc.html

IMPORTANT DATE: Oct. 2 is the due date for the results of the Academic Integrity Self-Test.

Sept. 30 and Oct. 2

DEMOCRACY

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 4

OCDP: “democracy”, “human rights”, “bill of rights”, “equality”, “justice”, “equal opportunity”, “freedom of association”, “freedom of information”, freedom of religion”, “freedom of speech”, “majority rule”, “common good”, “representation”, “elitism”, “iron law of oligarchy”, “pluralism”. “accountability”, “consent”, “democratic deficit”, “democratization”, “industrial democracy”, “direct democracy”

Additional readings:

Roger D. Rothenberger, Beyond Plutocracy: True Democracy for America.

http://www.beyondplutocracy.com/

Christopher Chase-Dunn, Global Democracy: a world-systems perspective.

http://www.irows.ucr.edu/cd/courses/181/globdemo.htm

Oct. 7, 9, 14, and 16

POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 2, 3, and 5

OCDP: “ideology”, “liberalism”, “conservatism”, “neoliberalism”, “statism”, “nationalism”, “socialism”, “social democracy”, “communism”, “Marxism”, “fascism”, “National Socialism”, “left”, “right –(wing)”, “New Left”, “New Right”, “extreme-right parties”, “anti-Semitism”, “fundamentalism, Christian and Islamic”, “feminism”, “libertarianism”, “anarchism”, “propaganda”

Additional readings:

“The Political Compass. Find Your Own Place on the Political Spectrum”.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

IMPORTANT DATES:

Oct.16 is the due date for the Reading Review.

Oct. 17 is the last day to enrol with instructor's permission.

Oct. 21 and 23

THE MODERN STATE

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 6, 9

OCDP: “state”, “public goods”, “public administration”, “public interest”, “welfare state”, “market”, “legislature”, “parliament”, “executive”, “head of government”, “head of state”, “president”, “prime minister”, “cabinet”, “judiciary”, “federalism”, “interest groups”

Additional readings:

“Canadian Government Information on the Internet”

http://cgii.gc.ca/index-e.html

Murray Rothbard, The Anatomy of the State

http://www.la-articles.org.uk/roth.htm

“Crisis of the Modern Welfare State”

http://www.coursework.info/i/150.html

Oct.28 and 30

REGIMES
Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 7

OCDP: “liberalism”, “pluralism”, “democracy”, “authoritarianism”, “totalitarianism”, “despotism”, “tyranny”, “dictatorship”, “revolution”, “one-party states”, “competitive party systems”, “consensus”, “consent”, “democratic deficit”, ”power elite”, “corporatism”, “Big Brother”, “civil liberties”

Additional readings:

Mehran Kamrava, Revolutionary Politics

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=42434820 (requires subscription to Questia.Com)

Daniel Nelson, After Authoritarianism: Democracy or Disorder? Introduction, Chapter 1

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=26294777 (requires subscription to Questia.Com)

IMPORTANT DATE: Nov. 7 is the last day to drop the course without receiving a grade

Nov. 4 and 6

CONSTITUTIONS AND THE RULE OF LAW

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 8

OCDP: “law”, “common law”, “statute law”, “natural law”, “constitutional law”, “Roman law”, “Napoleonic law”, “norm”, “constitution”, “judiciary”, “jurisprudence”, “rights”, “habeas corpus”, “human rights”, “punishment”, “rule of law”, “due process”, “equal protection”, “prerogative”, “separation of powers”, “corruption”, “impeachment”, “judicial activism/judicial restraint”, “judicial review”, “Supreme Court”, “ombudsman”, “martial law”, “coup d’etat”

Additional readings:

John Sterling (ed.), Rule of Law

http://www.lawandliberty.org/rulelaw.htm

The Developing Rule of Law in China

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/haq/200004/0004a007.htm

IMPORTANT DATE: Nov. 20 is the due date for the Essay 1.

Nov. 11 and 13

POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 10 and 11

OCDP: “representation”, “voting”, “participation, political”, “electoral system”, “proportional representation”, “party organization”, “party system”, “party identification”, “mass media”, “majoritarianism”, “majority rule”, “minority government”, “opinion polls”, “referendum”

Additional reading:

“Electoral Systems Index”, Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) Project

http://www.aceproject.org/main/english/es/

Nov. 18 and 20

CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 12 and 13

OCDP: “citizenship”, “civic culture”, “obligation”, “patriotism”, “activist”, “community”, “community power”, “obedience”, “civil disobedience”, “paternalism”, ”social movements”, “labour movement”, “trade unions”, “masses”, “mass society”, “new social movements”

Additional readings:

“Civil Rights”, from Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-rights/

“Communitarianism”, from Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/communitarianism/

Nov. 25 and 27, Dec. 2

CULTURE

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 15

OCDP: “political culture”, “political socialization”, “citizenship”, “civic culture”, “mass media”, “class consciousness”, “consensus”, “race and politics”, “theocracy”, “secularization”

Additional readings:

“Political Culture”, Thomson-Nelson Archive

http://polisci.nelson.com/intropc.html

“Political Culture of Canada”, Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_culture_of_Canada

The Winter Term

Jan. 6 and 8

GENDER AND POLITICS

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 14

OCDP: “gender and politics”, “personal as political”, “feminism”, “matriarchy”, “patriarchy”, “suffrage”, “suffragette”, “sexism”

