GISDepartment of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies

This advanced comparative politics course is designed to significantly enhance students’ comprehension of the subject matter by broadening and deepening their knowledge, as well as enhancing their problem-solving abilities. Building upon the foundational concepts covered in “Introduction to Comparative Politics,” the course navigates into more intricate aspects, facilitating a comprehensive exploration of the crises and challenges faced by political institutions. Specifically, the course undertakes a nuanced examination of the causes of crises and challenges to political institutions, requiring students to engage in a profound study encompassing modernization theory, its critics, nation-building, political development, parliamentary government, presidency, authoritarian institutions, regional institutions, the crisis of democracy, the populist explosion, a third wave of autocratization, and inequality. The overarching goal is not only to develop a nuanced understanding of these critical topics but also to present a promising avenue for enhancing students’ problem-solving abilities. This strategic approach aims to empower students with the tools to address real-world challenges within political institutions and to actively contribute to the improvement of political institutions, fostering a comprehensive skill set that goes beyond theoretical knowledge.

The goal of this course is to help the student sharpen their “skills” as a critical thinker, an analyst, and an effective communicator. It is hoped that by the end of the semester you will find the course to be informative, interesting and enjoyable.

Will be able to gain “DP 1”, “DP 2”, “DP 3”, and “DP 4”.

英語 / English

Students are expected to engage in an appropriate amount of reading and will be evaluated through class participation, a mid-term exam, presentation, and short essay.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[オンライン/online]：Introduction

Introduction

2[対面/face to face]：Theoretical Approach: Modernization Theory and its Critics

Samuel P. Huntington. 2006. “Political Order and Political Decay.” In Political Order in Changing Societies. New York: Yale University Press.

3[対面/face to face]：The Historical Context: Nation-Building and Political Development

Francis Fukuyama. 2015. “What is Political Development?” In Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy. New York: Profile Book.

4[対面/face to face]：Parliamentary Government

Arend Lijphart. 2012. “The Westminster Model of Democracy.” In Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries. Yale University Press.

5[対面/face to face]：Presidency

Matthew Søberg Shugart. 2008. “Comparative Executive-Legislative Relations.” In The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions. R. A. W. Rhodes and Sarah Binder (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6[対面/face to face]：Authoritarian Institutions

Daniel Bell. 2016. “Preface to the Paperback Edition.” In The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

7[対面/face to face]：Beyond the Nation-State: Regional Institutions

Donald J. Puchala. 2000. “Building Peace in Pieces: The Promise of European Unity.” In The Global Agenda, Charles Kegley and Eugene Wittkopf (eds.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

8[対面/face to face]：Mid-term exam

Review

9[対面/face to face]：The Crisis of Democracy: Political Decay

Francis Fukuyama. 2015. “America the Vetocracy.” In Political Order and Political Decay.

10[対面/face to face]：The Populist Explosion: Populism and Euroscepticism

John B. Judis. 2016. “The Rise of European Populism.” In The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics. Columbia Global Reports.

11[対面/face to face]：A Third Wave of Autocratization

Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman. 2023. “Fear and Spin.” Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

12[対面/face to face]：Industrial Policy and Its Discontents: Inequality and Supercapitalism

Robert Reich. 2008. “The Paradox.” In Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life, New York: Vintage.

13[対面/face to face]：Regime Change, Devolution, Participatory Mechanisms, and New Technologies?

No readings assigned
Recommended:
Lisa Anderson. 2011. “Demystifying the Arab Spring: Parsing the Differences between Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.” Foreign Affairs 90 (3): 2-7.
Arend Lijphart. 2012. “Prefaces,” “Introduction,” and “Conclusion,” Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries. Yale University Press.
The World Bank Group. 2013. “Decentralization.” June 6.
Ronan Farrow. 2022. “How Democracies Spy on Their Citizens.” The New Yorker. April 18.

14[対面/face to face]：Oral Presentation

Students must present your chosen essay topics to your peers. You are expected not only to provide an analysis for the identified issue but also to propose fresh ideas for the improvement of political institutions. The oral presentation should be around 5-6 minutes.

In order to get the most out of class, you must be prepared when you come to class. Students are required to complete the readings prior to class meetings and to come to class ready to discuss them. I expect everyone to participate actively in the discussion of the day. The class is organized around the required readings and their topics. Every student should be able to summarize, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate each assigned reading by addressing the following questions:
i. What is the author’s purpose?
ii. What is the basic theme(s) or argument(s) of the reading?
iii. What are the most important historical events, information, concepts, etc. discussed in the reading?
iv. How does this reading relate to the other readings and to the central themes of the course?
v. How powerful or weak is the argument and the evidence? Why?

A course packet containing assigned articles and book chapters will be posted in Hoppii.

Francis Fukuyama. 2015. Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy. New York: Profile Book.

class participation (20%), a mid-term exam (30%), presentation (20%), and short essay (30%)

Nothing in particular.

• If you have any questions or complications that we should be aware, feel free to contact me. The best way to contact me is probably through email. My email address: samsangjo@gmail.com

• The class will be structured around what I call a class dialogue in which information, knowledge, and thought will be generated through lecture, discussion and, in particular, the Socratic method. I will often play the role of provocateur and advocate to stimulate participation. The class dialogue emphasizes the importance of student participation and active learning as a means to improve one’s skills, interest, information, knowledge, and, ultimately, understanding. In essence, class discussions will consist of an active exchange between the student and professor.

None.