POL S 204 A: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Course Description:

The study of global democracy shapes the two most importance investigations into the study of modern political science: 1) who governs? and 2) what are the consequences of who governs for the governed? Democracies now form the most common regime type around the world, but not without having faced significant problems of transitions to, and performance of, representative forms of government. As a result, the state of democracy in the world is far from healthy or perfect, and many threats remain or continue to arise to threaten the growth and consolidation of democratic regimes in many countries. To understand the opportunities and challenges posed by democratic forms of government, we will cover topics in the comparative study of contemporary politics as it relates to the development of the state, the growth and consolidation of democratic regimes, the persistence of non-democratic and hybrid regimes, economic growth, ethnicity, and political violence.

Required Readings:

Textbooks (available at UW bookstore, online, and via e-book):

• Patrick H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics, 7^th edition, Norton, 2020. [6th edition acceptable but no earlier editions.]
• Patrick H. O’Neil, Karl Fields, and Don Share. Cases of Comparative Politics, 7^th edition, Norton, 2020. [6th edition acceptable but no earlier editions.]

All other readings will be provided by Professor Long and available on Canvas. To remain good students, engaged citizens, and for success in this class, students should consume a regular diet of global news from reputable sources such as The New York Times, Washington Post, PBS/NPR, BBC, and The Guardian, among others.