A political map of the world today depicts 200 different countries and implies considerable similarity between them. They all have international borders, a government, capital city, and national flag, and nearly all are UN members. But the same map conceals profound differences. There is great diversity in how countries are governed, and in their levels of democracy, state capacity, respect for law and human rights, freedom for individuals, social equality, or economic wealth and development. This course compares and contrasts the key elements of political systems in use around the world today.

This course is an introduction to comparative politics. One goal is to understand the tools available to enable systemic comparisons between countries, including the use of appropriate concepts, methods, and theoretical frameworks. A second goal is to understand democracy, from a leadership perspective of how do rulers govern and exercise power, and from a citizenship perspective of how do ordinary people influence politics. A third goal is to understand authoritarianism – why it exists, how it is sustained, and when there are opportunities for reform or revolt.

• Part 1: The Comparative Toolbox, weeks 1-3. Examines a range of key concepts, methods, and theoretical frameworks commonly
  used by scholars in comparative political analysis.
  
• Part 2: Democratic Institutions, weeks 3-6. How do political leaders achieve and exercise power effectively in modern democracies?
  Discusses key political institutions such as executives and legislatures, and structures provided by constitutions and federalism.
  
• Part 3: Democratic Society, weeks 7-9. How can ordinary people influence politics in modern democracies? Examines different avenues for the public to exercise their agency, including through media and social media, elections, political parties, interest groups, and social movements.
  
• Part 4: Power and Change, weeks 9-12. Compares gradual and revolutionary political changes, discusses politics under authoritarian regimes from the perspective of both leaders and citizens, and examines what populism is, how it works, and the challenge it poses.

Lectures
Students are expected to attend two lectures per week, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Shortly after a lecture has been completed, a video of the lecture will appear in the Panopto section in Moodle, and lecture Powerpoint files are uploaded to the weekly sections in Moodle. The first lecture is on Tuesday 11 July.

Tutorials
Students are expected to attend one tutorial per week. Tutorials begin in the second week of trimester, starting on Tuesday 18 July. There will be one or two in-person tutorial times offered each week on the Hamilton campus, depending on student numbers, plus one online tutorial conducted using zoom. Students pick a tutorial time and sign up for it in Moodle.

Tutorials discuss the content from the previous week’s lectures and readings. Participation in tutorials will help students to understand the course material, and in particular help students identify the key points and questions they should focus upon. The best way to prepare for tests is to participate in tutorials.

The required textbook for this course is:

Title: Comparative Government and Politics, 12th edition
Authors: John McCormick, Rod Hague, and Martin Harrop
Year of publication: 2022
ISBN: 9781350932548

Textbook hard copies can be purchased from the campus bookstore or ordered from the publisher (https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/comparative-government-and-politics-9781350932548/). Ebooks can be purchased from online websites such as Amazon.

A copy of the textbook is available for two-hour loan from the high-demand section of the university library. Any required readings for the course not from the textbook are provided as PDFs on Moodle.