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Herding Cattle in the Great Rift Valley, Uganda |
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Welcome to my class! The goal of this course is to provide you with a systematic way of interpreting world politics. If you are able to make well-informed and reasoned judgments about the contemporary world by the end of this class, I will be pleased.Comparative politics is little more than the attempt to identify similarities and differences among diverse states, cultures, and political systems. For example, what are the priorities of the boy in the photograph? Does he have the same conception of politics as you? How are his life prospects different from yours? I build this course around a single concept: the formation of the modern nation-state. As you will see, some parts of the world have nation states, but others do not. We will explore why this is the case. We will also try to figure out why we should care. |
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Readings | |||||
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Discussion Sections | ||||
The discussion sections in this course will be intense, intimate, and challenging. I absolutely expect you to participate in all aspects of these discussion sections. Learning how to articulate your views is an important skill. Notre Dame students should be masters of this art. Requirements include: 1) Completing all readings on time; 2) actively participating in each section; 3) Taking part in all online discussions on WebCT; and 4) Completing short writing assignments. |
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Your Grades | ||||
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My Office Hours | ||||
I hold regular office hours every Tuesday from 10:45-11:45 and every Wednesday from 2:00-4:00, & by appointment. Location: Nanovic Institute for European Studies, 211 Brownson Hall (behind the Main Building, through the black wrought iron gate; turn right immediately and go up the stairs). For information about my institute, see Nanovic Institute. Check out the European Studies Minor. Call:
(574) 631-5253 |
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TA Office Hours | ||||
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M 10:30 - 12:00 at Recker's, and W 10:30 - 12:00 at Recker's Tu 5:00 -7:00, and Th 5:00 - 7:00 Tu 1:30 - 2:30 at Waddick's Coffee Shop, and 9:30 - 10:30, at Waddick's |
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