POL 384 East Asian Politics Dr. Thomas Lairson Fall 2007 407 - 646-2166 tlairson@rollins.edu   Home Maps

Course Description:

Asia is one of the most important areas of the world; certainly, it is the most important area that Westerners know little about. Asia contains the most rapidly growing economies in the world, the second largest economy in Japan, an emerging economic and military superpower in China, limited experience in economic and political cooperation, many actual and potential points of conflict, and has many different and very interesting countries and cultures. This course focuses on the recent history, politics and economics of selected countries in East and Southeast Asia. The task of the course is to provide an overview of East Asia sufficient to prepare someone who might need to work or visit there, and serve as an adequate basis for further study.

Goals for the Course:

Gain a sense of the historical development of several East Asian societies Develop a detailed understanding of the political and economic circumstances of major nations in East Asia Appreciate the impact of globalization on East Asian states Develop understanding of political power relationships Develop the ability to analyze the special security problems in East Asia Be able to locate information on East Asia

Required Readings:

Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, Norton, 2004.

Grade for the Course:

Two exams	30%
Two papers	30%
Class participation	20%
Final Exam	20%

Papers:

There are two papers required in this course. Each paper involves a significant issue or problem in East Asia. You will have a set of pre-defined topics from which you chose and a set of sources I have chosen that you must use for the paper. You may also use as many as two additional sources. Each paper is 1400-2000 words or about 5-7 pages. The papers must conform to standard expectation for originality and proper citation of sources. The papers will be judged on your ability to describe, integrate and suggest other ways of thinking about the issues raised in these readings.

Paper 1 (Due October 11)

Topics include:

FDI and Its Impact on China

The Benefits of FDI - China
FDI in China
Future FDI
Contrarian FDI

China Resource Dependence and Environmental Pollution

The Great Leap Backwards
China's Climate Negotiations
China's Energy Quandry
Lots of Power

Inequality in Income Distribution in China

Unemployment and Rural Poverty
Reforms and Poverty in China
Poverty Reduction in China
ICTs and Rural Poverty Reduction
Rich Man Poor Man

Korea's Strategy in New Songdo City

Can Korea become a Business Hub in Northeast Asia?
New Songdo City

U.S. - China Relations

The Future of U.S. - China Relations

Regional Integration in Asia

Anchor East Asian Free Trade in ASEAN
Joshua Kurlantzik, Pan-Asia Pacifica
ASEAN and the Evolving East Asian Regional Order

Paper 2 (Due November 29)

Topics include:

The role of corruption in China and (Singapore or Malaysia or Indonesia)

Stephan Eklof, Politics, Business, and Democratization in Indonesia
Stephan Haggard and Linda Low, State, Politics, and Business in Singapore
Why China Thrives Despite Corruption
Facing the China Corruption Challenge

Potential for military conflict in the Taiwan Strait

Chyan Yang, Taiwan's Dilemma Across the Strait
Michael Swaine, Deterring Conflict in the Taiwan Strait
Nancy Tucker, If Taiwan Chooses Unification

Democracy in Indonesia

The Economist, I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Lex Rieffel, Indonesia's Quiet Revolution

Democracy in Thailand

Thailand's Missed Democratic Opportunity
Thailand in 2006
Thailand's Cracked Path to Democracy

Vietnam and the Global Economy

Vietnam in the Global Economy: Trade, Employment and Poverty
Globalisation, FDI and employment in Vietnam
Vietnam in the Regional and Global TNC Value Chain
Challenges to Vietnamese Firms in the World Garment and Textile Value Chain and Implications for Alleviating Poverty

ASEAN and China

Alice D. Ba, China and ASEAN
Joseph Cheng, Sino-ASEAN Relations

SEA Economic Competitiveness and China

Adam Schwarz and Roland Villinger, Integrating SEA's Economies
John Wong and Sara Chan, China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement

Expectations of Students:

