POLS 3200: COMPARATIVE POLITICS

SUMMER 2019

Contact Information
Professor Name: JELENA SUBOTIC
Office Location: 918 LANGDALE HALL
Office Hours: BY APPOINTMENT
Email: JSUBOTIC@GSU.EDU

Course Description

This course takes a comprehensive look at the question: Why are some governments better
than others? Exploring issues related to why certain political institutions provide a better
quality of life for their citizens, students can learn not only how different political systems
work, but how they can work better. Redefining the common case-study and thematic
approaches used in other courses on the subject, this course approaches comparative
politics in a relevant and meaningful way that helps students understand the way different
governments function.

Required Course Material:

REVEL: You are required to purchase the REVEL version of Comparative Politics
by David J. Samuels, 3e for this course. I will assign reading, writing, and other
homework activities in REVEL - they are worth 20% of your grade. There will be no
other material available for you to prepare other than this textbook, so it is
absolutely required in order for you to complete this course.

There are two ways to purchase REVEL access.

Choose the option that works best for you:

Option #1: Purchase a REVEL access code from the campus bookstore (it is usually more
expensive to buy it from the bookstore).

Option #2: Online Instant Access: If you decide not to purchase REVEL from the bookstore,
you can purchase REVEL access online. You will see this as an option after clicking on the
course invite link https://console.pearson.com/enrollment/85oldz

Follow these steps to get started or watch a short video

(www.pearsonhighered.com/revel/students/registration) on how to register for
REVEL:

1. Enter your Course Invite Link in your web browser. Please use a recommended browser
like Google Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.

COURSE INVITE LINK: https://console.pearson.com/enrollment/85oldz

2. If you already have a Username and Password for another Pearson technology (i.e.
MyMathLab), go ahead and sign in. If you do not have one, you’ll need to create one using a
valid email that you check regularly, like your school email address. Once you’ve signed in

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or created your Pearson Account, you’ll immediately be directed to your REVEL account.
Here you’ll see your course appear.

3. To access REVEL throughout the semester log onto http://console.pearson.com. Make

sure to bookmark this URL and NOT the course invite link. Remember to always use the
same username and password to logon.

If you encounter any issues, support materials are available at

www.pearsonhighered.com/revel/students/support/index.html, including a call in number:
855-875-1801.

Access to a computer or mobile electronic device (tablet or smartphone) with internet

access is required to complete your REVEL assignments. Please let me know if you need
information on computers available for use on campus.

KEY DATES
Semester mid point (last day to receive a W): 7/5
Midterm exam period: 7/1-7/6
Final exam period: 7/30-8/3

Announcements and Communication

When I need to make announcements to the class as a whole, I will do so by posting on our
iCollege class homepage. If I need to contact you individually, I will do so by sending an
email to your @student.gsu.edu email address.

Remember, your quiz assignments are done within the textbook itself. Your exams are done
online in ICollege. Please make sure to check ICollege daily for any new announcements
from me.

Grading and Assessments:

Since this is a summer class our schedule is condensed and it will be packed seven weeks.
Every week we will focus on topics that correspond to two chapters in the textbook. See the
schedule at the bottom of this syllabus for details about the topics/chapters that will be
covered each week. Course requirements consist of:

30 percent Midterm exam

40 percent Final exam
30 percent Textbook reading and quiz assignments

Exams: You will be taking 75 mins multiple choice exams online. To do this you need to
download Respondus Lockdown Browser program available through iCollege. To
do this, go to ICollege, click Assessments, click Quizzes, find the exam (Midterm or
Final). Click on the exam and the system will prompt you to download this
program on your computer. Follow the download instructions. If you have trouble,
contact the GSU helpdesk help@gsu.edu. I highly recommend you do this at the

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beginning of the course and not wait for the exam period in case you encounter technical
difficulties.
You will also need a working WebCam. You will be recorded taking the exam and
my TA will go through and review the recording to ensure academic honesty.
This is a closed book (no notes or Internet search) exam.

If you do not have a functioning webcam or are unable to download Respondus Lockdown
Browser, you need to take the exam on a computer in a proctoring lab on campus. This will
need to be scheduled ahead of time. Contact me at least two days before the exam if you
need to take your exam on campus.

