Parties, Interest Groups, and Public Opinion: Extreme Party Politics
POL 101A
Meeting Time: Tu, Th 2-3:20pm
Instructor: Leanna Barlow
Email:
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:30-4:30pm, Rabb 227
Course Description
Next fall, the Scottish National Party will spearhead a referendum on Scottish independence that could have dramatic consequences for the future of the United Kingdom.From the National Front in France to the Tea Party in United States, extreme party politics are changing the structure and function of party systems around the world.This course examines the development and impact of “extreme” parties – green / environmentalist parties, regionalist and separatist parties in Europe, the American “tea party,” and parties of the radical right – in the United States, Europe, and other democracies. We will spend the semester examining the impact of extreme parties on electoral rules, state structures, and popular engagement in politics. By comparing parties in several democratic states, this course aims to identify the factors that account for the electoral success (or failure) of extreme parties, and ultimately to shed light on the political influence of these parties in a changing world.
The course will be run as a seminar, which means I will do some lecturing at the beginning of each meeting, but most of our class time together will be spent discussing the topics slated for the day. One student will be called upon to lead discussion each class by summarizing the important points of the week’s readings and posing questions that aim at the heart of the issues at hand. Questions best kept in mind as one prepares to lead discussion: What was the author’s main argument? Does the author think that agency or institutions (or both) are most important to the development of radical parties? Do you think the party in question will continue to succeed or to fail? Why? On what grounds?Discussion leaders will also be required to turn in a 2 to 4 page response paper summarizing the readings and offering a critique of the arguments at the end of the discussion. You will be responsible for serving as a discussion leader twice during the semester. Thanks tothe readings, discussions, and written work, students can expect to gain a thorough understanding of the development and trajectories of radical political parties in comparative perspective.
Required Readings
All readings are available for free download online through Brandeis Scholar. I will also post them on Latte. Please let me know if you have any questions about how to access online readings.
Evaluation
Your grade in this course will be comprised of the following. Grades will be calculated on a scale of A-F, including +/-.
Class Participation (including final paper presentation): 20%
Discussion Leader and 2-4 Page Discussion Response Papers: 30%
Midterm Exam (in class essay response to prompt): 20%
Final Research Paper (10-12 pages): 30%
Important Info & Policies
- I will uphold Brandeis’ policy on plagiarism as stated in section 4 of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook – “A student shall not submit work that is falsified or is not the result of the student’s own effort. Infringement of academic honesty by a student subjects the student to serious penalties, which may include failure on the assignment, failure in the course, suspension from the University or other sanctions.”
- A late assignment will be penalized 1/2 of a grade for each day it is late. After 1 week, I will no longer accept it.
- Class participation is mandatory and a significant portion of your grade. More than two unexcused absences will seriously affect your final grade and I should be notified as soon as possible in the case of a family emergency, illness, etc., in accordance with university policies.
Schedule of Readings
Tuesday 1/14 -Introduction to the course
Review the syllabus, assignments, and the goal of the course.
Thursday 1/16 – Institutions: What are Political Parties and Why are they Important?
“Empty Vessels?” The Economist (July 24, 1999).
Joseph Schlesinger, “On the Theory of Party Organization,” The Journal of Politics(46, 1984), 369-400.
SeymourLipset, “The Indispensability of Political Parties,”Journal of Democracy(2000), 48-55.
Tuesday 1/21 –Institutions: Electoral Rules and the Development of Extreme Parties
M.S., “You can’t spend your way out of a prisoner’s dilemma,” The Economist (July 7, 2013).
Octavio Amorim Neto and Gary Cox, “Electoral Institutions, Cleavage Structures, and the Number of Parties,” American Journal of Political Science 41 (1, 1997), 149-174.
Arend Lijphart, “Constitutional Choices for New Democracies,” Journal of Democracy 2(1, 1991), 72-84.
Guy Lardeyret, “The Problem with PR,” Journal of Democracy 2(3, 1991), 30-35.
Thursday 1/23 – Institutions: Devolution and the Development of Extreme Parties
Discussion Leader #1
James MacIntyre, “From Devolution to Independence,” The New York Times (February 8, 2012).
Dan Miodownik and Britt Cartrite, “Does Political Decentralization Exacerbate or Ameliorate Ethno-political Mobilization? A Test of Contesting Propositions,” Political Research Quarterly 63(4, 2010), 731-446.
Dawn Brancati, “Decentralization: Fueling the Fire or Dampening the Flames of Ethnic Conflict and Secessionism?” International Organization 60 (Summer, 2006).
