Department of Political Science

College of Arts and Sciences

University of San Carlos

Course No. : POSC 115

Course Title : Systems of Government 1
From : Brenette L. Abrenica, MAPA, MPOSC (Instructor)
Re : Per Country Workshops

Instructions: All groups are highly encouraged to make use of your free time during the USC
Foundation Week to start preparing for your group workshops. The instructions include both the
Content as well as the Format of your workshop presentations. Please see details below.

A. CONTENT/SUBSTANCE (each country presentation must be outlined based on items below, the
same is adopted from Kesselman et al, 2004). Each of your country presentation should
contain the major points outlined below. It is highly encouraged that each part must
comprehensively include the specified details.

Making of the Modern State

- Politics in Action: use specific events to illustrate an important political moment in the
country’s recent history and to highlight some of the critical political issues it faces
- Geographic Setting: you need to locate the country in its regional context and discuss the
political implications of its geographic setting
- Cultural Junctures: you need to identify the major stages and decisive turning points in the
state’s development; provide a discussion of how the country assumed its current political order as
well as how its state-society relations developed over time
- Themes and Implications: you have to present how the past pattern of state development
continues to shape the country’s current political agenda

Political Economy and Development

- The group must trace the country’s recent and contemporary economic development
- You must explore the issues raised by the core theme of governing the economy and
analyzes how economic development has affected political change
- State and Economy: you need to discuss the basic organization of the country’s economy,
with an emphasis on the role of the state in managing the state’s economic life and on the
relationship between the government and other economic actors. Explore how the dynamics and
historical timing of the country’s insertion to the world economy – and its current position and
competitiveness within the globalized economy – affect domestic political arrangements and shape
contemporary challenges
- Society and Economy: you must examine the social and political implications of the
country’s economic situation. You should also include here the data on who benefits from economic
changes and as to how economic development creates or reinforces class, ethnic, gender, regional,
or ideological cleavages in society
- International Political Economy: you need to consider the country’s global role in terms: of it
has changed the patterns of trade and foreign investment over time; the country’s relationship to
regional and international organizations; the influence of the state in multilateral policies; and how
international economic issues have affected domestic political agenda

Governance and Policy Making

- This should describe the state’s major policy-making institutions and procedures.
- Trace the evolution and roots of the country’s Constitution and their type of government
- Organization of the State: you must layout the fundamental principles (as reflected in the
country’s constitution) its official ideology, and its historical experience – on which the political
system and the distribution of political power are based. It must also sketch the basic structure of
the state, including the relationship among different levels and branches of government
- Present the structure of their government by making a schematic diagram of the country’s
government with all its important agencies with brief explanations; powers and functions; and their
relationship to one another
- The Executive: should include all key offices that are at the top of the political system,
focusing on those who have the most power, how they are selected, and how they use their power
to make policy; present the bureaucracy and its relationship to the chief executive and the
governing party and its role in policy-making
- Policy-making: summarize how public policy gets made and implemented by describing the
role of the formal institutions and procedures as well as the effect of patron-client relations and
interest group activity
- Present the other institutions’ such as the military, judiciary, and the legal system, state-run
corporation, and subnational government
Participation and Representation
- Present here how the different groups in society organize to further their political interests,
how do they participate and get represented in the political system, and how they influence the
country’s policy-making process
- Political Parties and Party System: describe the overall election process and recent trends in
the people’s electoral behavior; explain how significant is election as a vehicle for participation
- Political Culture, Citizenship and Identity: present how people perceive themselves as
members of the political community; the nature and source of political values and attitudes, how
the different groups of the state understand their relationship to the state; include the issue of
globalization shaping collective identities and collective action
- Interest, Social Movements and Protests: discuss how the various groups pursue their
political interests outside the party system; when do they use formal institutions or social
movements in pursuing their interests; what is their relationship to the state

Current Issues
- Political Challenges and Changing Agenda: present here the major unresolved issues facing
the country and assess which are most likely to dominate in the near future
- Present here how the country has shaped and is reshaping the following issues, among
others: globalization, international world

B. FORMAT

Power point Presentation

- Each presentation shall be done comprehensively for 15-20 min.
a. Form:
i. Provide pictures and other effects only when necessary
ii. If possible, follow one slide design (of course, except title page) all throughout the
presentation, except for some slides where pictures or tables need more space, hence,
modifying the design. The ‘master slide’ functionally in MS PowerPoint helps.
iii. The default font size are the following:
1. Title: 44
2. Text (body): 32
3. Whenever necessary, modifications are allowed.
iv. Make sure font colors make clearly visible the texts.
b. Content
i. Provide for the following:
1. Title slide:
a. Title of the course
b. Country Study
c. Group Name
2. Learning Objectives
3. If applicable, outline of the session (how the session or workshops is set-up)
4. Main presentation, which should refer to them 2.
5. Conclusion and Insights (this part should be more of the student articulating the
value as well as the impact of the country study to the course)
6. List of References (complete bibliographical entry) at the end of the ppt
presentation.

- Power point presentations must be submitted via e-mail the night before the presentation
schedule.
- Hard copies of the presentations must be provided to the rest of the class on the day of the
workshop
- Finally, come earlier than scheduled, and come prepared!

Group Portfolio
- Every group must compile their portfolio containing the printed version of their oral
presentation
- The outline of the portfolio is as follows:
i. Introduction (what the country study contains)
ii. Country symbols and important signs (flag, emblem, seal, logo, etc)
iii. Chapter 1: Making of the Modern State
1. Objectives
2. Content
3. Caricature
4. Insights/Reflection
iv. Chapter 2: Political Economy and Development
1. Objectives
2. Content
3. Caricature
4. Insights/Reflection
 v. Chapter 3: Governance and Policy-Making
1. Objectives
2. Content
3. Caricature
4. Insights/Reflection
vi. Chapter 4: Participation and Representation
1. Objectives
2. Content
3. Caricature
4. Insights/Reflection
vii. Chapter 5: Current Issues
1. Objectives
2. Content
3. Caricature
4. Insights/Reflection
viii. Conclusion
ix. Others
- Portfolio must utilize long clear book
- Group Clear books will be checked after every presentation