|
Note: readings at circulation desk on library reserve are in ring binders marked "Dr Lewis: PSC Readings". |
| Week 1:
20-24
Aug
Approaches to Comparative Politics [Lecture] 
Hauss, 1: "Seeking New Lands, Seeing with New Eyes." (outline, 2003 edn.)
Hauss, 2: "What is Democracy?" [3: "Industrialized Democracies." (outline, 2003 edn.)] 11: "Third World & Challenge of Underdevelopment'." (outline, 2003 edn.) Students' online resources for Hauss (flashcards, glossary, quizzes) Crossword puzzle from concepts in Hauss (2009 edn.) What countries should we include in our sample? Should we pick countries to illuminate contrasts -- or comparisons? By what standard should we compare? Why can't foreigners be more like us? Should comparison really be among nation states? Should we agree on standard units? Should we compare institutions -- or dynamic processes? What's the third world? |
| Week 2:
27-31
Aug
Issues of Comparison Magstadt, Comparative Politics & The Regional Perspective
Matthew White, Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century (Selections below) NEW World's population under various political systems (timeline to 1999) Governments in the: 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | Also follow his links for urban growth, wars & atrocities, living conditions, and the economy Lecture, illustrating diversity of regimes and economies. How poor are the poorest states? How rich are the richest states? How can we classify states objectively by income bands? Is there some consistent level of income where countries develop into democracies? |
| Types of State: from
Understanding
Politics.
Magstadt & Schotten, 2: Utopias: Model States
Magstadt & Schotten, 3: Totalitarian States: Failed Utopias (outline needed) Magstadt & Schotten, 4: Authoritarian States: Traditional Rule What categories of country are there? Can we derive the nature of a state from the nature of man? What are the purposes of forming a state? Which is more dangerous: an authoritarian state or a totalitarian one? Which is more difficult to overthrow? |
| Week 3:
3-7
Sep, NO Mon
Institutions Crepaz & Steiner 1, Becoming Modern in Europe and America Crepaz & Steiner 2, Political Parties
Crepaz & Steiner 3, Parliamentary Election Systems
Crepaz & Steiner 4, Cabinet Formation & Heads of State House of Commons: Prime Minister's Question Time. How do US political parties differ from those in Europe? What is the fairest way to count the vote? Should voters select candidates -- or focus on the party? How do executive leadership institutions vary across developed states? Can we adopt one foreign institution without affecting our others? |
| Dr. and Mrs. Lewis invite current and former students, with friends, to their home for an annual candle-lit dinner, 3-6 pm on Sunday 9 Sep. 2012. See Dates page for any changes, and check email for driving directions. |
| Week 4:
10-14
Sep
Crepaz & Steiner 5, National Courts & European Court of Justice Crepaz & Steiner 6, Federalism & Referendum | Lectures Crepaz & Steiner 8, State and Economic Interest Groups How do notions of justice vary across developed states? Can European courts develop constitutional review of the American type? How do principles and institutions of justice vary? Is the referendum compatible with deliberative democracy? Should the referendum be limited to constitutional questions? Can electronic democracy enhance and rejuvenate the referendum principle? Check for AL World Affairs Council (AWAC) speaker event |
| A brief introduction to
socialism and communism
Curtis v.2, Karl Marx [Ann & Hunter] Curtis v.2, Vladimir Lenin [Matt & Trace] Curtis v.2, Leon Trotsky [Bailey & Zach] What determines human history -- and can man change his fate? What is the purpose of the State, and who controls it? What are the main cleavages (schisms) in society? What would happen to the State after a communist revolution? Why did revolutions in 1830 and 1870-71 not succeed? What needed to happen to secure a Russian revolution? What was needed to make the Russian revolution permanent? What went wrong with the Russian revolution? |
| For Test 1: see dates page; covers all listed before the set date, unless otherwise instructed. |
| Week 5:
17-21
Sep
Movements & Processes Crepaz & Steiner 7, New Social Movements
Crepaz & Steiner 9, Policy Outcomes
Crepaz & Steiner 10, The End of the Cold War Crepaz & Steiner 11, Transitions to Democracy How do social movements vary across developed states? Which nations are ahead on environmental policy or emancipation of women? Which European policy outcomes take a different direction than the US? How has Europe been transformed since the collapse of the Soviet empire? What are the long term prospects for democracy in central, southern and eastern Europe? |
| Week 6:
24-28
Sep
Crepaz & Steiner 12, Nationalism & Ethnic Movements
Crepaz & Steiner 13, Power Sharing in Deeply Divided Societies
How do ethnic movements work in tension with nationalism? Can formal power sharing reunite divided factions? Where has power sharing been tried, and with what results? |
| Week 7:
1-5
Oct
Supra-National Institutions: The European Union's Development 
[PPT]
Crepaz & Steiner, 14: The European Union
Crepaz & Steiner, 15: Globalization and European Democracies [Older edition's conclusion] Documentary video, New Europeans. [Slides] [PPT] Europa.EU: timeline of key developments [PPT]
Globalization and European Democracies, in 6/e Notes on Larry Siedentop, Democracy in Europe Why did some leaders in the 1950s want to join European countries? Why did European leaders want to construct a more perfect union in 1990? How can we construct governments above nation states? What deficiencies are there in the European Community/ Union? Is there a democratic deficit in the EU? |
| Week 8:
8-12
Oct
Hauss, 7: The EUROPEAN UNION
Insofar as time permits, the following PBS film series: Documentary video, New Europeans: Road to Unity episode.
