Kenneth Greene

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GOV 337M / LAS 337M: The Politics of Mexico

 (Spring 2017)

This course analyzes Mexico’s 20^th century political and economic development, with a peek at current events. Why did Mexico experience both political stability and economic growth until the 1970s while other Latin American countries endured brutal military regimes? What accounts for Mexico’s severe economic crises of 1982 and 1994? Why did the PRI lose in 2000 after 71 years in power? How “democratic” is Mexico’s new democracy? The first portion of the course examines Mexico’s post-Revolutionary politics, the characteristics of the national political regime during the classic period of stability with economic growth, and the tumultuous political and economic environment from the 1970s to the end of the century. This material will be presented chronologically, but rather than a descriptive history, we will focus on explaining political and economic outcomes. Subsequently, we will examine key themes in Mexico’s new fully competitive democracy.

You have two grading options for this course. Option 1 consists of three exams (two in-class midterms and one take-home final essay).  Option 2 consists of two in-class midterm exams and one research paper. 

Research Paper for Option 2.  This will be an independent and largely self-directed 10-page research paper focused on a particular event in contemporary Mexican politics (i.e., after 1911).  As a political science paper it should seek to explain why the event occurred.  Answering a “why” question requires reviewing existing plausible arguments and making your own.  The paper should include, but be more than, a simple description of the event.  As a research paper, it should involve research using scholarly books and journal articles beyond those assigned on the syllabus.  Completing the research paper will require more work than taking the final exam, but it should be more rewarding.  Following the rules of citation and attribution is mandatory and plagiarism will earn a failing grade in the course and referral to the University for disciplinary action. Please review the university’s plagiarism guidelines at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php.

Students who plan to write a research paper must submit a one-page statement of research intent by October 15.  The statement should include a clear summary of the event to be explained and the actors involved.  It should also include at least three citations of sources you have already read for your research.  Researching and writing this one-pager will take real work, so budget about a week.  If the research topic is determined to be infeasible, students will have one week to hand in a revised statement for which the same rules apply. Students who pursue this option should plan on meeting with me to discuss the topic and progress, starting before the one-pager is due. Students that do not hand in the statement by October 15 or whose proposal is not accepted after two rounds will follow Option 1.

This course will use +/- grading and will not be curved. The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

Option 1:                                              Option 2:                         

Midterm 1                     30%                 Midterm 1                     30%

Midterm 2                     30%                 Midterm 2                     30%

“Final” Essay                30%                 Research Paper           30%

Weekly write-ups            8%                 Weekly write-ups            8%

Participation in class       2%                 Participation in class       2%

Weekly write-ups. Submit a one-page (typed, normal margins, normal font) digest of the week’s readings, due by the end of class each Thursday, with no late assignments and no e-mail assignments accepted. You will earn up to 1% of your final course grade each week for a write-up and only one is allowed per week. You can earn a maximum of 8% toward your final grade, meaning that although you are encouraged to complete more than eight weekly write-ups, you need only complete eight for full credit.  The write-ups should be brief synopses of the theme/issues dealt with in the required course readings, not a summary of each individual reading and not a commentary based on lecture only. Try to bring the ideas together, using the lecture titles as a guide. Partial credit may be given so you will have to put some thought into this; however, it should not require more than 30 minutes of work after you complete the readings. Completing these assignments will do wonders for reading comprehension and exam preparation. As such, I view them as a crucial element of the course.

Participation: 2% of the final grade is based on participation in class. Although the course is structured as a lecture, I try to involve students each day. If you are present and engaged, and speak up some, you will earn full credit.

Make-up exams.  Early final exams will not be given. One midterm exam may be made-up if missed for medical reasons under the following conditions: 1) You must have a note signed by a doctor; 2) You must contact me before the exam by e-mail, telephone, or in-person unless you are unconscious; 3) The make-up exam must take place as soon as possible after the originally scheduled exam and before the graded exams are handed back to the class. Once the graded exams are handed back, a make-up exam will not be possible.

Extra credit.  The course has plenty of regular credit options.

Academic Flags.  This course fulfills the Cultural Diversity (CD) flag.

Spanish-language option for some readings: Students may substitute selected Spanish-language readings available for purchase in an optional packet for the English-language readings in the main packet. See me if you are interested in this option. All written assignments must be in English.

