PLS 101: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
Instructor: Dr Neil Collins
Office: Block C3 Room 6001
Email: neil.collins@nu.edu.kz
Office hours: MW 12-1pm, by appointment
Class logistics: MW 10-11: 15 am, Green Hall
TA: Viktoriya Malikova
viktoriya.malikova@nu.edu.kz
TA Office hours: M &W 11:30-12:30
TA office: 8.239
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This module is geared to helping you figure out answers to questions such as:
● What are politics? How does politics shape us? How do we shape politics?
● What is political science? How can the study of politics help us better “see”,
understand, and evaluate the social world of which we are a part?
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the Module, the student will be expected to be able to:
● conceptualise and present their political science analysis in an appropriate format;
● describe and interpret basic qualitative and quantitative data and evidence;
● synthesise arguments within political science;
● access academic literature independently through the library and online sources;
● make their own evidenced-based arguments;
● apply their knowledge to understand political problems by using fundamental
concepts and theoretical tools learned in class; and,
● recognise and analyse patterns in the on-going narrative of politics.
Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus. Please
remember to check your @nu.edu.kz email and the course page regularly.
Nazarbayev University provides cost-free mental health services through the Psychological
Counselling Centre to help you manage personal challenges, including stress, mood swings,
excessive worry, eating/sleeping disorders that threaten your personal and academic well-
being. For an appointment, please log in to your account at nu.edu.kz, go to the
Psychological Counselling Centre section and choose an available time slot.
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REQUIRED TEXTS1
Roskin, Michael G. et al., 2017, Political Science: An Introduction, 14th ed., London:
Longman. 2
Shively, W. Phillips, 2008, Power and Choice: An Introduction to Political Science. New
York: McGraw Hill. 3
Audio presentation: weekly podcasts posted via Moodle.
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS
Danziger, James N., 2013, Understanding the political world: a comparative introduction to
political science. 11th ed., London: Pearson Education.
Ethridge, Marcus E. 2013, Politics in a changing world: a comparative introduction to
political science, Boston MA: Cengage Learning.
Heywood, Andrew, 2007, Politics, 3rd ed., London: Palgrave Macmillan
Savigny, Heather and Lee Marsden, 2011, Doing Political Science and International
Relations: Theories in Action, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
ASSESSMENT
Attendance (10%) is mandatory.
Students are required to hand their student ID card (ONLY STUDENT ID) to the TA at the
beginning of every class. Failure to submit a student ID will result in a student receiving
“absence” for that class. Being late for more than 20 minutes is marked as “absent”.4
Mid-term exam (25%): On 26th February, will consist of multiple-choice and essay questions
Briefing Assignment (25%): Submit by 30th March, comment on the assigned country (min
1,000 words in length).
“To what extent is the topic of climate change an important one in the politics of the country
you have chosen?”
Illustrate your answer with reference to the dominant social cleavages and political system in
your case study.
1
All required and optional reading materials outside of the course textbooks can be found on the course page on Moodle and
through library databases.
2
A limited number of hard copies is available for in-library use only.
3
Any edition is fine. One hundred twenty-four copies of textbook’s 12th ed. can be found on the 2nd floor of the NU Library
and upon request.
4
Please note that sleeping, excessive use of electronics for non-academic purposes, headphones in class will be considered
as a missed class. If you miss a class for medical reasons, you need to submit your medical certificate and notify the TA via
email (must include your name, course name, dates of medical excuses). Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to make
sure that course instructors have checked the database of the medical office and marked you excused for the days you missed
when you felt sick.
2
Your briefing note should be:
· concise: every word is used as efficiently as possible
· clear: keep it simple and to the point; and,
· reliable: the information in a briefing note must be accurate, sound and dependable.
(min 1,000 words in length).5
Final Exam (40%) is comprised of two parts, first of which is multiple-choice and true/false
questions covering cumulative course material, and second is two short essays. (See
Appendix Two for the grading scale and criteria)
SCHEDULE
Week 1. Introduction and Overview
Required Chapter 1 of Power and Choice
reading: Chapter 1 of Political Science: An Introduction
Week 2. Models of State
Required Chapter 3 (pp. 49-55) of Power and Choice
reading: Chapter 3 (pp. 63-71) of Political Science: An Introduction
Week 3. The Process of State Formation (1)
Required Chapter 3 (pp. 57-76) of Power and Choice
reading: Chapter 4 of Power and Choice
Week 4. The Process of State Formation (2)
TBA in Moodle
Week 5. Democracy: Liberalism
Required Chapter 7 of Power and Choice
reading: Chapter 2 & 5 of Political Science: An Introduction
Week 6. Political Parties
Required Chapter 10 of Political Science: An Introduction
reading: Chapter 11 of Power and Choice
MID-TERM EXAM 26th February
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Excluding the title page and bibliography. The essay should be one-and-a half-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font,
with 1-inch margins on each side of the page. Pages must be numbered consecutively. Include an unnumbered title page with
the title of your paper, your name, student ID number and the module number. The paper should be stapled. Bibliography
(single-spaced, alphabetic order) must include academic articles from high-quality research journals. All relevant
articles/chapters from the module material, including the recommended readings, can be used as inside sources. Recent peer-
evaluated articles from a scholarly journal can be used as outside sources. Please use the Chicago Style citation.
