Middle East Technical University

Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Department of Political Science and Public Administration

Academic Year 2004-2005 Spring Semester

Assistant Prof. Dr. Pýnar Akçalý (Section 01)

Room Number: 301

Office Hours:

e-mail: akcali@metu.edu.tr

 

ADM 232 COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT

 

COURSE OUTLINE

 

 

I)    GENERAL INTRODUCTION

 

A) Politics, Government, State

B) What is Comparative Government?

C) Patterns of Government/State

D) Levels of Government: Federal, Unitary and Local Government

 

Readings:

 

1)  Michael Curtis (Ed), Introduction to Comparative Government, New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1997, “Introduction,” pp.1-29 (pages 20-21 missing).

2)  Rod Hague, Martin Harrop and Shaun Breslin, Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, London: MacMillan Press, 1998, pp.3-19 (Chapter 1: “Comparative Politics and Government”).

3)  Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Chapter 10: “Federal, Unitary and Local Government,” pp.168-183.

 

II)  GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

   

A) The Assembly

B) The Executive

C) The Judiciary

 

Readings:

 

1)  Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Chapter 11: “Assemblies,” pp.184-201.

2)  Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Chapter 12: “The Political Executive,” pp.202-218.

3)  Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Chapter 9: “Constitutions and the Legal Framework,” pp.151-167.

 

III) CASE STUDIES

 

A) United States of America

B) Great Britain

C) France

D) The Russian Federation

 

Readings:

 

1)  Introduction to Comparative Government, Chapters on Great Britain, France, and the Former Soviet Union.

2)  Introduction to Comparative Politics, Mark Kesselman, Joel Krieger and William A. Joseph (eds), USA: Houghton Mifflin Company, “Chapter 7: United States”, pp. 287-319.

 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

 

 

1)     First Midterm: 25% of your grade (date: 4 April 2005, at 17.40)

 

2)     Second Midterm: 25% of your grade (date: 2 May 2005, at 17.40)

 

3)     Final Exam: 50% of your grade, which will include all the topics discussed during the term.

 

4)     Attendance: will be checked from time to time by sign-up sheets and be influential in your term grade.

 

5)     Optional term paper: instead of the second midterm, you can choose to prepare a term paper of about 10-15 pages making up 25 % of your grade. The topic is to be discussed with the instructor.