Tuesday 1/28 –Agency: Grievances, Social Movements, and the Development of Extreme Parties
Discussion Leader #2
“Europe’s far right: Culture matters more,” The Economist (August 11, 2012).
Art, Chap. 2 – on LATTE.
Doug McAdam and Sidney Tarrow, “Ballots and Barricades: On the Reciprocal Relationship between Elections and Social Movements,” Perspectives on Politics 8(2, 2010), 529-542.
Thursday 1/30 - The United States: The Tea Party and the Development of American Democracy
Discussion Leader #3
James Traub, “The Tea Party’s Path to Irrelevance,” The New York Times (August 6, 2013).
Zachary Courser, “The Tea Party at the Election,” The Forum 8(4, 2010).
Vanessa Williamson, Theda Skocpol, and John Coggin, “The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism,” Perspectives on Politics 9(1, 2011), 25-43.
Tuesday 2/4 – The United States: From the Tea Party to the Greens
*Discussion Leader #4
“Green America: Waking up and catching up,” The Economist (January 25, 2007).
Jack Healy, “Fed up on the Prairie, and Voting on Seceding From Colorado,” The New York Times (Oct. 6, 2013).
Barry Burden, “Minor parties and strategic voting in recent U.S. presidential elections,” Electoral Studies 24(2005), 603-618.
Larry Bartels, “Is the Water Rising? Reflections on Inequality and American Democracy,” Political Science and Politics 39(1, 2006), 39-42.
Thursday 2/6– Scotland:the rise of the SNP
Discussion Leader #5
“All Change: Britain is on the Verge of Constitutional Upheaval,” The Economist (April 28, 2011)
Ian Jack, “Saving a language is one thing, but I’m saddened by Scotland going Gaelic,” The Guardian (December 10, 2010).
Meguid, Chap 7. (192-246) – on LATTE.
Tuesday 2/11 – Scotland:the SNP and the likelihood of Scottish Secession
Discussion Leader #6
“Labour may be winner of SNP internal war of independence,” The Scotsman(September 22, 2002).
John Curtice, “Chapter 5: Devolution, the SNP and the Electorate,” in Gerry Hassan (ed.) SNP: From Protest to Power (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009).
Peter Lynch, “From Social Democracy back to No Ideology? The Scottish National Party and Ideological Change in a Multi-level Electoral Setting,” Regional and Federal Studies 19(4-5, 2009), 619-637.
Thursday 2/13 – In class midterm exam
Winter Break – 2/18 and 2/20…Enjoy!
Tuesday 2/25 – Midterm Rescheduled
Thursday 2/27 - Wales: the rise of Plaid Cymru
Discussion Leader #7
“Plaid Cymru leader: we can only prosper if we do things for ourselves,” The Guardian (Sept. 12, 2012).
Laura McAllister, “Gender, nation and party: an uneasy alliance for Welsh nationalism,” Women’s History Review 10(1, 2001a).
Thomas Christiansen, “Plaid Cymru: Dilemmas and ambiguities of Welsh regional nationalism,” in Lieven De Winter and Huri Tursan Regionalist Parties in Western Europe.
Tuesday 3/4– Wales: Plaid Cymru and the likelihood of Welsh Secession
Discussion Leader #8
“The reluctant dragon,” The Economist (Nov. 24, 2012).
“Dealing with Secession in Europe: Room for Debate,” The New York Times (Oct. 31, 2012).
Anwen Elias, “From Protest to Power: Mapping the Ideological Evolution of Plaid Cymru and the Bloque Nacionalista Galego,” Regional and Federal Studies 19 (4-5, 2009), 533-557.
Anthony James, “The Dragon in the Garage: Nationalism, Politics, and Identity in Wales,” Contemporary Review 292 (1698, 2010), 282-292.
Thursday 3/6 – France: Activists and the Rise of the Radical Right
Discussion Leader #9
Alissa Rubin, “Minor Victory by Far-Right Party Has France Asking if Bigger Changes Are Ahead,” The New York Times (October 14, 2013).
Nonna Mayer, “From Jean-Marie to Marine Le Pen: Electoral Change on the Far Right,” Parliamentary Affairs 66(2014), 160-178.
Nigel Copsey, “A Comparison between the Extreme Right in Contemporary France and Britain,” Contemporary European History 6(1, 1997), 101-116.
Tuesday 3/11 –France - Les Verts and Green Party Politics
Discussion Leader #11
Paul Taylor, “Europe’s Greens are a Victim of their Own Success,” The New York Times (Sept. 30, 2013)
Jae Jae Spoon, “Holding their Own: Explaining the Persistence of Green Parties in France and the UK,” Party Politics 15(5, 2009), 615-634.
