Professor Erika Alin
Professor Michael Gold-Biss
Office hours: W 5:00-6:10pm and by appointment
Office: Social Sciences 1325
Telephone: EGA 651-523-2244 (MWF 9:00-10:00pm)
MGB 1-320-255-2035 (Th 1:00-5:00pm & Th 1:00-2:00pm)
E-mail: GOLDBISS@STCLOUDSTATE.EDU or EALIN@GW.HAMLINE.EDU
TA: Megana nayak Email: nayak@polisci.umn.edu

Course Objectives

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to contemporary theoretical and practical approaches and political issues, especially repression and democracy, in the world of today. We will examine different forms of political organization, order, and change in the "Western," "Eastern," and "Developing" worlds, focusing on the theory and practice of the comparative approach, and on specific countries, regions, as well as political challenges and problems confronting the state toward the end of the 21st century. In particular, we will explore the history, social, economic and political structures and processes of the world and its principal political units (nation-states) and compare and contrast political institutionsSsuch as political parties and structures, as well as processesSfor example, political socialization and policy-making and implementation.

With the end of the Cold War, fundamental conceptual frameworks that had dominated the post-World War II study of comparative politics became increasingly obsolete. During the Cold War period of global division into contending political camps, students of comparative politics frequently distinguished, for analytical and practical purposes, between the "First World" of the Western Democracies of Europe, North America, Oceania and Japan; the "Second World" of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe along with the People's Republic of ChinaSas well as a few other countries with similar centralized governmental and economic structures such as Cuba and North KoreaSand the "Third World" of those countries considered to be "developing" in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The "fall" of communism and end of the Cold War, along with increased global interdependence in the areas of economics, communication, and culture, have caused these distinctions to have much less practical relevance for the contemporary study of comparative politics. Nevertheless, the processes and characteristics of political institutions and practices continue to differ throughout the world. We will examine macro-level differences in political institutions and processes and general characteristics that can be associated with the practice of politics in particular regions or areas of the world (such as Western or "developing" areas), most of which are rooted in varied historical and social experiences. At the same time, we will also pay particular attention to specific variations in the political systems of countries within such regions or areas.

One of the characteristics of this course is an explicit emphasis on diversity, understood in terms of the effort to avoid privileging any single view or interpretation of political reality over alternative approaches. Hence, you will be encouraged to understand patterns of thought and feeling different to your own; to explore cross-national and cross-cultural perspectives; and, to develop analytical skills that will allow you to rigorously pursue the inquiry into human behavior and the study of the social sciences. In order to expose you to the widest possible spectrum of cases and problems studied in comparative politics, as well as the approaches used to understand these issues, the readings assigned for the course have been designed to cover a variety of theoretical traditions and problems, levels of analysis, and substantive topics. With selected exceptions, the readings assigned are extensive, rather than intensive.

Diversity will be encouraged through your contributions to class discussions based on the readings and your personal experiences. Although large classes discourage active and continued participation by all students, you will be invited to intervene as often as possible in the discussion of readings as well as current events. Continued monitoring of international as well as national issues through regular reading of one or more major newspapers (e.g., New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, etc.) will enhance your practical application of concepts and issues raised during class. Although you will only be tested on material covered in class, you can anticipate exam questions which will cover class discussions, not only assigned readings.

Statement on Academic Honesty

The College of Liberal Arts has defined scholastic misconduct broadly as "any act that violates the rights of other students in academic work or that involves misrepresentations of your own work. Scholastic dishonesty includes (but is not necessarily limited to) cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, which means misrepresenting as your own work any part of work done by another; submitting the same paper, or substantially similar papers, to meet the requirements of more that one course without the approval and consent of all instructors concerned; depriving another student of necessary course materials; or interfering with another student's work." (EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT POLITICAL SCIENCE, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK, September 1992, p. 33) Instances of academic dishonesty will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary actions will be taken if they occur. Please see us if you have any questions about this issue in general or as it relates to particular requirements for this course.

Course Requirements

Course evaluation will be based on a midterm and final exam, an 8-10 page research/position paper on a topic of your choice broadly related to the course, and class participation (partially based on attendance). For your writing assignment, you may submit a preliminary outline and bibliography, no later than February 16. We will return it with comments on February 22. We cannot, however, read drafts of your papers. You will be presenting the results of your research to the class during the last four weeks of class, in a brief presentation lasting 10-15 minutes (this is a part of your class participation grade and is evaluated on a "good/bad" scale; "good" enhances your participation grade, "bad" reflects poorly on participation and is probably a sign that you did not prepare thoroughly). At all times you must be prepared to answer factual and interpretive questions on material covered during the corresponding portion of the course.

