Introduction to Comparative Politics
Research Project:
The research project is intended to offer the students an opportunity to use what they have learned in this course to examine a country and/or issue in which they have a particular passion or interest. Thus, for example, if a student is interested in studying India even though we have not specifically examined this country in this course, she/he will be encouraged to do so here. Your final paper should be between 8-10 pages in length (double spaced, st andard margins, 12 point
font.)
Students are encouraged to choose their own topics in consultation with your TA. You must meet individually with your TA before November 15 to discuss your proposed topic. The research essay will count for 20% of the class grade. Be sure to meet with your TA early. Students who wait until the last minute will surely have less time to discuss the project with the TA since the TA will be very busy with all the other students who waited until the last minute.
Your TA must sign off on your research project before the Fall Break and before
you begin to write your final paper. Papers are due in class (and on-line) December 3.[unique_solution]
Your TA is an excellent resource for helping you get started on this project. Again, at least one mandatory meeting with your TA is required before beginning your research. The goal of this essay is to help teach you those important research and writing skills so necessary for success in your university career. It is also an opportunity for you to investigate in-depth, a topic which interests you and pertains to our course of study here.
The CU writing center (found in the library) is also an excellent resource for helping you conduct research and write an excellent paper. I strongly recommend you visit them and get their help. https://www.colorado.edu/pwr/writing-center
Potential Paper Topics:
Here are some potential topics. These are not meant as specific assignments, but rather as suggestions to help you get started on your own projects. Of course, you may use one of these for your paper.
- Compare and contrast two countries in a particular region of the world which have had quite different political/economic outcomes. What explains the differences?
- Is Nigeria doomed by the ‘Resource Curse’? (or another country)
- Can non-liberal countries become democratic?
- Do the “checks and balances” of American democracy help or hurt us today?
- Can Social Democracy survive in a globalizing world economy
- Are NGO’s more effective than Governments? Why, or why not? (focus on a particular case)
- Has the IMF (or World Bank) helped or hindered democratic development in (you pick the country)?
- “Globalization” and its effects on ???? (you pick the country or countries)
- Is China (or Japan) a good model for other newly industrializing nations?
- Why is ??? (you pick the country) so poor?
- Why is ??? (you pick the country) so rich?
- What are the most important obstacles t o development in ????.
- Is liberal democratic capitalism the right system for ????.
- Why has democracy in Chile (or another country) been so unstable?
These are just some examples. We encourage you to pick from these topics, or choose your own. In either case you must meet with your TA and have her/him approve your topic before November
16.
Again, the main point is to allow you to choose a topic that is relevant to this course that you personally can get excited about. Take this opportunity to learn more about something that you personally are interested in.
An Argument:
These papers should take a position on the topic/question you are addressing. This means that they should develop and defend an argument. A good argument addresses the counter-arguments in a thoughtful way. Why is your argument more persuasive than the alternatives? If you cannot think of counter arguments to your own, you probably don’t have an argument.
Please discuss this with your professor and your TA.
What is NOT appropriate?
While we want to give you considerable latitude, it is also important that your papers are relevant to this course, “Introduction to Comparative Politics.” This means that papers that are really International Relations or Foreign Policy papers are not acceptable. So for example, papers on the Arab Israeli Conflict, while interesting, are not appropriate for this class. Similarly, papers on American Foreign Policy, (eg. What should the US do in Iraq?) are not appropriate. Of course there may be borderline cases. So discuss your proposals with your TA and make sure the TA agrees to your proposed paper topic before you invest a great deal of work.
Papers written for other classes are not appropriate. If you want to do a much longer and more in depth paper for this class in conjunction with another course this may be appropriate. But such a paper would require a written approval from both teachers in advance.
How will these research papers be evaluated? See Grading Rubric.
Plagiarism and Cheating.
Plagiarism is a very serious offence and will be taken very seriously in this class. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly easy (and therefore tempting?) to use the internet and other readily available electronic sources to copy and or purchase materials that are not your own. Any student caught plagiarizing, or turning in work that is not their own in this course will be given and “F” for the course and will presented to the University Honors Code Council for further disciplinary
action – which may include expulsion from the university.
We take plagiarism and cheating seriously because it is cheating the students who have done their research and writing on their own.
What is plagiarism? Plagiarism simply means taking the work of another author as your own without proper attribution to the original work. This can take several forms: The most obvious (and common) is simply copying the words or data from a book, article or internet site and pasting those words or data into a paper without properly referencing and/or crediting the original author. Another form can be taking advantage of the ‘paper mills’ that are available on the internet and elsewhere. In this case, the student may purchase a paper from company that will write your
paper for you. In most cases, these companies have banks of previously written papers and simply
rewriting/copying a paper that the student has gotten from a collection papers available here at various places here in Boulder (ie. from the student’s sorority or fraternity). Here again, the student is essentially copying the work of a previous student.
In short, plagiarism means trying to take credit for work that is not your own.
Please do not attempt it. Students are often surprised how easy it is to get caught. Getting caught has significant consequences for you and your entire college career. If you are in doubt about
what constitutes proper citation and crediting, please speak with your TA and/or your professor so you are clear about the rules.