GVPT100S PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Fall 2006 Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-11:50 Armory 0112 Sections: 101 Thursdays 12:30-1:20 Tawes 0138 102 Fridays 1-1:50 Lefrak 1221 103 Fridays 10-10:50 Hornbake 0123 104 Fridays 2-2:50 Tydings 0101 Instructor: Karol Soltan Office: Tydings 1140C Telephone: 405-4135 Office Hours: Tuesdays, 3:45-5, Thursdays 1-2:15, and by appointment This course is a general introduction to politics. You should be warned, however, that while there is a standard way to introduce economics, there is no standard way to introduce politics or political science. I have made an effort to make this introduction as inclusive as possible. We will look at the broadest range of political phenomena from the small scale negotiation, strategic calculation and deliberation to the largest scale global politics, and from the nastiest form of violent politics (war, revolution, terrorism) to a non-violent politics of principle. I have also made an effort to make this a course I could teach in any country in the world, it does not reflect any special US perspective. To help us organize this diverse material we will develop a simple framework, distinguishing three dimensions or aspects of politics (Hamilton in Federalist #1 will serve as our inspiration): 1. From self-interest to “good government based on reflection and choice.” 2. From fate and accident to design. 3. From violence, destruction and threat of destruction to peace and freedom. As we look at the Big Picture of politics, we will develop a historical perspective that distinguishes two stages of modernity. The first stage began emerging in the second half of the seventeenth century, out of the deep crisis of that period. The second stage began emerging in the second half of the twentieth century. We are very much in the middle of that, struggling to give shape to a new period. This framework is my effort to organize the material, but it is not generally agreed upon by political scientists (nothing is generally agreed). So as we move through the course we will also consider some alternative perspectives on the subjects we will cover. Course Requirements: 2 midterm exams (October 12, November 14) and a final on Thursday, December 14, 8-10 AM. Grades: Each midterm will be approximately 20% of the course grade, the final exam will be approximately 40%, and discussion participation in sections -- 20%.Required Books: Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff, Thinking Strategically. Norton Karen Mingst and Jack Snyder (eds.), Essential Readings in World Politics (1st or 2d edition). Norton The readings for the course will be in the following sources: 1. In the required books, available for purchase at the local bookstores. 2. On the web, at the web address listed in the syllabus. 3. On the electronic reserve (e-reserve) in the library. 4. In a journal available through the Research Port on the university library web page. TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE Lecture 1: Overview of the course (August 31) Part I: Power and Politics Lecture 2: Politics, Power and Human Interaction (September 5) Lecture 3: Game Theory and Strategic Interaction (September 7) Section 1 (September 8): Theory of Games – Overview. Dixit and Nalebuff, chapters 2, 4-6, pp. 31-55, 89-167 Lecture 4: Public Goods and the Problem of Collective Action (September 12) Lecture 5: The Microstructure of Power (September 14) Section 2 (September 15): Theory of Games – Applications. Dixit and Nalebuff, chapters 8-10, pp. 205-85 Lecture 6: Deliberation, Reform and Getting Things Right (September 19) Section 3 (September 22): Principles in Politics Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes, 2d ed., chapter 1, pp. 3-14 on e-reserve Steven Kelman, “Why Public Ideas Matter,” pp. 31-54 in Robert Reich (ed.), Power of Public Ideas on e-reserve Part II. Violence and Politics Lecture 7: War and Revolution (September 21) Lecture 8: The Shadow of Destruction (September 26) Section 4 (September 29): Violent Politics A. War: von Clausewitz, Schelling and Jervis, pp. 236-61 (1st ed.) or pp. 297-322 (2d ed.) in Mingst and Snyder B. Communism and Nazism:Stalin, J.V. “The Foundations of Leninism”, from Stalin, J.V. Problems of Leninism (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1976) http://www.ptb.lashout.net/marx2mao.org/Stalin/FL24.html, pp. 1-4 (introductory material), and pp. 38-52 (Chapter IV: The Dictatorship of the Proletariat) Hitler, Mein Kampf http://www.hitler.org/writings/Mein_Kampf/, Volume 2 (The National Socialist Movement), Chapter V: Philosophy and Organization. C. Radical Islamism: Herf, J. “What is old and what is new in the terrorism of Islamic Fundamentalism?” http://www.aicgs.org/research/911/herf.shtml World Islamic Front (Osama bin Laden [aka Shaykh Usamah Bin-Muhammad Bin-Ladin] et al.), “Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders” Various web sites, search using title. Lecture 9. Rule of Law (September 28) Lecture 10. Self-limiting Social Movements (October 3) Section 5 (October 6): Politics against Violence A. Rule of Law: Neil Kritz, “The Rule of Law in the Post-Conflict Phase” on e-reserve. B. Self-limiting Social Movements: Mohandas Gandhi, Non-violent Resistance, pp. iii-vi, 3-36 on e-reserve. Martin Luther King, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html Part III: Political Systems IIIA: The State Lecture 11. State and Nation (October 5) Lecture 12. State and Democracy (October 10) MIDTERM (Parts I and II) October 12 Section 6 (October 13): Institutions of Democratic States Aristotle, Politics (Benjamin Jowett, trans), Book 3, Parts vi and vii www.classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics The Federalist Papers, #1 (Hamilton) and #10 (Madison) in: Avalon Project at Yale Law School, www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed S.E. Finer, The History of Government, Book V, Chapter 1, pp. 1473-84 on e-reserve. Scott Mainwaring, “Two Models of Democracy,” Journal of Democracy, 12.3 (2001): 170-5, via Research Port Arend Lijphart, “Constitutional Design for Divided Societies,” Journal of Democracy, 15.2 (2004): 96-109, via Research Port. Lecture 13. Constitutional Democracy (October 17) Lecture 14. Social Context of Democracy (October 19) Section 7 (October 20): Social Context of Democratic States Aristotle, Politics (Benjamin Jowett, trans), Book 4, Part xi.