INTS 200-01-02, Introduction to Comparative Politics, Fall 2009

Abstract

This course provides an introduction to the study of domestic politics and governments around the world. We will discuss the core concepts and themes of comparative politics and pose a number of questions: What are the similarities and differences among non-democratic regimes? What conditions are necessary for the successful transition to democracy and the subsequent consolidation of democracy? How do democratizing countries deal with human rights violations committed during periods of dictatorship? How and why do political institutions vary across democracies, and what are the consequences of these differences? We will shed light on these and other questions by examining diverse country cases, including Chile, China, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, among others. You will also have the opportunity to do independent research on a country of particular interest to you. Upon completion of this course, you should have a deeper understanding of politics, especially the ways in which political decisions and policies affect people‟s lives as well as how people mobilize to influence those decisions and policies. In addition, participation in this class should improve your ability to think critically, analytically, and comparatively about politics, to consider current events from a more historical and theoretical perspective, and to formulate arguments and support them with evidence.