Robert Moser

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. May be taken for credit only once.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

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.

Analysis of underlying themes concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution.

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.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

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.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites and/or other Restrictions:

Acceptance into the University of Texas, Archer Fellowship Program

Course Description: This course will focus on the role of media, the Congress, the

President and other governmental and non-governmental actors in the policy-making

process. Through a variety of sources (academic texts, newspaper and journal articles,

websites, blogs, advocacy papers) we will look at (and hopefully reconcile) the textbook

and “real world” versions of how policy is made in Washington, D.C.

This course is divided into four phases where we will use a variety of techniques

(lectures/discussion, in-class presentations and guest speakers) to gain a better

understanding of the policy-making process. In Phase I, we will discuss how policy is

defined: where ideas come from and who plays a role in defining what we consider to be

important policy problems. In Phase II, we will look at how policy is made and how the

structures of our unique form of government affect the policy-making process. In Phase

III we will meet with policy-makers to hear their first hand accounts of the policy-making

process and finally, in Phase IV we will try to understand the policy-making process

through a legislative simulation and class discussions/debates of some of the important

issues of the day.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Professors McDonald and Moser

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Course meets ONLINE delivered through MODULES, which are short pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities delivered through Canvas.  Modules are completed ON-DEMAND by students when their schedule allows.  However, students are REQUIRED to complete a pre-set number of modules and their associated activities by pre-determined deadlines multiple times each week.  Students will complete three exams over the summer term.  Students residing in Austin over the term will take these exams on campus at an assigned evening time.  Students residing out of Austin over the term will these exams through a remote proctoring service.  Students will have to pay an additional proctoring fee for this service.   

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Module quizzes/exercises:             15%

Exam 1:                                     25%

Exam 2:                                     30%

Exam 3:                                     30%

Prerequisites:  None

Required Textbook:

• None, readings will be drawn from an unpublished textbook and articles that are accessible through the UT library’s website

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. May be taken for credit only once.

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Course meets ONLINE delivered through MODULES, which are short pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities delivered through Canvas.  Modules are completed ON-DEMAND by students when their schedule allows.  However, students are REQUIRED to complete a pre-set number of modules and their associated activities by pre-determined deadlines multiple times each week.  Students will complete two exams and write one essay with due dates spread out over the summer term.   

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Module quizzes/exercises:            15%

Exam 1:                                     35%

Exam 2:                                     35%

Participation:                              15%

Required Textbook:

• None, readings will be drawn from articles that are accessible through the UT library’s website

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism and climate change. 

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government.  May be taken for credit only once.  

Course meets ONLINE at our assigned time twice a week.  Our content will be live streamed through Canvas.  Course topics are organized via MODULES, which will also include pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities that students will complete before the live class.  Students will take three exams during the semester.  Given the size of the class and space limitations on campus, each exam will be administered on an evening during the semester.  These exam dates will be published in the syllabus.  There will be multiple time slots on these exam evenings to accommodate conflicts with other classes.  

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/ to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

In-class quizzes:                                       15%

Exam 1:                                                 25%

Exam 2:                                                 30%

Exam 3:                                                 30%

Required Textbook:

• None, readings will be drawn from articles that are accessible through the UT library’s website

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. May be taken for credit only once.

GOV 312L:  United States Foreign Policy

Professors:  Robert Moser and Patrick McDonald

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Course meets ONLINE delivered through MODULES, which are short pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities delivered through Canvas.  Modules are completed ON-DEMAND by students when their schedule allows.  However, students are REQUIRED to complete a pre-set number of modules and their associated activities by pre-determined deadlines multiple times each week.  Students will complete two exams and write one essay with due dates spread out over the summer term.   

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Module quizzes/exercises:             20%

Exam 1:                                     25%

Exam 2:                                     25%

Essay:                                        30%

Required Textbook:

• None, readings will be drawn from articles that are accessible through the UT library’s website

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of the legislative requirement for government. It may be taken for credit only once. 

This course carries the Ethics and Leadership flag. Ethics and Leadership courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for making ethical decisions in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments involving ethical issues and the process of applying ethical reasoning to real-life situations.

