150138 SE Political Systems in East Asia (2022S)

Positive grades (grade 4 or better) for all formal requirements as listed under “Assessment (Art der Leistungskontrolle)” are a minimum requirement for passing this course.
Grading is based on a “continuous assessment of coursework” (“Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung”).

This course requires attendance in a weekly seminar. As a seminar, students are expected to actively participate and, where appropriate or specified, lead discussions. The instructor’s role will often be that of a moderator or conductor.

Each week, a small group of students (~3) will brief the class on a question assigned for that week. The briefs should be delivered in the form of a class presentation and run for approximately 10-15 minutes. Students will be randomly assigned for briefs in the first week of the course.

Based on the briefs, students must then complete a collaborative research dossier (800-1,000 words in length). The dossier will briefly summarize the readings from the week assigned but will also include a regional perspective that explains, in a memo to policymakers, how the issue on democracy and/or authoritarianism applies to Brussels (the EU), Washington (the United States), Jakarta (ASEAN), or any one of the five East Asian capitals (Taipei, Beijing, Pyongyang, Seoul, or Tokyo). Two (2) regions must be chosen, and at least one East Asian perspective is required. Students will report an oral policy memo based on the reginal analysis in the class immediately following their briefs. Briefing and dossier guidelines will be provided by the instructor.

The final graded component is a research paper, 8-10 pages in length (excluding references/bibliography). Students are required, unless otherwise arranged, to write a 2-3 case comparative case study paper focused on democracy and authoritarianism in East Asia. The paper writing process, and especially the research design, will be supported by exercises, readings, and assignments from the Exercise Course on Political Systems in East Asia (UE 150136). Students will choose among the following topics:

1. Democratic transition. Why did some East Asian countries transition to democracy, whereas others did not? This topic/question asks students to explore the determinants of democratization.
2. Authoritarian durability. What explains the durability of authoritarianism in East Asia? Why, for instance, is North Korea so seemingly stable, despite decades of experts predicting its imminent demise? This topic/question asks students to explore factors explaining authoritarian durability.
3. Democratic de-consolidation. Many political scientists and regional experts say East Asia’s democracies are undergoing de-consolidation like those in the West. Is this true? This topic/question asks students to explore whether there is a democratic reversal in East Asia.
4. Pandemic response. Is there a relationship between political system type and the extent to which state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic violated democratic standards or threatened democracy? This topic/question asks students to explore the relationship between political institutions and the pandemic response.