Comparative Politics

This course is a part of:

Associate of Paralegal Studies

Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies

Bachelor of Business Administration

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

This course is designed to give students a broad survey of the important issues in the study of comparative politics. We will gain an understanding of world politics and political systems and compare issues and structures on a global level. Students will conduct in-depth studies of individual countries and see how local issues have a worldwide impact and we will explore how politics works on individual, group, national, and global levels. Each country study will apply a theoretical framework to explore broad issues like why some countries modernize more quickly or why some are more democratic. Throughout the semester, students will gain knowledge of political institutions and processes and will learn to think critically about the consequences of public policies. We will observe the international economy and how politics shapes a nation’s influence on the local and global levels. This course will help students learn about other countries, regions, and the world, and it will help them ask fundamental questions about politics and government.

Course Learning Outcomes

• Describe political systems and states

• Detail the process of fostering economic development

• Understand why we compare political systems

• Pinpoint the structures and functions of political systems

• Explicate why and how culture matters to political processes

• Identify trends shaping contemporary political cultures

• Explain how citizens participate in sociopolitical affairs in different societies

• Discuss the development of interest groups, describing their historical performances

• Define authoritarian party systems and their power structures

• Assess the prospects and challenges facing democracies and authoritarianism

• Trace the geographic distribution of government power

• Explain the process of community-building

• Present the common outcomes of international interactions and their generalities