Political Science 355/International Studies 355

Asian Governments and Politics

Spring 2021

Bill Newmann, Department of Political Science

Office Hours: By appointment only; please email, and we can set up a zoom appointment.

E-mail: wnewmann@vcu.edu; Dept. Phone: 828-2076

Newmann's home page: www.people.vcu.edu/~wnewmann with links to other Newmann syllabi and other fun stuff.

Structure of the Class

VCU has gone to a fully virtual course delivery this spring. For now, there will be no in-class session for this class. VCU may allow in-class sessions later in the semester (March 8 seems to be the date if things work out). The class is set up for students to take it synchronously (at the regularly scheduled time) and asynchronously (viewing recordings on their own schedule, but following the weekly schedule of the class). If we get the chance to move back to in-class sessions also, I’ll explain how that will work. Here are the basics:

• I will lecture at the scheduled class times. I will use Zoom to stream the lecture live to everyone in the class.

o I will set up a Zoom meeting session for every class period, and you will receive an invitation for those sessions which includes a link and a password. Do not share this password.

o A few minutes before class time, click on the link. I won’t use the waiting room function; you’ll be able to connect right to the meeting. That way if you come in late, I don’t have to manage things.

o Please mute your audio

o You are not required to join with video

o If you have questions, use the chat function to ask the question. I will then repeat your question and give a try at answering it.

· I will record every class and post it on the Canvas site. All the lectures will go into the Media Gallery on Canvas. I’ll send an announcement when the latest recording is available. I will also link it to the syllabus. That way, everyone who cannot attend the class at the given time, either in person or off campus, can watch the class later when it makes more sense for them. I’m doing this because I know a lot of people are in unusual situations due to the pandemic, and I want to make this as flexible as possible. I won’t take class attendance to see who is listening live.

· How do you choose what to do? Choose based on whatever is easiest for you. It’s not a permanent choice. You can switch back and forth, however, you want to do this. Of course, whatever you decide, you are responsible with keeping up with class lectures, readings, and assignments. You will not be able to ignore the class for weeks at a time then listen to all the lectures the day before the exam and expect to do well. Don’t treat this like a Netflix series that you can binge the weekend before the exam. It will not be pretty. Keep up with the daily schedule as spelled out below.

· The map quiz and both exams are take homes. How this will work is detailed below.

· The paper will be turned over email.

· I won’t have regular office hours, but if you’d like to schedule an appointment, we’ll just do that over zoom.

Important: Students and employees who develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or who test positive for COVID-19, must inform Student Health Services or Employee Health Services. Both Student Health Services and Employee Health Services can now be contacted via a call center line at 1-804-MYCOVID or 1-804-692-6843, where students and employees who are experiencing symptoms can discuss testing options and other appropriate next steps.

Introduction

Asia, more than any other area of the world, is undergoing fundamental change. The change is so sweeping that many suggest the world is entering a new millennium: European dominance of the world is ending, and we are entering the Pacific age.  Asia was one of the poorest regions of the world only 40 years ago. The economic policies that brought Asia its wealth are being adjusted as these economies mature and as China becomes a factor in everyone’s economic forecasts. Many states are strong democracies while other governments refuse to end their monopolies on power. In Asia, there are still communist dictatorships that starve their people (North Korea) and communist governments that believe in free-market economics (China). There are also democracies with capitalist economies that rely on extensive economic planning. An era that witnesses such vast and rapid change will also be an era of many contradictions. It will be these contradictions that this course will hope to highlight and examine. The best symbol of Asia today that I have seen is a picture from an Asian newsweekly of a barefoot man in ragged clothes pulling a wooden cart down a dirt road. The cart was stacked with boxes containing personal computers.

This course will focus specifically on China, Japan, and India, also Indonesia if we have time.

In discussions of China, we’ll also take quick looks at Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore (a “soft authoritarian” state that Chinese leaders often see as a model of political development) and its usefulness as an example of "Confucian Democracy.")  One of the key questions we’ll ask is whether democratic Taiwan or authoritarian and capitalist Singapore is the model for China? The ongoing protests in Hong Kong are a test of this soft authoritarian model. Once having a taste of some political freedoms, how well will people accept fewer political freedoms?