In-class mid-term examination Wednesday, March 15 (150 points)

Research paper (due in class) Wednesday, April 5 (150 points)

In-class final examination Wednesday, May 10 (150 points)

Class participation (50 points)

You are expected to complete the assigned readings in a timely fashion and should be prepared to contribute your knowledge of issues raised in the readings and the news in classroom discussions. It is incumbent upon you to take advantage of our office hours to pursue individual interests.

Grading Scale

450-500 = A; 400-449 = B; 350-399 = C; 300-349 = D; 000-299 = F

The instructors reserve the right to make adjustments in the grading scale. Examinations will consist of a combination of objective and short essay questions. Papers MUST be submitted in a typed, double-spaced format on standard 8 ½ X 11" white paper (typewriter, dot-matrix or letter-quality printer) and must meet college/professional research and writing standards (consider purchasing a resource/reference book on how to write research papers; e.g., the Joseph Gibaldi and Walter S. Achtert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, New York: Modern Language Association of America, or Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Chicago: University of Chicago Press). If you are unsure of these standards, or require technical or practical assistance, help is available from the Composition Department's Writing Service: drop in hours for the Writing Service are scheduled weekly and posted outside the Writing Lab in 306A Lind Hall. Papers that do NOT meet these standards, either due to style or content, will have their grades correspondingly reduced and/or may have to be re-submitted. Proofread your work carefully; all grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors will be counted against your grade. More than five of these errors will result in one point being deducted for each instance (e.g., six errors will result in a deduction of 6 points, from 100 to 94 points). NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No make-up exams will be available; extraordinary circumstances that do not allow you to complete an assignment on time (e.g., illness or death in the family) must be documented. NO INCOMPLETES ARE ALLOWED.

Course Texts

Benjamin, Medea and Maisa Mendonça. Benedita da Silva: An Afro-Brazilian Woman's Story of Politics and Love. Oakland, CA: Food First Books, 1997.

Hague, Rod, et al. Political Science: A Comparative Introduction. New York: Worth Publishers, 1998.

Kaplan, Robert D. The Ends of the Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy. New York: Vintage Books, 1996.

Lievesley, Geraldine. Democracy in Latin America: Mobilization, Power and the Search for a New Politics. New York: Manchester University Press, 1999.

Versluyen, Eugene. Defying the Odds: Banking for the Poor. West Hartford, Ct.: Kumarian Press,1999.

Class Assignments

IMPORTANT NOTE: Generally, class sessions will be divided into two parts, with the first being structured around the presentation and exploration of the issues and themes developed in the readings--especially theoretical frameworks used to understand different cultures, societies, and states--while the second portion of each session will consider relevant case studies in a discussion format. Your continued and sustained participation is essential to the success of this course, premised as it is, on a once-a-week session of three hours.

Week One (January 19) - Government and Politics

Hague, ch. 1

Week Two (January 26) - Democracy and the Global Context

Hague, chs. 2-3; Lievesley, Introduction and ch. 1

Week Three (February 2) - Political Culture

Hague, ch. 4; Lievesley, ch. 2

Week Four (February 9) - Political Participation, Elections, Voters, Public Opinion

Hague, chs. 5-6; Lievesley, ch. 3

Week Five (February 16) - Interest Groups and Political Parties

Optional research/position paper outline and bibliography due

Hague, chs. 6-8; Lievesley, ch. 4

Week Six (February 23) - Latin America: Cycles of Repression and Democracy

Benjamin and Mendonça, all; Lievesley, chs. 5-6 and Conclusion

Week Seven (March 1) - Constitutions, Legal Frameworks and Federal, Unitary and Local Government

Hague, ch. 9

Week Eight (March 8) - Federal, Unitary and Local Government and Representative Institutions

Hague, chs. 10-11

Week Nine (March 15) - The Executive and the Bureaucracy

Hague, chs. 12-13

Week Ten (March 22) - The Armed Forces and Police

In-class mid-term examination (150 points)

Hague, ch. 14

Week Eleven (March 29) - Spring Break

NO CLASS

Week Twelve (April 5) - Africa and the Middle East: Anarchy, Religion and Participation

