Darel E. Paul
1350 Social Sciences Building
Tel: 612-624-4841 (during office hrs. only)
612-624-5562 (messages)
Email: darel@polisci.umn.edu
Office Hours: M 1-2:30pm, Th 11am-12pm and by appointment
TA: Alice Kloker
1214A Social Sciences
612-624-5057
email: kloker@polisci.umn.edu
Office Hours: T 11am-1pm
Course Description: This course is primarily asurvey study of
‘other people's politics’. During the semester we willstudy the social, economic and
political arenas of diverse regions andcountries of the world with an emphasis on the
contemporary scene. Studentswill become familiar with governmental structures, political
party systems,class structures, ethnic/religious divisions, and the economic organization
of societies in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and East and South Asia. Our survey will
also investigate the effects of globalization in differentparts of the world, the spread
of democracy and human rights, the emergenceof a global consumer culture, and the fate of
the New World Order.
Requirements:
| 1. |
Newspaper Journal – Throughout the quarter, students
will monitor political and economic current events in three/four countries
of a world region of their choosing based on the Magstadt text and maintain
a journal of their research. This will be done through the use of on-line
news sources accessible via the course web page. Journalswill be due
four times during the semester between February 8 and SpringBreak, at intervals
of the student’s choosing. |
| 2. |
Comparison Paper – Students will write a paper comparing
the countries of their chosen world region based on material presented in lecture,
on the Magstadt text, and on their own newspaper research. The topic of the paper
will be a contemporary issue of the student’schoosing based on the student’s newspaper
journal research in the government and politics of a particular world region as
manifested in the countries outlined in Magstadt. Topics must be approved by the
instructor. Papers should be 6-8 pages in length and are due April 11. |
| 3. |
Small group projects – Occasionally throughout the semester
you will meet in small groups to discuss a topic relevant to the material we are
covering. The groups will work in class, complete short written assignments
and receive group grades. Students arerequired to complete three of the four
projects. No make-ups will be given. |
| 4. |
Exams – there will be three non-cumulative exams in this
course: two in-class exams, on February 3 and March 23; and one take-home exam due
May 9. |
Grades: Grades in this course will be assigned according
to the following formula:
| Exam I |
15% |
| Exam II |
20% |
| Exam III |
15% |
| Small group projects |
12% |
| Newspaper Journal |
8% |
| Comparison paper |
30% |
Late papers will be penalized one full letter grade.
Make-upexams and incompletes will not be given except in cases of
documented emergencies or other exceptional circumstances.
Leaving early for spring break does not constitute an exceptional circumstance.
Readings: There are three primary readings sources
in this course.
| [1] |
Thomas M. Magstadt, Nations & Governments: Comparative
Politics in Regional Perspective, 3rd edition (New York: St. Martin'sPress, 1998); |
| [2] |
Miguel Angel Centeno, Democracy within
Reason : Technocratic Revolution in Mexico, 2nd edition (University Park : Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997); |
| [3] |
On-line articles. |
The Magstadt textbook and the Centeno book are available in the
H. D. Smith Bookstore on the West Bank. It is very important to purchase the proper
editions of each, since there have been significant revisions to both books. They
are also available on reserve in the Wilson Library.
Internet Resources: There are several on-line resources
associated with this course, some of which are required, some of which are optional
but will aid your learning experience. They are indicated by the phrase
‘see web page’ in the syllabus readings schedule and may be accessed on this site
through the below outline of course topics and readings schedule.
Course Topics and Reading Schedule
INTRODUCTION
| January 18 |
Introduction to the course |
| January 20, 25 |
Theories and concepts
|
| January 27 |
A familiar comparison: the United Kingdom
|
| February 1 |
Practice small group project: 'third way' politics
|
| February 3 |
EXAM I |
REGIONS OF THE WORLD AND CONCEPTS ALLIED
| February 8-15 |
European politics
Theories and varieties of the state
- Magstadt, chs. 4-7, and pp. 200-216, 228-239
|
| February 17 |
Small group project I: the Russian presidential election
|
| February 22-24 |
East Asian politics
Theories and varieties of class structures
|
| February 29 |
Small group project II: Falun Gong and the challenge to Chinese Communism
|
| March 2-7 |
Middle Eastern politics
Theories and varieties of political culture
|
| March 9 |
Small group project III: Islam and civic culture
|
| March 14-21 |
African politics
Theories of democratization and political development
|
| March 23 |
EXAM II |
| March 27-31 |
SPRING BREAK |
CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL CHANGE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER
| April 4 |
Latin American politics
Democratization and political development (cont.')
|
| April 6 |
Economic development and the rise of neo-liberalism
Small group project IV: Sweatshops
|
| April 11 |
Film: "Murder, Money and Mexico"
COMPARISON PAPER DUE TODAY
|
| April 13 |
An introduction to Mexican politics and society
- Centeno, chs. 1-2 (cont.')
|
| April 18-27 |
The technocratic revolution in Mexico
- Centeno, chs. 3-8, Postscript
|
| May 2 |
Globalization: challenging national society and the nation-state
|
| May 4 |
Fighting the New World Order
|
| May 9 |
EXAM III DUE by 6pm |
|
|
SUMMER 2001
SPRING 2001
FALL 2000
SUMMER 2000
SPRING2000
FALL 1999
SUMMER 1999
SPRING 1999
WINTER 1999
FALL 1998
SUMMER 1998
|
