The Selectorate Model of Politics

To Students in my Democratization Class--

Here is a link that will provide some background material on what we're talking about today in class. The material is a little bit technical, so just get a feel for what the argument is suggesting, and obviously, questions go to the comments field below!

More datasets in International Relations

To all my students--

This quick post will hopefully get you familiar with a few of the datasets we'll be talking about in class throughout the semester. I'll probably most often mention the Correlates of War Project, and their datasets on Militarized Interstate Disputes (MIDs), State System, Alliances, etc... (follow the links from the main page for these).

We'll also often talk about the Polity Project at the University of Maryland and how it defines democracy. (You have to register to get the data, but just take a look at the front page, the updates, and get a sense for the changes in the data and their coding procedures.)

Peer review and publishing

Here is a link that describes peer-review in the sciences (which is quite similar to peer-review in the social sciences). There's also mention of a few suggestions for changing the 300+ year old system.

Measuring Different Types of War

Students in my International Conflict Course--

Here is an article in .pdf that describes several war datasets used by almost all the articles discussed in this class. Note the different types of wars, and the stregnths and weaknesses of the conceptualization of war based on battle-deaths. We'll be talking about this paper in Wednesday's class.

[NOTE: You may need to access the article from a UA computer or through a proxy server via the library website. And to answer the next question, no, I currently have no idea of how to do that. Use the comments bar if you have problems loading the article, and hopefully, another classmate can help you out.]

How to Measure Democracy

Students in my Democratization Course--

Here is an article in .pdf that describes various datasets used to measure regime type and democracy (you may have to press the button "begin manual download"). Note the many different conceptualizations of democracy and the strengths and weaknesses of each measure. We'll be talking about this paper in Wednesday's class.

[NOTE: You may need to access the article from a UA computer or through a proxy server via the library website. And to answer the next question, no, I currently have no idea of how to do that. Use the comments bar if you have problems loading the article, and hopefully, another classmate can help you out.]

Stephen Colbert on Wikipedia

Follow this link to Stephen Colbert's "The Word" segment on Wikipedia.

Here are two links, also courtesy of Marginal Revolution. First, a history of Wikipedia, and second, a defense of Wikipedia (and Wikis in general). Note Tyler Cowen's comment: "If you unconditionally trust controversial assertions in Wikipedia, you need to be much more careful. But if you think of the service as an exchange of sorts, and understand what you are getting, Wikipedia is a remarkable benefit. "

Remember, use internet resources with great care!

PS321 Democratization - Class Reading Schedule

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

PART I: THE STATE, GOVERNMENT, AND GOVERNMENT TYPE

Week 1 (August 23rd) – Introduction to Course

Readings: Take a look at some of the following links: Causality, Ceteris paribus, independent variables, and dependent variables, and follow the links to any other articles you find interesting.

Week 2 (August 28th) – Role of the State, Government and Government Type

Readings: TBA

PART II: ENDOGENOUS DEMOCRATIZATION

Week 3 (September 6th) – A Theory of Democratic Transitions

Readings: Boix, Introduction and Chapters 1-3

Przeworski, Adam and Fernando Limongi, “Modernization: Theories and Facts,” World Politics, 1997.

Week 4 (September 11th) – Wealth and Resources

Readings: Acemoglu, Daron et al., “Income and Democracy,” NBER Working Paper No. 11205.

Ross, Michael, “A Closer Look and Oil, Diamonds, and Civil War,” Annual Review of Political Science 2006

Ross, Michael, “Does Oil Hinder Democracy?” World Politics 53 (April 2001).

Week 5 (September 18th) – Geography

Readings: Fearon, James D. and Laitin David D., 2003, “Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War”, American Political Science Review Vol. 97, No. 1 February 2003.

