Political Science 139D
Urban and Sub-National Politics in Low and Middle-Income Countries
Spring 2020, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Online via Zoom
Instructor:
Alison Post
Associate Professor
Travers Department of Political Science and Global Metropolitan Studies
724 Barrows Hall
aepost@berkeley.edu
Office hours via zoom: Fridays 3:30 – 5:00pm (and by appointment)
Sign-ups here: https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/gdevw
Graduate Student Instructor:
Adan Martínez
adansteve1394@berkeley.edu
Office hours via zoom: Tuesdays 1:30-3:00 p.m. (and by appointment)
Sign-up here: Appointments
Introduction:
Over half of the world’s population is now urban. As urban populations swell, metropolitan
areas in both the around the world struggle to provide basic services and address the negative
externalities associated with rapid growth. Sanitation, transportation services, pollution, energy
services, and public safety typically fall to sub-national governments. Yet local sub-national
institutions face difficulties as they tackle these challenges because development tends to spill
over political boundaries and resources are limited. Such difficulties are particularly acute in the
low and middle-income countries due to tighter resource constraints, weak institutions, and the
comparative severity of the underlying problems. Moreover, democratization and
decentralization suggest that urban governance and service delivery may have become more
democratic, but present challenges with respect to priority setting, coordination, and corruption.
This course will examine politics in cities and in other subnational governments, such as states
and provinces. It will examine the financial and institutional vehicles used to provide services of
different types, and the role of political parties and other forms of political organization in the
development and allocation of services. Topics will include urban and sub-national institutions
and political regime types, decentralization and multi-level governance, the rule of law and urban
violence, civil society and popular mobilization, political party organization and mobilization
strategies, public policy formulation, urban bureaucracies, corruption, the politics of
urbanization, and the metropolitan political economy. Readings will be drawn primarily from
Political Science, Sociology, Geography, and Economics.
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Assignments:
The assignments for this course are designed to achieve a number of objectives, including:

Mastery of key concepts crucial for understanding subnational politics in low and middleincome countries

Honing student skills in the critical reading of different types of data (quantitative and
qualitative, including material from the media)

Developing students’ ability to analyze and present data in an effective manner

Help students understand alternative approaches to research design in the social sciences,
identify strengths and weaknesses in particular studies, and consider the circumstances
under which particular approaches are likely to be most appropriate

Improving students’ ability to evaluate alternative policy approaches to tackling urban
problems in low- and middle-income countries (and more broadly)
Written assignments will take the form of short essays, as well as weekly comprehension quizzes
administered through bcourses.
Essays for the course:
a. Quantitative Data Memo: Due September 17th at 3:30pm. (3-4 pages)
b. News source memo: Due October 22nd at 3:30pm. (3-4 pages)
c. Policy analysis paper: Due November 19th at 3:30pm. (5-7 pages)
d. Research Design paper: Due December 16th at 5pm. (7-10 pages)
Grading:
Class participation will count 20% towards final grades. (Class attendance counts heavily
towards participation grades. Students should inform their GSI in advance if they cannot attend
section, and only one section absence during the term is acceptable. We also expect regular
attendance at and participation in lecture discussions if your time zone allows for such
participation; if it does not, let us know and we will provide alternative means of achieving an
excellent participation grade. The remaining 70% of the grade will reflect performance on the
four main writing assignments outlined above: a) a news source evaluation memo (15%); b)
quantitative data memo (15%); c) policy analysis paper (20%) and effective participation in the
associated policy debate simulation exercise; d) research design paper (20%). Grades for late
papers will be downgraded one full letter grade per day late.
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Academic Honesty Policy:
In fairness to students who put in an honest effort, cheaters will be harshly treated. Any
evidence of cheating will result in a score of zero (0) on that assignment or examination.
Cheating on the final exam results in an "F" for the course. Cheating includes but is not limited
to bringing notes or written or electronic materials into an exam or quiz, using notes or written or
electronic materials during an exam or quiz, copying off another person's exam or quiz, allowing
someone to copy off of your exam or quiz, and having someone take an exam or quiz for you.
Incidences of cheating will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs, which may administer
additional punishment. Plagiarism in written assignments is also unacceptable, and will trigger
similar consequences.
