This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Calendar

The table below features the topics discussed during the semester, as well as the graded activities.

For further detail on the class activities and assignments, see the Assignments section.

SES # TOPICS / ACTIVITIES KEY DATES
I: Introduction
1

Introduction and review of syllabus

Pick recitation time

In class discussion: What is political science?

Assignment for the Week: Register to Vote

(If you are a citizen of a country without absentee balloting, you should write a short letter to an official from your country inquiring into the rationale for the lack of absentee balloting.)

  
II. The State and Regime Type
2

What is a state, and why have one? Process of state-building.

In Recitation

  
3

Discussion of Lee Kuan Yew's remarks on democracy

Brainstorming on paper topic

 Paper 1 due
III. Four Lenses
4

Social divisions (and conflict)

In Recitation

  • Discussion of the social construction of identity
  
5 Culture (and corruption)  
6

Institutions (and government performance)

In Recitation

  • Discussion of readings
  
7

Leadership and indispensability

Buzz groups on paper topic

 Paper 2 due
IV. Democratization
 8

Why do countries become democratic?

In Recitation

  • Questions on readings
  • De-confliction of articles and presentations
  • Practice presentations
  • Select articles on "Arab Spring" (December 18, 2010-present): Pick one country (or one theme) and read at least 5 popular press articles
  
9 Class presentations on Arab Spring Paper 3 due
V. Case Study on the Breakdown of Democracy: Inter-war Germany
10

Why did democracy break down in inter-war Germany?

In Recitation

  • Preparation for class debate
  
11 Preparation for class debate Paper 4 due
12

Class debate: Why did the Weimar Republic Collapse?

In Recitation

  • Discussion of Federal Republic and of Austria
  
13 Discussion of Europe and Latin America Paper 4 rewrite due
VI. Political Institutions and Economic Growth
14

Broad theories of economic development

In Recitation

  • Discussion of analysis in Rodrik et al. reading
  
15 Discussion of North and de Soto versus industrial policy  
VII. Why did Women get the Vote (and Other Rights)?
16

Background on women's emancipation

Group meeting to identify sources and division of labor

In Recitation

  • Group meetings
  
17 Group meetings Group paper on women's suffrage due
VIII. Classical Athens
18

Society, politics, and the rule of law in classical Greece

In Recitation

  • Prepare for breakout groups
  
19 Presentations by breakout groups: Are there any lessons from Athens that could be applied to modern democracies? That should be applied?  
IX. The U.S. in Comparative Perspective
20

What's right and what's wrong with the U.S. system?

Presentations by breakout groups: Identification of potential reforms: "Big" (presidentialism, federalism, bicameralism, and plurality-winner electoral rules) and "small"

  
21

Presentations by breakout groups: Discussion of foreign benchmarks and recent proposals

In Recitation

  • Breakout groups: additional discussion and dry run of presentations
  
22 Discussion and critique of presentations by breakout groups Paper 5 due
X. State-building, Ethnic Conflict, and "Democracy" in Iraq
23

Attempts to impose democracy by foreign powers

In Recitation

  • Discussion of Diamond reading
  • De-confliction of readings / presentations
  • Identification of reading for "show and tell" on Iraq
  
24 Show and tell on Iraq Paper 5 rewrite due
25

Discussion of "solutions" for Iraq

In Recitation

  • Discussion of readings
  • Prep for ex camera final exam.
  
26 Discussion of final exam