YALOVA UNIVERSITY – DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Course Name/Code
: Latin America in World Politics– CIR 310
Instructor
: Öğr. Gör. Çiğdem Çelik
Telephone
(internal)
2014
: 5134
E-mail
: cigdemcelik41086@yahoo.com
Webpage
:
Office Hours
: Thursday, 13.00-17.00
Aim of The Course
The purpose of this course is it to analyze the central features of new democratic regimes in Latin America
and the institutional transformations they have experienced since 1978. The course is divided into three
sections: democracy and political institutions, performance and quality of democracy, and institutional
reform.
We start with a conceptual introduction to the study of democracy and democratization and the main
political institutions of new democracies in Latin America. In the second section, we will discuss the
different factors that determine variations in the performance and quality of democratic regimes in the
region. The third section analyzes specific areas of institutional change, such as electoral reform,
presidential powers, judicial reform, decentralization, and mechanisms of popular participation. The final
section concludes with an evaluation of the impact of institutional reform on the capacity of democratic
regimes in Latin America to provide public goods and give adequate representation to citizen interests.
Method
The theaching method is mainly based on lectures. In order to increase student interest the instructor
may ask questions for bonuses. Power Point presentations as well as student input from the textbook will
be crucial in order to reach course outcomes.
Textbooks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Peter Smith, Democracy in Latin America. Political Change in Comparative Perspective. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Jose Antonio Cheibub, “Minority Governments, Deadlock Situations, and the Survival of
Presidential Democracies.” Comparative Political Studies, 2002, 35: 284-312.
Anibal Pérez-Liñan, Presidential Impeachment and the New Political Instability in Latin America,
New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007
Hochteteler, Kathryn, “Rethinking Presidentialism: Challengers and Presidential Falls in South
America,” Comparative Politics, 2006, 38 (4): 401-418.
Scott Mainwaring, “State Deficiencies, Party Competition, and Confidence in Democratic
Representation in the Andes,” in Scott Mainwarring, Ana Maria Bejarano, and Eduardo Pizarro,
The Crisis of Democratic Representation in the Andes. Stanford University Press, 2006,
Francisco Panizza, and Romina Miorelli, “Populism and Democracy in Latin
America,” Ethics and International Affairs, 2009, 23 (1). pp. 39-46.
Josep Colomer, “The Americas: General Overview,” in Josep Colomer (ed.), The
Handbook of Electoral System Choice. New York: Palgrave, 2004,
Gabriel Negretto, “Political Parties and Institutional Design: ExplainingConstitutional Choice in
Latin America”, British Journal of Political Science, 2009,39: 117–139.
Yalova University, Dept. of International Relations, YALOVA – TURKEY E-mail: ir@yalova.edu.tr
YALOVA UNIVERSITY – DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
2014
9. Jodi Finkel, “Judicial Reform as Insurance Policy: Mexico in the 1990s” Latin American Politics &
Society - Volume 47, Number 1, Spring 2005, pp. 87-113
10. Patricio Navia and Julio Ríos-Figueroa, “The Constitutional Adjudication Mosaic of Latin America.”
Comparative Political Studies, 2005, 38 (2): 189-217.
11. Donna Lee Van Cott, Radical Democracy in the Andes. New York: Cambridge University Press,
2008.
12. Anita Brewer, “Institutions of Direct Democracy and Accountability in Latin America’s Presidential
Democracies”, Democratization, Vol. 14. No. 4: 554-579
13. Monica Barczak, “Representation By Consultation? The Rise of Direct Democracy in Latin
America”, Latin American Politics and Society, 2001, Volume 43, Issue 3, pp. 37–60.
14. Arend Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six
Countries. Yale, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999, Chaps. 15 & 16, pp. 258-300.
Attendance Procedure
Punctuality and regular attendance in classes is of prime importance for successful completion of this
course, just as the same punctuality and attendance is important in the business world. Students will be
expected to arrive for class on time and to remain in class until the end of the class session.
Note: If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to e-mail your instructor, visit your instructor's office
to find out what was covered in class and to find out your assignments for the following class. You also
need to state how you will make up the missed work. If no contact is made, late assignments will not be
accepted.
Reward for Good Attendance: If you have perfect attendance, your final grade will be increased one
grade.
Schedule Changes:
The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course. The professor reserves the right to make
changes to the syllabus, including: assignments, case studies, time table, examinations, etc., in order to
accommodate the needs of the class as a whole and fulfill the goals of the course.
Content of The Course
Period
February 24
March 3
Unit
Topic
Material
Cycles of
democracy in
Latin America
1-Introduction
and Chapter
1,pp. 1-43.
March 10
Democratization
and political
legacies
March 17
Constitutional
regime
Electoral and
party systems
Democratic
performance (I):
regime stability
Democratic
performance
1-Chapter 2,
pp.44-72.
Chapter 3, pp.
73-106
1-Chapter 5,
pp. 137-55.
Chapter 6, pp.
156-82
2- Jose
Antonio
Cheibub
3- Chaps. 1
and 3, pp.1-
March 24
March 31
April 7
Assign
ment
Assesment
Yalova University, Dept. of International Relations, YALOVA – TURKEY E-mail: ir@yalova.edu.tr
YALOVA UNIVERSITY – DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
(II): government
stability
2014
13, 40-63.
4- Kathryn
Hochteteler
April 14
April 21
April 28
May 5
May 12
Quality of
democracy and
citizen
representation
(Re) founding
democracy
through
constitutional
change
Electoral reform
5- pp. 295347.
ExecutiveLegislative
Relations reform
Judicial reform
8- Gabriel
Negretto
May 19
Decentralization
reform
May 26
Participatory
Democracy
June 2
Constitutional
change and
Democratic
Performance
6- Francisco
Panizza, and
Romina
Miorelli
7-pp. 81-94.
9- Jodi Finkel
10- Patricio
Navia and
Julio RíosFigueroa,
11- Donna Lee
Van Cott
12- Anita
Brewer
13- Monica
Barczak
14- Chaps. 15
& 16, pp. 258300.
Evaluation Methods and Tools
Examinations will cover material presented in class and in the textbook. Unless announced otherwise,
there will be a midterm examination and a final.
A summary of the grading follows:
Midterm: 30% -Final Exam: 60% -Attendance&Class Participation: 10%
Assignments
Yalova University, Dept. of International Relations, YALOVA – TURKEY E-mail: ir@yalova.edu.tr
YALOVA UNIVERSITY – DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
2014
Assignments, to be completed as homework, should not contain errors in spelling, punctuation, style, etc.
Dictionaries, spellcheckers, and other methods of checking and proofreading are encouraged. Incorrect
assignments may be returned to be rewritten. Most assignments submitted must be keyboarded. Due
dates of assignments will be announced in advance.
Grading is as follows: Ten points will be deducted for each major error; points of lesser value will be
deducted for less critical errors.
Class Participation and Homework
Students are encouraged to ask questions to clarify understanding and to discuss and debate the theories,
principles, and concepts from the text, case studies, and lectures. Students will be expected to participate
in class and will be called upon on a regular basis.
To be successful in the course, the student should complete all homework assignments and should expect
to spend a minimum of 3-4 hours per week on homework and other class projects.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. Any student found to be involved in any verifiable incident
of academic dishonesty (copying, cheating, plagiarizing, etc.) will receive a grade of “F” for the class.
Yalova University, Dept. of International Relations, YALOVA – TURKEY E-mail: ir@yalova.edu.tr