Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Political Science (POLI) 342
Introduction to Comparative Politics (Revision 1)
Revision 1 closed, replaced by current version.
Delivery mode: Individualized study.
Credits: 3 - Social Science
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: POLI 342 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for POLI 340 or POLI 341.
Centre: Centre for State and Legal Studies
POLI 342 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Course website
Overview
Political Science 342 studies the political systems of two or more countries, providing the opportunity to examine the features of individual political systems and to investigate the similarities and differences among political systems. Comparative politics attempts to analyse and explain its findings through the method of comparative study.
Political Science 342 includes in-depth studies of nine individual cases: eight countries as indicated in the course outline below plus the European Union (EU). Together, these case studies generate a wealth of information that allows us to construct the key features for each of the individual cases, examine similarities among various political systems, and appreciate the diversity of the political world. The case studies also permit interesting conclusions and allow for the generation of useful questions.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction
Unit 2: Industrialized Democracies
Unit 3: The Politics of Great Britain
Unit 4: The Politics of France
Unit 5: The Politics of the European Union
Unit 6: The Communist and Post-Communist World
Unit 7: The Politics of the Soviet Union and Russia
Unit 8: The Politics of China
Unit 9: Third World States
Unit 10: The Politics of Nigeria
Unit 11: The Politics of India
Unit 12: The Politics of South Africa
Unit 13: The Politics of Mexico
Unit 14: Conclusion
Course Objectives
When you have completed Political Science 342: Introduction to Comparative Politics, you should be able to achieve the following course objectives.
- Identify the key theoretical approaches and methods used in comparative politics.
- Distinguish between and analyse the politics of three types of political systems: industrialized democracies, former and current Communist regimes, and the Third World.
- Discuss and compare states according to their historical evolution, political culture and political participation, state institutions and form of government, and public policy.
- Discuss, in detail, the politics of the states and political systems addressed in the course.
- Discuss the impact of globalization on the states covered in the course.
Evaluation
To receive credit for POLI 342, you must achieve a composite course grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Assignment 1 | Assignment 2 | Assignment 3 | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 20% | 30% | 35% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbook
Hauss, Charles. 2006. Comparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global Challenges. 5th ed. Toronto: Thomson Wadsworth.
Other materials
The course materials include a study guide, student manual and a reading file.