Class etiquette – my responsibilities. I will arrive on time, deliver lectures with enthusiasm and energy, encourage you to ask questions, think critically, and engage with the material. I will make myself available for questions and consultations during office hours and by appointment. I will be respectful of you and of the class.

Class etiquette – your responsibilities. I expect that you want to learn. Principally, this means that you engage the lectures and readings with enthusiasm and energy. I encourage you to wrestle with the material, criticize it and my lectures, and ask questions. In addition, I expect that you will arrive on time, complete assignments on time, and show respect for the teaching assistants, your fellow students, and the learning process. Please turn off your cell phones when you enter the classroom. If you use a computer during class either commit to keeping only a word processing program open or sit in the back row.

Economic hardship: No student should be unable to take this course due to economic hardship. If you cannot afford to purchase the required course materials and cannot utilize the reserve copies at PCL, please see me.

Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259, http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/

Religious holidays. Students who will miss an assignment due to recognized religious holidays should let me know as early as possible so that we can re-schedule that assignment.

Communication with the Instructor and TA: In addition to scheduled office hours, we will gladly make special appointments, when our schedules allow, if you have courses, a work schedule, or child/eldercare duties that conflict with our office hours. We can be reached by phone and by e-mail. Please be aware that we may not check e-mail in the evenings and on weekends. In addition, it is our policy not to respond to e-mail that does not use correct English (curmudgeonly, I know, but text messaging abbreviations have begun to show up in exams and papers).

Prior experience indicates that students cannot satisfactorily complete assignments without attending every lecture.

Required Readings:

• Kenneth F Greene, Why Dominant Parties Lose: Mexico’s Democratization in Comparative Perspective (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009), available for purchase at the Coop. I will donate 100% of profits I receive from Coop to the UT undergraduate scholarship fund.
• Other readings will be uploaded to Canvas.

GOV 390L / LAS 384L Political Parties and Party Systems

(Spring 2017)

This is an advanced introduction to the study of political parties and party systems for graduate students.  The literature on these subjects is vast and we will not be able to cover all of the important themes.  We will focus on party formation, organization, programmatic strategy, and institutionalization.  These get at four subsequent themes: the number of parties, competitiveness, representativeness, and party system stability.  The course is focused on party theory, but I expect students will ground the theory in particular country cases through supplemental reading (some of the recommended readings are useful here as well).

Grading. Your responsibilities include the following main components. 

1. Active participation in seminar discussion (20%).
2. Each week, write a one-page reaction to the readings (10%).  This may be an analytic summary, a critique, or a combination of the two.  E-mail me the summary by Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
   1. Option 1 is a concept paper, a data paper, and a book review. 
   2. Book review (10%): Decide on a book and tell me by January 29.  Then, by February 12 (or sooner), hand in a 5-page paper (no longer!) that is modeled on a professional book review like one would find in a leading political science journals. For examples, consult Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, Perspectives on Politics, Political Science Quarterly, among others.  Please choose one of the substantive books from the syllabus, not a technical one and not an edited volume.  You may substitute a book not on the syllabus with permission, but I would prefer that you use one from the course.
   3. Concept paper (30%): Decide on a concept and hand in a one-page prospectus by February 26.  Then, by March 26, hand in a 8-10-page paper that analyzes a particular concept in the parties literature, including how it is used and measured by key authors, any problems with conceptualization and measurement, and ways that the concept could be improved.  Some possibilities include party system institutionalization, social/political cleavage, ideology, and clientelism.  For a good example, see Steven Levitsky 1998.  “Institutionalization and Peronism: The Case, the Concept, and the Case for Unpacking the Concept” Party Politics 4(1):77-92 available at http://scholar.harvard.edu/levitsky/publications?sort=title&order=asc.
   4. Data paper (30%): Decide on a topic and e-mail me a one-page prospectus by April 9.  Then, by May 7 hand in a 8-10-page paper that tests a hypothesis found in the parties literature using qualitative or quantitative data.  You might take a hypothesis that has been tested before and test it on a broader or different set of cases, a hypothesis with a dubious test that you want to replicate, or a hypothesis that has not been tested adequately.
   5. Option 2 is a book review (10%) (see above) and a 20-25-page research paper centered on an important issue in the parties literature (60%).  For the research paper, hand in a 2-3-page prospectus by February 26 that includes a statement of the question to be answered, why we should care about having an answer to this question, some plausible explanations, a research plan, and a preliminary bibliography of at least the main sources. I may ask you to re-write this prospectus as we fine-tune your topic.  The final research paper is due May 7 and should include an explicit treatment of some aspect of party theory and the use of primary data. These data may be qualitative or quantitative. The paper may be broadly comparative or it may be grounded in a particular region or country.  This option may be better suited to advanced students working on their dissertations or those who already have an idea for a conference paper or article manuscript that could be submitted to a journal.