In Japan the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has dominated the post-war era, fighting off challenges in the 1990s from fledgling opposition parties, reform from within during the leadership of LDP Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro (2001-2006), and a serious, but short-lived rival in the form of the Democratic Party of Japan (2009-2012). Japan is an excellent case study of how one party seems to maintain its hold on power election after election in a fully free democratic system.

India may be the most fascinating nation of all right now. The political issues are fundamental: will India retain the ideology of Congress party and its birth – a secular democracy committed to rooting out discrimination based on caste and religion that gave significant power to state governments – or move toward the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – a Hindu nationalism, which has been accused of granting privilege to the Hindu religion, and has empowered the Prime Minister in ways not seen since the 1970s, and have caused many to question the character of India democracy.

Indonesia is the largest nation in Southeast Asia. Its ability to transform into a stable democracy in a short period of time is one of the great accomplishments of the early 21^st century. How religion has been the key to its stability, but perhaps a political challenge for the future is one of the key questions about the future of Indonesia.

We may from time to time touch on the examples of other nations as useful comparative examples. Of course, for your research paper, you may look at any of the nations in Asia. Links connected to these pages may be helpful: South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, Burma (Myanmar), Pakistan.

The Comparative Method

This course will consider both the large and small Asian nations. This is necessary to grasp the nature of political and economic development in Asia. It is also crucial to making this genuinely a course in comparative politics. For the purposes of comparison, we will examine a number of nations through a common analytical framework. This framework is described in a reading assigned for the first week. The political and economic development of each nation addressed will be considered through this framework.  

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to differentiate between and evaluate various economic development strategies used in Asia

2. Students will be able to differentiate between and evaluate the political evolution of both democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian systems in Asia

3. Students will be able to analyze the causes of political and economic change within the nations of Asia

4. Students will be able to analyze the pre-modern legacy and political and economic evolution of modern China

5. Students will be able to analyze the pre-modern legacy and political and economic evolution of modern Japan

6. Students will be able to analyze the pre-modern legacy and political and economic evolution of modern India

7. Students will be able to analyze the pre-modern legacy and political and economic evolution of modern Indonesia

8. Students will demonstrate the ability to research and write a comparative politics paper for political science

Texts

You need to read them; you don't need to buy them. The books are available at the Virginia Book Company (intersection of Shafer and Franklin), the VCU Bookstore, and Bookholders. They are also available on reserve at the Cabell Library in Room 301. If anyone has problems getting access to the texts, for any reason, let me know as soon as possible so you don't get too far behind in the reading. These books will also be on reserve at Cabell Library (but probably not until the first week of classes).

· Evan Osnos. Age of Ambition (New York: FSG, 2014) (On reserve at the Cabell Library Circulation Desk, First Floor) DS779.43 .O76 2014  

· Elizabeth Economy. The Third Revolution (Oxford University Press, 2018) (Available online through the VCU Library system: https://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1737815

· R. Taggart Murphy. Japan and the Shackles of the Past (Oxford University Press, 2014) (On reserve at the Cabell Library Circulation Desk, First Floor) DS836 .M885 2014

· Patrick French. India: A Portrait (New York: Vintage, 2012) (On reserve at the Cabell Library Circulation Desk, First Floor) DS480.84 .F75 2011

Grades

Map Quiz	February 9: This will be a take home quiz. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas at about 9:00 AM on February 8. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on February 9 (as February 9 becomes February 10).	5% of grade
Exam I	March 9-12: This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas after class on March 9. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on March 12 (as March 12 becomes March 13).	25% of grade
Exam II	April 6-9: This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas after class on April 6. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on April 9 (as April 9 becomes April 10).	20% of grade
Research paper	Topic Due February 16 Optional rough draft deadline April 13; email the rough draft by midnight April 13 (as the 13^th becomes the 14^th). Paper Due April 20: email me the paper by midnight on April 20 (as the 20^th becomes the 21^st)	25% of grade
Exam III	May 11: This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas at about 9:00 AM on May 9. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on May 11 (as May 11 becomes May 12).	25% of grade

How to calculate your grade:  Use the percentages from the above table. So, if you received the following grades, you would calculate your grades in the following manner:

