1. POLI 134AA SPRING 2014 COMPARATIVE POLITICS OF LATIN AMERICA: DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIZATION

2. Instructor: Peter H. Smith 364 Social Science Building phsmith@ucsd.edu Office hours: Wednesday 2-4 TA/Reader: Kathryn Dove 448 Social Science Building kdove@ucsd.edu Office hours: 3:50-4:50 Wednesday

3. COURSE WEBSITE http://pages.ucsd.edu/~phsmith OR go to UCSD and then: Political Science Faculty Peter Smith Homepage Teaching PS134AA

4. READINGS Peter H. Smith, Democracy in Latin America: Political Change in Comparative Perspective, 2 nd edition (2012) Thomas E. Skidmore, Peter H. Smith, and James N. Green Modern Latin America, 8 th revised edition (2014) Selected Readings on Website

5. COUNTRY BRIEFS Apr 02: Chile (PHS) Apr 09: Mexico (Melissa Flaco) Apr 23: Argentina (Sebastian Saiegh) Apr 30: Brazil (Saul Cunow) May 14: El Salvador (Elaine Denny) May 21: Colombia (TBA) May 28: Venezuela (TBA)

6. VIDEOS “Battle of Chile” “No” [Chile] “Garden of the Forking Paths” [Argentina] “In Women’s Hands” [Chile]

7. EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTS Mid-term: Wednesday, May 7 (33% of grade) Final: Friday, June 13 (67% of grade) Optional paper: Wednesday, May 28 (30% of course grade, reducing mid-term to 20% and final to 50%)

8. KEY QUESTIONS What explains the spread of democracy in Latin America? Given authoritarian past? What kind of democracy? What quality? What’s new about the current phase of democratic change? How does it compare to prior periods? What role (if any) for the United States? What implications for U.S. relations with Latin America?

9. COURSE SCHEDULE Apr 02: Introduction Apr 09: Cycles and Transitions Apr 16: Changing Roles of the Military Apr 23: Presidentialism and Representation Apr 30: Economic Policies and Performance May 07: MIDTERM May 14: Liberal and Illiberal Democracy May 21: Politics of Gender May 28: The Rise of the New Left June 04: What Now? Democracy and U.S.-Latin American Relations

10. FRIENDLY ADMONITIONS 1. Try to put yourself in the place of a Latin American citizen, 2. Imagine how the world feels, not only how it looks, 3. View course material as relevant to political change in other regions and parts of the world, 4. Take videos seriously, and 5. Have fun!