Comparative Politics (U03226)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-3-CP

Why does democracy work in some countries but not others? Does low voter turnout signal the death of democracy? Are dictatorships inevitable in some cultures? How can a comparative approach help us to answer these questions? These are some of the issues students will explore in this course. Drawing on a wide range of cases from around the world, this course will enable students to better understand debates surrounding key political institutions and processes by examining them in comparative context.

Entry Requirements

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Special Arrangements for Entry: Places allocated according to the following order of priority:

(1) Politics Single Honours 3rd year;
(2) Politics Joint Honours 3rd year;
(3) International Relations Single Honours 3rd year;
(4) Politics Single Honours 4th year;
(5) Politics Joint Honours 4th year;
(6) International Relations Single Honours 4th year;
(7) Other SSPS students;
(8) Non-SSPS students

Please note: because of the high numbers of students enrolled, this course will almost certainly not be able to admit students from outside the College of Humanities and Social Science.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Politics and International Relations, (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
24/09/2008	11:10	12:00	Room G.01, Chrystal Macmillan Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Wednesday	11:10	12:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- demonstrate knowledge of the comparative method and its application;
- show familiarity with core texts in the field of comparative politics;
- analyse critically key political processes and institutions in comparative perspective;
- articulate an informed view about current debates and questions surrounding comparative politics