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Week 7. Electoral Systems
Required Chapter 10 of Power and Choice
reading:
Recommended Moser, Robert G., 2008. "Electoral Systems and the Representation of Ethnic
reading: Minorities: Evidence from Russia”, Comparative Politics, Vol. 40, No. 3,
pp. 273-292.
Lublin, David, 2017, “Electoral Systems, Ethnic Heterogeneity and Party
System Fragmentation”, British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 47, Issue
2, pp. 373-389.
Barkan, Joel D., Paul J. Densham, and Gerard Rushton. "Space Matters:
Designing Better Electoral Systems for Emerging Democracies." American
Journal of Political Science 50, no. 4 (2006): 926-39.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4122924.
Week 8. Parliamentary & Presidential Systems
Required Chapter 12 of Political Science: An Introduction
reading: Chapter 14 & 15 of Power and Choice
Week 9. Reading Week.
Recommended Karp, Jeffrey A., and Susan A. Banducci. "Political Efficacy and
readings: Participation in Twenty-Seven Democracies: How Electoral Systems Shape
Political Behaviour." British Journal of Political Science 38, no. 2 (2008):
311-34. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27568347.
BRIEFING ASSIGNMENT DEADLINE: BY 30th March
Week 10. Bureaucracy
Required Chapter 16 of Power and Choice
reading: Chapter 13 (pp. 274-283) of Political Science: An Introduction
Week 11. Political Corruption
Required Chapter 4 (pp. 115-119) of Power and Choice
reading:
Recommended Corruption Perception Index-2017. Transparency International.
reading:
Dollar, D., Fisman, R. and Gatti, R. (2001). “Are women really the “fairer”
sex? Corruption and women in government”, Journal of Economic
Behaviour & Organization, 46(4): 423-429.
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Week 12. Comparative Politics (1)
Required Chapter 18 of Power and Choice
reading:
Week 13. Comparative Politics (2)
Required Chapter 11 of Political Science: An Introduction
reading:
Recommended TBA
reading:
Week 14. Feminism
Required TBA
reading:
Week 15. Revision and Discussion
FINAL EXAM: DATE TBA
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Appendix One: Additional Information.
Tentative dates for the exams will be posted on the class website, and exact dates will be
confirmed on the second week of the course.
A make-up examination will be arranged only if evidence of a valid excuse is presented
promptly. If a student misses an examination without a valid reason, the student will receive a
grade of F for that exam.
In preparation for the exams, all students must read and understand the Nazarbayev
University Student Code of Conduct and the following rules and procedures:
● Students who are late for an exam will not be allowed to enter the classroom and will
receive a grade of zero. Students who nevertheless attempt to enter the classroom
disturbing other students and exam supervisor will be liable to disciplinary action
including (but not limited to) removal from the course with a failing grade.
● All personal belongings (such as bags, coats, purses, headphones, laptops, etc.) must be
placed in the designated area at the front or rear of the classroom at your own risk.
Possession and the use of unauthorised materials may result in student removal from the
exam room and a grade of zero on the exam. In possession means on the desk or writing
surface, on the clothing, body or any other location specifically prohibited.
● Students who are suspected of cheating are liable to disciplinary action including (but not
limited to) suspension or expulsion from the University.
● Students who communicate (verbally or non-verbally) with any student during an exam
and while answer scripts are being collected and counted will be removed from the exam
with a grade of zero.
● Students must raise their hand if they wish to communicate with an invigilator. Unless
granted permission by an invigilator, they are not allowed to leave their seat.
● Having handed in their examination papers, students must refrain from any questions or
discussions until they leave the examination room quickly and quietly.
CLASS POLICIES
The rules contained in this section may be supplemented by the Nazarbayev University
Student Code of Conduct and regulations specific to the School of Humanities and Social
Sciences. Students must familiarise themselves with University's academic rules and
procedures. By remaining enrolled in this course, students confirm that they agree to abide by
class policies. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in the imposition of
penalties including (but not limited to) dismissal from the course with a failing grade in
addition to other disciplinary action from the university authorities.
University Attendance Policy says that students who miss more than 80% of classes will not
be allowed to take the final exam. Please note that sleeping in class will be considered as a
missed class. If you miss a class for medical reasons, you need to submit your medical
certificate no later than four days after the consultation with the doctor. Medical notes
submitted after this deadline will not be accepted, and your absence will be recorded as a
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missed class. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to make sure that course instructors
have checked the database of the medical office and marked you excused for the days you
missed when you felt sick.
Office hours. Students should send an email at least one day before announcing their wish to
come to the office hours. Such requests should always include the course title and a short
description of the reason for wanting to meet. Please show up on time, stick to the point and
keep your tone and language professional during office hour. If a student is late for more than
10 minutes, the appointment is cancelled with no other opportunity to use office hours. If a
student needs to cancel/reschedule a meeting, they need to send a prior notice at least 24
hours in advance.