The class is designed to accommodate 800 or more students. The course meets ONLINE during scheduled class times and includes a live-streaming video component. Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/ to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Quizzes                                     15%     

Take-home essay                        25%                  

First exam                                  20%                 

Second exam                              20%

Third exam                                20%     

Required Textbook:

• TBD

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Designed to accommodate 800 or more students. Course meets ONLINE delivered through MODULES, which are short pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities delivered through canvas.  Modules are completed ON-DEMAND by students when their schedule allows.  However, students are REQUIRED to complete a pre-set number of modules and their associated activities by pre-determined deadlines every week.  Students will also take three (3) IN-PERSON exams at pre-determined dates and locations.  Finally, there will be one (1) take-home essay due on a specific date.   

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/gov312lusfp  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Module quizzes/exercises:             15%

Exam 1:                                     20%

Exam 2:                                     20%

Exam 3:                                     20%

Take-home essay:                        25%

Required Textbook:

• TBD

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Course meets ONLINE delivered through MODULES, which are short pre-recorded lecture segments and associated activities delivered through Canvas.  Modules are completed ON-DEMAND by students when their schedule allows.  However, students are REQUIRED to complete a pre-set number of modules and their associated activities by pre-determined deadlines multiple times each week.  Students will also write three essays with due dates spread out over the semester.   

Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/gov312lusfp  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy:

Module quizzes/exercises:             20%

Essay 1:                                      25%

Exam 2:                                     30%

Exam 3:                                     25%

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. May be taken for credit only once.

GOV 312L:  US Foreign Policy

Since its founding, the United States has played a central role in shaping the larger international political order.  American victories in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War coupled with its support for democracy and open global markets stand at the heart of this legacy.  At the same time, external pressures in the form of war, globalization, and the spread of transnational ideological movements have stressed American institutions and shaped an evolving American national identity.  This course explores this mutually interactive relationship by examining the making of American foreign policy over the past two centuries more broadly.  It explores such topics as American entry into World Wars I and II, the role of Congress in foreign policy making, the construction of the national security state in the twentieth century, competing partisan conceptions of America’s national interest, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence and proliferation, territorial expansion, trade liberalization, nation building, humanitarian intervention, and more recent challenges like terrorism.  As part of this broad overview, the course will also explore the moral and ethical dilemmas of many foreign policy challenges faced by the United States. Should the United States ever use torture when combatting its enemies?  Does the U.S. have an interest or even an obligation to promote democracy abroad?  When is military intervention justified?  What is our moral obligation to address global warming?

This course fulfills the second half of legislative requirement for government and may be counted toward the ethics and leadership flag requirement. May be taken for credit only once.  

Designed to accommodate 800 or more students. Course meets online during scheduled class times and includes a live-streaming video component. Students are encouraged to visit http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/gov312lusfp  to test their computer and network connection and learn about the course structure.

Grading Policy: TBD

Required Textbook:

• Robert J. McMahon.  2003.  The Cold War:  A Very Short Introduction.  New York:  Oxford University Press. 

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Prerequisites

6 hours lower-division coursework in GOV

Course Description

One of the most important developments in the last quarter century has been the expansion of democracy around the world. The most dramatic events of the late 20th century and the early 21st century — the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, and the “Arab Spring” — have all been associated with what scholars have called the “third (and now fourth) wave” of democratization, in which authoritarian regimes around the world collapsed in favor of varying degrees of democratic governance. With the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the threat of international terrorism, the spread of democracy, particularly in the Middle East, has become a central tenet of U.S. foreign policy and the “war on terror.” International terrorism has presented consolidated and emergent democracies with their greatest challenge to date. Democracy is seen as a primary antidote to this threat but also its chief target.

This course will examine the process of democratization in an attempt to determine which factors make the consolidation of democracy in a formerly authoritarian system more likely. The course will be organized thematically rather than regionally, meaning that we will deal primarily with broad issues that (conceivably) can be generalized to all cases. The examples of democratization used in the course will be drawn from many geopolitical regions including Latin America, post-communist states (Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union), the Middle East, Asia and Africa. After a survey of the central concepts surrounding democratization, the class will focus on specific factors related to successful democratization including: modernization, political culture, institutional design, civil society, and globalization.   

