Santa Clara University

The Political Structures and Processes in El Salvador and Central America 
(POLI 136A)

5 upper-division quarter units

Instructor: Dr. Alvaro Artiga-Gonzalez, Professor of Political Science, Chair of the Political Science Department at the University of Central America

Language of Instruction: Spanish

Program: Structures and political processes in Central America.

Objective: Introduce to the students the knowledge of the structures and political processes of Central America.

Agenda:
1. Slight knowledge of the political history of Central America
-The origins
-The colonial regime
-The authoritarian period
-The political transition between the 1980’s and 90’s

2. The actual political structure: political institutions in Central America
-The form of the government
-The party system
-The electoral system
-Local governments

3. The political culture

4. The challenges of democratic consolidation

5. The process of Central American integration

6. The challenges of globalization

7. United States and Central American relations

8. Presentation of works

Methodology:

To facilitate the comprehension of the themes, texts will be recommended that serve as pre-reading. The students will participate with their own commentary and questions. It is intended that students will do a presentation discussing the political history of Central America and some of the actual challenges that confront the political system of each country in the region. Also students will develop an investigation in the field of political culture based on observations and interviews. Finally, the students will write a summary of a text that focuses on the relations between the United States and Central America.

Grading:
Investigative Report: 50%
Summary: 50%

Recommended Texts:
Aguilera de Prat, Cesareo R. y Martínez, Rafael (2000). Sistemas de gobierno, partidos y territorio. Madrid: Tecnos.

Alcántara, Manuel (1999). Sistemas políticos de América Latina, Vol.II. Madrid: Tecnos.

Artiga-González, Álvaro (2000). La política y los sistemas de partidos en Centroamérica. San Salvador: FundaUngo.

Artiga-González, Álvaro; Ramos, Carlos Guillermo y Turcios, Roberto (2002). Mas allá de las elecciones. San Salvador: FLACSO-Programa El Salvador.

Artiga-González, Álvaro (2001). “Una agenda de reforma electoral para El Salvador”, en Estudios Centroamericanos (ECA), núm. 629, pp.179-204.

Brenes, Arnoldo y Casas, Kevin (1998). Soldados como empresarios. San José, Costa Rica: Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano.

Cardenal, Ana Sofía y Martí i Puig, Salvador (1998). América Central, las democracias inciertas. Madrid: Tecnos.

Córdova M., Ricardo y Seligson, Mitchell A. (2001). Cultura política, gobierno local y descentralización. San Salvador: FLACSO: El Salvador.

Cruz, José Miguel (2001). ¿Elecciones para qué? San Salvador: FLACSO-El Salvador.

Nohlen, Dieter (1994). Sistemas electorales y partidos políticos. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

Paige, Jeffery M. (1999). Coffee and Power: Revolution and the Rise of Democracy in Central America. United States of America: Harvard University Press.

PNUD (2001). Informe sobre desarrollo humano. San Salvador: PNUD.

PNUD (1999). Estado de la región en desarrollo humano sostenible. San José, Costa Rica: PNUD.

Ramos, Carlos G. Y Briones, Carlos (1999). Las élites: percepciones y actitudes sobre los procesos de cambio político y de transformación institucional en El Salvador.

Seligson, Mitchell A.; Cruz, José Miguel y Córdova Macías, Ricardo (1999). Auditoría de la democracia. El Salvador 1999, cáp.VIII. San Salvador: IUDOP – University of Pittsburg y FundaUngo.