Independent Project Guidelines

Independent Project: Guidelines

Substantive Requirements

1. Pick one dimension of state viability

· Economic effectiveness (growth, tax collection, etc)

· Security (crime, terrorism, war, etc)

· Political stability (transfer of power, mass protest, elite polarization, etc)

· Social peace (relationships among ethnic, religions, or other social groups)

2. Identify a nation-state in the former Soviet or former communist region

3. Analyze how the state changed over time along the identified viability dimension. Has it become more or less viable? What are some of the indicators that give you confidence in your assessment?

4. Offer your analysis of main reasons behind the identified change. Does the structural dependence on Russia have a role to play? Or do other factors play a more prominent role? Why?

5. Finally, what does your analysis imply for practical policy? Are there lessons we draw for policy making? What should be (not) done to assist the state in becoming a more viable participant in the international system?

Source-Related Requirements

1. Identify academic articles, chapters, and books for your background reading. 2-3 books or 5-10 articles or book chapters should suffice

2. Use one or two of the following websites for your research purposes

· Eurasia Daily Monitor, Jamestown Foundation http://jamestown.org/edm

· Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty http://www.rferl.org

· Russia Profile http://www.russiaprofile.org

More sources are welcome.

3. Directly quote at least 4 substantive articles on the subject of your interest from the identified sources.

4. Submit printed copies of the chosen articles with your final paper draft.

Stages of Paper Development

1. Preparation stage

1.1. Collecting and familiarizing yourself with background readings

1.2. Identifying specific issue of state viability to focus on

1.3. Deciding on indicators of state viability and time of its change

1.4. Formulating analytical approach/ hypothesis of state viability

1.5. Identifying in a preliminary way specific sources for a focused research

2. Writing and submitting proposal outlining the paper and sources (1-2 pages)

3. Reacting to proposal and preparing an in-class presentation

4. Writing a paper draft