Lahore University of Management Sciences

POL 100 – Introduction to Political Science

Fall 2011-12

Instructor: Rasul Bakhsh Rais

Office hours: TBA
Office: 239-E
Email: [email protected]

Course Description:
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and ideas of Political Science in the areas
of political theory, comparative politics, and international relations. As such, the course offers a
survey of the basic concepts which animate discussion about the nature of society, government
and politics. We will try to understand politics by exploring how conflicting interests, quest for
power, justice, rights and legitimacy shape the political process.

Course Objectives:
1) Enable students to comprehend the social, political and economic forces that have
historically constituted the purpose and practice of politics so that they may be conscious of
the conceptual and ideological basis of their own political thinking as well as that of others.
2) Introduce students to the systematic study of politics so that they may understand the
interplay between ideologies, institutions and personalities that shape politics in the modern
world.
3) Provide students with knowledge and analytical tool for greater civic engagement as citizens
of Pakistan.
4) To serve as a preparatory study for students majoring in Political Science and as a general
overview for students of other concentrations.

Grading:
Participation 10%
4 Reaction Papers 20%
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 35%

There will be 28 lectures for this course. We will devote half of the session on Thursdays to
discussion of the topics and their various aspects covered during that week. Every third week,
twenty minutes of class time will be reserved for students to write a discussion paper that is
meant to integrate the assigned readings, lectures and discussion.

Attendance: Regular attendance is a requirement for this class. You will be allowed two
absences. After that every missed class will mean deduction of 1 point from your attendance

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grade and after 10 such unexcused absences you will get a zero for the attendance/participation
grade.
Readings: The reading package will be placed on reserve at the library. The first part of the
reading package comprises of readings which are compulsory and the second part of the package
comprises of reference material, that is, articles which have been highly recommended in the
course outline.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Written work must be properly cited in accordance with accepted style manuals (Chicago
Manual of Style, APA, MLA, etc.). If you take an idea from the text, another book, newspaper,
or any other source, you must give the author credit. Furthermore, changing one or two words in
a sentence is not an acceptable substitution for not using quotation marks. It is expected that all
assignments represent original work not previously or simultaneously handed in for credit in
another. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other violations of the honour code will be dealt with
according to LUMS policy.

Course Outline

Module 1. Understanding Politics and Political Science

Sessions 1, 2: The study of politics and its objects

Andrew Heywood. “What is politics?” in Politics. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1997: 3-22
Robert J. Jackson and Doreen Jackson, “Political Science Yesterday and Today” in Comparative
Introduction to Political Science (1997), pp. 16-33.

Discussion Question
1. Why is politics an interesting subject?
2. Why is politics considered a dirty word?
3. Is political science superior to all other social sciences?
4. Which definition of political science appeals to you the most and why?

Session 3: Power, Authority and Legitimacy

Andrew Heywood. Political Ideas and Concepts: an introduction London: Macmillan
Publishers, 1994: Chapter 4
Bertrand Russell, “Forms of Power” in Steven Lukes (ed.) Power. UK: Basil Blackwell, 1986:
19-28
Max Weber, “Domination by Economic Power and by Authority” in Steven Lukes (ed.) Power.
UK: Basil Blackwell, 1986: 28-37

Discussion Questions
1. What is power? When are we interested in power- in studying, acquiring, maintaining,
increasing, reducing or destroying it?
2. What is the significance of economic and social power?

Module 2.Emergence of the Modern State and Nationhood

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Session 4: Emergence of the modern state
Thomas Ertman, “State Formation and State Building in Europe in T. Janoski et al. eds., The
Handbook of Political Sociology (2005), pp. 367-383.
Gianfranco Poggi. The State, its Nature, Development and Prospects. UK: Polity Press, 1990:
19-34

Session 5: Nations and Nationalism

Andrew Heywood Chapter 5, “Nationalism” in Political ideologies: An Introduction Third
Edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004: 155-187
Liah Greenfeld & Jonathan Eastwood, “Nationalism in Comparative Perspective” in T. Janoski,
op.cit., pp. 247-265.

Discussion Questions
1. How do we know what is a nation and what is not?
2. Is nationalism ethically problematic?
3. What is a state? What is a nation? Do all nations possess their own states?
4. Are states the key decision-makers in world of politics?