[Slides]
Documentary video, New Europeans: Regional Dreams episode. [Slides] How did the EU develop from roots in the ECSC? How did the Economic Community develop and who were the early members? Why did the UK not join the EEC in the 1960s? What is the difference between a common market and a political union? What is the significance of the Maastricht Treaty? Could the Euro and the political union be achieved by referenda -- or only by legislatures? What institutions is the EU lacking, and does it suffer from a democratic deficit? Will the EU ever become a US-like union? |
| Week 9:
15-19
Oct
Advanced Nation States [developing states are treated in PSC 309] Hauss,GREAT BRITAIN 
Curtis v.1, James I on the divine right of kings. [Bailey XX] Lecture, Evolution of Democracy in Britain from mediaeval times Lecture, Nelson's Victory at Cape Trafalgar, 21 October 1805 TV coverage, House of Commons Question Time: Thatcher, Major, Blair & Brown |
| Guest Speaker, Tues. 16 Oct.: Prof. Jim Slack,
Regent University, on Abortion, German theologians, ethics and the
Nazis. |
| Week 10,
22-26
Oct
Lecture, Modern British Politics: Postwar consensus, Thatcherism and post Thatcherism Economist, profile of UK: History, political structures, political forces CIA World Factbook: UK Compact Disk, Churchill's Wartime speeches. Coverage of the new UK
coalition politics, 2010 [links may have expired]
For Test
2 |
| Week 11:
29
Oct-2 Nov
Hauss, 5: FRANCE 
Economist, profile of France: History, political structures, political forces CIA World Factbook: France Documentary video, De Gaulle: A Vision of France Why has France established so many types of regime? Why has France engaged in several revolutions and coups d'etat? Has France now established a stable, modern democracy? Is the French constitution now more like the US or British models? To what degree is a Great Man theory useful in explaining French politics? Curtis v.2, Jean-Jacques
Rousseau [Kaison X]
Test 2B: Thurs. 1 Nov. 2012, by 'popular' demand, further multiple choice & T/F questions on Crepaz chapters 12-15 and the matching chapter, Hauss 7 (European Union). |
| Week 12:
5-9
Nov
Hauss, 6: GERMANY 
Economist, profile of Germany: History, political structures, political forces CIA World Factbook: Germany Travel Lectures: German History, Society, Economy & Politics Travel seminar agenda, Bavaria 2007 Lecture on Postwar German government
In what ways does the German constitution resemble the US, and why? What factors made the first German domcracy unsustainable?
What made it feasible to establish a stable democracy in 1947? Curtis v.1, Martin
Luther [Kaison] |
| Week 13:
12-16
Nov
ITALY (& Mediterranean government) [Lecture on postwar Italian government]
Economist, profile of Italy: History, political structures, political forces CIA World Factbook: Italy Lecture: Democracies' Challenges in the 21st Century Curtis v.1, Niccolo Machiavelli [Hunter XX] |
| For Research Project:
see
dates
page; requirements page; & citations
page
19-23 Nov, Thanksgiving: No classes all week |
| Week 14:
26-30 Nov
Briefings on research projects: the issue; the research question, arguments; evidence; and findings. Hauss, Danger & Opportunity Another chance to view and discuss the PBS series: Documentary video, New Europeans: Unity episode.
[Slides]
Documentary video, New Europeans: Regional Dreams episode. [Slides] How did the EU develop from roots in the ECSC? How did the Economic Community develop and who were the early members? Why did the UK not join the EEC in the 1960s? What is the difference between a common market and a political union? What is the significance of the Maastricht Treaty? Could the Euro and the political union be achieved by referenda -- or only by legislatures? What institutions is the EU lacking, and does it suffer from a democratic deficit? Will the EU ever become a US-like union? Revolution
in Cairo, film, PBS Frontline, 2011 3-7 Dec, FINAL EXAM: Comprehensive, Thurs. 6 Dec. 2012: at 08:30 |