Prague, Czech Republic - Course Descriptions - Comparative Government of Central and Eastern Europe

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 Course requirements: Midterm and final tests, participation and activity in the class.
(3 tests - 30%, 25% and 25% of grading, 20% active participation)

Lecture 1: Thursday, February 19, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Introduction to the Course, Does (Central and Eastern) Europe exist?

Lecture 2: Thursday, February 19, Petr Vymětal
The problems of ethnical conflicts and nationalism – movie

Lecture 3: Thursday, February 26, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The Parameters of East Central Europe II
Reading: Rupnik, In search of Central Europe.

Lecture 4: Thursday, February 26, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The parameters of East Central Europe I
Reading: The Historical East Central Europe After Communism

Lecture 5: Thursday, March 5, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The Character of the Communist Regime: The Case of Russia
Reading: Henderson K., Robinson N., chapter 2, pp. 40-59, and chapter 5, pp. 100-116, both In: Post-Communist Politics.

Lecture 6:  Thursday, March 5, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The Character of the Communist Regime: The Case of Czechoslovakia
Reading: Tismaneaunu, Reinventing Politics, chap. II., Children in the Fog

Lecture 7: Thursday,  March 12, Petr Vymětal
Movie – Kolja

Lecture 8: Thursday, March 12, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Seminar: Open forum discussion    

Lecture 9: Thursday, March 19, Petr Vymětal
Test !!!

Lecture 10:  Thursday, March 19, Petr Vymětal
The Character of Communist Regime: The Case of Poland  
Reading: Tismaneaunu, Reinventing Politics, chap. 6., The Triumph of the Powerless

Lecture 11: Monday, March 26, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Communism in comparative perspective, 1989 - the year of miracles
Reading: Václav Havel, The Power of the powerless

Lecture 12: Thursday, March 26, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Introduction to Politics I

Lecture 13: Thursday, April 2, Petr Vymětal
Seminar: Political Parties –

Lecture 14: Thursday, April 2, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Introduction to Politics II

Lecture 15: Thursday, April 9, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The Politics of Transition: The Case of Russia
Reading: Monte Palmer (ed.), Russia Reborn

Lecture 16: Thursday, April 9, Vladimíra Dvořáková
The Politics of Transition: The Case of Czechoslovakia /Czech Republic
Reading: Steven Saxonberg, One Decade of Post-communist Politics. The Rise of a Charismatic Leader

Lecture 17: Thursday, April  16, Petr Vymětal
TEST!!!!

Lecture 18: Thursday, April 16, Petr Vymětal
Seminar: Movie

Lecture 19:  Thursday, April 23,  Petr Vymětal
The Politics of Transition: The Case of Poland
Readings: Andrzej Antoszewski, Cultural Determinants of Electoral Behaviour in Postcommunist Poland

Lecture 20: Thursday, April 23, Petr Vymětal
Theoretical conclusions I.:
Economic Transformation of Central and East European countries – selected problems
Reading
Stiglitz, J. E.: Whither Reform?: Ten Years of the Transition. Paper presented at the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics. Washington D.C., The World Bank 1999,   http://www.worldbank.org/research/abcde/washington_11/pdfs/stiglitz.pdf


Lecture 21:  Thursday, April 30, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Theoretical conclusions II:
Transition to Democracy in Theory and Practice
Readings: Rustow, How does democracy come into Existence
M. Kaldor, I. Vejvoda, Democratization in Central East European Countries: An overview
 
Lecture 22: Thursday, April 30, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Challenges to Democratic Transition:  political culture, Legacy of the past,
Readings: Vladimíra Dvořáková, The End of Fiesta

Lecture 23: Thursday May 7, Petr Vymětal
Final Test !!!

Lecture 24:  Thursday, May 7, Petr Vymětal
Social and Political Trends in Transitive Countries
Readings: Tanzi, Vito: Corruption Around the World: Causes, Consequences, Scope and Cures, IMF Working Paper 98/63, Washington: International Monetary Fund, May 1998, dostupné z <http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/wp9863.pdf>

Lecture 25: Thursday, May 14, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Final discussion and grading

Lecture 26: Thursday, May 14, Vladimíra Dvořáková
Final discussion and grading

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