Introduction to COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
CRN 321 Political
Science 171- 02
Professor Paul Conway
T,Th 2-3:15, SCHU 101
Spring, 2010
"History without political
science has no fruit; political science without history has no root"
- Robert Seeley
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a
child."
--
Cicero
“The task of human rights
advocacy is to speak truth to power.” - Jack Donnelly
"The purpose of
international human rights standards is not to get us to heaven,
but to save us from
hell."
- David Forsythe
"One chooses democracy not
because it abounds in virtues, but only in order
to avoid tyranny."
- Karl Popper
"All that is needed for the
triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
-- Edmund Burke
Catalog description:
COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
This course provides an introduction to
the common terms and concepts required for understanding international relations
and politics in developed and developing nations. Tailored for new majors and
non-majors, this course familiarizes students with a comparative approach to the
analysis of political systems and the study of international politics. Important
political concepts that encourage critical thinking will be introduced.
FORMAT: Lecture and
discussion.
The quotations above are insightful, I
believe; they also succinctly reflect some of my own values as I organize the
materials for this course. There are many dimensions to politics; it is a
complex and difficult subject. (The famous physical scientist, Albert Einstein
called politics much more difficult than physics!) This course is required for
students who major in political science and should useful for non-majors and
citizens generally, whatever field you have decided to major in.
H.L. Menken once said, "For every human problem there is a neat, plain solution -- and it is always wrong." As he implied, we should be wary of people who sound like `know-it-alls’ Political scientists strive for objectivity but all of us - scholars and students - begin with some preconceptions and value preferences. We should acknowledge that. It is often difficult to acknowledge how little we really know for sure. So we should try to think in terms of questions and ask how we can pursue answers objectively rather than expect to find easy answers.
Objectives: This course encourages an thoughtful, analytic approach to comparative and international politics. A primary objective is to encourage critical thinking about public issues and political activity that will be helpful to individuals in a wide variety of activities. That means, among other things, a careful focus on the language of politics -- how key words are defined -- along with a quest for helpful comparisons, or analogies. As students, you will become acquainted with basic concepts such as political socialization, power, genocide, humanitarian intervention, deterrence, balance of power, realism, human rights, international law, parliamentary systems, proportional representation, legitimacy, federalism, and others. You will also learn of some major political issues, events, and political developments that are explained in the readings and through class presentations. Likewise, you will recognize the names and contributions of some noteworthy scholars and outstanding sources of information and research.
This instructor: I did most of my undergraduate work at Michigan State University and my graduate studies at Montclair State in New Jersey and Purdue University in Indiana. Most of my research and teaching is in the subfield of international politics and U.S. foreign policy. My office is SCHU 14B (downstairs); regular hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:20-12 noon and 3:20-4:30. My office phone # is 3923 and my e-mail address is conwaypg.
REQUIRED BOOKS: (Available from Campus Bookstore and Damascene Booksellers)
Phillip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories From Rwanda (UK: Penguin paperback, 2005) referred to as 'GRV' on the outline below.
Stephen Kotkin with Jan T. Gross, Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment (New York: Random House, 2009)"KN" below
Paul Conway, ed.
Introduction to Comparative and International Politics: A Reader (Centgage,
2010) referred to as "PC" on the outline below.
There will also be several
handouts of reprinted essays and articles that will be distributed in class.
GRADES: There will be three tests; the average of the three test grades will count for 50% of the overall grade. There will be at least three unannounced quizzes that provide opportunities to gain bonus points to be added to each of the three corresponding test scores. There will be five assignments; altogether they will count as 40-50% of your grade for the semester. All of the assignments must be submitted on time or points will be deducted. Attendance is required. If you have to miss a class due to illness or family emergency please inform the instructor on the phone or by email. Campus policy is that students who miss one quarter or more of scheduled classes may be withdrawn from the course involuntarily. The quality of participation, including regular attendance with the assigned book, note-taking, and overall involvement in the class discussions can provide an increase of a maximum of 10% to the overall course grade. As your instructor, I urge you to question what I say and what you have read. Don't hesitate to question, contribute, disagree and respond to one another, as well as to me. Any question is a good question.
Make up test and late
assignment policies: Arrangements for make up tests and the submission
of overdue assignments are the responsibility of the student and must be done
within a week after one’s return following an excused absence. Assignments
submitted late will be downgraded.
