Political Science

Country Report (25%)

Students will write a ‘comparative’ country report giving them the opportunity to reflect upon the theoretical and practical aspects of government and politics covered in this course. This assignment requires students to read critically (both assigned texts and outside research) and to clearly present a comparative analysis between the US government and politics and that of UK, Iran or China. Students are also responsible to take the lead during class discussion on their case study country and demonstrate the depth of their knowledge. For example, on days we are covering China, the professor may direct questions to those students who chose to write a country report on China and expect those students to lead class discussion on one of the analytical questions they submit.

1. UK: Given that UK has a long-standing royal family and a state-church, can the UK be considered a liberal/secular democracy?

2. Iran: Can Iran’s political system be categorized as “Islamic democracy” or are these concepts mutually exclusive?

3. China: Given its current economic structure, can China still be considered a communist state?

Country Report Requirements:

• Students must write their country reports individually (not collaborating with group members or classmates). Students will collaborate and do group work only on the group presentation portion of the assignment.
• Due dates for each country report are specified in the below course schedule.
• Papers must be Times New Roman, 12 font, 1-inch margins, 5-7 pages (excluding cover/title page and references), double-spaced and typed. 
• APA citation format must be used (see attached citation guidelines).
• Papers are due in class, at the beginning of class, on the due date. 
• Additionally, students MUST turn in their papers on CANVAS via turn-it-in to ensure academic honesty.
• Late papers or papers submitted via email will not be accepted.
• Papers will not be accepted from students who do not attend class on the due date.
• Recommended sources to use: Freedom House, World Bank Development Indicators, World Bank Governance Matters Indicators, Transparency International, Polity IV, The Economist Democracy Index, New Nations.com World Audit, Foreign Policy’s Failed State Index and Globalization Index, and the CIA Factbook.
• Requirement 1: Each student must also schedule individual meetings with Dr. Susan Montgomery before Fall Break. You must take an outline of your country report with a list of references to the meeting. Dr. Montgomery will give each student a signed report explaining what has been accomplished in the meeting. Student must attach this report to their country report when submitting it to the professor.
• Requirement 2: Each student must also schedule individual meetings with the Writing Center after they have completed their country reports. Student must attach the Writing Center report to their country report when submitting it to the professor.
• Additionally, students are highly encouraged to meet with the professor to discuss their progress on the country reports.

Please consult your syllabus for a full explanation of the requirements for your paper.

 Advanced Search