Readings:  Required readings are listed first, then recommended readings for each week. Some of the recommended readings are quite central; others are included as a sort of extended bibliography that you may want to consult if you have a particular interest in that theme. Required readings include downloadable articles, book chapters (I can supply one copy of these to be passed around and copied), and the following books from which we will read three or more chapters:

Chandra, Kanchan. Why Ethnic Parties Succeed: Patronage and Ethnic Head Counts in India. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.  ISBN: 0-521-81452-9.

Cox, Gary. Making Votes Count. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997.  ISBN: 0-521-58527-9

Greene, Kenneth F. Why Dominant Parties Lose: Mexico’s Democratization in Comparative Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.  ISBN: 0-521-877190.

Hale, Henry Why Not Parties in Russia: Democracy, Federalism, and the State. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.  ISBN: 0-521-844096.

Hinich, Melvin, and Michael Munger, Analytical Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997.ISBN: 0-521-56567-7

Kalyvas, Stathis. The Rise of Christian Democracy in Europe. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0-8014-8320-4

Kitschelt, Herbert The Transformation of European Social Democracy.  New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.  ISBN: 0-521-45715-7

Riedl, Rachel Beatty. Institutions in New Democracies: African Political Party System Development and Endurance, 2014.  ISBN: 9781107045040.  Not yet published – should be available in Feb.

Seawright, Jason. Party-System Collapse: The Roots of Crisis in Peru and Venezuela. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press, 2012.  ISBN: 9780804782364. This title is only available in cloth.

Stokes, Susan, Thad Dunning, Marcelo Nazareno, and Valeria Brusco.
Brokers, Voters, and Clientelism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013.  ISBN: 9781107660397

This course provides an introduction to the methods used in political science research, most of which are common to research in all social science disciplines.  After learning about the building blocks of causal analysis, we will examine three empirical research strategies: experiments, “large N” or quantitative studies (AKA statistics), and “small N” studies that mainly use qualitative data and alternative forms of causal reasoning.  We will also look at the basics of formal modeling and game theory that provide one way to generate theory.  The goal of the course is to provide students with the analytic tools to critically evaluate social science research and causal arguments found in everyday life, as well as to improve students’ ability to pose and answer research questions on their own.

Grading. The course grade will be based on one in-class midterm, a comprehensive final examination given during the exam period, several homework assignments (see below), and in-class participation.  We will use plus/minus grading for the final grade.  The final grade will be determined as follows:

Midterm                                   30%

Final Exam                               30%

Homework                                30%

Quizzes                                     5%

In-class verbal participation        5%

Homework assignments: Graded homework assignments will be handed out in lecture without prior notice and will be due one week later.  The number of homework assignments will be determined by student progress but will likely fall between five and seven.  No matter the number of assignments, homework will count as 30% of the final grade.  The lowest homework grade will be dropped from the calculation.

Quizzes. In-class quizzes will occur every once in a while at the start of lecture and will last only a few minutes.  As a result, you must arrive on time, every time.  There are no make-ups.  The number of quizzes will be determined by student progress in the course.  The lowest quiz grade will be dropped from the calculation.

Participation: The class is lecture-style but I ask for student participation and feedback multiple times during each session.  Participating is key, voicing the correct answer is not.  I want to underscore the importance of participation.  On a daily basis, it is one of the few ways (other than body language, snoring, etc.) that I can gauge whether you understand the material.

Exam and Homework Policies: Early final exams will not be given.  Medical or family emergency and religious holidays that are not on UT’s calendar are the only reasons that a homework assignment or the midterm can be postponed.  It is my strong preference that you notify me ahead of time (a must for religious holidays), unless you are unconscious.  All assignments must be completed before graded assignments are returned to the class (typically within one week).  After that, a make-up will not be possible.  There is no provision for a make-up final exam due to time constraints for final grade reporting imposed by university policy.  During exams, the following are not allowed: calculators that can calculate statistics (even if you do not know how to use these functions), cell phones, computers, and other communication devices.  Cheating earns an F in the course and referral to the Dean of Students with my recommendation for expulsion from the university.  For more information on scholastic dishonesty, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.