Marc Smyrl, “France: Challenging the Unitary State,” in Ugo Amoretti and Nancy Bermeo (eds) Federalism and Territorial Cleavages (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), 201-227. – on LATTE.
Thursday 3/13 –Belgium: the Rise of the Radical Right Wing
Discussion Leader #12
*Final research paper instructions to be handed out in class.
Craig Smith, “Fear of Islamists Drives Growth of Far Right in Belgium,” The New York Times (Feb. 12, 2005).
David Art, “The Organizational Origins of the Contemporary Radical Right: The Case of Belgium,” Comparative Politics 40(4, 2008), 428.
Jaak Billiet, Andre-Paul Frognier, and Bart Maddens, “Does Belgium (Still) Exist? Differences in Political Culture Between Flemings and Walloons,” West European Politics 29(5, 2006), 912-932.
Tuesday 3/18 –Belgium: Institutions, Separatism, and the Radical Right Wing
Discussion Leader #13
“Belgium: Time to call it a day,” The Economist (Sept. 6, 2007).
Wilfried Swenden and Maarten Theo Jans, “Will it Stay or Will it Go? Federalism and Sustainability of Belgium,” West European Politics 29(5, 2006), 877-894.
Lieven De Winter, Patrick Dumont, and Marc Swyngedouw, “Party System(s) and Electoral Behavior in Belgium: From Stability to Balkanization,” West European Politics 29(5, 2006), 933-956.
Thursday 3/20–European Elections and European Integration
Discussion Leader #14
Chris Edwards, “Sweden's Pirate Party Sails to Success in European Elections,” The Guardian (June 11, 2009).
Andrew Higgins, “Right Wing’s Surge in Europe Has the Establishment Rattled,” The New York Times (Nov. 8, 2013).
Klaus-Jurgen Nagel, “How Stateless Nations like Scotland, Wales and Catalonia React to European Integration,” Australian Journal of Politics and History 50(1, 2004), 57-74.
Gary Marks and Doug McAdam, “Social Movements and the Changing Structure of Political Opportunity in the European Union,” West European Politics 19(2, 1996), 249.
Tuesday 3/25 –Quebec: Secessionist Parties in non-European democracies
Discussion Leader #15
“Secession and elections: Let’s stay together,” The Economist (Nov. 28, 2012).
Martin Patriquin, “Quebec’s Tea Party Moment,” The New York Times (Nov. 12, 2013).
Stephane Dion, “Why is Secession Difficult in Well-Established Democracies? Lessons from Quebec,” British Journal of Political Science 26(2, 1996), 269-283.
J.L. Pinard and M. Maurice, “The dramatic reemergence of the Quebec independence movement,” Journal of International Affairs 45(2, 1992), 471-497.
Thursday 3/27 –India: Party Development and Institutions in Non-Western Democracies
Discussion Leader #16
“India’s Jumbo Election: The worst possible way of choosing an Indian government – apart from all the others,” The Economist (April 16, 2009).
Adam Ziegfeld, “Coalition Government and Party System Change: Explaining the Rise of Regional Political Parties in India,” Comparative Politics (October, 2012), 69-87.
Ashutosh Varshney, “Is India Becoming More Democratic?” The Journal of Asian Studies 59(1, 2000), 3-25.
Tuesday 4/1 – India: Rise of Regional Parties and Nationalism in Non-Western Democracies
Discussion Leader #17
“Power Shifts: Weaker national parties, stronger regions, new voter habits and corruption are changing India’s politics,” The Economist (Sept. 29, 2012).
Atul Kohli, “Can Democracies Accommodate Ethnic Nationalism? Rise and Decline of Self-Determination Movements in India,” The Journal of Asian Studies 56(2, 1997), 325-344.
Ashutosh Varshney, “Ethnic Conflict and Civil Society: India and Beyond,” World Politics 53(3, 2001) 362-398.
Thursday 4/3 –Sri Lanka: Party Development and Ethnic Conflict in Developing Democracies
Discussion Leader #18
The Economist, “Sri Lanka’s Tamils: Harder Lines,” (Sept. 28, 2013).
Jonathan Spencer, “A Nationalism without Politics? The illiberal consequences of liberal institutions in Sri Lanka,” Third World Quarterly 29(3, 2008), 611-629.
Neil DeVotta, “Illiberalism and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka,” Journal of Democracy 13(1, 2002), 84-98.
Tuesday 4/8 -- Moving Forward (recap): Institutions vs. Agency and Extreme Party Politics
Thursday 4/10 – Paper Presentations
Tuesday 4/24 – Paper Presentations
Thursday 4/29 –Paper Presentations and Final Paper DUE!
Have a great summer!
1