- Spring 2023
Syllabus Description:
Course Description:
The study of global democracy shapes the two most important investigations in the study of modern political science: 1) who governs? and 2) what are the consequences of who governs for the governed?
Democracies now form the most common regime type around the world, but not without having faced significant problems of transitions to, and performance of, representative forms of government. As a result, the state of democracy in the world is far from healthy or perfect, and many threats remain or continue to arise to threaten the growth and consolidation of democratic regimes in many countries.
To understand the opportunities and challenges posed by democratic forms of government, we will cover topics in the comparative study of contemporary politics as it relates to the development of the state, the growth and consolidation of democratic regimes, the persistence of non-democratic and hybrid regimes, economic growth, ethnicity, and political violence.
Required Readings:
Textbooks (available at UW bookstore, online, and via e-book):
- Patrick H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, 7th edition, Norton, 2020. [6th edition acceptable but no earlier editions.]
- Patrick H. O’Neil, Karl Fields, and Don Share. Cases in Comparative Politics, 7th edition, Norton, 2020. [6th edition acceptable but no earlier editions.]
All other readings will be provided by Professor Long and available on Canvas.
Students will also be responsible for listening to podcast episodes for two series – “Neither Free Nor Fair?” and the “Political Economy Forum” – both produced at the University of Washington. Individual episodes are linked below, but students may also wish to subscribe to the podcast wherever they listen – it is available on all platforms (and can be listened to online with a computer at the links below).
To remain good students, engaged citizens, and for success in this class, students should consume a regular diet of global news from reputable sources such as The New York Times, Washington Post, PBS/NPR, BBC, Al Jazeera English, among others. Professor Long also tweets at @prof_jameslong, where he often has links or short commentary on current events.
Course Evaluation:
Quiz Section: 30%
Midterm: 30%
Final Exam: 40%