1. Map Quiz: 100, at 5% of the grade, that's 100 multiplied by .05 = 5.0
2. Exam 1: 90, at 25% of the grade, that's 90 multiplied by .25 = 22.5
3. Exam 2: 92, at 20% of the grade, that's 90 multiplied by .20 = 18.0
4. Paper: 88, at 25% of the grade, that’s 88 multiplied by .25 = 22.0
5. Exam 3: 92, at 25% of the grade, that's 92 multiplied by .25 = 23.0
6. To get your final grade add all the scores: 5 + 22.5 + 18.0 + 22.0 + 23.0 = 90.5. Congratulations, you got an A.

I give you this very detailed formula for a number of reasons. You should never be unaware of what your class average is. You can calculate it at any point in the semester. If your grade is not what you'd like it to be, you should know, and you should come see me about it. Please do not come to me after Exam 3 and say that you're having trouble in the class. It's too late at that point. But any time in the semester that you feel you are having trouble, or not doing as well as you feel you should, come talk to me. During my office hours and by appointment I am happy to talk to you about the class.

Grading scale: I use a typical scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 55-69. Borderline grades are considered in the following manner.

1. If your grade is 69.5, 79.5, or 89.5 or higher, then you may be a candidate for a round up to the higher grade (Notice those numbers in the sentence; do not ask for a higher grade if your average is a 68 or 78 or 88 or lower; those are not borderline averages).

2. You may become a candidate if your grades are borderline and if your grades have been going up during the semester.

3. That means that if you are borderline, but your last exam is lower than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a C for example), you will probably get the lower grade.

4. If you are borderline, and your last exam is higher than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a B), you will probably get the higher grade.

5. Another factor I consider is the typical grade you receive. Let’s say we have four grades for the class and three are grades of B and one is a C (bad day) and your average is a 79.6, you are a candidate for receiving a B

6. There is no extra credit for this class. Please do not ask.

And speaking of grades: The withdrawal date this semester is May 5

EXAMS: The exams will be short answer and essay. One week before the exam I will place a review sheet on line, linked to this syllabus, below this paragraph. This review sheet should be used as your study guide for the exam. The review sheet will include some terms that are from the readings only, so that you can go back and review those items from the readings. Once you have the review sheet, feel free to ask me questions about the terms. This is the best way to study for the exam. If you understand the terms on the review sheet, you can define each one and see how each one relates to the larger concepts and issues we've discussed in class, you should do just fine on the exam. The final exam is not-cumulative.

Review 1

Review 2

Review 3

Research Paper Follow this link to the instructions for the paper. Read them. Read them now. Read them later. Please read them. In other words, maybe I think it is important that you read them.

Paper topics are due on the date identified above and below. Your paper topic should be a one paragraph description of the topic. See the paper instructions on the appropriate topics. Please email the paper topic to me by midnight on the date listed above (in the table on grades) and below (in the course schedule).

The paper due date is listed above (in the table on grades) and below (in the course schedule). Please email the paper to me.

Optional rough drafts can be turned in up until one week before the assignment is due (see the schedule below). Rough drafts are not required; I’m giving you the option of turning in a rough draft or outline or introductory paragraph so I can review it and return it to you with comments. I have a deadline here only because I need to get my comments back to you in time for you to make the changes you’d like to make.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Day 1: January 26 Introduction to the Class and China I: Dynastic China

· Read: Newmann, "The Comparative Method."

· Osnos, Prologue, Chapters 1-6

· China to 1949

· January 26 Recorded Lecture: Intro and China One

Day 2: February 2 China II: Mao’s China

· Osnos, Chapters 7-12

· Party and Government Structure and Decision Making

· Mao Years Public Policy

· February 2 Recorded Lecture: China Two

Day 3: February 9 China III: Economics and Politics of the Deng Era

· Map Quiz: This will be a take quiz. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas at about 9:00 AM on February 8. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on February 9 (as February 9 becomes February 10).