Email etiquette must be maintained at all times:
● Always check the course syllabus for the answer first. Course instructors will not reply to
questions answered in the syllabus.
● Use your @nu.edu.kz account to avoid the spam filter.
● Include a strong and clear subject line so that course instructor can set aside an appropriate
amount of time to deal with it.
● Start with a greeting using the course instructor's title and surname. For example:
“Dear Professor Collins,” followed by a comma. Course instructors will not reply to emails which
have no formal greeting or start with “hey” or “hi” and other forms of impolite greetings.
● Email must contain information on the student's name and the class they have with the
course instructor.
● Write in complete sentences, proper spellings, keep your language professional and run
your email through spellcheck.
● Make sure you have said exactly what you want from the course instructor at or near the
end of the email. For instance, if you want a reply, let the professor know. If you need to
meet with them, make that known as well.
● End the email with a salutation. You are recommended to use a formal word like
"Sincerely" or "Best," followed by a comma and your full name.
Academic misconduct as defined in Chapter 2 of the Nazarbayev University Student Code
of Conduct. It is an act in which a student: (1) seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of
another without authorization or citation ("plagiarism"); (2) uses unauthorized materials or
fabricated data in any academic exercise; (3) forges or falsifies academic documents or
records; (4) intentionally impedes or damages the academic work of others; (5) engages in
conduct aimed at making false representation of any student's academic performance; (6)
engages in any form of cheating on an exam or assignment; (7) assists other students in any
of these acts.
Acts of academic misconduct may result in the imposition of any of Category A, B, or C
sanctions as described in Articles 3-5 of Chapter 2 of the Nazarbayev University Student
Code of Conduct. Each particular instance of misconduct will be judged on its own merits,
taking into account the severity of the incident, the existence or absence of a prior record of
wrongdoing, and the extent to which the interests and mission of the University are affected.
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Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas or work of another person or persons as if
they were one's own without giving proper credit to the source. Such an action is not
plagiarism if it is ascertained that the ideas were arrived at through independent reasoning or
logic or where the thought or idea is common knowledge. Acknowledgement of an original
author or source must be made through appropriate references; e.g., quotation marks,
footnotes, or commentary. Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to the
following: the submission of a work, either in part or in whole completed by another; failure
to give credit for ideas, statements, facts or conclusions which rightfully belong to another;
failure to use quotation marks (or other means of setting apart, such as the use of indentation
or a different font size) when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a
sentence, or even a part thereof; close and lengthy paraphrasing of another's writing without
credit or originality; use of another's project or programs or part thereof without giving credit.
Grade lawyering is the act of a student going to a professor and/or teaching assistant and
asking for a grade to be raised for no legitimate reason. If course instructors feel any form of
coercion on your part to change a grade, they will be obliged to file an academic misconduct
report (category B offence) against grade grubber. Please note that coercion includes flattery,
insults, tears, threats, and explanations of how your grade not being changed will cause you
to lose your scholarship/stipend, not get into graduate school, be forced to leave university,
have to return to your hometown, etc.
If a glaring error has been made in gradings, such as points added incorrectly, or a clearly
correct answer was inadvertently marked wrong, then, by all means, the student should talk to
the course instructors, and they will likely change their grade immediately. Likewise, if a
student does not understand why you lost points, or want clarification (not justification) of
the grading, course instructors are happy to talk to the student. And, if the student wants to
discuss the material, learn what they did wrong, or discuss how to do better on future work,
course instructors will be thrilled to speak to the student about this.
Non-academic misconduct includes but is not limited to conduct that threatens safety or
health of oneself or other students, stalking, bullying, hate speech, rudeness directed at course
instructor, teaching assistant or fellow students, grade grabbing, etc. Disciplinary sanctions
that may be imposed for non-academic misconduct vary from disciplinary probation and loss
of monthly stipend payment to dismissal from Nazarbayev University. For more detailed
information on this topic, please refer to Chapter 3 of the Nazarbayev University Student
Code of Conduct.
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Appendix Two
GRADING SCALE AND CRITERIA
Grade Meaning Requirements
A 95-100 The analysis is complex, solidly structured, fully convincing.
A- 90- very good References are complete and properly handled, and statements
94.99 from sources are questioned in relation to their context.
B+ 85-
89.99
The analysis is solid and consistent but not compelling. The
B 80-
good phrasing is always correct, but not necessarily complex. References
84.99
are almost always complete and adequately handled.
B- 75-
79.99
C+ 70-
74.99
C 65- The analysis is understandable but not always adequately
acceptable
69.99 supported.
C- 60-
64.99
D+ 55-
59.99 The analysis is not clear, and statements lack adequate academic
insufficient
D 50- support. References are incorrect or incomplete.
54.99
Fail to submit the paper or assignment on time. It is either too long
F 50-0 poor or too short. Plagiarism of sources, missing references, cheating.
Lack of internal coherency, severe inconsistencies in the analysis.
