Wed, Feb 8

Ch. 3, Nations and Society

Discussion

  1. Briefly describe your Political Compass results, using terms and concepts from today's chapter. In what ways are your values similar to and different from your peers'?
  2. How might knowing your Political Compass results, and those of your peers, impact your learning experience in this class?
  3. In the coming years, do you think the resurgence of fundamentalism will "prove to be one of the most important developments in comparative politics" (88)? Offer (actual or hypothetical) examples to support your answer.
  4. How does a society's (broader) culture inform its political culture? What are some specific examples?
  5. Did any of the plotted results on the Inglehart Values Map surprise you? How so, or why not?
  6. Compare Figure 3.4, on page 90, with the newer Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map 2022. What notable difference(s) do you see? What might account for the change(s)?
  7. Make as many connections as you can between the key terms listed on page 94. Be specific.

Resources

Ch. 4, Political Economy

Discussion

  1. Explain the importance and provide a supporting example for each key term on your list (below).
  2. Make practical or conceptual connections between as many key terms on your list as possible.

Key Terms

Group 1
  • capitalism
  • central bank
  • comparative advantage
Group 2
  • deflation
  • gross domestic product (GDP)
  • hyperinflation
  • inflation
Group 3
  • market
  • monopoly
  • nontariff regulatory barriers
Group 4
  • political economy
  • property
  • public goods
  • quota
Group 5
  • regulation
  • social expenditures
  • tariff