GOVT308 - Seminar on Democratization

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Academic Year 2000/2001

Seminar on Democratization
GOVT 308 SP

This course is an advanced seminar on democratization. Through readings and discussion, this seminar will help students understand why politicians create, sustain, and often even destroy democratic institutions. The seminar will concentrate upon electoral fraud, suffrage reform, civil-military relations, and regime transitions. It will draw upon nineteenth and twentieth century developments in selected countries from Africa, Asian, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S.

MAJOR READINGS

Major readings will include: Robert H. Bates, PROSPERITY AND VIOLENCE: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DEVELOPMENT (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001); John Markoff, WAVES OF DEMOCRACY: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND POLITICAL CHANGE (Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, 1996); Adam Przeworski, Michael E. Alvarez, and Fernando Limongi, DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND WELL-BEING IN THE WORLD, 1950-1990 (New York: Cambridge University Press); Joel L. Silbey, THE AMERICAN POLITICAL NATION, 1838-1893 (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000) and Allister Sparks, TOMORROW IS ANOTHER COUNTRY: THE INSIDE STORY OF SOUTH AFRICA'S ROAD TO CHANGE (New York: Hill and Wang, 1995). The course will also include other texts on key topics of democratization.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments will consist of 4-6 papers (3-6 pages each) critically analyzing course texts.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Students must obtain permission of instructor to enroll in this class. They should be juniors or seniors. Students should also have taken at least several introductory and upper-level courses in the Social Sciences to be able to profit from and contribute to class discussions.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Lehoucq,Fabrice

Times: .M..... 01:10PM-04:00PM; Location: PAC104

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 15)

SR. major: Jr. major:

SR. non-major: Jr. non-major: SO: FR:

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Speaking, Writing

Permission: Permission of Instructor Required

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001