comparative politics

Suggested reading: Answell, B., & Samuels, D. (2014). Inequality and Democratization: An Elite-

competition approach. Cambridge University Press, 61-92.

Topic VI – Authoriarian regimes and authocratization.

This topic shall address issues such as the emergence, consilidation and breakdown of authoritarian regimes. On the other hand, the seminar discussion will focus on the modes of legitimation of authoriatarian regimes and highlight the current waves of authocratization.

Mandatory reading:Brooker, P. (2014). Non-democratic regimes. Palgrave Macmillan, 106-132.

Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2018). How dictatorships work: Power, personalization and collapse. Ch. 8, pp. 177-211.

Week VII – Structure and institutions: Parliamentary and Presidential system

The focus of this session is on the institutional choice, functions, and effects of parliamentary systems and presidential systems.

Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics. Oxford University Press, 159-188pp

Tsebelis, G. (1995). Decision-making in political systems: Veto players in presidentialism,

parliamentarlism, multicameralism and multipartism. British Journal of Political Science, (25)3,

289-325.

Linz, J. (1990). The perils of presidentialism. Journal of Democracy, (1)1, 51-69.

Suggested reading: Mainwaring. S., & Shugart, M. (1997). Juan Linz, presidentialism, and democracy: A

critical appraisal. Comparative Politics,(29)4, 449-471

Baylis, Th. (1996). Presidents versus prime-ministers: Shaping executive authority in

Eastern Europe. World Politics, (48)3, 297-323.

Topic VIII – Political parties and party systems

The topic of this week focuses on political parties, as important institutions of political representation, interest aggregation, democratic legitimacy and agenda-setting. The discussion tackles the interaction between political parties, party systems and social cleavages.

Albright, J. (2010). The multidimensional nature of party competition. Party Politics, (16)6, 699-719.

Suggested reading: Bardi, L., & Mair, P. (2008). The parameters of party systems. Party politics, (14)2,

147-166.

Topic IX – Electoral Systems and Referenda

The seminar discussion addresses the effect of electoral systems as political institutions upon the behavior of political actors and party politics. Another facet of political dynamics is the role of referenda in enabling or constraining political processes.

DEADLINE FOR THE LITERATURE REVIEW ARTICLE

Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics. Oxford University Press, 240-261pp

Adams, J., Ezrow, L., & Somer-Topcu, Z. (2014). Do voters respond to party manifestos or to a wider information environment? An analysis of mass-elite linkages on European integration. American Journal of Political Science, 58(4), 967-978.

Suggested reading: Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY:

Oxford University Press, 678-703pp

Topic X – Political culture and Political participation

Usually in comparative politics and political science political culture is considered to be a residual conceptual category. Nonetheless it remains important in understanding individual level political behavior. We shall discuss as well the interaction between political culture and political participation.

TERM-PAPER PRESENTATION

Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics. Oxford University Press, 419-470pp

Sobolewska, M., & Ford, R. (2019). British culture wars? Brexit and the future politics of

Immigration and ethnic diversity. The Political Quarterly, 90(2), 142-154.

Suggested reading: Felicetti, A., Niemeyer, S., & Curato, N. (2016). Improving deliberative participation:

connecting mini-publics to deliberative systems. European Political Science Review,

8(3), 427-448.

ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION

ATTENDANCE:

Assignments and Evaluation:

- Active participation in lecture/seminar classes: 15 %

- Term-paper presentation: 15%

- Review article: 25 %

- Term paper: 45 %

LITERATURE

Required Textbooks: There is no single required textbook. The instructor prepares a reader based on the list of mandatory readings including book chapters and scholarly articles.

Albertus, M. & Menaldo, V. (2018).Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy. Cambridge University Press.

Albright, J. (2010). The multidimensional nature of party competition. Party Politics, (16)6, 699-719.

Adams, J., Ezrow, L., & Somer-Topcu, Z. (2014). Do voters respond to party manifestos or to a wider information environment? An analysis of mass-elite linkages on European integration. American Journal of Political Science, 58(4), 967-978.

Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY: Oxford University Press.

Boix, C. (1999). Setting the rules of the game: The choice of electoral systems in advanced democracies. The American Political Science Review, (93)3, 609-624.

Brooker, P. (2014). Non-democratic regimes. Palgrave Macmillan.

Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics. Oxford University Press.

Enyedi, Z. (2008). The social and attitudinal basis of political parties: Cleavage politics revisited. European Review, 16(3), 287-304.

Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2018). How dictatorships work: Power, personalization and collapse. Cambridge University Press.

Gerring, J. (2004). What is a case study and what is it good for? American Political Science Review, 98(2), 341-354.

Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy, J., Nullmeier, F., & Stephens, J.D. (Ed.) (2015). The Oxford handbook: Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University Press.

Linz, J. (1990). The perils of presidentialism. Journal of Democracy, (1)1, 51-69.

Sobolewska, M., & Ford, R. (2019). British culture wars? Brexit and the future politics of immigration and ethnic diversity. The Political Quarterly, 90(2), 142-154.

Tsebelis, G. (1995). Decision-making in political systems: Veto players in presidentialism,

parliamentarlism, multicameralism and multipartism. British Journal of Political Science, (25)3, 289-325.

Waldner, D., & Lust, E. (2018). Unwelcome change: Coming to terms with Democratic Backsliding. Annual Review of Political Science 21(5), 93-113.

Recommended Literature:

Answell, B., & Samuels, D. (2014). Inequality and Democratization: An Elite- competition approach. Cambridge University Press, 61-92.

