POLS
103 People and Politics Wordwide Updated August 13, 2009
Fall 2009
Dr. Brunell
Office: AD 411 Office Hours: MW 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Phone:
313-6679 email: brunell@gonzaga.edu
Class meets
TR 10:50 - 12:05 College Hall 101
Course purpose:
To provide
a solid foundation for comparative political analysis through the exploration
of the geography, history, economic and social structures, and political
traditions, institutions and cultures of six world regions.
Texts:
Allen, John
L. and Elizabeth J. Leppman. 2003. Student Atlas of World
Politics. 6th Edition. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill. (Please
bring to class regularly).
Magstadt,
Thomas. 2001. Nations and Governments: Comparative Politics in Regional
Perspective. 4th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s.
The New York
Times. 2005. Class Matters Series.
Requirements:
Students
should also keep up with current political events (state and local, national
and international) by reading the newspaper and listening to National Public
Radio. NPR stations serving our area are: 91.1 and 91.9. Students
are expected to do all readings, to complete all written assignments prior to
the class period when they are due and to come to class prepared to discuss
them. Each student will complete four short written assignments and take
two written examinations.
All absences
(excused, not excused, caused by illness, death in the family, etc.) count
against your participation grade. After two absences, each absence
results in the lowering of your participation grade by one letter grade.
Grading:
Attendance
– 10 percent
Homework
- 20 percent ( 5 percent for each written homework assignment)
Class
Matters Paper - 10 percent
Group Presentation - 10 percent
Midterm
Examination - 20 percent
Final
Examination - 30 percent
Homework:
There are 4
homework assignments. ach of you
must do 4 written homework assignments – EVERYONE will do the first and last
homework assignments on the syllabus. Then, each of you will choose 2
regions to write about for your other two assignments. The region choices
are: Western Europe, Slavic Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East/North
Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. You will turn in your assignments
on your selected regions on the dates we discuss those regions in class (see
class schedule below). You will declare which two regions you are
doing and list the due dates for these assignments at the top of your first
homework assignment. Also please put the name of the country you would
like to do your Class Matters Paper and Group Presentation on (listed in following
section).
All homework
assignments should follow this format. At the top left, SINGLE-SPACED your
name, section and title of the homework assignment (e.g. Homework on Western
Europe). DO NOT TYPE THE QUESTION YOU ARE ANSWERING ON YOUR
PAPER. Your answers must be DOUBLE-SPACED, 12 PT FONT, and be TWO
PAGES LONG-stapled in upper left-hand corner. NO paperclips. NO
loose papers. I will not accept work that deviates from this format.
Class
Matters Paper and Group Presentation:
You will
each chose a country from the following list that you would like to explore
more deeply in a 5-page paper on class, class cleavages and how these affect
the politics of your country.
The choices are: the UK,
Russia, India, China, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa.
Regional Group
Presentation:
You will
each be assigned to a regional group to research and present a contemporary
political issue facing your region. The group will prepare a Power Point
Presentation, present it to the class, and post it to the Discussion Board in
Blackboard. All group members will receive the same grade.
Extra-credit
opportunities:
Attending events (cultural and political - on campus or community-oriented )
and doing a one-two page write-up on the event.
Class Schedule:
September 1
Introduction to the Course. Explanation of Assignments.
September 3
Comparative Politics in
Regional Perspective: Why Compare? Why Regions?
Introduction to Our
Conceptual Framework and Applying it the US, Its Founding, Political Culture,
Institutional Design
Questions
to think about:
What kind of political
and economic system do we have in the U.S.? What philosophies inspired our
Founders? How did these philosophies influence their choice of political
(and economic) institutions? What is the role of the American state in the
economy? What are the major tenets of American political culture?
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 1-34 and pp.
40-44 (section on presidential democracy).
See Maps
28, 36, 37, 38, 46 in Allen and Leppman.
September 8
A
Theoretical Introduction to Class and Other Politically Salient Social Cleavages;
Class-based Politics
Homework
1 Due (EVERYONE
MUST DO THIS ONE): Answer Question 1 or 4 or 5 on page 34. Be sure
to follow the homework format as described on page one of this syllabus.
Reading: “Shadowy Lines that Still Divide,” “How Class Works: The Components of Class” and “How Class Works: How Class Breaksdown.”
