Course Calendar
|
September 2
|
Class 1
|
Course Introduction: What is Political Science?
|
|
Part I: The State
|
September 4
|
Class 2
|
What is a state?
Read Tilly, ch. 1
|
September 9
|
|
NO CLASS: DRIESSEN AT CONFERENCE IN ABU DHABI
MAKE UP WILL BE ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 18
|
September 11
|
Class 3
|
Where does a State come from?
Read Tilly, ch. 2
New York Times Quiz 1
|
September 16
|
Class 4
|
What does a state do?
Read Tilly, ch. 3
Short Essay 1 Due: Describe Tilly’s idea of State
|
September 18
|
Class 5
|
What do people do in states?
Read Tilly, ch. 4
New York Times Quiz 2
|
September 23
|
Class 6
|
Are there different kinds of states? Alternatives to states?
Read Tilly, ch. 5
|
Part II: The Regime
|
|
September 25
|
Class 7
|
What should states do?
Read Larry Diamond and Leonardo Morlino (2004), “The Quality of Democracy: An Overview,”
New York Times Quiz 3
|
September 30
|
Class 8
|
What is Democracy?
Read Putnam ch. 1
|
October 2
|
Class 9
|
What are Institutions?
Read Putnam ch.s 2 & 3
New York Times Quiz 4
|
October 7
|
Class 10
|
What makes Institutions Perform Well?
Read Putnam ch. 4
|
October 9
|
Class 11
|
What is a Political Culture? What is a Civic Culture?
Case study: Italy
Read Putnam ch. 5
Short Essay 2 Due: Reflect on Putnam’s study and weigh in on the debate – are culture or good institutions more important for “making democracy work”? Draw in evidence from the US and Italy.
|
October 14
|
Class 12
|
What is Collective Action ?
Read Putnam ch. 6
Recommended:
Mancur Olsen (1965) The Logic of Collective Action, pp.s 1-5, 53-60 :
New York Times Quiz 5
|
October 16
|
Class 13
|
MIDTERM EXAM
|
Part III: Political Science Methodology or How to Read, Think and Write like a Political Scientist
|
October 18
Make Up Class for September 9
|
Class 14
|
Literature Searches, Bibliographic Work (Library Day)
Paper Proposal and Bibliography: Due Class 19
|
October 21
|
Class 15
|
Basic Assumptions
Read van Evera pp.s 1-30
New York Times Quiz 6
|
October 23
|
Class 16
|
Qualitative Research & Case Studies
Read van Evera pp.s 35-43, 50-71, 74-88
|
October 28
|
Class 17
|
Quantitative Research
Read Driessen (2010) “Religion, State and Democracy,” skim pp.s 1-16, read pp.s 17-25 very carefully and closely study all the tables
New York Times Quiz 7
|
October 30
|
Class 18
|
Writing Political Science Papers
Read van Evera ch. 4
|
Part IV: Political Behavior & Public Policy
|
November 4
|
Class 19
|
How do people participate in politics? Classifying and Comparing Party Systems
Read this introduction by Scott Mainwaring to Giovanni Sartori’s party theory (read 1-13 very carefully; skim the rest, make sense of the tables and read the conclusion):
New York Times Quiz 8
|
November 6
|
Class 20
|
Why do people vote the way they do?
Read this introduction to Anthony Downs’ Median Voter Theory:
|
November 11
|
Class 21
|
PRESENTATIONS
Group Activity and Essay number 3 Due: Count and describe the party and electoral system of your home country. Reflect on this portrait in light of Mainwaring’s article. Share with the Class what makes your country’s politics special
|
November 13
|
Class 22
|
What do social movements do?
Read Charles Tilly (2004), “Social Movements,” chapters 1 & 2
New York Times Quiz
|
November 18
|
Class 23
|
|
Part V. Economics, Poverty, Authoritarianism and the future of Politics
|
November 18
|
Class 23
|
Why are some nations rich and others poor?
Read Acemoglu and Robinson ch. 1 & 2
New York Times Quiz 10
|
November 20
|
Class 24
|
Critical junctures and the power of Institutions
Read Acemoglu and Robinson chs. 3 & 4
|
November 25
|
Class 25
|
Extractive Strategies
Read Acemoglu and Robinson ch. 5 & 7
|
November 27
|
Class 26
|
Why Nations Fail
Read Acemoglu and Robinson ch. 11 & 13
New York Times Quiz 11
|
December 2
|
Class 27
|
Towards the future
Short Essay 4 Due: In 2-3 pages, explain Acemogluand Robinson’s thesis: what kind of positive forward consequences do politically inclusive institutions have for political and economic development? How does this explain global patterns of inequality? Use 1 example from the book to illustrate their thesis?
Read Acemoglu and Robinson ch. 14 & 15
|
December 4
|
Class 28
|
Conclusions
|
|
|
New York Times Quiz 12
|
|
Final Exam
|
Final Paper Due
|