Bardi, L., & Mair, P. (2008). The parameters of party systems. Party politics, (14)2, 147-166.

Baylis, Th. (1996). Presidents versus prime-ministers: Shaping executive authority in Eastern Europe. World Politics, (48)3, 297-323.

Bermeo, N. (2016). On democratic backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 27(1), 5-19.

Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY: Oxford University Press, 678-703pp

Felicetti, A., Niemeyer, S., & Curato, N. (2016). Improving deliberative participation: Connecting mini-publics to deliberative systems. European Political Science Review, 8(3), 427-448.

Gerring, J., Kingstone, P., Lange, P., & Sinha, A. (2011). Democracy, history, and economic performance: A case-study approach. World Development, 39(10), 1735-1748.

Lebanidze, B. (2014). What makes authoritarian regimes sweat? Linkage, leverage and democratization in post-Soviet South Caucasus. Journal of Southeast Europe and Black Sea Studies, 14(2), 199-218.

Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy, J., Nullmeier, F., & Stephens, J.D. (Ed.) (2015). The Oxford handbook: Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University Press, 131-152.

Luhrmann, A. & Lindberg, S. (2019). A third wave of autocratization is here: What is new about it? Democratization, 26(7). 1095-1113.

Mainwaring. S., & Shugart, M. (1997). Juan Linz, presidentialism, and democracy: A critical appraisal. Comparative Politics,(29)4, 449-471

Mainwarig, S., Gervasoni, C., & Espana-Najera, A. (2016).Extra- and within-system electoral volatility. Party Politics.

Neep, D. (2013). War, state formation, and culture. International Journal of Middle-East Studies, (45)4, 795-797.

Pedersen, Ch., & Mortersen, P. (2014). Avoidance and engagement: Issue competition in multiparty systems. Political Studies.

Rahat, G., Hazan, R.Y., & Katz, R. (2008). Democracy and political parties: On the uneasy relationships between participation, competition and representation. Party Politics, 14(6), 663-683.

Audiovisual Materials:

Course Policies:

Course Requirements

Attendance &Participation (15%) : Attendance in UNYT classes is mandatory. I will keep track of your attendance and punctuality every hour of class. Absences will not be excused, since students will be allowed to miss up to 3 hours per semester without it affecting the attendance grade (so you should save these absences for unforeseen events, like illness or family emergencies). In addition, students should refrain from arriving late without prior approval from the professor (or the hour will be counted as an absence). The grades for attendance + participation will be as follows (please note that they are for hours missed and not days):

Presentation of the Term Paper Outline (15%) : Each student shall present an outline of their term paper, which should include a definition of the research problem, the main questions asked that try to respond to the puzzle, the concepts and perspectives on which the main argument of the paper shall be based, research design and the interpretation provided by the student, which will constitute the insightful contribution of the term paper author. The Term Paper Presentation constitutes 15% of the grade.

Review Article (25%): The review article assignment requires a critical analysis of the existing literature on a particular research problem or topic in comparative politics, and an assessment of the fit between theory and empirical reality according to your perspective and mastering of the literature. The student needs to

survey the relevant literature on the defined topic by analyzing the various perspectives, evaluating and providing a critique of existing theoretical frameworks. The review article could be used as an initial attempt

for identifying a proper puzzle or research question that each student shall address in the term paper. The structure of the review article shall consist of 6-8 pages, 1.5 space, and Times New Roman font. This assignment constitutes 25 % of the grade.

Term Paper (45%): The term paper consists of 45% of the grade. The term paper should constitute an independent research paper on a subject matter within the comparative politics research tradition and the plural methodological framework. You may take advantage of the review article to help you prepare beforehand for your final paper. The term paper should present a research problem/research question, the expected theoretical framework and the application of a comparative methodology on a concrete empirical phenomenon, outcome or political process. The structure of the paper should be around 4000 words, 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced text, using APA citation and reference style.

Your term paper is required to be submitted through the TURNITIN website. The term paper should be submitted a week after the end of the course. You`ll be enrolled and receive automated messages that contain ID and password prior to due date.

Criteria: The criteria of evaluation will be based on how well the student has fulfilled the projected learning outcomes established for the course.

Each aspect of your work for the course will receive a letter grade. Each grade will be converted to a numerical value, multiplied by the appropriate percentage, and added to your other grades to arrive at a final grade.

H. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Conduct : Students are expected to behave in class with civility and appropriate etiquette toward professors and one another. Please set your cell phones on silent before class begins and refrain from using them until class is over.

Academic Integrity (Plagiarism) : UNYT does not tolerate academic dishonesty. You have all read and signed the UNYT Student Honor Code with a detailed description of plagiarism and cheating. Those caught plagiarising (attempting to represent the work of another as their own) will fail the course. Note that plagiarism includes using phrases or sentences from a published work without putting that material in quotation marks and documenting the source.

Email Communication : It is absolutely necessary for the professor to be able to communicate with the entire class via email. In addition to the Midterm and Final, I will periodically send the class important materials or updates. This semester, I will also be sending weekly questions on the readings. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the professor has an up-to-date and full functioning email address. It is also up to the student to keep an eye out for such emails and read them and any attachments fully.

Support Services : As a service to its students, UNYT has created a series of support centers. For support related to study skills and time management, the Academic Support Center offers students tutoring and coaching. The Writing Center gives students feedback and help with papers and other writing assignments. If you feel that you have any exceptional learning difficulties or serious problems that interfere with your studies, you can stop by the UNYT Counseling Center. For information on any of these centers, please contact Dr. Lahi, Dr. Canollari, your academic advisor or me.