POLS
260: FOREIGN AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Northern
Department of Political Science
Professor L. Kamenitsa Spring
2008
Office:
Zulauf 107 Sec.
1
Phone:
753-7053; e-mail: Lynnkam@niu.edu T&Th
11-12:15
Office Hours: Tues.
All other times by
appointment only.
This course serves as NIU's introduction to
politics outside the
This
course is based on the assumption that a useful way to learn about
"politics" is to look at a wide variety of political systems, and to
compare them. Accordingly, we will
examine five kinds of systems: a) liberal democracies, with the United States,
United Kingdom, and Japan as case studies, b) communist and postcommunist
states, using China and Russia as examples, c) newly industrialized countries,
with a focus on Mexico, d) less developed countries, drawing on the experiences
of Nigeria, and e) Islamic countries, which we will examine briefly at the end
of the semester.
In
studying these countries, we will focus on the state. It is at the heart of most attempts to come
to grips with the changes buffeting our shrinking world. It is the institution people turn to most
frequently and most consistently in trying to solve their collective problems.
The overarching questions for us will be not only about who governs and how in
different systems, but also an assessment what difference the form and process
of government make for the people living in these countries.
REQUIRED
1.
John McCormick, Comparative Politics in Transition, 5th ed.,
2. Required news articles are also assigned. Most will be available on-line via Blackboard,
e-reserves, or at Print Reserve in the library.
These readings are currently listed in the syllabus as “Recent news
articles: TBA.” Information about
specific articles will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard several
days before you need to have them read.
This enables us to include very up to date materials about the countries
we are studying. Students are
responsible for checking the Blackboard “Assignments” tab on a regular basis
(at least twice a week).
3. Students should keep up to date on current
news developments by reading a respected international news source
regularly. Such sources include: The New York Times, The Economist, and The Christian Science Monitor.
All reading assignments should be completed
before the class period for which they are assigned. In the event that a
student might miss a class, she/he is still responsible for any assignments,
schedule changes, or other information given during that class period.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Read
the assigned materials carefully. The lectures will parallel and complement the
readings, but they won’t repeat the reading.
The exams will cover readings (text and news articles), class lectures
and discussions, and any videos shown in class.
Class discussions will be based on both the text and the assigned news
articles.
Attend
class and participate in class discussions. 10% of course
grade. Attendance at all class sessions is expected, and we will check
attendance regularly. An attendance
score will be calculated as the percentage of the class sessions that you
attend, and this score will determine 10% of your course grade. Class discussion will be a key technique for
covering current events material, so your attendance and participation are
particularly important. Informed
participation in class discussions will help students in borderline grade
situations significantly.
Take
reading quizzes: 15%
of course grade. At least four quizzes will be administered to give students an
opportunity to demonstrate their grasp of assigned readings. Scheduled dates for those four quizzes will
be announced in advance. If it is
evident that students are not keeping up on the readings, I reserve the right
to administer “pop” quizzes. Thus, the
total number of quizzes given may be more than four. No matter how many are given, each student’s
single worst quiz grade will be dropped, and the average of the remaining
quizzes will comprise 15% of that student’s course grade. PLEASE NOTE: absence on a quiz day results in
a grade of “0” (zero) for that quiz. There are no make-ups given for quizzes.
Take
three examinations. 75%
of course grade. Two of these will be midterms written in class on February 21 (6th
week) and April 1 (11th week). Each
one will count for 25% of your course grade.
The final exam is comprehensive, but
approximately half of the questions will be on material covered after the
second midterm exam. It will count for 25% of your course grade and take place
during the regularly scheduled final exam period (May 6). The format of each
exam will be a combination of short essay and multiple-choice. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS GIVEN,
except in cases of emergencies and then only at the discretion of the professor
(your chances of some flexibility improve if you call AND e-mail the professor
as soon as possible after the onset of said emergency, but no guarantees). If
there are any foreseeable problems or conflicts, contact the professor well
in advance of the exam.
Important
dates to remember:
February 21 Exam I
April 1 Exam II
May
6 Exam
III
CLASS
FORMAT:
The
class will consist of lectures and discussions.
Students will have ample opportunity to participate in making the course
interesting and relevant. Students' comments
and questions on readings, lectures, and current events are welcome and
encouraged. You’ll learn more and we’ll
all enjoy the course more if you are actively involved in each class session.
BLACKBOARD:
Most
of the assignments and some of the communication for this course is conducted
through the Blackboard Course Server.