Readings: All readings are in a two-volume course packet that is available for purchase at Austin Textbooks 2116 Guadalupe St., Austin TX 78705 (512) 472-7986 and will be on reserve at the PCL (although processing usually takes them quite a while). The amount of reading is light but the content is dense. I encourage you to budget enough time to read each selection twice. Read as you would read a math book, not as you would a novel.  Note that end matter includes a glossary of useful terms compiled by David Collier andand Z tables.

This course analyzes Mexico’s 20th political and economic development, with a peek at current events. Why did Mexico experience both political stability and economic growth until the 1970s while other Latin American countries endured brutal military regimes? What accounts for Mexico’s severe economic crises of 1982 and 1994? Why did the PRI lose in 2000 after 71 years in power? How “democratic” is Mexico’s new democracy? The first portion of the course examines Mexico’s post-Revolutionary politics, the characteristics of the national political regime during the classic period of stability with economic growth, and the tumultuous political and economic environment from the 1970s to the end of the century. This material will be presented chronologically, but rather than a descriptive history, we will focus on explaining political and economic outcomes. Subsequently, we will examine key themes in Mexico’s new fully competitive democracy.

You have two grading options for this course. Option 1 consists of three exams (two in-class midterms and one take-home final essay).  Option 2 consists of two in-class midterm exams and one research paper. 

Research Paper for Option 2.  This will be an independent and largely self-directed 10-page research paper focused on a particular event in contemporary Mexican politics (i.e., after 1911).  As a political science paper it should seek to explain why the event occurred.  In doing this, it should focus on the actors involved, their competing interests, and their various resources.  The paper should include, but be more than, a simple description of the event.  As a research paper, it should involve research in the library and perhaps on the internet, but in all cases must make use of scholarly books and journal articles beyond those assigned on the syllabus.  Completing the research paper will require more work than taking the final exam, but it should be more rewarding.  Following the rules of citation and attribution is mandatory and plagiarism will earn a failing grade in the course and referral to the University for disciplinary action. Please review the university’s plagiarism guidelines at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php.

Students who plan to write a research paper must submit a one-page statement of research intent by October 20.  The statement should include a clear summary of the event to be covered, the actors involved, and their goals.  It should also include at least three citations of sources you have already read for your research.  Researching and writing this one-pager will take real work, so budget about a week.  If the research topic is determined to be infeasible, students will have one week to hand in a revised statement for which the same rules apply.  Students who pursue this option should plan on meeting with me to discuss the topic and progress.  Students that do not hand in the statement by October 20 or whose proposal is not accepted after two rounds will follow Option 1.

This course will use +/- grading and will not be curved. The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

Option 1:                                             Option 2:                        

Midterm 1                    30%                 Midterm 1                    30%

Midterm 2                    30%                 Midterm 2                    30%

“Final” Essay                30%                 Research Paper           30%

Weekly write-ups            8%                 Weekly write-ups            8%

Participation                  2%                 Participation                 2%

Note that the weekly write-ups and relative percentages assigned to each element of the grading may be revised if this course does not receive a teaching assistant.

Weekly write-ups. Submit a one-page (typed, normal margins, normal font) digest of the week’s readings, due by the end of class each Thursday, with no late assignments and no e-mail assignments accepted. You will earn up to 1% of your final course grade each week for a write-up and only one is allowed per week. You can earn a maximum of 8% toward your final grade, meaning that although you are encouraged to complete more than eight weekly write-ups, you need only complete eight for full credit.  The write-ups should be brief synopses of the theme/issues dealt with in the required course readings, not a summary of each individual reading and not a commentary based on lecture only. Try to bring the ideas together, using the lecture titles as a guide. Partial credit may be given so you will have to put some thought into this; however, it should not require more than 30 minutes of work after you complete the readings. Completing these assignments will do wonders for reading comprehension and exam preparation. As such, I view them as a crucial element of the course.

Participation: 2% of your final grade will be based on participation. Although the course is structured as a lecture, I try to involve students each day.  If you are present and engaged, and speak up some, you will earn full credit.

