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GOVT 121 Comparative Political Systems (Spring 2000)

Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, 8:50am-10:05am, ICC 108
Discussion sections: F 3:30pm-4:30 pm ICC 204B, 4:30-5:30 ICC 206B, 5:30-6:30 ICC 209A, 6:30-7:30 ICC 209B
Professor Charles King, School of Foreign Service and Department of Government
Teaching assistants: Cathy Warrick and Bassam Haddad

Overview

This course provides a general introduction to the concepts, methods, and substance of comparative politics. The focus will be on “doing” political science: using theories to help explain individual cases, and using cases to refine our theories of political behavior. In the first part of the course, we will discuss the nature of comparative political analysis and explore themes in comparative politics such as the relationship between ideology and political behavior, the impact of cultural forces on politics, the articulation of political interests, and explanations for political change. Next, we will use our knowledge of these concepts to help us understand current developments in a variety of geographical settings: the European Union, postcommunist Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region. Finally, we will examine several key issues in contemporary “world politics,” the nexus between comparative politics and international relations. Such issues include globalization, nationalism, and violent conflict.

Background and Objectives

The focus throughout the course will be on understanding the core ideas in political science and applying those ideas to particular cases. You should come away from the course with both an understanding of the diversity of the world’s political systems, as well as an appreciation of the questions and concepts that inform the work of professional political scientists. 

This course stresses the importance of comparison. Thinking comparatively within political science means continually asking yourself two questions: 

  • How do “big ideas” relate to particular cases? That is, how can we use the various theoretical tools available to us to explain political behavior in particular countries and regions?
  • How do individual cases relate to the goal of creating broad theories of political behavior? In other words, how can we compare a number of different cases and extract their common elements in order to create general theories?
Throughout the lectures and in your own reading and writing, you should keep both these questions in mind. 

The aim of this course is clearly not to turn every student into a professional academic political scientist. There are too many of us already. But by thinking comparatively and using the many intellectual tools that political scientists have developed over the last several decades, we can better understand the dynamics of policymaking, the driving forces behind the political process, and the main determinants of political behavior.

Requirements and Grading

  1. Two quizzes (roughly 12.5% each). The quizzes will be in a short-answer format. They will assess how closely you have followed the required readings and lectures. The quizzes will each take up one half of a regularly scheduled class session.
  2. Two examinations (roughly 30% each). The first examination will cover the first half of the course and the second the second half. Both will be in short-answer and essay format. Exams will be administered during regular class hours.
  3. Attendance and participation in discussion sections (roughly 15%). The discussion sections will be directed by advanced PhD candidates from the Government Department. Attendance and active participation are required. The discussion section leaders may require additional assignments beyond those given as part of the lecture portion of the course.
For more information on letter grades and standards, click here. 

Policy on Make-Ups, Extensions, Incompletes, and Academic Dishonesty

In principle, deadlines cannot be changed. However, allowance will be made for cases in which genuine emergencies prevent students from completing work on time. Such emergencies might include medical treatment or bereavement. Having a heavy work load, impending deadlines for other courses or extra-curricular commitments cannot normally be considered emergencies. Each instance will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Students should let the instructor know as far in advance as possible about any potential problems. 

Georgetown University is an honor-code school. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be handled according to the university’s honor code. 

Course Listproc

In order to encourage discussion outside class, the professor has set up a ListProc discussion list on the university computer system. The list’s name is GOVT12101-L. The ListProc system enables subscribers to send e-mail messages to a central server, which then distributes the messages to all other subscribers on the list. Such a system will allow the entire class to carry out “virtual” discussions and will help the professor to communicate with the entire class outside lecture periods. Subscription to the ListProc is required, and the quality and frequency of postings on the list will be taken into account when determining final course grades. 

In order to subscribe to the list: 

  1. Get an e-mail account on a university server. 
  2. Send an e-mail message to LISTPROC@LISTPROC.GEORGETOWN.EDU. Leave the subject line blank, and in the text portion of the message type: 
      3. subscribe GOVT12101-L YourFirstName YourLastName 

      For example: subscribe GOVT12101-L Susan Sarandon. 

      You will then automatically receive information about the list, as well as postings from other subscribers. 
       

