U.S. AND COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
GOALS
United States and Comparative Government introduces the basic principles of political science and the comparative method and employs them in an examination of the various ideological foundations of government legitimacy and of diverse constitutions and institutional arrangements in Great Britain, the United States, the European Union, Mexico, the Russian Federation, China, Iran, and Nigeria. The focus is on the development of constitutional government and the rule of law, on comparative studies of legislatures, parties, interest groups, and elections, and on the problems and opportunities presented to governments by democratization and globalization.
ASSIGNMENTS
Our textbooks are Introduction to Comparative Politics (fifth edition for AP), and We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution by the Center for Civic Education, which I will distribute to you. You will return your copy of We The People to me at the end of the year. Please use pencil only to mark this book. Students should keep all notes, handouts, and other course materials neatly organized. Bring your iPad to class every day. You do not need to bring your textbooks to class unless specifically instructed. Daily homework consists of readings of 10-20 pages and occasional short writing assignments. You are expected to be in class on time, fully prepared, and ready to engage with the material under discussion. For each class period, you should be prepared for an unannounced open-note quiz on the reading from the night before.
GRADING
Your grade in this class depends on the following elements:
Participation: 30%
Quizzes: 10%
Writing: 30%
Tests: 30%
You are responsible for having all homework fully completed at the beginning of the meeting for which it was assigned. Late writing assignments are reduced by 1/3 of a letter grade per day. Students who miss work as a result of excused absences must see me about making it up no later than their first day back in school. Do not miss class without a valid excuse. Each unexcused absence from class will result in a 25% reduction in your participation grade. Unexcused absences on test days result in a grade of 0 for the test. Unexcused absences may also result in independent disciplinary action from the Dean of Students office.
Rewrites/Revisions
Formal writing assignments (as opposed to the essay portions of tests) may be written for a new grade as many times as the student desires so long as the following conditions are met: (1) The rewrite is turned in within one cycle from the date on which the graded essay was returned, and (2) significant effort and/or progress is demonstrated on each rewrite.
DISCUSSION RULES/EXPECTATIONS/GOALS
~Be prepared
~Be involved, both speaking and listening
~Don't interrupt (too much)
~Don't dominate the discussion
~Don't be too passive
~Defend your ideas, but don't get defensive
~Challenge others ideas, but try to understand other perspectives
~Be open-minded
~Acquire knowledge
~Seek to discover your own honest and well-informed opinion
HONESTY
Academic honesty and integrity is of the utmost importance. The work you represent as your own must always be the product of your own thought and effort. Do not attempt to deceive the teacher or gain an unfair advantage over your peers. That means that you must not discuss exam material outside of class when others have yet to take the exam. Do your own work on quizzes and tests. Cheating on even the most minor quiz or assignment is a serious offense that will result in disciplinary action and possible expulsion. If you do work collaboratively make sure everyone’s name is on the product. If you use someone else’s ideas or research, you must always cite your source, including page number(s). If you use someone else’s exact words, even if it is just a phrase, use quotation marks.
Successful Students in this course will. . .
. . . have a respectful attitude toward teacher, fellow students, and subject matter
. . . arrive in class on time, with iPad
. . . be properly dressed
. . . come to class ready to learn and engage on a daily basis
. . . participate in class discussions and activities
. . . be an active and engaged listener
. . . do all homework completely
. . . plan ahead for major assignments and tests
. . . develop good study skills
. . . keep an open mind and be willing to consider the merits of unfamiliar ideas
. . . see me for help whenever necessary
Cell phone: (847) 902-7752
Email: jquillin@lfanet.org
. . . have fun!
