Communism

Case Study Choices: Russia, China

Instructions
The first five chapters in the book are the foundation on which you will build each case study. Chapters 8 & 9 are specific to nondemocratic, communist, and post-communist regimes. Below you will find a list of questions for you to use to evaluate the country you have chosen for your case study. Each case study this semester will have similar questions. Answering them in order helps you develop a framework for comparison.

Each case study this semester will have similar (but not exactly the same) questions. Answering them in order helps you develop a framework for comparison.

Choosing your case: You may pick either Russia or China. Russia is a post-communist state. China is still politically communist. You may decide to examine a specific case because you have been there or hope to go there. You may choose a case because you want to learn about something very different from what you know. The reasons for your choice should be included in the introduction.

Grading: Each part of the case study is will be evaluated as indicated in the rubric.

Citations: You should include page numbers (in parentheses) when citing evidence from the text. If you only use the text for this report, you do not need to cite anything other than page numbers. However, if you use other material you must use in text citations and include a works cited page at the end of the report. Going outside the text will strengthen your work and teach you useful skills if you have not already been exposed to academic citations. But going beyond the textbook is not required.

Format: This report should be similar to an executive report. It should be succinct and to the point. Imagine this report will be read by a busy diplomat to quickly but thoroughly learn about the country in question. You should use full sentences (no lists, bullet points). Under each section, you should write 3-4 explanatory sentences. Your report should be maximum 4 double spaced pages long with 1 inch margins, 12 p.

Answer the questions in the order that they appear below. Use the headings that I have given you to structure the report. You will end your report with a conclusion that includes your impressions of the chosen case.

Communism Case Study Questions
Introduction (10 points)
Why did you choose this case? What are you hoping to learn?
The Regime (10 points)
What deep values and norms that form the basis for society and government (the regime) can you identify? How does the regime influence the development of state and government? Give evidence from the case to support your answer. In this case you may find conflicting values. Why would that be important?
Society and Ethnicity (10 Points)
What social and ethnic patterns are present and how do they affect government in this case? Are there many ethnic groups or one? Religion? History? Culture?
Institutions and Government Structure (20 points)
Is the government unified or divided? How are the executive, legislative, & judicial functions structured? What are the implications of government structure in your case?
The Role of the Public (10 points)
How does the public interact with government? How does government control the public?
Autonomy/Capacity (10 points)
What are the levels of autonomy and capacity in your case? Why is it important? Give examples to support your answers.
Political Economy & Ideology (10 Points)
What economic patterns are prevalent? How are economic and politics linked? What ideologies are prevalent? How do regimes/ institutions affect ideologies? What is the relationship between liberty and equality?
Political Violence (10 points)
What types of political violence are typically found in nondemocratic states? Does this hold true in your case?
Conclusion (10 points)
What are your impressions of the country? What surprised you or impressed you or disappoint you? What would it be like to live in this country? Why would you like to live or not live in this country?