  3. To send a message to the list, so that it can be read by all other subscribers, simply send your message to: 
      4. GOVT12101-L@LISTPROC.GEORGETOWN.EDU 

Texts

The following books have been ordered for the course and may be purchased at the Georgetown University Bookstore in the Leavey Center. They are also easily available from other sources (Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, etc.). 
  • Almond, Gabriel A., and G. Bingham Powell, Jr. Comparative Politics Today: A World View. 6th edition. New York: HarperCollins, 1996. Do not purchase earlier or later editions of this work.
  • Crick, Bernard. In Defence of Politics. 4th edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Dahl, Robert. Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971.
  • Huntington, Samuel. Political Order in Changing Societies. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1969.
  • Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Penguin, 1985.
  • Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. New York: Routledge, 1993.
If you do not already own copies of Strunk and White's Elements of Style and Turabian's Manual for Writers, you should arrange to purchase these books as well. They are indispensable guides to writing, grammar, and punctuation, and will be useful in all your university courses.

These basic texts may be supplemented by other required readings from journals, books, and other sources. 

Service-Learning Credit

The Service-Learning Credit Program (formerly called the “Fourth Credit Option”) is available for this course. Under the program, students may earn an additional course credit for community service related to the topic of the course. For more information, contact the Volunteer and Public Service Center, B-01, St. Mary’s Hall. 

Topics and Readings

Note: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the readings and discussion topics during the course of the semester. Readings that are underlined below are accessible with a simple click of the mouse.

Wednesday, 12 Jan.

Introduction to the course 

    Reading
Monday 17 Jan. NO CLASS. Martin Luther King Day
Part I  Concepts in Comparative Politics

Wednesday, 19 Jan.

 Defining "Politics" and "Political Science"

    Reading

Monday, 24 Jan.

The Political Scientist’s Intellectual Toolbox

    Reading
      1. Almond and Powell, Chap. 2
      2. Crick, "A Footnote to Rally the Academic Professors of Politics"
Wednesday, 26 Jan.

Ideas, Culture, and Politics I: Ideology and Values

    Reading
       
      1. Marx and Engels, all
      2. Crick, Chap. 2

Monday, 31 Jan.

Ideas, Culture, and Politics II: Political Culture and Civil Society

    Reading
      1. Weber, all

Wednesday, 2 Feb.

 

Interests and Institutions I: Interest Groups

    Reading
      1. Almond and Powell, Chap. 5
      2. Dahl, Chap. 8

Monday, 7 Feb.

QUIZ I on 7 Feb.
(MOVED FROM 2 FEB.)

Interests and Institutions II: Electoral Systems

Wednesday, 9 Feb.

Interests and Institutions III: Parliaments and Presidents

    Reading

Monday, 14 Feb.

Political Change I: Revolutions and the Break-Down of Government

Wednesday, 16 Feb.

Political Change II: Transitions to Democracy

Monday, 21 Feb.

 NO CLASS. Presidents' Day.
Wednesday, 23 Feb. EXAMINATION I
Part II  Country Studies

Monday, 28 Feb.

Wednesday, 1 March

Almost Europe: Politics in the United Kingdom

Monday, 13 March

Wednesday, 16 March

Guest lecture by Dr. Rosa Alonso on 16 March

States and Nations: Politics in Germany and the European Union

    Reading
       
      1. Almond and Powell, Chap. 11


    Learn about the parliamentary structure of Germany and the EU.

Monday, 20 March

Wednesday, 22 March

Communism and "Asian Values:" Politics in China and Japan

Reading
1. Almond and Powell, Chaps. 12 and 14

Monday, 27 March

Wednesday, 29 March

 		 Development and Reform: Politics in Egypt and the Middle East
Reading
1. Almond and Powell, Chap. 17

Monday, 3 April

Wednesday, 5 April

Monday, 10 April

QUIZ II on 3 April		 Transition to What? Politics in Russia and Postcommunist Europe
Reading
1. Almond and Powell, Chap. 13
Learn about the parliamentary structure of Russia.
 
Part III   From Comparative Politics to World Politics

Wednesday, 12 April

Monday, 17 April

 Understanding Nationalism and Ethno-Politics
Reading
1. Crick, Chap. 4
2. Hans Kohn, "The Nature of Nationalism," American Political Science Review, Vol. 33, No. 6 (1939): 1001-1021.

Wednesday, 19 April

 Sub-State Violence and the Crisis of Governability
Reading
1. Robert Kaplan, "The Coming Anarchy," Atlantic, February 1994.

Film, We Are All Neighbors

Monday, 24 April

 NO CLASS. Easter Holiday.

Wednesday, 26 April

Guest lecture by Dr. Rosa Alonso

 		 Globalization and the Nature of World Politics
Reading
Class handouts from Dr. Alonso.

Monday, 1 May

 Final Thoughts

Wednesday, 3 May

 EXAMINATION II

 
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