Additional readings:

“Gender, Sexuality, and Politics”, Thomson-Nelson Archive

http://polisci.nelson.com/gender.html

“Gender Gap”, by gendergap.com

http://www.gendergap.com/

Jan. 13 and 15

ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 18

OCDP: “environmentalism”, “ecology”, “anthropocentrism”, “ecocentrism”

Additional readings:

“Fourth Assessment Report”, Intergovernmental Commission on Climate Change, 2007

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-frontmatter.pdf

Sustainable Energy and Economy Network (SEEN) – explore this site

http://www.seen.org/

Jan. 20 and 22

POLITICAL VIOLENCE

Required reading:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 19

OCDP: “violence”, “terrorism”, “ethnic cleansing”, “genocide”, “coup d’etat”, “revolution”, “non-violence”

Additional readings:

Martin Shaw, Political Mass Killing

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/hafa3/slaughter1.htm

Clive Stafford Smith, Torture: An Idea for Our Time

http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-terrorism/torture_2749.jsp

Jan.27 and 29

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Required reading:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 22

OCDP: “international relations”, “realism”, “real politik”, “sphere of influence”, “strategy”, “diplomacy”, “war”, “empire”, “sovereignty”, Westphalian state system”, “balance of power”, “empire”, “imperialism”, “secession”, “international law”, “international society”, “realism”, “geopolitics”, “globalization”, “migration”.

Additional readings:

International Conflict and Cooperation Data – explore this site

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~phensel/intlconf.html

International Environmental Data Page – explore this site

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~phensel/intlenv.html

United Nations and Global Security – explore this site

http://www.un-globalsecurity.org/

IMPORTANT DATE: Feb. 6 is the last day to drop the course without receiving a final grade.

Feb. 3 and 5

GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

Required reading:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 24 and 27

OCDP: “North”, “West”, “South”, “Third World”, “centre-periphery politics”, “colonialism”, “decolonization”, “post-colonial state”, “dependency”, “development”, “multinational corporation”,

Additional reading:

Thomas I. Palley, From Keynesianism to Neo-Liberalism

http://www.fpif.org/papers/2004keynesianism.html

“Global Injustice and Inequality”, at Global Policy Forum

http://globalpolicy.igc.org/socecon/inequal/

UC Atlas of Global Inequality – explore this site

http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/

Feb. 10 and 12

THE WEST AND THE REST

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 20

Additional readings:

Amartya Sen, What Clash of Civilizations? – Slate, March 29, 2006

http://www.slate.com/id/2138731/

“Alliance of Civilizations” website, the United Nations

http://www.unaoc.org/

Feb.16 - 20

READING WEEK

Feb. 24 and 26, Mar. 3 and 5

GLOBAL (DIS)ORDERS, GLOBAL CONFLICT

Required reading:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 21

OCDP: “Cold War”, “superpower”, “hegemony”, “empire”, “democratic peace”, “multilateralism”, “NATO”, “rogue state”, “terrorism”, “sanctions”, “peace-keeping”, “self-determination”, “secession”, “war”, “militarism”, “military-industrial complex”, “humanitarian intervention”, “just war”, “war crimes”, “refugee”, “democratic peace”, “NATO”

Additional readings:

Mark E. Pietrzyk, Explaining the Post-Cold War Order: An International Society Approach

http://www.ciaonet.org/isa/pim01/

“Our Global Neighborhood”, Report of the Commission on Global Governance

http://www.sovereignty.net/p/gov/gganalysis.htm

Martin Shaw, Democracy and Peace in the Global Revolution

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/hafa3/democracy.htm

William Hartung, The Military-Industrial Complex Revisited

http://www.fpif.org/papers/micr/index.html

IMPORTANT DATE: Mar. 12 is the due date for Essay 2.

Mar.10 and 12

ARMS AND DISARMAMENT

Required reading:

“Arms and Disarmament”, Lecture notes for 1000C, Prof. Plekhanov’s website

OCDP: “arms races”, “arms control”, “disarmament”, “deterrence”, “SALT”, “START”, “nuclear proliferation”, “Cuban Missile Crisis”

Additional readings:

“Bulletin of Atomic Scientists” - http://www.thebulletin.org/

“Arms Control Association” - http://www.armscontrol.org/

Center for Defense Information” - http://www.cdi.org/

Mar. 17 and 19

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Required reading:

Brodie/Rein, Chapter 23

OCDP: “multilateralism”, “United Nations”, “Security Council”, “Bretton Woods”, “IMF”, “World Bank”, “free trade”, “free trade area”, “World Trade Organization”, “trade war”, “G7/G8”, “NAFTA”

Additional readings:

Global Policy Forum – explore the website

http://www.globalpolicy.org/

Mar.24 and 26, April 2

LOCAL-REGIONAL-GLOBAL DYNAMICS

Required readings:

Brodie/Rein, Chapters 25 and 26

OCDP: “globalization”, “regionalism”, “local politics”, “anti-globalization”

Additional readings:

“Global Cities”, by Tate Modern, 2007

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/globalcities/default.shtm

“Global City Migration Map”, by Migration Policy Institute

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/globalcities/default.shtm

APRIL 2005 - FINAL EXAM

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