Midterm Exam I – Friday, September 22, 2006

PART III: EXOGENOUS DEMOCRATIZATION

Week 6 (September 25th) – Diffusion of Conflict, Integration and Democratization

Readings: Gleditsch, Chapters 1-3

Week 7 (October 2nd) – Diffusion of Conflict, Integration and Democratization

Readings: Gleditsch, Chapters 4-6

Week 8 (October 9th) – Imposed Democracy

Readings: TBA

Week 9 (October 16th) – External Threat and Development

Readings: Gibler, Douglas M., “Bordering on Peace” Working Paper.

Marc Hutchison and Douglas M. Gibler. Forthcoming. Political Tolerance and Territorial Threat: A Cross-National Study. Journal of Politics.

Week 10 (October 23rd) – External Threat and Development

Readings: TBA

Week 11 (October 30th) – Effects of External Threat on International System

Readings: Douglas M. Gibler and Scott Wolford. 2006. Alliances, then Democracy: An Examination of the Relationship between Regime Type and Alliance Formation. Journal of Conflict Resolution. February: 1-25.

PART IV: CASE RESEARCH

Week 12 (November 6th) – Latin America

Projects due in class on Wednesday

Week 13 (November 13th) – Africa

Projects due in class on Wednesday

Week 14 (November 20th) – Asia

Projects due in class on Wednesday

Week 15 (November 27th) – Eastern Europe and the former Soviet States

Projects due in class on Wednesday

PART V: Putting it all together…

Week 16 (December 4th) – TBA

Paper Due Wednesday, December 6, 2006

FINAL EXAM – Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 11:30am

PS321 Democratization - Required Readings

Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, All International Politics Is Local : The Diffusion of Conflict, Integration, and Democratization, University of Michigan Press (August 7, 2002) [ISBN: 0472112678]

Carles Boix, Democracy and Redistribution (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics), Cambridge University Press (July 21, 2003) [ISBN: 0521532671]

PS321 Democratization - Course Requirements

(20%) Attendance and Discussion: Regular attendance AND discussion are required

(20%) Group projects, 4 separate research presentations on individual countries

(20%) Paper (8-10 pages, double-spaced, normal font) developing the arguments from one of the research presentations.

(20%) Midterm Exam

(20%) Final Exam

PS442 International Conflict - Class Reading Schedule

Week 1 (August 23^rd) – Introduction to Course

Readings: Bennett and Stam, Chapters 1 and 2

Week 2 (August 28^th) – Democratic Peace Theory

Readings: Russett and Oneal, Chapters 1-3

Week 3 (September 6^th) – Democratic Peace Theory (continued)

Readings: Russett and Oneal, Chapters 4-7

Week 4 (September 11^th) – Comparative Theory Testing

Readings: Bennett and Stam, Chapters 3-5

Week 5 (September 18^th) – Comparative Theory Testing (continued)

Readings: Bennett and Stam, Chapters 6 and 7

Midterm Exam I – Friday, September 22, 2006

Week 6 (September 25^th) – Territorial Explanation of War Readings: Vasquez, Chapters 1-3

Week 7 (October 2^nd) – Territorial Explanation of War (Continued)

Readings: Vasquez, Chapters 4-5

Week 8 (October 9^th) – Territorial Explanation of War (Continued)

Readings: Vasquez (reader), Chapters 4-8

Week 9 (October 16^th) – Territorial Explanation of War (Continued)

Readings: Vasquez, Chapters 6-7; Vasquez (reader), Chapters 9-12

Week 10 (October 23^rd) – Project I completion

Project I is due on November 3, 2006

Week 11 (October 30^th) – Territorial Explanation of War (Continued)

Readings: Vasquez, Chapter 8; Vasquez (reader), Chapters 13-14

Week 12 (November 6^th) – Bargaining and War

Readings: TBA

Week 13 (November 13^th) – External Threat & Domestic Development

Readings: TBA

Week 14 (November 20^th) – External Threat & Domestic Development (Continued)

Readings: TBA

Week 15 (November 27^th) – Project II completion

Project II is due on December 1, 2006

Week 16 (December 4^th) – Putting it all together…

Readings: TBA

FINAL EXAM – Friday, December 15, 2006 at 11:30am

Late Assignments and Missed Exams

Project and paper due dates will be set in class and announced on the class blog. Fairness dictates that no late assignments will be accepted, no exceptions tolerated. Incompletes for this course will be granted only for extraordinary circumstances. Make-up examinations will be granted only for extraordinary circumstances. Seriously. If you absolutely, positively have to miss an exam, see me as soon as possible.

