PSCI 3120
Comparative Politics
3 credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:
The course examines political systems, processes, and actors in comparative perspective.  The central frame of reference in our approach will be democracy and democratic stability in seven states.

Course Objectives:
Students who successfully complete the requirements of this course should, by the end of the semester, be able to do following:
  • distinguish among different political ideologies
  • discuss and assess the impact of globalization on state sovereignty
  • evaluate the relationship between political culture and political institutions in the polities examined
  • evaluate democracies using measurable criteria
  • identify and rank the factors that are conducive to democratization
  • identify and rank the factors that are conducive to democratic stability
Prerequisites and Co-requisites:
There are no prerequisites or co-requisites for this course.
Course Topics:
Key topics covered in this course include the following:
  • theories of comparative politics
  • theories of democracy
  • leading ideologies of the 20th century:  liberalism, fascism, communism, nationalism
  • globalization
  • transnational political issues in the areas of health, trade, the environment, and immigration
  • democracy and economic systems
Specific Course Requirements:
Aside from general computer literacy and a desire to enhance our understanding of the world by reading, discussing, and writing about social and political issues of central importance in today's world, there are no specific requirements for this course.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:
 

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:

 http://rodp.bkstr.com
Supplementary Materials:
We will consult on a regular basis online articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.  Links to these three newspapers are available from "References" folder on the left-hand side of the main page for this course's website. 
Hardware Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include a modem or other connection to ensure that students have regular and reliable access to the Internet.
Software Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include a web browser, Acrobat Reader, and a word processor that allows you to save files in Microsoft Word format.
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:
There will be six objective quizzes given during the course of the semester covering material in the Sodaro book.  This will be explained in greater detail in subsequent weekly announcements.  There will also be three take-home essay examinations given.  The final examination will consist entirely of essay questions.
Grading Procedure:
TBA
Grading Scale:
Final grades are based on the following percentile distribution of course assessments:
  • 30%:  weekly participation
  • 30%:  objective quizzes
  • 25%:  essay assignments
  • 15%:  final examination
Letter grades for all assignments and weekly participation are based on the following distribution of scores:
  • 90-100:  A
  • 80-89:  B
  • 70-79:  C
  • 60-69:  D
  • <60:  F
Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects:
TBA
Class Participation:
TBA
Punctuality:
TBA
Course Ground Rules
TBA
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members
Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other's ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion
Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:
If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org