syllabus

PSCI 467-D
Seminar in Comparative Politics: Democratization and Capitalism in the Late 20th Century

Fall 2000 Dr. Leaman’s Office: CLS 2050

                                        W 7:05-9:45 PM                                   Office Hours: MWF 8:10-8:50 AM;
                                        Room: CLS 2081                                   MWF 10:10-10:50; W 5:30-7:00 PM
                                        Website: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman           or by appointment with Dr. Leaman.
                                        E-mail: d-leaman@neiu.edu                     Tel. 773-794-2687

Democratization and Capitalism in the Late 20th Century: History, Theory and the Third Wave

DESCRIPTION: In 1975, seven out of ten nations in the world had political systems that were undeniably authoritarian. Two decades later, fewer than three out of ten clearly fit that in that category. What happened, and why? By any estimation, history’s “third wave” of democracy (to use Huntington’s neat term) was quite a breaker. Beginning in southern Europe in the mid-1970s, the democracy “wave” washed over Latin America and parts of Asia in the 1980s and then rolled over east-central Europe, the Soviet Union, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa from 1989 onward. In the euphoria that followed the big wave, one intellectual boldly declared the “end of history.” “Liberal democracy,” in this view, had triumphed over all its adversaries.
To such declarations, this course cautions: Not so fast. To better understand the “third wave” of democracy, this seminar first engages the rich history of theorizing about the causes, meanings, and challenges of “democracy”, including its complex relationship with capitalism. What caused “third wave” transitions, what types of systems emerged, and how does the post-Cold War hegemony of market capitalism affect the prospects for sustaining and deepening democracy? Second, we will try to ground ourselves in the real history of democracy and authoritarianism in the world prior to the mid-1970s. Finally, we will look at some of the recent cases of transitions with a critical eye looking for answers to some basic questions: What have been the roles of classes, elites, and social movements in helping or hindering the process of democratization? What are the relationships between democracy and capitalism (and socialism) in these current cases? What can we expect (and what do we wish for?) in the 21st century?

REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the required readings listed below, this course features (almost) weekly written responses to selected readings, two essay exams, and a research paper (and presentation). Due dates are listed in the course calendar. The penalty for lateness is ONE GRADE for each day of lateness. Since participation and discussion are essential to a graduate seminar, perfect class attendance and prompt arrival are required. Three absences and/or frequent tardiness will result in a failing grade for the participation portion of your final grade.

ESSAY EXAMS: Each essay exam will feature questions that deal with broad themes and that are based on the readings up to that point. The first exam will be in-class. The second exam will be take-home, handed out during the final class on Wednesday, December 6 and due at the beginning of the final exam period: 8 PM, Wednesday, December 13.
WEEKLY WRITTEN RESPONSES: Each week (except exam and paper weeks) each of you will be assigned one reading to summarize in writing for the following week. The summaries must be typed and answer a simple question: What is the central idea of the assigned reading?

GRADING: The various components of your grade have the “weights” listed below. Your final grade is calculated according to the standard percentages listed in the college catalogue (A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70=79%; D = 60-69%; F = Below 60%).

Weekly reports on the readings     15% - 75 points
Essay exam # 1                             20% - 100
Essay exam #2                              20% - 100
Research paper                             25% - 125
Research presentation                    5% - 25
Attendance/Participation               15% - 75

RESEARCH PAPER: Your research paper will focus on one of the “third wave” democracies. Each of you will become an “expert” on a different case. In a course notable for its grounding in theory and for its global survey, your research will enable you to explore a theoretically relevant question in greater depth in a particular country. This project will proceed in a series of four steps. First, you will be expected to write a topic question. Your second step will be an outline and preliminary bibliography for your paper. Third, you will write the paper itself -- 10-15 pages, typed, double-spaced. After each of these steps you will receive comments from me. This, I hope, will make the process of writing a research paper less intimidating. Finally, you will present your research to the class in a short report during the final two weeks of the term.

Required Course Texts:

Potter, David, David Goldblatt, Margaret Kiloh, and Paul Lewis, eds. 1997. Democratization. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Dryzek, John S. 1996. Democracy in Capitalist Times: Ideals, Limits, and Struggles. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Collier, Ruth Berins. 1999. Paths Toward Democracy: The Working Class and Elites in Western Europe and South America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

One short article and several excerpts available on Library Reserve

Recommended Course Text:

Etzioni-Halevy, Eva, ed. 1997. Classes and Elites in Democracy and Democratization: A Collection of Readings. New York and London: Garland Publishing.

COURSE CALENDAR AND TOPICS

THEORY

Aug 30-Sep 6 Democratization: Questions, Concepts, Approaches, Theories, and Methods

REQUIRED: David Potter, et al., eds., Democratization, 1-40.

Preface and Introduction in Eva Etzioni-Halevy, ed., Classes and Elites in Democracy, xix-xxxv.

Samuel Huntington, “The Third Wave,” Classes and Elites, 239-242, 285-292.

Seymour Martin Lipset, “Some Social Requisites of Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 37-41.

Barrington Moore, “The Democratic Route to Modern Society,” Classes and Elites, 30-36.

Evelyne Huber, Dietrich Rueschemeyer, and John D. Stephens, “Economic Development and Democracy,”
Classes and Elites, 142-149.

