POLITICAL SCIENCE 138A

 

                                                           Democracy, Democracies

                                                                    Mr. Di Palma

 

The course deals with issues in normative and empirical democratic theory. Hence its title. The first part deals with normative justifications for democracy as rule of the people versus other political systems (uncoercive anarchy, competent guardianship), and with issues related to the fact that modern democracy is both large-scale and plural. Among the issues are the proper size of democracy, the definition of who are the people, the value and limits of majority rule and the protection of minorities, the relation between procedural and substantive democracy. The second part of the course deals with empirical theories about why some countries are democracies and others are not and with the factors that favor democratization. The third part looks at whether institutional choices (electoral and party systems, parliamentary versus presidential systems) make a difference in the consolidation and performance of democracies.

 

Text:

 

            Robert A. Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics

           

Course Reader:

 

            At Copy Central (2560 Bancroft). In alphabetical order by author or, for edited books, by                  editor.

 

Requirements:

 

            Midterm, final and section participation. Each counts for one third of course grade. The final will cover only the part of the course not covered by the midterm. Section participation will include   weekly written assignments related to the week's readings, as well as regular attendance and participation. In the midterm and final exams, knowledge and critical understanding of assigned readings as well as of material presented in class and in discussion sections is expected. Knowledge of only one of these components does not guarantee a passing grade.

 

Office Hours:

 

            Monday 3-5pm, or by appointment (770 Barrows; ext. 24649; dipalmag@uclink4).

 

 

                                                                 DEMOCRACY:

                                             Assumptions, Justifications, Open issues

 

1.         Introduction

 

            Dahl, Introduction

 

 

2.         Democracy: Modern vs. Old

 

            Dahl, chaps. 1, 2, 15, 16

            Sartori, The Theory of Democracy Revisited, chap. 10

            Madison, The Federalist # 10

 

3.         Alternatives: Anarchism against Coercion

 

            Dahl, chap. 3

 

4.         Alternatives: Guardianship and Competence

 

            Dahl, chaps. 4, 5

 

5.         Justification: Why Rule by the People?

 

            Dahl, chaps. 6, 7

 

6.         Rule by the People: What Does it Require and Who Are the People?

 

            Dahl, chaps. 8, 9

            Plattner, From Liberalism to Liberal Democracy

 

7.         Democracy: Proper Size. Democracies: Proper Boundaries

 

            Dahl, chaps. 14, 16 (reread)

            Eley & Suny, eds., Becoming National, pp. 41-55 (by Renan)

 

8.         Democracy: Procedural or Substantive?

 

            Dahl, chaps. 12, 13

            McClosky, The Fallacy of Absolute Majority Rule

 

9.         Midterm Review

 

10.        MIDTERM (Tues., Oct. 17)

 

 

                                                               DEMOCRACIES:

                                                  Explaining Their Rise and Demise

 

11.        Historical and Structural Explanations

 

            Dahl, chaps. 17, 18, 22 (up to p. 317)

 

12.        Strategic and Actor-Oriented Explanations

 

            Huntington, The Third Wave, chap. 1, pp. 59-72

            O'Donnell & Schmitter, Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, pp. 3-5, pp. 15-                                             25

            Di Palma, To Craft Democracies, chaps. 1, 2 (up to p. 23), 3

 

13.        The Role of Institutional Choices

 

            Ackerman, The Future of Liberal Revolution, pp. 46-62

            Di Palma, To Craft Democracies, chaps. 4, 5 (up to p. 86)

            Diamond & Plattner, eds., The Global Resurgence of Democracy, chap. 13 (by Lijphart)

 

 

                                                 VARIETIES OF DEMOCRACIES:

                                  The Role of Institutions and Institutional Engineering

 

14.        Majority Rule and Its Alternatives

 

            Dahl, chaps. 10, 11, pp. 256-60 (reread)

            Lijphart, Democracies, chaps. 1, 2

            Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering, chap. 4, sect. 4 (up to p. 72)

 

15.        Electoral Systems: Majoritarian vs. Proportional

 

            Bogdanor & Butler, eds., Democracy and Elections, chaps. 1 (by Bogdanor), 2 (by Rose)

                       

16.        Electoral Systems and Party Systems

 

            Eckstein & Apter, eds., Comparative Politics, pp. 247-54 (by Eckstein)

            Bogdanor & Butler, eds., Democracy and Elections, chap. 13 (by Bogdanor)

Grofman & Lijphart, eds., Electoral Laws & Their Political Consequences, chap. 2 (by                                               Sartori) 

            Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering, chap. 4, sect. 3

 

17.        Government Systems: Parliamentary vs. Presidential

 

            Shugart & Carey, Presidents and Assemblies, pp. 1-6, 18-24

            Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering, chaps. 5, 6

            Linz & Valenzuela, eds., The Failure of Presidential Democracy, pp. 137-45 (by Suleiman)

 

18.        Electoral, Party, and Government Systems: Putting Everything Together  

 

            Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering, chap. 4 (reread and finish)

           

            Diamond & Plattner, eds., The Global Resurgence of Democracy, chaps. 9-16 (reread chap.                                                   13)

            Linz & Valenzuela, eds., The Failure of Presidential Democracy, pp. 146-51 (by Suleiman),                                                          chap. 2 (by Lijphart)

                       

19.        Review for final                                         

 

                                                  (FINAL: 5-8 p.m., Friday Dec. 15)