Political Science 407E Politics in Latin America Spring 2009 John P. Tuman Wright Hall A-212 Phone: 895-3754 email: [email protected] Office Hours: M&W 1:00-2-30, or by appointment This course examines the politics of contemporary Latin America. In the first part of the course, we will discuss competing theories of democratization in Latin America, examine challenges facing Latin America’s new democracies, and analyze the politics of economic reform in the region. The second part of the course provides an in-depth, comparative study of politics in selected countries, with a focus on Mexico, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. Requirements Lecture and Discussion: The class will meet on Monday and Wednesday from 10:00-11:15 in BEH 212 for lectures and discussion. Students are expected to finish all of the assigned readings and to be prepared for group discussion. Participation counts for 5% of the final grade. Exams, Papers, and Grading:. The mid-term exam will be given March 2. The final exam is on May 4, from 10:10 to 12:10PM in BEH 212. In addition, students are required to write a short research paper (10-12 pp.); instructions for the paper are listed in the Appendix of this syllabus. The paper is due on April 15. Exam 1 and the paper each count for 30% of the final grade, while the final exam each counts for 35% of the final grade. Make-up exams will be given only if the student can demonstrate she/he was absent due to illness or participation in an official university function. Students must provide an excuse in writing from a licensed health care provider or from a university administrator. University Policy for Students with Disabilities: Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require special arrangements to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. Pursuant to UNLV policy, students must present appropriate verification from the Disability Resource Center in order to receive accommodations (Room 137, Reynolds Student Services Center; 895-0866 [TDD 895-0652]). For additional information, please visit: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/ Observance of Religious Holidays: Students who miss class due to observance of a religious holiday shall be given the opportunity to make up missed work. Please notify the instructor no later than the end of the first week of class if you will miss class because of observance of a religious holiday.Contact via E-mail: UNLV policy requires students to use Rebelmail accounts in order to contact faculty by e-mail. As the official e-mail system for students, Rebelmail is available to all students who have been admitted to the university. Non-matriculated students should contact the Office of Information Technology at UNLV students for assistance with opening a Rebelmail account. Texts The required books for this course are: Harry E. Vanden and Gary Prevost, eds. Politics of Latin America: The Power Game (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009 ). Peter H. Smith. Democracy in Latin America (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005) . In addition, some of the required readings for this course are on reserve in the Lied library and are accessible through the web at http://ereserves.library.unlv.edu/. E-research readings are designated “E-Reserves” in the syllabus. Some readings are also available through the JSTOR and Academic Search Elite, or Project MUSE databases in the University library (Article First and JSTOR are located at http://www.library.unlv.edu/search/eralpha.php .These readings are marked with “JSTOR” or “Academic Search Elite” in the syllabus. I will give instructions in class on accessing readings from the library. SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND LECTURES 1/12-1/14 Introduction Vanden & Prevost (hereafter V&P), chapter 1 1/19-1/26 Classifying Political Regime Types in Latin America Note: 1/19 is a holiday Smith, pp. 1-43 Sørenson, “What is Democracy?” in E-Reserves. Recommended: David Collier and Steven Levitsky, “Democracy with Adjectives: Conceptual Innovation in Comparative Research” World Politics 49, no. 3, April 1997, pp. 430-451, available in Project MUSE. 1/28-2/4 Explaining Democratization in Latin America: Competing Theories Smith, chapters 2-4. Recommended for further reading for week of 1/28: Frances Hagopian and Scott Mainwaring (editors), The Third Wave of Democratization in Latin America: Advances and Setbacks (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005). 2/9-2/18 Problems of New Democracies in Latin America Note: 2/18 is a holiday Smith, chapters 8-11.V&P, chapters 4-5 2/23-2/25 Politics of Economic Reform in Latin America: Contrasting Outcomes and Support Levels for Reform V&P, ch. 7 Evelyn Huber and Fred Solt, “Successes and Failures of Neoliberalism,” Latin American Research Review 39, no. 3, 2004, pp. 150-164, in Project Muse database. Suggested for further reading for week of 2/23-2/25: Beatriz Magaloni and Vidal Romero, “Partisan Cleavages, State Retrenchment, and Free Trade: Latin America in the 1990s,” Latin American Research Review 43, no. 2 (2008) pp. 107-135 Glen Biglaiser and Karl DeRouen, “The Expansion of Neoliberal Economic Reforms in Latin America.” International Studies Quarterly 48, no. 3 (2004): 561-578 Kurt Weyland, “The Political Fate of Market Reform in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe,” International Studies Quarterly 42, no. 4 (2002). 3/2 Mid-Term Exam 3/4-3/9 Case Studies: Mexico Nora Hamilton, “Mexico”, in V&P, pp. 54-55, 301-315 Charles R. Greer et al., “The State of the Unions in Mexico,” Journal of Labor Research 28, no. 1 (2007), in Article First database. 3/11-3/16 Case Studies: Mexico V&P, “Mexico,” pp. 315-337 Chappel Lawson, “How Did We Get Here? Mexican Democracy after the 2006 Elections” PS: Political Science and Politics 40, no. 1 (2007): 45-48, in Article First database. BBC News, “Mexico Drug Gang Killings Surge,” December 9, 2008, available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7772771.stm 3/18-3/23 Case Studies: Brazil Wilber Albert Chafee, “Brazil,” in V&P, pp. 369-382 3/25-3/30 Case Studies: Brazil Wilber Albert Chafee, “Brazil,” in V&P, pp. 382-391 Anthony Hall, “From Fome Zero to Bolsa Família: Social Policies and Poverty Alleviation under Lula,” Journal of Latin American Studies 38, no. 4 (2006): 689-709 in Article First database BBC News,