Grading Policy

First Take-Home Essay                                            25%

Second Take-Home Essay                                        25%

First Multiple Choice Exam                                        20%

Second Multiple Choice Exam                                    20%

Participation (based on in-class quizzes)                    10%

Texts 

Fareed Zakaria, The Future of Freedom (New York:  W.W. Norton, 2007).

Zoltan Barany and Robert G. Moser (eds.), Is Democracy Exportable? (New York: Cambridge UP, 2009).

Course Description:

This course will examine how international relations affect American politics through a detailed examination of the relationship between the United States and Russia.  During the Cold War, stability and crisis in the international order were largely determined by the relationship between the two great superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.  This superpower struggle also greatly affected the domestic politics of each country.  Now that the Cold War has ended and the Soviet Union has dissolved, the United States and the rest of the world faces new adversaries and challenges, in particular an emergent “war on terror.”  We will be comparing the current international environment with the Cold War in an attempt to make better sense of both eras.  The course will be divided into three parts:  1) a historical examination of the origins and operating assumptions of the Cold War; 2) an examination of the end of the Cold War; and 3) an examination of the opportunities and challenges inherent in the post-Cold War world. 

Grading Policy:

First mid-term exam                            20%

Second mid-term exam                        20%

Third mid-term exam                           20%

Take-home essay                                30%

Participation                                        10%

Texts:

John Lewis Gaddis, The Cold War: A New History (New York: Penguin Press, 2005). 

Additional readings compiled from journals and other sources.

Course Description

Twice in the 20th century Russia experienced revolutionary political, economic, and social change. Since the communist regime collapse in 1991, Russia has attempted to simultaneously transform its political system from a communist regime to a democratic one and its state-controlled economy to one based on a free market. While engaged in this daunting task, the country has also had to deal with the precipitous decline in international power and influence that accompanied the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, loss of empire in Eastern Europe, and defeat in its superpower struggle with the United States. Begun with high hopes of a smooth transition to free market democracy, this transformation instead produced a decade-long economic collapse and very fragile democratic and capitalist institutions.  In the 2000s, President Vladimir Putin ushered in a highly centralized political system that was marked by excessive executive power, severe restrictions on civil liberties, human rights, and media freedoms, and manipulated and fraudulent elections.  Essentially, Russia has returned to authoritarian rule despite retaining some of the trappings of democratic politics.

This course will introduce students to the political development in Russia from 1917 to the present. It is vitally necessary to have some background on the Soviet system if one is to understand the contemporary situation. Thus, we will spend the first one-third of the course examining the birth, life, and death of the Soviet Union. After this, we will discuss the twin challenges of democratization and radical market reform facing the new post-Soviet Russian state. We will examine competing explanations including culture, institutions, and leadership decisions that can account for the difficulties Russia has had establishing a functional democracy and market economy.

Grading Policy

First Take-Home Essay                                              25%

First Midterm Exam                                                   20%

Second Take-Home Essay                                          25%

Second Midterm Exam                                               20%

Participation (based on in-class quizzes)                      10%

Texts

M. Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed in Russia.

Z. Barany and R. Moser (eds.), Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization.

Course Description

Political institutions are the rules that govern politics.  Constitutions, electoral systems, federalism, legislative rules, and laws governing civil-military relations are just some of the examples of political institutions that permeate political systems and thus affect our lives every day.  Not surprisingly, the “rules of the game” have important consequences on how politics work and what type of outcomes are produced.  It matters whether a political system is presidential or parliamentary, has a plurality or proportional representation (PR) electoral system, or is a unitary or federal system.  Moreover, the impact of rules is surprisingly broad.  Scholars have argued that political institutions affect everything from the number of political parties and the proportion of women or minorities in the legislature to the degree of ethnic conflict and the level of corruption.  

