Appropriate for First Year students.

TimeDaysLocationInstructorGERCreditOPUS Class NumberSyllabus (Tentative)
8:30am-9:45am
TuTh
White Hall 101
Jennifer Gandhi. HSC. 42181 TBA.

January 13, 2010- April 26, 2010

Catalog Description: Political systems of major nations in comparative perspective.

Semester Details:

This course is an introduction to important concepts, themes, and approaches in the comparative study of politics. Students will gain an understanding of how politics is organized in different societies, how political institutions are the product of choices made by individuals in specific contexts, and how institutions interact with social and economic factors to produce policies and outcomes. The course is organized around questions that highlight interesting phenomena or puzzles that call for some kind of explanation. By examining some proposed answers to these questions, we will cover areas in which comparative research has been the most active. By the end of the semester, students will have obtained a broad perspective of the field and the opportunity to relate some of their own interests to existing concerns of other scholars.

Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources

  1. Caramani, Daniele. 2008. Comparative Politics.
    ISBN: 9780199298419.
    Oxford University Press

Grading

Assignment/ExamDetails% of Total Grade
Three AssignmentsNA3 X 10%
Attendance / ParticipationNA10%
Final ExaminationNA35%
Mid Term ExaminationNA25%

The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.