Description
The aim of this course is to provide students with an overview of key political institutions and processes in contemporary political systems, such as political parties and party systems, social movements, executive-legislative relations, electoral systems or bureaucracies. At the same time, the course also introduces students to some of the key concepts in political science, such as political culture, social capital, political participation, or electoral behavior. What are the functions of political parties, and how do parties organize? Is there a difference between the position of presidents in the United States and in France? How can we distinguish a social movement from an interest group? What is lobbying? Why is political participation important for political systems, and has it declined in recent years? The focus throughout the course is on modern representative government, but the course also encourages students to understand the differences between democracies and non-democracies and to appreciate the role of institutions and political processes in authoritarian contexts. The course is not about one particular country or region. The examples of institutions and political processes are drawn from a wide range of empirical contexts, with the aim of introducing students to their patterns from an international comparative perspective. In that sense, the course also serves as an introduction to the comparative method and the discipline of comparative politics more generally.
The course also includes Academic Skills working groups that focus on improving students’ ability to understand, summarize, and critically analyse empirical political science research by writing reviews of foundational texts in the field of comparative politics.
Course objectives
Objective 1: To introduce key political institutions and processes in contemporary political systems, with a particular focus on modern representative government.
Objective 2: To introduce some of the key political science concepts.
Objective 3: To introduce patterns of politics and institutions in comparative perspective.
Objective 4: To improve students’ ability to understand, summarize, and critically analyse empirical research.
Mode of instruction
Plenary lectures and extra interactive sessions centered around the literature and student questions
Academic Skills working groups
Academic Skills Coordinator: T.E.C. Scarff MSc
Exchange students take this course for 5 EC and do not follow the working groups
Assessment method
60% final exam (100% Multiple Choice questions); 2 hours.
40% work group assignments and participation
The final grade for the workgroups is the weighted average of two assignments (the first counts for 40% of the grade, the second 50% of the grade) and a participation grade (counting for 10% of the grade).
The time and location of the exam inspection and debriefing will be announced via Brightspace no later than the publication of the grades.
If one part of the grade has not been passed, only that part has to be retaken.
Reading list
Lectures:
McCormick, J. & Hague, R. & Harrop, M. (2022). Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction (12th ed.). London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic.
Working Groups:
Articles to be announced in the syllabus and Brightspace
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable
Registration
See 'Practical Information'
Contact
Dr. D.L. Davila Gordillo, d.l.davila.gordillo@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
T.E.C. Scarff MSc, t.e.c.scarff@fsw.leidenuniv.nl