Governing Institutions

Cover Sheet: please use the cover sheet to help you verify that you have all of the required information. Refer to the assignment for specifics about each component Introductory paragraph: introduces the purpose of the paper, to compare two countries to better understand… Conclusion: please summarize the paper and then give some big picture analysis about your comparisons Citations: make sure you are using Chicago Author-Date, there is style information in Module 13 TEXTBOOK!!!: The textbook should be one of your sources both for information about the countries and for basic concept definitions and relevance. Prove you understand course content! (Orvis Drogus Introducing Comparative Politics Fourth Edition) First Person? Please try to write without first person pronouns. Instead of “I will compare…” you can try “This brief compares…”   Students will write a final brief that describes each of their cases, and compares and analyzes differences between them of approximately 10-12 pages. (30%) Briefs must address the following (Please use the CP Brief Cover Sheet.docx  to help identify where the required components are located in your paper):: Ch 2: How did each of your countries become modern states? (brief history that explains how X arrived at this modern moment) Describe (these elements of your case will likely be expanded on the more you learn): Territory Sovereignty Legitimacy Bureaucracy Is your state: Strong, Weak, Quasi-, or Failed? Explain Ch 3: Describe the Regime of your country, including claim to legitimacy and key institutions.  What is the relationship of the people to the regime? Ch 4: Using the categories of Identity discussed in the book (and of course there are others…) describe the politics of identity issues in your state. Please select one issue or particular claim. You do not need to cover all of these issues or categories of identity. Please consider prioritizing claims/issues that contribute effectively toward your comparison between states. Nation, Ethnicity, Religion, Race, Gender/Sex/Sexuality Vocabulary (Identity Group Demands): Recognition (Rights), Autonomy, Representation/Participation, Improved Social Status Ch 5: Describe the governing institutions for your country: Executive Legislature Judiciary Bureaucracy (IF your country is not a democracy, you will still need to account for governing institutions which likely look similar to these categories.) Ch 6: Describe the mechanisms of Participation and Representation in your state. Specifically: Electoral system Discuss the Party System and Political Parties In a 2-party system, what are the parties and what are the key differences, in a multi-party system, describe some of the issues or major cleavages between parties What is the role of civil society and interest groups? Ch 7: Please identify any current/recent examples of social movements, terrorism, civil war, revolution, etc. You need only address instance. Please consider prioritizing an instance that contributes effectively toward your comparison between states. How are people mobilized to participate in contentious politics? How do social movements and other forms of contentious politics function? (What are the actual behaviors/what are people doing? Who supports them? etc) What effects do contentious politics have on governments and policies? What effects have globalization and the advent of internet-based communications and social media had on contentious politics? Why does contentious politics sometimes turn violent and take the forms of terrorism, civil war, or revolution? Ch 8: If your country is authoritarian, Describe the regime Answer should include the institutions of governance and political actors we’ve already discussed (legislatures, parties, judiciary, bureaucracy, elections, and civil society) How does this regime maintain power? Answer should include measures of repression and adaptation Address the problem of succession? If your country is NOT authoritarian: Are there or behaviors that current leadership employs that are characteristic of authoritarianism? Ch 9: Please identify an important regime change in your country. Who was involved? What happened and how? Why? What was the outcome? (P. 471 in the book lists some important events/dates of the 20th century for each country except the UK, y’all will have to look further back. You do not need to use an event from this list however.) Ch 10: Discuss the political economy of your country. This means some basic economic information including resources/trade/etc. and the measures below, but should also include a discussion about the political involvement/interventions of the state in the economy. GDP, Unemployment, Inflation, Absolute Poverty, Inequality (Gini) Ch 11: Discuss the political economy of your country. If your country has a weak economy this may mean discussing the mechanisms targeting development in may forms. What does development look like in your country?  Ch 12: NONE   Rubric