SS366: Comparative Politics

SS366 Comparative Politics Overview Materials Welcome to SS366: Comparative Politics!  David Samuels, Comparative Politics, 2nd ed. (2018) Why are some countries torn by conflict while others are peaceful? Why are some rich while others are poor? Why do some democracies die and  SS366 Readings (available on others survive? These puzzles underscore the importance of understanding Blackboard) the causes of three sets of political phenomena: political stability/  Dean’s Documentation of instability, democracy/authoritarianism, and prosperity/poverty. Supporting Academic Work (DAW) the investigation of these outcomes, the course has four overarching goals: 1) Identify important questions that address the strength, weakness, or Milestones absence of stability, inclusion, and prosperity; First Day of Class 2) Apply the scientific method to these questions.

3) Develop the skills to critically evaluate the explanations.

4) Enable students to begin to design their own research. Writ

The question-driven approach of SS366 is organized into five blocks: Proposal Due states, regimes, society, political action, and political economy. Themes ______derived from these categories form the backbone of the course, including: the effect of variations in state-formation on political stability (State); the WPR influence of regime type – democratic or authoritarian -- on political and ______socio-economic performance (Regime); the determinants of democratization (Regime); the accelerants of identity politics and ethnic Lit Review & Theory Process Tracing conflict (Society); the causes of collective action and political violence Paper Due (Political Action); and the effects of political institutions on the distribution and growth of wealth (Political Economy). Final Paper Due ______

Format Term End Exam • 30 Lessons @ 75 min, with no labs • Major Assignments: research paper, writ, WPR, TEE • 3.0 Credit Hours • Prerequisites: SS202, Corequisites: SS307 or SS357

1 SS366: Comparative Politics

Course Objectives After studying the material in SS366, each cadet will be able to:

• Formulate clear research questions using appropriate social science theories and concepts. • Conduct a theory-test using process-tracing as a method. • Comprehend the origins of democracy and the resilience of authoritarian regimes. • Identify and analyze the conditions under which democracies emerge and endure or decay and collapse; understand the different institutional forms that democratic government might adopt and the consequences of these choices. • Evaluate the factors that prompt the politicization of identity (ethnicity, religion, gender) in different case studies. • Categorize and evaluate the variables that support collective political action, both peaceful and violent. • Understand the impact of globalization on state sovereignty, democracy, and economic development. • Effectively critique the efforts of scholars and peers to formulate and test social science arguments.

Requirements The graded requirements, worth a total possible 1,000 points, are: 1) Writ (50 Points)

2) WPR (100 Points)

3) Term End Exam (250 Points)

4) Course Research Paper (400 Points)

a. Paper Proposal (50 points): This states your puzzle/research question and contains an annotated bibliography with at least 7 separate theoretical works.

b. Literature Review and Theory Identification (150 Points): This is the first part of the paper. It includes your introduction, literature review, theory you will test, a process- tracing of that theory, and an operationalization of your variables.

c. Final Paper (200 Points): The final paper will include a revised introduction, literature review, methodology, evidence, analysis, and a conclusion. You must incorporate changes received from the previous submission, which will require some re-writing.

