POLI 201 Comparative Government

The purpose of this course is to explore the relationship between politics and state structure in a variety of political settings. The course will be structured around four emerging political developments: globalization, the emergence of post-communist states, the rise of the neoliberal state in the developing world, and the growth of oppositional movements such as anti-globalism, anarchism, and cultural nationalism in response. Students will examine a number of different forms of government, will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each, and will investigate the impact of cultural context on political ideas and institutions.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Eligible to enroll in ENGL 121

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. Identify and organize information and ideas about comparative politics.
2. Generate ideas, explore possibilities, and consider alternative forms of government.
3. Analyze and evaluate ideas or outcomes of different types of government and their policies.
4. Apply information and ideas about government to other national contexts.
5. Apply appropriate strategies of inquiry and exploration in order to find, evaluate, and use information ethically in the study of politics and government.
6. Analyze the typical state forms in the advanced capitalist democracies and demonstrate how they have been transformed by the globalization process.
7. Explore the nature of emerging post-communist states.
8. Explain the relationship between globalization and neoliberalism in the developing countries.
9. Analyze the emerging political critiques of globalization including anti-globalism, anarchism, green politics, subcultural nationalism, and neo-fascism.
10. Write clearly and effectively using appropriate, relevant, and properly attributed content that demonstrates the writer’s understanding of comparative government.

Course Objectives

1. Identify and organize information and ideas about comparative politics.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Case Study/Reader/ Workbook essays

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT1
2. Generate ideas, explore possibilities, and consider alternative forms of government.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Case Study/Reader/ Workbook essays

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT2

   Program Goal(s)

   Degree: Social Sciences - A.A. Degree (Transfer)

   Employ social science concepts, methods, and/or theories to understand behavior, institutions, and/or change over time.

3. Analyze and evaluate ideas or outcomes of different types of government and their policies.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Portfolio

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT3
4. Apply information and ideas about government to other national contexts.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Portfolio

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT4
5. Apply appropriate strategies of inquiry and exploration in order to find, evaluate, and use information ethically in the study of politics and government.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Writing Assignments

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Information Literacy Rubric

   Information Literacy

   • IL1
   • IL2
   • IL3

   Program Goal(s)

   Degree: Social Sciences - A.A. Degree (Transfer)

   Apply introductory research skills that social scientists use to gather and interpret information.

6. Analyze the typical state forms in the advanced capitalist democracies and demonstrate how they have been transformed by the globalization process.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric.
7. Explore the nature of emerging post-communist states.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric.
8. Explain the relationship between globalization and neoliberalism in the developing countries.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric.
9. Analyze the emerging political critiques of globalization including anti-globalism, anarchism, green politics, subcultural nationalism, and neo-fascism.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric.

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course assignment/exam rubric.
10. Write clearly and effectively using appropriate, relevant, and properly attributed content that demonstrates the writer’s understanding of comparative government.

    This objective is a course Goal Only

    Learning Activity Artifact

    • Writing Assignments

    Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

    • Other (please fill out box below)
    • Course writing rubric.