Incompletes
are only authorized when illness or unavoidable circumstances prevent(s)
the completion of course requirements by the end of the semester. This is
college policy. PENding grades may be assigned if several exams or
assignments indicate that a student’s writing skills need to be improved in
order to succeed at the college level and beyond.
OUTLINE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READINGS
(This outline may be
modified for instructional purposes. If and when it is, changes will be
announced in class)
Dates Topics
and Questions Assigned
reading in Gourevitch (GRV), Kotkin (KN), or Conway (PC)
January
21 "Politics" - A topic that we can't run away from (unless we don't know what politics means)
Why are many people negative about politics? Do we expect too much from politics? Can we think about politics objectively? Scientifically? Do politicians lie? (More than people in other professions or occupations?)
Some basic concepts in political science: power and political socialization:
Questions Why are some of us "conservative" and some "liberal"?
Does power corrupt? (Where did that phrase come from?)
26 The concepts of ideology and political socialization http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html
Deconstructing that painless quiz
Why many people find it difficult to think analytically about politics: cultural bias, political language, and selective perception. e.g. conspiracy theories: http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/06-09-11.html http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_081106_c.html
28 (A-1) The genocide in Rwanda: What happened? Why? GRV 1-10
(sidebar: Haiti now and previously) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2
February
2 segments of video documentary on rwanda's genocide FYI: Stories of survivors and rescuers
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/today/ http://rwanda.oneonta.edu and http://rwandablog.wordpress.com/
4 Promoting Justice after mass violence: retributive vs restorative justice
TRC in South Africa and gacaca in Rwanda
9 Gacaca and the struggle for reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda
11 How can political scientists deal with the question of which countries have the most corruption? Transparency International's approach
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009
16 Some comparisons between Rwanda and Sudan
18 test
BREAK
March
2 (A-2) Review of the first test
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/videos_and_podcasts
4 Intro and essay on political culture and socialization in the PC reader Ethridge/Handelm 1-34
Sidebar: A few sources related to political cultures that perpetuate corruption? See below ***
9 Politics and religion Magstadt 35-68
Guest presentation: Dr Walker on China
Religious conflict in Iraq:
11 (A-3) Comparing political systems and governmental structures Grigsby 69-88
16 India – the world’s biggest democracy (Charles Hauss) 89-124
18 China – an emerging superpower Hauss 125-160
Sources cited in the reader
INDIA www.indiainfo.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8375904.stm
CHINA http://www.chinatoday.com/
23 (A-4) International relations and politics in Asia
sidebar: U.S. foreign policies and relations with China
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124705272
25 Russia – from the Tzarist regime to Stalinism, Gorbachev and Putin 161-196
30 review of assignments
media on media research http://www.onthemedia.org/
April
1 (no foolin’) Test # 2
BREAK
13 Review of second test
15 South Africa from apartheid to democracy? Hauss 197-232
20 International relations and the UN - anarchy or world government or what?
Ethridge/Handelm 233-end
22 How did the Cold War end
and why did the Berlin Wall fall in 1989?
The metaphor of a ‘bank run’ in
1989 Uncivil
Society to p. 34
27 (A-5) No Exit: East Germany and Hungary US 35-66
29 Romania’s ‘breakthrough’ US 67-96
May
4 Poland: “As If” US 97-132
11 Conclusions and questions US 135-146
18 Final test scheduled from 11-1:30 (will end at 12:30)
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Assignment 5 CRITIQUE Spring, 2010
POLITICAL SCIENCE 171 Prof P. Conway
ASSIGNMENT: Critique of a Social Science Journal Article
Select and critically review a research article in a scholarly journal
A. Select an article on any topic you are interested in as long as it is in the general area of comparative or international politics.
It must be published in a social science/political science journal. (See below) You must use this list of acceptable journals unless you check with me first:
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Comparative Politics
Journal of Conflict Resolution
Journal of Politics
Daedalus
Foreign Affairs
International Security
International Organization
Political Science Quarterly
Polity
Public Policy
Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution (OJPCR)
World Politics
E-mail the article you plan to critique to ( conwaypg@oneonta.edu ) or write the full citation of the article on a list available in
class and in my office. Do not select an article that someone else has already claimed. If you submit the name of an article that someone else has already selected, you must find another one to critique.
