Political Science 35043
Fall 2011
Office: Scharbauer #2012D
Instructor: Dr. Dorraj
Office Hours: M: 9-11:30
and 2-2:30 or by appointment
Phone: 817-257-6097
E-mail: m.dorraj@tcu.edu
Topics in Comparative Politics:
Politics of Developing Nations
Texas Christian University
Course Description:
This course focuses on the political problems associated with development: the
problems of poverty, economic development—the colonial heritage, economic dependence,
and the character of the Third World state; the problems of political development—
clientelism, corruption, and centralized state power; and the problem of establishing a stable
form of government—transition from authoritarian rule, democracy, liberalization and
democratization. We will look at a wide variety of cases, and students will be encouraged to
apply concepts discussed in class to particular countries, either through historical and
theoretical analysis or through quantitative cross-national comparison.
Text Books:
The following books are required reading:
Peter Burnell, Vicky Randall & Lise Rakner, Politics in the Developing World. Oxford
University Press, 2011. (Third Edition).
Jeffrey D. Sachs, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet. The Penguin Press,
2008.
Carrie Currie & Manochehr Dorraj, China’s Energy Relations with the Developing World.
Continuum, 2011.
Course Requirements and Grading:
The class requirements consist of three exams including the final, one 20-25 pages
research paper and an oral presentation (group project).
The research papers can be either a comparative analysis of two countries concerning
the proposed topics announced in class or they can be on case studies of a single country.
Students must receive approval from the professor concerning the paper topic and the
countries to be compared. Papers should address a specific research topic, offer a hypothesis
on this topic, and introduce evidence to support or negate the hypothesis. The idea is to build
an argument and then defend it. Papers must show original research, i.e. you must offer
substantial evidence beyond that gained through class readings or class notes. Papers must
also be original relative to this class: you cannot use a paper from another class to receive
credit in this class. Style and punctuation are taken into account in grading the paper: your
argument is only as strong as your ability to communicate it. Papers must be typed, doublespaced, regular size 12 font, and must use a standard form of footnoting or endnoting. The
paper topics will be announced in class. You must use at least 15 sources (books and Journal
articles) to substantiate your analysis in your research paper.
The exams include both objective items (such as short identifications) and subjective
items (such as short and long essay questions.) Students are held responsible for both theory
and country-specific information. Moore instructions would be provided in class on this
assignment. Oral presentations are based on group project from Carrie &Dorraj book,
China’s Energy Relations with the Developing World. I strongly recommend class
participation. Excessive absence will adversely affect your grade. Make-up exam will be
given only for medical excuses with proper documentation.
Grading:
The final grade will be calculated by weighing the class requirements in the
following manner:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Research Paper
Oral presentation
20%
20%
20%
30%
10%
TOTAL
100%
Disability Statement and Services
Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities.
Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Services for
Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11.
Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator
as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further
information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710,
Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.
Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not
retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the
academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student is
responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or
assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at
http://www.acs.tcu.edu/DISABILITY.HTM.
Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a
building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor
as soon as possible.
Academic Misconduct
According to Section 3.4 of the Student Handbook, “any act that violates the academic
integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct.” Procedures used to resolve
suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of the academic deans and
the Office of Campus Life. Specific Examples include but are not limited to:
Cheating: Copying from another student’s test paper, other report or computer files and
listings; using during any academic exercise material and /or devices not authorized by the
person in charge of the test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during at
test; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting or soliciting in its entirety or in
part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; substituting for
another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself.
Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or use by any means of another person’s work
and unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own work offered for
credit. Appropriation includes quoting or purchasing another’s work without giving credit.
Collusion: Unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work offered for
credit.
Academic dishonesty and the detection of plagiarism would result in your failing the course. TCU
has the software Turn it in available to its faculty that allows them to detect the research papers or
book reviews that are download from the internet or cut and paste from other sources without
attribution.
Make up exams
Would be given only to those students with a legitimate medical excuse. Students demanding
a make up exam must show documentations from a physician attesting to their illness.
DATES
ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1
Introduction to Politics of Developing Nations
a. What is development and underdevelopment
b. Poverty and development
Burnell & Randall& Rakner (B,R & R) PP:1-10.
Weeks 2
Theories of development and underdevelopment: contending Analytical
Approaches
a.
b.
c.
d.
Modernization Theory
Dependency Theory
Globalization Theory
Alternatives to development theories
(B, R &R) PP:15-35
Weeks 3
Historical context : the legacy of colonialism and post-Colonial economic
patterns of development.
(B, R &R) PP: 36-70.
Week 4
The Developing World in the Global Economy
(B, R, & R) PP: 71-88
Week 4
The Developing World in International Politics
(B, R &R): PP:89-105
Week 5
Inequality in the Developing world: Its causes, different manifestations and
consequences
(B, R &R): PP:109-126.
** EXAM 1, Thursday, September 22nd **
Week 6, 7
Issues in political development
a. EthnoPolitics and Nationalism
b. Culture and Religion
c. Women and Gender
(B, R &R): PP: 127-181.
Week 8, 9
The nature of the Third World State and its management
a. The character of the Third World State: Decolonization and the rise of the
post-colonial state
b. The roots of the Third World Authoritarianism
c. Third World Revolutions
d. The rise of civil society and “People’s power”
Viewing of “The Mind of Hussein
( B, R &R): 182- 256.
Weeks 10
Political and economic changes in the Third World
a. Dynamics of transition from authoritarian rule
b. Democracy and democratization: Causes and preconditions, obstacles
and prospects
c. Democratization and inequality
(B, R &R): 257-276.
** EXAM 2, Tuesday, October 25th **
The Emergence of China and its engagement of the Developing World: What it
portends for the Future


Oral Presentations are based on the book China’s Energy
Relations with the Developing World and it begins on Tuesday,
November 1st.
Group Assignment on Oral Presentations would be made in
Class.
Weeks 11, 12, 13: Oral Presentations

Start Reading Sach’s book, The Common Wealth. The entire
book.

Thanks Giving Recess: Nov 23-27th.
Weeks 14, 15 The Third World in a Changing World: Meeting the Challenges of an
Interdependent World
a. The Challenge of Economic Development and Overcoming Poverty.
b. Providing security and fostering good governance.
c. Demographic Challenges.
d. Environmental Challenges.
(B, R &R): 316-372
Read Sachs : The entire book

Research Papers are due: Tuesday, Dec 1st.
** FINAL EXAM, Thursday, Dec 15th, 8-10:30 **