POSC 361: DEMOCRATIZATION
SPRING 2005
Tu, Th 9:30-10:45
G5 Maury
Dr. Adams
Office: 216 Maury
Office Hrs: Tu and Th 3:30-4:30,
W 9-12, and by appointment
Email:adams2mj@jmu.edu
Telephone: 568-3377
COURSE OBJECTIVES
In recent years, democratic transitions have swept across the developing world. At the end of
1990, there were just 76 electoral democracies in the world; by 2000, this number had
jumped to 120. What caused these dramatic political transitions? What is democracy and
how does it differ from authoritarian forms of rule? What challenges do democratizing states
face today? Will these new democracies endure? In this course, we will take up these and
other questions. We will analyze the theoretical literature on regime change and
democratization and examine case studies of states emerging from non-democratic rule.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Class attendance and participation: Class attendance and participation are important
components of the course. The exams draw heavily on lectures and class discussions and
cannot be adequately completed without regular class attendance. Attendance will be taken
at class meetings. I strongly encourage class participation, and I expect students to come to
class having read and thought about the day’s readings and ready to contribute to discussion.
Please note that both attendance and participation are factored into final grades.
Reading: Students are expected to read all assigned materials and to come to class
prepared to participate actively in discussions. The readings are intended to supplement
rather than simply repeat the material covered in class.
The following texts are required for the course:
(1)
Robert Dahl. 2000. On Democracy. New Haven: Yale University Press.
(2)
Larry Diamond and Marc F. Plattner eds. 1996. The Global Resurgence of
Democracy. 2nd edition. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.
(3)
Robert Putnam with Robert Leonardi and Raffaella Y. Nanetti. 1993. Making
Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University
Press.
(4)
Frederic C. Schaffer 1998. Democracy in Translation: Understanding Politics in an
Unfamiliar Culture. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
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In addition, several required readings are available online on the course Blackboard site.
These readings are marked with an asterisk (*).
Beyond the required readings for the course, it is expected that you will follow current events
related to democratization both for basic knowledge and to apply the ideas of the course on a
regular basis. Students are required to read the Washington Post. You read either the print or
online edition (http://www.washingtonpost.com). Over the course of the semester, you will be
responsible for posting articles on Blackboard and presenting them to the class. In addition,
you may wish to explore the online versions of these and other newspapers and reputable
magazines.
The New York Times
The Christian Science Monitor
The Economist
BBC News
http://www.nytimes.com
http://csmonitor.com
http://www.economist.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk
In-Class Presentations: All students are required to participate in in-class oral presentations.
Groups will be assigned in the second week of class. More information on this assignment
will be distributed soon.
Papers: Students must complete four (4) response papers (see course schedule for specific
due dates). Each response paper should have two sections. In the first (no more than one
paragraph) section, you should summarize the main argument of the author/s read for that
class day. In the second section, you should react to the author/s’ claims. This section should
be analytical and may take one of many forms, including:
 Comparison of the current author’s argument with arguments made by other authors
or with insights raised in previous class discussions
 Criticism of the current author (i.e., demonstration that the author’s evidence does not
support his/her conclusions)
 Extrapolation of the current author’s insights (i.e., suggesting that the author’s insights
shed light on current events, or that current events disprove the author’s insights)
Response papers should by typed and double-spaced. You should use twelve-point font.
Margins should be exactly one inch on all sides of the paper. Each response paper will be
graded on a scale from 0 to 10. No extensions will be granted.
In addition, students will be required to write a short essay (approximately 5-7 pages) on an
assigned topic based on course lectures and readings. More information on this assignment
will be distributed soon.
Exams: A mid-term and a final exam are required. The mid-term exam will include shortanswer identifications and one essay question. You will be given some choice in each
section. The final exam will include short-answer identifications and two essay questions.
Again, you will be given some choice. All exams will emphasize broad integration of the
course material, and all material from lectures, class discussion, presentations, and the
readings will be fair game for the exams.
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IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES
Mid-term:
Thursday, February 24
Reaction papers: See course outline for specific due dates
Essay:
Thursday, April 21
Final exam:
Thursday, May 5
COURSE EVALUATION
Grades for the course will be determined based on class attendance and active participation
(5%), a mid-term exam (25%), reaction papers and oral presentation (15%), essay (25%),
and a final exam (30%).
ACADEMIC HONESTY
The JMU Honor Code must be observed at all times. Offering or accepting assistance during
an exam is not allowed, nor is consulting sources during closed-book examinations.
Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work without proper citation or an attempt to pass
someone else’s work off as your own. All written work submitted in this class must be original
work conducted for this course (i.e. you may not submit work that was prepared for another
course). Be assured that I will investigate any instances of suspected plagiarism or cheating
and will report violations to the Honor Council coordinator. For more detailed information on
the Honor Code, see the Honor Council web site, http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.html.
