Mexican Reforms
April 9th, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Institutions, Mexico
Are they emerging from their PRI dominated past?
All other blog assignments are on today’s (04-09-2010) eChalk. There are 4 in all.
Your blog for Mexico should assess the degree to which they have been successful at reforming both their judicial and electoral systems. You have a ton of sources you should be referencing including your class notes, your research from Monday, your political party research, and finally the detailed article regarding the 2006 presidential election.
Your post should include your claim and extensive evidence as well as your interpretation of Mexico’s direction in the 21st century.
Russian Freedom
March 10th, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Authority, Institutions, Russia
Paradox? Oxymoron? Wicked smart executive strategy?
Who is who? Putin & Medvedev in late 2009
Continue with your written assessment of freedom and independence within the Russian Federation. Work with a CLAIM, EVIDENCE & INTERPRETATION format & include full citations of your source materials,.
China’s Evolving Judicial System
March 1st, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Authority, China, Institutions
Like everything else in China, judicial reform moves at lightening speed (sort of). They know they need to do it, they do it when it suits their purposes, and they have it on paper. But like everything in China, the way the judiciary operates is both ambiguous and complex.
China faces it most serious critique on it record of treating Human Rights dissidents. They frequently dismiss such criticism as meddling and western, irrelevant and ignorant of what is actually occuring in China.
Your assignment is to write to the prompt from the 2008 AP Comparative exam. The links below might help you assess the degree to which China has changed or not.
Amnesty International is a reliable source that focuses on Human Rights abuses. Remember, they exist for a specific purpose, but provide good information about trials and sentencing. Along with an Amnesty International blog re: China
From 2008, a case documented by Human Rights Watch of the jailing of a democracy advocate. Or you can “google” Mr. Liu’s new sentence or at the WSJ.
Although — more positive news can be found at Forbes as China struggles with what “rule of law” really means. And China’s news agency reports on fight corruption within the court system and the difficulty of winning a case in Chongqing - or the preference for mediation rather than trial again in the Wall Street Journal
Spying on you!
China’s Century: Mao (not!) , McWorld & Media
February 11th, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Authority, China, Political Culture
Just 10 years in, it appears that the 21st century may very well be China’s century (20th was America’s, the 19th clearly belonged to the British empire). With the transition from Revolutionary leadership to a more pragmatic set of technocrats in Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, China seems poised to create both a stable and dominant global economy in a relatively short period of time.
But China has a VERY LONG history of peasant revolution and it is China’s management of its own internal issues that may present the greatest challenges to the 21st leadership.
TASK: Use GALE to research one of the following domestic issues in China and complete a blog post includes citations and:
1) summarizes the facts of the issue and 2) analyzes the options of the leadership and 3) explains why this is so relevant to China today.
Environmental change, destruction and/or protests (including farmland, water resources, 3 Gorges Dam)
Increasing issues of urbanization including food supply, housing, automotive use
Privacy and censorship – Rolling Stone had a great article on China’s golden shield program
Interaction with the west – including economic and military, recent issues with Google, Microsoft
Relationship with Taiwan and Tibet and Xinjiang Province (including Uighur and Hui minorities)
Russia: Civil Society, Globalization & Democratization
February 2nd, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Authority, Political Culture, Russia
Can “Rule of Law” exist in an authoritarian state?
How has Russia evolved under Putin (c. 1999-?) & Medvedev (2008-present) and what REALLY is important to the Russian citizens?
TASK: Choose one of the following key themes from AP Comparative to examine the evolution of Russia. Your blog should reference 1) the article from Current History: “What Does Putin Want?” 2) Frontline episode on Putin’s Plan and 3) other relevant current events. Make sure you DEFINE your theme, present evidence from Russia in 2009-2010, and develop an analytical perspective of the impact on / reaction of the Russian people.
A good place to start might be the main page of the Moscow Times, the English language daily of Russia’s major city.
Some of the Russian blogs are interesting to read: The Russia Blog is USA based but international (ex-Soviet) in focus. Sean’s Russia Blog focuses on both journalism and youth culture (but again, US based)
DEMOCRATIZATION: How does a DUAL executive work – the Kremlin 2-step outlined in a blog post
Putin for Prez 2010 – another alternative source questions Putin’s moves
Great article on the cult of Putin from FP magazine.
CIVIL SOCIETY : The NY Times reported on protests in the “strategically important city of Kaliningrad” re: tax hikes, car prices etc. Its an odd location – in the middle of western Europe (left over from WW II treaty, I think). http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/02/04/world/international-us-russia-protest.html?scp=5&sq=Kaliningrad&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/world/europe/03russia.html?scp=3&sq=Kaliningrad&st=cse
Road Rage @ the Kremlin http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weekinreview/29barry.html
NASHI Youth - Putin’s Youth Group http://exile.ru/articles/detail.php?ARTICLE_ID=18776&IBLOCK_ID=35
GLOBALIZATION: The NY Times on a bankrupt town struggling to stay afloat
NY Times on the Modernization Plan via Medvedev- How similar is this to Putin’s plan – Is it realistic and can it work?
