Philippine politics syllabus SS 2018

Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 REIMAGINING PHILIPPINE POLITICS: Introduction to Philippine Politics and Government Mondays & Thursdays, 16:00-17:30 203 Rizal Hall Cleve Arguelles Assistant Professor and Chair of Political Science University of the Philippines Manila 307 Rizal Hall || [email protected] Consultation is by appointment via email COURSE SUMMARY Politics, like all other things, is truly more fun in the Philippines. And this is what any student of Philippine politics will realize, especially if we compare our country’s political system with that of others. This course is an introduction to Philippine politics and government. The fundamental purpose of this course is to equip students with an understanding of the development, organization, and operation of the Philippine political system. The course is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on the diverse approaches in studying Philippine politics and the organization of Philippine gsovernment. We will look at the varying interpretations of nature and dynamics of Philippine politics as well as the design of the major government institutions in the country. Part II explores answers offered to some of the “big” questions in Philippine politics like continuing challenges to democratization or the role of military in Philippine politics. We will discuss recent empirical investigations of these issues and explore the arguments and evidences offered. COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS1 The following outlines the topics and readings covered for each session. It is mandatory for students to read the assigned readings in advance, given that questions will be raised about specific issues discussed in these readings in class. This is an important aspect of this course, which is designed as a seminar based not only on the remarks made by professor, but also on the comments and discussions of students. PART I: DYNAMICS OF PHILIPPINE POLITICS Week 01: Approaches to the study of Philippine politics I Session 01: Introducing Philippine Politics • Atienza, Maria Ela L. (2013). ‘Introduction’, In Introduction to Philippine Politics: Local Politics, the Sate, Nation-Building, and Democratization, xiii-xxxviii. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. • Abinales, Patricio and N. and Donna J. Amoroso. (2017). ‘Introducing Philippine Politics’, In State and Society in the Philippines, 2nd edition, 1-18. Quezon City: Ateneo De Manila University Press. Session 02: Patronage and clientelism • Lande, Carl. (1965). Leaders, Factions and Parties: The Structure of Philippine Politics. New Haven: Yale Southeast Asian Studies, Monograph Series No. 6. • Magno, Francisco. (2013). ‘State, patronage, and local elites’, In Introduction to Philippine Politics: Local Politics, the Sate, Nation-Building, and Democratization, 1-18. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. Unless otherwise indicated, mandatory readings can be accessed through the class Google Drive folder or the CAS Library. Some are only available in the class folder or in the college library. 1 1 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 Week 02: Approaches to the study of Philippine politics II Session 03: Bossism and warlordism • Sidel, John T. (1989). Beyond patron-client relation: Warlordism and local politics in the Philippines. Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies 4 (3): 19-30. • Cullinane, Michael. (1994). ‘Patron as client: Warlord politics and the Duranos of Danao’, In An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the Philippines, 163-242. Quezon City: Ateneo De Manila University Press. Session 04: Neocolonialism and dependency • Bello, Walden. (2009). ‘The political economy of permanent crisis,’ In The Anti-Development State: The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines, 9-31. Pasig City: Anvil Publishing, Inc. • Sison, Jose Maria. (1979). “Basic problems of the Filipino people,” In Philippine Society and Revolution, 3rd edition, 63-128. California: International Association of Filipino Patriots. Week 03: Approaches to the study of Philippine politics III Session 05: Elite democracy • Anderson, Benedict. (1988). ‘Cacique democracy in the Philippines: Origins and dreams,’ New Left Review 169 (May/June): 3-31. • Hutchcroft, Paul. (1991). Oligarchs and cronies in the Philippine state: The politics of patrimonial plunder. World Politics 43 (3): 414-450. Session 06: Contested democracy and everyday politics • Quimpo, Nathan. (2008). ‘Contested democracy: An alternative interpretation of Philippine politics,’ In Contested Democracy and the Left in the Philippines After Marcos, 1-21. Quezon City: Ateneo De Manila University Press. • Kerkvliet, Benedict. (2009). Everyday politics in peasant societies (and ours). The Journal of Peasant Studies 36 (1): 227-243. Week 04: Philippine government at a glance I Session 07: The Philippine executive • Genato Rebullida, Ma. Lourdes G. (2006). ‘The Philippine executive and redemocratization’, In Philippine Politics and Governance: An Introduction, edited by Noel M. Morada and Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, 179-215. Quezon City: UP Department of Political Science and Commission