5) Instructor Points (200 Points) – Distribution discussed in class

2 SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Course Schedule

8/9 Jan Block 1: States 1 - Introduction – What is comparative politics? 10/13 Jan 2 - How do we use qualitative methods in CP? 15/16 Jan 3 - How do we use quantitative methods in CP? 17/21 Jan 4 - What is the state? 23/24 Jan 5 – How does state formation affect state strength? 27/28 Jan Block 2: Regimes - Writ 6 - What is democracy and authoritarianism? 30/31 Jan 7 – Why and how does democracy develop? Part One 3/4 Feb 8 – Why and how does democracy develop? Part Two 6/7 Feb - Proposal Due in class 9 – What varieties of democracy exist? 10/11 Feb 10 - What causes authoritarianism to endure? Part One 13/14 Feb 11 - What causes authoritarianism to endure? Part Two 18/19 Feb 12 - What varieties of authoritarianism exist? 20/21 Feb 13 - Why do democracies fail? 24/25 Feb 14 - Why do authoritarian regimes fail? 27/28 Feb 15 - Is democracy “better” than authoritarianism? 2/3 Mar - WPR 16 - WPR 4/5 Mar 17 –Film Viewing in class 16/17 Mar Block 3: Society 18 – How do political identities form? 19/20 Mar 19 - What is a nation? 24/31 Mar 20- How do religious identities affect politics? 30 Mar – Lit Review& Theory Paper Due Lit Review & Theory Process-Tracing due NLT 1600 26 Mar/2Apr 21- How can states govern across social divisions? 30 Mar/6 Apr Block 4: Political Action 22 - How do groups organize for political action within institutions? 3/9 Apr 23 - How do groups organize political action outside of institutions? 7/13 Apr 24 - What causes political violence? 10/15 Apr 25 - What explains the dynamics of political violence? 14/20 Apr 26 - What happens to society after violence ends? 16/23 Apr 27 - Can we end violence and (re)build states? 23 Apr – Final Paper Due Final Paper Due NLT 1600 21/29 Apr Block 5: Political Economy 28 - Why do some states redistribute wealth more than others? 24 Apr/4 May 29 - Why are some states wealthy and others poor? 5/6 May 30 – Does globalization help or hurt democracy?

5 Block I: States SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2 Learning Objective: Understand how different historical trajectories of state formation influence the legitimacy and effectiveness (ability to perform essential functions) of the state.

Lesson 1: Introduction – what is comparative politics?

Lesson Objective: Assigned Reading (22) Describe the objectives, relevance, and requirements  SS366 Course Syllabus. of SS366. Apply the scientific method to explain variation.  David Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 1: 4-25 Reading/Discussion Guide: 1. What are the main assignments of the course and what is expected of you in SS366?  V-Dem Annual Democracy Report 2019 (Available Online) 2. What kind of questions do we ask in Main Findings: 5 comparative politics? How are these different Section 1: State of the World 201 – Liberal from international relations? and Electoral Democracy: 10-26 (Skim) 3. What is the comparative method? The method of agreement/difference? 4. What is the current state of democracy in the world?

Lesson 2: How do we use qualitative Assigned Reading (31) methods in comparative politics? ▪ Stephen Van Evera. Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. Lesson Objective: 27-30 (“How can theories be tested?”) Describe how political scientists test theories using 50-67 (Chapter 2); Skim/review 7-15 case studies, and how to employ process-tracing as a method.  Michael Ross, “Oil, Islam, and Women,” American Political Science Review 120, Reading/Discussion Guide: (February 2008) 1. What are the main components of a political 107-110 (stop at “Data and Methods”), science study/paper? 117-121 2. How can we test theories using case study analysis? ▪ Political Science Research Framework 3. What is process tracing? (slide in course reader) 4. What theory does Ross test in “Oil, Islam, and women?” 5. Describe the method and logic that Ross uses. ▪ Optional: David Collier, Understanding Process Tracing,” PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol 44, No. 4 (October 2011) 823-830

6 SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 3: How do we use Assigned Reading (48) quantitative methods in comparative  Charles Wheelan, Naked statistics: politics? Stripping the dread from the data. WW Norton & Company, 2013. Lesson Objective: Chapter 11 and 12: 185-224 Interpret basic quantitative evidence while critically assessing the strengths and weakness of both ▪ Michael Desch, Cult of the Irrelevant: quantitative and qualitative methods. The Waning Influence of Social Science on National Security, Princeton Reading/Discussion Guide: University Press, 2019. 207-11 1. Why is regression analysis sometimes called (Section on “The Relevance Question in “the hydrogen bomb of statistics”? Political Science since the Late 1960s”) 2. What is the “coefficient,” “p-value,” and “R- squared”? What do they tell us? ▪ Michael Ross, “Oil, Islam, and Women,” 3. What are some common regression mistakes? American Political Science Review 120, How can we avoid them? (February 2008) 4. How do you interpret the regression results Ross 111-117 presents? How do these results complement his (Optional: Replication data for “Oil, case studies? Islam, and Women,” is available here) 5. According to Desch, what tensions exist

between rigor and relevance?

