This course introduces students to the basic concepts and theories
that political scientists use to compare political systems around
the world. Students often think of comparative politics as the
political science course in which they learn about politics in
different countries, and to an extent that is what we will do.
Before we turn to specific cases, however, we will look at various
concepts and theories that will help us to cope with and make sense
of the tremendous amount of facts and details that confront us. We
will examine questions like: What is power and why is it exercised
in different ways in different political systems? What is democracy
and why do some countries have more of it than others? What was
communism and what are some of the problems that formerly communist
countries have faced in transforming their political systems? Why
have so many countries in the third world failed to deliver their
citizens from poverty? What role does ethnic and religious identity
play in politics, and in what settings is ethnic cleansing more or
less likely to occur? Countries that we will look at in helping us
to answer these questions include the United States, Great Britain,
France, Russia, China, Mexico, Iraq, Iran, Congo, and Rwanda.
Grading will be based on regular reading quizzes, a current events
journal, two midterms, and a short final paper.