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This
course provides the analytical knowledge and practical skills to
understand comparative politics worldwide.
It
addresses a wide range of policy-relevant issues: What are the key
features of democracies and autocracies, and how can regimes in South
Africa, Nigeria and Iran be classified? What is the appropriate balance
of powers between the president and the Congress in Venezuela, Brazil
and Mexico? What are the prospects for building stable states and
democratic governance in Iraq and Afghanistan? How could human rights be
strengthened through constitutional reforms in Russia and Belarus? Is
traditional political activism eroding in the U.S., UK, France and
Germany? How do government structures shape the delivery of economic and
welfare policies in India and China?
The
course covers these questions and many others by utilizing the methods
and techniques of comparative politics. You will learn about polities
worldwide – as well as thereby enriching and deepening your
understanding of your own nation. The orientation is problem and reform
focused. API415 analyzes (i) the nature of comparative politics (ii)
processes of state formation and the classification of regimes types,
(iii) the structure of political institutions, (iv) the role of
political actors, and (v) processes of governance performance. API-415
reviews the leading research literature to understand the theoretical
concepts and empirical literature on each topic and then compares
case-studies to apply these ideas to particular nations. Evaluation
involves workgroup case-study presentations as well as three individual
reports.
The
course will provide invaluable skills and knowledge for anyone seeking
to develop familiarity with the major issues in comparative politics and
the practical skills in analyzing countries around the globe. In the
age of globalization, cross-national insights into politics are
invaluable for a wide range of potential careers, whether working for
international agencies, multilateral organizations, non-profit NGOs,
international corporations, or national governments. |
