SemesterFall Semester, 2018
DepartmentInternational Master's Program in Asia-Pacific Studies, First Year International Master's Program in Asia-Pacific Studies, Second Year
Course NameSeminar on Asia-Pacific Political Economy
InstructorALEXANDER C. TAN
Credit3.0
Course TypeElective
Prerequisite
Course Objective
Course Description
Course Schedule

Nov 19 (M) Introduction to the course

Olson, Mancur. 1993. “Dictatorship, Democracy and 

Development.” American Political Science Review 87 (3): 567-576.



Nov 20 (T) Olson, Mancur. 1996.  “Big Bills Left on the Sidewalk: Why Some Nations are Rich and Others Poor.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 10 (2): 3-24.



Kenny, Charles. 1999. “Why Aren’t Countries Rich? Weak States and Bad Neighbourhoods.” Journal of Development Studies 35 (5): 26-47.



Nov 23 (F) “Two Coasts of China”



Nov 26 (M) Hartford, Tim.  The Undercover Economist. [selected chapters TBA]



Nov 27 (T) Chan, Steve. 1993.  East Asian Dynamism: Growth, Order, and Security in the Pacific Region. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. (Chapters 2, 3).



Nov 30 (F) “Reinventing Japan”



Dec 3 (M) Bates, Robert. 2001. Prosperity and Violence: The Political Economy of Development. New York: Free Press. (Chapters 1-3)



Dec 4 (T) Bates, Robert. 2001. Prosperity and Violence: The Political Economy of Development. New York: Free Press. (Chapters 4-6)



Dec 10 (M) Haggard, Stefan. Pathways from the Periphery. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (Chapters 1, 2)



Dec 11 (T) Haggard, Stefan. Pathways from the Periphery. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (Chapters 6, 10)



Dec 17 (M) Clark, Cal and Alexander C. Tan. 2012. Taiwan’s Political Economy: Meeting Challenges, Pursuing Progress. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishing. (Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5)



Dec 18 (T) Clark, Cal and Alexander C. Tan. 2012. Taiwan’s Political Economy: Meeting Challenges, Pursuing Progress. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishing. (Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5)



Dec 21 (F) “Big Business and the Ghost of Confucius”



Dec 24/25 White. T. Lynn. Political Booms. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing. (Chapters 1, 4, 5)



Dec 31/Jan 1 National holiday – no class



Jan 7/8 Noor Uddin, Irfan. 2012.  Coalition Politics and Economic Development. New York: Oxford University Press. (Chapters 1, 2, 3)



Jan 14  Final exam


Teaching Methods
Teaching Assistant

NA


Requirement/Grading

1) Summaries (30%).  Students will be assigned to summarize three readings for the whole semester.  The summary must contain the main arguments of the readings – theory, hypotheses, findings, and conclusions.  In writing the summary, students are also required to submit three (3) questions from or about the reading that can be used for class discussion.  The summary will have a word count of 800-1000 words (not including the discussion questions).  This summary will be submitted to the instructor 24 hours before class time.



2) Class participation (20%). As this class is a postgraduate level paper, students are expected to have read the materials/readings prior to each class.  The seminar format of the class requires students to meaningfully participate in the discussion of the readings assigned for the class day. 



3) Final exam (50%).  This in-class final exam will cover all the readings we have covered in this seminar. 


Textbook & Reference

Required readings:



 




  1. 19 (M) Introduction to the course



Olson, Mancur. 1993. “Dictatorship, Democracy and



Development.” American Political Science Review 87 (3): 567-576.



 




  1. 20 (T) Olson, Mancur. 1996. “Big Bills Left on the Sidewalk: Why Some Nations are Rich and Others Poor.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 10 (2): 3-24.



 



Kenny, Charles. 1999. “Why Aren’t Countries Rich? Weak States and Bad Neighbourhoods.” Journal of Development Studies 35 (5): 26-47.



 




  1. 23 (F) “Two Coasts of China”



 




  1. 26 (M) Hartford, Tim. The Undercover Economist. [selected chapters TBA]



 




  1. 27 (T) Chan, Steve. 1993. East Asian Dynamism: Growth, Order, and Security in the Pacific Region. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. (Chapters 2, 3).



 




  1. 30 (F) “Reinventing Japan”



 




  1. 3 (M) Bates, Robert. 2001. Prosperity and Violence: The Political Economy of Development. New York: Free Press. (Chapters 1-3)



 




  1. 4 (T) Bates, Robert. 2001. Prosperity and Violence: The Political Economy of Development. New York: Free Press. (Chapters 4-6)



 




  1. 10 (M) Haggard, Stefan. Pathways from the Periphery. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (Chapters 1, 2)



 




  1. 11 (T) Haggard, Stefan. Pathways from the Periphery. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (Chapters 6, 10)



 




  1. 17 (M) Clark, Cal and Alexander C. Tan. 2012. Taiwan’s Political Economy: Meeting Challenges, Pursuing Progress. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishing. (Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5)



 




  1. 18 (T) Clark, Cal and Alexander C. Tan. 2012. Taiwan’s Political Economy: Meeting Challenges, Pursuing Progress. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishing. (Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5)



 




  1. 21 (F) “Big Business and the Ghost of Confucius”



 



Dec 24/25 White. T. Lynn. Political Booms. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing. (Chapters 1, 4, 5)



 



Dec 31/Jan 1 National holiday – no class



 



Jan 7/8 Noor Uddin, Irfan. 2012. Coalition Politics and Economic Development. New York: Oxford University Press. (Chapters 1, 2, 3)



 



Jan 14 Final exam



 


Urls about Course
Attachment

Syllabus_Asia Pacific Political Economy seminar_???.pdf