Political Science: Comparative World Politics

An examination of questions such as why some countries are democratic and others authoritarian, and why some countries are poor and others wealthier, through the study and comparison of political institutions and patterns of interaction across countries. Credit not awarded for both POLS 1700 and POLS 1017.

Open to degree and PACE students

In this course we will explore and compare political phenomena and institutions around the world. In the process we will address a wide range of policy-relevant such as: What are the key features of democracies and autocracies, and how can regimes best be classified? How can backsliding on human rights be prevented? What are the challenges for building stable and peaceful multi-ethnic states and democratic governance? What fuels populism in Western democracies? What is the appropriate constitutional balance of powers between the president and the legislature in states ? How does governance shape the delivery of economic and welfare policies in developing societies? This course covers these questions and many others by utilizing the methods and techniques of comparative politics and applying them to a handful of cases from across the world. By analytically deconstructing existing nation-states and comparing their constituent components, you will expand your knowledge about states and regimes worldwide, as well as deepening your understanding of your own society.