Introduction to Comparative Politics

This course aims to furnish students with the tools necessary to study politics and society in comparative perspective. The course is divided into four parts. The first introduces basic concepts and methods of comparative analysis and examines some of the core assumptions about human nature that underpin social scientists’ thinking. The second surveys the variety of political regimes under which people live. The third examines the factors that influence which type of political regime prevails in particular national settings. The fourth section focuses on economic development, and in particular on why some countries have been able to overcome barriers to development while others have not.

No laptop computers are allowed in class.