Search

View By:

Groups

• Arts & Letters (A&L)
• Social Science (SSC)
• Science (SCI)

Subject

Select a subject Anthropology Architecture & Allied Arts Art Art History Arts & Administration Astronomy Biology Business Administration Chemistry Chinese Classics Comparative Literature Computer & Information Science Dance Professional Danish East Asian Lang & Literature Economics Educational Studies English Environmental Studies Ethnic Studies Exercise & Movement Science Finnish French Geography Geology German Greek Hebrew History Honors College Human Physiology Humanities International Studies Italian Japanese Journalism Judaic Studies Korean Landscape Architecture Latin Linguistics Music Music Jazz Studies Norwegian Philosophy Physics Planning Public Policy Mgmt Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Russ & East European Studies Russian Scandinavian Sociology Spanish Swedish Theater Arts Women's & Gender Studies

Course

• View All

PS 204 -- Intro Comparative Pol

Expanded course description

The basic ideas of comparative politics are 1) that politics in different countries works similarly in some ways and differently in others, and 2) that whether we are interested in understanding just one country or in understanding trends across many of them, we can learn a great deal by comparing things across a variety of national cases. In addition to this method of learning by comparison, this field has arguably been defined around a two-part core question: Why are the most powerful, richest countries in the world capitalist democracies, and to what extent are other countries following that "Western" path?

As a field, comparative politics break down various aspects of that core question. For example, how is it that a handful of rich countries with 20% of the world's population produce 75% of its manufactured goods, consume more than half the planet's total energy resources and generate two-thirds of the world's air and water pollution? Why do some people benefit from regular elections and take respect for human rights almost for granted while others fear oppressive security forces or the uncertainty that the "rules of the game" for expressing your opinions, doing business, or raising your family will only last until the next military takeover? Why, in some times and places, do people of different heritage, mother-tongue, religion or skin color manage to live, work and run governments together as if they were all part of one humanity? Why in other times and places do ethnicity, race, culture or identity become the basis for persecution, civil unrest or genocide?

This class poses these questions across a wide range of countries to introduce students to how politics works and changes around the world. We will address a wide range of answers from many different theoretical perspectives and methods. For syllabi, see http://polisci.uoregon.edu/syllarch.html.

Group: SSC

Offered 200701.

Syllabus

Although syllabi can change from term to term, a syllabus may provide further information about typical instances of this course.

© Copyright 2007 University of Oregon