NORTHERN
Department of Political Science
POLS 260 (4) T-Th 12.30 – 1.45
Fall 2006 DuSable 246
Instructor: Srie Ramli E-mail: sramli@niu.edu
“Without comparisons to make, the mind does not know
how to proceed.”
Alexis de Tocqueville, 1830
COMPARATIVE AND FOREIGN POLITICS
This course is an introduction to the comparative study of governments and politics. The goal is to understand how political authority is organized and how it operates in a variety of nations. In this course, students will learn both historical processes of political change and development and contemporary political institutions, practices and policies.
Students
will study and compare seven important contemporary states:
Various chapters in the e-reserve; the URL will be announced in class
Videos:
Order! Order! (GB)
Democratic
Governments: France (
The Meiji Revolution
(
Islam Rising: Which
Way Next for
Hope in the Horizon
(
Course Requirements and Grading:
Students are expected to keep up with the readings, which mean that you should complete each reading assignment by the time we begin the corresponding section of the course. The lectures will parallel and complement the readings, but students cannot count on the lectures repeating the reading. The exams will be based in equal parts on the readings, lectures, films, group presentation and discussions.
The Learning
Environment
Respect for the learning community and the learning process will include coming to class on time, remaining in ones seat, and requesting permission to speak, etc. Attitudes such as persistent lateness, studying for another class, playing with or talking on cell phone, talking with other students, reading newspapers and other disruptive behaviors are extremely not acceptable and I may have to ask you to leave the classroom. I will count any “walkouts” as absences unless the student has permission or there is an emergency. The instructor should be notified beforehand of a special circumstance (e.g., sick family member, pregnant wife, special children situation, etc.). Comments that are not relevant to the ongoing discussion, off the point, disruptive to discussion, insensitive to others, or attempt to dominate the discussion will not be rewarded. Overall, classroom dialogue and behavior should always be courteous, respectful of others, and consistent with the expectations set forth by the university.
Attendance,
class participation and class reports
Attendance at all class sessions is expected and I will check attendance at the beginning or ending of every session. One or two times of missing classes and quizzes may not affect your final grade; however, repeated absences will start to limit your maximum achievable grade. After the first week of class, I request that you try to sit in approximately the same place to facilitate our learning and to associate names with real live people for quickly monitoring attendance.
The participation portion of your final grade is designed to reward those students who came to class prepared. Satisfactory class participation requires that students are present and attentive as well as contributing to class discussions in a manner that reflects they have read the required materials.
At the end of each class you will hand in a “class report” containing two sentences: (1) what is the most important/interesting thing you learned in class that day; and (2) what is your most important/puzzling remaining question. Put your name and date on this essay and hand it in before leaving the room. These will count towards the 10% of your grades that rides on small quizzes and class participation.
The instructor has the discretion to alter the syllabus and has the right to adjust grade (up and down) based on participation.
Group Presentation
At the beginning of semester I will assign students into groups to present individual country. The presentation will take about 20-25 minutes and students are expected to give a brief explanation on the roles and powers of governmental institutions including issues of current affairs of the country assigned; power point presentation is strongly favored. To facilitate discussion, I will provide list of questions to be addressed by members of the group in the presentation. The other groups must provide at least TWO questions to ask to the group presenting. I will distribute an evaluation sheet where groups assess the presentation on the clarity of answers, group coordination, understanding of materials, preparation, etc. The presentation will be graded based on the scores on these evaluation sheets.
After presentation, each student in the group must submit a short paper consisting of answers to the assigned questions. The length of this paper is 2-3 pages (fonts 12 and double space) explaining the answers and comments about the specified question. Paper must also include reference list or bibliography. Please make sure that you refer to the university’s policy on plagiarism. I will be looking for your own thought and understanding of the question(s) and the grade will be based on the clarity of your own arguments and opinions. The group presentation and paper will count for 30% of the overall grade.
There will be NO presentation make up, so make sure that you will not miss the presentation. The paper cannot replace the presentation and late paper will result in reduction of the overall presentation grade (one point each day). Questions and comments from students will be graded as part of the participation grade.
