PPE 4600 Advanced Seminar in Political Science (Fall 2024)

Cooperation: Addressing Contemporary Societal Challenges

Author

Instructor: Pei-Hsun Hsieh

Course Information

Course Description

Many societal challenges, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, require people to work together to solve them. However, cooperation between individuals poses its own challenges. The question of why people cooperate (or do not cooperate) appears across disciplines under different labels, including collective action problems and social dilemmas. In this capstone seminar, we will cover a wide range of societal challenges and political behaviors that require cooperation, including addressing climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation crises, as well as social movements, and voting. Within these topics, we will discuss the similarities and differences in the problems of cooperation and how to foster it.

By the end of the course, you will be able to

  • Identify key theories related to the problem of social cooperation.
  • Apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world problems such as climate change mitigation and pandemic behaviors.

Textbooks

You can find all the required texts in the Course Materials @ Penn Libraries tab on Canvas.

Course Requirements and Grading

Your grade will be based on the following components: class participation (10%), reading reflections (30%), quizzes (20%), a presentation on long-enduring, self-organized, and self-governed Common-Pool Resources (CPRs) (5%), and a group project (35%). A brief description of each requirement is outlined below:

  • Class Participation (10%): Active engagement in class discussions is a key component of this seminar. Each week (excluding the introduction, midterm presentations, and final presentations), we will explore open-ended questions based on the assigned readings, and all students are expected to contribute to the discussion. To fully engage, ensure you come prepared with insights from the readings and the reflection questions.

    • Evaluation: You are allowed up to two unexcused absences without penalty. For each additional unexcused absence, 5 points will be deducted from your participation grade. Exceptions include religious holidays, illness, and emergencies. For planned absences due to religious holidays or other foreseeable reasons, please notify me at least one week in advance. For emergencies or illness, please submit appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor’s note) within one week.

  • Reading Reflections (30%): You will submit three to six reading reflections in response to questions based on the assigned readings. Reflection questions will be posted on Canvas one week prior to class. The first three reflections are mandatory, with up to three additional reflections being optional. Your grade will be the average of your first three reflections (even if not submitted) and any optional ones you choose to complete. Reflections are due by Sunday before class.

  • Quizzes (20%): There will be three in-class quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10%, but the lowest quiz grade will be dropped, meaning your quiz grade will be based on the best two out of three.

  • Presentation on Long-Enduring, Self-Organized, and Self-Governed CPRs (5%): In Week 14, each group will present on one of the six CPRs described in Chapter 3 of Governing the Commons. Engaging in group work is required, but there are no specific guidelines for task distribution. Attendance is mandatory.

  • Group Final Project (35%): You will work in groups of three to identify and analyze a real-world issue that reflects the collective action problems discussed in this course. Your project will identify why the issue is a collective action problem, the barriers to resolving it, and how insights from the course readings can help promote cooperation. The project is divided into four parts:

    • Midterm Group Presentation (5%): In this presentation, your group will introduce the issue, explain its nature as a collective action problem, and outline the challenges in addressing it. Attendance is mandatory.
    • Final Group Presentation (15%): This presentation builds on the midterm feedback and should provide solutions to promote cooperation for the chosen issue, grounded in the course readings. Attendance is mandatory.
    • Group Op-Ed (10%): Following the final presentation, each group will write a 750–800 word op-ed discussing the issue and proposed solutions. The op-ed should reflect the key arguments made during your final presentation.
    • Individual Reflection on Group Cooperation (5%): Each student will submit a 300-word reflection on their group’s cooperation, using course concepts to analyze the dynamics. Consider questions such as: How well did your group work together? What factors from the course influenced your group’s cooperation? Did you apply any strategies from the readings?

Grading Scale

93+ A 77-79 C+ 60-63 D-
90-92 A- 74-76 C 0-59 F
87-89 B+ 70-73 C-
84-86 B 67-69 D+
80-83 B- 64-66 D

Course Schedule

The instructor reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the syllabus and class/reading schedule during the course of the semester. Any changes to the syllabus will be announced on Canvas.

Week 1 (August 26): No Monday classes this week per University calendar

Week 2 (September 2): Labor Day - No class

Week 3 (September 9): Introduction

Week 4 (September 16): Cooperation and The Prisoner’s Dilemma

  • Readings: Climate Games: Experiments on How People Prevent Disaster, Chapter 2
  • To-do: Reading Report 1 due September 15 (required)

Week 5 (September 23): Public Goods Games

  • Readings: Climate Games: Experiments on How People Prevent Disaster, Chapter 2

Week 6 (September 30): Models, Decision Experiments, and The Real World Problems

  • Readings:
    1. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, Chapter 1
    2. Raymond, Leigh, Daniel Kelly, and Erin P. Hennes. 2021. “Norm-Based Governance for Severe Collective Action Problems: Lessons from Climate Change and COVID-19.” Perspectives on Politics: 1–14. doi:10.1017/S1537592721003054. * To-do: Reading Report 2 due September 29 (required)

Week 7 (October 7): Reciprocity and Trust

  • Readings: Guala, Francesco. 2012. “Reciprocity: Weak or Strong? What Punishment Experiments Do (and Do Not) Demonstrate.” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 35(1): 1–15.
  • To-do: Reading Report 3 due October 6 (required)

Week 8 (October 14): Social and Psychological Incentives

  • Readings:
    1. McClendon, Gwyneth H. 2018. Envy in Politics. Chapter 2. pp.108 - 140. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
    2. Chong, Dennis. 1991. Collective Action and the Civil Rights Movement. Chapter 5.
  • To-do:
    1. Quiz 1 in class
    2. Find a group for the presentations and give me a list of the members by the end of the class.

