GOV 347N, GOV and Politics of SE Asia
Prerequisites (if any)
Students wishing to enroll in this class must have taken a foundational course in government or Asian studies. The course also assumes basic knowledge of world history.
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the politics of Southeast Asia. The course is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the different political regimes in the region. We will learn about the democracies – and how they compare to the United States. We will also learn about the different institutions employed by dictators to stay in power – personal cult, the military, a party structure, or the royal family (Brunei). In the second part, we will examine whether democracies or dictatorships are better at accommodating ethnic minorities. Note that this course is not about Southeast Asian foreign policy or US-Southeast Asia bilateral relations.
Grading Policy
Your final grade is composed of the following five parts:
- Quizzes: 20%
- Midterm Examination: 20%
- Final Examination: 20%
- Coding Assignment: 20%
- Coding-Based Paper Assignment: 20%
Texts
D.R. SarDesai. 2012. Southeast Asia: Past and Present. 7th Edition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Note: Student Economy 7th Edition (2015) acceptable.
GOV 390L, Comparative Ethnic Politics
Course Description
This graduate-level course introduces students to the principle concepts, questions, and answers in the subfield of ethnic politics. The readings and discussions will draw on all major regions in the world, including the United States. In this course, we will study the following four sets of topics: ethnic identity; ethnic diversity; ethnic parties; and ethnic accommodation. The objective of this course is fourfold. The first is to acquaint students with the theoretical literatures on ethnic politics. The second is to teach students how to design and evaluate theoretically-oriented research. The third is to train students to carry out various types of assignments that political scientists – or social scientists more broadly – are frequently required to perform. And the fourth is to enable students to move toward a publishable paper.
Grading Policy
Your final grade is composed of the following five items:
- Attendance and Participation: You are allowed two absences for any reason. Any additional absence beyond that will drop your semester grade by a letter.
- Weekly Writing Assignments: Abstracts, Essays, and Reviews (25%)
- Coding Assignment (25%)
- Mock Grant Proposal (25%)
- Research Design Paper (25%)
Texts
Adida, Claire L. 2014. Immigrant exclusion and insecurity in Africa. New York NY: Cambridge University Press.
Selway, Joel Sawat. 2015. Coalitions of the Well-Being: How Electoral Rules and Ethnic Politics Shape Health Policy in Developing Countries. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.