POL S 204 A: Introduction to Comparative Politics

What accounts for the stark differences in political regimes and economic systems across different countries, and at different historical moments? This course will examine key processes — both global and local — that contributed to the development of modern political societies in the form of the nation-state. These processes are colonialism and imperialism, state formation, nationalism, and capitalism. We will examine how the construction of nations, states, and political economies followed distinct, but deeply interconnected, trajectories in formerly imperial powers versus colonized (now “postcolonial”) countries. With this global historical perspective as our foundation, we will proceed to survey key research areas in the field of comparative politics: political regime types; economic development; formal and informal institutions; social movements; and revolutions. Throughout the quarter, we will apply these concepts and theories to a wide range of real world cases and examine how politics works in practice around the globe. Our exploration will be motivated by urgent questions around threats to democracy, extreme inequality, and political and social crises.