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MARQUETTEUNIVERSITY

POSC40,Sect.1002Prof.MichaelFleet
Spring2007WehrPhysics446
TuTh,12:35Hrs:TTh,9:3011:00,
Lalumiere216andW,2:005:00
COMPARATIVEPOLITICS
Thiscourseintroducesyoutothegovernmentsandpoliticsof"foreign"countries.
Thesewillinclude:GreatBritain,Germany,France,Russia,China,andanumberofso
calledThirdWorldord eveloping countries(e.g.,India,Brazil,Mexico,Nigeria,andIran).
Forpurposesofcomparison,wewillalsoconsidertheUnitedStates,althoughstrictly
speakingitisnotaforeigncountry.Someofthecountrieswewillstudy,theU.S.,Great
Britain,andFrance,forexample,arelongstandingl iberal democracies.Others,like
Germany,JapanandIndia,didnotadoptdemocraticinstitutionsuntilthelate1940sor
early1950s.Andyetotherstates,thirdworldandformercommunistcountries,are
currentlyattemptingtostrengthentheirfragiledemocraticgovernmentsandemerging
capitalisteconomiessimultaneously,ortoembracecapitalismandtheglobalmarket
withoutadoptingorencouragingdemocraticpolitics.Inlookingatthesevariouscases,
wewillbeasking:whatdefinesdemocracy,howdemocracyandcapitalismarerelated,
andwhy,historically,democraticpoliticalinstitutionsemergeandeitherendureorfailto
endure.
Studentsareexpectedtodotheassignedreadingspriortoclass,andbeableto
discusstheminclassintheirsmallworkgroups,andindiscussionsinvolvingtheclassas
awhole.Studentswithmorethanthreeabsenceswillhavetosubmita23pageessay
foreachdaymissedtoavoidhavingtheirparticipationgradeadverselyaffected.
Thosenotcomfortableraisingorrespondingtoquestionsinclassareencouragedto
submitquestionsorobservationsinadvance,therebycontributingmoreto,andgetting
morefrom,classsessions.Participationinhisorherworkgroup,andinclasssessions
asawhole,willcountfor20%ofeachstudent'sgrade.Fourmultiplechoicequizzeswill
beworthanadditional5%each(foratotalof20%).Themidtermtakehome(essay)
examwillbeworth20%,andthefinal(essay)exam40%,ofthesemestergrade.
Thefollowingtextsshouldbepurchased(ateithertheBookmarqorSweeney s):

Kesselman,Krieger,andJoseph,IntroductiontoComparativePolitics(paper);
NealWood,TyrannyinAmerica,CapitalismandNationalDecay,Versohardback;
ChinuaAchebe,AManofthePeople,paper;
AnnualEditions,ComparativePolitics,20062007;
Inadditiontothesematerials,9articleshavebeenplaceonelectronicreserve
(www.marquette.edu/library).
CourseOutline

andReadings
1.Introduction(January16)distributionofsyllabiandworkgroupsignupsheet
2.TheStudyofComparativePolitics(Jan.18th)
Reading(tobedonepriortoclass):
ForJan.18thKesselman,KriegerandJoseph(KKandJ),Introductionto
ComparativePolitics,I ntroducingComparativePolitics, pp.535;
3.EstablishedDemocraciesandtheirChallenges(Jan.23rdFeb.8th)
Readings(tobedonepriortoclass):
ForJan.23rdSchmitterandKarl,Wh atDemocracyIs.....andIsNot, Annual
Editions(AE),no.22,pp.103109;andDahl,F ramedUp, (no.1on
electronicreserve);
ForSept.25thKKandJ,Ch.7,T heUnitedStates, pp.302351;
ForSept.30thKKandJ,Ch.2,B ritain, pp.3889;andA Constitutional
RevolutioninBritain?, AE,no.1,pp.1622,W eighingtheVotes,:AE,no.
2,pp.23;andT heBritishGeneralElectionif2005, AE,no.3,pp.2426;
ForFeb.1stKKandJ,Ch.4,Ge rmany; pp.149200;
ForFeb.6thA systemincrisis;acountryindrift, AE,no.8,pp.4546;and
AngelaMerkel, AE,no.9,pp.4748;
ForFeb.8thKKandJ,Ch.3,F rance, pp.92145;A DividedSelf:aSurveyof
France, AEno.5,pp.3140;T heNextFrenchRevolution, AEno.6,pp.
4142;andF renchInchtowardSocialreform, AE,no.7,pp.4344;
ForFeb.13thKKandJ,Ch.5,J apan, pp.202249;J apaneseSpirit;Western
Things, AE,no.12,pp.5355;andK oizumi sParty,BackingReforms,
WinsbyaLandslide, AE,no.13,pp.5657;
FirstQuizFeb.13thconsistingofmultiplechoicequestionscoveringKKandJ,
Chs.15and7,AEarticlesnos.13,59,12,13,and22,andtheDahl
article;
4.HowDemocraticareL iberal Democracies?(Feb15thFeb.27th)
Readings(tobedonepriortoclass)
ForFeb.15thSodaro,C riticalThinkingaboutPolitics (no.2onelectronic
reserve),Almond,C apitalismandDemocracy, AE,no.45,pp.207213;
andFleet,I deologicalandTheoreticalPerspectives (no.3onelectronic
reserve);
ForFeb.17thWood,TyrannyinAmerica,Chs.1and2;
ForFeb.20thWood,TyrannyinAmerica,Chs.3and4;
ForFeb.22ndWood,TyrannyinAmerica,Chs.5and6;
ForFeb.27thWood,TyrannyinAmerica,Ch.7;

