POLS 235 - Politics of Advanced Industrial Democracies
Fall 2006, TTH 9-11, MI 11
John Rapp, MI 203, ext. 2335;
Office Hours: MW 9-11:50, 2-2:40; TTH 11-11:50, 2-2:40; F 9-11:50
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
In this course we will examine and compare the politics of three advanced industrial democracies: the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Japan. This course will emphasize the two main aspects of comparative politics--the need to study the basic political culture and governmental structure of each country in some depth, and comparisons between different countries. A recurring theme in lectures, discussions, and student presentations this semester will be the nature and type of democracy in each country. Why and how did each country choose the democratic forms that it did and what are the advantages and limits to democracy that result? Do policy or other outcomes vary by type of democracy?
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
This course will include a major research paper, with several components, as noted below. In addition since this class will emphasize public speaking skills, all students will present two oral reports. For the first report, students may pick one of the countries studied in class on which they want to report, and then two days before their reports they will pick the assignment at random from a list of current events topics developed by the instructor. Although there is no written draft of the 48 hour report, students must hand in to the instructor on the day of their reports an annotated bibliography citing at least 5 sources. The second oral report is a presentation of the research paper during the last two weeks of class.
The major writing assignment centers around a 10-15 page research paper focusing either on an advanced industrial democracy other than the ones we study in class or on a comparative topic crossing at least three advanced industrial democracies. The first assignment related to the paper is a 5 page prospectus with annotated bibliography due on Oct. 12. The first draft of the paper itself will be due on November 22, and a final draft is due on Dec. 14, each for a separate grade.
In addition, there will be a mid course exam to be held after we finish class lectures and discussions on Britain and Germany, tentatively on November 2. The exam will be divided into identification and essay portions, each worth 50% of the exam grade. The instructor will hand out a list of terms one week in advance of the exam, from which fifteen will be chosen the day of the exam. Students identify and explain for the significance for this course ten of these terms. The instructor will also hand out a list of four essay questions one week in advance of the exam, from which the exam question will be chosen.
The assignments, due dates, and percentages of each assignment for the final grade will be as follows:
| Assignment |
% |
Due date |
| 48 hour oral report |
15 |
Sign up in class |
| Research paper prospectus, with annotated bibliography |
10 |
October 12 |
| Exam |
20 |
November 2 (tentative) |
| Research Paper, 1st draft |
15 |
November 22 |
| Research Paper oral report |
10 |
Last 2 weeks of class |
| Research paper 2nd draft |
15 |
December 14 |
| Attendance/Participation |
15 |
|
Attendance is crucial to this course. Every unexcused absence after the first two will result in reducing the attendance and participation grade by 3 points for every absence. Arriving in class more than five minutes late will be counted as an unexcused absence. Students should ask the instructor ahead of time about excused absences for scheduled events, including special religious observances, athletic or performance events, family emergencies, and/or health problems, and notify him as soon as possible in the case of family emergencies or illness.
All assignments must be completed. Late papers or exams without documented medical or family emergencies reported to the instructor in advance if at all possible will be graded down one grade for every day late (e.g., A to A-). No computer related excuses of any kind will be accepted. Style, spelling, grammar, and punctuation do count on all written assignments. Standards of academic honesty will be strictly upheld according to official Beloit College policy. All written and oral work should be original, and information gleaned from written and interview sources should be cited properly and consistently according to a recognized style manual.
If you have a disability and would like to speak to someone about possible accommodations, please visit the LSSC (Learning Support Services Center) located on the first floor of 635 College St. You will need to provide appropriate documentation of your disability to Diane Arnzen, Director of the LSSC. If you wish to receive accommodations in my class please provide me the LSSC Accommodation Verification Letter, dated for this semester, as soon as possible so your learning needs may be appropriately met.
READINGS
The course is heavily dependent on keeping up with the readings, which cannot be fully duplicated in lectures. The following required special Primis edition text from McGraw-Hill prepared just for this course is available for purchase only at the bookstore:
Political Science, Course: Politics of Advanced Industrial Democracies, ISBN # 0-390-71194-2
The text includes selected chapters from the following four books:
Collinwood, Dean W. Global Studies:Japan. Eighth Edition. Guilford, CT: Dushkin-McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Frankland, E Gene. Global Studies: Europe. Eighth Edition. Guilford, CT: Dushkin-McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Shively, W. Phillips. Comparative Governance. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2003.
Sodaro, Michael J., et al, Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction. Second Edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
In addition, all students will be required to subscribe either to the news weekly, The Economist, or to the New York Times, both at a special student rate. Finally, other readings may be placed on reserve at the library for certain weeks.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (page numbers from black circled numbers at top of pages of special edition)
| Weeks 1-2 |
| Introduction: Course Outline and Workload Expectations; |
| Defining Democracy; Comparing Democracies |
| Terms and Themes of Comparative Political Science; |
| How to write a research paper |
| Readings |
| Sodaro, Chapters 7-9 (pages 1-68); |
| Reserve: Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy, Chapters 1-3, plus References, pp. 317-340 |
| Week 3, United Kingdom |
| Political Culture and State Tradition; |
| Political Ideologies and Constitution |
| Political Attitudes |
| Readings: |
| Frankland, pp. 69-71, 74-78; Shively, pp. 84-106, 119-122; Sodaro, pp. 132-153 |
| Week 4, United Kingdom |
| Parliament; Interest Groups; |
| Parties and Party System; |
| Electoral System |
| Readings: |
| Frankland, pp. 78-83; Shively, pp. 106-114; Sodaro, pp. 153-168 |
| Week 5, United Kingdom |
| Executive and Cabinet; Courts and Legal System |
| Bureaucracy and Administration; |
| Local Government; |
| Domestic, Regional, and Foreign Policy Issues |
| Readings: |
| Frankland, pp. 72-74; Shively, pp. 115-129; Sodaro, pp. 168-178 |
| Week 6: Federal Republic of Germany |
| Political Culture and State Tradition; |
| Political Ideologies and Constitution; |
| Political Attitudes |
| Readings: |
| Frankland, pp. 179-185; Shively, pp. 192-216; Sodaro, pp. 236-250 |
| Week 7: Federal Republic of Germany |
| Legislature; Interest Groups; |
| Parties and Party System; |
| Electoral System |
| Readings: |
| Shively, pp. 216-221, 224-226; Sodaro, pp. 250-260 |
| Week 8: Federal Republic of Germany |
| Executive and Cabinet; Courts and Legal System |
| Bureaucracy and Administration; |
| Local Government; |
| Domestic, Regional, and Foreign Policy Issues |
| Readings: |
| Frankland, pp. 185-190; Shively, pp. 221-224, 226-235; Sodaro, pp. 260-282 |
| Week 9: REVIEW AND MIDTERM EXAM |
| Week 10: Japan |
| Political Culture and State Tradition; |
| Political Ideologies and Constitution |
| Readings: |
| Collinwood, pp. 283-295; Shively, pp. 300-317; Sodaro, pp. 364-376 |
| Week 11: Japan |
| Legislature; Interest Groups; |
| Parties and Party System; |
| Electoral System |
| Readings: |
| Collinwood, pp. 295-297; Shively, pp. 318-336; Sodaro, pp. 376-384 |
| Week 12: Japan |
| Executive and Cabinet; Courts and Legal System |
| Bureaucracy and Administration; |
| Local Government; |
| Domestic, Regional, and Foreign Policy Issues |
| Readings: |
| Collinwood, pp. 297-298; Shively, pp. 337-363; Sodaro, pp. 384-404 |
| Weeks 13-14 |
| Student Research Paper Presentations |