· Osnos, Chapters 13-18

· Economy, Introduction

· The Reform Era

· February 9 Recorded Lecture: China Three

Day 4: February 16 China IV: Chinese Politics and Economics in the Next Generations

· Paper Topics Due

· Economy, Chapters 2-4

· February 16 Recorded Lecture: China Four

February 23: No Class: Reading Day

Day 5: March 2 China V: The Future of China

· Economy, Chapters 5-7

· The Future

· March 2 Recorded Lecture: China Five

Day 6: March 9 China VI; Japan I, and Exam I

· There will be a lecture tonight

· Exam 1: This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas after class on March 9. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on Friday March 12 (as March 12 becomes March 13).

· No Readings

· March 9 Recorded Lecture: China Six; Japan One

Day 7: March 16 Japan II: Birth of Modern Japan

· Murphy, Introduction and Chapters 1-3

· Japan to 1945

· March 16 Recorded Lecture: Japan Two

Day 8: March 23 Japan III: The 1955 System: Formation and Collapse?

· Murphy, Chapters 4-7.

· Post-War Japanese Government

· LDP PMs

· March 23 Recorded Lecture: Japan Three

Day 9: March 30 Japan III: Future of Japan

· Murphy, Chapters 8-10.

· Japan since the 1990s

· March 30 Recorded Lecture: Japan Four

Day 10: April 6 Exam 2

· Exam 2: This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas after class on April 6. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on April 9 (as April 9 becomes April 10).

· No Readings

· April 6 Recorded Lecture: Japan Five

Day 11: April 13 and India I: Paradoxes of Indian Politics

· Last day for turning in optional rough drafts of the paper

· French, Introduction and Chapters 1-3

· Intro to India

· India before Independence

· April 13 Recorded Lecture: India One

Day 12: April 20 India II: The Congress Era

· Paper Due

· No Readings

· Indian Government

· April 20 Recorded Lecture: India Two

Day 13: April 27 India III: Economic Reform and Party Competition

· French, Chapters 4-7

· Indian Public Policy

· Two Eras of Indian Politics

· April 27 Recorded Lecture: India Three

Day 14: May 4: India IV; The BJP and the Future of India

· French, Chapters 9-10, and 12

· The New Era in Indian Politics

· Indian Election 2019

Withdrawal Date: May 5

Exam 3: May 11. This will be a take home exam. I will place the exam in the Files folder of Canvas at about 9:00 AM on May 9. It will be due back to me (emailed) by midnight on May 11 (as May 11 becomes May 12).

Where can you find information on Asia?

This is the questions students always ask me: “Where do I find good information on Asia. I’m looking for something unbiased and something that doesn’t always look at the world through American eyes (as in how do these developments affect the US).”

Here’s the short answer: For day by day coverage of events in the world:

1. BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/. On a day-by-day basis, no other news organization covers the world as well. It has separate pages for most regions, links to past stories, links to data bases, all kinds of information that will get you up to speed on anything.
2. There is also a magazine called The Diplomat (http://thediplomat.com). You can read a few articles for free, but then after than you need a paid subscription.
3. World News Network: http://wn.com/. This is a site which covers day-by-day events by creating links to major newspapers around the world. So if something is happening in Pakistan, for example, there will be several links to stories about the event from web-based sources in S. Asia, E. Asia, Europe, N. America… It also has links to regional windows with coverage that is more focused. It even has links to issue-specific compilations of links on various issues. For example, the science page has sections for stories on AIDS, Biotech, cloning…

On a weekly basis:

The Economist: www.economist.com. This is a Britain-based weekly which covers world politics and world business. There really is nothing else like it in the comprehensive nature of its coverage. You can also buy it on the newsstand, but the web is free. It covers world politics very well.

Long Term Views of Crisis and Conflict:

International Crisis Group: www.crisisweb.org. This is the International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization that studies, analyzes, and makes recommendations about how to resolve various crises in the world. There is nothing better for the in-depth examination of current world events and the dilemmas of problem solving and peace making. It has reports (30-50 pages), briefings (10-30), and a weekly briefing (Crisis Watch), which you can get on the web site or sign up for e-mail delivery.

The best academic journal on Asia is Asian Survey. VCU gets it in the library. The January/February issue every year gives an overview of developments in ever Asian country from the past year. Other great journals are listed on the research paper site.

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