Political Culture, Islam and Russia

After carefully reading chapter 10 in Klesner's Comparative Politics: An Introduction and after watching the
presentation this week, describe the key concepts of Islamism (pp. 213–223 in the Klesner textbook) and its
current role in the world. In addition, after reading about the many types of Islam, including democratizing
secularists, do you believe that it is likely or unlikely that the world’s leading Muslim countries can find ways to
promote freedom and security with the requirements of democracy described in Klesner's book, particularly the
ten conditions of democracy described in Chapter 7? In other words, do you think Islam is fundamentally
incompatible with democracy as was described in previous chapters like 7 and 10 in Klesner's book? The ten
conditions of democracy discussed in Klesner’s Comparative Politics: An Introduction are:
Elites committed to democracy
State institutions
National unity
National wealth
Private enterprise
A middle class
Support of the disadvantaged for democracy
Citizen participation, civil society, and a democratic political culture
Education and freedom of information
A favorable international environment
In the secular/rationalist worldview, there is a perception that there is no higher authority above states, unless
the secular proponents think that international organizations like the International Court of Justice serve as high
authorities (but that is questionable because each state can choose to submit to the higher authority of an
international organization or choose not to do that). However, through the lens of the secular worldview, the
world of Statecraft meets the realists’ definition of anarchy. Explain precisely how the anarchic nature of the
simulation has affected the interactions between states (using specific examples from your experience). Is it
possible to (at least partially) overcome the negative effects of anarchy in Statecraft? If so, how? On the other
hand, a Christian or Muslim might view the world from a Christian worldview or Islamic/Muslim worldview. If
that were the case, what are the implications for real world politics? See Chapter 7 in Berger’s book, "Political
Islam and the Worldview of Islamic Groups." Also, think about what Martin's discussion of the biblical worldview
and the rationalist worldview.