Make-up exams.  Early final exams will not be given. One midterm exam may be made-up if missed for medical reasons under the following conditions: 1) You must have a note from a doctor; 2) You must contact me before the exam by e-mail, telephone, or in-person unless you are unconscious; 3) The make-up exam must take place as soon as possible after the originally scheduled exam and before the graded exams are handed back to the class. Once the graded exams are handed back, a make-up exam will not be possible.

Extra credit. There is none.  The course has plenty of regular credit options.

Academic Flags.  This course fulfills the Cultural Diversity (CD) flag.

Required Readings:

• Kenneth F Greene, Why Dominant Parties Lose: Mexico’s Democratization in Comparative Perspective (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009), available for purchase at the Coop. In the highly unlikely case that I profit from sales of the book at UT, I will donate 100% of them to the UT undergraduate scholarship fund.
• A Two-volume course packet that is available for purchase at Speedway Copy at 715 W. 23rd St, Suite N (512-478-3334).
• Required readings are listed first for each lecture; recommended readings follow but are not in the packet. The page numbers in the syllabus refer to the original page numbers of the book/journal. The average number of pages of reading per session is 47.6 (i.e. 95.2 per week) – shown in brackets below.
• Two copies of the course packets are on reserve at PCL.

Resources of general interest:

• English-language news sources on Mexico include: The Herald www.mexiconews.com.mx; Mexidata www.mexidata.info; LANIC http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/mexico;
• Spanish-language news sources on Mexico include: El Universal www.eluniversal.com.mx; Reforma www.reforma.com contact the Benson library re: password; La Jornada www.jornada.unam.mx; Proceso www.proceso.com.mx; Milenio www.milenio.com. 

This course provides an introduction to the methods used in political science research. After learning about the structure of causal analysis, we will examine four research strategies: experiments, “large N” or quantitative studies (AKA statistics), “small N” studies that use qualitative reasoning, and formal modeling. The goal of the course is to provide students with the analytic tools to critically evaluate social science research and causal arguments found in everyday life and to improve students’ ability to pose and answer research questions on their own.

Grading. The course grade will be based on one in-class midterm, a comprehensive final examination given during the exam period, several homework assignments (see below), and in-class participation.  We will use plus/minus grading for the final grade.  The final grade will be determined as follows:

Midterm                                                30%

Final Exam                               35%

Homework                                 30%

Participation                              5%

Homework assignments: Graded homework assignments will be handed out in lecture without prior notice and will be due one week later.  The number of homework assignments will be determined by student progress but will likely fall between five and seven.  No matter the number of assignments, homework will count as 30% of the final grade.

 Readings: All readings are in a two-volume course packet that is available for purchase at Speedway Copy at 715 W. 23rd St, Suite N (512-478-3334) and on reserve at the PCL. The amount of reading is light but dense. I encourage you to budget enough time to read each selection twice. Read as you would read a math book, not as you would a novel. Note that end matter includes a glossary of useful terms compiled by David Collier andand Z tables.

v W. Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research, 5th edition, Prentice-Hall, Chapter 1, pp.1-12.

v Janet Buttolph Johnson, Richard Joslyn, and H.T. Reynolds, Political Science Research Methods, 4th edition, CQ Press, 2001, pp. 1-36.

v ?his is an example of fascinating social science research on a heart-stopping issue: Bush v Gore election 2000.  If you need a primer (or refresher) on the election controversy, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWEF2xHor9U or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CI2U79ykgA . Then read Henry Brady, Michael Herron, Walter Mebane, Jasjeet Sing Sekon, Kenneth Shotts, and Jonathan Wand, “Law and Data: The Butterfly Ballot Episode,” PS: Political Science and Politics 34, 2001: 59-69.

Course description.

The United States and Mexico have always enjoyed (or suffered through) a close relationship.  Since the 1980s, this relationship has most clearly played out over the various kinds of cross-border flows, including trade, (im)migration, and drug trafficking.  After an extended introduction to Mexico’s 20th century political and economic development, we will turn to each of these transnational flows, highlighting both the problems and potential benefits to increasing closeness between the two countries.

Course requirements:

Students will take two midterm exams and a final exam.  The format of the exams will be determined by the start of the semester, but the most likely is that the midterms will include multiple choice questions and short answers that will require analysis of the material (not simply recall).  The final exam will likely be entirely multiple choice and will definitely be scheduled during finals week.  There are no extra credit assignments.  The final grade for the course will likely be determined as follows:

Midterm 1                                 30%

Midterm 2                                 35%

Final Exam                               35%

Readings:

TBD but will include several books and a course packet.

