Introduction to Comparative Politics (2024/2025: Semester 1 – Fall)

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Cursusdoel

After completing this course students are able to:
  • be able to identify key terms and concepts in the fields of comparative politics; (exams, country presentation, research paper)
  • have a strong understanding of the logic of comparative analysis, and its application to different topics and countries; (exams, research paper)
  • have broadened their substantive knowledge of politics in different countries around the world; (exams, country paper, research paper)
  • develop the ability to make knowledgeable and critical assessment of political phenomena in different countries; and learn to make valid comparisons
    among and between states in different parts of the world (exams, research paper)
  • gain practice in writing and presenting an analytical research paper (country presentation, research paper presentation)
  • be able to assess critically written and oral contributions (country paper, research paper, peer review, class participation)

Vakinhoudelijk

“And what should they know of England Who only England know?” Rudyard Kipling

Comparative politics aims to explain differences between as well as similarities among countries and utilizescomparison as a tool for social science research to understand broader trends in world politics. The course draws from both theoretical work and country and regional case studies that cover both advanced industrialized and developing world states.
Comparative politics is specifically interested in exploring patterns, processes, and regularities among political systems. Hence, it searches for trends, for changes in patterns; and it tries to develop and apply general propositions (or hypotheses) that describe and explain these trends.
The core question comparative politics ask is why politics is different across countries. Related to that comparative politics explores questions such as:
  • What explains democratization?
  • Are countries with prime ministers more stable than ones in which the president heads the executive branch?
  • Why do some countries have extensive welfare states while others do not?
  • Are multi-ethnic societies more or less prone to civil wars?
  • Why are some countries poorer than the others?

Format
The course is divided into two broad sections (which may at times overlap):
Conceptual and Theoretical Study of Comparative Politics: The course aims to familiarize you with the concepts, ideas and ‘analytical tools’ necessary to understand the structures and process of different political systems. Therefore, you will learn about concepts such as power, state, democracy, power, nationalism, ideology and culture. You willalso be provided with ‘analytical tools’ that are needed to compare countries, across time and across different levels. Furthermore, you will be introduced to the dominant approaches in the field (institutional, rational choice and political culture approaches) and some crucial methodological questions about how we conduct studies in comparative politics, across time and across different governmental levels.
Examination and Analysis of Diverse Country Cases: The course exposes you specific country cases, which serve as illustrations of broader patterns of politics.In other words, we take a close look at specific countries, their history, political institutions, political culture, political processes and political outcomes. In conjunction, with the study of countries, you will be asked to develop, write and present your own comparative analysis of a political topic. This means you design a comparative study where you will raise a theoretical question and conduct an analysis for two (or more) countries.

Werkvormen

UCU ssc 1 course

Toetsing

Attendance, Participation & Peer Review

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

Research paper

Verplicht | Weging 20% | ECTS 1,5

Research paper presentation

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

Country Presentation

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

*midterm FEEDBACK*

Niet verplicht

Exam 1

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Exam 2

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er is geen informatie over verplichte ingangseisen bekend.

Voorkennis

Er is geen informatie over benodigde voorkennis bekend.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Competenties

  • Academisch schrijven
  • Debatteren / discoursanalyse
  • Onderzoeksvaardigheden
  • Presenteren

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

  • DIVERSE
    All other required readings can be found on the university library's website.
  • BOEK
    O'Neil, P., K.J. Fields & D. Share. 2020. (2nd edition) Cases and Concepts in Comparative Politics: An Integrated Approach, Norton. ISBN: 978-0393532890

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Coördinator

dr. G. Avci G.Avci@uu.nl

Docenten

dr. G. Avci G.Avci@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

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