on Higher Education. • Tordesillas, Ellen. (2003). ‘The presidency’, In The PCIJ Guide to Government, 1-60. Quezon City: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Session 08: The Philippine legislative • Caoili, Olivia C. (2006). ‘The restored Philippine Congress’, In Philippine Politics and Governance: An Introduction, edited by Noel M. Morada and Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, 299-331. Quezon City: UP Department of Political Science and Commission on Higher Education. • Jumilla-Abalos, Lynda. (2003). ‘Congress’, In The PCIJ Guide to Government, 61-114. Quezon City: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Week 05: Philippine government at a glance II Session 09: The Philippine judiciary • Atienza, Maria Ela L. and Ferdinand C. Baylon. (2006). ‘The judiciary’, ‘In Philippine Politics and Governance: An Introduction, edited by Noel M. Morada and Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, 333-390. Quezon City: UP Department of Political Science and Commission on Higher Education. • Balgos, Cecilia. (2003). ‘The courts’, In The PCIJ Guide to Government, 171-217. Quezon City: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Session 10: Local governments in the Philippines 2 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 • • Atienza, Maria Ela L. (2006). ‘Local government and devolution in the Philippines’, ‘In Philippine Politics and Governance: An Introduction, edited by Noel M. Morada and Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, 415-440. Quezon City: UP Department of Political Science and Commission on Higher Education. Brillantes, Alex Jr. B. (2003). ‘Decentralized democratic government under the Local Government Code: A government perspective’, In Introduction to Public Administration: A Reader, edited by Victoria A. Bautista, Ma. Concepcion P. Alfiler, Danilo R. Reyes, and Proserpina D. Tapales, 324-343. Quezon City: UP National College of Public Administration and Governance. Week 06: Study break and first examination PART II: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS Week 07: Elections in the Philippines Session 11: Elections in the Philippines • Hutchcroft, Paul and Joel Rocamora. (2003). Strong demands and weak institutions: The origins and evolution of the democratic deficit in the Philippines. Journal of East Asian Studies 3: 259-292. • Teehankee, Julio. (2002). Electoral politics in the Philippines. Electoral Politics in Southeast and East Asia: 194-202. Session 12: Duterte’s rise to power • Arguelles, Cleve. (2016) ‘How the Philippines’ incomplete People Power revolution paved the way for Rodrigo Duterte,’ TIME: 20 December 2016. • Curato, Nicole. (2016). Politics of anxiety, politics of hope: Penal populism and Duterte’s rise to power. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 35 (3), 91-109. Week 08: Military and police in Philippine politics Session 13: Military in Philippine politics • Hernandez, Carolina G. (2013). ‘Towards understanding coups and civilian-military relations’, In Introduction to Philippine Politics: Local Politics, the Sate, Nation-Building, and Democratization, edited by Maria Ela L. Atienza, 164-179. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. • Quilop, Raymund Jose G. (2001). Waltzing with the army: From Marcos to Arroyo. Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies 16 (20): 91-104. Session 14: Police in Philippine politics • Chua, Yvonne T. (2003). ‘Police’, In The PCIJ Guide to Government, 115-170. Quezon City: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. • Coronel, Sheila S. (2017). ‘Murder as enterprise: Police profiteering in Duterte’s war on drugs’, In A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency, edited by Nicole Curato, 167198. New York: Cornell University Press and Manila: Ateneo De Manila University Press. Week 09: Media in Philippine politics Session 17: Duterte’s mediated electoral victory • McCargo, Duncan. (2016). Duterte’s mediated populism. Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International and Strategic Affairs 38 (2): 185-190. • Sinpeng, Aim. (2016). How Duterte won the election on Facebook. New Mandala: 12 May 2016. • Aguirre, Arjan P. (2017). Social media and election campaigning: How social media won the Philippine presidency in 2016? 2017 International Conference, International Political Science Association, 4-6 December 2017. Session 18: Fake news and trolling • Cabanes, Jayon V and Jayeel S Cornelio. (2017). ‘The rise of trolls in the Philippines (and what can we do about it)’, In A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency, edited by 3 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 • Nicole Curato, 231-250. New York: Cornell University Press and Quezon City: Ateneo De Manila University Press. Ong, Jonathan Corpus and Jason Cabanes. (2017). The architects of networked disinformation: Behind the scenes of troll accounts and fake news production in the Philippines. Week 10: Democracy and authoritarianism in the Philippines Session 19: Duterte’s authoritarian fantasies • Arguelles, Cleve. (2017). “Duterte’s other war: The war against EDSA People Power’s memory.” In A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency, edited by Nicole Curato, 267288. New