Introduction to Comparative Politics
Instructor: Austin Trantham
Office: 5A-6 Faculty Hall
Office Phone: (270) 809-2958
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00-3:00 p.m., or by appointment
E-Mail: atrantham@murraystate.edu
Website: www.austintrantham.com
DEPARTMENT: Political Science and Sociology
COURSE PREFIX: POL
COURSE NUMBER: 252
CREDIT HOURS: 3.0
I. TITLE: Introduction to Comparative Politics
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PREREQUISITE(S): This course provides the student with comparative
and evaluative concepts and approaches necessary to developing an intelligent understanding and
appreciation of the world’s diverse political systems. An approved social science University Studies
elective.
Prerequisite(s): None
III. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The student will be able to:
A. Define the strengths and weaknesses of the comparative method of political science.
B. Understand the distinctions present in democratic and authoritarian systems of government.
C. Broadly compare and contrast countries and world regions in terms of their developmental
processes, governing institutions, cultures, and histories.
D. Explain and evaluate selected country cases while discussing their practical significance.
E. Learn about current political events in a variety of countries.
IV. CONTENT OUTLINE:
The instructor reserves the right to alter this syllabus should the need arise during the course of the
semester, including the content outline of course material given below. If this occurs, appropriate notice
will be given to all class members. Dates for major exams and assignments will remain unchanged.
DATE
TOPIC
READING / ASSIGNMENTS
Tuesday, August 19
Course Introduction
None
Thursday, August 21
The Comparative Method
CP, Chapter 1
Tuesday, August 26
Theories, Hypotheses, Evidence
CP, Chapter 2
Chapters 1 and 2 Quiz DUE
Thursday, August 28
NO CLASS
Instructor at APSA Conference
None
Week One
Week Two
DATE
TOPIC
READING / ASSIGNMENTS
Tuesday, September 2
The State
CP, Chapter 3
Chapter 3 Quiz DUE
Thursday, September 4
The State
CP, Chapter 3
Political Development
and Political Economy
Political Development
and Political Economy
CP, Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Quiz DUE
Week Three
Week Four
Tuesday, September 9
Thursday, September 11
CP, Chapter 4
Week Five
Tuesday, September 16
Democracy and Democratization
CP, Chapter 5
Canvas: Freedom House Website
Chapter 5 Quiz DUE
Thursday, September 18
Democracy and Democratization
CP, Chapter 5
Tuesday, September 23
Authoritarian Regimes
CP, Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Quiz DUE
Thursday, September 25
Authoritarian Regimes
CP, Chapter 6
Constitutions
Constitutional Design
NO CLASS
Fall Break
CP, Chapter 7
Chapter 7 Quiz DUE
Tuesday, October 7
Midterm Exam Review
Review Reading, Lecture Notes
Thursday, October 9
MIDTERM EXAM
None
Tuesday, October 14
Legislatures
Thursday, October 16
Legislatures
CP, Chapter 8
CP, Chapter 8
Chapter 8 Quiz DUE
Week Six
Week Seven
Tuesday, September 30
Thursday, October 2
None
Week Eight
Week Nine
DATE
TOPIC
READING / ASSIGNMENTS
Tuesday, October 21
Executives
CP, Chapter 9
Chapter 9 Quiz DUE
Thursday, October 23
Executives
CP, Chapter 9
Tuesday, October 28
Parties and Interest Groups
CP, Chapter 10
Chapter 10 Quiz DUE
Thursday, October 30
Parties and Interest Groups
CP, Chapter 10
Tuesday, November 4
Revolutions and Political Violence
CP, Chapter 11
Chapter 11 Quiz DUE
Thursday, November 6
Revolutions and Political Violence
CP, Chapter 11
Tuesday, November 11
Nationalism and National Identity
CP, Chapter 12
Chapter 12 Quiz DUE
Thursday, November 18
Nationalism and National Identity
CP, Chapter 12
Tuesday, November 18
Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
CP, Chapter 13
Chapter 13 Quiz DUE
Thursday, November 20
Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
CP, Chapter 13
Tuesday, November 25
Ideology and Religion
CP, Chapter 14
Chapter 14 Quiz DUE
Thursday, November 27
NO CLASS
Thanksgiving Break
Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve
Week Thirteen
Week Fourteen
Week Fifteen
Week Sixteen
Tuesday, December 2
Ideology and Religion
CP, Chapter 14
Thursday, December 4
Final Exam Review
Review Reading, Lecture Notes
DATE
TOPIC
READING / ASSIGNMENTS
Week Seventeen
Monday, December 8
10:30 a.m.
FINAL EXAM
Thanks for a great semester!
V. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Instructional activities will include traditional lectures, in-class discussions and group work, active learning
methods, audio and video materials, examinations, quizzes, papers, and writing assignments.