Norms for Online Sessions and Technology Use
Class lectures and discussion sections will be delivered via Zoom. We expect students to attend
lectures and sections in real time unless they live in time zones that make this infeasible
(between 9:00 p.m-6:00 a.m. local time). We expect that attending classes in real time will
increase your level of interest in and engagement with the course, and provide helpful deadlines
for working through the assigned readings. A google sheet with all relevant zoom links can be
found here.
Lecture sessions will be recorded so as to facilitate access for students in other time zones. This
presents some challenges for instructors and students. Note that this means that breakout rooms
visited by the instructors during lecture may be included in lecture recordings. Students may not
distribute copies of lecture recordings.
We ask that students, whenever possible, keep their videos on, as this allows instructors to
assess whether or not students understand material as it is discussed and assess levels of
engagement. As a courtesy to other students and the instructors, students should indicate their
desire to speak via the Chat function in zoom, or simply make comments via the Chat function.
We have distributed a survey to all students to assess technology access and relevant times
zones. Responses will help us understand the constraints faced by students enrolled in the class.
If you enroll in the class subsequent to the emission of this survey, please contact the instructors
so we can ask you the same questions.
For information regarding campus resources intended to help students cope with the COVID-19
pandemic, please see this google drive folder.
Introductory Office Hours:
The instructors will be posting introductory 15-minute office hour slots during the first few
weeks of class. We expect every student to sign up for a slot (shared with one other student) so
that we can learn about you and how the course may complement your course of study and help
you explore your intellectual and professional interests. We encourage you to sign up for office
hours throughout the semester as taking classes online can be isolating and many concepts and
questions are explored very effectively in one-on-one discussions.
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Course Materials:
Access to the vast majority of course materials is provided through bcourses modules. There you
will find links to all the books assigned in the course (see below), articles available through the
university libraries, chapters from edited volumes, and policy reports.
Bates, Robert (1981). States and Markets in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of
Agricultural Policies. University of California Press. [available as e-book through university
library]
Auyero, Javier and Débora Alejandra Swistun (2009). Flammable: Environmental Suffering
in an Argentine Shantytown. New York: Oxford University Press. [available as e-book
through university library]
Gay, Robert (2005). Lucia: Testimonies of a Brazilian Drug Dealer’s Woman.
Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [available as ebook through the university library]
Two additional texts can be downloaded from the World Bank website:
World Bank Group (2009). Reshaping Economic Geography. World Development Report.
2009. [http://bit.ly/1dM1t6t]
World Bank and United Cities and Local Governments (2008). Decentralization and Local
Democracy in the World: First global report by United Cities and Local Government.
Washington, DC: World Bank. [http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2609]
Week 1: Thursday, August 26th:
Urbanization in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Montgomery, Mark (2008). “The Urban Transformation of the Developing World.” Science.
319(5864): 761-764 (February 8, 2008).
Week 2: Tuesday September 1st and Thursday September 3rd
Understanding Urbanization: Local Economic Growth and Migration
World Bank Group (2009) Reshaping Economic Geography. World Development Report.
2009. [Chapters 4].
Hessler, Peter. (2011). Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip. New York: Harper Perennial.
pp. 281-325.
Harris, J. (2014). The messy reality of agglomeration economies in urban informality:
evidence from Nairobi’s handicraft industry. World Development, 61, 102-113.
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Additional resource: Short interview (7 minutes) with Peter Hessler, author of Country
Driving.
Week 3: Tuesday, September 8th and Thursday, September 10th:
Understanding Urbanization II: Migration and the “Urban Bias”
Bates, Robert (1981). States and Markets in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of
Agricultural Policies. University of California Press. Pp. 11-105. [entire book]. [Available
as e-book through university library]
SCREENING IN CLASS ON THURSDAY, September 10th: LAST TRAIN HOME
Week 4: Tuesday, September 15th and Thursday, September 17th:
Urban Settlement and Migrant Political Incorporation
Caldeira, Teresa (1996). “Building Up Walls: The New Pattern of Spatial Segregation in São
Paulo.” International Social Science Journal. 48(147): 55-66 (March 1996).
Tugal, Cihan (2008). “The Greening of Istanbul.” New Left Review. 51: 64-80.
