COMPARATIVE POLITICS
San Francisco State University, Fall 11
PLSI 250
TH 210
W 16:10-18:55
Office hours: M 2:30-4:30 / By apnt.
Andrei P. Tsygankov
Email: andrei@sfsu.edu
Office: HSS 354
Office phone: 87493
http://bss.sfsu.edu/tsygankov
Description:
This is an introductory comparative politics course. It is designed to accomplish the
following goals.
Concepts. The course seeks to provide students with knowledge of major analytical concepts
widely used in comparative politics. In particular, we will study the meaning of concepts,
such as state, nation-building, political economy, political system, and globalization.
Countries. We will be concerned with systematic application of major concepts across issues
nations and regions in order to understand how politics works in various national and
regional contexts. For a more detailed analysis, we will select Afghanistan, Yugoslavia,
China, the United States, Russia, and Iran.
Issues. Along the way, we will address some more specific issues relevant for understanding
the specifics of national polities. For example, during our discussion of China, we will spend
some time on the issue of political economy; and while discussing Yugoslavia, we will
specifically address the question of national identity.
Analytical skills. The course should help in strengthening analytical abilities through critical
reading, writing, and oral presentations.
Requirements:
Attendance and participation – 10% of the grade
Midterm Exam (closed notes) – 30%
Final Exam (cumulative, closed notes) – 30%
Paper proposal (3-5 pages) – 15%
In-class presentation (5-7 minutes) – 15%
I may occasionally test your knowledge of readings by asking you to identify key
positions, briefly explain how they are supported, and which position holds more validity
(10-15 min., 3 pnts maximum)
The format of paper and presentation will be discussed separately.
Readings:
O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, W. W. Norton, 3d ed., 2009.
O’Neil and Rogowski, eds. Essential Readings in Comparative Politics, 3d ed., 2009.
Articles and chapters by email (marked *)
Calendar (tentative):
Week 1 Aug 24
Week 2 Aug 31
Week 3 Sep 7
Week 4 Sep 14
Week 5 Sep 21
Week 6 Sep 28
Sep 28 Assignment due
Week 7 Oct 5
Week 8 Oct 12
Week 9 Oct 19 Midterm
Week 10 Oct 26
Oct 26 Presentations begin
Week 11 Nov 2
Week 12 Nov 9
Week 13 Nov 16
Week 14 Nov 23 Recess
Week 15 Nov 30
Week 16 Dec 7
Dec 14 Final Exam
The course schedule (tentative):
Week 1 (Aug 24): Introduction
O’Neil: 1-19 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Lichbach and Zuckerman, 2-7
Week 2 (Aug 31): State
O’Neil: 20-43 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Weber, 31-37 and Rotberg, 61-70
Week 3 (Sep 7): Weak State in Afghanistan
Jones, The rise of Afghanistan's insurgency (*) / Kissinger, How to exit Afghanistan (*)
Video: “Behind Taliban Lines”, 60 min
Week 4 (Sep 14): Work on your assignment and readings
Work on your assignment
The general theme: comparative reactions to the Arab uprising
The guiding questions: 1) what has been the nation’s reaction to the Arab uprising? Is it
generally sympathetic or critical? (should be traced on the three levels: government,
media, and public poll); 2) How may such reaction be explained? (an explanation should
utilize one of the two concepts: elites’ interests or mass values); 3) what lesson for
democracy can be drawn from the country’s reaction?
Read ahead for the next week
Week 5 (Sep 21) Nation and Society
O’Neil: 44-76 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Herbst, 46-61, Huntington, 105-118, Sen, 118-126
Week 6 (Sep 28): Ethnonationalism in Yugoslavia
O’Neil/Rogowski: Snyder and Ballentine, 193-214 / Taras & Ganguly, chap. 9 (*)
Video: “Road to Nowhere”, 55 min.
Sep 28 Assignment due
Week 7 (Oct 5): Political Economy
2
O’Neil: 77-109 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Smith, 129-135, Ricardo, 135-136, Marx & Engels, 353-366;
Alesina et al., 155-166 (?)
Week 8 (Oct 12): Economic Reform in China
O’Neil, 219-249 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Barro, 445-448, Przeworski, 448-456 / Bremmer, State
Capitalism (*) / Gallagher (*)
Short video: “China Rising”
Week 9 (Oct 19): MIDTERM
Week 10 (Oct 26): Democratic (Competitive) Political Systems
O’Neil: 134-160 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Zakaria, 231-247, Berman, 294-306
Week 11 (Nov 2): The American System
O’Neil: 161-188 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Putnam, 266-294 / Shadow Elite (*) / WikiLeaks debate (*)
Video: “Toxic sludge”
Week 12 (Nov 9): Authoritarian (Concentrated) Political Systems
O’Neil: 110-133 / O’Neil/Rogowski: Linz & Stepan, 168-181 / de Mesquita and Downs (*) /
Kagan, League of dictators (*)
Week 13 (Nov 16): Russia’s Autocracy
O’Neil/Rogowski: Przeworski, 366-371 / Wilson, Russia and the Colored Revolutions (*) /
Dejevsky, Putin and the People (*)
Video: “Music without Borders” (two propaganda types)
Week 14 (Nov 23): RECESS
Week 15 (Nov 30): Iran’s Theocracy
Telhami (*) / Escobar, Requiem for a revolution (*) Dareni, Iran wants 'special weapons' (*)
Short video: Iran’s worldviews
Week 16 (Dec 7): Global Society / Summary
O’Neil: 250-276 / O’Neil/Rogowski: The Economist, 501-507 / Aris, The GEM Consensus (*) /
Hoffman, 474-480
Week 17 (Dec 14) Final Exam at the regularly scheduled time
3