Lesson 4: What is the state? Assigned Reading (32)  David Samuels, Comparative Politics. Lesson Objective: Chapter 2: 29-35, 51-55 Describe the concepts of the state, government, and regime as well as state strength and scope.  Patrick O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Reading/Discussion Guide: Politics, W.W. Norton & Company, 2013: 1. What is a state? A government? A regime? 22-27. 2. What is state strength? Scope? 3. How do we measure state strength?  Francis Fukuyama, "The imperative of 4. What effect did CPA orders one and two have state-building." Journal of democracy 15, on the strength of the Iraqi state? no. 2 (2004): 17-31.

 Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 1 and Order Number 2

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 5: How does state formation Assigned Reading (28) affect state strength?  Seymour Martin Lipset, “Some Social Requisites of Democracy,” American Lesson Objective: Political Science Review 53, No. 1 (Mar Explain the historical forces that determine state 1959) formation and effectiveness. 86-87 (legitimacy and effectiveness)

Reading/Discussion Guide:  Charles Tilly, “War Making and State Making 1. How does a state gain and lose legitimacy? as Organized Crime,” in Bringing the State 2. What is a state and what does it mean for one to Back In, ed. Theda Skocpol (Cambridge: be strong? Cambridge Univ.Press, 1985) 3. How did European states become strong? 169-173; 183-184 4. Why does Tilly compare states to protection rackets? 5. How did the Crusades contribute to the  Lisa Blaydes and Christopher Paik, “The development of strong European states? Impact of Holy Land Crusades on State Formation: War Mobilization, Trade

Integration, and Political Development in Medieval Europe,” International Organization 70, (Summer 2016) 551-565, Interpret the Tables, conclusion 581-3

▪ Optional: Jeffrey Herbst, “War and the State in Africa,” International Security 14 No. 4 (Spring 1990), 117-139.

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Block II: Regimes Learning Objective: Describe the causes, effects and endurance of democratic and authoritarian regimes.

Lesson 6: What is democracy and Assigned Reading (38) authoritarianism? (Writ)  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 3: 59-66 (Democratic Political Lesson Objective: Regimes) Describe the basic characteristics of democratic and Chapter 4: 91-99 (Non-Democratic Political authoritarian regimes. Regimes)  Fareed Zakaria, “The Rise of Illiberal Reading/Discussion Guide: Democracy,” Foreign Affairs Nov 1997 1 1. What elements are necessary for us to consider a (The Next Wave and Democracy & country a democracy? A liberal democracy? Liberty) 2. What is an illiberal democracy?  Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. 3. Why do almost all countries in the world claim The dictator's handbook: why bad behavior is to be democracies? almost always good politics. Public Affairs, 4. Leaders in democracies are accountable to their 2011. 1-20. voters; are authoritarian leaders accountable to anyone?  Optional: Watch: CGP Grey: The Rules for Rulers

Lesson 7: Why does democracy Assigned Reading (32) develop? (Part one)  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 5: 121-133 Lesson Objective: Explain modernization and class conflict theories of  Mancur Olson, "Dictatorship, democracy, democratic regime change. Critically assess different and development." American Political theories of democratization. Science Review 87, no. 3 (1993) 573-574 (Section on “The Improbable Reading/Discussion Guide: Transition”) 1. What are the “class conflict,” and “modernization” theories of democratization?  Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel, 2. Mancur Olson’s article is a landmark in political "How development leads to democracy: science that has been cited over 3,000 times! What we know about modernization." Explain the causal logic of his democratization Foreign Affairs (2009) theory. 33-48 3. Explain the causal logic discussed in the Welzel and Inglehart article. What are the mechanisms ▪ Michael Bernhard, “The Moore Thesis: that produce democracy? What’s Left after 1989?” Democratization 23 4. What is Barrington Moore’s thesis? No.1 (2016): 119-120 (Moore’s argument)

