Teacher(s)
Language
French
Prerequisites
The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| The main aim of this course is to give an extensive overview of some of the key issues in contemporary comparative politics. This will be done through a focus on two core questions, that may form our main thread during the whole term (subject to change): - why do some states become democratic, and not others? - why are some democracies stable, and other unstable or fragile ? At the end of the term, students should be able to apply theories in comparative democratization studies to concrete contemporary cases. |
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Content
The course will start with a short reflection on the relevance of comparison in social sciences in general, and in political science in particular, with a review of the history of the comparative method. It will then focus primarily on one of the major issues of comparative politics: democratic transitions. The main sections of the course will be as follows (subject to change) :
- how can we measure and compare democratic achievements ?
- is economic development a prerequisite for democracy ?
- does democracy foster economic development ?
- are multicultural democracies more fragile and unstable than others ?
- how can we make sense of democratic backsliding?
- does democracy imply a strict separation of Church and State ?
Through the careful examination of some of these questions, as well as other questions to be determined, we will attempt to show the crucial contribution of the comparative method to the analysis of contemporary political phenomena.
- how can we measure and compare democratic achievements ?
- is economic development a prerequisite for democracy ?
- does democracy foster economic development ?
- are multicultural democracies more fragile and unstable than others ?
- how can we make sense of democratic backsliding?
- does democracy imply a strict separation of Church and State ?
Through the careful examination of some of these questions, as well as other questions to be determined, we will attempt to show the crucial contribution of the comparative method to the analysis of contemporary political phenomena.
Teaching methods
Lecture with Powerpoint presentation. The active participation of students is most welcome, especially when contemporary authors are discussed. Attendance to the classes is strongly recommended. Furthermore, students may be required to read a book (or several articles) in political sociology. Questions on the readings (if any) may be asked at the exam.
Evaluation methods
The written exam may include questions about all the material (authors, theories, historical facts, etc.) seen in class, as well as on the required readings (if any). For detailed information and sample questions, students are strongly advised to check the exam procedures posted on Moodle.
Faculty or entity
Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)
Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