OFFICE HOURS
If you have questions about course material, need assistance on preparation for exams,
presentations, or papers, or have any other subjects that you would like to discuss, I am
happy to meet with you during my office hours. If you are unable to attend my office hours,
please feel free to e-mail me or approach me before or after class to schedule an
appointment.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you are a student with a documented disability, who will be requesting accommodations in
my class, please make sure you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, Wilson
Hall, Room 107, 568-6705. Please provide me with an Access Plan letter outlining your
accommodations. I will be glad to meet with you privately during my office hours to discuss
your special needs.
ADDITIONAL POLICIES
Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on
e-campus. Late course additions will not be permitted. The deadline for adding a spring
semester class without instructor and academic unit head signature is Tuesday, January 18,
2005. Between Tuesday, January 18, 2005 and Thursday, January 27, 2005, instructor and
academic unit head signatures will be required to add a class for spring semester 2005. No
student will be allowed to register for a spring semester class after Thursday, January 27,
2005. In addition, if you choose to drop the class, you must withdraw by Friday, March 18.
No late withdrawals will be given.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Points of Departure: Non-Democratic Regimes (January 11, 13)
What are some different types of non-democratic systems? In what ways do they differ? Why
have some non-democratic regimes been able to win popular support?
*Linz, Juan and Alfred Stepan. 1996. “Modern Nondemocratic Regimes.” In Linz and
Stepan, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe,
South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins
University Press, 38-54.
Democracy and Democratization (January 18, 20)
What is democracy? What is democratization? Why should we care? In what ways do
democratic regimes differ from non-democratic ones?
Dahl, Robert. 2000. On Democracy, Chapters 4-8.
Schmitter, Philippe and Terry Karl, “What Democracy Is…and Is Not.” In Diamond and
Plattner 1996, 49-62.
Modes of Transition (January 25, 27)
Why do democratic transitions occur? What has been the historical progression of democratic
transitions? Must specific cultural and economic pre-conditions exist for democratic
transitions to occur?
Huntington, Samuel P. 1996. “Democracy’s Third Wave.” In Diamond and Plattner, 3-25.
Dahl, Robert. 2000. On Democracy, Chapter 12.
Linz, Juan and Alfred Stepan. 1996. “Authoritarian Communism, Ethical Civil Society, and
Ambivalent Political Society: Poland.” In Linz and Stepan, Problems of Democratic
Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist
Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 255-292.
Debate I: Are there economic and cultural requisites to democracy?
First reaction paper due Thursday, January 27
Democratic Consolidation (February 1, 3)
What is “democratic consolidation”? What factors distinguish consolidated democracies from
transitional ones?
*Linz, Juan J. and Alfred Stepan. 1996. “Toward Consolidated Democracies.” Journal of
Democracy. 7 (2): 14-33.
*Linz, Juan J. and Alfred Stepan. 1996. “Crises of Efficacy, Legitimacy, and Democratic State
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‘Presence’: Brazil.” and “South America: Concluding Reflections.” In Linz and Stepan,
Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South
America, and Post-Communist Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University
Press,166-189 and 219-230.
Designing Democracies: Institutional Choices (February 8, 10, and15)
Dahl, Robert. 2000. On Democracy, Chapters 10, 11.
Presidential vs. Parliamentary Systems
Linz, Juan J. 1996. “The Perils of Presidentialism.” In Diamond and Plattner, 124-142.
Horowitz, Donald L. 1996. “Comparing Democratic Systems.” In Diamond and Plattner, 143149.
Lipset, Seymour Martin. 1996. “The Centrality of Political Culture.” In Diamond and Plattner,
150-153.
Linz, Juan J. 1996. “The Virtues of Parliamentarism.” In Diamond and Plattner, 154-161.
Debate II: Are parliamentary systems more stable than presidential ones?
Second reaction paper due Thursday, February 10
Electoral Systems
Lijphart, Arend. 1996. “Constitutional Choices for New Democracies.” In Diamond and
Plattner, 162-174.
Lardeyret, Guy. 1996. “The Problem with PR.” In Diamond and Plattner, 175-180.
Quade, Quentin L. 1996. “PR and Democratic Statecraft.” In Diamond and Plattner, 181-186.
Liphart, Arend. 1996. “Double-Checking the Evidence.” In Diamond and Plattner, 187-193.
Gladdish, Ken. 1996. “The Primacy of the Particular.” In Diamond and Plattner, 194- 206.
Democracy in Divided Societies (February 17, 22)
*Fish, M. Steven and Robin S. Brooks. 2004. “Does Diversity Hurt Democracy?” Journal of
Democracy 15 (1): 154-166.
*Reilly, Benjamin. 2002. “Electoral Systems for Divided Societies.” Journal of Democracy 13
(2): 156-170.
*Lijphart, Arend. 2004. “Constitutional Design for Divided Societies.” Journal of Democracy
15 (2): 96-109.