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 8: Why does democracy Assigned Reading (28) develop? (Part two)  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 5: 134-144. Lesson Objective: Explain international and economic influences on ▪ Adam Przeworski, Jose Antonio Cheibub, democratic regime change. Critically assess different Fernando Papaterra Limongi Neto, and theories of democratization. Michael M. Alvarez. "What makes democracies endure?." Journal of Democracy Reading/Discussion Guide: 7, no. 1 (1996): 39-43 (stop at effect of 1. How does the explanation of the role of institutions) economic development in fostering democracy presented by Przeworski et al differ from those  Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, and Michael D. explored in lesson 7? Ward, “Diffusion and the international 2. In what ways can international forces effect a context of democratization." International country’s domestic political regime? Organization 60, no. 4 (2006):

911-921, Examine Table 1 on 925, read conclusion on 930

Lesson 9: What varieties of Assigned Reading (31) democracy exist? (UK) ▪ Samuels, Chapter 3: 78-86

Lesson Objective: ▪ Alfred Stepan and Cindy Skach, Describe different institutional configurations of "Constitutional frameworks and democracies. Assess the effects of these different democratic consolidation: institutional configurations. parliamentarianism versus presidentialism." World Politics 46, no. 1 Reading/Discussion Guide: (1993): 1-22 1. What distinguishes a parliamentary from a

presidential system? ▪ Adam Przeworski, Jose Antonio Cheibub, 2. Which institutional configuration appears to Fernando Papaterra Limongi Neto, and better promote democratic consolidation? Michael M. Alvarez. "What makes What distinguishes majoritarian from 3. democracies endure?." Journal of Democracy proportional electoral systems? 7, no. 1 (1996): 43-49

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 10: What causes Assigned Reading (15 + podcast) authoritarianism to endure? Part one:  Jason Brownlee, Tarek Masoud, & The MENA region Andrew Reynolds, “Why the Modest Harvest?” Journal of Democracy 24 No.4 (Oct 2013) Lesson Objective: Explain the persistence of authoritarianism in the 29-43 MENA region and how key variables here might apply to other cases.  Listen: NPR Planet Money Episode 681: “The Oil Kingdom” Reading/Discussion Guide: 1. Why might oil have something to do with the ▪ Optional: Lisa Blaydes and Eric Chaney. MENA’s democratic deficit? "The feudal revolution and Europe's rise: 2. What does hereditary rule signal that has Political divergence of the Christian west implications for a dictator’s ability to withstand and the Muslim world before 1500 CE." a challenge? American Political Science Review 107, 3. Political scientists describe Saudi Arabia as a no. 1 (2013) “rentier state.” What does this mean and what is 16-33. the impact on regime type?

Lesson 11: What causes Assigned Reading (31) authoritarianism to endure? Part two:  Andrew Nathan, "The puzzle of the China Chinese middle class." Journal of Democracy 27, no. 2 (2016) Lesson Objective: 5-19 Explain the persistence of authoritarianism in China and how key variables might apply in other cases. • Minxin Pei, "Is CCP rule fragile or resilient?" Journal of Democracy 23, no. 1 Reading/Discussion Guide: (2012): 27-41 1. Why might the Chinese middle class not create the democratic pressure we might expect?  Gary King, Jennifer Pan, and Margaret E. 2. According to Pei, how does the CCP maintain Roberts, "Reverse-engineering censorship control in China? in China: Randomized experimentation 3. What techniques do the CCP use? and participant observation," Science, 4. What similarities exist between regimes in 345, Iss. 6199 (August 2014) China and the MENA region?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 12: What varieties of Assigned Reading (28) authoritarianism exist?  Jennifer Gandhi and Adam Przeworski. "Authoritarian institutions and the Lesson Objective: survival of autocrats." Comparative Describe institutional variations in authoritarian Political Studies 40, no. 11 (2007) institutions. 1279-1293.