September
10
Research
Session with Reference Librarian John Spencer – Meet in Computer Lab in Foley
Center Library, Lower Level
September
15
Introduction to Western
Europe: The Western Political Heritage. The Challenges of Post-Industrialism and Introduction to the
Political Culture of the UK
How did environmental,
factors shape Western Europe’s development? What historic events were
most crucial to the evolution of the Western political heritage? What
three ideological currents were most important in European politics of the 19th
and 20th Centuries? How are these three currents shaping contemporary
European politics?
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 69-87; 88-92.
See Maps 16 and 21 in Allen and Leppman.
Homework on Western
Europe Due:
Answer one of the study questions on p. 101.
September 17
The UK
Political System: The Westminster
Model
Reading: Magstadt, pp.104-128.
September 22
Western
Europe Regional Group Presentation:
Class Matters in the UK
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 104-111; 157-163.
September 24
Russia and
Slavic Europe: The Other Europe
Geography,
History, Ideology
Does Slavic
Europe have a distinct culture and history from Western Europe. What
values and beliefs do these two regions have in common and which are different
and why?
Reading: Magstadt, pp.171-
195. See Maps 17, 18, 28, 37, 38 in Allen and Leppman.
Homework
on Slavic Europe Due: Answer question 1, 3 or 4 on p. 207.
September 29
Slavic Europe: The Case of Russia
Reading: Magstadt, pp.
210-238. See Maps 27, 29 in Allen and Leppman.
October 1
Group
Presentation: Class Matters in Russia
October 6
Colonialism
and Globalization; Class in Colonial and Post-Colonial Systems
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 9-10 (and graph on 11); 24-29; 80-87;
265-278; 295-303. See Maps 81, 83, 85, 87 and 57.
Homework on Asia Due: Answer one of study questions on p. 293.
October 8
Asian Case
Study: Spotlight on India
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 278-283; 337-349. See Map 24, 32,
53.
October 13
Asian Case
Study: Spot light on China
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 278-283; 303-323. See Maps 46, 54.
October 15
Group
Presentation: Class Matters in
India.
Group
Presentation: Class Matters in
China.
October 20
Review for
Midterm
October 22
Midterm Exam
October 27
Latin
America: Ancient Civilizations, Conquest, Dictatorship and Dependency
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 356-377; 389-405; 432-433;
565-567. See Map 50, 53; 39, 43, 44.
Homework on Latin America Due: Answer one of the study questions on p. 386 or
433.
October
29
Class as Consumption?
Reading: “When
the Joneses Wear Jeans”
Film
on Globalization. Class Matters in the International
System.
November 3
Latin
American Case Study: Spotlight on Mexico
Reading: Magstadt, pp.
379-382; 405-418. See Maps 45, 57.
November 5
Latin American Case
Studies: Spotlight on Brazil
Reading: Magstadt, pp.382-385;
418-432. See Map 65, 72
November 10
Group
Presentation: Class Matters in
Mexico
Summary of Material on
Latin America
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 385-386.
November 12
The Middle East/North
Africa: Politics and Religion and Words that Scare Us
What are the sources of
conflict in the Middle East/North Africa? Culture clash or political economy?
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 436-458;
472-478. See Maps 20, 83, 64.
Homework on the
Middle East/North Africa Due: Answer study question 1, or 5 on p. 508.
November 17
Middle
East/North Africa Case Study: Spotlight on Egypt
Reading: Magstadt, pp.464-467; 498-504;
November 19
Group
Presentation: Class Matters in
Egypt
Summary of Material on
Middle East
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 504-508.
November 24
Sub-Saharan Africa: The Legacy of Colonialism
Why is Africa so prone to economic cycles of boom and bust, natural disasters
and disease? How can it escape these vicious cycles?
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 515-528, 542-545; 555-572. See Maps 21,
89, 48, 49.
Homework on Sub-Saharan Africa Due: Answer study question 1, 7 or 9 on p.
589.
THANKSGIVING BREAK!!
December 1
Sub-Saharan African Case Study: Spotlight on Nigeria
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 529-573-579. See Maps 43, 44.
December 3
Sub-Saharan Africa Case Study: Spotlight on South Africa
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 531-537; 579-585.
December 8
Group Presentation: Class Matters
in South Africa
Summary of Material on sub-Saharan Africa
Reading: Magstadt, pp. 585-589.
December 10
In class
review for final
Last Homework Due (EVERYONE MUST DO THIS ONE): Write one page about one
thing you learned in this course and that you found interesting. How has
this course affected your interest in other regions of the world? Based
on what you’ve learned, which country or region in the world would you most
like to visit and why?
Final Exam
Tuesday
December 15 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.