INT1017 Comparative Politics

    • Number of credits
      10
    • Teaching semester
      2023 Autumn
    • Language of instruction
      English
    • Campus
      Lillehammer
    • Required prerequisite knowledge

      None

Course content

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.

Learning Outcome

Having passed the course, the student has gained the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

The student

  • knows key questions, concepts and theories from comparative politics.
  • knows the major differences between different regime types and forms of government, and how these differences matter.
  • knows how and why institutions and actors differ and change, and with what consequences.
Skills

The student

  • can understand national political systems and compare different elements of political systems across countries, as well as assess effects of differences between political systems.
  • can describe and explain the rise and variation in different regime types, forms of government and political institutions.
  • can describe and explain variation in different forms of participation and organized collective political action.
General competence

The student

  • has general analytical skills to critically compare theoretical arguments and evaluate empirical evidence.
  • knows how to apply conceptual and theoretical knowledge on empirical cases.
  • knows how to discuss key analytical questions based on multiple sources in writing and with fellow students.
Teaching and working methods

The course comprises lectures and seminars.

  • The lectures summarize concepts, theories, and developments in comparative, supplemented with selected cases for discussion.
  • Topics from lectures are elaborated in the seminars through active student participation, such as oral or written presentations and discussions.
  • The syllabus literature includes textbooks, supported by selected articles and book chapters
Required coursework

There are two coursework requirements, both written assignments based on previous group presentations at seminars. 

  • A short essay.
  • Short answers to a set of questions covering relevant topics.
Form of assessment

An exam essay, which will be a further development of the short essay coursework requirement. The length of the exam essay will be announced at the beginning of the semester.

Assessments
Form of assessmentGrading scaleGroupingDuration of assessmentSupport materialsProportionComment
Written assignment
ECTS - A-F
100%
Faculty
Inland School of Business and Social Sciences
Department
Department of Law, Philosophy and International studies with history