The Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics at the University of Virginia
http://www.virginia.edu/politics/grad_program/am_politics.html

Graduate Program - Comparative Politics

List of Classes

PLCP 502 — Politics in Southern Europe

This seminar uses case studies of Southern European politics to examine central issues in the field of comparative politics. In each week of the semester, we focus on a major scholarly work that treats a question of enduring concern to comparativists and at the same time addresses an important aspect of politics in Portugal, Spain, Italy, or Greece. An underlying theme and premise of the course, then, is that it is possible to combine an interest and expertise in area studies with rigorous and disciplined research in comparative politics. Like many analysts of Southern Europe, we begin by considering the region’s relatively late democratization. We then turn to recent processes of democratic consolidation in Southern Europe. A natural next step is to look at partisan competition and issues of political economy in the newly consolidated democracies. Finally, we assess spirited debates about the bases for “good government” in Italy, and explore their general implications, within and beyond Southern Europe.

PLCP 511 — Politics in Western Europe

This seminar uses case studies of Western European politics to examine central issues in the subfield of comparative politics. In each week of the semester, we focus on a major scholarly work that treats a question of enduring interest to comparativists and at the same time explores some important aspect of European politics. An underlying theme and premise of the course, then, is that it is possible to combine an interest and expertise in area studies with rigorous and disciplined research in comparative politics. The course is divided into four segments. First, we investigate the historical origins of what we take for granted today in Western Europe: states and democratic institutions. Next, we look at the relationship between executives and legislatures in European democracies. In the third segment of the course, we consider interparty competition for legislative representation and citizens’ participation in movements operating outside, or alongside, the electoral arena. Finally, we analyze choices in public policy, weaving together themes introduced earlier—the evolution over time of state apparatuses and capacities, parliamentary decision-making, and elites’ competition for citizens’ support.

PLCP 520 — Comparative Political Parties

Political parties have been fundamental to democratic political life for well over a century. This seminar is designed to enable students to evaluate different approaches to the study of political parties, to explain differences across parties (e.g., in electoral performance), and to weigh the consequences of parties' behavior for democratic governance. Both the comparisons across Western Europe, the United States, and Japan (in the bulk of the course) and the comparisons between advanced industrial democracies and newly democratized countries (at the end of the semester) allow us to test hypotheses about the influences that diverse institutions and socioeconomic environments might exert on parties, voters, and party systems. The course is divided into three segments. First, we concentrate on parties' appeals to voters and, vice versa, voters' identification with parties. Second, we investigate parties as instruments of government. Third, we explore aspects of internal party politics, such as the motivations of, and roles played by, party members.

PLCP 521 Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics

PLCP 523 Politics of Eastern Europe

PLCP 525 Politics of Economic Reform

A wave of economic change has swept across countries ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe over the last two decades. The unfolding of these changes has been structured and in turn has shaped the politics of the countries in which they have occurred. The objective of this course is to examine different analytical perspective on the politics of economic reform. We begin by examining the politics of globalization. We will see that globalization is very much a process whose trajectory is contingent on the exercise of political power. Next we examine models of the domestic politics of economic reform. Finally, we explore the interaction between globalization and domestic politics through selected case studies usually including Russia, Latin America, India, and China.

PLCP 531 Politics of Latin America

PLCP 533 Political Parties and Movements in Latin America

PLCP 536 Role of the Military in Latin America

PLCP 539 Political Culture

PLCP 541 Politics of Islam and Democracy in the Middle East

PLCP 551 Domestic Politics of China (Y)

Provides a general introduction to the context, structures and dynamics of Chinese domestic politics. Activities include a group research project on provincial diversity.

PLCP 553 Politics of Japan (Y)

Surveys contemporary Japanese society and political behavior including such topics as political culture, interest groups, political parties, parliamentary democracy, decision-making, and public policy.

PLCP 563 Politics of Vietnam

After presenting the evolution of the Vietnamese polity, the focus is on the contemporary challenges of political and economic development in their domestic and external contexts.

PLCP 581 Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa

Studies the government and politics of sub-Saharan Africa. Includes the colonial experience and the rise of African nationalism; the transition to independence; the rise and fall of African one-party states; the role of the military in African politics; the politics of ethnicity, nation- and state-building; patromonialism and patron-client relations; development problems faced by African regimes, including relations with external actors; and the political future of Southern Africa.

PLCP 583 Politics of South Africa

Studies the socio-political structures of white supremacy and the political transition to majority rule. Emphasizes the confrontation between African and Afrikaaner nationalisms, the consequences of economic growth on the patterns of racial stratification, and the complicated process contributing to the creation of the multi-racial democratic society.

PLCP 700 Comparative Politics Core Seminar

This course surveys important approaches to the study of comparative political analysis. It is divided into three parts. It begins by introducing three classic theorists -- Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim. The course then focuses on three major perspectives in comparative political analysis: rational choice, comparative historical, and interpretative or cultural analysis. We read about the basic tenets of each approach, and examine how they have been applied to comparative political analysis. The third section of the course examines key issues in comparative politics (e.g. state formation, transitions to democracy, political economy of development, party systems, etc.. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of each analytical perspective in these issues and discern when they are best utilized.

PLCP 705 Institutional Theory (needs to be added to the Record)

This course draws from a wide range of work to examine and compare different approaches to the study of institutions. It divides institutional analysis into three perspectives: Rational Choice Institutionalism, Historical Institutionalism, and Sociological Institutionalism. The course critically examines the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and considers when and how each is most fruitfully applied.

PLCP 706 Cultural Theory (needs to be added to the Record)

PLCP 707 Rational Choice in Comparative Politics

PLCP 725 Economic Reform Politics (needs to be added to the Record)

PLCP 741 Government and Politics of the Middle East

PLCP 801 Seminar in Comparative Political Systems I

PLCP 802 Seminar in Comparative Political Systems II

PLCP 805 Processes of Change Affecting Governments

PLCP 806 Topics in Developmental Politics

PLCP 814 Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy

PLCP 821 Topics in Government and Politics of the USSR and Eastern Europe

PLCP 831 Topics in the Government and Politics of Latin America

PLCP 842 Topics in the Government and Politics of Middle East

PLCP 851 Topics in the Government and Politics of China (IR)

Seminar on selected topic of Chinese politics,

PLCP 853 Topics in the Government and Politics of Japan (IR)

Seminar focused on specific topics in the study of politics in Japan.

PLCP 861 Topics in the Government and Politics of South Asia

The course focuses on selected issues in the politics in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. In particular, we will investigate why some of these countries have been able to consolidate democracy while others have suffered prolonged lapses into authoritarian rule. What are the roots of religious fundamentalism and can militant religious parties be accommodated by democracy? We investigate the political economy of pubic policy including poverty alleviation programs.