INSTRUCTIONS FOR FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Students must evaluate the usefulness of Juan Linz= framework for explaining the breakdown of democratic regimes by comparing two empirical experiences among the following: Argentina (1955 or 1966), Brazil (1964), Chile (1973), Spain (1936), Germany (1933), Uruguay (1973), Peru (1992), Italy (1922), and Nigeria (1966 or 1993). You may work in groups but the paper must be your own work product. The paper must be between five and six pages in length (typed, double-spaced, 12cpi, one-inch margins, and paginated). Due: September 29, Wednesday, 5 p.m. at my office.

Sources: You should consult the following sources to choose and compare your two empirical selections. These items have been placed on closed reserve for your convenience.

Argentina: Guillermo O=Donnell, APermanent Crisis and the Failure to Create a Democratic Regime: Argentina, 1955-66,@ in Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan, The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Latin America (Johns Hopkins, 1978).

Brazil: Alfred Stepan, APolitical Leadership and Regime Breakdown: Brazil,@ also in Linz and Stepan (above).

Chile: Arturo Valenzuela, The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Chile (Johns Hopkins, 1978).

Spain: Stanley G. Payne, Spain=s First Democracy: The Second Republic, 1931-1936 (Wisconsin, 1993). Also see Linz and Stepan (complete set) below.

Germany: Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan, The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes (Johns Hopkins, 1978) (complete set), see Part 2, Europe; Stephen E. Hanson and Jeffrey S. Kopstein, “The Weimar/Russia Comparison,” Post-Soviet Affairs 13:3 (1997): 252-283.

Uruguay: Luis E. González, Political Structures and Democracy in Uruguay (Notre Dame, 1991), see Chapter 3.

Peru: Eduardo Ferrero Costa, APeru=s Presidential Coup,@ Journal of Democracy 4:1 (January 1993); Maxwell A. Cameron, "Political and Economic Origins of Regime Change in Peru: The Eighteenth Brumaire of Alberto Fujimori," in Maxwell A. Cameron and Philip Mauceri, eds., The Peruvian Labyrinth: Polity, Society, and Economy (Penn State, 1997).

Italy: R. J. B. Bosworth, The Italian Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives in the Interpretation of Mussolini and Fascism (Arnold, 1998); Martin Blinkhorn, Mussolini and Fascist Italy (Routledge, 1994). Also see Linz & Stepan (complete set).

Nigeria: Larry Diamond, Class, Ethnicity, and Democracy in Nigeria: The Failure of the First Republic (Syracuse, 1988); Peter M. Lewis, AEndgame in Nigeria? The Politics of a Failed Democratic Transition,@ African Affairs 93 (1994).

General: Nancy Bermeo, Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times: The Citizenry and the Breakdown of Democracy (Princeton, 2003).

What to look for: Following the way that I broke down the Spanish case in class, students should (1) create a basic chronology of key events and processes leading up to democratic breakdown; (2) interpret these events and processes in terms of Linz= model: CRISIS (Legitimacy, Efficacy, Effectiveness), BREAKDOWN (how disloyal oppositions and crises of Aunsolvable problems@ bring down democratic institutions), and finally the POWER VACUUM, which brings authoritarians to power. Students must do this for two of the empirical cases listed above.

The crucial step for composing this essay is creating an argument that assesses the usefulness of Linz=s theoretical framework.

Questions to ask when formulating your argument:

(1) Did the empirical cases I chose illustrate the same or similar sequence that Linz outlines in his theory? If not, what were the differences in each case?

(2) If both cases diverged from Linz= framework, how did they diverge? Compare and contrast both cases (that is, not just against Linz= framework but also against each other). What OTHER FACTORS or OTHER PROCESSES were involved in the breakdown of democracy in these cases that Linz= framework does not capture adequately?

(3) Finally, using the empirical data that you have collected and based on the comparative observations you have made to this point, conclude with a synthesis of your points and at least one suggestion on how Linz= framework might be improved.