Plsc 120:
S/Comparative Politics

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An introduction to the comparative study of political behavior and institutions. Brief consideration of individual cases suggests concepts and insights which will facilitate the study and criteria for judgment of differing types of political systems in differing environments and at different stages of development. Includes elementary explanation of "types," "environments," and the concepts of "development." Prepares the entering student for more intensive studies of particular geographical and institutional areas. Major examples considered are drawn from areas other than the United States however, students are encouraged to apply newly introduced concepts to the politics of the United States.

Plsc 223:
Politics of South Asia

This course explores the major political and socioeconomic forces shaping contemporary South Asia. We begin with an overview of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, and Afghanistan), emphasizing subcontinental factors such as the impact of colonization and anti-colonial freedom struggles; international relations; and regional conflicts such as Kashmir and the nuclearization of the Indo-Pakistani relationship. We then turn to the ways in which newly independent states have contended with challenges of governance, national unity, and socioeconomic development, through case studies of the states of the region. The major focus of the course is the evolution and nature of democratic and authoritarian regimes in the region. Offered every fall

Plsc 228:
S/M/Dev Third World Politics

A survey of conditions and politics in areas of the world generally referred to as "developing." Why is political instability so common? How does chronic poverty affect politics in the developing world? What are the prospects for change? A variety of historical models, theoretical approaches to political development, and contemporary cases will be used to examine these and similar questions. Offered once yearly

Plsc 321:
State & Soc in Non-West World

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This course examines state-society relations in comparative politics, focusing on the interplay among ideologies, institutions, interests, and identities in the nonwestern world. Readings include both theoretical works exploring these concepts and critical case studies. We begin with exploration of the adoption and adaptation of various political ideologies, sometimes arising from Western traditions and interactions with Western powers, that resulted in extremely varied political institutions throughout the nonwestern world. For example, parliamentary democracies have emerged in countries with remarkably different histories, including formerly fascist Japan and a number of former colonies. And yet other newly independent countries facing similar initial conditions adopted political systems as dissimilar as communism, democracy, and military authoritarianism. Prerequisites: PLSC 120. Offered every spring