Oral Presentation
Students will give one 5-minute presentation on “civil-military relations in the news.” The presentation will account for 15% of the course grade.
The night before the class at which you will present, send the instructor an email with the news item you will be presenting and 1–2 sentences on the themes from the class that it connects to. The presentation should quickly summarize the developments in the news item you chose but spend most of the time connecting the news to the themes of the class. The presentation should also pose a few questions to the class inspired by the current event. The style of presentation is up to you.
Memos
Students are responsible for two response papers (2–3 pages each), which together will account for 50% of the course grade. At least 5 days prior to the deadline, email the instructor the country you wish to analyze.
First Memo
Pick a foreign country and make an assessment about the likelihood its military will intervene in politics to take over the government. What conditions indicate it might intervene? Which indicators go the other way?
This memo is due during session 4.
Second Memo
Pick a foreign country from the public opinion polls in the Readings section (see session 6) and different from the last one you picked. What explains variation in public trust of the military in that country over time?
This memo is due during session 7.
Student Examples
First Memo
“The Likelihood of a Military Coup in the People’s Republic of China” (PDF) by Chad Qian.
Second Memo
“An Analysis of Public Trust in the Military in the Republic of China” (PDF) by Chad Qian.