SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is divided into 3 sections which look at 1) Comparative Politics in Western Modernity; 2) Transitions, Revolutions and 3rd Wave Considerations; and 3) New Directions in Comparative Politics. Over 9 units, we will study 10 countries along a timeline and critically chart out how these states differ and converge in the ways in which they organize power and distribute goods to citizens. In order of appearance, they are Great Britain, Italy, USSR, USA, Chile, the Czech Republic, Congo, Iran, China, and Egypt. Each unit introduces one major 1)Regime Type; 2) Country Example 3) Political Idea or Theme. Along the way, the student will learn something about the dominant enduring topics of study of comparative politics, including liberalism, fascism, communism, democracy, democratic transitions, ethnic politics, civil war, political economies, identity politics, authoritarianisms, electoral systems, political parties and revolution.
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Course Outline:
Part I. Comparing Politics in Western Modernity
1. Modern Nation-States and the Rise of Political Liberalism
Countries: England (and France)
2. Late Nation-State Builders and Liberalism in Crisis
Countries: Italy (and Germany)
3. Liberalism in Crisis part II.
Country: USSR
4. Liberal Revenge.
Country: USA
Part II. After the End of History: Transitions, Revolutions and 3rd Waves
5. 3rd Wave Transitions:
Countries: Chile and the Czech Republic.
6. Identity Politics, Poverty, Civil War and Failed States
Country: Congo
7. Theocracy and the Return of Religious Politics
Country: Iran
8. Competitive Authoritarianism and Authoritarian Capitalism
Country: China
Part III. New Directions:
9. Tahrir Square and the Future of Comparative Politics: Dealing with pluralism in the 21st century
Country: Egypt
Course Calendar (Please note that this is not the final syllabus. A finalized schedule of readings, assignments and office hours will be distributed to students at the beginning of the Fall, 2012 semester).
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Class 1
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Course Introduction
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Part I: Comparing Politics in Western Modernity
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1. Modern Nation-States and the Rise of Political Liberalism: England (and France)
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Class 2
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O’Neil chapters 1 & 2
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Class 3
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Weber, The Protestant Ethic, chapters 1, 2 & 5
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Class 4
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Fareed Zakaria, “A Brief History of Human Freedom,” Library Reserves
Fareed Zakaria, “Capitalism, not Culture, Drives Economics,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fareed-zakaria-capitalism-not-culture-drives-economies/2012/08/01/gJQAKtH9PX_story.html
J. S. Mill, On Liberty, chapters 1 & 2 (all of ch. 1 and pages 1-8, 22-26 of ch. 2) http://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/one.html
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Class 5
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(Reading Reflection 1 Due)
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O’Neil chapter 5
Magna Carta (skim), http://www.constitution.org/eng/magnacar.pdf
France’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/declaration.html
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2. Late Nation-State Builders and Liberalism in Crisis: Italy (and Germany)
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Class 6
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Mussolini, “The Doctrine of Fascism,” http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/reading/germany/mussolini.htm
The Futurist Manifesto, http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.html and paintings, http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/20-dynamic-paintings-from-the-italian-futurists/
Hitler, “Triumph des Willens,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C9iUaP51CI&feature=topics
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Class 7
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Alexander Gershenkron, “Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective,” (introduction) Library Reserves
Michael Mann, “A Political Theory of Nationalism and its Excesses,” in Notions of Nationalism, ed. S. Periwal 1995. Google Scholar
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3. Liberalism in Crisis part II: USSR
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Class 8
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(Reading Reflection 2 Due)
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Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto (skip chapter III)
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Class 9
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O’Neil Chapter 8, pp.s 197-210
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Lenin, “The April Theses?”: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/apr/04.htm & “Lessons of the Revolution”: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/sep/06.htm
Stalin, “The Foundations of Leninism: The Dictatorship of the Proletariat,” chapter IV: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1924/foundations-leninism/ch04.htm
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Class 10
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Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago: Part I: ch.s 1&4; part III: ch. 7; part IV: ch.s 1-2; Part VI: ch.s 2&7. [These selections correspond to pages 218-240; 253-273; 294-206 in The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New and Essential Writings, 1947-2005 (ed.s Ericson, Jr. and Mahoney) available in the Library Reserves]
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4. Liberal Revenge: USA
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Class 11
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(Reading Reflection 3 Due)
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Francis Fukuyama, “The End of History,” http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm
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Class 12
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Robert Putnam, “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital,” Journal of Democracy 6(1), 1995. E-journal http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/assoc/bowling.html
Read through Putnam’s survey instrument and data: http://bowlingalone.com/?page_id=8
Sheri Berman, “Understanding Social Democracy,”
http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/conferences/left/left_papers/berman.pdf
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Class 13
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O’Neil Chapter 7
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Class 14
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Mid-term Exam
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Part II: After the End of History: Transitions, Revolutions and 3rd Waves
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5. 3rd Wave Transitions: Chile and the Czech Republic.
