Department
of Political Science
Chernovtsy State University
Spring 1994
DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
Democracies can be organized in many different ways. The purpose of this course
is to examine some of the advantages and disadvantages of different institutional
forms of democratic representation and decision-making. Among the questions
we will consider are these: Which kinds of democratic institutions provide the
best representation for both minority and majority interests? Which kinds of
democratic institutions provide a government with the appropriate capacity to
act efficiently and quickly? For example, is a parliamentary system better than
a presidential system, or vice versa? Do systems of proportional representation
enhance or undermine political stability? Students will leave the course with
an enhanced understanding of these issues.
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS
Week 1: Choices in the Construction of Democratic Institutions
Reading: R. Kent Weaver and Bert A. Rockman, "Assessing the Effects of Institutions,"
in Weaver and Rockman, eds. Do Institutions Matter? Government Capabilities
in the United States and Abroad (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution,
1993), pp. 1-41; Robert Axelrod, "Building a Strong Legislature: The Western
Experience," PS: Political Science and Politics (September, 1991), pp. 474-
478.
Week 2: Parliamentary versus Presidential Government
Reading: Douglas V. Verney, "Parliamentary Government and Presidential Government"
in Arend Lijphart, ed. Parliamentary versus Presidential Government (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1992), pp. 31-47; R. Kent Weaver, "Are Parliamentary
Systems Better?" Brookings Review (Summer, 1985), pp. 16-25.
Week 3: Justifications for the Separation of Powers
Reading: Robert J. Spitzer, President and Congress (New York: McGraw Hill, 1993),
pp. 1-16; excerpts from Montesquieu, "The Spirit of the Laws" in Lijphart, pp.
48-51; excerpts from James Madison, "The Federalist, Nos. 47, 48" in Lijphart,
pp. 52-53; excerpts from Alexander Hamilton, "The Federalist No. 70" in Lijphart,
pp. 54-56.
Week 4: The Limits of the American System
Reading: James MacGregor Burns, "The Roots of Leadership Failure," in The Power
to Lead (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984), pp. 101-119; Ted Gurr, "America
as a Model for the World? A Skeptical View" PS: Political Science & Politics
(December, 1991), pp. 664-667.
Week 5: Beyond the Separation of Powers?
Reading: Excerpts from Walter Bagehot, "The English Constitution: The Cabinet"
in Lijphart, pp. 66-71; Woodrow Wilson, "Committee or Cabinet Government?" in
Lijphart, pp. 72-74; Harold J. Laski, "The President and Congress," in Lijphart,
pp. 75-77; Committee on the Constitutional System, "A Bicentennial Analysis
of the American Political Structure" in Lijphart, pp. 78-89; Arthur M. Schlesinger,
Jr., "Leave the Constitution Alone" in Lijphart, pp. 90-94.
Week 6: The French Solution: Premier-Presidential Models
Reading: "Governmental Institutions: France," in Alexander Dragnich, et. al.
Politics and Government, pp. 75-82; Charles de Gaulle, "The Bayeux Manifesto,"
in Lijphart, pp. 139-141; Maurice Duverger, "A New Political System Model: Semi-
Presidential Government" in Lijphart, pp. 142-149; Jean Blondel, "Dual Leadership
in the Contemporary World" in Lijphart, pp. 162-172.
Week 7: Dangers of Presidential Leadership?
Reading: Juan Linz, "The Perils of Presidentialism" in Larry Diamond and Marc
F. Plattner, eds. The Global Resurgence of Democracy (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press), pp. 108-126; Fred W. Riggs, "Presidentialism: A Problematic
Regime Type" in Lijphart, pp. 217-222.
Week 8: In Defense of Presidentialism
Reading: Matthew Soberg Shugart and John M. Carey, "Criticisms of Presidentialism
and Responses," in Presidents and Assemblies: Constitutional Design and Electoral
Dynamics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), pp. 28-54.
Week 9: Political Institutions or Political Culture?
Reading: Donald Horowitz, "Comparing Democratic Systems" in Diamond and Plattner,
pp. 127-133; Seymour Martin Lipset, "The Centrality of Political Culture" in
Diamond and Plattner, pp. 134-137; Juan Linz, "The Virtues of Parliamentarism"
in Diamond and Plattner, pp. 138-145.
Week 10: Proportional Representation and Its Critics
Reading: Arend Lijphart, "Constitutional Choices for New Democracies," in Diamond
and Platner, pp. 146-158; Guy Lardeyet, "The Problem with PR" in Diamond and
Plattner, pp. 159-164; Quentin L. Quade, "PR and Democratic Statecraft" in Diamond
and Plattner, pp. 165-170; Arend Lijphart, "Double- Checking the Evidence" in
Diamond and Plattner, pp. 171-177.
Week 11: Institutions for the Management of Intense Cleavages
Reading: Richard Gunther and Anthony Mughan, "Political Institutions and Cleavage
Management," in Weaver and Rockman, pp. 272-301.
Week 12: In What Ways Do Institutions Matter?
Reading: R. Kent Weaver and Bert A. Rockman, "When and How Do Institutions Matter?"
in Weaver and Rockman, pp. 445-461.