York: Cornell University Press and Manila: Ateneo De Manila University Press. • Curato, Nicole. (2017). Flirting with authoritarian fantasies? Rodrigo Duterte and the new terms of Philippine populism. Journal of Contemporary Asia 47 (1), 142-153. Session 20: Duterte as an emerging fascist • Bello, Walden. (2017). “Rodrigo Duterte: A Fascist Original,” In A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency, edited by Nicole Curato, 77-92. New York: Cornell University Press and Manila: Ateneo De Manila University Press. • Manggagawa, Juan. (2017). Original, reactionary, counter-revolutionary, but not fascist. European Solidaire Sans Frontieres, 7 February 2017. Week 11: Study break and second examination Week 12: Guest lecture on “Imagining a Federal Philippines: Prospects and Challenges” by Prof Dr Julio Teehankee (De La Salle University) COURSE REQUIREMENTS While demanding, the purpose of the course requirements is to enable your ability to think independently: to understand and explain the political world as well as critically engage the existing knowledge about it. To this end, you will be assessed in four different ways. First, students are required to actively participate during all lectures and seminars. I encourage students to ask questions, share insights, and respond (with respect) to others’ ideas while in class. I particularly welcome reasoned disagreements and debates. Second, in order to ensure that students will read the assigned readings before coming to class, quizzes will be given. Third, there will be two traditional written examinations, in which students will be evaluated for their mastery of the topics discussed during the course. Fourth, you are required to attend at least three study visit sessions. And lastly, students will also write an essay in response to any debate in Philippine politics of their own choosing. The weight for each of these assessments is the following: • 40% for the written examinations • 20% for the essay • 20% for the quizzes • 20% for the active participation HOUSE RULES 1. Observe academic honesty. Students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, fundamentally, that any work you submit to this course must be really yours unless proper credit is given to the owner of the work. Academic dishonesty, in forms like plagiarism or cheating, will result in a failing grade in the course and a possible disciplinary action by the university. To be sure that we're on the same page, I suggest that you study more about plagiarism through this helpful tutorial. 2. No electronic devices allowed. The use of laptops, tablets, and cellphones is not permitted during class sessions. Please bring hard copies of the assigned readings to lecture for your easy reference, since we will often be discussing passages in the readings. 4 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 3. Raise special needs. Students with special needs that may interfere with their coursework must consult with me for possible special arrangements. I am particularly inclined to accommodate those who have learning disabilities or are working part-time. 4. Read in advance. This is a reading-intensive course. You are required to read an average of around 50-80 pages per session (sometimes even more or, fortunately, even less), and you will be expected to engage in class based on these readings. I understand that reading is a demanding task. I have tried very hard to be very selective in assigning mandatory readings but I also have to ensure that you are still able to appreciate the integrity and complexity of the arguments in the discipline. 5. Use consultation hours. Feel free to consult with me about course or academic matters. This is especially useful for those who think that they will benefit more from a brief one-on-one session rather than a class format. Consultation is by appointment only via e-mail. Set an appointment as early as possible so I can set aside time for our consultation. I prefer to meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. 6. Check e-mails regularly. You are responsible for keeping abreast of any announcements I may send out over e-mail. E-mail is also the best way to contact me (not on Facebook or Twitter but I welcome non-class but still academic discussions in these platforms). I regularly check my e-mail but expect at least 48 hours to hear back from me. The response time may be longer during weekends and holidays. Use “[POLSCI 14]” in the subject line of all your emails and do not forget to include your full name at the end of your message. 7. Don’t be late or absent. I understand that there may be times when you have to attend to other more pressing matters than our class. But minimize your absences (and be courteous enough to inform me). This is because the more you miss, the less you are able to contribute to- and the less you are able to benefit from- our discussions. You should also avoid being late since it is disruptive for the entire class and me. I will not monitor attendance but there will be no special accommodations for absentees in order to pass the course. But do note that university policy states that if you incur at least six (6) absences, I have the option to “forced drop” or fail you. 8. Contribute to discussions. You should consider our class a shared space where you can safely contribute your thoughts. You are also encouraged to listen to others and respond thoughtfully. I caution you to avoid free riding on the discussions or monopolizing the class. Keep in mind that a successful class is one in which our assumptions about the issues we discussed are enriched or challenged through collegial discussions. 