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§ 5 (1) 7b. PS Comparative Politics - Introductory Level

Students acquire the ability to name different analytical approaches of political science comparison and to present and explain selected concepts of comparative government. Moreover, they are able to analyse and evaluate institutional structures and the functionality of the different structures of democratic governmental systems.

This course provides a systematic overview of key questions addressed in the comparative study of politics. Special attention will be paid to methodological issues and the related tasks of concept formation and theory building. We will primarily be occupied with the state of affairs (ie.pivotal actors, policies, and outcomes) in consolidated European and Northern American democracies.    

Run in seminar-style following introductory lecture given by instructor

Active classroom participation, presentation in class, final written paper

Boix, Carl; Stokes, Susan C. (eds.) (2009): The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics. Oxford: OUP.

Caramani, Daniele (2020): Comparative Politics. 5. Auflage: Oxford: OUP.

tba

successful completion of compulsory module 1