Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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SPOL1313 - Comparative politics



Credits : 5

Lecturer :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , second term, 30 hours of theory.

Timetable :
Second term
Thursday from 17:15 to 19:15

Language of instruction :
French






Learning outcomes :
The main aim of this course is to give an extensive overview of some of the key issues in contemporary comparative politics. This will be done through a focus on two core questions, that may form our main thread during the whole term (subject to change):
- why do some states become democratic, and not others ?
- why are some democracies stable, and other unstable or fragile ?
At the end of the term, students should be able to apply theories in comparative democratization studies to concrete contemporary cases.



Prerequisites :
For the Bachelor in Law :

For the Bachelor in Information and Communication :

For the Bachelor in Philosophy :

For the Bachelor in Political Sciences: General :

For the Bachelor in Political Sciences: General (Evening Programme) :

For the Bachelor in Sociology and Anthropology :


Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
The course will start with a short reflection on the relevance of comparison in social sciences in general, and in political science in particular, with a review of the history of the comparative method. It will then focus primarily on one of the major issues of comparative politics: democratic transitions. The main sections of the course will be as follows (subject to change) :
- how can we measure and compare democratic achievements ?
- is economic development a prerequisite for democracy ?
- does democracy foster economic development ?
- are multicultural democracies more fragile and unstable than others ?
- does democracy imply a strict separation of Church and State ?
Through the careful examination of these questions, we will attempt to show the crucial contribution of the comparative method to the analysis of contemporary political phenomena.



Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Lecture with Powerpoint presentation. The active participation of students is most welcome. A course syllabus is made available at the start of the second term. While it contains an outline and brief summaries of the topics covered, much of the theoretical discussion and case study examples will not be included. Attendance at course is therefore strongly recommended.

Furthermore, students are required to read a book (or several articles) in comparative politics. Each year, a new list of readings is selected by the lecturer, and is part of the material to be studied for the exam.


Assessment methods and criteria :
If possible with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exam will take the form of a written examination (closed book) that will take place in Saint-Louis classrooms (i.e. NOT online). It will include two types of questions:
1) one question on the required readings (book or articles)
2) several questions on the course material itself (theories, authors, historical facts, etc.).

If and only if a written examination in Saint-Louis proves impossible due to the COVID-19 pandemic the exam will take the form of an online test on Moodle (open book). It will include two types of questions:
1) at least one question on the required readings (book or articles)
2) at least one question of reflection on the course material itself (theories, authors, historical facts, etc.).



Recommended or required reading :
Students are required to read a book (or several scientific articles) in comparative politics. Each year, a new list of readings is selected by the lecturer. For information only, references for further reading are also indicated in the syllabus.