Objectives

As the drawing on the home page makes clear, we cannot hide from the world--even here in Charlotte. The actions of other countries and the interactions of the global economy increasingly intrude into our lives, affecting more and more of what we do. No matter the profession, it is becoming ever more important to understand now the international community operates and the place of the United States in it. An introductory course in comparative politics furthers this understanding by examining the differing ways people around the world are governed. By comparing various polities with one another we learn more; we learn more about what problems confront all countries, what patterns are persistent, and what characteristics are unique. By including the United States in those comparisons we learn more about how our country is both similar to and different from other polities around the world. 

During the course we will focus on the political arrangements and current politics of six countries: the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Russia, and Nigeria. Having some familiarity with the politics and policies of these countries will allow us to see patterns of similarity and difference. We will also use these case studies to deepen our understanding of democracy: what it is, the different ways it can be expressed, how to get it if you don't have it, and its relationship to the economy. 

Readings

Readings for this course will come from three sources. One is the basic text: 

Charles Hauss, Comparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global Challenges. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2000. [hereafter Hauss] 

Christian Søe, Annual Editions 00/01: Comparative Politics. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 2000. [hereafter AE]

The third source is the Internet. Several on-line readings have been identified with access provided from the course web-pages. 

Further, all students will be expected to subscribe to The Economist, a weekly news magazine based in London, through the in-class bulk-sales program. Details will be provided in class. 

Internet

The Internet is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for keeping abreast of international developments and thus plays an important role in this class. In that vein, I have created a series of web-pages to support this course. Not only is this syllabus available there, but that is where you will locate assignment guidelines, links to on-line readings, and study guides. Another feature is a set of annotated links to sites you might find of use for conducting research on your assignments or simply to extend for understanding of concepts or issues introduced in this course. Besides my web-pages, the textbook publisher also maintains a web-site to support the Hauss book. 

Requirements

Participation. Active participation during class periods is very important. This may be an introductory class, but it will not be one where infrequent attendance and passive learning will be very successful. I firmly believe that it is only by asking questions and formulating answers that you will come to know this material. 

Written Assignments. There will be three short written assignments. The deadline for each is noted in the course timetable. 

Current Issue Commentaries. A major objective of this course is to make you more aware of current global political issues and, by analyzing them with the tools you will learning, to make these issues more understandable. To that end everyone will be reading The Economist and we will devote time each week to a discussion of current international issues in the news. To facilitate the discussion, twice during the semester you will prepare a one-page commentary on one of the identified articles in The Economist. Preparing the commentary will certainly involve reading the article and may require you to do a little background research to say something insightful. 

Quizzes. There will be 12 weekly quizzes. Each will cover the readings, class material and current events presented during the previous week. The quizzes will be open-book and most will be conducted on-line. The top 10 of the 12 scores will count toward your grade. 

Examinations. There will but one exam; a final that will be held during the designated time Monday, December 11, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. The exam will be cumulative and will consist of a combination of short-answer and essay questions that will ask you to make comparisons and integrate material. You will receive a list of all the possible essay questions at least one week before the exam. I will select two or three of those questions for inclusion on the exam. 

Note that all exams must be written in blue books (available at the UNC-Charlotte Bookstore). You must turn in a blue book to me during the review session on Dec. 4 in order to take the examination. 

Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on the number of points you earn in satisfying the course requirements. There are a maximum of 700 points that can be earned, divided as follows: 
 

Requirement	Each  Worth  (points)	Total  (points)	Comments
Participation/Attendance	---	40	based on regular attendance and consistent participation
Written Assignments	varies	110	there are 3
Current Issues Analyses	50	100
Quizzes	30	300	Top 10 scores out of 12 quizzes will count
Final Exam	150	150
Total		700

If you earn 630 or more points during the course, you will receive an A; 560 to 629 points will give you a B, 490 to 559 points a C, 420 to 489 a D. An F will be awarded to those with fewer than 420 points.