C
COM
MPAR
RATIV
VE
P
POLIITICS
S
G
Global Stu
udies (GS
S) 161
S
Spring 2011
P
Professor TE
ERRENCE CASEY
O
Office: Moen
nch A209
E
E-Mail: caseyy1@rose-hu
ulman.edu
O
Office Hourss: MTRF, 3rd Hour (9:555-10:45) or drop-in anyytime.
W
Website (with link to cou
urse page): www.rose-h
hulman.edu
u/~casey1
PHONE:: 877-8281
RHIT Maailbox: #93
T
This course is designed to provide youu with a basicc understandiing of how ppolitics and government w
works in
nuumerous couuntries. It willl also introduuce you to th
he primary cooncepts and theories of ccomparative p
political
an
nalysis. Each
h week we willl explore thee politics of a different coountry. We w
will also undeertake discusssions and
exxercises that examine imp
portant politiical questionss and demonnstrate how tto compare ccross-nationaally.
R
READING: The majorityy of reading for
f this coursse will come from Kesseelman, Krieg
ger, and Joseeph,
ed
ds., Introdu
uction to Co
omparative Politics
P
, 5th Edition, whhich is availabble for purch
hase in the R
RHIT
bo
ookstore. Yo
ou are also ex
xpected to stay
s informeed about cur
urrent eventss, especially in the countrry that we
arre examiningg in a given week.
w
There are
a multiple high
h quality oonline sourcees for news (N
New York Tim
imes,
W
Washington Posst, The Econom
mist, Financiall Times, CNN
N, etc.). Whatt you read is uup to you as long as you stay
in
nformed.
A
ASSIGNMEN
NTS: Your grade
g
in the course will be
b based on tthe followingg:
A
A. Weekly Co
ountry Tests (5% each; 50% total): We will be ccovering a diifferent coun
ntry each weeek, so we
w
will start class on each FRIIDAY with a test on the lectures and reading for tthat week, fo
ocusing on th
he history,
keey actors, and
d institutionss of these resspective polittics systems – the ‘nuts annd bolts’, as it were. Testts will
co
onsist of asso
orted objectivve questions -- multiple choice,
c
short answer, fill-iin-the-blank,, and true-fallse.
B
B. Two Com
mparative Esssay Exams (25% each; 50% total): The midterm
m exam will b
be given on M
Monday,
A
April 11th in th
he evening (Time and Room
R
TBA). The Final E
Exam date wiill be determiined by the R
Registrar.
A
As the weeklyy tests will foccus more on objective quuestions, the exams will ddeal more witth conceptuaal issues
an
nd essays wh
hich require you
y to analyze, compare, and contrastt the countriees covered in
n the course.
C
COURSE PO
OLICIES: The
T followingg policies app
ply unless othherwise stateed.
A
Attendance and
a Particip
pation: Regular attendancce and activee participationn in class discussion is exxpected.
In
n order to do
o this effectivvely, you need to keep up
p with the reaading and staay informed aabout current events.
Y
You are also responsible
r
for
fo all materiaal presented in
i class and tthe exams wiill be based in part on maaterial that
w
will only be prresented in leecture. If youu desire a goo
od grade in thhe course, coome to class,, pay attentio
on, and
taake notes!
A
Academic Misconduct:
M
All cases of academic miisconduct, inncluding plaggiarism (takin
ng another’s w
words or
iddeas and pressenting them as your own
n) or cheatingg (making use of assistancce on an assiignment beyo
ond that
authorized by the professor) will be punished appropriately. Penalties for academic misconduct are at the
discretion of the professor and can range from the loss of all credit on an assignment to a formal hearing
before the Institute’s Rules and Discipline Committee It is incumbent upon you to know what constitutes
academic misconduct and make sure to avoid it. If you are in any way unsure about what constitutes a
violation, please ask me. Claiming ignorance after the fact is not a valid excuse. Think rationally; the risks
outweigh the gains.
Late Assignments: Extensions for exams or assignments will only be given if you have a legitimate excuse
and you contact me in advance. All late assignments will receive a letter grade reduction for each day
(including weekend days) that they are late. This especially applies to the weekly quizzes! You can
reach me via e-mail, voicemail, or by dropping a note in either my campus or HSS mailbox. Short of being in
a coma, you should be able to reach me if there is a problem. I am very accommodating to those who alert
me to a problem in advance; I will be far less friendly if you approach me after the fact.
Ideological Perspectives: I have no intention of trying to indoctrinate you with my beliefs. The issues we
will be exploring are contentious and there are often not right or wrong answers per se. That being said, there
are good and bad arguments. You may hold any opinion you wish, but your arguments must be logically
sound and supported by the available evidence.
More importantly, I can only facilitate the learning process; I cannot force knowledge into your heads. You
are all adults fully capable of being responsible students and active learners. That means that if you do not
understand something you need to take the initiative to find out the answer -- raise your hand, talk to me after
class, come to my office. I cannot read minds, so it is up to you to try to seek clarity when it is lacking!
TOPICS AND READINGS: Assigned readings are from Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph, eds. Introduction to
Comparative Politic, 5th ed. unless otherwise noted. Other readings may be added during the course of the term.
WEEK
DATE
TOPIC
1
March 7-11
2
March 14-18
Comparative Politics: Approach and
Concepts
America as the Baseline
3
March 21-25
Great Britain
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
READING
TESTS &
EXAMS
Chapter 1; Lim,
Test #1: CP
Chapter 1(Handout).
Chapter 7
Test #2: US
Test #3: Great
Chapter 2
Britain
March 28April 1
April 4-8
France
Chapter 3
Test #4: France
Germany
Chapter 4
Mon., April 11
Midterm Exam
April 11-15
April 18-22
April 25-29
May 2-6
May 9-13
May 16-20
Japan
SPRING BREAK
India
Russia
China
Iran
Test #5: Germany
Room/Time
TBA
Test #6: Japan
Final Exam
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 13
Chapter 12
Test #7: India
Test #8: Russia
Test #9: China
Test #10: Iran
Time & Date
TBA