INSTRUCTIONS

1. Click on the "discussion forum" button on the IDL website;
2. Enter the login and password to access PanFora;
3. Click on "Enter the Form" link;
4. Click on the title IDL105;
5. Click on the week number;
6. Click on the abbreviation of your university;
7. Post your assignment answer by clicking on the "P" button.

All assignments will be graded according to the following assignment grading rubric. Please familiarize yourself with this rubric.

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Week 1: Lecture 1-2 (Due Monday, February 18, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please ANALYZE the following work in written form, using the Assignment Grading Rubric.  The work answers the following question:

1. In your opinion, can Russia be called a democracy or not? Explain your answer by using the lecture and the reading materials.     

PLEASE NOTE: For this week, you are being asked to use the grading rubric to analyze the sample essay, NOT to write your own essay on the topic.

Week 2: Lecture 3-4 (Due Monday, February 25, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer ONE of the following questions:

1. Can you give examples of an institution of horizontal accountability in Russia?  In your opinion, has it been successful in holding elected officials accountable and responsible to their constituency?  Provide adequate evidence in support of your claims.
   
   
2. Why do people obey the law?  In your case, why would you comply or not comply with the law?
   
   

Week 3: Lecture 5-6 (Due Monday, March 3, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1. Do you think that there is rule of law in Russia?  Begin by stating your definition of “rule of law” and support your conclusion with examples.  If you were a politician, what would you do in Russia to promote the rule of law?
   
   
2. According to Prof. Wacziarg, what are the structural determinants of economic development?  Would you add a new category or remove any of the suggested categories?

Week 4: Lecture 7-8 (Due Monday, March 10, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE the following question:

1. How does neo-institutionalism understand institutions?  Can you describe one example, not mentioned in the lecture, of how a World Society model has been reflected in a specific institution or policy of a country?
   
   
2. Why have political systems and markets evolved in different ways?  Discuss the importance of contract enforcing institutions and coercion constraining institutions and illustrate your analysis with appropriate examples.

Week 5: Lectures 9-10. (Due Monday, March 17, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1.      How would you explain the fact that there is less support for democracy in countries that are characterized by greater inequality in Latin America?  In your answer, lean both on the theory and examples in the lecture and readings.

2.      What is judicial independence and why is it important, if at all?  In answering the question, you may want to discuss the necessary characteristics of judicial independence.

Week 6: MIDTERM (DUE Monday, March 24th, 12:00 midnight Moscow time)

Week 7: Lecture 11-12 (Due Monday, March 31, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1. Why did democratization in Eastern Europe happen earlier than in the Former Soviet Union?  Be sure to support your analysis with factual evidence.
   
   
2. What, if anything, went wrong with economic reform in Russia?  In most concise terms, how should things have been done differently?

Week 8: Lecture 13-14 (Due Monday, April 7, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1. Does aid offer solution to Africa’s poverty? If yes, what type of aid policies should be pursued – massive aid or piecemeal, end-oriented aid?
   
   
2. What is one major critique of the Washington Consensus? In your opinion, is it legitimate?

Week 9: Lecture 15-16 (Due Monday, April 14, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1.      How should the definition of democracy be understood under Art. 25 of ICCPR? Be as precise as possible; enumerate the standards and institutions of democracy that you think the law requires. Give examples of democratic and undemocratic regime according to your interpretation?

2.      How is the concept of group human rights different from the concept of individual human rights? Think of an example where the two concepts are in conflict and make an argument about which concept should prevail in that case.

Week 10: Lecture 17-18 (Due Monday, April 21, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

Please answer only ONE of the following questions:

1. «In Iraq, there exists a major contradiction in the US attempt to establish democracy—the goal was democracy, but the means of getting to that point were undemocratic.» Based on this statement, in your opinion, is it ever just to use non-democratic means in the interest of state-building and democracy promotion? Please cite a real or hypothetical example.
   
   
2. According to Magen, the European Union uses admission to the EU as incentive for democratic reforms in countries on its periphery. In your opinion, what impact might this political conditionality incentive have on countries such as Ukraine and Belarus, if any?  

Week 11: Lecture 19 (Due Monday, April 28, 12:00 midnight, Moscow Time)

1. Do you agree with Michael Maren that NGOs are creating an “industry” for states and populations to become dependent on NGO relief activity? Why or why not? What can be done to overcome this problem?

Week 12: Final Exam - DUE MAY 2th