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Class 15
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Havel, “The Power of the Powerless,” sections I-X, XIV-XVI, XXI-XXII; and “New Year’s Address,” all in Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990
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Class 16
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Samuel P. Huntington, “Democracy’s Third Wave,” Journal of Democracy, 2(2), 1991. E-journal
Steven Levitsky and David Collier, “Democracy with Adjectives: Conceptual Innovation in Comparative Research,” World Politics, 49(3), 1997. E-journal
Pablo Neruda, “A Call for the Destruction of Nixon and Praise for Chilean Revolution,” http://reddiarypk.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/pablo-neruda/
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Class 17
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O’Neil Chapter 8, pp.s 210-228
Valerie Bunce, “Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Post-Communist Experience,” World Politics, 55, 2003. E-journal
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6. Identity Politics, Poverty, Civil War and Failed States: Congo
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Class 18
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(Reading Reflection 4 Due)
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O’Neil chapter 9, pp.s 230-247
Frantz Fanon, “Concerning Violence,” chapter 1 from The Wretched of the Earth, Library Reserves
Leopold Senghor, “To New York,” http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/238778
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Class 19
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Economist, “Africa’s Great War,” http://www.economist.com/node/1213296?story_id=1213296
Filip Reyntjens, “Briefing: The Second Congo War: More than a Remake,” African Affairs, (98) 391, 1999. Google Scholar
James Fearon and David Laitin, “Ethnicity, Insurgency and Civil War” American Political Science Review (97) 1. 2003. E-journal
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Class 20
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O’Neil chapter 9, pp.s 247-259
Jeffery Sachs, “The Development Challenge,” Foreign Affairs, March/April, 2005. E-journal
William Easterly, “Was Development Assistance a Mistake?” http://williameasterly.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/50_easterly_wasdevelopmentassistanceamistake_prp.pdf
Good News from Africa:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/05/daily-chart-12
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/02/daily-chart-20
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7. Theocracy and the Return of Religious Politics: Country: Iran
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Class 21
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(Reading Reflection 5 Due)
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Economist, “In God’s Name,” 2007
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SPRING BREAK : March 25 - 29
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Class 22
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Bernard Lewis, “The Roots of Muslim Rage,” The Atlantic, September (1990). Google
Michael L. Ross, “Does Oil Hinder Democracy?” World Politics, 53(3), 2001. E-journal
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Class 23
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Vali Nasr, “The Rise of ‘Muslim Democracy,’” Journal of Democracy 16(2), 2005. E-journal
Gunes Tezcur, “Democracy Promotion, Authoritarian Resiliency, and Political Unrest in Iran,” Democratization 19(1), 2012. E-journal
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8. Competitive Authoritarianism and Authoritarian Capitalism: China
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Class 24
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(Reading Reflection 6 Due)
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O’Neil chapter 6
Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, “The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism,” Journal of Democracy, 12(2), 2002. E-journal
Ivan Krastev, “The Rules of Survival,” The Journal of Democracy, (April), 2009. E-journal
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Class 25
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Azar Gat, “The Return of Authoritarian Great Powers,” Foreign Affairs (86)4, 2007. E-journal.
Thomas Friedman, “Advice for China,” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05friedman.html
Amnesty International, “Annual Report: China 2011,” http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/annual-report-china-2011?page=show
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Part III. New Directions:
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9. Tahrir Square and the Future of Comparative Politics: Egypt
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Class 26
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(Reading Reflection 7 Due)
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Jadaliyya, “Year Three,” http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/9092/year-three
David Kirkpatrick, “Morsi Admits ‘Mistakes’ in Drafting of Egypt’s Constitution,” New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/world/middleeast/morsi-admits-mistakes-in-drafting-egypts-constitution.html?hp&_r=1&
Amnesty International, “Tunisia: Persepolis Trial Spotlights Attacks on Freedom of Expression,” http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/tunisia-2012-04-18
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Class 27
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O’Neil chapter 11
“Indonesia Watches Closely Development of Eurozone Crisis, Hormuz Conflict to Save Economy,” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-02/14/c_131410067.htm
The Economist, “Wait for Angela,” http://www.economist.com/news/21566281-europe-it-will-be-germany-calls-tune-says-john-peet-wait-angela
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Class 28
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Conclusions and Review
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Final Exam
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