Hsing, You-Tien (2006). “Land and Territorial Politics in Urban China.” The China
Quarterly. 187: 575-591.
[DATA MEMO DUE Thursday, September 17th at 3:30pm]
Week 5: Tuesday, September 22nd and Thursday, September 24th:
Local Regime Type I: Democratization, Subnational Authoritarianism, and Hybrid
Regimes
Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way (2002). “Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of
Competitive Authoritarianism.” Journal of Democracy. 13(2): 51-65.
Gibson, Edward L. (2005). “Boundary Control: Subnational Authoritarianism in Democratic
Countries.” World Politics. 58(1): 101-132.
Reuter, Ora John, Noah Buckley, Alexandra Shubenkova, and Guzel Garifullina. 2016.
“Local Elections in Authoritarian Regimes: An Elite-Based Theory with Evidence from
Russian Mayoral Elections.” Comparative Political Studies. 49(5): 662-697.
Additional resource: McMann, Kelly. 2014. “Look Beyond the Capital: The Geography of
Political Openings in Eurasia.’ PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No. 335.
Week 6: Tuesday, September 29th and Thursday, October 1st:
Regime Type II: Political Parties and Urban Clientelism
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Auyero, Javier (2000). Poor People's Politics. Durham: Duke University Press. [Chapter 3].
Stokes, Susan (2005). “Perverse Accountability: A Formal Model of Machine Politics with
Evidence from Argentina.” American Political Science Review 99(3): 315-325.
Auerbach, Adam, and Tariq Thachil. 2018. “How Clients Select Brokers: Competition and
Choice in India’s Slums. American Political Science Review. 112(4): 775-791.
Optional background: Harrington, Joseph E. (2008). Games, Strategies, and Decision
Making. New York City: Worth Publishers. pp. 93-94. [“Prisoner’s Dilemma”]. (posted in
bcourses)
Week 7: Tuesday, October 6th and Thursday, October 8th:
Regime Type III: Federal and Unitary States
Gibson, Edward L., Ernesto Calvo, and Tulia G. Falleti (2004). “Reallocative Federalism:
Legislative Overrepresentation and Public Spending in the Western Hemisphere.” From
Gibson, Edward, ed. (2004). Federalism and Democracy in Latin America. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press. Pp. 173-196. [Chapter 5].
Gibson, Edward L. and Ernesto Calvo (2000). “Federalism and Low-Maintenance
Constituencies: Territorial Dimensions of Economic Reform in Argentina.” Studies in
Comparative International Development. 35(3): 32-55.
Suberu, Rotimi (2009). “Federalism in Africa: The Nigerian Experience in Comparative
Perspective.” Ethnopolitics. 8(1): 67-86.
Week 8: Tuesday, October 13th and Thursday October 15th
TUES., October 13th: CRITICAL READING OF THE NEWS
THURS. Decentralization I: Why decentralize?
World Bank and United Cities and Local Governments (2008). Decentralization and Local
Democracy in the World: First Global Report by United Cities and Local Government.
Washington, DC: World Bank. [Provides an up-to-date survey of decentralization trends,
local political institutions, responsibilities of local governments across countries, etc.
Reference for both weeks. Read the conclusion and pay special attention to the various
geographic trends.]
Falleti, Tulia (2005). “A Sequential Theory of Decentralization: Latin American Cases in
Comparative Perspective.” American Political Science Review. 99(3): 327-346 (August
2005).
Eaton, Kent (2001). "Political Obstacles to Decentralization: Evidence from Argentina and
the Philippines." Development and Change. 32(1): 101-127 (January 2001).
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Week 9: Tuesday, October 20th and Thursday, October 22nd:
Decentralization II: Consequences of decentralization
Montinola, G., Y.Y. Qian, and B. R. Weingast (1995). “Federalism, Chinese Style—The
Political Basis for Economic Success in China.” World Politics. 48: 50-81 (October 1995).
Cai, Hongbin and Daniel Treisman (2006). "Did Government Decentralization Cause China's
Economic Miracle?" World Politics. 58(4): 505-535.