This is an advanced introduction to the study of political parties and party systems for graduate students.  The literature on these subjects is vast and we will not be able to cover all of the important themes.  We will focus on party formation, organization, strategy, and institutionalization as well as representation and party system stability.  The course is focused on theory and will select from the best books and articles, regardless of the empirical cases they study.  As a result, we will hop around the globe from week to week and reading to reading.  Nevertheless, it is important for students to get case-specific material, so I expect that students will read some of the recommended works each week or other supplemental materials on specific country cases that interest them.

Grading. Your responsibilities include the following main components. 

1. Active participation in seminar discussion (20%).
2. Each week, write a one-page reaction to the readings (10%).  This may be an analytic summary, a critique, or a combination of the two.  E-mail me the summary by Monday at noon.
   1. Option 1 is a concept paper, a data paper, and a book review. 
   2. Book review (10%): Decide on a book and tell me by February 7.  Then, by February 21 (or sooner), hand in a 5-page paper (no longer!) that is modeled on a professional book review like one would find in a leading political science journals. For examples, consult Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, Perspectives on Politics, Political Science Quarterly, among others.  Please choose one of the substantive books from the syllabus, not a technical one and not an edited volume.  You may substitute a book not on the syllabus with permission, but I would prefer that you use one from the course.
   3. Concept paper (30%): Decide on a concept and hand in a one-page prospectus by March 7.  Then, by April 4, hand in a 8-10-page paper that analyzes a particular concept in the parties literature, including how it is used and measured by key authors, any problems with conceptualization and measurement, and ways that the concept could be improved.  Some possibilities include party system institutionalization, social/political cleavage, ideology, and clientelism.  For a good example, see Steven Levitsky “Levitsky, S.  1998.  Institutionalization and Peronism: The Case, the Concept, and the Case for Unpacking the Concept” Party Politics 4(1):77-92 available at http://scholar.harvard.edu/levitsky/publications?sort=title&order=asc.
   4. Data paper (30%): Decide on a topic and e-mail me a one-page prospectus by April 13.  Then, by May 9 hand in a 8-10-page paper that tests a hypothesis found in the parties literature using qualitative or quantitative data.  You might take a hypothesis that has been tested before and test it on a broader or different set of cases (i.e., a hypothesis that has been tested on Latin American cases that you instead test on Asian cases), a hypothesis with a dubious test that you want to replicate, or a hypothesis that has not been tested adequately or at all.
   5. Option 2 is a book review (10%) (see above) and a 20-25-page research paper centered on an important issue in the parties literature (60%).  For the research paper, hand in a 2-3-page prospectus by March 7 that includes a statement of the question to be answered, why we should care about having an answer to this question, some plausible explanations, a research plan, and a preliminary bibliography of at least the main sources. I may ask you to re-write this prospectus as we fine-tune your topic.  The final research paper is due May 9 and should include an explicit treatment of some aspect of party theory and the use of primary data. These data may be qualitative or quantitative. The paper may be broadly comparative or it may be grounded in a particular region or country.  This option may be better suited to advanced students working on their dissertations or those who already have an idea for a conference paper or article manuscript that could be submitted to a journal.

Readings: TBD

Prerequisites

No pre-reqs but a good attitude strongly preferred.

Course Description

This course analyzes Mexico’s 20th century political and economic development, with a peek at early 21st century dynamics. Why did Mexico experience both political stability and economic growth until the 1970s while other Latin American countries endured brutal military regimes? What accounts for Mexico’s severe economic crises of 1982 and 1994? Why did the PRI lose in 2000 after 71 years in power? How “democratic” is Mexico’s new democracy? The first portion of the course examines Mexico’s post-Revolutionary politics, the characteristics of the national political regime during the classic period of stability with economic growth, and the tumultuous political and economic environment from the 1970s to the end of the century. This material will bepresented chronologically, but rather than a descriptive history, we will focus on explaining political and economic outcomes. Subsequently, we will examine key themes in Mexico’s new fully competitive democracy.