PS442 International Conflict Course Requirements

(20%) Attendance and Discussion: Regular attendance AND discussion are required

(40% - 20% for each project) Research Projects I and II: These are data collection and analysis efforts that will be described in class; no previous research experience is necessary to complete each project.

(20%) Midterm Exam

(20%) Final Exam

Use of the Class Blog

I use this class blog to communicate with my classes. On this blog website (make note of the URL), I’ll post support material for each class discussion. I’ll included brief discussion as well as hyperlinks to what I’d like to demonstrate in class. (For example, for the first class, I have already posted most of the introductory material that follows.) Most of the time, I will allow comments to be added to these posts. I would encourage students with questions outside of class to ask them through these posts. Further, any students willing to try to answer these questions (correctly) will definitely increase their overall course discussion grade!

NOTE: Do NOT rely on this blog to keep up with the class over an extended period of time; it will not help enough, I assure you.

PS442 International Conflict Course Description

This course is designed to familiarize students with the theoretical and empirical literature on the onset, expansion, and consequences of interstate war and the conditions for peace. Among the theories reviewed will be bargaining theory, power transition theory, the territorial explanation of war, and the democratic peace. Emphasized will be the role of alliances, arms races, and crisis escalation in generating conflict processes, and the effects of norms, regimes, and institutions on building peace. The goal of this seminar is the development of critical thinking, analysis, and application.

The main task each class will be a discussion of the reading assignment. Critical analyses of the readings are expected; discussions should outline both the flaws and relative merits of the readings as well as possible extensions and connections to other areas of the field. Students should also think about applying the materials discussed in class to contemporary issues of conflict in the world.

Required Books for PS442 International Conflict

1.) John A. Vasquez, What Do We Know about War?, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (October 28, 2000) [ISBN: 0847699277]

2.) John A. Vasquez, The War Puzzle (Cambridge Studies in International Relations), Cambridge University Press (May 6, 1993) [ISBN: 0521366747]

3.) D. Scott Bennett and Allan C. Stam III, The Behavioral Origins of War, University of Michigan Press (December 11, 2003) [ISBN: 047206844X]

4.) Bruce Russett and John R. Oneal, Triangulating Peace: Democracy, Interdependence, and International Organizations, W. W. Norton & Company (January 2001) [ISBN: 039397684X]

Class Discussions

Discussion of the material is important in my classes. I hate to lecture and will only do so occasionally. That means students are required to come prepared and to be able to intelligently discuss the material for that week.

I of course realize that students might sometimes be unwilling to talk in class, especially in the larger rooms. However, I really believe that discussion of the material is fundamental to understanding, and I hope each student will contribute as much as they can. That said, I will not penalize students for failing to talk in class, and I’ll never call on someone who doesn’t raise their hand asking to be recognized.

Note that the use of the blog provides a second chance for discussion points for those students unwilling to talk in class. Use the comments section of each post to ask questions, answer questions and otherwise communicate with your classmates.

Plagiarism

I take academic integrity very seriously and will not tolerate plagiarism or cheating. There are very serious penalties for cheating at UA that could have consequences far beyond your college career. Cheating of any form is a really stupid thing to do so don't try, and if you have any doubts about what cheating is, ask me, examine the UA policies (see below), or better still, take this tutorial on plaigarism that was developed by UA's libraries: Play-it-safe. (Please plug in speakers or headphones before starting this tutorial.)