Reading/Discussion Guide:  Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way. "The Why would an authoritarian leader choose to 1. rise of competitive authoritarianism." hold elections? Journal of Democracy 13, no. 2 (2002) 2. What purpose do elections and elected officials 51-65. serve for an authoritarian ruler? 3. What are the characteristics that describe a “competitive authoritarian” regime? 4. How might a state become a “competitive authoritarian” regime?

Lesson 13: Why do democracies fail? Assigned Reading (48)  Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, How Lesson Objective: Democracies Die. Crown, 2018. 11-19, Explain the forces that cause liberal democracies to 72-96 transform into non-democracies. Analyze recent cases of democratic failure.  Nancy Bermeo, "On democratic Reading/Discussion Guide: backsliding." Journal of Democracy 27, 1. How do modern transitions from democracy to no. 1 (2016) non-democracy differ from those during the 5-18 Cold War? 2. What steps do Levitsky and Ziblatt see as  “How Poland is Weakening Democracy,” progressing to the eventual death of a The Economist, 25 Jul 2017 democracy? 3. How do we see the forces described by Bermeo, Levitsky, and Ziblatt at work in Poland? 4. Do you see evidence of democratic backsliding in any other countries?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 14: Why do authoritarian Assigned Reading (47) regimes fail?  Beatriz Magaloni, "The demise of Mexico’s one-party dominant regime." Lesson Objective: The third wave of democratization in Explain which variables are most important in Latin America: advances and setbacks causing the collapse of a single-party regime. (2005): 121-146 Reading/Discussion Guide: 1. Why did the Mexican PRI voluntarily give up  Valerie J. Bunce and Sharon L. Wolchik, their domination of the electoral commission? "Defeating dictators: Electoral change and 2. What aspects of authoritarian resilience were stability in competitive authoritarian present in Mexico prior to the 1990s, and how regimes." World Politics 62, no. 1 (2010): they did they eventually fail? 43-47, 59-77 3. What distinguished elections that led to revolutions from those that did not? 4. Are authoritarian regime failures the result of structure (institutions) or agency (choices that people make)?

Lesson 15: Is democracy “better” Assigned Reading (33) than dictatorship?  Casey Mulligan, Ricard Gil, and Xavier Sala-i-Martin, "Do democracies have Lesson Objective: different public policies than non- Critically assess policy differences between regime democracies?" Journal of Economic types. Normatively evaluate whether democracy has Perspectives 18, no. 1 (2004): more to offer than authoritarian regimes. 51-64, 71-72

Reading/Discussion Guide:  Adam Przeworski, "Democracy: A never- 1. According to Mulligan et al, in what ways do ending quest." Annual Review of Political the policies enacted differ? In what ways are Science 19 (2016): 6-9 they similar?

2. According to Przeworski, what is the cardinal virtue of democracy?  Robert Dahl, On Democracy. Yale University 3. What relationship does Dahl see between Press, 1998. democracy and the ability to make moral 44-61, 69-74, 78-80 choices? 4. If a form of “guardianship” delivered greater prosperity than democracy, should we still choose democracy?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 16: WPR Assigned Reading  Review materials from blocks one and Lesson Objective: two. To assess understanding of states and regimes.

The WPR will occur during our regular class time.

Lesson 17: Film Viewing: Democrats Assigned Reading

(2015)  Watch the official trailer for Democrats (2015) Lesson Objective (L.O.): Critically assess how comparative politics theories  Review your notes from Lesson 9, 10, and play out on the ground by studying the case of 14. Prepare to look for similarities constitutional reform in Zimbabwe. between ZANU-PF’s mechanisms of control and those of other dictatorships Reading/Discussion Guide: we’ve studied. 1. What aspects of competitive authoritarianism do

you see in Zimbabwe? 2. How does ZANU-PF remain in power despite its horrendous management of the economy in Zimbabwe? 3. How effective will Zimbabwe’s new constitution be in ushering in more accountability and democracy?

