POLSC221: Theories of Democracy | Saylor Academy

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Course Introduction

Course Syllabus

Course Terms of Use

Unit 1: Social Science and Comparative Politics

1.1: Social Science Basics

Science and Scientific Research

Thinking Like a Researcher

1.2: Comparative Methodology

Comparative Analysis within Political Science

Mill's Methods: How We Determine the Causes of Events

Causal Reasoning

Evaluating Research Methods of Comparative Politics

Unit 1 Assessments

Unit 1 Multiple Choice Assessment

Unit 1 Short Answer Assessment

Unit 2: The Nation-State

2.1: The State

State Formation

Characteristics and Functions of the State

The Sovereign State: Hobbes' Leviathan, Part I

2.2: The Modern State System

The Sovereign State: Hobbes' Leviathan, Part II

Authority and Legitimate Violence

Politics as a Vocation

International Law and the New World Order: Redefining Sovereignty

2.3: Non-Democratic State Forms

Dictatorship and Totalitarianism

Authoritarianism

Nationalism and Legitimation For Authoritarianism: A Comparison of Nicholas I and Vladimir Putin

Unit 2 Assessments

Unit 2 Multiple Choice Assessment

Unit 2 Short Answer Assessment

Unit 3: Democratic States and Democratization

3.1: Defining Democracy and the Characteristics of Democracy

What is a Democracy?

Democratic Governments

Theories of Democracy

Democratic Values: Liberty, Equality, Justice

Democracy and Majority Rule, Part I

3.2: Democratization

Democratization

Democracy and Development: The Role of the UN

Latin American Politics after the "Third Wave" of Democratization and Its Future Prospects

Conceptualizing and Assessing the State of Democracy in the World Today

The Arab Spring: Prospects for Democracy

Unit 3 Assessments

Unit 3 Multiple Choice Assessment

Unit 3 Short Answer Assessment

Unit 4: Comparing Political Structures and Institutions

4.1: Comparing Constitutions and Government Systems

Constitution Building: A Global Review

The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power

The Executive Branch

The Judicial Branch

Types of Democracy

A Bicameral Legislative Branch

Unicameralism

Thailand's Evolving Senate Today

Activists and Strict Constructionists

4.2: How to Design Multi-level Government

Public Opinion

Sources of Governmental Power

Federalism

Direct Democracy Options

4.3: Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy

The Bureaucracy

4.4: Trends in Governance: Public Sector and Privatization

Public-Union Sector Politics and the Crisis of Education in South Africa

Water Privatization: A Worldwide Failure?

Unit 4 Assessments

Unit 4 Multiple Choice Assessment

Unit 4 Short Answer Assessment

Unit 5: Political Behavior

5.1: Political Behavior and Political Culture

Political Culture and Socialization

Political Socialization and Nation Building

Participation, Voting, and Social Movements

Voices from the Internet Underground

Turkey's EU Quest and Political Cleavages under AKP