View excerpts from the documentary “Chinese Mayor.” 2015. [View the following excerpts:
0-10:06, 31:20-36:10, 41:10-57:25, 1:08:50-1:23]
[NEWS MEMO DUE Thurs. Oct. 22nd at 3:30pm]
Week 10: Tuesday, October 27th and Thursday, October 29th:
Urban Social Movements and Civil Society
Auyero, Javier (2005). “Protest and Politics in Contemporary Argentina.” From Levitsky,
Steven and Maria Victoria Murillo, ed. (2006). Argentine Democracy: the Politics of
Institutional Weakness. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press. [Chapter
11].
Read, Benjamin (2008). “Assessing Variation in Civil Society Organizations: China's
Homeowner Associations in Comparative Perspective.” Comparative Political Studies.
41(9): 1240-1265.
Gay, Robert (2005). Lucia: Testimonies of a Brazilian Drug Dealer’s Woman.
Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [Introduction and Chapter 7, including “Religion”].
AlSayyad, N., & Guvenc, M. (2013). Virtual Uprisings: On the Interaction of New Social
Media, Traditional Media Coverage and Urban Space during the ‘Arab Spring’. Urban
Studies.
Week 11: Tuesday, November 3rd and Thursday, November 5th:
Urban Labor Market Transformations and Their Political Implications
Tripp, Aili Mari (1997). Changing the Rules: The Politics of Liberalization and the Urban
Informal Economy in Tanzania. Berkeley: University of California Press. [Chapters 1, 6].
Gay, Robert (2005). Lucia: Testimonies of a Brazilian Drug Dealer’s Woman.
Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [Chapter 6, including “Economy”]
Agarwala, Rina (2008). “Reshaping the Social Contract: Emerging Relations between the
State and Informal Labor in India.” Theory and Society. 37: 375 - 408.
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Week 12: Tuesday, November 10th and Thursday, November 12th
Urban Land Markets, Property Rights, and Environmental Justice
Auyero, Javier and Débora Alejandra Swistun (2009). Flammable: Environmental Suffering
in an Argentine Shantytown. New York: Oxford University Press. [Entire book; available as
e-book through the library].
THURSDAY Nov. 12th: SECTION DURING CLASS/ SIMULATION DURING
SECTIONS ON MONDAY
Week 13: Tuesday, November 17th and Thursday, November 19th:
Local State Capacity and Service Delivery: General Debates
Piracha, Mujtaba & Mick Moore. 2016. “Revenue-Maximizing or Revenue-Sacrificing
Government? Property Tax in Pakistan.” Journal of Development Studies. 52(12): 17761790.
Habyarimana, James, Macartan Humphreys, Daniel Posner, and Jeremy Weinstein (2007).
“Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?” American Political
Science Review. 101(4): 709-725.
Berenshot, Ward."Everyday Mediation: The Politics of Public Service Delivery in Gujarat,
India." 2010. Development and Change. 41(5): 883-905.
[POLICY PAPER DUE Thurs. November 19th at 3:30pm]
Week 14: Tuesday, November 24th:
Local State Capacity and Service Delivery II: Utilities and Infrastructure
Herrera, Veronica & Post, Alison. E. (2014). Can developing countries both decentralize and
depoliticize urban water services? Evaluating the legacy of the 1990s reform wave. World
Development, 64, 621-641.
Anand, Nikhil. 2012. “Pressure: The Polytechnics of Water Supply in Mumbai.” Cultural
Anthropology 26(4) 542-563.
Optional background:
Estache, Antonio, Andrés Gómez-Lobo, and Danny Leipziger (2001). “Utilities Privatization
and the Poor: Lessons and Evidence from Latin America.” World Development. 29(7):
1179-1198.
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[THURSDAY: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY]
Week 15: Tuesday, December 1st and Thursday, December 3rd
Public Security
Flom, Hernán and Alison E. Post. 2016. “Blame Avoidance and Policy Stability: Security
Policy in Buenos Aires.” Comparative Politics. 49(1): 23-46.
Gay, Robert (2005). Lucia: Testimonies of a Brazilian Drug Dealer’s Woman.
Philadelphia: Temple University Press [pp. 23-27; Chapter 2 and pgs. 171-174].
Tellez, Juan Fernando, Erik Wibbels, and Anirudh Krishna. 2020. “Local Order, Policing,
and Bribes.” World Politics. 72(3): 377-410.
[RESEARCH DESIGN PAPER due Wednesday, December 16th at 3:30pm via bcourses]
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