Comparative Politics

Objectives:

▪ Students will be able to identify and relate the theoretical definitions of democracy (VoD) to the various ways scholars have attempted to measure this concept.

▪ Students will be able to identify and discuss the varieties of capitalism (VoC) literature and demonstrate which indicators scholars have used to distinguish between these varieties.

▪ Develops knowledge about which indicators can be used to compare contemporary political and economic systems in terms of their outputs for human development and capacity building.

Comptencies:

By the end of the semester students will be able to:

• Identify the key differences between democratic, transitional, and non-democratic political systems in the world;

• Differentiate and provide examples of different types of non-democratic regimes;

• Differentiate and provide examples of policy differences that characterize different types of democratic and capitalist systems;

• Explain the capabilities approach to development;

• Know the difference between a concept and a measure;

• Explain how governments are formed/ended in parliamentary democracies and how that compares to a US-style presidential system or a French-style semi-presidential system; 

Course Content:

1. Intro to the Course and Key Concepts

2. How to Compare States & Judge the “Good” Society

3. Political Institutions & the Good Society

4. States & Markets: Types of Political Economies  

5. Varieties of Authoritarianism

6. Party Systems in Rich Democracies (Sweden, the USA, and Germany)

7. Comparative Feminisms & Fast-Track Debates to Parity in Representation

8. Regimes in LDCs: Focus on S. Korea, Nigeria, Chile & Brazil

9. Communism, Post-Communism, and the Authoritarian Capitalist State