Block III: Society SS366: Comparative Politics Learning Objective: Identify and understand the politicization of identity (ethnic, religious,AY 20-2 class), and what factors accelerate or alleviate ethnic conflict.

Lesson 18: How do political identities Assigned Reading (36) form?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 6: 150-172 Lesson Objective: Critically assess the evidence for whether political  Daniel N. Posner, "The political salience identities are primordial or socially constructed. of cultural difference: Why Chewas and Tumbukas are allies in Zambia and Reading/Discussion Guide: adversaries in Malawi." American 1. What are social cleavages? Political Science Review 98, no. 4 (2004) 2. What is the constructivist explanation of 529-544 political identity and how does it contrast with the primordial explanation? 3. Why are the Chewas and Tumbukas adversaries in Malawi, but allies in Zambia? Which theory of political identity does this case appear to support?

Lesson 19: What is a nation? Assigned Reading (34)

• Lowell W. Barrington, “’Nation’ and Lesson Objective: ‘Nationalism:’ The Misuse of Key Describe nationalism. Explain the origins of Concepts in Political Science,” PS: nationalism and its political effects. Political Science and Politics 30 No. 4 (Dec 1997): Reading/Discussion Guide: 712-716 1. What caused states to begin emphasizing national narratives? What purpose do these narratives serve? ▪ Keith Darden and Anna Grzymala- 2. How does nationalism impact legitimacy? Busse. "The great divide: Literacy, 3. What role does nationalism play in explaining nationalism, and the communist why some communist regimes fell and others collapse." World Politics 59, no. 1 endured? What transmission mechanisms (2006): 83-112 existed? 4. How is nationalism related to ethnic cleansing and genocide?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 20: How do religious identities Assigned Reading (49) affect politics – and vice versa?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 7: 177-201 Lesson Objective: Describe both how religious actors can influence  Robert D. Woodberry, "The missionary domestic institutions and how political elites can roots of liberal democracy." American instrumentalize religious identities. Political Science Review 106, no 2 (2012) Reading/Discussion Guide: 244-258, Tables 3 and 4, 267-270 1. What is the relationship between religious identification and democracy? 2. How might Protestant missionaries have  Lisa Blaydes and Drew A. Linzer. "Elite contributed to the development of democracy in competition, religiosity, and anti- Africa and Asia? Americanism in the Islamic world." 3. What relationship does Islam have to anti- American Political Science Review 106, American sentiment in the MENA region? no. 2 (2012) 4. What links exist between these pieces and 225-230, Figure 2 and 3, 237-241 theories from previous lessons?

Lesson 21: How can states govern Assigned Reading (39) across social divisions?  Arend Lijphart, "Constitutional design for divided societies." Journal of Lesson Objective: Democracy 15, no. 2 (2004) Describe different institutional approaches to 96-109 managing diversity within a state. Critically assess competing evidence for the effectiveness of these  Melani Cammett and Edmund Malesky, approaches. "Power sharing in postconflict societies: implications for peace and governance." Reading/Discussion Guide: Journal of Conflict Resolution 56, no. 6 1. What is consociationalism? (2012) 2. Identify the institutional configurations Lijphart 982-1009 recommends for managing social divisions. 3. What are Cammett & Malesky’s findings? Optional: Web Appendix 7 4. What is the purpose of the Croatia case study 693-695, Figure 1, 702-706 found in Web Appendix 7?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Block IV: Organizing for Political Action

Learning Objective: Understand the collective action problem and the origins, effectiveness, and endurance of violent and non-violent means of political action. Evaluate the conditions that support collective action, both peaceful and violent.

