An introduction to political science, this course will get to the basics of what is arguably the most important means at our disposal to allocate resources in society: politics. Thus, very basic questions will be addressed: What is politics? What is political science? How do democratic and authoritarian regimes operate? What is the role of political parties in society? How is politics conducted among states? These questions will be explored in a comparative way: that is, by looking at politics in one country (usually, the United States) and understanding it through comparison with how it is done in other countries. A special emphasis will be placed on how politics is done in democratic and authoritarian regimes.

The overall objective of this course is to provide a solid grounding for both a theoretical and practical understanding of politics. To that end, we will delve into political theory, but will also try to apply those concepts to practical matters and see how they work in current events, simulations, games, models and extra-curricular activities.
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Assigned Readings: Readings listed in the syllabus are required and should be read before the class in which they are assigned. Class discussions will be based on and add to these readings.

• Robert & Doreen Jackson. (1997). A Comparative Introduction to Political Science (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall) (in the bookstore)
• Assorted articles (on reserve in the library, or handed out in class).

Attendance: You are required to attend class and I will note absences. You are permitted 3 excused absences--after that, your grade will suffer from non-attendance. (Please note that attendance is 10% of your final grade.)

Exams and Papers: There will be two mid-term exams and a final for this course, made up from material from readings and lectures (which do not always coincide). There may on occasion be a small quiz or two, particularly if participation in class seems to be flagging due to inattention to readings.

There is a certain amount of other written and oral work required, parts of which are due at different points during the semester. Please note these dates carefully. This work consists of the following assignments:
 

Reaction papers: Four reaction papers, spread throughout the semester and coming at approximately every three weeks, will offer you the opportunity to integrate in a more formal way the information learned in the course about politics. The papers, of approximately 2 pages each in length, will be on topics connected to the readings. Each should involve your own independent assessment of the topic, but your judgment should be based on the material covered. The paper will be evaluated on the basis of content, clarity of argument, and writing style (including grammar, spelling, and punctuation). Please note the due dates in the syllabus.

Playing Politics. We will have two class sessions devoted to games that center on the dynamics of politics in its most basic sense. You will be expected to learn the rules of this game and participate fully, although your grade is not directly tied to how well you do in the game itself.

Simulation. Mid-way through the semester we will shift gears and conduct a simulation of a political caucus that will involve a variety of actors on the American scene: the President, Vice President, members of Congress, lobbyists and various bureaucrats. You will play one of the these roles, to be handed out at random, and evaluated first and foremost on how well you stay in character, and only secondarily on how well you achieve your political goals.

Extra-curricular activities. Politics is best learned both inside and outside the classroom. The Kent campus offers a variety of opportunities to engage in political activity and/or gain information: speakers, political organizations and so on. You will be required to attend three of these events and to report on each with a paper (minimum one page). One activity in which you may participate is a Model United Nations Conference, to be held at the Ashtabula campus of Kent State University, October 21-24. The Model UN involves teams of students from a variety of universities who come together to represent the various member countries of the UN in simulated sessions of that organization. Because the Model involves preparation time and is several days long, it can be counted as fulfilling the extra-curricular requirement in itself. NB: In order to participate in the Model UN, you will miss several days (Thursday-Friday) of classes. You should be sure you will be able to miss that much class time, and not hurt your chances to have a successful semester. While Kent professors have readily permitted students to miss their classes in order to attend the Model, you should be sure that you secure their permission (with a letter of certification of attendance from me).

Exam 1                             20%
Exam 2                             20%
Final exam                        20%
Reaction papers                10%
Extra-curricular activities   10%
Attendance                       10%
Participation in class          10%
        TOTAL                 100%

Students with Disabilities. In accordance with University policy, if you have a disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact me at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) in the Michael Schwartz Student Services Center (672-3391).
 

Schedule of Events and Assignments

DATE         ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS

M 8/30       Orientation to course.

W 9/1         The World of Politics
                        Assignment: Jackson, Chapter 1; "Key Political Concepts" (HANDOUT).

F 9/3           The World of Politics: Eight Global Trends
                        Assignment: "The World of Child 6 Billion" (HANDOUT).

M 9/6          A Game: Primitive Politics
                        Assignment: no assigned reading.

W 9/8        The Study of Politics
                        Assignment: J, Chapter 2.

F 9/10        The Study of Politics: The Comparative Method
                        Assignment: J, pp. 64-72.
                    REACTION PAPER #1 DUE

M 9/13        The Modern State
                        Assignment: J, Chapter 3.

W 9/15        The Modern State
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

F 9/17          Discussion and Review

M 9/20        Examination 1

W 9/22       Contemporary Forms of Government
                        Assignment: J, Ch. 5.

F 9/24        Contemporary Forms of Government. Illiberal Democracy.
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

M 9/27        Political Culture
                        Assignment: J, Ch. 6.

W 9/29        Political Culture: Democratic and Authoritarian Regimes
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 7.

F 10/1        Modern Ideologies
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 8.
                    REACTION PAPER #2 DUE

M 10/4       Modern Ideologies
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

W 10/6       Modern Ideologies: Democratic and Authoritarian
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 9.

F 10/8        Constitutional Frameworks
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 10.

M 10/11     Constitutional Frameworks: Democratic and Authoritarian
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 11.
                    MID-TERM COURSE EVALUATION.

W 10/13     Video: Chinatown.

F 10/15       Video: Chinatown. Discussion.

M 10/18      Political Institutions
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 12.

W 10/20      Political Institutions
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 13.

            *  Thurs., Oct. 21 - Sun., Oct. 24 Model UN   *
                                    *  Ashtabula, Ohio  *

M 10/25        Public Administration
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 14.

W 10/27        Public Administration
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 15.
                    REACTION PAPER #3 DUE
 
F 10/29        Discussion and Review

M 11/1        Examination 2.

W 11/3        Political Game: Candidate.

F 11/5          Political Parties and Interest Groups
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 16.

M 11/8        Political Parties and Interest Groups
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 17.

W 11/10     Simulation: The Party Caucus

F 11/12       Simulation: continue and debriefing.

M 11/15      Elections
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 18.

W 11/17      Elections and Voting Behavior
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 19.

F 11/19        Political Change: Development
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 20.

M 11/22       Political Change: Violence and Revolution
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

W 11/24       Political Change: Terrorism
                        Assignment: no additional readings.
                    REACTION PAPER #4 DUE

F 11/26 NO CLASS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

M 11/29       Politics Among States
                        Assignment: J., Ch. 21.

W 12/1        International Organizations
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

F 12/3          International Organizations: Dealing with World Social Problems
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

M 12/6        What Exactly is the New World Order?
                        Assignment: Mathews, "Power Shift"; Slaughter,
                            "The Real New World Order" (HANDOUTS).

W 12/8         More on the New World Order
                        Assignment: no additional readings.

F 12/10        Discussion and review

T 12/14        Final Exam (10:15 am-12:30 pm).