B. Before reading the article, ask yourself what you know about the subject, why are you interested in it and what questions you have on the topic. Then read it again. Give attention to the author's objectives, his basic assumptions and the way he defines key terms, and his analytic approach to the subject. You main concern is with the overall quality of the article in terms of how it affects your own feelings and especially your thoughts and questions about the topic. You might relate to some of the political concepts considered in this course (e.g., socialization, law, bureaucracy, deterrence, etc.) or significant questions that you have about the subject or politics in general. Reread the article again if necessary.
C. Be sure to express your thinking about the article's main points. Explicitly relate to the relevant points in the text or your notes. Express (in your essay) some of the questions that are raised in your mind as a result of reading the article. (Don't mention the writing style of the author - if he or she was difficult to understand, remember you picked the article and it was supposed to be readable in the first place.) Express yourself as clearly as possible. All of the wording in your essay should be your own, except for lines or phrases by the author that you clearly put in “quotes.” Condense your critique to three typewritten pages. Be sure to proofread and edit the essay before you turn it in.
D.. You must have the full citation of the article on the assignment that you submit. *1. The article that you cite as the source for your paper should include the standard form with name of the author, the title of the article (in quotes), the title of the publication (underlined or in bold print), the numbers of the volume and issue (with dates in parentheses), and, lastly, the page numbers. **2. If you take the article from the internet, you must also clearly cite the entire web address where the article can be found, the date on which you used it, and the original source of the publication.
POLS 171
Spring, 2010 Assignment 4 Professor P. Conway
Comparing news media sources of international issues and events: A cursory analysis
Compare the quality and quantity of news reports on the same topics (at least two different topics) that are reported on CNN, to one of the United Kingdom sources (BBC or The Guardian. Then compare to a third source, such as Al Jazeera-english, China Daily, Russia Today (RT), Israel's Haaretz, or any other similar foreign source that you choose to examine.
1. USA CNN http://www.CNN.com
2. United Kingdom: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/ or The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/
(You can find news by region as well as headlines)
3. One of the following:
Al Jazeera (Qatar) http://aljazeera.com/ or http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/#
use categories of top news/ regional news/ most emailed/ programmes (Be sure to distinguish between its news reports and editorial/opinion essays)
China: China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
Russia Today: http://rt.com/ and Pravda (english) http://english.pravda.ru/
Israel: Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/ or Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/
Look at the content of news on each of the sources and comment on the priorities and emphasis on important global issues in each of the (3) news sources. Download the reports from the three sources that you selected and describe how the two topics that you examined were presented and in the explained in each.. Your essay should be 3-4 pages in length.
Abstract
Although there are indications of common regional corruption characteristics, empirical studies of corruption have assumed that influences on corruption are country-specific. In this paper we report evidence based on a cross-section of 123 economies confirming that, with few specific exceptions, corruption is a regional phenomenon. Institutional change that reduces corruption in one country affects, therefore, neighboring countries.
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Common political culture: Evidence on
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In the US political system?
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/22/corruption-lobbying-bribes-biz-corruption09-cx_mm_0122maiello.html
Corruption
Corruption, American Style
Michael Maiello, 01.22.09, 06:00 PM EST
Bribery gets all the bad press, but lobbying is the real danger, because it affects everybody--whether they want it to or not.
Con men, swindlers and cheaters pay bribes. Sophisticates hire lobbyists because lobbyists get better, more lasting results while only rarely landing in the slammer. We know intuitively that bribery and lobbying are related, and there are reams of academic papers that try to draw the line between legitimate issue advocacy and corruption. President Barack Obama isn't buying it. As he swore in his new staff, he banned them from future employment lobbying the White House, "for as long as I'm president."
Economists and sociologists don't tend to spend a lot of time arguing in favor of illegal activities like bribing bureaucrats, so their efforts tend to come down in defense of the K Street bandits. The common argument is that bribery happens in developing economies where the rule of law is questionable, while lobbying is a more civilized activity that brings economic benefits.
Bard Harstad of the Kellogg School of Management and Jakob Svensson of Stockholm University have approached the problem as one between developing and developed economies. But let's set aside the debate over third- and first-world corruption. Narco states, oligarchies, religious and secular dictatorships are ruled by graft because power and influence are traded in secret.
What's telling about the Harstad and Svensson paper is that in an open society like the U.S., our brightest minds are unable to draw meaningful distinctions between handing someone an envelope full of cash and flooding a senator's campaign war chest, except to point out that lobbying is far more effective. A briber wants a to circumvent the law. A lobbyist wants to change it.
