Political Science: Comparative World Politics (A)

About POLS 1700 A

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.

Notes

Open to Degree and PACE students. System waitlisting enabled for this section.

Section Description

The purpose of this course is to learn how to employ the scientific method of comparison to understand how politics works. Scholars of comparative politics seek to understand how politics works by comparing different political systems. The main questions that motivate comparative politics are: Why are some countries rich and other countries poor? Why are some countries democratic and other countries authoritarian? Why do some democracies promote greater equality than others do? We will look at how different types of political institutions (parliamentarism vs. presidentialism, electoral systems, judicial systems) lead to different types of political outcomes. The course includes case studies of the multiple countries.

Section Expectation

After completing this course, students will be able to employ the comparative method to ask and answer important questions about politics. Students will understand how different types of political institutions shape political outcomes.

Evaluation

Course evaluation will be based on homework, in-class midterm and final, and a comparative research project.

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

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