Politics and Governement Course Outline.docx

**Course Outline for Introduction to Politics and Government** **Department of Political Science and International Studies** ------------------------------------------------------------...

**Course Outline for Introduction to Politics and Government** **Department of Political Science and International Studies** --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------- **Course Code** **PSIR1011** **Course Title** **Introduction to Politics and Government** **Degree Program** **BA in Political Science and International Relations** **Instructor** **Workineh G. *Office Location: New Building, No-406*** **Contact Hour (per day)** **Lecture** **Tutorial** **Group Work** **Home Study** **EtCTS** **3** **0** **0** **7** **5** **Target Group** **1^st^ year PSIR Students** **Year/ semester** **Year I, Semester I** **Status of the courses** **Compulsory/Core** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **COURSE DESCRIPTION AND | The course aims at familiarizing | | OBJECTIVES** | students to the fundamentals of | | | political science, structures, | | | and functions of government. In | | | addition, theoretical | | | underpinnings related with the | | | study of state, society, and | | | government will be dealt. | | | Furthermore, issues like | | | democracy, constitutionalism, | | | political parties, and political | | | participation will be given | | | special attention with the | | | contemporary usage of issues. | | | | | | Through this introductory course | | | you will increase your awareness | | | on contemporary political issues. | | | Thus it could be argued that the | | | objectives of this course are | | | three-fold: to introduce students | | | to the central concepts of and | | | analytical approaches to the | | | study of international politics | | | and government, to apply those | | | ideas to historical and current | | | international events, and to | | | provide students with update | | | information about politics and | | | government in all over the world. | | | In doing so as our major and | | | central objective, we will | | | examine politics and government | | | from both normative and empirical | | | perspectives as to how should our | | | government function, and how does | | | it function in reality. | +===================================+===================================+ | **Assessment methods** | Individual Assignment Group | | | Assignment | | | | | | Presentation Test Mid-exam Final | | | Examination | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Contents** | **Tasks** | +===================================+===================================+ | ***Chapter One:*** **Definition | -Debate, | | of Basic Concepts** | | | | Questioning and reflection | | - Approaches in Political | | | Science | -Group discussion, Reflection on | | | the discussion and questioning | | - Definitions and differences | | | between politics and | | | political science | | | | | | - **Meaning and attributes of | | | other basic concepts** | | | | | | - Sovereignty, Power, | | | Authority, Legitimacy | | | | | | - Force, Consent | | | | | | - State, Government ,Society, | | | Citizen, subjects and | | | Citizenship | | | | | | - Political change , | | | Revolution, social movement, | | | regime change | | | | | | - Political culture, War, | | | justice | | | | | | - Political ideologies and | | | Political socialization | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Chapter Two: Understanding the | Thought bubble, Hot seating Group | | State** | discussion & group reflection | | | | | - Meaning, Origin and Role of | | | the state | | | | | | - Attributes, features and | | | classifications | | | | | | - Competing theories about the | | | origin and roles of the state | | | | | | - Nation and nationalism | | | | | | - State and globalization | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Chapter Three: Understanding | Brainstorming, pyramiding Reading | | Government** | of the text and reflection | | | Question and Answer as well as | | - Meaning of government | group assignment | | | | | - Functions government | | | | | | - Forms/systems/models | | | | | | - Roles and natures of the | | | branches/organs of government | | | | | | - Vertical and horizontal | | | Separation and fusion of | | | powers | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Chapter Four: Constitutions and | Reading of the text and | | Constitutionalism** | reflection Question and Answer as | | | well as group assignment | | - Meaning, purpose and | | | classification of | | | constitutions | | | | | | - Stages/Processes of making it | | | | | | - Meaning of Constitutionalism | | | | | | - Features of constitutionalism | | | | | | - Constitutional experiences of | | | selected countries | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Chapter FIVE: Political | group discussion and reflection | | Participation and Democratic | | | Governance** | | | | | | - Competing conceptions of | | | Democracy, governance | | | | | | - Theories of democracy | | | | | | - Models of democracy | | | | | | - Democratic system | | | | | | - Modes/Forms/purposes and kind | | | of participation | | | | | | - The nature of participant | | | communities | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stages, actors, fertile | | | conditions of democratization | | | | | | - Success stories on | | | democratization | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | - Meaning, kind, and function | | | of political parties | | | | | | - Types of party systems | | | | | | | | | | | | - - | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | - Andrew Heyood (1994) | | | Political idea and concepts: | | | An Introduction. Macmillan. | | | | | | - David Fellman (1965) Modern | | | Government: A survey of | | | political science. 2^nd^ ed. | | | | | | - E.Nwabuzor. An Introduction | | | to Political Science for | | | African Students | | | | | | - Kay Lwson The Human Polity: A | | | comparative Introduction to | | | political Science. 3^rd^ ed. | | | | | | - Michael Roskin et.al (1994) | | | Political Science: An | | | Introduction. 5^th^ ed. | | | Prentice hall. | | | | | | - Rais A.Khan An Introduction | | | Political Science | | | | | | - Robert J.Jackson and Doreen | | | Jackson (1997) Comparative | | | Government An Introduction to | | | Political Science. 2^nd^ ed. | | | Prentice Hall: Canada | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+