The fact that laws affect everyone supposedly makes lobbying more legitimate, since the lobbyist isn't typically asking for special treatment the way a briber does. But maybe that's the problem. Someone who pays a bribe might be rich, powerful and dangerous, but they're also uniquely vulnerable. They open themselves to extortion by the corrupt official they're using, for example. Harstad and Svensson write: "Promises by individual bureaucrats not to ask (or extort) bribes in the future are not credible, since such contracts cannot be written when corruption is illegal and because firms deal with different officials over time."
The lobbyist takes no such risk. The lobbyist's goal is to make the government official depend on them for financing and support in elections. A bribe works once. Cajoling or inducing a congressional representative to help get a law changed is the gift that keeps on giving.
In his book Knowledge and Decisions, economist Thomas Sowell defends lobbyists as people who have acquired a great deal of technical knowledge so that they're better informed than the general public about whatever issue they care about most. They then become, as Sowell describes, a powerful force in government because "reform through democratic legislation requires either 'public consensus or a powerful minority lobby.'" Sowell defends this influence since it comes from knowledge fairly gained and deployed. But the power of the lobbyist is far greater than the power of the briber. A powerful lobbyist can get laws changed even if there's no public consensus to do so, and yet those laws still apply to everyone.
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, now a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, doesn't make a distinction between the two activities. When asked by e-mail, "What's the real
First assignment:
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION – AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
Objective: To think through and verbalize some of your sense of world politics and America’s role in the international system and (especially) to explain some aspects of the process of socialization in your life. Some reference to American culture, your background, and sources of information that you use or most respect, should be included. This is a subjective essay of three typewritten pages. Take this quiz first: http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html
Directions:
(1) On the first page only, explain your sense of who you are politically and then how you feel about one or more of the most important issues in world politics and how the United States is relates to the problems. Examples of issues that may be of interest may include: Do you believe that the U.S. government should: Participate actively and pay what we owe to the United Nations? Decrease foreign economic development aid to poor countries? Support ongoing arms control agreements to limit nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons? Endorse the Kyoto Treaty which sets guidelines to reduce the emissions associated with Global Warming and long term Climate Changes (the “Greenhouse Effect”)? Agree to stop the manufacture and deployment of military land mines? Maintain a military presence in Afghanistan and/or Iraq over the next few years? Increase support for Israel or Palestinian leaders in efforts to control or discourage their violent confrontation in the MidEast? You may discuss any of the above or any other issue that you feel strongly about on the first page. The next, more difficult question is: How did you develop the attitudes and opinions you expressed? (see below)
(2) On the second and third pages comment on how and why you acquired the feelings or opinions that you expressed on the first page. Consider the general culture that you are a part of and the most important personal opinions and and mass media sources of “news”or information that have influenced your thinking.
As best you can, explain the process of socialization in your own life.
You may discuss the significance of primary agents such as parents, brothers, sisters, coaches, teachers, priests, rabbi’s, close friends or other important influences in your life. Consider also the influence of the media in our “pop-culture” if that seems relevant. (What do you view, hear or read on public issues?) Be sure to relate to (how you developed) the general perspective or philosophy and the opinions that you identified on the first page. (One way to relate to your past socialization might be to recall some of the most important political events that occurred in your life and how people you respected or admired reacted to those same events). If the question applies, why are you apathetic and why do you believe others who you often interact with are apathetic about politics?
The due date for this assignment is January 28
The textbook reader for this course will be available soon!
(((Sidebar: The US at war http://www.congress.org/news/2009/10/26/americas_longest_wars?ref=tdg
Corruption in Afghanistan: Our longest war?))) handout
Handout on Afghanistan https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html
Background and updates on Pakistan
Pakistan https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html
Background on region (political anthropology)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/view/tribal.html
The growing influence of Taliban in Peshawar
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/pakistan802/video/video_index.html
Map of Pakistan border area with Afghanistan and growing insurgency ‘06
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/tribal/map.html
Please google: Supreme court justice Chaudhry and President Zardari as two most important leaders in country; perhaps in future conflict
Chaudhry as activist http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/06/pakistan-flogging-video-court
0/30 Clinton interview http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/july-dec09/clintonint_10-30.html
10/20 Taliban attack in Pakistan http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=30102009&seg=3
Second assignment:
POLITICAL CORRUPTION - A Cursory Comparison of TI data in several countries over time
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2008
a. View and listen to the presentations by TI officials.
b. Select three so called developed countries in North America and western Europe and
three less developed countries in either Latin America, Africa, or Asia
c. Compare the CPI scores for the sets of countries over time 1995-2009 Present the data you find online
d. Describe the relative success, failure, improvements or changes in those countries. Discuss your reaction to the
Transparency International CPI project and any questions it may have raised in your mind carried out this assignment.
e. Your essay should be limited to 3 pages.
