{"id":59,"date":"2023-08-07T18:37:25","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T22:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2023\/?page_id=59"},"modified":"2023-09-17T16:44:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-17T20:44:18","slug":"requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/world-politics-fall-2023\/requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Web Syllabus is the sole source of information for our course. I will change assignments and add mandatory readings and links throughout the semester. You are responsible for knowing about these changes.<\/p>\n

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Street Art. Hong Kong, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And there’s more. This syllabus is much more detailed than the typical course syllabus.  I will also use this syllabus to provide a running commentary on the themes we are discussing.  This should help you understand how everything we do fits into a single, coherent narrative. You can also read ahead to see where we are going. In this sense, this syllabus is simply another type of required reading.<\/p>\n

You should consult this syllabus on a regular basis. A great American philosopher agrees HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Readings in Paper<\/strong><\/p>\n

A major requirement for your discussion sections is that you have the assigned readings in front of you. This guarantees that you  will be able to refer directly to the sources (and not simply make something up).  If the required readings are linked to the syllabus, you must print them and bring them with you.<\/p>\n

The Bookstore\u2019s books can be expensive. I recommend that you do some comparison shopping on the sites of booksellers. In the case of the first title (America the Unusual<\/em>), I will post links should you want to print the chapters.  However, if you buy the book, you can always print the chapters if it doesn’t arrive on  time. You can also print from the hard copies on Hesburgh Reserves.<\/p>\n

John Kingdon, America the Unusual<\/em><\/p>\n

Cas Mudde and Cristobal Kaltewasser, Populism: A Very Short Introduction
\n<\/em>
\nKarl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto<\/em><\/p>\n

V\u00e1clav Havel, Open Letters: Selected Writings,1965-1990<\/em><\/p>\n

Carolina Maria de Jesus, Child of the Dark<\/em><\/p>\n

All of these books are available on Library Reserve.  Nonetheless, you are required to bring your personal copies to the relevant discussion sections. No exceptions<\/p>\n

As the proud father of two Notre Dame graduates\u2013and teacher of thousands of ND undergrads\u2013I am acutely aware of the exorbitant cost of assigned readings. Hence, I do not have a lot of required books. Nor do I use a course reader. To save you money, I have put many of your readings on this syllabus. You should print all of the assignments marked PRINT. This is especially important for your Friday Discussion Sections. You MUST bring these printed readings to your Discussion Sections. Your TAs will call on you to refer to them directly. They may even give you a quiz!<\/p>\n

I recommend that you create a binder in which you assemble these readings as we move from one section to the next.<\/p>\n

Note<\/strong>:  Some of your article assignments can be found under the e-Locator heading on the Hesburgh Library site.  The relevant articles are linked to this syllabus.  Type the name of the journal and look for the appropriate year and month of publication.  Usually, the link will be to JSTOR or Pro Quest Social Science.<\/p>\n

At this political and existential turning point in modern history, members of the ruling class must keep up with the news! I recommend that you get into the habit of reading any decent online newspaper or news magazine on a regular basis. Many are free.<\/p>\n

Facts exist and they matter!<\/strong> The best way to judge the quality of a news source is whether it openly identifies and corrects its errors (see our reading from John Stuart Mill). Everybody makes mistakes, including journalists.  But factual truth is  verifiable.  If a source doesn\u2019t routinely correct identifiable mistakes, you should be skeptical about its dedication to truth.<\/p>\n

I strongly recommend that you follow the news on sites with  contrasting political views (again, see our reading from Mill). Be open to changing your mind.  I have changed my mind on important questions throughout my life.<\/p>\n

Here are some news sources (some liberal, some conservative, all middle-of the-road) that I consider reliable:  The New York Times,<\/em> The Washington Post, <\/em>The Los Angeles Times<\/em>, The Financial Times<\/em>, The Wall Street Journal<\/em>, and the Guardian<\/em>.  American TV news shows drive me crazy (you only get to choose among an excessive focus on American politics, apoplectic handwringing and, at times, outright disinformation). However, there are welcome exceptions to this rule. For example, I recommend the PBS News Hour and the excellent Washington Week<\/a>.  Bob Costa (ND \u201908) was the former host of Washington Week until he stepped aside to write a book and become the CBS election analyst.  Bob took one of the variations of this World Politics course.<\/p>\n

I also recommend following international news sources.  The BBC<\/a> is good for non-US-centric information about the whole world. I watch the German news show, Tagesschau<\/em><\/a>. You can watch Deutsche Welle in English. There are some excellent news links and articles in the right-hand  column of Blogside Inn<\/a>.  I also highly recommend this survey of the world press:  Watching America<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here’s an interesting journalistic opportunity that just appeared on Watching America: “Watching America is seeking VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS age 18+ to translate foreign opinion pieces about the United States into U.S. English.”<\/em><\/p>\n

