Political Science 586: The Quality of Democracy


                                       Spring Semester 2017


                                    Instructor: Andrew Roberts

                                    Email: 233595@mail.muni.cz

                                   Office Hours: By appointment


With the coming of the Third Wave of democracy, many scholars expected politics in the new
democracies to improve dramatically. In fact, many of these new democracies experienced significant
problems, the most notable being citizens’ own dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy.
These disappointments gave rise to the study of democratic quality – to the ways that both new and
old democracies function.


This course will introduce students to the study of democratic quality. It will present some of the
major conceptions of democratic quality as well as ways for measuring and assessing democratic
quality. The main goal of the seminar is to prepare students to undertake original research on
democratic quality.


                                        Course Requirements


As a small seminar class, active participation is essential to success. Students are expected to
have done the readings before class and to be prepared to discuss them intelligently. This means
not just being able to summarize the arguments in the readings, but also to express critical
opinions about them.


Each student is required to complete one short paper which will analyze the assigned readings for
one class lesson. The analysis should not simply summarize the papers, but should critically
analyze them and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. It should be approximately 2-3 pages in
length and is due when the readings will be discussed. Students should also choose one recommended
reading which they wish to present in class (they may also propose their own additional readings).


There will be a midterm that will cover the course material. For the final exercise students can
choose between writing a research design on democratic quality, an in-depth literature review of
some aspect of democratic quality, or their own research proposal. I will provide more information
about these options in class. The final paper should be 8-10 pages.


                                         Course Evaluation


Evaluation in the class will be based on the following exercises:


Class Participation:                                                     15%

Short Papers:                                                   15%

Midterm Exam:                                                35%

Final Project:                                                   35%


                                          Course Outline


PART 1: Ideals


Lesson 1: Thinking about Democratic Quality – February 24


·        Andrew Roberts, The Quality of Democracy in Eastern Europe, chapter 2

·        Achen and Bartels, “Democratic Ideals and Reality”


Recommended Readings


·        Jane Mansbridge, “Rethinking Representation”

·        Gerardo Munck, “Conceptualizing the Quality of Democracy”

·        William Riker, “The Connections between the Theory of Social Choice and the Theory of
Democracy” in Liberalism Against Populism


Lesson 2: Policy Responsiveness – March 10


·        Christopher Wlezien, “Public Opinion and Policy Representation”

·        Andrew Sabl, “The Two Cultures of Democratic Theory”


Recommended Readings


·        Stimson, Mackuen, and Erikson, “Dynamic Responsiveness”, APSR (1995).

·        Lupia and Matsusaka, “Direct Democracy: New Approaches to Old Questions”, ARPS

·        Alan Monroe, “Public Opinion and Public Policy, 1980-1993”

·        Christopher Wlezien, “Patterns of Representation”, Journal of Politics (2004).

·        Druckman and Jacobs, “Lumpers and Splitters”, Public Opinion Quarterly (2006).


Lesson 3: Electoral Accountability – March 17


·        Powell and Whitten, “A Cross-National Analysis of Economic Voting: Taking Account of the
Political Context”, AJPS (1993)

·        John Sides, “What Political Science Can Teach Us about Donald Trump”


Recommended Readings


·        Mackuen, Erikson, and Stimson, “Peasants or Bankers? The American Electorate and the
Economy”, APSR (1992).

·        Duch and Stevenson, “Assessing the Magnitude of the Economic Vote over Time and across
Nations”, Electoral Studies (2006).

·        Susan Stokes, Public Support for Market Reform in New Democracies, chapter 1.

·        Hellwig and Samuels, “Electoral Accountability and the Variety of Democratic Regimes”,
BJPS (2008)


Lesson 4: Mandate Responsiveness – March 24


  * Susan Stokes, “What Do Policy Switches Tell Us about Democracy?”
  * Elin Naurin, Election Promises, Party Behavior, and Voter Perceptions, chapter 4.


Recommended Readings


·        Kitschelt et al, Postcommunist Party Systems, chapter TBA.

·        Grossback, Peterson, and Stimson, Mandate Politics, chapter 1.


APRIL 7: Midterm Exam


PART 2: Where Things Can Go Wrong


Lesson 5: The Quality of Citizens: Citizen Rationality and Deliberation – April 21


·        Roberts, “The Quality of Citizens”, working paper

·        Delli Carpini, “An Overview of the State of Citizens’ Knowledge about Politics”

·        Mutz, Diana. 2006. Hearing the Other Side: Deliberative Versus Participatory Democracy,
chapter 1


Recommended Readings


·        Kuklinski and Quirk, “Reconsidering the Rational Public”

·        Arthur Lupia, “What Should We Know: Can Ordinary Citizens Make Extraordinary Choices”

·        Nyhan, Brendan and Jason Reifler. 2012. “Misinformation and Fact-checking: Research
Findings from Social Science.” New America Foundation Media Policy Initiative Research Paper.


Lesson 6: The Quality of Citizens: Participation and Toleration – April 21

·        Andre Blais, “Political Participation” in Comparing Democracies 3

·        Gibson, “Political Intolerance in the Context of Democratic Theory”

Recommended Readings


·        TBA


Lesson 7: Voting Biases – May 12

·        Achens and Bartels, “The Very Basis of Reasons: Groups, Social Identities, and Political
Psychology”

·        Achen and Bartels, “Blind Retrospection: Electoral Responses to Drought, Flu, and Shark
Attacks”

·        Bryan Caplan, “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies”


Recommended Readings


·        Achen and Bartels, “It feels Like We’re Thinking: The Rationalizing Voter and Electoral
Democracy”

·        Larry Bartels, “Partisan Bias in Economic Accountability” in Unequal Democracy.


Lesson 8: Democratic Inequality – May 19


·        Martin Gilens, “Inequality and Democratic Responsiveness”, Public Opinion Quarterly
(2005).

·        Larry Bartels, “Economic Inequality and Political Representation” in Unequal Democracy.


Recommended Readings


·        Soroka and Wlezien, “On the Limits to Inequality in Representation”, PS (2008).

·        Adams and Ezrow, “Who Do European Parties Represent?”, Journal of Politics (2009)


Lesson 9: Corruption – May 19


·        Ansolobehere and Snyder, “Why So Little Money in Politics”, Journal of Economic
Perspectives (2003).

·        Treisman, “The Causes of Corruption: A Cross-National Study”, Journal of Public Economics
(2000).


Recommended Readings


·        Hall and Deardorff, “Lobbying as Legislative Subsidy”, APSR (2006).