Comparative Politics 2004-2005

UNIT 1. Part A. 1. A Constitutional Revolution in Britain?, Donley T. Studlar, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2003 "New" Labour came to power in 1997 with an unprecedented commitment to sweeping constitutional reform. Here an American political scientist examines the Blair government's subsequent record in promoting a series of major institutional changes in Britain and goes on to consider their political consequences. His review reaches until the end of 2003 and includes recent developments with respect to the House of Lords, devolution, Northern Ireland, the monarchy, and the European Union. 2. The Blair Moment, Steven Philip Kramer, The Wilson Quarterly, Autumn 2003 Tony Blair became prime minister with the declared mission of modernizing Britain and overcoming its political insularity. The author concludes that Blair's commitment to the special relationship with the U.S. and his strong support of the Iraq War have damaged his grand strategy and undermined public confidence in his leadership. 3. Coming Out Smiling: Blair Survives His Biggest Test as Prime Minister and Promises No Wavering on Bold Policies, James Blitz, Financial Times, January 30, 2004 In the last week of January 2004, Tony Blair survived two serious challenges to his leadership: A rebellion in his own parliamentary party over university tuition fees and an official inquiry into how the government had presented its case for war in Iraq. This article reviews these events and stresses that Blair's continued reform of the public service sector will require improved relations with Labour backbenchers and support from Gordon Brown, his potential successor. In an accompanying commentary and analysis, Brian Groom argues that Blair's vindication presents him with a second chance to join the leaders of France and Germany in giving new energy and direction to the European Union. 4. Tories, Even With a New Leader, See Little to Hope For, Sara Lyall, The New York Times, December 22, 2003 The Conservatives were the dominant force in British politics for most of the past century, but they are unlikely to reutrn to office soon. They recently switched party leader for the third time since 1997, and Michael Howard now faces the challenge of moving his party toward the center of resolving its internal divisions. 5. A Divided Self: A Survey of France, John Andrews, The Economist, November 16, 2002 The sweeping victory of the Conservatives in the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2002 seems to have made the right-of-center bloc, led by President Chirac, dominant in French politics for the next few years. There is no guarantee that there will be effective reforms to deal with the series of social and political problems discussed in this article, ranging from the failure to integrate the many immigrants to the social and economic problems confronting its welfare state. 6. French Secularism Unwraps Far More than Headscarves in the Classroom, Robert Graham, Financial Times, December 20, 2003 Citing the French tradition of secularity and ignoring strong criticism from the leaders of several million Muslims in France, President Chirac has called for legislation to bar the Islamic headscarf and other conspicuous religious signs from state schools. It seems doubtful that the 10-year old controversy will be put to rest so easily, for there is much more at issue as this article shows. 7. Iraq Aside, French View the U.S. With a Mixture of Attraction and Repulsion, Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times, November 13, 2003 The current French-American rift is born of disagreement over Iraq but rooted in long-standing differences, writes the author. On closer look, she adds, the relationship is more complex. French attitudes toward the United States show a mixture of repulsion and disenchantment while mixed with attraction, curiosity, and outright envy. 8. Gerhard Schroder Clings On, The Economist, September 28, 2002 The article explains how the red-green government managed to be narrowly re-elected, examines the new parliamentary balance of power, and points to a series of structural problems that demand bold political leadership. Are Chancellor Schroder and his team ready for the task ahead? 9. Untangling the System, The Economist, November 8, 2003 German reformers want to modernize their country's federal structure, which is increasingly seen as a major obstacle to effective governance. This article reviews the problems along with some proposed remedies. There are vested interests that will make any reform difficult. 10. Schroeder's Unfinished Business: Why the Reforms Agreed for Germany's Ailing Economy Leave the Job Half-done, Bertrand Benoit, Financial Times, January 7, 2004 The author argues that the recently enacted major reform legislation, sponsored by the Schroder-Fischer government as Agenda 2010, has slaughtered some sacred cows. Yet he concludes that the sacrifices may not be nearly enough to open the door to a revival of Germany's sluggish social and economic system. 11. The Vices and Virtues of Old Germany's 'Model' Economy, Michael Prowse, Financial Times, November 8, 2003 In a role reversal, Germany has come to replace Britain in comments about "the sick man of Europe." This British author concedes that the German economy, long regarded as a model in balancing equity and efficiency, has some structural problems. But he points to some impressive achievements in public investments and the rebuilding of eastern Germany. 