3016 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

Course Name: POL HC 3016 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

About the Course:

Course objective:

This is a foundational course in comparative politics. The purpose is to familiarize students with the basic concepts and approaches to the study of comparative politics. More specifically the course will focus on examining politics in a historical framework while engaging with various themes of comparative analysis in developed and developing countries.

Course Outcome:

• To make students understand the basic concepts in comparative politics,

• To make students classify the different political systems and historical context of modern governments,

• To enable students to have a comparative analysis of countries related to their political institutions and behaviour

Course Plan: POL HC 3016 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

Session Plan:

I. Understanding Comparative Politics (8 lectures)

a. Nature and scope

b. Going beyond Eurocentrism

II. Historical context of modern government (16 lectures)

a. Capitalism: meaning and development: globalization

b. Socialism: meaning, growth and development

c. Colonialism and decolonization: meaning, context, forms of colonialism; anti-colonialism struggles and process of decolonization.

Link2 for Decolonization

III. Themes for comparative analysis (24 lectures)

A comparative study of constitutional developments and political economy in the following countries: Britain, Brazil, Nigeria and China.

Essential Readings

I. Understanding Comparative Politics:

• J. Kopstein, and M. Lichbach, (eds), (2005) Comparative Politics: Interests, Identities, and Institutions in a Changing Global Order.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.1-5; 16- 36; 253-290

• M. Mohanty, (1975) ‘Comparative Political Theory and Third World Sensitivity’, in Teaching Politics, Nos. 1 and 2, pp. 22-38

• A. Roy, (2001) ‘Comparative Method and Strategies of Comparison’, in Punjab Journal of Politics.Vol. xxv (2), pp. 1-15.

• J. Blondel, (1996) ‘Then and Now: Comparative Politics’, in Political Studies. Vol. 47 (1), pp. 152-160.

• N. Chandhoke, (1996) ‘Limits of Comparative Political Analysis ‘, in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 31 (4), January 27, pp.PE 2-PE2-PE8

II Historical context of modern government

a. Capitalism

• R. Suresh, (2010) Economy & Society -Evolution of Capitalism, New Delhi, Sage Publications, pp. 151-188; 235-268.

• G. Ritzer, (2002) ‘Globalization and Related Process I: Imperialism, Colonialism,Development, Westernization, Easternization’, in Globalization: A Basic Text. London: WileyBlackwell, pp. 63-84

• M. Dobb, (1950) ‘Capitalism’, in Studies in the Development of Capitalism. London:Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd, pp. 1-32.

• E. Wood, (2002) ‘The Agrarian origin of Capitalism’, in Origin of Capitalism: A Long View. London: Verso, pp. 91-95; 166-181.

• A. Hoogvelt, (2002) ‘History of Capitalism Expansion’, in Globalization and Third World Politics.London: Palgrave, pp. 14-28.

b. Socialism

• A.Brown, (2009) ‘The Idea of Communism’, in Rise and Fall of Communism, Harpercollins (ebook),pp. 1-25; 587-601.

• J. McCormick, (2007) ‘Communist and Post-Communist States’, in Comparative Politics in Transition, United Kingdom: Wadsworth, pp. 195-209

• R. Meek, (1957) ‘The Definition of Socialism: A Comment’, The Economic Journal. 67 (265), pp. 135-139.

c. Colonialism, decolonization& postcolonial society

• P. Duara, (2004) ‘Introduction: The Decolonization of Asia and Africa in the Twentieth Century’, in P. Duara, (ed), Decolonization: Perspective From Now and Then. London: Routledge, pp. 1-18.

• J. Chiryankandath, (2008) ‘Colonialism and Post-Colonial Development’, in P. Burnell, et. al, Politics in the Developing World.New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 31-52.

• M. Mohanty, (1999) ‘Colonialism and Discourse in India and China’, Available at http://www.ignca.nic.in/ks_40033.html http, Accessed: 24.03.2011.

II. Themes for Comparative Analysis

• L. Barrington et. al (2010) Comparative Politics - Structures & Choices, Boston, Wadsworth, pp. 212-13; 71-76; 84-89.

• M. Grant, (2009) ‘United Kingdom Parliamentary System’ in The UK Parliament. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 24-43

• J. McCormick, (2007) Comparative Politics in Transition, UK: Wadsworth, pp. 260-270 (China)

• M. Kesselman, J. Krieger and William (2010), Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas, UK: Wadsworth. pp. 47-70 (Britain); 364- 388 (Nigeria); 625-648 (China); 415-440 (Brazil).

• P. Rutland, (2007) ‘Britain’, in J. Kopstein and M. Lichbach. (eds.) Comparative Politics: Interest, Identities and Institutions in a Changing Global Order.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 39-79.