Synopsis of Course Content
This seminar explores the causes and consequences of policy change.
Why is policy change often incremental? In what circumstances is
radical change effected? The course is comparative in nature with
the countries to be covered to be determined by student interest.
Students will conduct independent research and write a major research paper
or an equivalent multimedia project. The seminar serves the needs
of both Political Studies and International/Intercultural Studies concentrators.
The course is designed to serve seniors who have an extensive background in the fields of Political Studies and International/Intercultural Studies and who have some well defined interests within these fields. It will be especially appropriate for students contemplating writing a senior thesis or applying for post-graduate fellowships such as the Fulbright or Watson. The course will function as a research workshop in which critiquing the work of one's classmates is as important as designing one's own project. As such the course is writing-intensive (the research project is broken down into defined stages and much re-thinking and re-writing will be required) rather than reading-intensive. The subject matter to be covered and the class discussions to take place will be determined by the interests and expertise of the students in the class.
Students interested in undertaking multimedia powerpoint- or web-based projects will be strongly encouraged to do so and will receive technical support and presentational advice from the Instuctor and a multimedia teaching assistant (Lara Bickell).
Course Requirements
Class participation and collaborative work with other students in the
class is especially important for this seminar. 30% of the course
grade will be determined by these efforts over the course of the semester.
Written work (or multimedia equivalent) will be evaluated as follows:
August 29
Course introduction and in-class writing exercises
September 5
Discussion of:
September 19
Political Change: discussion of some key texts (5-page book report
due on one of the following)
Robert Michels Political Parties (1913)
Theda Skocpol States and Social Revolutions: a comparative analysis
of France, Russia and China (1979)
Frances Piven and Richard Cloward Poor People's Movements: why they
succeed and why they fail. (1977)
Theda Skocpol Protecting soldiers and mothers : the political origins
of social policy in the United States (1992)
Benedict Andersen Imagined Communities (1991)
Frantz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth (1961)
A. Hochschild King Leopold's Ghost (1998)
Jared Diamond Guns, Germs and Steel: the fates of human societies
(1997)
September 26
Policy Change: discussion of some key texts (5-page book report
due on one of the following)
M. Olson The Logic of Collective Action (1965)
M. Olson The Rise and Decline of Nations The Rise and Decline of
Nations: economic growth, stagflation, and social
rigidities(1982)
P. Katzenstein Small States in World Markets (1985)
Gosta Esping-Andersen The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
(1990)
P. Pierson Dismantling the Welfare State? Reagan, Thatcher and the
Politics of Retrenchment (1994)
Benjamin Barber Jihad versus McWorld (1995)
G. Garrett Partisan Politics in the Global Economy (1998)
A. Giddens The Third Way and its Critics (2000)
October 3
Topics for research project: discussion. Web resources tutorial.
1-page idea identifying question/puzzle and case/cases due prior to
class
October 10
Proposals for research project: discussion. Library resources
tutorial.
2-page proposal plus bibliography due. Students must also submit
an article/chapter for classmates to read.
Fall Break
October 24
Literature Reviews: discussion
10-page survey of secondary literature due.
October 31
Hypotheses and Data Issues: discussion
Critiques of classmates literature reviews due
November 7 The Presidential Election: policy change?
An election night event!
George W. Bush on the Issues http://www.georgewbush.com/Issues.asp
Al Gore on the Issues http://www.algore.com/issues/
Ralph Nader on the Issues http://www.votenader.com/issues.html
Pat Buchanan on the Issues http://www.gopatgo2000.com/
November 14
Presentation Drafts
Full drafts of paper (20-25 pages, including footnotes and bibliography)
due
November 21
Formal Presentation of Research Findings I
Critiques of classmates papers due.
Thanksgiving Break November 22-27
November 28
Formal Presentation of Research Findings II
Critiques of classmates papers due.
December 5
Formal Presentation of Research Findings III
Critiques of classmates papers due.
Final Draft of Paper/Project due December 8.