Political Science 174 Latin American Politics Spring 2016, MWF 12:00-12:50, Lafayette 302

Political Science 174
Latin American Politics
Spring 2016, MWF 12:00-12:50, Lafayette 302
Instructor: Professor Caroline Beer
Office: 533 Old Mill
Telephone: x68384
Office Hours: MF 1:00-2:00, T 11:00-12:00
(or by appointment)
email: [email protected]
url: http://www.uvm.edu/~cbeer
Course Objectives
Why has political and economic development south of the Rio Grande diverged so dramatically
from the experience of the United States and Canada? This course attempts to answer this
fundamental question of comparative politics with an overview of contemporary Latin American
politics. The course begins with a brief overview of Latin American history and then examines
competing theoretical explanations for Latin America’s political economy. We will study
revolution, military dictatorship, democratization, and contemporary political issues. The
semester also includes in-depth case studies of Brazil, Cuba and Mexico.
Requirements
The general expectation (and UVM policy) for college level courses is that students spend at
least two hours preparing for class for every one hour in class. Thus a full time load of classes
(15 hours) is equivalent to a full time job with 45 hours of work a week. Therefore, I expect
students to dedicate six hours a week to this course outside of class time. Although most class
sessions will consist of lectures on theoretical issues, classroom discussion is also a vital part of
the learning process. Therefore the class meetings will be designed around a participatory
format. The participatory approach requires that assigned readings be completed before class
sessions are held, and also requires that students attend all class meetings. Course evaluation
will be based on the following assignments weighted as indicated:
Attendance and participation (5%)
Thesis ID exercises, news summaries, and quizzes (15%)
Literature Review (15%)
Current events paper (15%)
Midterm exam (25%)
Final exam (25%)
Required texts:
Modern Latin America 8th, by Skidmore, Smith, and Green, eds., Oxford University Press, 2014,
ISBN 0-19-992923-8
The Resurgence of the Latin American Left, by Steven Levitsky and Kenneth M. Roberts, Johns
Hopkins University Press, 2011. ISBN-13-978-1-4214-0110-2
The Resilience of the Latin American Right, by Juan Pablo Luna and Cristobal Rovira
Kaltwasser, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014. ISBN-13-978-1-4214-1390-7
Midnight in Mexico, by Alfredo Corchado, Penguin Books 2014, ISBN 978-0143125532
These books are available for purchase at the university bookstore. They are also available on 2
hour reserve at the Bailey-Howe Library.
Course Schedule:
Readings should be completed before class meets on the assigned date.
Week 1
Introduction
Jan. 20
Go over syllabus, blackboard, introduction to Latin America
Jan. 22
Skidmore, Smith, and Green, ch 1-2
Week 2
Historical Background
Jan. 25
Skidmore, Smith, and Green, ch. 12 “Strategies for Economic
Development”
Jan. 27
MAP QUIZ (countries and major cities)
Jan. 29
Week 3
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Feb. 5
Week 4
Feb. 8
Feb. 10
Feb. 12
Week 5
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Feb. 19
Skidmore, Smith, and Green, ch. 13 “Dynamics of Political
Transformation” in Modern Latin America,
Reading Response 1 Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
Explanations of Underdevelopment
John Isbister “Explanations of Underdevelopment” in Promises Not Kept,
On BlackBoard Last day to add or drop
“Factor Endowments, Institututions, and Differential Paths of Growth
Among New World Economies” by Engerman and Sokoloff in How Latin
America Fell Behind, by Stephen Haber, Stanford U.P. 1997. On
BlackBoard, pp. 260-275.
“Factor Endowments, Institututions, and Differential Paths of Growth
Among New World Economies” by Engerman and Sokoloff in How Latin
America Fell Behind, by Stephen Haber, Stanford U.P. 1997. On
BlackBoard, pp. 275-291.
Reading Response 2 Due midnight before class on Blackboard
The Cuban Revolution
Skidmore, Smith and Green, ch. 5
“Fidel in the Evening” in Looking for History by Alma Guillermoprieto.
On BlackBoard
Take a look at photos at:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/09/23/magazine/cuba-andrewmoore.html?ref=magazine#1
LADB News Summary Due midnight before class on BlackBoard.
“Normalizing Relations with Cuba” LeoGrande. On Blackboard.
Reading Response 3 Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
No Class Today!66
The Military and Bureaucratic Authoritarianism: Chile
Skidmore, Smith and Green, ch. 10
Film Battle of Chile, on reserve in basement of Bailey-Howe library
The Chile Reader, pp. 450-467, On Blackboard.
Week 6
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
Week 7
Feb. 29
Mar. 2
Mar. 4
Mar. 7-11
Week 8
Mar. 14
Mar. 16
Mar. 18
Week 9
Mar. 21
Mar. 23
Mar. 25
Week 10
Mar. 28
Mar. 30
Apr. 1
Week 11
Apr. 4
Apr. 6
Apr. 8
Week 12
Apr. 11
Apr. 13
Apr. 15
Week 13
Apr. 18
Apr. 20
Apr. 22
Week 14
Apr. 25
Apr. 27
Apr. 29
Week 15
May 2
Neoliberalism: Argentina
Skidmore, Smith and Green, ch. 9
“Goodbye to the Washington Consensus?” in Current History. On
Blackboard.
“Argentina: Anatomy of a Crisis” in Current History. On Blackboard.
Democratization
Midterm Exam.
O’Toole, Democratization
“El Salvador ‘Model’ Democracy” in Current History. On Blackboard.
Spring Break
Resurgence of the Left
Levitsky and Roberts, intro
Reading Response 4 Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
Levitsky and Roberts, ch 1 Public Opinion
Levitsky and Roberts, ch 5 Social Policy Critical Book Review Due
Resurgence of the Left, case studies
Levitsky and Roberts, ch. 9 Venezuela (Film, The Hugo Chavez Show)
Levitsky and Roberts, ch, 10 Bolivia
Levitsky and Roberts, ch. 13 Brazil
Resilience of the Right
Luna and Kaltwasser, intro
Reading Response 5 Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
Luna and Kaltwasser, ch. 2
Luna and Kaltwasser, ch. 5
Resilience of the Right, continued
Luna and Kaltwasser, ch. 6
Luna and Kaltwasser, ch. 8
LADB News Summary Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
Luna and Kaltwasser, ch. 12
Mexico: Drug Trade
Skidmore, Smith, and Green, ch. 3
Corchado, Intro and pp. 1-80
Corchado, pp. 83-144
Reading Response 6 Due midnight before class on BlackBoard
Mexico: Immigration
Corchado, pp. 145-217
Corchado, pp. 218-278, Arocena and Bowman, ch. 7
Current Events Paper Due
Race and Gender
“Indigenous Movements” from Current History, On Blackboard.
Political Power and Women’s Representation in Latin America, intro by
Leslie Schwindt-Bayer, on Blackboard
Contemporary events in Latin America
News stories from the semester
May 4
Final Exam
Last day of class.
13-MAY-2016
1030
1315 LAFAYE L302