This course will introduce students to the role of political institutions in comparative politics. The first part of the course examines the concept of institutions – what they are (and are not), their origins, and how they change.  The rest of the course examines specific institutions, most notably presidential versus parliamentary systems, electoral systems (especially the contrast between plurality and PR systems), and federalism.  In the process, we will examine specific effects commonly attributed to political institutions, especially the type of party system, the election of women and ethnic minorities, ethnic relations and conflict, and the stability of democracy itself.

Grading Policy (Tentative)

Test I                          20%

Test II                         20%

Take-home Essay          25%

Take-home Essay          25%

Participation                  10%

Texts (Tentative)

R. Moser and E. Scheiner, Electoral Systems and Political Context: How the Effects of Rules Vary Across New and Established Democracies

A. Reynolds, Designing Democracy in a Dangerous World

Course Description

One of the most important developments in the last quarter century has been the expansion of democracy around the world. The most dramatic events of the late 20th century and the early 21st century — the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, and the “Arab Spring” — have all been associated with what scholars have called the “third (and now fourth) wave” of democratization, in which authoritarian regimes around the world collapsed in favor of varying degrees of democratic governance. With the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the threat of international terrorism, the spread of democracy, particularly in the Middle East, has become a central tenet of U.S. foreign policy and the “war on terror.” International terrorism has presented consolidated and emergent democracies with their greatest challenge to date. Democracy is seen as a primary antidote to this threat but also its chief target.

This course will examine the process of democratization in an attempt to determine which factors make the consolidation of democracy in a formerly authoritarian system more likely. The course will be organized thematically rather than regionally, meaning that we will deal primarily with broad issues that (conceivably) can be generalized to all cases. The examples of democratization used in the course will be drawn from many geopolitical regions including Latin America, post-communist states (Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union), the Middle East, Asia and Africa. After a survey of the central concepts surrounding democratization, the class will focus on specific factors related to successful democratization including: modernization, political culture, institutional design, civil society, and globalization.   

Grading Policy

First Take-Home Essay                                              25%

Second Take-Home Essay                                          25%

First Multiple Choice Exam                                          20%

Second Multiple Choice Exam                                      20%

Participation (based on in-class quizzes)                      10%

Texts

Fareed Zakaria, The Future of Freedom (New York:  W.W. Norton, 2007).

Zoltan Barany and Robert G. Moser (eds.), Is Democracy Exportable? (New York: Cambridge UP, 2009).

see syllabus

Course Description

Twice in the 20th century Russia experienced revolutionary political, economic, and social change. Since the communist regime collapse in 1991, Russia has attempted to simultaneously transform its political system from a communist regime to a democratic one and its state-controlled economy to one based on a free market. While engaged in this daunting task, the country has also had to deal with the precipitous decline in international power and influence that accompanied the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, loss of empire in Eastern Europe, and defeat in its superpower struggle with the United States. Begun with high hopes of a smooth transition to free market democracy, this transformation instead produced a decade-long economic collapse and very fragile democratic and capitalist institutions.  In the 2000s, President Vladimir Putin ushered in a highly centralized political system that was marked by excessive executive power, severe restrictions on civil liberties, human rights, and media freedoms, and manipulated and fraudulent elections.  Essentially, Russia has returned to authoritarian rule despite retaining some of the trappings of democratic politics.

This course will introduce students to the political development in Russia from 1917 to the present. It is vitally necessary to have some background on the Soviet system if one is to understand the contemporary situation. Thus, we will spend the first one-third of the course examining the birth, life, and death of the Soviet Union. After this, we will discuss the twin challenges of democratization and radical market reform facing the new post-Soviet Russian state. We will examine competing explanations including culture, institutions, and leadership decisions that can account for the difficulties Russia has had establishing a functional democracy and market economy.

Texts:

M. Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed in Russia.

Z. Barany and R. Moser (eds.), Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization.

Grading:

Test I                           30%

Test II                          30%

Take-home Essay            30%

Participation                   10%

see syllabus

One of the most important developments in the last quarter century has been the expansion of democracy around the world.  The most dramatic events of the late 20th century — the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War — have all been associated with what scholars have called the “third wave” of democratization, in which authoritarian regimes around the world collapsed in favor of varying degrees of democratic governance. With the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the threat of international terrorism, the spread of democracy, particularly in the Middle East, has become a central tenet of U.S. foreign policy and the “war on terror.”  International terrorism has presented consolidated and emergent democracies with their greatest challenge to date.  Democracy is seen as a primary antidote to this threat as well as its chief target.

