Introduction to Comparative Politics

Why are some states democracies while others are authoritarian dictatorships? Why does ethnicity seem to be at the heart of so much conflict in the world today? And why are some countries rich and others poor? This course is an introduction to the study of politics and political life in the world outside the United States, covering developed and developing countries. It examines how nations and states form and why some fail; how social movements can promote social justice; how democracy functions around the world; and whether capitalism and democracy can coexist.