Grading Policy

You have two grading options for this course. Option 1 consists of three exams (two in-class midterms and one take-home final essay).  Option 2 consists of two in-class midterm exams and one research paper.  ? ?Research Paper for Option 2.  This will be an independent and largely self-directed 10-page research paper focused on a particular event in contemporary Mexican politics (i.e., after 1911). As a political science paper it should seek to explain why the event occurred. In doing this, it should focus on the actors involved, their competing interests, and their various resources. The paper should include, but be more than, a simple description of the event. As a research paper, it should involve research in the library and perhaps on the internet, but in all cases must make use of scholarly books and journal articles beyond those assigned on the syllabus. Completing the research paper will require more work than taking the final exam, but it should be more rewarding. Following the rules of citation and attribution is mandatory and plagiarism will earn a failing grade in the course and referral to the University for disciplinary action. Please review the university’s plagiarism guidelines at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php.? ?Students who plan to write a research paper must submit a one-page statement of research intent by October 26.  The statement should include a clear summary of the event to be covered, the actors involved, and their goals. It should also include at least three citations of sources you have already read for your research. Researching and writing this one-pager will take real work, so budget about a week. If the research topic is determined to be infeasible, students will have one week to hand in a revised statement for which the same rules apply. Students who pursue this option should plan on meeting with me to discuss the topic and progress. Students that do not hand in the statement by October 26 or whose proposal is not accepted after two rounds will follow Option 1.? ?This course will use +/- grading and will not be curved. The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

?Option 1:?

Midterm 1                    30%                

Midterm 2                    30%                

“Final” Essay                35%                

Participation                  5%                

Option 2:

Midterm 1                    30%?

Midterm 2                    30%?

Research paper        35%?

Participation                 5%? 

Participation: 5% of your final grade will be based on participation. Although the course is structured as a lecture, I try to involve students each day and the small class size will give many opportunities for you to participate.

Texts

Required Readings:?Ø  Kenneth F Greene, Why Dominant Parties Lose: Mexico’s Democratization in Comparative Perspective (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009), available for purchase at theCoop. In the highly unlikely case that I am issued any profits from sales of the book at UT, I will donate 100% of them to the UT undergraduate scholarship fund.?Ø  A Two-volume course packet that is available for purchase at XXX

Prerequisites

No pre-reqs but a good attitude strongly preferred.

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the methods used in political science research. After learning about the structure of causal analysis, wewill examine four research strategies: experiments, “large N” or quantitative studies (AKA statistics), “small N” studies that use qualitative reasoning, and formal modeling. The goal of the course is to provide students with the analytic tools to critically evaluate social science research and causal arguments found in everyday life and to improve students’ ability to pose and answer research questions on their own.

Grading Policy

The course grade will be based on one in-class midterm, a comprehensive final examination given during the exam period, several homework assignments (see below), and in-class participation.  We will use plus/minus grading for the final grade.  The final grade will be determined as follows:?

Midterm- 30%?

Final Exam- 35%?

Homework- 30%?

Participation- 5%? ?

Homework assignments: There will be five graded homework assignments, handed out in lecture without prior notice and will be due one week later.? ?Exam and Homework Policies: Early final exams will not be given.  Medical or family emergency and religious holidays that are not on UT’s calendar are the only reasons that a homework assignment or the midterm can be postponed.  It is my strong preference that you notify me ahead of time (a must for religious holidays), unless you are unconscious.  All assignments must be completed before graded assignments are returned to the class (typically within one week).  After that, a make-up will not bepossible.  There is no provision for a make-up final exam. During exams, the following are not allowed: calculators that can calculate statistics (even if you do not know how to use these functions), cell phones, computers, and other communication devices.  Cheating earns an F in the course and referral to the Dean of Students with my recommendation for expulsion from the university.  For more information on scholastic dishonesty, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.? ?Participation: The class is lecture-style but I ask for as muchstudent participation as I can – within the limits imposed by class size.  As a result, I take note of participation and include it in the final grade.  Participating is key, voicing the correct answer is not (but no need to yell out random things either).? 

