Los Angeles City College - Political Science 2

- Spring 2010

Modern World Governments/Comp. Politics

email: meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu

There are no prerequisites for this class.  However, you should be able to read and write at the college level.

Text: Concepts and Countries, Michael G. Roskin 10th (or 9th) edition, Pearson/Longman, 2009.

Course Objectives:  Students will develop an understanding of and be able to discuss the following concepts: democracy, political culture, colonialism, dependency, economic and political development, civil society, political change, and globalization.

Student learning outcomes matrix:        

Please silence your pagers and turn off your cell phones.

Students must be prepared for class: This includes, but is not limited to: reading the assigned material, visiting the class web site and other related sites, downloading, printing and preparing any activity materials needed for class from the class web sites or others'.

GRADING:     

Late work will be substantially down graded! But turn it in asap - some points are better than none!

Students MUST attend every class. We only have fifteen meetings and an entire world to explore.

Students MUST BE ON TIME for every class. (And no, you should not leave early.)

Students must be prepared for each class - do the reading from the text BEFORE the class discussion.  

Some pages of helpful links: On the Cold War and on the UN, WTO, IMF/World Bank etc.

             Course Schedule

We will cover a select number of Chapters from the book, and NOT in the order they appear.

Week - Date - Reading   -    Class Discussion   - Work Due

1 - 2/9 - none - "52 Cards" & What is Political Science? & Introduction to "A Civic Culture Model" and its flaws. & How to pick "Your Course Project Country."           

2 - 2/16 - Library Day - meet in front of the MLK Library at 3:30pm - & Chap. 1 - Who needs the State, Country or Nation? Intro Terms

3 - 2/23 -  Chap. 6 - "Civilized Democracies?" Applying the Model to the US or the UK

4 - 3/2 - Chap. 16 - "German Democracy?" & Your Model Report Explained. & Your Course Project Thesis Declaration is due.

5 - 3/9 - Chap. 19, 20, 21 - Russia (part 1): The Past, The Institutions and Political Culture.

6 - 3/16 - Chap. 22 & 23 - Russia (part 2): "Modern Democratic Russia?" Model Paper on Russia Due.

7 - 3/23 - Chap. 24, 25, 26 - China (part 1): The Past, The Institutions and Political Culture. Your Course Project Working Bibliography is DUE.

Spring Break 3/29 - 4/4

8  - 4/6- Chap. 27 & 28 - China (part 2): Beyond the Party?* & Quiz 1

9 - 4/13 - Chap. 18 - Japan: "Parties in flux"* & Take Home Midterm Available.

10 - 4/20 - none - The US War on terrorism. & Critical Thinking Project Due.

11 - 4/27 - Chap. 29 - India: "World's largest democracy?"* & Take Home Mid-term is Due.

12 - 5/4 - Chap. 30 - Mexico: "A growing democracy?" *

13 - 5/11 - Chap. 31 - Nigeria: "A chance for democracy?" *

14 - 5/18 - Chap. 32 - Iran: "Muslim democracy?"* & Quiz 2

15 - 5/25 - Course Project, Poster & Presentation Day - Your Course Project Argument Paper DUE! - Poster and Presentation Due! & Take-Home Final Exam will be given out and discussed.

6/2 - FINAL EXAM DUE at 5:00 pm in room FH 221. (Or before that, in Prof. Meyer's office FH 209 I. The Final Exam MUST be turned in "in person.") Due by 5:30 pm at the latest. After that, the Final Exam is closed, the course is over and no work will be accepted.

Click here for a list of Potential Essay Questions for the Mid-term and Final Exams

DUE Week 4 - YOUR COURSE PROJECT THESIS DECLARATION is one paragraph, (typed, double spaced, name on upper right corner) stating which country you have picked for the semester and a preliminary thesis stating whether your country does or does not fit the definition of democracy under the Civic Culture Model. You can chose any country in the world to be "Your Country" except the ones covered in the Text and the USA. You CAN NOT change Your Country once you have done this assignment.

