Syllabus
Units:
(A) United States Government (Thursdays 930-1050, Room J1031) 1. Introduction (October 9) 2. The Declaration of Independence and its philosophical roots (October 16) 3. The Constitution of the United States and its principle of checks & balances as a development of Locke´s and Montesquieu´s separation of powers (October 23) 4. Federalism; federal versus state rights (October 30) 5. American political culture compared to that of other nations (November 6) 6. Public opinion, sources of political attitudes (November 13) 7. Political parties (November 20) 8. Interest groups, lobbying (November 27) 9. The U. S. Congress (December 4) 10. The Presidency (December 11) 11. The Judiciary (December 18) 12. Rights and liberties, "culture wars" (January 8)
(B) Government in Mexico and Canada (Thursdays 8-9:20, Room J1031) 9.10. class cancelled 16.10. Political parties and electoral system in Mexico
(text: Roderic Ai Camp) 23.10. Political parties and electoral system in Canada
(text: H. Thorburn: The development of Political Parties in Canada and Perspectives on the Structer and Dynamics of the Canadian Party System, in Thorburn Party Politics in Canada, 8th edition, Ch. 1 and 12, p. 1-9 and p. 148-162. Moreover, students should choose one of 5 major political parties and prepare its profile and analyze its results (i.e. what where major factors of its success or failure) in the Elections 2008.) 30.10. Mexican constitution
(text: selected articles from the Mexican constitution) 6.11. Canadian constitution
(text: Peter H. Russell, Can the Canadians Be a Sovereign People?, Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Dec., 1991), pp. 691-709, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3229303, Accessed: 04/10/2008.) 13.11. Class cancelled! 20.11. Political system in Canada (Executive and Legislative) 27.11. Political system in Mexico (Executive and legislative powers, judicial review)
(text: Roderic Ai Camp: Politics in Mexico, Who Governs? The Structure of Decision Making, a scan is available in the SIS system, camp-governance.pdf. Please also read the following two short newspaper articles:
Political Ally of Mexican President Embroiled in Scandal, The New York Times, March 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/world/americas/15mexico.html?fta=y
Mexico Tries to Curb Plane Crash Rumors, The New York Times, November 6, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/world/americas/06mexico.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Plane%20crash%20Mexico%20interior%20minister&st=cse ) 4.12. Federal-provincial relations in Canada
(text: Garth Stevenson, Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations in Wittington and Williams, Canadian Politics in the 21s Century, Ch. 4, p. 79-103) 11.12. Politics of Mexican regionalism
Edward J. Williams: The Resurgent North and Contemporary Mexican Regionalism, Mexican Studies / Estudios Mexicanos, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Summer, 1990), pp. 299-323 (file in the SIS system)
Hermosillo Journal; Scornful and Scorned, the New Yorkers of Mexico
By LARRY ROHTER, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: August 8, 1988 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DD173BF93BA3575BC0A96E948260
Questions to focus on:
What are the main differences among regional differences and their political consequences in the U.S., Mexico and Canada?
What are the main similarities?
What tools does the central government have to suppress regionalism?
What are the main differences between Northern and Central Mexico?
What could have changed since Vicente Fox became president?
Who is a Chilango?
Who is a Regiomontano? 18.12. Public policy example: Canadian foreign policy 8.1. 2009 Public policy example: Fighting the Drug War
Text for 8.1.2009:
Maureen Meyer et al.: AT A CROSSROADS: Drug Trafficking, Violence and the Mexican State, Washington Office on Latin America, Briefing Paper 13, November 2007. (file uploaded to SIS)
Related questions:
Why is Mexico supposed to be at a crossroads?
In what ways does drug trafficking affect government?
What are the government policies against drug traffickers?
Are they successful? In what ways?
What are the political implications behind the war on drugs?
What policies do the authors of the paper suggest?
In what ways is the problem connected to North American scenario?
Annotation
The course will cover key aspects of the systems of government in North America in two segments: one (A), taught by Milos Calda, will cover the United States, the other (B), focused on the government systems of Mexico and Canada, will be taught by Krystof Kozak and Magdalena Firtova, respectively.