There are two good reasons for following international news sources: You learn about how others perceive us. You also learn a lot about yourself and your country.<\/p>\n

If you have equally reliable sources, please let me know.  One of you has submitted these reliable Chilean news sources:  The newspaper Emol<\/em>: https:\/\/www.emol.com\/<\/a> and the television channel “Canal 13”: https:\/\/www.13.cl\/en-vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

Virtual Readings<\/strong><\/p>\n

You, your classmates, and your TAs will routinely exchange ideas with Google documents. Participation in these virtual discussions is required. This format will help you prepare for your Friday sections by testing your ideas and encouraging you to make persuasive arguments. Politics is contentious.  There is nothing healthier than a little non-violent contention in the defense of one\u2019s views. Feel free to change your mind. I have changed my mind on political topics throughout my life.<\/p>\n

Your TAs will tell you how to turn in your assignments.<\/p>\n

Other reading assignments are available on this syllabus. These include: Web links and links to online electronic sources in the Hesburgh Library.  Again, if your assignment says PRINT, you should print it immediately and bring it to your discussion section.  Psychologists have demonstrated conclusively  that students learn much more from a printed document than from a web page.<\/p>\n

If your assignment says READ, you must read it.  There could be a quiz.<\/p>\n

Visual Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several required films in the course. I will give you their locations at a later date.<\/p>\n

“The War at Home”  Watch at home on Library Reserve<\/a> It’s a great film. Invite your friends.<\/p>\n

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Earning your Grades<\/strong><\/p>\n

You will earn your grades in this course by completing different types of assignments. There will be a paragraph assignment for every discussion section. We will have two take-home essays during the semester and one final in-class examination. Make sure you meet the deadlines for your essays!  In fairness to your fellow classmates, we will dock your essays 1\/3 of a grade for every day they are late.  You can find the date for our final exam on the Registrar\u2019s exam calendar.<\/p>\n

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Street art at Peking University, Beijing, China<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your participation in class discussion sections is a major part of your grade. By \u201cparticipation,\u201d I mean the quality of your comments during the section, your weekly writing assignments, and your virtual discussions on Google documents.  Your TAs will be following your contributions carefully and noting your progress throughout our course.<\/p>\n

You will earn a lower grade by failing to attend class or discussion sections. We are watching!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

First Reflective Essay                   15 percent
\nSecond Reflective Essay              20 percent
\nParticipation                                    30 percent
\nFinal In-class Examination       35 percent<\/p>\n

The Honor Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Honor Code, to which you have affixed your signature, applies to everything you do throughout this course. This means that everything you turn into us must be absolutely and entirely your own work. There will be many occasions when we encourage you to discuss assignments with your classmates. In other cases, we’ll ask you to do your work entirely on your own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Don’t use ChatGPT or any other AI device! We will know if you do, and we won’t be happy!<\/p>\n

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Human Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Socrates, Peking University, Beijing, China.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your teaching assistants will play a major role in this class. They are here as much as I am<\/em> to facilitate your education.  Your TAs and I meet on a regular basis\u2013at least once a week\u2013to discuss course objectives, develop topics for discussion sections, create essay assignments, determine grading standards, and consider the progress of each of you as individuals<\/em>.  We care about both the course and your success in taking it.<\/p>\n

Your teaching assistants and I are here to serve you.  Please visit us during our office hours. You may certainly ask us specific questions about the course.  You should also feel free to raise questions about any subject you like, including the meaning of life (the answer is HERE<\/a>). Each of you is required to visit your TA at least once during the semester.<\/p>\n

For information about your TAs, see HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My office hours are:  Tuesday from 1:30-2:30  and Wednesday from 2:00-4:00.  My office is 2080 Nanovic Hall, two offices down from the Political Science Department and right next to the framed poster of American  genius Frank Zappa.<\/p>\n

I am a teacher.  I want to meet you. Visit me!<\/p>\n

I love street art. The photos throughout this site are from places I have visited over the years. The two photos immediately above are from the entry courtyard to the philosophy department at Peking University (Beida) in Beijing, China. The first is of calligraphy from China’s disastrous Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which tore the country apart in the late 1960s. The phrase is one of many propaganda slogans associated with the Chinese dictator, Mao Zedong:  “Navigating the sea depends on the sailor, making a revolution depends on Mao Zedong Thought.” The corresponding photo is of a bust of the great classical philosopher, Socrates.<\/em><\/p>\n

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