The course introduces the following: 

• Comparative politics, one of the major sub-disciplines of political science, studying politics primarily within states and other political systems.
• Internal political structures, actors, and processes. These are analysed empirically by describing, explaining, and predicting their variety across political systems.
• The major theories and questions in comparative politics, including empirical knowledge relevant for these theories and questions.
• The analytical tools necessary to reflect critically on these topics.
• The political institutions of democratic systems.
• Alignment and behaviour of voters and parties.
• Interest groups, social movements and collective protest.
• Political regimes and transitions between regimes, such as various forms of democracy, autocracy, and dictatorship.
• Revolutions and civil war.
• Variations in public policies.