Sep 6-13 Democratization and Capitalism I

REQUIRED: Gabriel A. Almond, “Capitalism and Democracy,” PS: Political Science. [Library Reserve]

John S. Dryzek, Democracy in Capitalist Times, Preface and pp. 3-70

OPTIONAL: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “Ruling Class, Proletariat, and Bourgeois Democracy,” Classes and
Elites, 3-11.

Nicos Poulantzas, “The Relative Autonomy of the Capitalist State, Democracy, and Dominant Class
Hegemony,” Classes and Elites, 93-102.

Michel Foucault, “Democratic Sovereignty, the Bourgeoisie’s Dominance, and the Disciplinary Power of the
West,” Classes and Elites, 103-110.

Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis, “Democracy and Capitalism,” Classes and Elites, 111-119.

Adam Przeworski, “Transition to Capitalist Democracy as Class Compromise,” Classes and Elites,
128-133.

Fred Block, “The Ruling Class Does Not Rule," Classes and Elites, 259-266.

Robert Dahl, “The Dilemma of Pluralist Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 267-74.

Sep 13-20 Democratization and Capitalism II

REQUIRED: Democracy in Capitalist Times, pp. 71-154

OPTIONAL: Antonio Gramsci, “Intellectuals and the Hegemony of the Dominant Class in Modern Western
Democracies,” Classes and Elites, 12-17.

                          Max Weber, “Democracy and the Countervailing Powers of Bureaucracy, Charisma, and Parliament,”
                          Classes and Elites, 63-70.

                          Giovanni Sartori, “Democratic Government by Leading Minorities, Responsiveness, and Responsibility,”
                          Classes and Elites, 151-154, 168-173.

HISTORY

Sep 20-27 The History of Democracy in Europe and the USA: Origins, Crises, and Change

REQUIRED: Democratization, 41-107.

Göran Therborn, “The Rule of Capital and the Rise of Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 134-141.

ESSAY EXAM #1 - October 4

THE “THIRD WAVE”

Sep 27-Oct 4 The Beginning of “the Third Wave”: Democratic Transitions, Party Elites, and Democratic Consolidations in
Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal) and Beyond

REQUIRED: Democratization, 107-117; 139-144

G. Lowell Field, John Higley, and Michael G. Burton, “National Elite Configurations and Transitions to
Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 151-154, 174-184.

Terry Lynn Karl and Philippe C. Schmitter, “Modes of Transition and the Emergence of Democracy in Latin
America and Southern Europe,” Classes and Elites, 185-193.

OPTIONAL: Leonardo Morlino, “Party Elites and Democratic Consolidation in Southern Europe,” Classes and Elites,
205-213.

RESEARCH TOPIC QUESTION due October 11

Oct 4-11 Latin America: Authoritarianism, Populism, Revolution, and Democratization

REQUIRED: Democratization, 145-194.

Guillermo O’Donnell, “Delegative Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 214-221.

Elisa P. Reis and Zairo B. Cheibub, “Elites’ Political Values and Democratic Consolidation in Brazil,”
Classes and Elites, 222-229.

Larry Diamond and Juan Linz, “Class Inequalities, Elite Patterns, Transitions to Democracy in Latin
America,” Classes and Elites, 293-301.

Oct 11-18 Asian Cases and Comparisons: India versus China; South Korea and Taiwan; and the Philippines versus
Indonesia and Malaysia

REQUIRED: Democratization, 195-267.

OPTIONAL: Michael G. Burton and Jai P. Ryu, “South Korea’s Elite Settlement and Democratic Consolidation,”
Classes and Elites, 194-204.

Democratization, 490-512

RESEARCH OUTLINE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY - Due October 25

Oct 18-25 Africa and the Middle East: Explaining Democratization and its Absence

REQUIRED: Democratization, 269-344; 387-391

OPTIONAL: Democratization, 345-366 and 367-386.

Oct 25-Nov 1 East/Central Europe and Russia: Political and Economic Transitions

REQUIRED: Democratization, 393-465; 513-516.

Wlodzimierz Wesolowski, “The Role of Political Elites in the Transition from Communism to Democracy: The
Case of Poland,” Classes and Elites, 230-237.

Claus Offe, “Capitalism by Democratic Design in East/Central Europe,” Classes and Elites, 302-309.

OPTIONAL: Democratization, 466-489

FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER - Due November 8

Nov 1-8 From Democratization to the Consolidation and Deepening of Democracy

REQUIRED: Democratization, 517-536.

Charles Tilly, “The Top Down and Bottom Up Construction of Democracy,” Classes and Elites, 275-284,
327-330.

OPTIONAL: Eva Etzioni-Halevy, “Elites and the Working Class,” Classes and Elites, 310-330.

Nov 8-15 Elite-Led Reform in Early Democratization

REQUIRED: Ruth Berins Collier, Paths Toward Democracy, 1-82

Nov 15-22 Labor Action in Recent Democratization

REQUIRED: Paths Toward Democracy, 83-165

FINAL DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER - Due November 29

Nov 22-29 The Working Class and Elites in Democratization

REQUIRED: Paths Toward Democracy, 166-197

Graduate Research papers

Nov 29-Dec 6 Presentations of Graduate Research Papers on November 29 and December 6

REQUIRED: Graduate Research papers

Dec 6-13 Finals Week - Take-home Essay Exam

(FINAL) ESSAY EXAM #2 - Due at 8 PM, Wednesday, December 13, 2000