Exams are based on book chapters and REVEL quizzes. The midterm will cover the material
from the beginning of the course up until the midterm exam. The final exam will cover the
material since the midterm until the final.

Chapter quizzes also serve as your study guides.

Posting of Grades
For most of the semester, this gradebook will only reflect exam scores. It can take a lot of
time to compile everyone’s scores for the daily activities and assignments, so I will likely not
add those scores to the official gradebook until the end of the semester.

REVEL assignments (reading and quizzes): Log into REVEL frequently and check the
assignment calendar to ensure you are keeping up with the assignments. You are required
to complete all REVEL assignments before the due date. Late submissions will not be
accepted, so plan accordingly.

*See below for tips on using REVEL to succeed in this course.

*5 Tips for Using REVEL to Succeed in This Course*

1. Quizzes can help you learn more as you read.

2. Track your performance in REVEL throughout the semester.
3. Highlighting important sections in the chapter will allow you to easily refer to them
later on in the semester.
4. You may want to try listening to the audio while you read.
5. If you forget your login information, go to the Forgot Username or Password link to
retrieve your username or reset your password. Then, enter your email address and
click continue. Check your email account for an email with the subject, "Pearson
Username/Password Request." The message will contain all of the usernames that
are found for that email address. Choose one account to use with REVEL.

General Course Policies

Here are some common-sense course policies that I will adhere to consistently in order to
ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all students. If you have any questions about
these policies, please ask me for clarification.

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 There will be no make-up exams or extra credit assignments for missed exams. Dates
for exams are clearly listed on the syllabus. If you have unavoidable scheduling
conflicts, now is the time to clear them. I will make exceptions to this rule only in cases
of clear, unexpected and serious medical or family emergencies. If any such cases
arise, you need to clear them with me and provide appropriate documentation.
 I work closely with the staff of the Office of Disability Services. If you have special
needs for reading the assignments, taking quizzes and exams, let me know immediately
so that I can arrange for your needs to be accommodated.

Note on Academic Conduct

I will expect all students in this class to adhere to the highest standards of academic
honesty and conduct. You must fully and unambiguously cite all work that is not your own
in written assignments and give credit to those whose ideas or language you are using.
Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, penalty for which may include failing the course or
academic dismissal. Also, turning in parts of someone else’s work, cheating during the
exams, or giving answers to others during the exam will also result in a failing grade and
academic dismissal. Please avoid this at any cost.

Any violations of Georgia State University’s Policy on Academic Dishonesty (Section 409)
will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. If you would like to view the policy in full, you can
go to http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwfhb/sec409.html. Please note that the University considers
violations of dishonesty rules to be grounds for receiving an ”F” in this course. If you have
any questions about what constitutes cheating, academic misconduct, or plagiarism,
examine the university policy and/or ask me.

Incompletes
As a matter of university policy, I can give an incomplete only when a student has a
"nonacademic reason beyond his or her control" for failure to complete all assignments. I
strongly discourage incompletes. However, if you choose to ask for an incomplete, you
have to provide me with a compelling reason in writing. Based on your written request, I
will decide whether or not to grant the incomplete.

Class Schedule

The following schedule is tentative; please see your REVEL assignment calendar for all
assignment due dates.

6/10: Doing Comparative Politics

Textbook, Ch. 1
Revel assignment due 6/13

6/14: The State

Textbook, Ch. 2

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Revel assignment due 6/16

6/17: Democratic Political Regimes

Textbook, Ch. 3
Revel assignment due 6/20

6/21: Non-democratic Political Regimes

Textbook, Ch. 4
Revel assignment due 6/23

6/24: Regime Change

Textbook, Ch. 5
Revel assignment due 6/27

6/28: Political Identity

Textbook, ch. 6
Revel assignment due 7/1

7/1-7/6: Midterm exam period

7/8: Religion and Politics

Textbook, Ch. 7
Revel assignment due 7/11

7/12: Gender and Politics

Textbook, Ch. 8
Revel assignment due 7/14

7/15: Collective Action

Textbook, Ch. 9
Revel assignment due 7/18

7/19: Political Violence

Textbook, Ch. 10
Revel assignment due 7/21

7/22: Political Economy of Development

Textbook, Ch. 11
Revel assignment due 7/25

7/26: Political Economy of Redistribution

Textbook, Ch. 12
Revel assignment due 7/30

7/30-8/3: Final exam period