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS (assignments are due at the beginning of the period on the date for which they are assigned)
A-day 8/22--Welcome
Unit 1--Policy Challenges and Social Cleavages
A-day 8/23--Assignment: Take the Pew Research Center Political Typology Quiz
B-day 8/24--Reading: "The New Population Bomb" (email or download below by clicking "course documents")
C-day 8/25--NO CLASS: Work on Country Study Assignment
D-day 8/26----Reading: "Gendercide" and "The Payoff from Women's Rights" (download)
E-day 8/29--Reading: "Almond pp. 11-17" (download) and "As Arab Spring Turns Violent. . ." (link)
F-day 8/30--Reading: "Almond pp. 17-29" (download)
A-day 9/1--Country Study Assignment 1 due
B-day 9/2--Reading: "International Migration in a Globalizing World" (download from LFA course website)
Unit 2--Intellectual Foundations of Government
C-day 9/6--Reading: "A Brief History of Human Liberty" pp. 29-45 (download from LFA course website
D-day 9/7--Reading: "A Brief History of Human Liberty" pp. 45-58
E-day 9/8--Reading: "Excerpts from Locke's Second Treatise" (download)
F-day 9/9--Reading: "Readings on Classical Republicanism" (download)
A-day 9/13--NO CLASS (History Department Day)
B-day 9/14--Reading: "Excerpts from the Communist Manifesto" (download)
C-day 9/15--Reading: "State Capitalism: What It Is and How It Happened" pp. 43-63 (download)
D-day 9/16--Reading: "State Capitalism: What It Is and How It Happened" pp. 63-83
E-day 9/19--Assignment: Do research to shed light on where your country belongs on the continuum between state capitalism and free market capitalism. In particular, investigate the use of nationalized oil and gas companies and other SOEs, resource nationalism, national champions, and sovereign wealth funds. (Remember, just the existence of SOEs and/or SWFs does not prove state capitalism. The critical feature is the use of state intervention in the economy for political reasons rather than to maximize profits and help the national economy generally.) We will discuss vigorously!
F-day 9/20--Quiz--Unit 2
-Prepare by completing and reviewing the Natural Rights/Classical Republicanism/Marxism worksheet we've been going over in class.
A-day 9/22--Reading: "Affordable Housing Reading 1" (download)
Unit 3--Constitutionalism
B-day 9/23--Reading: "Excerpts from Michael Kammen" (download)
C-day 9/26--Reading: "Excerpts from Robert Dahl" (download)
D-day 9/27--Reading: "Democracy and the American Revolution" (download)
E-day 9/28--work on CS2
In class: Edmund Burke, Speech to the Electors of Bristol
F-day 9/29--work on CS2
In class: Federalist 10
A-day 10/3--NO CLASS--take the time to work on CS2
B-day 10/4--Country Study Assignment 2 DUE (originally due 10/3)
C-day 10/5--Reading: Federalist 51
D-day 10/6--Reading: U.S. Constitution, Preamble and Article I (Download reading questions from LFA website)
E-day 10/7--Reading: U.S. Constitution, Articles II-VII (download reading questions)
F-day 10/11--Reading: U.S. Constitution, Amendments I-XXVII (download reading questions)
A-day 10/13--Open Constitution Test
Unit 4--Institutions and Institutional Design
B-day 10/17--Reading: "Judicial Review and Federalism" (download from the LFA website and post a discussion question)
C-day 10/18--Reading: "Federalism Reading 1" (download from the LFA website and post a discussion question)
D-day 10/19--Reading: "Federalism Reading 2" (download from the LFA website and post a discussion question)
E-day 10/20--Reading: "Congress Reading 1"
F-day 10/21--catch up day
A-day 10/25--Reading: "Congress Reading 2"
B-day 10/26--Reading: "Ronald Reagan and Executive Power"
C-day 10/27--work on CS3 assignments
D-day 10/28--Country Study Assignment 3 due
E-day 10/31--CS3 wrap-up (discussion)
Unit 5--Linkage Institutions
F-day 11/1--Reading: "People and Politics 1"
A-day 11/2--Reading: "People and Politics 2"
B-day 11/3
C-day 11/7--Obama Bibliography Due
D-day 11/8
E-day 11/10--Country Study Assignment 4 Due
F-day 11/11
B-day 11/15
C-day 11/16--Townhall Meeting Essay Due
D-day 11/17--Come prepared with talking points for a debate on Obama's presidency tomorrow in class. Be prepared to argue on the same topic and position that you did in your Townhall Meeting Essay.
E-day 11/18
F-day 11/21
THANKSGIVING BREAK
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