The Code of Academic Conduct in the University of Alabama Undergraduate Catalog defines plagiarism and other acts of academic dishonesty as follows:

• Plagiarism: representing the words, data, works, ideas, computer programs or output, or anything not generated in an authorized fashion, as one’s own
• Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or computer-related information
• Fabrication: presenting as genuine any invented or falsified citation or material
• Misrepresentation: falsifying, altering, or misstating the contents of documents or other materials related to academic matters, including schedules, prerequisites, and transcripts.

Although authors occasionally indulge in plagiarism intentionally, most often writers plagiarize unintentionally. Many do not realize that indirect quotations, which result from paraphrasing and summarizing material, also require acknowledgement of the author and the source of the idea.

A direct quotation of an author’s exact words is the only footnoted material that requires the use of quotation marks, but both direct and indirect quotations must be footnoted. Any idea or statement that is not the author’s own must be documented.

Remember- the following require the use of a citation:

• Any material directly quoted from another’s work
• Any information that is summarized or paraphrased
• Any idea derived from a known source
• Any fact or data that is not common knowledge and is borrowed from another’s work

Material that is common or general knowledge does not have to be footnoted, unless the wording is taken directly from a particular source. A general rule is that if a fact can be found in five or more sources, it is considered to be common knowledge and does not have to be documented.

¡Anthony C. Winkler and Jo Ray McCuen, Writing the Research Paper; A Handout (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, c1979) 89.

Grading Policy

There is no official grading policy at UA, so I though students might like to know the general outline I use for assignments.

A (90s) Excellent: Students have mastered the material, exams or papers have no serious mistakes and display creativity, thoughtfulness, or insight beyond points made in the readings.

B (80s) Solid: there may be a couple of mistakes on exams, or weaknesses in written work, but the basic ideas and comprehension of the material are correct. B is a very good grade in my classes.

C (70s) Average: there are some basic misunderstandings of the material because the student has not put enough effort into the work. Regular attendance, completion of the readings, and light engagement of the subject will earn you this grade.

D (60s) Deficient: there are serious misunderstandings in the work and/or little evidence of any hard work.

F (50s or less) Failure to even try.

Attendance Policy

I require attendance. Attendance is helpful to you and to everyone else because my classes are oriented around discussion of the readings. Given class sizes, though, it’s not always possible for me to take roll. However, I will likely pass around a sign-in sheet whenever class attendance drops too low, and I will use these sheets to gauge your overall attendance for the semester. Don’t get caught napping!

I require attendance for good reason – those who come to class grasp the material better and are able to engage the class on a much higher level. In fact, the few semesters I took attendance I found that grades and attendance were highly correlated (around .81).

NOTE: If you are going to miss a class, THERE IS NO NEED TO LET ME KNOW. I don’t excuse absences, and there’s no reason to draw attention to the fact you’ll be missing class. Tests are different though, so see my policy on late papers and missed tests (in another post).

About Me...

Teaching—
This is my first semester at UA. Prior to coming to Alabama I taught at the University of Kentucky for 7 years, at Stanford for a little over one year, and before that, at Vanderbilt University where I received my Ph.D. in political science. I teach courses on International Relations, International Conflict, American Foreign Policy, and sometimes on Research Methods. This is the first semester I’ve had the opportunity to teach a class on my research interests in democratization and international conflict.

Research—
My research is currently focused on explaining the role of international conflict in preventing democratization within the state and the ramifications these processes have on state behavior in the international system. I’ve recently published a paper on how international threat is likely to make citizens within a country less politically tolerant, and I’ve also investigated the role that large, regional alliances can have in reducing international threat (which helps democratization, I think). The majority of my published work has actually focused on international alliances, and I’m currently finishing a book manuscript that examines formal alliances from 1648 to 2000.

Personal—
The main thing many UA students will probably get frustrated with me about is the constant bragging I’ll do over Notre Dame football and Yankee baseball this fall. Just be glad you don’t have to listen to me during UK basketball season!