DUE Week 6 - Mandatory Model Report and Presentation. Everyone must do a Model Report Paper and Presentation on Russia. The paper must be 2-5 pages, typed, double spaced, name on upper right corner, staple on upper left corner, no cover sheet. You must use the information from class and apply at least one element of the Civic Culture Model to Russia. Give your opinion as to whether you consider Russia a democracy.

The Presentation of the papers is done from your seat. Simply tell what you wrote in your paper (Do NOT read it to the class). You are expected to earn 25 points for each presentation you do, if you make a good faith attempt.

After that, it is your choice which three (3) other countries you do Model Report papers on. Each paper and presentation is due the last day we cover that country, so the paper and presentation of China is due10/19; Japan, due 10/26, India, 11/9, Mexico, 11/16, Nigeria, 11/21, Iran, 11/30. Everyone does a model paper and presentation for Russia, after that, you Choose Three (3) More countries we cover!

DUE Week 7 - YOUR COURSE PROJECT " WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY" is a list of at least eight (8) sources you MAY use for Your Course Project. This demonstrates you have begun to work on your Course Project Argument Paper. You need to find current, relevant information from college level sources (use the LACC MLK Library). You MUST use APA citation format.

Week 8 - Quiz 1 - will be based on the text reading from Week 1- 8, multiple choice, bring a scantron.

DUE Week 10- Critical Thinking Project. First, find a peer reviewed academic journal article you want to analize. You should use an article about your country chopice for the Course project, if at all possible. There are many credible social science journals to choose from, try to help your course project effort. The web page explains the eight answers you must provide about the article. Just fill in the blanks, with bullet points or brief clauses, do not copy the question - Just tpye to short answers after each number. Click here for more information on Critical Thinking and your assignment.

DUE Week 11 - THE TAKE HOME MIDTERM will be available online by week 9. the answers will be typed, double spaced, name on upper right hand corner, staple on upper left, no cover sheet.

Week 14 - Quiz 2 - will be based on the text reading from Week 9 - 14, multiple choice, bring a scantron.

DUE Week 15 - YOUR COURSE PROJECT ARGUMENT PAPER: is a ten to twenty (10-20) pages paper applying the Civic Culture Model to your country. You are to use the model, critique it, and develop a definition of democracy that you can apply to your country. Answer this question: "Is Your Country a democracy according to the Civic Culture Model and according to YOUR definition of democracy." Also DUE Week 15 - YOUR COURSE PROJECT ARGUMENT PAPER POSTER: will be displayed for the class, on the same day you do your presentation. The Poster simply displays what you have done for your Course Project Argument Paper. Use a standard poster size board (or a "scientific" tri-board) and make it visually interesting. Also DUE Week 15 - YOUR COUNTRY POSTER PRESENTATION: On "Poster and Project Day", you will be given five minutes to discuss your paper and present your poster on Your Course Project to the class.

DUE - 6/3 at 5:00 pm in room FH 221.THE FINAL EXAM will be a take home with essay questions whose answers are to be typed, double spaced, no cover sheet, your name on the upper right of the first page, stapled in upper left corner and turn in on the regular day of the final. The Final CAN NOT be turned in late. It will not be accepted. I will not grant an incomplete - so please do not ask! Due at 5:00 - I leave at 5:30pm - so that's the dead drop last minute - after that - you missed the final.

Your PARTICIPATION GRADE will be based on your active and positive participation in class. Of course your attendance and punctuality are a prerequisite for participation.   Students need to be on time and attend all class meetings.   Roll will be taken at the beginning of class.   If you are not present when roll is taken you will be marked absent unless you see the instructor after class.   Tardiness is simply rude and disrespectful.

Students with disabilities or who need any assistance or reasonable accommodation should contact the instructor.   Such students are encouraged to contact Disabled Student Services.

Students are encouraged to form and work in study groups. However, each student must do her or his own work.   Students who copy, cheat, plagiarize or in other fashion violate the spirit or letter (or both) of the rules of the College or the District (or both) may be excluded from this class, at a minimum.

Any questions - please email me: meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu