To succeed in this course, regular attendance and active engagement are essential – not as an arbitrary requirement, but because learning happens through doing the work (that’s what active learning is!). Research consistently shows that students learn most effectively when they actively grapple with material rather than passively receiving it. While the readings you complete ahead of class provide the foundational knowledge, class discussions help you examine multiple perspectives and challenge your assumptions, in-class activities build your analytical skills through practice and feedback, and reflections and worksheets allow you to develop your thinking progressively throughout the semester. You cannot develop critical thinking skills by listening alone; you must practice thinking critically, and that requires your consistent presence and engagement.

Your final grade will be based on four interconnected components:

Reading Reflections (20%). You will write reading reflections that critically engage with the course readings by answering analytical questions. After completing the readings for a class, you will answer one of the reflection questions associated with that class. To receive full credit, your reading reflection needs to

• answer one (and only one) of the reflection questions for that class directly
• be between 100 and 300 words long
  (Reflections that are fewer than 100 or more than 300 words will not be able to get full credit.)
• cite all required readings and any selected optional readings for that class
  (Be precise when you cite: provide page numbers for where to find the argument in a text, as well as for any direct quotes or numbers you take from a reading. You may cite these readings using either the Harvard or APA citation style; do not cite in footnotes.)
• be submitted before the class starts
  (Late submissions will be accepted up to 1 week after the class, but cannot receive more than 70%.)

What does "critically engage" mean? It means going beyond summary. For example:

• Don't just say "Author X argues Y," provide context and/or explanation. For example, you could say: "Author X argues Y, which helps explain why Pakistan's democracy is fragile, but this framework might overlook how..."
• Don't just list what readings say. Instead, put them in dialogue: "While Reading A suggests democracy requires economic development, Reading B shows this isn't always true because..."
• Question assumptions: "This definition of democracy emphasizes elections, but does that capture whether ordinary citizens actually have power?"

While this might sound daunting right now, you will practice this kind of critical engagement with the readings throughout the semester.

You have to submit a total of 20 reading reflections (out of 24 opportunities), making each reflection worth 1% of your total grade.

Class Participation (20%). Class participation and engagement are essential for active learning because critical thinking skills develop through practice, not observation. This includes participating in discussions, completing in-class activities, and working through analytical problems, whether individually, with a partner, or in small groups. Discussions help you articulate complex ideas and consider alternative perspectives; hands-on activities like constructing timelines or comparing definitions help you organize information, identify patterns, and make connections across cases. Completing group assignments exposes you to different interpretations and approaches to the same task, and teaches you to work collaboratively in a team. You cannot develop these skills by watching others work or listening passively – you must engage with the material yourself.

To receive full credit for class participation and engagement, you need to show up and show effort. What does quality participation look like?

• In discussions: Listening carefully to others, building on their ideas, asking questions that push everyone's thinking, being willing to change your mind
• In small groups: Contributing equitably (not dominating or disappearing), helping the group make progress, engaging respectfully with different viewpoints
• In activities: Taking tasks seriously even when not graded for "correctness," asking for clarification when confused, trying even when uncertain

What participation is NOT about:

• Talking the most or having the "right" answer
• Performing confidence you don't feel
• Agreeing with everyone to avoid conflict

Class participation and engagement will be largely self-assessed: 4 times during the semester, you will be asked to assess your own participation and engagement based on a rubric that I will provide. Your final participation and engagement grade will be based on these 4 assessments. However, I will review your self-assessment and make adjustments if there are major discrepancies between your self-evaluations and what I observe in class. 

Worksheets (30%). Worksheets are short in-class activities – such as constructing timelines, developing definitions, or analyzing pro-and-con arguments – that give you opportunities to apply knowledge from the readings and practice critical thinking skills. These are exercises designed to help you build analytical capacity through practice before being evaluated on similar skills in your final paper.

These worksheets are opportunities for practice and feedback, not high-stakes evaluations. You will complete worksheets either individually or collaboratively (depending on the task), and will have opportunities to get feedback in class before handing in your work. The goal is not perfection but practice: you're developing skills like tracing historical causation or weighing competing evidence – skills that require repeated practice to develop.

Worksheets will be graded on a simple scale based on completion and genuine effort (2 = thoughtful engagement with the task, 1 = minimal effort, 0 = not completed). At least one class every week will include a worksheet. Worksheets count for 30% of your total grade, with each worksheet counting for 2%. Naturally, you have to be present in class to complete worksheets. If you miss class, you can make up worksheets for up to 1 week after the class by coming to office hours and completing the worksheet there. However, late worksheets cannot score more than 70%.

Final paper (30%). The final paper is your opportunity to demonstrate the analytical skills you've developed throughout the semester: constructing evidence-based arguments, engaging with complexity, critically examining concepts, and synthesizing multiple perspectives.

You will choose one motivating question from several options provided. Your paper should:

• Present a clear thesis in 1-2 sentences at the start of your essay (no later than the second paragraph), stating your main argument in the form "This paper argues that X" or similar. Underline your thesis statement. The thesis should reflect analytical thinking – not just description, but an argument about why something happens, how things are connected, or what explains a pattern.
• Engage substantively with at least 10 course readings to support your argument. Use readings as evidence, not just decoration – explain how they support your claims, where they offer competing interpretations, or when you find their frameworks illuminating or limiting. Cite precisely with page numbers for arguments, quotes, or data (Harvard or APA style; no footnotes). Include a bibliography.
• Be 1,400-1,600 words (excluding bibliography). This word limit requires you to be selective and focused – choose your strongest evidence and most compelling points rather than including everything.

What distinguishes excellent work:

• A thoughtful, well-supported argument that engages with complexity rather than oversimplifying
• Critical engagement with readings (analyzing their assumptions, evaluating their applicability, synthesizing across sources) rather than just summarizing them
• Anticipation of counterarguments or alternative interpretations and explanation of why your interpretation is more compelling
• Recognition of what you don't know or what evidence would strengthen your argument
• Clear, precise writing that demonstrates your understanding

Final Grade

Your final grade will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale:

A           90-100%
B           80-89%
C           70-79%
D           65-69%
F           0-64%