In 1992, the scholar Francis Fukuyama described the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism as “the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.” For Fukuyama, this represented the “end of history” – the definitive victory of liberal democratic government over all alternatives.
Nearly a quarter century later, Fukuyama’s prediction appears far too optimistic and perhaps even naïve. Recent experience has demonstrated that there is nothing inevitable about autocracy’s replacement with liberal democracy. Rather than simply assume the global triumph of liberal democracy, understanding the likelihood of democratic consolidation in transitional regimes remains a pressing concern of comparative political scientists.
In this class, you will be asked to write an essay that grapples with these issues by carefully examining contemporary politics in a country currently considered “in transition.” Your task is to write a detailed case study regarding the current political situation in your chosen, including an examination of how political power is structured and exercised, the presents (or absence) of the kinds of rights and liberties that define liberal democracies, and your perspective on whether liberal democracy will consolidate in the country in the near future or not (and why). Throughout your paper, you must demonstrate that you have become an expert on the politics of your country. This will come from a deep familiarization with current events and news from your country, not necessarily from academic treatments of the subject!
However, you should remember that a good case study is not just a recitation of facts and figures – we have encyclopedias for this kind of information. Rather, your essay should discuss your chosen case in the context of the overall theories and concepts we have been exploring all semester (from lecture, the textbook, Zakaria’s book The Future of Freedom, and other class materials). This means that you will have to provide some overview of these theoretical arguments, critically assess them, and explore them in sufficient detail that they provide an analytical framework for your specific argument on the chosen case study.
Specifics:
· Students must choose a country from the Freedom House 2012 Report on “Countries at the Crossroads” (full report is available on Moodle). The countries are listed in the tables that start on page 9 of the report.
· Papers should be roughly 2000-2500 words in total length, which is roughly 6-7 pages double-spaced (not including a title page, bibliography, or any other supplementary material).
This will vary from student to student, but the assignment is not likely to be completed
satisfactorily at a significantly shorter length.
· Papers should use a consistent reference system, such as Chicago, MLA, or APA. I do not
care what you use but it must be correct and consistently applied.
· Papers must have adequate outside research on the country (largely current event articles).
By adequate, I mean in the range of 8-10 articles at a minimum.
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