Your midterm exam will consist of one essay question (from a choice of three) and will cover the material we have studied thus far. This is an open-note (but closed colleague) exam, and all work must be your own. You are required to integrate course materials in your response. You are also encouraged to draw on credible outside sources to supplement your answers, though these are not required for successful completion of the exam. Your answer must include a clear thesis statement.
The following essay prompts will enable you to demonstrate your understanding of the theoretical concepts and past and present realities in topics in comparative politics. Your conclusions should follow logically from the information you have presented in your essay. Any quotations, specific information, and ideas drawn from outside sources (including course materials) must be cited and referenced in APA format or some other standard citation format.
Your essay should be approximately 1,500 words in length, not including references. It should be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and in a standard 12-point font (such as Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.).
Be sure your essay includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. Cite sources and provide proper references. As you compose your work, save it frequently so your ideas are not lost!
Upload your completed essay to the appropriate assignment in Canvas.
Your essay will be graded on a 100-point scale. Your essay will be evaluated based on evidence of critical thinking and analysis, integration of course concepts, evidence of mastery of course concepts, accuracy of the information provided, essay organization, and quality of writing (including proper citation of sources).
Essay Prompt 1
Comparativists have long debated how to measure state strength. How would you define a strong versus weak state, and what are some ways to measure state strength? Explain how you would collect data on state strength if you were to go “into the field” and determine whether a country has a strong state. Apply your ideas to at least two country cases. Finally, explore why this matters by commenting on whether you would want to live in a country with a strong or weak state. Present your ideas and argument in an essay of approximately 1,500 words. Cite course readings and outside sources as appropriate.
****Please use the citations provided and additional sources If you would like: Check Below**
https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/157511/1/131_weak.pdf
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/3322830/dobbin_strengthweakstate.pdf?sequence=2
Dobbin, Frank, and John R. Sutton. 1998. The strength of a
weak state: The rights revolution and the rise of human resources management
divisions. American Journal of Sociology 104(2): 441-476.
Mitropolitski, Simeon. (2011). Weber’s Definition of the
State as an Ethnographic Tool for Understanding the Contemporary Political
Science State of the Discipline.
