Undergraduate Requirements

Program Subfield

Comparative Politics

Comparative politics is a broad field with a variety of approaches and goals. Some scholars and researchers compare contemporary political systems in order to judge which types best provide particular values- order, equality, freedom, or economic security and well-being for their citizens. Others suggest that the main purpose of comparative politics is to provide an understanding of how and why different societies develop different kinds of political institutions. Still others use comparative politics as a way of discovering general laws and theories that will explain human political behavior and its variability.

Comparative politics courses are of two basic types. One offers comparisons of a particular set of problems or institutions in a number of different countries. The second type offers in-depth analyses of the basic political institutions and processes of a single country or group of countries in a world region.

Most students will want to begin their study of comparative politics with the Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL S 204), which combines the two main approaches by including comparative discussions of particular problems, issues, processes, and institutions in a wide variety of political settings as well as in-depth readings and lectures on some of the major countries in the contemporary world.

Courses in Comparative Politics

• POL S 204 Introduction to Comparative Politics
• POL S 213 Korea/World Politics
• POL S 322 Political Economy of Latin America
• POL S 327 Women Rights/Human Rights
• POL S 331 Mid East and North Africa
• POL S 337 Collective Violence
• POL S 340 South Asia - Pol
• POL S 341 Canadian Government and Politics
• POL S 342 Latin American Politics
• POL S 343 Politics and Change in Southeast Asia
• POL S 346 Western European Government
• POL S 367 Comparative Law and Courts
• POL S 414 Politics and Culture
• POL S 415 Women’s Rights in Europe
• POL S 417 Political Economy of India
• POL S 418 Japanese Trade and Diplomacy
• POL S 420 Soviet and Russian Foreign Policy
• POL S 429 Political Economy of the EU
• POL S 432 Political Islam
• POL S 434 International Relations of South Asia
• POL S 435 Government and Politics of Japan
• POL S 436 Ethnic Politics
• POL S 437 Politics in Scandinavia
• POL S 438 Politics in France
• POL S 439 Politics of Divided Korea
• POL S 440 European Fascism
• POL S 441 Government and Politics of Russia
• POL S 442 Government and Politics of China
• POL S 443 Comparative Poltical Societies
• POL S 444 Revolution Regimes
• POL S 447 Comparative Politics Seminar (10 credits max.)
• POL S 448 European Community
• POL S 449 Developing Areas
• POL S 450 Third World State and Society
• POL S 467 Comparative Law
• POL S 468 Comparative Media Systems
• POL S 469 Law and Development in East Asia