Module 3. Political Culture, Socialization and Civil Scoeity

Session 6 Political Culture and Socialization

Andrew Heywood, “Political Culture and Legitimacy” in Key Concepts in Politics (1997), pp.
185-192.
Austin Ranney, “ Political Psychology, Socialization and Culture” in Governing: An
Introduction to Political Science. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996: 45-67

Session 7 Civil Society

Larry Diamond “Toward democratic consolidation” in Larry Diamond and Marc Plattner (eds.)
The Global Resurgence of Democracy 2nd edition, JHU Press: Baltimore, 1996: 227-240.

Discussion Questions
1. How do individuals and groups acquire their political values and attitudes?
2. Do democratic regimes depend on the existence of a distinctive civic culture?
3. Are modern societies characterized by free competition between values and ideas or by a
dominant culture?

Module 4. Modern Ideologies

Session 8 Understanding Ideology

Andrew Heywood, Chapter 1, “Introduction: Understanding Ideology” in Political ideologies:
An Introduction Third Edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004: 1-23

Session 9: Liberalism
A Heywood, Chapter 2, “Liberalism”, pp: 25-69

Discussion Questions

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1. What is political ideology?
2. How have the major ideologies changed over time?
3. Has ideology come to an end? Could ideology come to an end?
4. Compare and contrast classical and modern liberalism on matters of liberty and government?

Session 9: Conservatism
Heywood, Chapter 3, “Conservatism”, pp. 69-83.

Session 10: Socialism

Heywood, Chapter 4, “Socialism”, pp. 105-117 and 143-54

Discussion Questions
1. What rival traditions or internal tensions do conservatives and Marxism encompass?
2. Why did Marx believe that capitalism necessarily generated class conflict? What role did
government play in this conflict?
3. Do you see a religious source of socialist ideology?
4. Understand the tensions between the liberal new right and the conservative new right

Session 11: Fascism

Heywood, Chapter 6 “Fascism” Political Ideologies (1992 Edition), pp. 171-192.

Session 12: Feminism

Heywood, “Feminism”, Chapter 8, Political Ideologies (1992 Edition), pp. 216-241

Session 13: Environmentalism

Heywood, “Environmentalism” Chapter 9, Political Ideologies (1992 Edition), pp. 242-268.

Discussion Questions
1. What is the connection between fascism and totalitarianism?
2. Compare and contrast the fascism of Mussolini and Hitler. In your estimation is the KKK in
the USA a fascist organization? Explain your position.
3. How is feminism similar to liberalism? Compare and contrast liberal, classical and diversity
feminism.
4. Discuss ownership and stewardship as they pertain to environmentalist perspectives
5. Environmentalism asserts the importance of assuming an ecological perspective and of
seeking to protect ecosystem integrity. What is an ecological perspective? What is
ecosystem integrity?
Session 14: Democracy in the modern world
Heywood, Chapter 10 “Democracy” Political Ideologies, (1992 Edition), pp. 269-294.

Session 15: Mid-term

Session 16: The End of Ideology

Maya Lloyd, “The end of ideology?” in Robert Eccleshall, et al., Political Ideologies (2003), pp.
217-242.

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Module 5. Types of States and Political Systems

Session 17: Functions of the State

Andrew Heywood, Chapter 5 “The State” in Politics. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1997: 83-
99

Austin Ranney, “Governments and Governing” in Governing: An Introduction to Political

Science. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996: 25-34

Session 18: Democratic and Non-democratic Systems

Ranney, “Democracy and Authoritarianism: Principles and Models” in op.cit. pp. 93-112
Philips Shively, “Non-democratic Government” in Power and Choice: An introduction to
political science. USA: McGraw Hill, 1995: 140-54
Heywood, Chapter 4 “Democracy” in Politics (1997), pp. 65-82.

Discussion Questions
1. Are states likely to vanish and be replaced by some other form of political organization
2. Do you understand what the differences are between a state, government, regime and
political system?
3. What is the definition of democracy? What is implied by this definition, that is, what does it
presuppose? What is implied by the concept of transition when used in discussing democracy
and non-democracy?
4. What is a non-democratic government?
5. Is Islam incompatible with the goals of democracy? Are Islamic states non-democratic?

