1 Comparative Politics Pols. 640 - Department of Political Science

1
Comparative Politics
Pols. 640
(Saund 636, Tue. 2:30-5p.m)
Kate Xiao Zhou Office hours: Monday 9-11
Office: 634A , Social Sciences Office Phone: 68777
Email: katezhou@hawaii.edu
Course Objectives
This course seeks to introduce students to major themes and empirical material in
comparative politics. Students will learn something about a number of actual states.
Although this course is directed toward those who are planning to concentrate in
comparative politics and political economy, most of the themes to be discussed overlap
with other sub-fields. Thus, the seminar will be useful for those students planning to
concentrate in other areas of the discipline as well.
Course Requirements
Students will be required to complete one term paper (15-20 pages). Participants in
the course are free to choose topics loosely related to the class readings, according to
their interests. In addition, students will be expected to make one class presentation. The
presentation will focus on the reading of the week and will be no more than 20 minutes
long. Students are also encouraged to use email and the web to communicate with the
instructor and to gather data on the Internet.
Grading
The paper will count for 50% of the grade. The class presentation will count 20%.
Participants will grade each presenter and send the grade and comments to the instructor
by email. The remaining 30% will be determined by class participation and email
communications.
Readings:

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Harnado De Soto, The Mystery of Capital , 2000,
Samuel Popkin, The Rational Peasant.
James Scott, The Moral Economy of the Peasant.
Marilyn Waring, Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What Women Are
Worth, 1999.
John Gray (Author), False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism [Paperback], #
Publisher: New Press, The (April 2000)
Douglass North, Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance,
Cambridge University Press, 1990.
F.A. Hayek. The Road To Serfdom.
Martin Wolf , Why Globalization Works
Some reading materials will be distributed in class .
Week 1. Introduction
I will ask each of you to introduce yourselves—saying something about your
background, your general interests, your views of nation-states and society, and your
specific interests in the area of comparative politics.
Week 2. Liberal Democracy vs. Iliberal Democracy
Fareed Zakaria, “The rise of illiberal democracy,” Foreign Affairs; Nov/Dec97,
Vol. 76 Issue 6, p22, 22p, 3
George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," 1946.
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm
Week 3. Political Culture
James Scott, The Moral Economy of the Peasant, (Yale University Press, 1976),
Chapter one and Chapter two, skim the whole book.
Week 4. the Rational Choice Model
Samuel Popkin, The Rational Peasant, skim through the whole book, esp. chapter one
and the conclusion
Week 5. Theory of Modernization

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Ronald Inglehart: "Globalization and Postmodern Values" in Washington
Quarterly, Winter 2000, pp. 215-228
Week 6. The Dependency School
Robert Gilpin, "The Issue of Dependency and Economic Development." in The
Political Economy of International Relations.
Week 7. The Theory and Practice of Modern Dictatorships: Politics of
Communism
F.A. Hayek. The Road To Serfdom.
Eugene D. Genovese, “The Question,” and The Responses in Dissent, Summer 1994,
pp. 371-388.
R. J. Rummel, “How Many did Communist Regimes Murder?”
Mancur Olson, “Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development,” in APSR Sept. 1993.
Anne Applebaum, Gulag: a History.
Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw, A PBS Film: Commanding Heights : the Battle
for the World Economy.
Week 8. The New Institutionalism
Douglass North, Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance,
Cambridge University Press, 1990.
Week 9. Politics of Fundamentalism
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Infidel, Why I Am Not a Muslim , 2008Free Press,
Mary R. Habeck, "Following the Method of Mohammad: Jihadist Strategies in the
War of Terror" http://www.heritage.org/Press/Events/archive.cfm
Week 11-12. Political Economy in Developing Nations
Muhammad Yunus , Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against
World Poverty
Harnado De Soto, The Mystery of Capital, skim the whole book.
Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw, A PBS Film: Commanding Heights : the Battle
for the World Economy.
Week 13. Women and Politics of Development

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Marilyn Waring, Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What Women Are
Worth, 1999, skim the whole book.
Week 14-15. Politics of Globalization
John Gray (Author), False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism [Paperback], #
Publisher: New Press, The (April 2000)
Martin Wolf , Why Globalization Works
Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw, A PBS Film: Commanding Heights : the
Battle for the World Economy.