*** Temporary sidebar with some research on poverty:
Political corruption and inequality? http://www.springerlink.com/content/uuted6bntl5xykrc/
In Indonesia http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/22/economic-growth-corruption-biz-corruption09-cx_rf_0122fisman.html
Corruption within borders of a state or as a regional problem? http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V97-4V75YKC-1&_user=696796&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1233089842&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000038958&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=696796&md5=75fa02dd5146aac04abbd629c6e018ed
POLS 171 ONEONTA STATE COLLEGE Spring, 2010
ASSIGNMENT 3 Comparing sources of IR news and information PC
PBS/NPR as news sources? http://employees.oneonta.edu/ostertsf/Ostertag_Using%20PBS%20News.doc
Cursory examination of a one hour news report on
National Public Radio compared to any one hour televised news program.
A. Listen carefully, take notes and time the contents of presentations in a one hour news program on NPR on the days and times indicated below:
Suggestions (1.) You may check printed radio schedules or listen to NPR to know for sure when you can listen to a full hour within the guidelines presented above.
(2.) NPR can be heard on 91.7 and 88.9 FM, locally; nationally the NPR stations are located around 90FM and in some metropolitan areas they may be on AM as well. In New York City, for example, NPR is on 820AM as well as on FM radio.
You will need a watch or a clock to note the amounts of time given to each topic, the news in general, and the commercial or public advertisements on each program
NOTE: If your last name starts with a letter from A to L, you must listen to a
Monday, Wednesday or Friday program.
* If your last name starts with a letter from M to Z you must listen to a Tuesday, Thursday or Weekend Edition program.
* If your first name starts with a letter from A to L you must listen to NPR’s “Morning Edition.” (typically they run from approximately 6 to 8:30am.)
* If your first name starts with a letter from M to Z you must listen to
NPR’s “All Things Considered” (All Things . . .” typically runs sometime between the hours of 4 or 5 to 6 or 7.
B.. Watch any one-hour televised news program on the same day or the next day.
Carefully listen, use a timer or watch, take notes on the presentations
The paper you submit must include the following:
1. List the day and the hour of the programs and the names of the programs that you monitored.
2. List the news and background items (topics) reported on each 1 hour program
3. Describe any noteworthy points about the topics that get several minutes of reporting
4. Compare the amount of news provided on NPR to any one hour of television news program. Your comparison should conclude with the following:
(a.) The overall quantity of the coverage in comparison to one hour TV news programs (In particular: How many minutes of news in each source? How many minutes of commercial/informational ads ? How many minutes of time were devoted to foreign/international news on NPR as compared to TV ?
and (b.) Your impressions of the quality or value of the content of the news reported. (e.g. Which source provided more useful or valuable information? )
What were your overall impressions about the reporting?
This assignment should be 3 pages maximum..
POLS 171
Spring, 2010 Assignment 4 Professor P.Conway
Comparing news media sources of international issues and events: A cursory analysis
Compare the quality and quantity of news reports on the same topics (at least two different topics) that are reported on CNN, to one of the United Kingdom sources (BBC or The Guardian. Then compare to a third source, such as Al Jazeera-english, China Daily, Russia Today (RT), Israel's Haaretz, or any other similar foreign source that you choose to examine.
1. USA CNN http://www.CNN.com
2. United Kingdom: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/ or The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/
(You can find news by region as well as headlines)
3. One of the following:
Al Jazeera (Qatar) http://aljazeera.com/ or http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/#
use categories of top news/ regional news/ most emailed/ programmes (Be sure to distinguish between its news reports and editorial/opinion essays)
China: China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
Russia Today: http://rt.com/
Israel: Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/ or Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/
Look at the content of news on each of the sources and comment on the priorities and emphasis on important global issues in each of the (3) news sources. Download the reports from the three sources that you selected and describe how the two topics that you examined were presented and in the explained in each.. Your essay should be 3-4 pages in length.