Session 19: Constitutions, Laws and Judiciaries

Heywood, Chapter 14 “Constitutions, the Law and Judiciaries in Politics, pp. 273-358.

Session 20: Assemblies and Political Executives

Heywood, Chapters 15, 16 “Assemblies”, “Political Executives” pp. 294-336.

Session 21: Levels of Government

Heywood, Chapter 7, “Subnational Politics” in Politics. pp.122-137.

Discussion Questions
1. What defines and differentiates presidential and parliamentary systems?
2. How significant is separation of powers for a democratic government?
3. Should judges play an activist or minimalist role in politics?
4. To what extent does a constitution shape political practice?
5. Where does the power lie in political executives? How should political leadership be
understood?
6. Why are bureaucrats so powerful and why has bureaucratic power expanded? What explains
bureaucratic corruption?
7. To what extent is there a scope in modern societies for community to replace the nation as
the central focus of politics?

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8. Compare and contrast the advantages or disadvantage s of unitary, federal and confederal
states.

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Module 6. The Political Process

Session 22: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Heywood, Chapters 12 and 13 “Parties and Party Systems” and “Groups, Interest and
Movements” in Politics, pp. 230-268.

Session 23: Electoral Politics and Voting Behavior

Heywood. Chapter 11 “Representation, Elections and Voting” in Politics, pp. 205-228.

Discussion Questions
1. Compare and contrast political parties and interest groups.
2. Compare and contrast interest group pluralism, democratic corporatism and state autonomy
3. Identify three ways in which parties can differ across democracies.
4. Do parties exist in non-democratic countries? Explain.
5. Compare and contrast SMP, PR and STV election systems.
6. How do voters make decisions about which candidate they prefer? Explain retrospective,
prospective and sociological cleavage models
7. How does media affect the political process?

Session 24: Elites and Political Leadership

Harold D. Lasswell, “The Study of Political Elites” in On Political Sociology, pp. 114-134.
Ian Mcallister, “The Personalization of Politics” (from Blom’s reading pack), pp. 571-588.

Session 25: Pluralism and Multiculturalism

Anna Elisabetta Galeotti, “Identity, Difference, Toleration” in John S. Dryzek et al., The Oxford
Handbook of Political Theory (2006), pp. 564-580.
Chandran Kukathas, “Moral Universalism and Cultural Difference” in Drizek op.cit., ;; 581-598.
Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations” Foreign Affairs, Winter 1993.

Module 7. International Politics

Session 26: Debates in the Discipline of International Relations

Heywood, Chapter 8, “Global Politics” in Politics, pp. 139-162.
Ellen Grigsby, “International Relations: Analyzing Recent and Contemporary Events in
International Politics” in Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science (2002),
233-261.

Session 27: Globalization

Joseph Nye, “Interdependence, Globalization, and the Information Age” in Understanding
International Conflict: An introduction to Theory and History (2000). PP. 177-206.

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Discussion Questions:
1. Identify three example of foreign policy making after WW2 that were influenced by bipolar
considerations
2. Should human rights dictate foreign policy decisions? Compare and contrast idealist and
realist perspectives on this issue?
3. What are the arguments in favor of viewing the UN as an effective organization? What are
the arguments against this position?
4. Compare and contrast the World Bank, IMF and WTO? Despite their different tasks all three
share a larger philosophical and political goal- what is it?
5. What are SAPs and what are some of the criticisms of these programs?
6. Identify three ways in which you think your life would be different if you lived in a high-
income country vs a low-income country. How do you think these differences would change
your view of politics?
7. How has globalization changed the role of the state?

Session 28: Peace and Conflicts

Robert Jervis, “The Spiral of International Security” in Richard Little & Michael Smith eds.,
World Politics (1991), pp. 91-101.
Bruce Russet, “The Fact of Democratic Peace” in Grasping the Democratic Peace (1993), pp. 3-
23.

Discussion Questions:

1. What determines peace and stability in the contemporary world system?

2. What are the common threats to our security?
3. What you think can build durable peace?
4. What is wrong with the world system?