Comparative Politics

Comparative Politics Description and analysis of the principal types of modern political systems, including types of democracies and dictatorships found in Western systems, Eastern systems, and the Third World. Occasional comparison made with American institutions and political processes. Deals both with structures and major policy problems confronting these political systems: the politics of education, human rights, demands for regional autonomy, ethnic conflict and diversity, political violence, demand for welfare services, crises in agriculture, and other topics of relevance.	104
Introduction to East Asian Civilization Survey of the traditional cultures and modern history of China and Japan. Emphasis on political systems, intellectual and religious history, and cultural developments.	171
West European Politics Postwar western European politics and policy-making in comparative perspective. Political institutions and the role and behavior of political parties. European integration, environmental policy, welfare policy, regionalism, and immigration.	271
Non-Western Politics Introduction to the politics of the Third World nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Evolution of post-colonial state, the origins and explanations of political violence, and the effects of economic weakness, cultural pluralism, and social structure on politics. Examined within the context of the international political and economic system.	272
Developmental Politics in East Asia Political economy of development in the "Asian Tigers": Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia. Historical roots of these "developmental states." Political and economic structures associated with rapid development. Process of democratization and political change that have occurred as these states modernize.	274
Post-Communist Politics and Change Requires theoretical and comparative thinking using concepts and theories in comparative politics, regime transition, state-society debates, and democratization. Post-communist politics of East Central, Central Europe or Eastern Europe (includes twelve countries) focusing on the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and the Yugoslav states. Politics and history of the region.	275
Latin American Politics Constitutional and political development of selected Latin American countries; contemporary problems and institutions. Latin America in world affairs with special reference to the inter-American relations and the United States.	277
Challenges to the State Challenges to the state related to human rights and gender issues. How growth of non-state actors affects individuals and groups and their rights. Gendered notions of the state, national security, women’s rights and humanitarian intervention.	281
Politics of the European Union European Union from its inception in the early postwar period to the present. How the balancing act between individual countries' national interests and the transfer of sovereignty to the supranational government of the EU affects policy making, administration, and the construction of EU institutions.	371

Russian Politics Political, economic, and social changes currently affecting the Russian Federation. External and internal factors affecting Russian domestic and foreign policy. Problems and challenges of democratization and economic reform.	372
Japanese Politics Introduction and overview of post-war Japanese politics. focusing on rise and fall of one party democracy and political economy of Japan's capitalist development state. Examining impact of rapid development to Japanese society.	374
Chinese Politics Contemporary Chinese politics. Post-Mao period. Political, economic, and social consequences of Deng Xiaoping's reforms. Prospects for the post-Deng period.	376
Comparative Public Policy: A Cross-National Approach Various approaches to the study of public policy outside the United States with emphasis on Western industrial societies. Policy formation and the various factors that influence policy outputs. the relationship between policy outputs and policy outcomes. efforts to classify and evaluate various types of policy outputs. the influence of policy on politics.	471
State Terror Use of terror as an instrument of state policy. A series of case studies of large scale politically based killings. Why and which states use terror and politicide against their own citizens.	472
Comparative Institutions Formal and informal institutions such as constitutions, electoral rules, property rights and civil rights. How and why people in different groups, countries, and cultures construct institutions to facilitate collective action. Whether different groups construct distinctly different institutions to deal with similar problems and why similar institutions seem to work differently in distinct societies	474
Ethnic Conflict and Identity Theories of nationalism and ethnic conflicts. Case studies of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The post-Cold War era as multi-polar and multi-civilizational. The states and different cultures that compete for influence and authority to dominate the ”New World order.” The division of the world along ethnic, religious, and class lines rather than by ideology. The future of international politics and the reassessment of the causes of “conflicts of culture” and their containment.	476
Israel and the Middle East Israeli politics, society, and relations with its neighbors, particularly the Palestinians. Rise of Zionism and the Palestinian response to it. Wars between Israel and Arab neighbors, and the eventual peace agreements between the two. The internal dynamics of Israeli political life. State of Zionism today.	477
Pro-seminar in Latin American Studies An interdisciplinary analysis of the mechanics of cultural continuity and social change in Latin America.	478

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