Dahl, Robert. 2000. On Democracy, Appendix B.
Debate IV: Does democracy help solve, or reinforce, divisions within society?
Third reaction paper due Tuesday, February 22
Mid-term Exam: Thursday, February 24
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Democracy’s Consequences: Development (March 1, 3)
What is the relationship between democracy and development?
Dahl, Robert. 2000. On Democracy, Chapters 13, 14, and Appendix A.
*Bhagwati, Jagdish. 1995. “The New Thinking on Development.” Journal of Democracy. 6 (4):
50-64.
Alagappa, Muthiah. 1996. “The Asian Spectrum.” In Diamond and Plattner, 342-349.
Week Ten (March 15, 17)
The Democratic Peace?
Does democracy make peace more likely?
Doyle, Michael W. 1986. “Liberalism and World Politics.” The American Political Science
Review. 80 (4): 1151-1169.
Lee Ray, James. 1998. “Does Democracy Cause Peace?” Annual Review of Political Science
1 (1): 27-47.
Schwartz, Thomas and Kiron Skinner. 1999. “The Myth of Democratic Pacifism.” Hoover
Digest 2, http://wwwhoover.stanford.edu/publications/digest/992/schwartzskinner.html.
Debate VI: Are democracies less likely to wage war than non-democracies?
Fourth reaction paper due Thursday, March 17
Week Eleven (March 22, 24)
Islam and Democracy
Lewis, Bernard. 1996. “Islam and Liberal Democracy: A Historical Overview.” Journal of
Democracy 7 (2): 52-63.
Stepan, Alfred with Graeme B. Robertson. 2003. “An ‘Arab’ More than ‘Muslim’ Electoral
Gap.” Journal of Democracy 14 (3): 30-44.
Boroumand, Ladan and Roya Boroumand. 2002. “Terror, Islam, and Democracy.” Journal of
Democracy. 13 (2): 5-20.
Jahanbegloo, Ramin. 2003. “Pressure from Below.” Journal of Democracy 14 (1): 126-131.
Debate V: Is Islam compatible with democracy?
Fifth reaction paper due Thursday, March 24
Week Twelve (March 29, 31)
Is Democracy Universal?
Is democracy a universal concept? In what ways might understandings of democracy vary in
different locales?
Schaffer, Frederic. 1998. Democracy in Translation: Understanding Politics in an Unfamiliar
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Culture. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Glavan, Dennis. 2001. “Political Turnover and Social Change in Senegal.” Journal of
Democracy 12 (3): 51-62.
Week Thirteen (April 5, 7)
Democracy and Institutional Effectiveness
Why are some institutions more effective than others? What factors explain variation in
institutional performance?
Putnam, Robert. 1993. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1993.
Week Fourteen (April 12, 14)
Civil Society and Democracy
What is “civil society”? In what ways does civil society promote democracy? Under what
conditions can civil society have negative effects?
Diamond, Larry. 1996. “Toward Democratic Consolidation,” In Diamond and Plattner, 227240.
Geremek, Bronislaw. 1996. “Civil Society Then and Now.” In Diamond and Plattner, 241-250.
Putnam, Robert. 1996. “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital.” In Diamond and
Plattner, 290-306.
**Berman, Sheri. 1997. “Civil Society and the Collapse of the Weimar Republic.” World
Politics 49 (3): 401-429.
Debate VI: Does civil society promote democracy?
Sixth reaction paper due Thursday, April 14
Week Fifteen (April 19, 21)
Gender and Democracy
How do women participate in democratic transitions and democratic governments? In what
ways do these roles differ from those of men? How has democratization affected how women
mobilize? Why are women under-represented in formal political institutions? What steps can
states take to address gender imbalances?
Jaquette, Jane S. 2001. “Regional Differences and Contrasting Views.” Journal of Democracy
12 (3): 111-125.
Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart. 2001. “Cultural Obstacles to Equal Representation.”
Journal of Democracy 12 (3): 126-140.
Tripp, Aili Mari. 2001. “The New Political Activism in Africa.” The Journal of Democracy. 12
(3): 141-155.
Essay due Thursday, April 21
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Week Sixteen (April 26, 28)
Democracy Assistance and Exporting Democracy
What are the strengths and weaknesses of democracy assistance? Can Western states and
international organizations successfully “export” democracy?
Ottaway, Marina and Theresa Chung. 1999. “Debating Democracy Assistance: Toward a
New Paradigm.” Journal of Democracy 10 (4): 99-113.
Gyimah-Boadi, E. 1999. “The Cost of Doing Nothing.” Journal of Democracy 10 (4): 119-124.
Lasota, Irena. 1999. “Sometimes Less is More.” Journal of Democracy 10 (4): 125-128.
FINAL EXAM: THURSDAY, MAY 5, 8-10 AM