STATE AND SOCIETY IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

POLISCI 442

In-depth exploration of the origins, functions, and societal impacts of states from a global and historical perspective. Engage critically with theories of state formation, state capacity, and governance, analyzing how states are created, sustained, and challenged across various contexts. Special attention will be given to the role of states in shaping and responding to war, environmental challenges, and social dynamics. Draws on interdisciplinary sources from political science, history, economics, and anthropology. Develop and defend nuanced arguments on the state's role as an agent of both stability and change.

POLISCI 856

Introduction to leading concepts and theories in the field of comparative politics, including those relating to states, nations, regimes and development. Includes work on many different regions and countries employing a range of research strategies and methodologies.

POLISCI 120

Introduction to Comparative Politics, one of the four sub-fields in Political Science, which involves the comparative analysis of political institutions, processes, and outcomes at the national level. Examines how to usefully compare politics in a variety of countries and makes comparisons explicit and systematic in order to determine how governments work, how power is organized and contested at the national level, and how regular people can participate and pursue their interests in different political settings. Includes key concepts, theories, methods, issues, and language.

POLISCI 342

Exploration of state-building: examining how states are formed, how they develop and maintain political power, and the ways in which they shape society. Draw on insights from political science, but also economics, history, and anthropology, to learn about the processes of state formation, the importance of state capacity, and the state's role in war, governance, and social justice. Topics will include the relationship between the state and issues like the environment, gender, and identity, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities states face in a rapidly changing world. Analysis of historical and contemporary examples from various political systems yields insights into the state's role as both a force for order and a driver of social change. Lectures, discussions, and case studies, will lead to a deeper understanding of the state's central role in global politics and everyday life.

POLISCI 182

Introduction to Comparative Politics, one of the four sub-fields in Political Science, which involves the comparative analysis of political institutions, processes, and outcomes at the national level. Examines how to usefully compare politics in a variety of countries and makes comparisons explicit and systematic in order to determine how governments work, how power is organized and contested at the national level, and how people can participate and pursue their interests in different political settings. Includes key concepts, theories, methods, and country case studies.