Week 9 (October 21): Cooperation in Heterogeneous Societies

  • Readings: Habyarimana, James, Macartan Humphreys, Daniel N. Posner, and Jeremy M. Weinstein. 2007. “Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?” American Political Science Review 101(04): 709–25. doi:10.1017/S0003055407070499.

Week 10 (October 28): Climate Change I - Risk and Uncertainty

  • Readings: Climate Games: Experiments on How People Prevent Disaster, Chapter 3

Week 11 (November 4): Climate Change II - Responsibilities and Fairness

  • Readings: Climate Games: Experiments on How People Prevent Disaster, Chapter 5
  • To-do: Quiz 2 in class

Week 12 (November 11): Midterm Presentations

  • To-do: Midterm Presentations

Week 13 (November 18): Climate Change III - Political Institutions

  • Readings:
    1. Tingley, Dustin H., and Alexander F. Gazmararian. 2023. Uncertain Futures: How to Unlock the Climate Impasse. Chapter 2.
    2. (Read the introduction and the theory sections) Bättig, Michèle B., and Thomas Bernauer. 2009. “National Institutions and Global Public Goods: Are Democracies More Cooperative in Climate Change Policy?” International Organization 63(2): 281–308. doi:10.1017/S0020818309090092.

Week 14 (November 25): Self-Organized and Self-Governed Political Institutions

  • Readings: Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, Chapter 3
  • To-do: Presentations for long-enduring, self-organized, and self-governed CPRs

Week 15 (December 2):

  • To-do: Quiz 3 in class

Week 16 (December 9): Final Presentations

Course Policies

Attendance

Please refer to the Course Requirements and Grading section.

Office Hours & Email Policy

If you have any questions about the course, feel free to contact/chat with me during office hours, right before/after class, or by email. Please include “PPE 4600-301” in the email subject and your full name in the main text. I will get back to you within two business days. Please follow up if I don’t respond within that timeframe.

Missed Quiz & Late Work Policy

There are no make-up quizzes or presentations except in cases of illness, death in the family, religious observance, or other unusual circumstances. Accommodations will be granted on a case-by-case basis in such cases.

Regarding reading reviews and the op-ed, late papers will be subject to a daily five-point penalty deduction.

Academic Integrity

Make sure you are familiar with Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity https://catalog.upenn.edu/pennbook/code-of-academic-integrity/. I have a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism and cheating, and all violations will result in substantial penalties. If you have questions about academic misconduct and plagiarism, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Use of AI

You can use generative AIs as a personal learning assistant, but keep in mind that if you rely on AIs for everything without digesting and evaluating their responses with your own knowledge, you are not truly learning. While generative AIs can answer simple questions, they may struggle with complex questions that are not within their training sets. Furthermore, the AI’s understanding may differ from my expectations in this class.

For open-book assignments, using AIs to proofread your drafts is an appropriate use. However, for closed-book quizzes and exams, using AIs will be considered a violation of Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity.

Resources

Academic Support and Disability Services

The Weingarten Center offers a variety of resources to support all Penn students in reaching their academic goals. All services are free and confidential. To contact the Weingarten Center, call 215-573-9235. The office is located in Stouffer Commons, 3702 Spruce Street, Suite 300.

Academic Support

Learning consultations and learning strategies workshops support students in developing more efficient and effective study skills and learning strategies. Learning specialists work with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to address time and project management, academic reading and writing, note-taking, problem-solving, exam preparation, test-taking, self-regulation, and flexibility.

Undergraduates can also take advantage of free on-campus tutoring for many Penn courses in both drop-in and weekly contract formats. Tutoring may be individual or in small groups. Tutors will assist with applying course information, understanding key concepts, and developing course-specific strategies. Tutoring support is available throughout the term but is best accessed early in the semester.

Disability Services

The University of Pennsylvania is committed to the accessibility of its programs and services. Students with a disability or medical condition can request reasonable accommodations through the Weingarten Center website. Disability Services determines accommodations on an individualized basis through an interactive process, including a meeting with the student and a review of their disability documentation. Students who have approved accommodations are encouraged to notify their faculty members and share their accommodation letters at the start of each semester. Students can contact Disability Services by calling 215-573-9235.

Penn Wellness Resources

You can find a number of different health resources from Wellness at Penn (https://wellness.upenn.edu/).

SHAC (Student Health and Counseling)

SHAC (Student Health and Counseling) https://wellness.upenn.edu/student-health-and-counseling

  • For Medical Services students can go to 3535 Market Street, 1st Floor. They are open M-F 9:00-4:30 and Saturday 9:00-11:30. For after-hours help call 215-746-3535 (24/7). If the issue is life threatening, call 911.
  • For Counseling Services students can go to 3624 Market Street, 1st Floor West or call 215-898-7021. You or your students can call this number 24/7 and a clinician will answer. Counseling Services offers free, confidential mental health services to all students at Penn.

If You Have Financial Difficulties

It is important to me that you have the resources you need to be able to focus on learning in this course – this includes both the necessary academic materials as well as taking care of your day-to-day needs.

Students experiencing difficulty affording the course materials should reach out to the Penn First Plus office (pennfirstplus@upenn.edu).

Students who are struggling to afford sufficient food to eat every day and/or lack a safe and suitable space to live should contact Student Intervention Services (vpul-sisteam@pobox.upenn.edu).

Students may also wish to contact their Financial Aid Counselor or Academic Advisor about these concerns.

You are welcome to notify me if any of these challenges are affecting your success in this course, as long as you are comfortable doing so – I may have resources to support you.

Other Resources

Disclaimer

I reserve the right to change the syllabus at any time. I will notify you through Canvas if this occurs, but it is also important that you keep up-to-date with all readings related to your class.