VI. FIELD, CLINICAL, AND/OR LABORATORY EXPERIENCES:
None
VII. TEXT(S) AND RESOURCES:
The following textbook is required for the course and may be purchased at the University Bookstore:
Dickovick, J. Tyler, and Jonathan Eastwood. 2012. Comparative Politics: Integrating Theories,
Methods, and Cases. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
The ISBN for this textbook is 978-0-1953-9210-4.
Textbook readings are abbreviated as “CP” in Section IV: “Content Outline.”
Any additional readings or website links will be posted on the class Canvas site and announced in class.
They are denoted by “Canvas” in the Content Outline.
You will also want to read a daily national news source to keep updated with current events relating to
the political developments occurring in the United States and other nations. Possibilities for U.S. politics
include well-regarded newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post or webbased outlets such as POLITICO (www.politico.com) or Real Clear Politics (www.realclearpolitics.com).
Sources for international news include the BBC (www.bbc.com) or country-specific outlets such as:
Britain: The Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
France: Le Monde (www.lemonde.fr)
Germany: Die Zeit (www.zeit.de)
Please let the instructor know if you have difficulty accessing international news stories or have a
particular interest in learning about another country or region.
VIII. EVALUATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES:
The following components will comprise your grade in the course:
Class Participation
20%
Reading Quizzes
15%
Midterm Exam
20%
Final Exam
25%
Current Events Journal 20%
Class Participation (20%)
We will be devoting time this semester to insightful and engaging class discussions. Comparative
politics is a fascinating subject, and I want all of us to learn from one another. This being said, active
and relevant class participation will occupy a portion of your grade. You all have good ideas and
insights—please share them with me and your classmates. For grading purpose, I will prioritize quality
of participation over quantity.
Please note that you cannot participate in discussion without first being in class. Attendance will be
taken during each class meeting and will be considered as a component of your participation grade.
Please be aware that continual failure to attend class will likely affect your overall participation grade.
See Section IX. “Attendance Policy” for further information.
Reading Quizzes (15%)
To help ensure that you are mastering course material, each student will be responsible for completing a
short weekly reading quiz of approximately 5-10 multiple-choice questions on the information contained
in each chapter of the Dickovick and Eastwood textbook. You will complete each quiz on the course
Canvas site unless told otherwise. Quiz scores will help you and the instructor to know how prepared
you are for the major exams throughout the course.
Each quiz is due on the day listed in Section IV. “Content Outline”. Each quiz is untimed, but may
be only taken once. Because reading quizzes are taken outside of class and do not require class
attendance, completing a quiz is NOT a legitimate reason for missing scheduled class sessions.
Make-up quizzes will only be allowed for approved excused absences on an individual basis.
Midterm Exam (20%)
The Midterm Exam will be based on readings, lectures, and discussions from the first half of the course
(Chapters 1-7 of Comparative Politics and ALL associated lecture material). It will be held in-class on
Thursday, October 9. The format may consist of multiple choice, matching, term identification, short
answer and/or essay questions. We will have a review session prior to the exam. Except in rare cases,
a make-up exam will only be given with documentation from a University-approved excused absence.
Final Exam (25%)
The Final Exam will be primarily based on readings, lectures, and discussions from the second half of
the course (Chapters 8-14 of Comparative Politics and ALL associated lecture material), yet will be
somewhat comprehensive by including major terms and concept from the earlier portion of the course.
The format may consist of multiple choice, matching, term identification, short answer and/or essay
questions. We will have a review session prior to the exam. Except in rare cases, a make-up exam will
only be given with documentation from a University-approved excused absence.
Current Events Journal (20%)
This assignment allows you to have a front-row seat for the political events of the countries that are most
interesting to you while making the material we are studying more relevant to the “real world” of politics.
Your journal must include ONE current news story for any TEN weeks of your choosing.
You MUST have at least FIVE different countries in your journal, including:
A. TWO developed countries
B. ONE “BRIC” country
C. ONE developing country
(We will discuss what the bolded terms mean in class.) Detailed instructions and a grading rubric for your
journal will be given in class and posted on Canvas during the first few weeks of the semester.
I will assign final course grades using the following scale:
A
90-100%
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D
60-69%
E
0-59%
The instructor will NOT discuss matters relating to course grades over e-mail. However, you are
encouraged to meet with me during regular office hours or through a scheduled appointment at any time
during the semester to review your progress to date.
IX. ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to adhere to the MSU Attendance Policy outlined in the current MSU Bulletin.
According to the current MSU Academic Bulletin, excused absences are defined as the following:
1. Absence due to personal illness or death in the immediate family or other extraordinary personal
circumstances. Faculty may require appropriate authentication or documentation.
2. Absence due to student participation in a University Sanctioned Event in which the student serves
as a representative of the institution.
Consistent attendance is vital to your success in this course, and as noted in Section VIII. “Evaluation
and Grading Procedures,” it comprises a portion of your total course grade. If you know that you are
going to miss class, please try and let me know beforehand.
.
X. ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:
Murray State University takes seriously its moral and educational obligation to maintain high standards of
academic honesty and ethical behavior. Instructors are expected to evaluate students’ academic
achievements accurately, as well as ascertain that work submitted by students is authentic and the result
of their own efforts, and consistent with established academic standards. Students are obligated to
respect and abide by the basic standards of personal and professional integrity.
Violations of Academic Honesty include:
Cheating - Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized information such as books,
notes, study aids, or other electronic, online, or digital devices in any academic exercise; as
well as unauthorized communication of information by any means to or from others during
any academic exercise.
Fabrication and Falsification - Intentional alteration or invention of any information or
citation in an academic exercise. Falsification involves changing information whereas
fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information.
Multiple Submission - The submission of substantial portions of the same academic work,
including oral reports, for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor.
Plagiarism - Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, creative work, or data
of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise, without due and proper
acknowledgement.
Instructors should outline their expectations that may go beyond the scope of this policy at the beginning
of each course and identify such expectations and restrictions in the course syllabus. When an instructor
receives evidence, either directly or indirectly, of academic dishonesty, he or she should investigate the
instance. The faculty member should then take appropriate disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to the following:
1) Requiring the student(s) to repeat the exercise or do additional related exercise(s).
2) Lowering the grade or failing the student(s) on the particular exercise(s) involved.
3) Lowering the grade or failing the student(s) in the course.
If the disciplinary action results in the awarding of a grade of E in the course, the student(s)
may not drop the course.
Faculty reserve the right to invalidate any exercise or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence
exists that the integrity of the exercise has been compromised. Faculty also reserve the right to document
in the course syllabi further academic honesty policy elements related to the individual disciplines.
A student may appeal the decision of the faculty member with the department chair in writing within five
working days. Note: If, at any point in this process, the student alleges that actions have taken place that
may be in violation of the Murray State University Non-Discrimination Statement, this process must be
suspended and the matter be directed to the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access. Any
appeal will be forwarded to the appropriate university committee as determined by the Provost.
On a more personal note, please be aware that I take matters of academic integrity very seriously.
The strength of an academic community rests on the honesty of its individual members, and therefore,
committing any offense severely damages the reputation of the entire association. If you have a
questions concerning academic honesty at any point during the course, please discuss it with me during
office hours or through a scheduled appointment.
XI. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT:
Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to prohibit discrimination.
Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment, admissions, or the provision of
services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services
necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and activities.
For more information, contact the Executive Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access, 103
Wells Hall, (270) 809-3155 (voice), (270) 809-3361 (TDD).
XII.
ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES
Communication
Throughout the semester, I will routinely utilize Canvas to post supplementary readings, instructions for
assignments, and course grades. It is ultimately each student’s responsibility to check the course
Canvas site regularly for information regarding the course.
Sending an e-mail is the fastest way to reach me outside of class. If you send a message during a
weekday, you can expect a response within twenty-four hours. Weekend correspondence will be
returned as soon as possible.
To ensure that I give your e-mail priority, please include “PS 252” in the subject line of the message
Submission of Assignments
All written assignments must be typed and double-spaced using Times New Roman font, 12-point type
and standard one-inch margins. I do NOT accept any assignment submitted via e-mail. Failure to
submit an assignment on time will result in a 10-point deduction for each weekday it is late.
Classroom Expectations
Students are expected to display professional behavior at all times during class. First and foremost, this
includes being on time as repeated tardiness is disruptive and disrespectful to me and your fellow
students. During class, any inappropriate behaviors—including but not limited to reading for another
class, sleeping, talking with neighbors, insulting classmates or the instructor—will not be tolerated.
To maintain a productive learning environment, please turn OFF all mobile devices (i.e. cell phones,
pagers, tape recorders, etc.) upon entering our classroom. If you must have a cell phone on while in
class due to a possible emergency situation, let the instructor know prior to the beginning of class.
While in class, students may use laptop computers ONLY for taking lecture notes. Computers may NOT
be used to complete assignments from other classes, browse the Internet, check e-mail, or engage in
any kind of social networking. Use of a computer may be curtailed for any and all students found in
violation of these rules, except for mitigating circumstances approved by the instructor.
As we are discussing concepts that may bring about differing viewpoints, I expect that all class members
will conduct themselves appropriately. This means that while questioning an individual’s idea or thought
may be productive in stimulating class discussion, openly disrespecting the person is inappropriate and
will not be tolerated.
PowerPoint Policy
The instructor will often utilize PowerPoint to aid in presentation of lecture material. Students should
exercise caution in relying solely on this material, as course lectures consist of supplementary examples
and other information. PowerPoint presentations may be made available to students.
XIII.
XIV.
FINAL NOTE
I encourage all students to visit me frequently throughout the course, especially if you are having trouble
mastering any portion of the course material. It is much easier to discuss a problem occurring the
second week of the semester than the week prior to a major exam. I am here to help you, but cannot if I
am unaware of an issue. Welcome to the course—I am looking forward to a wonderful semester!
OTHER REQUIRED DEPARTMENTAL OR COLLEGIATE COMMITTEE INFORMATION