Lesson 22: How do groups organize Assigned Reading (32) for political action within institutions?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 9: 233-258 Lesson Objective: Describe how and why states institutionalize avenues  Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective of political participation. Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, Vol. 124. Harvard University Reading/Discussion Guide: Press, 1965. 1. What is the collective action problem? How can 13-16, 33-36 we resolve it? 2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of corporatism and pluralism? 3. What role do political parties play and how are they formed? 4. What is the difference between closed and open party systems?

Lesson 23: How do groups organize Assigned Reading (52) for political action outside of  Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan, institutions? "Why civil resistance works: The strategic logic of nonviolent conflict." International Security 33, no. 1 (2008): Lesson Objective: Describe how citizens mobilize independently of the 7-44 state to effect political change.  Timur Kuran, "Now out of never: The Reading/Discussion Guide: element of surprise in the East European 1. What is civil resistance and what makes it revolution of 1989." World Politics 44, effective? no. 1 (1991) 2. Why do social revolutions tend to come about so 12-25, 33-48 (Skim) unexpectedly? 3. Do you observe any of relationships hypothesized

by Stephan & Chenoweth in action during

Kuran’s description of fall of the USSR?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 24: What causes political Assigned Reading (36) violence?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 10: 264-73; 274-287 (Skim) Lesson Objective: Critically assess competing explanations in the James D. Fearon and David D. Laitin, “grievance vs opportunity” debate. Explain the social "Ethnicity, insurgency, and civil war." incentives of terrorism. American Political Science Review 97, no. 1 (2003) 75-89 Reading/Discussion Guide:

1. What IV groupings does Samuels offer to address why civil wars occur?  Lars-Erik Cederman, Nils Weidmann, & 2. According to Fearon and Laitin, what variables Kristian Skrede Gleditsch. "Horizontal best predict the civil war risk of a given country? inequalities and ethnonationalist civil 3. How does Cederman et al’s explanation differ war: A global comparison." American from Fearon and Laitin’s? Political Science Review 105, no. 3 4. How does the way Cederman et al measure (2011) inequality differ from the way Fearon and Laitin 478-492 do? Which is most appropriate for the research question? Optional: Max Abrahms, "What terrorists really want: Terrorist motives and counterterrorism strategy" International Security 32, no. 4 (2008) 78-81, 93-103

Lesson 25: What explains the Assigned Reading (32) dynamics of political violence? ▪ Macartan Humphreys and Jeremy M. Weinstein. "Handling and manhandling Lesson Objective: civilians in civil war." American Explain several causes of violence towards civilians. Political Science Review 100, no. 3 Describe why some armed groups turn violent toward (2006): 429-445 civilians, while others do not. ▪ Dara Kay Cohen, "Explaining rape Reading/Discussion Guide: during civil war: Cross-national 1. Why is violence towards civilians a puzzle? evidence (1980–2009)." American 2. Why might states attack civilians? Political Science Review 107, no. 3 3. Why do some groups commit mass sexual (2013): 461-476 violence while others do not?

Optional: Laia Balcells and Stathis N. Kalyvas. "Does warfare matter? Severity, duration, and outcomes of civil wars." Journal of Conflict Resolution 58, no. 8 (2014): 1390-1412

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 26: What happens to society Assigned Reading (41) after violence ends?  Christopher Blattman, "From violence to voting: War and political participation in Lesson Objective: Uganda." American Political Science Explain how exposure to political violence changes Review 103, no. 2 (2009) the future behavior of a society. 231-245

Reading/Discussion Guide:  Avidit Acharya, Matthew Blackwell, 1. According to Blattman, how did the future and Maya Sen. "The political legacy of political behavior of those forcibly recruited American slavery." The Journal of differ from those who joined voluntarily? Politics 78, no. 3 (2016) 2. What is the causal logic explaining how the 621-628, 632-639 institution of slavery influences present day political attitudes in the US? 3. How can slave raids that occurred hundreds of  Nathan Nunn and Leonard Wantchekon. years ago explain variation in today’s African "The slave trade and the origins of societies? mistrust in Africa." American Economic Review 101, no. 7 (2011): 3221-3228, 3235-3237, 3249-3250