This course website can be accessed only by students enrolled in this
course. The URL for Blackboard is http://webcourses.niu.edu . Login to
Blackboard with your student Z-ID and password. For login questions go to http://www.helpdesk.niu.edu/ and click
on “Blackboard” or contact ITS at 753-8100. The system uses your NIU student
webmail account (NetMail). If you wish to receive course-related
e-mails at another address, you need to forward mail from your NIU account to
another account. Learn how to do this on the ITS helpdesk home page (http://www.its.niu.edu/its/helpdesk/webmail_students.shtml). It is your responsibility to set this up --
do it today!
Blackboard sometimes goes down
unexpectedly. Therefore, do not wait
until the last minute to access materials you need on Blackboard. For example, if a reading assignment for Thursday
is posted on Monday, an outage Wednesday night will NOT be an acceptable excuse
for not completing the assignment.
EXPECTATIONS
OF BEHAVIOR:
Students should be in
place in the classroom by
Students should not
read materials, shuffle papers, fall asleep, send text messages, or talk to
neighbors during lectures or videos.
It’s distracting to the presenter and to other students. Students should not leave the room during
class except in case of dire emergencies or with advanced permission of the
instructor. Students are not allowed to
respond to cell phones or pagers in the class, nor may students leave the
classroom to do so. Please turn them
off during class. Students are not
permitted to have access to any electronic devices during exams.
Each participant in
the course, staff and students, will respect the right of every individual to
voice opinions, offer information, & reflect on readings whether or not
she/he agrees with what is expressed. Healthy debate is encouraged; disrespect
is not.
ACADEMIC HONESTY & PLAGIARISM:
Any student found guilty of cheating or
plagiarizing can receive an "F" for the examination and the course. Criteria for these offenses are described in
the Student Judicial Code and the
2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog (see "Academic Integrity"). In
any and all written assignments, students must provide full, formal citations
any time they use the words or thoughts of another (this also applied to
readings assigned for the course).
COURSE
SCHEDULE
- Any schedule or assignment changes
will be announced in class and/or posted on Blackboard.
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Required
|
|
1 |
1/15 |
Introduction |
|
|
1 |
1/17 |
Liberal Democracies |
McCormick, “Introduction,” pp.1-21 McCormick, “Liberal Democracies,” pp.23-35 |
|
2 |
1/22 |
Liberal Democracies & begin US |
McCormick, “ |
|
2 |
1/24 |
US |
Recent news articles: TBA – Bb |
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Required
|
|
3 |
1/29 |
|
McCormick, “ |
|
3 |
1/31 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
4 |
2/5 |
|
|
|
4 |
2-7 |
|
McCormick, “Japan,” |
|
5 |
2/12 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
5 |
2/14 |
Japan & Conclusions |
|
|
6 |
2/19 |
Communist & Post-Communist Countries |
McCormick, “Communist & Post-communist Countries,”pp.
169-180 |
|
6 |
2/21 |
Exam 1 |
|
|
7 |
2/26 |
|
McCormick, “ |
|
7 |
2/28 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
8 |
3-4 |
|
|
|
8 |
3/6 |
|
McCormick, “ |
|
|
3/11
3/13 |
SPRING BREAK – no classes |
|
|
9 |
3/18 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
9 |
3/20 |
|
|
|
10 |
3/25 |
Conclusions |
review McCormick, pp. 169-180 |
|
10 |
3/27 |
Introduction to Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs)
& Less Developed Countries (LDCs) |
McCormick, “Newly Industrialized Countries,” pp. 267-280 |
|
11 |
4/1 |
Exam 2 |
|
|
11 |
4/3 |
NICs & Mexico |
McCormick, “ |
|
12 |
4/8 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
12 |
4/10 |
|
|
|
13 |
4/15 |
|
McCormick, “Less Developed Countries,” pp. 369-383 |
|
13 |
4/17 |
LDCs & Nigeria |
McCormick, “ |
|
14 |
4/22 |
|
Recent news articles: TBA - Bb |
|
14 |
4/24 |
|
McCormick, “Islamic
Countries,” pp.429-440 |
|
15 |
4/29 |
Islamic Countries |
Recent news articles: TBA – Bb |
|
15 |
5/1 |
Summary & Conclusion |
|
*** Final Exam: Tuesday, May 6 at
Undergraduate Writing Awards: Papers written for 300-400 level courses in
the Department of Political Science are eligible for the Department’s
undergraduate writing award. Your hard
work could earn you $50, a certificate, and a nice line on your resume. Papers written in calendar year 2008 are due
in February 2009. See the Department website for more details.
Statement Concerning Students with Disabilities: Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented disabilities. 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
Department of Political Science Web Site: 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