POLI 2: COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Foothill College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Units: | 4 |
| Hours: | 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter) |
| Advisory: | Demonstrated proficiency in English by placement via multiple measures OR through an equivalent placement process OR completion of ESLL 125 & ESLL 249; not open to students with credit in POLI 2H. |
| Degree & Credit Status: | Degree-Applicable Credit Course |
| Foothill GE: | Non-GE |
| Transferable: | CSU/UC |
| Grade Type: | Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass) |
| Repeatability: | Not Repeatable |
Student Learning Outcomes
- Compare and contrast governmental systems to understand theories concerning both democratization and social justice (human rights, unemployment, equitable distribution, etc.).
- Critically analyze concepts and apply research to support hypothesis about course content.
Description
Course Objectives
The student will be able to:
A. compare and contrast variety of governmental systems and politics.
B. identify and distinguish range of political forms.
C. analyze patterns, processes and regularities among political systems.
D. compare and contrast models of development strategies.
E. analyze theoretical formulations on comparative politics.
F. formulate research design of comparative politics study.
Course Content
A. Introduction to Comparative Politics: What is it?
1. Comparative politics as a field of study
2. Comparative study of state, society, country, political system
3. Comparative politics as different from international relations
4. Defining key concepts in comparative politics: state, nation, nation-state, government
5. Historical overview of field since World War II
B. Some Methodological Issues in Comparative Politics
1. The structural-functional approach
2. The three legs of comparative analysis: theory, evidence, method
3. The systems theory approach
4. The historical/structural/dialectical approach
5. World systems theory approach
C. Review of Some Major Studies in Comparative Politics
1. The Cold War and its impact on capitalist and socialist societies
2. The stages of capitalist economic growth
3. Dependency, structural dependency, and dependent underdevelopment
4. Incorporation of of nation-states into core, semiperiphery, and periphery
5. Modernity
Lab Content
Not applicable.
Special Facilities and/or Equipment
Method(s) of Evaluation
A. Systematic and continuous participation in course
B. Oral presentations to class of appropriate topics focusing on analysis
C. Development of research project in comparative politics
D. Development of critical, analytical, research and writing skills
E. Presentation of assigned research paper to class
Method(s) of Instruction
Lecture, discussion.
Representative Text(s) and Other Materials
Nye, Joseph. Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2016.
Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments
Students may be asked to read the Economist. Students may be asked to write a research paper as well as to review articles from political science journals.