ICoE Cours Outline (Introduction to Comparative Politics)

Introduction to Comparative Politics

Professor Meredith Weiss

Mweiss27@jhu.edu

December/January 2013/2014

          This course will introduce you to the concepts, methods, and a number of key theories and frameworks in the study of Comparative Politics. We will focus not on specific cases, but on ways of describing, comparing, and assessing a range of cases. By the end of the course, student should be able to classify and evaluate a given country in light of key taxonomies (classification schemes) and metrics in the subfield, to sketch a plan for comparative, and to research, and to understand and compare different regime types, modes of participation, and broad development strategies.

          The course will be run largely as a seminar. While the professor will lecture for part of each class, student participation is expected. Come to class prepared with questions and comments: details you did not understand, angles you found interesting, etc. frequent, short, in-class exercises, completed individually or in teams, will have allow you to test, apply, and extend your knowledge – so completing the assigned reading for each class, before that class session, is essential. In addition, there will be an in-class midterm exam and a final team project (details to come). Students are required to attend 2 tutorial sessions for this class per week, in line with the overall program guidelines.

          For the final project, each team will pick a different country. As a team, sketch the key attributes of that state, in terms of the parameters we are studying in this course: its institutional framework, the depth and scope of civil society, its economic model and status, etc. Each team member will then pick one angle and think comparatively about how that state might reconfigure or improve that dimension. For instance, if a team selects Thailand as its country, the team as a whole will describe that status quo, then one member might discuss a plan for more equitable economic development, in light of what other countries have tried and Thailand’s specific character; one might suggest a way to reconfigure the legislature for greater stability; one might focus on ways to foster a stronger political party system; and one might consider ways to cultivate sustainable, constructive popular engagement, beyond mass protests. Offer a balanced argument: note likely obstacles and tradeoffs, as well as benefits.

          Each segment of the final project – the collaborative introduction plus each individual paper – should be approximately 1000 words. Each team will present its findings in the final class; presentations should be on more than 20 minutes total.

          There is one textbook for the course: Timothy Lim, Doing Comparative Politics: An Introduction to Approaches and Issues, 2^nd ed. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010.

All supplemental readings will be provided.

Ø Introduction

Ø What is comparative politics?

Ø Comparative methods

Ø Theory in comparative politics

Ø Democracy, authoritarianism, and regime changes

Ø Institutional options

Ø The “menu of manipulation”: Fraud and other problems

Ø Explaining underdevelopment

Ø Explaining economic growth

Ø Explaining collective mobilization

Ø Student presentations on final projects