Texts

All readings are in a two-volume course packet that is available for purchase TBA

see syllabus

see syllabus

Gov 337M / LAS 337M The Politics of MexicoThis course analyzes Mexico's 20th century political and economicdevelopment. Why did Mexico experience both political stability andeconomic growth until the 1970s while other Latin American countriesendured brutal military regimes? What accounts for Mexico's severeeconomic crises of 1982 and 1994? Why did the PRI lose in 2000 after 71years in power? What are the prospects for Mexico's new democracy? Thefirst portion of the course examines Mexico's post-Revolutionarypolitics, the characteristics of the national political regime duringthe classic period of stability with economic growth, and tumultuouspolitical and economic environment from the 1970s to the end of thecentury. This material will be presented chronologically, but ratherthan a descriptive history, we will focus on explaining political andeconomic outcomes. Subsequently, we will examine key themes in Mexico'snew fully-competitive democracy.You have two grading options for this course. Option 1 consists of threeexams (two in-class midterms and one take-home final essay due May 12).Option 2 consists of two in-class midterm exams and one research paperdue May 12.  Weekly write-ups or participation in scheduled discussionsections (see "Participation" below) are required regardless of whichoption is chosen.Research Paper for Option 2.  This will be an independent and largelyself-directed 10-page research paper focused on a particular event in20th century Mexican politics. As a political science paper it shouldseek to explain why the event occurred. In doing this, it should focuson the actors involved, their competing interests, and their variousresources. The paper should include, but be more than, a simpledescription of the event. As a research paper, it should involveresearch in the library and perhaps on the internet, but in all casesmust make use of scholarly books and journal articles beyond thoseassigned on the syllabus. Following the rules of citation andattribution is mandatory and plagiarism will earn a failing grade in thecourse and referral to the university for disciplinary action. Pleasereview the university's plagiarism guidelines athttp://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php.Students who plan to write a research paper must submit a one-pagestatement of research intent by March 30.  The statement should includea clear summary of the event to be covered, the actors involved, andtheir goals. It should also include at least three citations of sourcesyou have already read for your research. If the research topic isdetermined to be infeasible, students will have one week to hand in arevised statement for which the same rules apply. Students who pursuethis option should plan on meeting with me to discuss the topic andprogress. Students that do not hand in the statement by March 30 orwhose proposal is not accepted after two rounds will follow Option 1(the three exam option).This course will use +/- grading and will not be curved. The final gradefor the course will be determined as follows:Option 1:                         Option 2:            Midterm 1            30%        Midterm 130%Midterm 2            30%        Midterm 230%"Final" Essay        30%        Research Paper    30%Participation        10%        Participation         10%Participation: 10% of your final grade will be based on participation.You have two options to earn participation points, and you may mix andmatch, though you can only earn one point per week.Participation Option A - Weekly write-ups: Submit a one-page digest ofthe week's readings, due by the end of lecture each Thursday, with nolate assignments and no e-mail assignments accepted. You will earn onepoint each week for a write-up and only one is allowed per week. You canearn a maximum of 10 points, meaning that although you are encouraged tocomplete more than 10 weekly write-ups, you need only complete 10 forfull credit.  The write-ups should be brief synopses of the theme/issuesdealt with in the required course readings, not a summary of eachindividual reading and not a commentary based on lecture only. Try tobring the ideas together. Partial credit may be given so you will haveto put some thought into this; however, it should not require more than30 minutes of work after you complete the readings. Completing theseassignments will do wonders for reading comprehension and exampreparation. As such, I do not view this as a busy-work assignment, butas a crucial element of the course.Participation Option B - Weekly discussion participation: Instead of thewrite-ups, you may actively (i.e., with your voice) participate inEnglish-language or Spanish-language discussion sections run by TomPerkowski at the times and locations noted at the top of the syllabus.These will be free-ranging discussions of the readings and lecturematerial. You will be able to ask questions and will be encouraged toprovide your own answers, discuss the week's themes, and grapple withthe material. The point is to critically engage the material, so nocredit will be given just for showing up. In my view, the coursematerial is best learned through critical engagement, so I am a big fanof discussion sections.

see syllabus

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the methods used in political science research.  After learning about the structure of causal analysis, we will examine four basic research strategies: experiments, “large N” or quantitative studies (AKA statistics), “small N” studies that use qualitative reasoning, and formal modeling.  The goals of the course include providing students with the analytic tools to critically evaluate social science research and causal arguments found in everyday life and improving students’ ability to pose and answer research questions on their own.
 
The course grade will be based on one in-class midterm, a comprehensive final examination given during the exam period, several homework assignments (see below), and participation.  We will use plus/minus grading for the final grade.  The final grade will be determined as follows:
 
Grading Policy:
Midterm    30%
Final Exam   35%
Homework   30%
Participation     5%

Texts: TBD

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.