ASPO 25A11 - Comparative Politics

Comparative politics is a subfield of political science that seeks to explain variation in political outcomes, across or within counties. What explain the emergence of the modern state? Why are some countries more democratic than others? What explains regime transitions? What are the conditions under which government represent interests of the voters? Why do some countries have more internal conflict than others? In this course, we will discuss how the scientific method is used to answer these questions, paying attention to the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological approaches.

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A written final exam (1/3 of the final grade). The final exam will consist of two parts. The first part will be a sequence of short questions to see if you have mastered the main concepts, theories, data points discussed in the lectures. The second part will ask you to write a short essay on one question. You will be given the choice between two topics for the essay.

A presentation of a research paper during the discussion section + participation in the discussion section (1/3 of the final grade).

A research paper (1/3 of the final grade). Groups of two students will choose a topic on which they will write a research paper (30000 characters, approx. 15 pages, double-spaced).