5 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 HOW TO READ EFFECTIVELY (Adapted from the Sociology Writing Guide) Reading well is one of the most important skills you will develop in college/graduate school. If you don’t understand a given text, you will have a hard time explaining it in a paper or essay. Incredible writing skills don’t make a difference if you can’t grasp the reading. The following strategies help you identify the main points, recall what you’ve read, and analyze the authors’ main points and assumptions. Being a critical reader means questioning the perspectives, assumptions, and evidence behind the author’s argument. We need to train our minds to ask certain questions and look for clues so we can separate essential points from less important ones. The process of critical reading is similar to reverse engineering–your task entails breaking the argument into its parts to see how the pieces fit together. The following key questions will help you to understand the logic or structure of an author’s argument. Asking yourself these questions as you read should also help you isolate the parts of the book or article you should pay close attention to from those that you can skim. I. Summary, or “What does the text say?” 1. What is the question being asked and answered in this book? In other words, what is the author’s problem or puzzle? Explicitly formulating a question that “frames” the book, in ONE sentence, with a question mark at the end, is perhaps the most important thing you can do to further your understanding of a text. The challenge is to come up with a formulation neither so broad nor so narrow that it misses the book’s essence. 2. What is the author’s main argument or thesis? Identifying this preliminary answer to the question you just formulated will help you to grasp the thread that runs through the whole book and ties everything together. 3. What claims does the author present to support the thesis? What is important here is not that you recapitulate all the details of a book or other text, but rather that you identify the sub-arguments that relate back to the central question. Suppose, for example, that the author spends a chapter or section discussing XYZ. What does XYZ tell us about the question that frames the book or text? 4. What are the author’s conclusions? Look for ways the author relates the argument of the book or text to broader debates about the subject. According to the author, what are the implications of the claims made in the text? II. Analysis, or “What does the text mean?” 1. Upon what assumptions does the author’s main argument rest? Looking for the assumptions underlying the study—both explicit and implicit—helps evaluate the author’s claims. Consider whether or not you agree with the author’s assumptions. 2. What evidence does the author use to support the argument? Notice the author’s evidence and what is omitted. Identifying missing pieces can be an important part of your reading. 3. Is the argument persuasive? Think about whether the evidence matches the claims and whether other kinds of evidence would give different results. Is the argument logical, well-reasoned, fair, balanced, and consistent? 4. How might you critique the author’s argument? 6 Political Science 14 MHI SS 2018 Your job as a critical reader is to evaluate the argument and evidence the author presents. Would the author’s argument hold if applied to a different, comparable case? Can you identify cases where the author’s argument is useful in explaining an observable phenomenon in the social world and cases where it might be less useful? III. So what, or “Why does the text matter?” 1. What is the author’s agenda? People write books and articles for a variety of purposes—to inform, amuse, persuade, and/or goad into action. In sociology, authors are often engaging in political and/or theoretical debates with other writers. 2. How does the book relate to other readings you have done for the course? To readings for other courses? To debates about families? To the world around you? Once you have summarized and evaluated the text, think about it in a larger context. How does it make you think differently about families, gender, the state or other topics? What further questions does it inspire? Get Messy! Coming up with a system to keep track of what you read will make your life much easier in the long run. The particulars of the system don’t really matter, as long as you can go back later and understand why you did what you did. Some students like to write short comments in the margins that summarize each paragraph. Don’t go overboard with highlights and underlines! If you highlight every other sentence, you’re not reading critically and you’re not producing helpful references for yourself. Underline, highlight or otherwise identify only the key points, questions, and arguments in a reading. 7