This course will examine the process of democratization in an attempt to determine which factors make the consolidation of democracy in a formerly authoritarian system more likely.  The course will be organized thematically rather than regionally, meaning that we will deal primarily with broad issues that (conceivably) can be generalized to all cases.  The examples of democratization used in the course will be drawn from many geopolitical regions including Latin America, post-communist states (Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union), the Middle East, Asia and Africa.  After a survey of the central concepts surrounding democratization, the class will focus on specific factors related to successful democratization including: modernization, political culture, institutional design, civil society, and globalization.    

See syllabus

Course Description

Twice in the 20^th century Russia experienced revolutionary political, economic, and social change. Since the communist regime collapse in 1991, Russia has attempted to simultaneously transform its political system from a communist regime to a democratic one and its state-controlled economy to one based on a free market. While engaged in this daunting task, the country has also had to deal with the precipitous decline in international power and influence that accompanied the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, loss of empire in Eastern Europe, and defeat in its superpower struggle with the United States. Begun with high hopes of a smooth transition to free market democracy, this transformation instead produced a decade-long economic collapse and very fragile democratic and capitalist institutions.  In the 2000s, President Vladimir Putin ushered in a highly centralized political system that was marked by excessive executive power, severe restrictions on civil liberties, human rights, and media freedoms, and manipulated and fraudulent elections.  Essentially, Russia has returned to authoritarian rule despite retaining some of the trappings of democratic politics.

This course will introduce students to the political development in Russia from 1917 to the present. It is vitally necessary to have some background on the Soviet system if one is to understand the contemporary situation. Thus, we will spend the first one-third of the course examining the birth, life, and death of the Soviet Union. After this, we will discuss the twin challenges of democratization and radical market reform facing the new post-Soviet Russian state. We will examine competing explanations including culture, institutions, and leadership decisions that can account for the difficulties Russia has had establishing a functional democracy and market economy.

Texts:

M. Steven Fish, Democracy Derailed in Russia.

Z. Barany and R. Moser (eds.), Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization.

Grading:

Test I                                    30%

Test II                                    30%

Take-home Essay            30%

Participation                        10%

Description:

Political institutions are the rules that govern politics.  Constitutions, electoral systems, federalism, legislative rules, and laws governing civil-military relations are just some of the examples of political institutions that permeate political systems and thus affect our lives every day.  Not surprisingly, the “rules of the game” have important consequences on how politics work and what type of outcomes are produced.  It matters whether a political system is presidential or parliamentary, has a plurality or proportional representation (PR) electoral system, or is a unitary or federal system.  Moreover, the impact of rules is surprisingly broad.  Scholars have argued that political institutions affect everything from the number of political parties and the proportion of women or minorities in the legislature to the degree of ethnic conflict and the level of corruption.   

This course will introduce students to the role of political institutions in comparative politics. The first part of the course examines the concept of institutions – what they are (and are not), their origins, and how they change.  The rest of the course examines specific institutions, most notably presidential versus parliamentary systems, electoral systems (especially the contrast between plurality and PR systems), federalism, and the court system.  In the process, we will examine specific effects commonly attributed to political institutions, especially the type of party system, the election of women and ethnic minorities, ethnic relations and conflict, and the stability of democracy itself.

Proposed Assignments and Grading:

Test I            20%
Test II            20%
Take-home Essay    25%
Take-home Essay    25%
Participation        10%

Proposed Texts:

A. Lijphart, 2008. Thinking About Democracy: Power Sharing and Majority Rule in Theory and Practice.
R. Moser, 2001. Unexpected Outcomes: Electoral Systems, Political Parties, and Representation in Russia.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Honors Tutorial Course.

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.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

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.

Honors Tutorial Course.

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. May be taken for credit only once.

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.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.