CREDITS 3 ECTS - 32 Contact Hours
The aim of this course is to introduce students with the core theories, concepts and approaches to comparative politics. The course covers four main themes: (i) comparative methodology and key concepts; (ii) political regimes; (iii) the behavioural school in comparative politics; (iv) the new institutionalism school in comparative politics. The core textbook is: Rod Hague & Martin Harrop (2019), Comparative Government & Politics. 11th edition. This, and the other texts listed in the lecture plan are available in the course compendium. In writing the research paper, students should follow the paper guidelines that will be available in the course profile. The midterm test will assess the first half of the course's themes and will consist of either multiplechoice questions or a short written response format. The final exam for the Comparative Politics course will include four open-ended questions that cover key themes discussed after the midterm. Additionally, there will be one comprehensive question that requires integration of concepts and themes from both the pre- and post-midterm material. This format is designed to evaluate students' in-depth understanding of recent topics as well as their ability to connect broader course content. The lectures and seminars will be given by Malvīne Stučka. Students must attend a minimum of 75% of classes (lectures and seminars) in order to pass the course.
- Teacher: Malvīne Strazdiņa