Comparing formal institutions and social structures in governance

Comparative Analysis of Formal Institutions and Social Structures for Stable Governance and Ethnic M

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Topic 1: Formal Institutions vs. Social Structures for Stable Governance

Choose two of the following countries to compare:
A. The United States
B. France
C. Mexico
D. Indonesia
E. Angola
Choose one of the following topics for your paper:
1. Scholars disagree about whether formal institutions (such as constitutions and electoral systems) or structural factors (such as the economy or social divisions) are more important in maintaining stable governance. Compare two countries from class. Do you think institutions or social structures matter more for stable governance? Explain why.
2. How can countries reform to become more inclusive towards indigenous peoples and/or ethnic minorities? Are legal reforms and a stronger rule of law the first step necessary to promote social inclusion? Is it more useful to change cultural practices before changing the law? Compare two countries from class to answer these questions.
Case Justification:
Decide which topic you will write about and the cases you will compare. Explain why these countries are comparable and how you will use a comparison between them to answer the question. Write 1-2 double spaced pages in order to justify your case selection. Include four sources you plan to cite in the paper as a “Bibliography.” Submit the Case Justification as a PDF file on Blackboard.
Comparative Paper:
Write a short paper in which you compare two countries that we studied in class to answer one of the essay prompts. It is best if you use the same countries and question that you used for your casejustification. Argue a clear thesis in the paper and support it with evidence from the class readings. Your paper must have a descriptive title. Make sure to answer all of the questions in the essay prompt in your paper.
This is not a research paper. You need to cite the class readings to support your argument.
Reference at least two class readings for each country. Your paper should be 5-6 doublespaced typed pages in length,