Research paper due

Kaplan, chs. 1-15

Week Thirteen (April 12) - Asia: Authority and Participation

Kaplan, chs. 16-29

Week Fourteen (April 19) - Public Administration: The Policy Process

Hague, ch.15; Versluyen, chs. 1-5

Week Fifteen (April 26) - Politics Seen from Below: The Poor and Meaningful Power (Microfinance)

Versluyen, chs. 6-11

Week Sixteen (May 3) - Democracy, Repression and the Comparative Method

Hague, ch. 16

Week Seventeen (May 10) - Final Exam

TO: Our Students

FROM: Professors Erika Alin and Michael Gold-Biss

SUBJECT: Grades

The following information should be of help to you in assessing your performance in this class. The general attributes indicated can generally be associated with specific grades. These grades represent your general performance, but they cannot encompass the knowledge you chose to take from the class or the learning experience itself.

An "A" is generally earned by students who:

Come to the class with an open mind and a high level of interest in acquiring new knowledge and sharing ideas.

Engage in serious research and provide full documentation of this work, handing in thoughtful and persuasive work. Papers are clearly presented and legible, with specific and relevant notes and substantial bibliographies.

Complete all required readings before each class, make an effort to read some of the suggested readings, and demonstrate this effort in exams, written assignments, and through class participation.

Attend all classes and if they are unable to do so either chose to inform us before hand, or make every effort to provide a voluntary explanation. Material covered during that class(es) that are missed will always be made up in a timely fashion.

Contribute to the class, not only by answering questions, but also by sharing information relevant to the subject being discussed or the class as a whole.

Come to see us during our office hours, or make an appointment to see us, even if they have no specific problems to resolve or questions to ask.

A "B" or a "C" is generally earned by students who:

Complete work in a timely fashion, or explain delays before they may happen. Their work is documented with appropriate notes and complete bibliographies.

Complete all assigned readings.

Attend most classes and explain unreasonable absences.

Participate in class discussions and ask some questions.

Come to see us, or at least call us if there is any problem.

A "D" or an "F" is generally earned by students who:

Do not hand in assigned work, turn it in late without explanation. The work is careless and does not demonstrate research, documentation or thought.

Do not complete assigned readings.

Miss class frequently without explanation and do not endeavor to make up any missed work.

Do not participate in class and when asked questions are unable to use material included in class assignments. These students ask no questions in or outside of class.

Never come to see us, even if there is a problem.

Sample Research Topics

The list of topics provided is only illustrative and should serve as a guide for you to develop your own topic. General topics can be approached from a comparative perspective (one or more cases) or as a case-study of one particular national or regional instance of interest to you. You are also encouraged to explore the historical dimensions of the topic of your choice, if appropriate, but the emphasis should be on an analysis of the contemporary importance of your topic as well as a prospective assessment for the future. It is important, but not essential, for you to relate your topic to a political understanding of the "worlds" we are learning about (that is involving some form of power relationship). Be creative!

the politics of art, literature, and culture

the influence of Western (e.g., nationalism) or non-Western political thought (e.g., liberation theology)

the role of women (e.g., political life, economic life)

economic and political integration processes (e.g., Europe '92 or North American Free Trade Agreement)

political violence (e.g., "ethnic cleansing," insurgencies and guerrilla warfare, "narcoterrorism")

drug trafficking

breakdown of democratic rule; authoritarian governments; transitions from authoritarian to democratic rule

elections, political parties (e.g., parties of the Right or Left)

human rights (e.g., importance of international monitors, such as Amnesty International, Americas Watch)

inter-regional relations (e.g., the Organization of African Unity or the Organization of American States)

U.S.-non-Western world relations (e.g., economic, political, cultural)

regional relations with the world (e.g., relations with the European Union or the Pacific Rim)

the use of force in regional relations (e.g., Malvinas/Falklands War, intervention in Liberia)

the peaceful or negotiated resolution to internal conflict (e.g., Guatemala, El Salvador, South Africa)

the environment (e.g., debt for conservation swaps, slash and burn agriculture)

indigenous populations in the world today

migration and/or exile communities (e.g., from Latin America to the United States, from Africa to Europe)

implications of the end of the Cold War for a particular region or country (e.g., political, economic)

the privatization of national economies (e.g., sale of State monopolies or industry)

energy (e.g., nuclear or hydroelectric projects, including their security implications)

legal systems, constitutional reform

education

health care