- Spring 2017
Additional Details:
POL S 442/JSISa 408
Professor Susan Whiting
Office: 147 Gowen Hall, 543-9163
E-mail: swhiting@u.washington.edu
Course Description
China is now the second largest economy in the world and a growing global power; at the same time, it faces considerable governance challenges. This upper-division course provides an in-depth analysis of the political history, institutions, and governance issues facing China. It highlights several major themes from the twentieth century to the present: the role of nationalism, the changing place of markets and private property, and the shifting penetration of the state from the center to the grassroots. The first part of the course addresses China’s modern political history and provides an essential foundation for subsequent topics. It addresses the collapse of imperial China in social and ideological terms, the formation of political parties, revolutionary change, state-building, the planned economy, and the re-introduction of markets. The second part of the course focuses on the political institutions that govern China today, including the organization of the party-state, how the state controls its own agents, how it uses elections, and how it attempts to control civil society and the media. The final part of the course uses the foundations of political history and political institutions to analyze crucial issues facing China today, including labor and environmental conditions, inequality and social welfare, minority rights, contemporary nationalism, and relations with Taiwan.
Course Requirements
The first requirement of the course is participation. The more actively you participate, the more you learn. Successful participation is based on completion of all readings, assignments, quizzes, and in-class activities. All forms of participation together constitute 25% of the final grade.
Second, students will take an in-class midterm exam (20%) and a take-home final exam (30%).
Third, a term paper—not to exceed 10 double-spaced pages—is required (25%). W credit is optional.
Course Materials
Assigned reading selections are available on Canvas. Journal articles marked “full text online” are available in the UW Library E-Journals collection.