Final Exam

The final exam will be a take-home exam, due Tuesday, April 29th, by 5 p.m. It will consist of seven essay questions from the review questions of Chapters 6-12 of the textbook (one for each chapter). As with the take-home essays from the midterm exam, you must indicate the page or pages from the textbook where the relevant information for your answer can be found. You may study together, but you must submit your own work, in your own words, on TurnItIn.com.

...And the questions are:

1. Why did reforms work in Central Europe but not in Russia?
2. Can China still be described as Communist? (back up your answer)
3. Why does India hold together at all?
4. Has Mexico become a true democracy? How can you tell?
5. What factors made Brazil democratic? Will it last?
6. Why doesn't badly fragmented Nigeria just fall apart?
7. What factors brought Iran's Islamic Revolution?

Nigeria (plus the Social Progress Index)

The article we reviewed in Wednesday's class referred to the United State's ranking in the Social Progress Index (16th out of 132 countries). Please check out the Social Progress Imperative's website to see what is being measured and why it matters. In addition to writing about Nigeria in your next blog post (due Monday before class), I'd like you to list your country's rank and its areas of relative strength and weakness. Anything interesting or surprising?

Brazil (and Mexico continued)

We will start to explore Brazil and continue to examine Mexico in Monday's class. Mexico and Brazil make a really interesting contrast.

Please be sure that you are familiar with the key terms and can answer CORRECTLY the review questions at the end of the chapter. Monday's quiz will probably be on a key term rather than a review question. Your next blog post is due before class on Monday, and your comment on an Mexico post should already be up.

Here are a couple of thought-provoking links: "Does Brazil Have the Answer?" and "Brazil's Girl Power."

Mexico

We're moving a lot closer to home for Monday's class. Did you know that Mexico is officially Estados Unidos Mexicanos? That means we don't have the monopoly on "united states." How many states does Mexico have?

Please be sure that you are familiar with the key terms and can answer CORRECTLY the review questions at the end of the chapter. Your next blog post is due before class on Monday, and your comment on an India post should already be up.

Your country reports are due on turnitin.com on Monday by 11:59 p.m. Reminder: TurnItIn.com class id is 7804367 and the password is icg14.

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India

Exceptional India is what you need to know about for Monday's class. Please be sure that you are familiar with the key terms and can answer CORRECTLY the review questions at the end of the chapter. Keep using the methods I outlined in class for taking notes on those questions because it seems to have helped with Monday's quiz and should make your life easier when it comes to studying for the final exam. I will continue to quiz you every Monday on one of the questions. Your next blog post is due before class on Monday, and your comment on a China post is due by midnight tomorrow (Friday). 

China

Now that you've finally put the midterm exam behind you, it's time to get smart on China for Monday's class. Please be sure that you are familiar with the key terms and can answer CORRECTLY the review questions at the end of the chapter. Use the methods I outlined in class for taking notes on those questions, and your life will be a dream of ease when it comes to studying for the final exam. I will continue to quiz you every Monday on one of the questions. Your next blog post is due before class on Monday, and your comment on a Russian post is due by midnight tonight (Friday). Lack of comments adversely impacted a few peoples grades. You can check out your own details on the campus portal.

Midterm Revisited

You may revise the essay section of your midterm as an open-book take-home exam. Submit your exam by Friday, 3/14, at noon, at turnitin.com (class id 7804367, password icg14). Please cite textbook page numbers in your answers. Ignore the original rubric, and answer the questions as completely and clearly as possible. You may not work with others on this.

1.     Do revolutions against tyranny always lead to democracy? Always? Give a recent example.

2.     Does stable democracy need a certain level of economic development? Specifically, what degree of economic development is required to sustain democracy? Are there any exceptions to this?

3.     How has geography influenced British development? Cite specific examples in your answer.

4.     What are two differences between Presidential and Parliamentary systems? Use the United States and Britain for tangible examples.

5.     Describe the French semi-presidential system. Specifically, address the roles of the executive and legislative branches in this system.

6.     Why is European unemployment so high?

7.     How does the German electoral system work?  If you were designing a country’s electoral system, would you adopt this system? Why or why not?

8.     Is German democracy as solid as any? How can you tell?

9.     How does Japan’s long and deep feudalism influence its current politics? Specifically, how has it helped shape its current institutions and distribution of power?

10.  What explains Japan’s economic success? And its current stagnation?