12. Japanese Spirit, Western Things, The Economist, July 10, 2003 150 years after Commodore Perry's order to open the country to trade, Japan has emerged as one of the world's great economic success stories. This survey examines the origins of that success and emphasizes that Japan has shown that modernization does not require embracing Western culture. 13. Public Opinion: Is There a Crisis?, The Economist, July 17, 1999 Advanced democracies differ considerably from each other, but in recent years they have shared a common pattern of public disillusionment with institutions and politicians. The first in a series of three briefs dealing with this development examines the general decline in public trust and voter turnout in well-established democracies. 14. Political Parties: Empty Vessels?, The Economist, July 24, 1999 This brief from The Economist series examines the partial weakening of political parties in modern democracies. 15. Interest Groups: Ex Uno, Plures, The Economist, August 21, 1999 This brief in The Economist series reports on the growth of speical-interest lobbying in modern democracies. 16. Advanced Democracies and the New Politics, Russell J. Dalton, Susan E. Scarrow, and Bruce E. Cain, Journal of Democracy, January 2004 In the advanced democracies, there has been a decline of confidence in representative government accompanied by a shift towards a mixed repertoire of political expression that includes a greater role for both "direct democracy" and forms of "advocacy democracy." This creates new problems that will require new solutions. 17. Women in National Parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union, February 29, 2004 This table has been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information regularly provided by national parliaments. It classifies 181 countries in decending order by the percentage of women in the lower or single legislative chamber. Perhaps the biggest surprise is to find Rwanda having moved from its previous rank of twenty to the top of the list as the results of elections held in 2003, in the aftermath of a horrific civil war. Otherwise it is the "usual suspects" among 18. Europe Crawls Ahead ..., Megan Rowling, In These Times, July 22, 2002 Women have moved to high elective office earlier and at higher rates in some countries than in others. This article examines what factors have made a difference. France's new parity law was widely flouted in 2002, but in the German elections of the same year, self-imposed quotas by several parties played a key role. 19. What Democracy Is ... and Is Not, Philippe C. Schmitter and Terry Lynn Karl, Journal of Democracy, Summer 1991 The two authors point out that modern representative democracies vary in their institutions, practices, and values, depending on their socioeconomic, historical, and cultural settings. 20. Judicial Review: The Gavel and the Robe, The Economist, August 7, 1999 Democracies have handed increasing amounts of power to unelected judges. This article examines the growth and many different forms of judicial review. 21. Referendums: The People's Voice, The Economist, August 14, 1999 The referendum, a form of direct democracy, takes many forms. This article examines the different kinds of referenda, looks at the experience so far, and reexamines the arguments about letting voters decide policy questions directly. 22. The Case for a Multi-Party U.S. Parliament? American Politics in Comparative Perspective, Christopher S. Allen, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2004 The author supports the inclusion of American political institutions in the study of comparative politics. He presents a brief on behalf of a multi-party parliamentary system for the United States that can be read as a mental experiment in institutional transplantation. It underscores the basic insight that institutions are not neutral but have consequences for the political process itself. 23. When East Meets West, Robert Cottrell, The Economist, November 22, 2003 The enlargement of the European Union, from fifteen to twenty-five members in 2004, will inevitably create some turmoil along with opportunities for newcomers and EU veterans. Almost certainly, the expanded and more diverse membership will result in a looser-knit Union. 24. The European Union Cannot Reach Deal on Constitution, John Tagliabue, The New York Times, December 14, 2003 The European leaders met in December 2003 to work out the final details of a EU draft constitution, but the talks failed. This article examines the reasons for collapse of the talks and looks at possible future developments. 25. In Search of Europe's Borders: The Politics of Migration in the European Union, Seyla Benhabib, Dissent, Fall 2002 West European societies are now experiencing changes in the makeup of their population as a result of immigration. The author provides a well-informed and much needed perspective on the newcomers and on the varied political reactions in the host countries. 26. Letter From Poland, David Ost, The Nation, November 25, 2002 The author reports from Poland on a decline of the neo-liberal model and some other recent developments of importance. They include the growth of an extreme Right, the emergence of a democratic Left, and changes in attitudes towards the Unions and globalization. 