McD’s in Russia – Trade Wars http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/business/global/02mcdonalds.html
RULE OF LAW: Putin and the tycoons http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126271582575516729.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
Cracking down on Police Corruption http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/world/europe/25russia.html
Really, should you hunt without a shirt?
Nigerian Politicial Power
January 11th, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Authority, Nigeria, Political Culture
Separation of Powers: Constitution vs. Actual
There is some question as to how the transition of power works in Nigeria. The President, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), elected in 2007, was widely seen as a hand-picked successor to Chief Obasanjo (President 1999-2007) of the same party (this should remind you of which country?). Although there are other political parties – the PDP has dominated politics for the last 3 elections.
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua (centre) Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (l) and Gov. Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State at during a rally to official welcome Gov. Ohakim Ikedi back to PDP
President Yar’Adua’s long illness and absence from the country have made constitutional issues of transition before the 2011 election extremely important. While the VP Goodluck Jonathan is in line to assume the presidency, who is to succeed him? However, the Nigeria constitution does not seem to have a provision for clear succession. And rumors swirl that the President will not be returning to Nigeria; a Chevron pipeline was bombed over the weekend; the international news continues to cover Nigeria with respect to terrorism story.
TASK: Using the worksheet (on eChalk), please explore the Branches of Government for the 4th Nigerian Republic as laid out in their Constitution. You will need to have this with you tomorrow (and we will be comparing to Mexico later this week) – so finish as much as possible.
All Africa sums up some of the issues – including Federal divisions – that are in play today
Tags: Constitution·Yar'Adua
Who are the Nigerians?
January 3rd, 2010 by milnec · Comments Off · Nigeria, Political Culture
Culture, Authority and Legitimacy
Nigeria clearly in the news this week as the U.S. Department of State, Homeland Security, the CIA, MI-6 and a plethora of other letters scramble to figure out who screwed up where and when in allowing a terroritst to bring explosive liquids on a Detroit bound plane on Christmas day in the morning.
None of this will be on the test . . . Although clearly the threads untangled from this story will be. Islam remains a major cleavage within Nigeria as does class and wealth. How does the son of a prominent banker wind up in a Jihadist training camp in Yemen via a very expensive British university?
The Nigerians have just their 2nd presidential regime with elections in 1999, 2003 (Obasanjo wins both) and then 2007 which marked the FIRST peaceful transition of power since 1960!!
PHOTO: The VP Goodluck Jonathan (with gold chains) visits the Delta Region in June 2007.
But the Nigerians face numerous (seemingly impossible) issues in terms of efficacy, corruption, development of legitimate and accountable leadership (not just in the executive branch!); religious and geographic divisions; reconciliation (always a big deal in Africa); prosecution of corruption; election fraud; role of “big men” and military leadership; literacy rates. On paper, the Nigerian political system looks very much like that of the United States, but in reality – it functions very differently.
TASK for Thursday: Research one of the current issues using at least 2 current sources (no wikipedia at all!) and construct your post to 1) inform as to the facts and 2) form an opinion as to whether or not this is an issue Nigeria is equipped to deal with.
This is a good place to start – an overview of Nigeria in 2009 – from African Views on Global News
Constitutional crisis and role of current president Yar’ Adua and VP Goodluck Jonathan
The role of Shell oil – protests and violence
Role of the judicial branch including reform, corruption prosecution,
Beginning of another election cycle gearing up for 2011
Standard of living (including education, access to media etc)
Tags: Goodluck Jonathan·Nigeria
Death of a Senior Cleric
December 20th, 2009 by milnec · Comments Off · Iran
Ayatollah Montazeri
The official Iranian news agency reported that one of Iran’s most respected senior clerics died over the weekend at age 87. The NY Times did a nice job summarizing his life and the Tehran Times provides some additional coverage including the Supreme Leader’s statement. This is Iran’s international news source. But overall, both sources provide additional glimpses into the highest levels of Iranian politics as Montazeri was once designated the next Supreme Leader, but has also spent time under house arrest for his political views. The public funeral is scheduled for Monday morning.
Link here to Ayatollah Montazeri’s official letter condemning the Iranian leaders for the conduct during elections and the summer of protests
Please continue your research today, print out any color images you need (they should be relatively large & clear) and be prepared to continue your analysis of Iran.
Rafsanjani, Khomeini and Montazeri in the 1970s
British Judiciary @ Work
December 15th, 2009 by milnec · Comments Off · Great Britain
Fascinating story broke yesterday and was really not covered in the American press. Perhaps because its kind of a non-story. Basically a British court issued an arrest warrent for the leader of Israel’s opposition party for war crimes that occurred during the December 2008-January 2009 incursions into Gaza’s Palestinian territories. The Lede at the NY Times blogged about it http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/british-court-issued-arrest-warrant-for-livni/ and the UK Guardian reported the story
Tags: Gaza War·Israel·UK Judiciary