Sadly, this part of the syllabus has lately become much more important for conveying the expectations I have about how you need to behave in this class. And it needs to make clear that you will be penalized for not paying attention to these requirements. Students have begun to fail my courses because they cannot meet these expectations. In general, I expect you to behave like a civilized and responsible adult. Attendance: You are expected to be in class for each scheduled session, and you must be on time. Class attendance will taken every day. Anyone who misses more than three classes will be penalized by one-twelfth of their FINAL grade for each class missed beyond three. Thus, a student who misses eight classes (equal to one-third of the classes in this course) and who otherwise earns a "C" will in fact receive an "F" for the course. Makeup exams: No makeup exams are given "after the fact," that is, after the exam has occurred unless I have been contacted before the exam. If you miss the exam and have not contacted me before the exam, you will not be able to take a makeup. All assignments are due on the date indicated. No late papers will be accepted; a paper turned in after the time and date due receives a zero. Classroom behavior: There are several forms of inappropriate behavior in this class. You may not sleep in this class; you may not have extended private conversations in this class; you may not bring food to this class; and you may not get up and leave this class unless you are ill.

Schedule of Activities:

August

28

Introduction to the course
Basic background on East Asia: geography

30

Imperial China

Lieberthal, Chapter 1
The Mongol empire
The Opium War

notes
materials

September

4

Revolutionary China

Lieberthal, Chapter 2

notes

6

Maoist China

Lieberthal, Chapter 4

notes

11

Deng Xiaoping and Economic Reform

Lieberthal, Chapter 5

The Process of China's Market Transition
Impact of Economic Reforms in China
How Reform Worked in China
China: Reform without Losers

Notes
more materials

13

The Processes of Political Power in China

Lieberthal, Chapter 7

notes

18

The Processes of Economic Growth in China

Lieberthal, Chapter 8
China's 'Haves' Stir the 'Have Nots' to Violence
China's Elite Learn to Flaunt It While the New Landless Weep
Help Wanted: China Finds Itself With a Labor Shortage

Notes
China Factsheet

Chinese Factory

 

20

Environmental Crisis in China

Lieberthal, Chapter 9

Beneath Booming Cities, China’s Future Is Drying Up
As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes
China's Reds Embrace Green
Riding the Tiger: The Global Impact of China's Energy Quandry
A Troubled River Mirrors China’s Path to Modernity

notes

25

First Exam

27

The Emergence of a Korean Model of Economic Growth

The Korean Developmental State

materials

October

2

Democrary in Korea?

Do Asian Values Deter Popular Support for Democracy in South Korea?
Democracy and Anti-US Values in Korea

materials

4

High Technology in Taiwan

A Silicon Valley of the East: Creating Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry

 

9

No Class

11

First Paper Due

16

Fall Break

18

Political and Economic Change in Taiwan

I, II, III, IV

Hundreds of Thousands Stage Mass Rally in Taiwan
Leaders of China's Communist Party and Taiwan Opposition Meet

23

Political and Economic Change in Singapore

Singapore: A Nation of Contradictions

W.G. Huff, "What is the Singapore Model of Economic Development?" Cambridge
Journal of Economics, 1995, 735-759

Notes and pictures

Singapore materials

History
High Technology

 

25

Political and Economic Change in Vietnam

Vietnam in 2006

Political Change in Vietnam

Related Readings

NGOs and Civic Society in Vietnam

Vietnam's Last Call for Bribes

Doi Moi notes

I, II, III

30

Vietnam in the World Economy

Vietnam in the Global and Textile Value Chain

The Contribution of SMEs in the Economic Transition of Vietnam

 

November

1

Vietnam's China Relations

Strategy and Evolution of Vietnam's China Policy

Notes

 

6

Second Exam

8

U.S. - Chinese Economic Relations

China Emerging as U.S. Rival for Canada's Oil

I, II, III, IV, V

notes

China pics I, II, III, IV

13 and 15

China and Asia

John Ravenhill, "Is China an Economic Threat to Southeast Asia?"

China and Its Region I, II, III, IV

Related Readings

Emerging Economies I, II, III, IV

The Dark Side of China's Rise

Notes

materials AFC

20

No class

22

Thanksgiving

27

The Rise of China (and India, and the rest of Asia too)

China's Military Might

The Rise of China and International Security in Asia differing opinions

The Clash of the Titans
The Once and Future China
China's Bid for Asian Hegemony

29

Second Paper Due

 

December

4 and 6

Democracy in China

The Causes of Asian Democracy
When will the Chinese People be Free?

Notes

13

Final Exam
11 - 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplementary reading

China's Rise as a Manufacturing Powerhouse

Vietnam