27. Ten Myths About Russia: Understanding and Dealing With Russia's Complexity and Ambiguity, David Foglesong and Gordon M. Hahn, Problems of Post-Communism, November/December 2002 The authors examine ten widely held illusions about Russia that have clouded our understanding of that country and promoted unrealistic expectations about its rapid transformation. They offer a more realistic alternative view. 28. Russian Democracy Under Putin, Timothy J. Colton and Michael McFaul, Problems of Post-Communism, July/August 2003 Writing a few months before the parliamentary elections, two specialists on Russia examine that country's political system and conclude that it is quasi-democratic, quasi-autocratic order. 29. Putin's Way, The Economist, December 13, 2003 This report on Russia's parliamentary elections in December 2003 concludes that the voters in effect opted for an authoritarian concentration of power in the president. 30. Globalization's Double Edge, Robert J. Samuelson, International Herald Tribune, January 4, 2000 Globalization is a powerful vehicle for raising economic growth in rich and poor countries alike, but it erodes local cultures and threatens them with economic and social instability. 31. Mexico at an Impasse, M. Delal Baer, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2004 Three years after Mexico's democratic revolution, the political system is gridlocked, the economy is stagnant, and relations with the United States are deteriorating. A crisis is not imminent, but progress must come soon if Mexico's grand experiment with political and economic liberty is to continue. 32. South Africa: Democracy Without the People?, Robert Mattes, Journal of Democracy, January 2002 More than a decade after the end of apartheid, the multiracial South African democracy may be headed for trouble because it still has not dealt effectively with three requirements of consolidation: inequality-reducing economic growth, stable institutions, and a supportive political culture. 33. China: The Quiet Revolution, Doug Guthrie, Harvard International Review, Summer 2003 The reformers who led China toward a market economy avoided "shock therapy." Instead, they moved gradually in implementing changes that in the end turned out to be a major institutional transformation. This article explores their strategy and the reasons for the success of their "quiet revolution." 34. The Emperor is Far Away, Ezra Vogel, Harvard International Review, Summer 2003 In this interview, an American specialist on China examines the accomplishments of the past twenty years as well as the challenges faced by the country's new leadership. 35. In March Toward Capitalism, China Has Avoided Russia's Path, Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 1998 This article explains how China has managed so far to avoid economic and political collapse as it moves from a centrally planned to a more market-centered economy. 36. New Dimensions of Indian Democracy, Susanne Hoeber Rudolph and Lloyd I. Rudolph, Journal of Democracy, January 2002 India defies the conventional view that poor and highly diverse societies are unlikely to remain democratic. What explains the resilience of India's democracy? The answer lies in the country's institutional and policy responses to a variety of recent challenges. 37. Iran's Crumbling Revolution, Jahangir Amuzegar, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2003 Younger Iranians are increasingly questioning the theocracy established by the 1979 revolution. The hard-line religious leaders have no practical solutions to the country's growing social tensions and economic problems. Left to itself, Iran seems likely to generate its own regime change. 38. Bin Laden, the Arab "Street," and the Middle East's Democracy Deficit, Dale F. Eickelman, Current History, January 2002 Osama bin Laden speaks in the vivid language of popular Islamic preachers, and he builds on a deep and broad resentment against the West. He benefits from the lack of democratic outlets in much of the Middle East that leaves no established platforms to express opinions on matters of public concern. 39. There is No Crash Course in Democracy, John F. Burns, The New York Times, December 14, 2003 John Burns reports on well-meant American efforts to "teach democracy" in Iraq. They run up against differing cultures, histories, and aspirations of teachers and students. 40. The Global State of Democracy, Larry Diamond, Current History, December 2000 Larry Diamond reviews the remarkable advance of democratization in the last quarter of the twentieth century. He distinguishes among the varied states of democracy and warns that many of the new popular regimes are highly vulnerable. 41. Capitalism and Democracy, Gabriel A. Almond, PS: Political Science and Politics, September 1991 Towards the end of the Gorbachev era, Gabriel Almond presented a Soviet audience with some key ideas about the ambiguous relationship between capitalism and democracy. Drawing in part on the work of other theorists, this leading political scientist explored ways in which capitalism both supports and subverts democracy as well as ways in which democracy may both subvert and foster capitalism. 42. Cultural Explanations: The Man in the Baghdad Cafe, The Economist, November 9, 1996 This essay critically reviews recent scholarly attempts to explain economics and politics in terms of cultural differences. 43. Jihad vs. McWorld, Benjamin R. Barber, The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992 Benjamin Barber examines two major tendencies that are shaping much of the political world today. One is a form of tribalism, which pits cultural, ethnic religious, and national groups against each other. It clashes with a tendency toward globalism, brought about by modern technology, communications, and commerce. Both tendencies can threaten democracy.