Comparative politics is the field within political science that tries to explain why countries vary in their domestic political institutions, the political behavior of their leaders and citizens, their levels and rates of development, and their public policies. In this course, we will focus on three main questions that have long been central to research in comparative politics: How do democratic countries vary in their political institutions, and why do these differences matter? Why are some countries democracies and others dictatorships, and what are the consequences? Finally, why are some countries wealthy while others remain mired in poverty?
The goal is not just to acquaint you with these questions and the debates surrounding them but also to help you develop the tools to reach your reasoned conclusions about them. To do this, you will need some fundamental vocabulary and some basic social science research tools. The “vocabulary” part includes an understanding of what social science is all about, what political scientists mean precisely by the terms they use (e.g., development, democracy, proportional representation, bureaucracy), and the kinds of institutions that major countries (and some minor ones) in all parts of the world now have or have had recently.
This course approaches Comparative Politics from the perspective of how political scientists conduct research in this field. Thus, the course is not simply a journalistic commentary on current events or a survey of the politics and institutions of three or four foreign countries. Instead, it is a course focused on using theory and evidence to identify and try to account for broad patterns in political behavior and outcomes in the countries of the world.