POLS306

This course introduces students to the basic methods, concepts and substance of comparative politics. Special attention will be paid to institutions and behaviors as well as development and modernization theories. The course provides students with tools to address such questions as: What is a political system? What are the different varieties of democracies and authoritarian regimes? Are some regimes more vulnerable to political violence than others? What explains the transition from authoritarianism to democracy and can that process be reversed? How does geography impact the political, economic, and social development of a region?