Welcome to POLS 204! Introduction to Comparative Politics Prof. Susan Whiting

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Welcome to POLS 204!Introduction to Comparative
PoliticsProf. Susan Whiting
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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Subfields of Political Science
• Comparative politics

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Subfields of Political Science
• Comparative politics
• Political/economic phenomena within state
  boundaries
• Countries other than our own
• Comparison

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Most important comparative issue
• DEVELOPMENT

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Development
• Economic aspects
• Political aspects

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Development
• Economic aspects
• Wealth production
• Provision of basic needs
• Improvement in quality of life
• Equality

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Development
• Political aspects
• Maintenance of stability
• State capacity to formulate and implement policy
• Democracy

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• This course will answer the following questions
  about development
• Why are some countries rich and some countries
  poor?
• Why are some countries democratic and some
  authoritarian?
• Why are some countries stable and others wracked
  by violence?

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Studying Comparative Politics
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Studying Comparative Politics
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Studying Comparative Politics
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Studying Comparative Politics
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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• We will study 4 important theories that claim to
  explain economic and political development
• Neo-liberalism
• Modernization
• Dependency
• Statism

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• We will study 6 countries experiences with
  development
• Britain (United Kingdom)
• Japan
• Russia
• China
• Mexico
• Nigeria

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Introduction to Comparative Politics Exercise 1!

• Label each country
• Britain
• Japan
• Russia
• China
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Circle label if 20th C imperial power
• Make two lists
• Rank countries by political freedom
• Rank countries by level of economic development

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Introduction to Comparative Politics

• Course website
• http//faculty.washington.edu/swhiting/pols204/