SecondQuizFeb.27thmultiplechoicequestionscoveringtheSodarochapter,
theAlmondandFleetarticles,andallofWood;questionsforthemidterm
essayexamwillalsobedistributed;
5.PoliticsinFormerSecondWorld(Communist)States(Mar.1stMar.15th)
Readings(tobedonepriortoclass):
ForMar.1stP utinGambleswithRawPower, AE,no.31,pp.148149;and
Wh atdoesPutinWant?, AE,no.32,pp.150153;
ForMar.3rdKKandJ,Ch.8,R ussia, pp.354414;
MidtermEssayExamdueMar.8th(Noclassoneitherthe10thor12th)
ForMar.8thKKandJ,Ch.13,C hina, pp.626682;
ForMar.10thC hina:theQuietRevolution, AE,no.37,pp.175179;and
C hina sLeader,ExRivalatSide,SolidifiesPower, AE,no.38,pp.180
182;
6.DemocracyintheThirdWorld(Mar.20thApr.19th)
Readings(tobedonepriortoclass):
ForMar.20thFleet,C lientelism, (no.4onelectronicreserve);andallof
Achebe,Chs.113;
ForMar.22ndFleet,Gl obalizationandDemocracy (no.5onelectronicreserve),
Gl obalizationisAboutBlending,NotHomogenizing, AE,no.47,pp.219
220;A nExplosiveCombination, AE,no.48,ppl221223;andPrzeworski,
A FlawedBlueprint,theCovertPoliticizationofDevelopmentEconomics
(no.6onelectronicreserve);
ThirdQuizMar.22ndcoveringKKandJ,Chs.8and13,thetwoFleetarticles,
thePrzeworskiarticle,AEarticlesnos.32,33,37and38,andallofAchebe;
ForMar.27thandJ,Ch.6,I ndia, pp.252300;S onia:andYetsoFar, AE,no.
39,pp.183182;andI ndia sDemocracyProvidesLesson, AE,no.40,pp.
186187;;
ForMar.29thKKandJ,Ch.10,Me xico, pp.472518;
ForApr.3rdAlmaGuillermoprieto,E lections2000"(no.7onelectronicreserve);
noclassonthe5th
ForApr.10thKKandJ,Ch.8,B razil, pp.416469;
ForApr.12thP oorMan sBurden (no.8onelectronicreserve);
ForApr.17thK KandJ,Ch.11,N igeria, pp.520575;andA Conversationwith
OlusegunObansanjo (no.9onelectronicreserve);

ForApr.19thKKandJ,Ch.12,I ran, pp.578624;


FourthQuizApr.19thcoveringKKandJ,Chs.6,9,10,11,and12,AEarticles
no.39and40,andelectronicarticlesno.7(Guillermoprieto),no.8(Lula),
andno.9(Obansanjointerview)articles;
7.Conclusions(Apr.24thMay3rd)
ForApr.24thP ublicOpinion:IsThereaCrisis, AE,no.14,pp.6466;P olitical
Parties:EmptyVessels, AE,no.15,pp.6769;andI nterestGroups:Ex
Uno,Plures, AE,no.16,pp.7072;
ForApr26th(lastdayofclass)W omeninNationalParliaments,AEno.18,pp.
8186;Wh atPoliticalInstitutionsDoesLargeScaleDemocracy
Require?,A E,no.21,pp.97102;
ForMay1stT heCaseforaMultipartyParliament?AmericanPoliticsin
ComparativePerspective, AE,no.27,pp.123131;
ForMay3rdWorkshoponfinalexamessays;
FinalEssayExamdueby5:00onMonday,May7th

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