Lesson 27: Can we end violence and Assigned Reading (33)

(re)build states? ▪ Eva Bellin, "The Iraqi intervention and democracy in comparative historical Lesson Objective: perspective." Political Science Quarterly Describe attempts at conflict resolution and 119, no. 4 (2004): 595-608 statebuilding. Apply theories of comparative politics to evaluate the prospects for success. ▪ David Lake, "The practice and theory of US statebuilding." Journal of Reading/Discussion Guide: Intervention and Statebuilding 4, no. 3 1. Why are the post-war occupations of Germany (2010): and Japan poor comparisons for the US effort in 257-275 Iraq? 2. What cases might serve as better comparisons to the US effort in Iraq? Optional: Macartan Humphreys and 3. What are the three different models of Jeremy M. Weinstein. "Demobilization statebuilding and how do they relate to IR and reintegration." Journal of Conflict worldviews? Resolution 51, no. 4 (2007) 531-536, 543-554, 562-564

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Block V: Political Economy

Learning Objective: Understand how political institutions and identities affect the distribution and growth of wealth.

Lesson 28: Why do some states Assigned Reading (38) redistribute wealth more than others?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 12: 324-340; skim 341-350 Lesson Objective: Explain what causes different levels of wealth  Alberto Alesina and Edward Ludwig redistribution. Glaeser. Fighting poverty in the US and Europe: A world of difference. Oxford Reading/Discussion Guide: University Press, 2004. 1. Why do states take such different approaches to Chapter 6: Race and Redistribution wealth distribution? 146-154, 177-181 2. What role do electoral institutions play in

determining how much a state redistributes? 3. What effect does ethnic composition have on the  Torben Iversen and Anne Wren, “Equality, amount a state redistributes? Employment, and Budgetary Restraint: 4. What is the trilemma that Iverson and Wren The Trilemma of the Service Economy,” discuss? 50 World Pol. 507 (1998) 507-516; 544-546

Optional: Torben Iversen and David Soskice. "Electoral institutions and the politics of coalitions: Why some democracies redistribute more than others." American Political Science Review 100, no. 2 (2006) 165- 175

Lesson 29: Why are some states Assigned Reading (29) wealthy and others poor?  Samuels, Comparative Politics. Chapter 11: 294-6; 301-4; 312-9 Lesson Objective: Explain the political causes of poverty and economic growth. ▪ Daron Acemoglu, "Root causes." Finance & Development 40, no. 2 Reading/Discussion Guide: (2003): 27-30 1. What is the role of regime type on economic development? Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Hilton L. 2. Why are institutions so important to economic Root. "The political roots of poverty: development? The economic logic of autocracy." 3. Why have so few changes occurred to National Interest 68 (2002): 27-37 problematic colonial institutions?

SS366: Comparative Politics AY 20-2

Lesson 30: Does globalization help Assigned Reading (17) or hurt democracy?  Dani Rodrik, "Populism and the Economics of Globalization." Journal of AND International Business Policy (2018): 12-28 What are the key themes we have discussed in SS366 ? Optional: Bonnie M. Meguid, “Competition between unequals: The role of mainstream party strategy in niche party success.” Lesson Objective: American Political Science Review 99, no. 3 Describe how globalization affects domestic political (2005) institutions. 347-350, 353-357 Reading/Discussion Guide: 1. What is globalization and how does it affect Optional: Andrew Moravcsik, "The origins domestic political regimes and the incentives that of human rights regimes: Democratic they face? delegation in postwar Europe." International 2. What is populism? What is the connection Organization 54, no. 2 (2000) between populism and globalization? 217-233 3. What strategies are most effective for draining support from populist parties?

4. How can you organize and utilize the material

that we’ve discussed during the course to address some of the major questions in Comparative Politics?