Quizzes, Midterms and
final exam
There will
be two midterms. The first midterm (October 3) will cover the conceptual
approach and the first two countries (
There will also be several unannounced small quizzes. The quizzes will be easy and short covering topics in the assigned readings, movies or current events of each country. Therefore, you are expected to keep up with the readings and current issues or development occurring in the country being discussed (reading the international sections of newspaper or academic journal -- the New York Times, BBC, or the Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Affairs, etc., will be helpful). I will not allow for a quiz make up. These quizzes will be included in the 10% of your participation grade. (Hints: some extra points may be earned from these quizzes, so make sure you will not miss them!)
The final exam is comprehensive, but there will be more questions on materials covered after the second midterm. The final exam is 30% of your course grade and take place during the regularly scheduled final exam period (Tuesday, December 12, 2006: 12.00 – 1.50 pm). The format of the exams will be a combination of essay, short answers, and multiple choices.
NO MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN, except at the discretion of the instructor well in advance of the exam. Please refer to the NIU final exam policy below.
Students
whose class schedule commits them to take three final examinations in one day
may elect to have the examination in the highest numbered course of the three
rescheduled. If the occurrence of three finals in one day, however, is the
result of the examination in a particular class having been rescheduled (with
appropriate approval), the examination that does not conform to the announced
schedule is the one the student may elect to have rescheduled.
In order to reschedule an examination, the student should contact the course
instructor one week prior to the first day of final examination week.
Blackboards and On-line Reserve
I will be using blackboard as the means of communication with students. I am sure that all of you are familiar with the blackboard system. I will post handouts, additional readings, announcements, etc in the blackboard (I will try to post them one or two day before class) please check the blackboard frequently. I will also post materials for class in the E-reserve (I will announce the URL in class). You will be able to access the E-reserve materials directly from your computer.
Academic
Integrity
Students are expected to
know and comply with NIU policies on academic integrity (See undergraduate
catalog). Any student found guilty of cheating or plagiarizing will receive an
“F” for the examination and the course.
Components of Final
Grade
A. Midterms 1 and 2 (each 15%) 30%
B. Small quizzes and participation 10%
C. Group Presentation (20%) + papers (10%) 30 %
D Final Exam 30 %
Miscellaneous
The Department of Political Science will
recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in
conjunction with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies.
Authors do not have to be political science majors or have a particular class
standing. Winners are expected to attend the Department’s spring graduation
ceremony where they will receive a certificate and $50.00. Papers, which can be
submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a
department secretary by February 28. All copies should have two cover pages –
one with the student’s name and one without the student’s name. Only papers
written in the previous calendar year
can be considered for the award. However, papers completed in the current
spring semester are eligible for the following year’s competition even if the
student has graduated.
Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have some
impact on their coursework and for which they may require accommodations should
notify the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth floor of
the
CAAR’s website:
http://www.niu.edu/caar/index.asp
Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to consult
the Department of Political Science web site on a regular basis. This
up-to-date, central source of information will assist students in contacting
faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring
graduate study, researching career options, tracking department events, and
accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities.
To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu
Course Schedule
August 29 Introduction: go over the syllabus and class requirements
August 31 Introduction to CP: What is Comparative Politics
September 5 Legislatures and Legislative Structures; the executive
September 7 Institutional arrangements
September
12 Case Study: The
History and Critical junctures
September 14 Film: Order! Order! …
September 19 Presentation: Political Institutions
September 21
Case Study:
History and current issues
September 26
Film: Democratic
Governments:
September 28 Student presentation
October 3 Midterm 1
October 5
Case Study:
October 10 Film:
October 12
October 17 Student presentation
October 19
Case Study:
October 24 Film: The Meiji Revolution
October 26 Student presentation
October 31 Current issues and problems
November 2
Case Study:
November 7 Film???
November 9 Student Presentation
November 14 Midterm 2
November 16 Case Study:
November 21
Film: Islam Rising: Which Way Next for
November 22—26 Thanksgiving break – have a nice holiday
November 28 Student Presentation
November 30 Case Study:
December 5 More
December 7 Student presentation and study review
December 12 (12.00 –
1.50) FINAL EXAM