Dr Sarah Brierley

New course for the 2023/24 academic session

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Political Science (Comparative Politics). This course is not available as an outside option.

The course introduces students to the broad field of comparative politics. Students examine theoretical and methodological underpinnings and diverse examples of 'best practice' in research and writing in this sub-field of the broad discipline of political science. 

Lectures and seminar discussions focus on important areas of research in comparative politics and the methodological challenges involved. At the end of the course students will have -

• Gained knowledge on substantive topics in the field of comparative politics; be able to define key concepts and understand how scholars measure important political and social outcomes.
• Understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches to the study of comparative politics, and why scholars use different methods. 
• Developed the ability to ask relevant research questions in the field of comparative politics.
• Been able to design a research project to answer their research questions.
• Evaluated and critiqued existing literature and discussed ways to move a research area forward.

This course exposes students to core topics and debates in the field of comparative politics. Topics include, for example, the state and state-building, electoral and party systems, democratisation, civil conflict, and immigration and integration. In discussing substantive issues, the course will expose students to a range of methodological approaches used in the study of comparative politics.

Readings treat such variegated topics of inquiry and debate in comparative politics as democracy, ethnic conflict, civil society and revolution, the state and state-building, electoral and party systems, democratisation, civil conflict, and immigration and integration. In discussing substantive issues, the course will expose students to a range of methodological approaches used in the study of comparative politics.

The course treats examples of real existing comparative politics as practiced by leading scholars in the field in recent years. These examples are chosen to cover diverse forms of comparison, diverse modes of analysis, diverse topic areas, and diverse countries and regions of the world. Cutting across these forms of diversity and sets of questions that will be addressed throughout the course concerning the practicalities and limitations of various methods of comparative analysis for explaining observable patterns in politics.

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the MT. 15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the LT.

There will be a reading week in Week 6 of the Michaelmas and Lent Terms.

Two short literature response papers to be submitted in the MT and LT. 

• Skocpol, T. (2015). States and Social Revolutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hall, P. (2003). "Aligning Ontology and Methodology in Comparative Politics". In J. Mahoney & D. Rueschemeyer (Eds.), Comparative Historical Analysis in the Social Sciences (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics, pp. 373-404). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Richard F. Doner, Bryan K Ritchie and Dan Slater Systematic Vulernability and the Origins of Developmental States: Northeast and Southeast Asia
• Doner, R. F., Ritchie, B. K., & Slater, D. (2005). Systemic Vulnerability and the Origins of Developmental States: Northeast and Southeast Asia in Comparative Perspective. International Organization, 59(2), pp. 327–361.
• Brady H.E. and Collier D. eds., (2010). Rethinking Social Inquiry : Diverse Tools, Shared Standards. 2nd ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Exam (60%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.
Project (40%, 1500 words) in the ST.