comparative politics spring2015 syllabus

8/9/2019 Comparative Politics Spring2015 Syllabus

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POLC 2300-95. Comparative Politics. Spring 2015

Dr. Ray Mikell. Mondays, 6-8:40 p.m.

Tulane School of Continuing Studies-Madison MS

Required Texts:

Draper, Alan and Ramsay, Ansil

The Good Society: An Introduction to Comparative Politics (Second Edition)

Pearson. ISBN-10: 0205082785

Other readings to be required from the Tulane library or posted at Blackboard

Description

Comparative Politics: one that involves comparing the politics and governmental systems of different

nations, ones spread throughout the world. Want to better understand American politics and

government? Compare it to the politics of Germany, or Sweden, or maybe even China, or vice versa.

For such reasons, comparative lends itself well to the research of big questions, such as:

Why are some nations of the world more susceptible to outbreaks of contagious disease than

others, outside of geographic or purely environmental reasons? Why do so many millions of Americans lack insurance, unlike the citizens of every other

developed states and many less developed nations worldwide?

Why do so many people continue to live under authoritarian governments or dictatorships, even

in an age of advanced communications technology and an increasingly globalized economy?

Why do countries, some of them neighboring, differ so dramatically in regard to levels of

income and education? What about taxation, social welfare spending, and the like?

What leads some nations and peoples to demand democratic government, as they have recently in

Middle Eastern nations including Egypt? Why do such protests happen when they do?

In addressing such matters, we will look closely as explanations involving differences in political and

economic institutions, political ideology, culture, ethnicity and geography, as well as combinations of

these and other variables. Special attention will be granted to the study of democratization.


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Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain and demonstrate how political scientists go about researching, if not definitively

answering, questions about difference between nations and states in their politics, governance and

policy outcomes.

• Identify competing schools of thought and theories in the field, and demonstrate an

understanding of them in discussing differences between nations and states.

• Discuss and question whether differences between nations are more explained by differences in

political and economic institutions, or by political ideology, culture, ethnicity, geography, or some

combination thereof.

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of why nations develop and maintain democratic

systems, or fail to ever develop or maintain them, and discus and apprise how and why

democratic revolutions tend to occur in regional waves.

• Show more of an awareness of political developments and trends in other parts of the world, as

well as a deeper means of understanding politics and governance in their own backyards.

Schedule of Classes

Jan 16Intro/Syllabus

Jan. 23

Preface & Chapter 1: Good Societies

Jan. 30

Chapter 2, The State

Feb. 5Chapter 3, State and Society

Feb. 12

Chapter 4: Political Culture

Feb. 19


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Chapter 5: Political Economy

Exam 1 Prep

Feb. 26

Exam 1Documentary: “PBS Frontline: Secret State of North Korea” (2014, USA)

March 5

Chapter 5: Authoritarianism & Chapter 6: Democracy

March 12

Chapter 7: Democracy

Documentary: “The Square” (2013, Egypt, USA, UK)

March 19

Chapter 8: Developed and Undeveloped Countries

March 26

Exam 2 Prep, Final Project Guide

Chapter 9: Developed Countries (Sweden, USA, UK, and Germany)

Arpil 9Exam 2

Chapter 9: Developed Countries

April 16

Chapter 10: Less Developed Countries (Brazil, Iran, and Nigeria)

April 23

Final Exam Prep, Final Project Turn-In

Documentary: “PBS Frontline: Sick Around the World” (USA, 2008)

April 30

Final Exam


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Course Policies

Grading (100 point scale)

• Participation: 10 percent

• Exams (Three, Multiple Choice, Short Answer/Essay): 25 percent

• Research project (cross-country comparison, three to five pages): 15 percent

Make-Up Policy

Exams will only be given or handed out on particular dates, and it is up to you to know what those

particular dates are. Exams will be handed out at other times, in make-up fashion, only under the most

extreme circumstances.

Academic Honesty

Students must demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in academic work. All students in

Tulane’s School of Continuing Studies are expected to uphold the school’s standard of conduct, as

expressed in the Tulane University Code of Academic Conduct. You may find a copy online. You must

be particularly careful to avoid academic dishonesty and plagiarism, and familiarize yourself with what it

is--which you can examine via the Tulane link and other information below.

Code link:

http://tinyurl.com/aklhs3g

Plagiarism link:

http://tinyurl.com/a4erbju

It is essential to understand that students are expected to be the sole authors of their work. The use of

another person's work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations (APA, MLA, or Chicago-Turabian) and references.

Though not a comprehensive or exhaustive list, the following are some examples of dishonesty or

unethical and unprofessional behavior.

• Using another individual's words, ideals, or results without giving proper credit to that person,

and giving others the impression that the work is your own, is the definition of plagiarism.

http://tinyurl.com/aklhs3ghttp://tinyurl.com/aklhs3ghttp://tinyurl.com/a4erbjuhttp://tinyurl.com/a4erbjuhttp://tinyurl.com/a4erbjuhttp://tinyurl.com/aklhs3g


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• Any form of cheating on examinations.

• Falsifying information for any assignment (e.g., submitting another student's work).

• Copying work from any document, whether it be from a student, a written text, or the Internet,

without giving due credit the source of information.

•

Submitting an assignment for more than one class without enhancing and refining theassignment, and without first receiving your instructor's permission. It is the responsibility of the

student to enhance the assignment with additional research, and also to submit the original

assignment for purposes of comparison.

To reiterate, plagiarism is the theft of someone else's thoughts, ideas, or work. This is true no matter how

this occurred--whether via copying another’s work verbatim or rephrasing the ideas of another without

properly acknowledging the source.

Academic plagiarism is a serious offense and may result in the following sanctions:

• 1st Offense: Failure of the assignment in which the action occurred.

• 2nd Offense: Expulsion or permanent dismissal from class or possibly the University.

Assistance

I will be happy to meet with you after hours, although my time at Tulane-Madison will be normally

limited to course times. It would be best to catch me before or after class if you must talk to me face-to-

face. Feel free to write me via e-mail at any time. I will be busy, so you should not expect an immediate

response, but I will get back to you within 48 hours, typically.

Controversial Material

Please note that you can expect to hear about many controversial matters in this class, the discussion of

which may make you uncomfortable. This cannot be avoided in discussions of American politics and

policy. The subject matter should not be taken to reflect the opinions or priorities of the instructor or

anyone at the Tulane School of Continuing Studies or Tulane University. Subjects chosen for discussion

are ones carefully selected–or covered in your text–to reflect ongoing debates in American governmentand politics, including major policy debates.


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Talking, Mobile Devices

Talking in class will not normally be tolerated, although it will be encouraged during organized

discussions. Please remember to at least silence your mobile device notification or ringing before classes

begin. You may certainly bring your mobile devices into class. However, surfing the Internet at length will

not be allowed.

Disabilities policy

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to

students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet

course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact their instructors and/or the

Goldman Office of Disability Services to discuss their individual needs for accommodations. Please see

the Goldman website for more information.

Goldman website link:

http://tinyurl.com/bl9sb9q

Tulane SCS on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scstulane
http://tinyurl.com/bl9sb9qhttp://tinyurl.com/bl9sb9qhttps://www.facebook.com/scstulanehttps://www.facebook.com/scstulanehttp://tinyurl.com/bl9sb9q

comparative politics spring2015 syllabus

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