GENERAL DE JESUS COLLEGE

College of Education
San Isidro, Nueva Ecija

OUTCOMES-BASED SYLLABUS IN SOCIAL STUDIES 116

(Comparative Government and Politics)
First Semester, SY 2018-2019

Course Name COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Course Credits 3 units
Course Description A comparative study of selected models of political systems as to government structure,
organization, function, operation and politics.
Contact Hours/Week 54 hours / 3 hours per week
Prerequisite Social Science 3
Learning Outcomes At the end of the course the students should be able to:
A. Competencies
1. define and describe major comparative political concepts;
2. support generalizations with relevant factual information pertaining to the
governments and politics of selected countries;
B. Skills
1. examine political conditions of selected countries (forms of governance, political
development, political culture, relations between government and its citizens, and
relations among social groups in the political arena);
2. analyze typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their
consequences;
3. compare and contrast models of political systems in terms of politics and
government structure, organization, function and operation;
4. analyze and interpret basic data relevant to comparative government and politics;
C. Values
1. articulate personal positions on good governance and effective citizenship; and
2. identify the ethical implications of regime change and the use of state power.
COURSE OUTLINE AND TIMEFRAME
Week Course Content/ Subject Matter
1 Class orientation on the Vision and Mission of General de Jesus College, its policies and
regulations
Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
- Purpose and methods of comparison and classification
- Concepts (state, nation, regime, government)
- Process and policy (what is politics; purpose of government; what are political
science and comparative politics; common policy challenges)
2 Sovereignty, Authority, and Power
- Political culture, communication, and socialization
- Nations and states
- Supranational governance (e.g., European Union)
- Sources of power
- Constitutions (forms, purposes, application)
- Regime types
- Types of economic systems
- State building, legitimacy, and stability
- Belief systems as sources of legitimacy
- Governance and accountability
3 Political and Economic Change
- Revolution, coups, and war
- Trends and types of political change (including democratization)
- Trends and types of economic change (including privatization)
- Relationship between political and economic change
- Globalization and fragmentation: interlinked economies, global culture, reactions
against globalization, regionalism
- Approaches to development
4 Citizens, Society, and the State
- Cleavages and politics (ethnic, racial, class, gender, religious, regional)
- Civil society and social capital
- Media roles
- Political participation (forms/modes/trends) including political violence
- Social movements
- Citizenship and representation
1
 5 Political Institutions
- Levels of government
- Executives (head of state, head of government, cabinets)
- Legislatures
- Parliamentary and presidential systems
- Elections
- Electoral systems
- Political parties (organization, membership, institutionalization, ideological position)
- Party systems
- Leadership and elite recruitment
- Interest groups and interest group systems
- Bureaucracies
- Military and other coercive institutions
- Judiciaries
6 Public Policy
- Common policy issues
- Factors influencing public policymaking and implementation
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS
7 Government and Politics of the Philippines
- Pre-Spanish Government
- Spanish Period
- Revolutionary Era
- American Occupation
- Japanese Occupation
- Third Republic
- Marcos Era
- Post-Edsa
8 – 12 Government and Politics of Selected Political Systems
- United States of America
- United Kingdom
- China
- Russia
- Iran
- Nigeria
MIDTERM EXAMINATIONS
13 – 15 Special Topic: Government and Politics of ASEAN Countries: An Overview
- Government and Politics of Selected ASEAN Countries
- ASEAN Integration
16 Special Topic: The South China Sea Conflict
- Policies/Approaches of Selected Claimants
17 Final Requirement: Government Proposal for the Philippines
- Unitary/Federal
- Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches
- Role of the Bureaucracy, Political Parties, Civil Rights and Liberties, and other Aspects
of Political Life
18 Synthesis;
FINAL EXAMINATIONS

Required Readings 1. Ethel Wood, AP Comparative Government and Politics: An Essential Coursebook 7th
Edition, WoodYard Publications, 2015
Suggested Readings 1. G. Bingham Powell, Jr. et al. Comparative Politics Today: A World View, 11th Edition.
and References Pearson Education Limited. 2015
2. Mark Kesselman et al. Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and
Changing Agendas, 7th Edition. Cengage Learning. 2016
3. Aurel Croissant and Philip Lorenz. Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia: An
Introduction to Governments and Political Regimes. Springer International Publishing
AG. 2018
4. Articles are used throughout the course, most frequently from The National Interest,
Foreign Affairs, The Economist and the New York Times
Course Requirements 1. Reaction papers on assigned texts
2. PowerPoint Presentations on the government and politics of selected political systems
3. Government proposal for the Philippines
Grading System In academic requirements the following criteria is used:
Term Examination 40%
Quizzes 25
Seatwork/Assignment 10
2
 Project/Output 15
Recitation 10
Total 100%

CLASS SCHEDULE: Mon-Wed-Fri 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Rm. B12

CONSULTATION PERIOD: Thurs-Fri 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Publication Office
Mon-Wed-Thurs-Fri 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Publication Office
Prepared by:

ANTONIO T. DELGADO
Instructor
www.facebook.com/groups/gjcsocstud116
Possible Special Topics:
- Vatican City
- Multinational Corporations (under globalization)
- Saudi Arabia
- North Korea

Readings:
- Huntington’s Class of Civilizations
- Fukuyama’s The End of History

REQUIRED READINGS

- Ethel Wood, AP Comparative Government and Politics: An Essential Coursebook 7th Edition, WoodYard
Publications, 2015

SUGGESTED READINGS AND REFERENCES

1. G. Bingham Powell, Jr. et al. Comparative Politics Today: A World View, 11th Edition. Pearson Education
Limited. 2015
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CTeBWG2KvSX-auNH4LQArQCL9i0B-9IF

2. Mark Kesselman et al. Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas, 7th
Edition. Cengage Learning. 2016
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16AR6NTE3K4gTpegG27XEYiNT7GPYRISF

3. Aurel Croissant and Philip Lorenz. Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia: An Introduction to Governments and
Political Regimes. Springer International Publishing AG. 2018
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d8tyEe3og-RbFe_E4B3zaXrwVqXVaTr6

4. Articles are used throughout the course, most frequently from The National Interest, Foreign Affairs, The
Economist and the New York Times
nationalinterest.org
https://www.foreignaffairs.com
https://www.economist.com
https://www.nytimes.com