Tea time! (with a side of the IRA, Scottish independence and the elderly)

Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein asks the IRA to end violence (again), some UK ministers outline what Scottish independence would truly mean, and the government proposes to cap the amount of money any elderly person should spend on healthcare in a given year.  Comments appreciated below!

Controversy!

In the UK controversy is erupting over gay marriage, Chinese citizens are outraged by more blatant police corruption, Iran is sending Ahmadinejad into Egypt and Nigerians wonder how sending troops into Mali would benefit them.

Scandal! (and space)

In the UK, scandal forced a high ranking MP to resign.  Meanwhile, a Nigerian MP stands accused of accepting bribes and the state media in China is prosecuting Tibetan monks for 'inciting self-immolations.'  Also, the release of French citizen Florence Cassez stirs controversy in Mexico.  On another note, Iranian President Ahmadinejad wants to be the first Iranian astronaut.  Which of these stories sparks your interest? Click on the country to go the article!  Comments encouraged below!

Democracy: What does it truly mean?

Here is a link to the democracy lecture.  Questions, comments and concerns appreciated below.

Nukes, oil and referendums

Iran has to answer questions about alleged nuclear testing, Nigerians lose in a lawsuit with Shell, and Scotland is planning to ask what Scots think about independence.  Click on the country to go to the article!  Comments encouraged below!

Welcome!

Over the last year or so a LOT has been happening in the field of comparative politics.  The Arab Spring, the global financial crisis, rising tensions in the Middle East, ongoing concerns in Israel,  global protests on income inequality, international humanitarian crises, and the rising economic power of China (among many other headlines) have all been changing the face of international politics as we know it.  You might think that these faraway developments don't concern you, but the fact is, with the rise of globalization and unprecedented advances in social communications technology, a grisly, suicidal protest by a young fruit-cart owner in a remote land can have monumental implications on the political landscape of the entire world.  

In one half of the course we will examine many broad concepts with which you might be familiar (sovereignty, power, freedom, equality, legitimacy, globalization, etc.), but we will also delve into many concepts that you might not have seen before (devolution, corporatism, clientelism, cosmopolitanism, etc.).  The other half of the course deals with six countries (Great Britain, Mexico, Russia, China, Iran and Nigeria) that all provide different perspectives on how political systems across the world work.  We will be conducting in-depth examinations of each countries history, people, and culture. 

I genuinely look forward to your participation and successful completion of this course.  This is the subject matter I studied in college, so I find it supremely fascinating and I hope you will too!

One more thing!!!  If there are any current, relevant political issues/events that you would like to talk about in class please comment on this post with whatever it is that peaks your interest!   

US-China Relations

Should we sell high-tech battery technology to China?  Read the article here.