Comparative Politics engages in the systematic analysis and comparison of political activity, processes, and behavior. The members of the Comparative Politics field at Rutgers are united by a common interest in explaining the dynamics of political change and in deploying and developing a wide range of conceptual and methodological tools in this endeavor. Members of the field have teaching and research interests that focus on the big questions that political scientists seek to explain and understand: What are the factors that facilitate or obstruct successful processes of democratization? What are the links between democratic and economic transitions? How do institutions shape national and global political processes?
What is the relationship between politics and culture? Members of the field address these questions through both in-depth area-based and cross-national research. Scholars in our field have drawn on original qualitative and quantitative research in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
The Comparative Politics field at Rutgers is distinctive in its interest and expertise in developing and bridging paradigms and theoretical orientations that address questions raised by such approaches as political culture, political economy, and new institutionalism. Rutgers has a very strong group of scholars working with these conceptual frameworks, employing a variety of approaches and methodologies. Members of the field are also currently active in addressing the ways in which debates and concepts in Comparative Politics help to understand important recent political events and new political trends such as accelerating globalization, the rise of new transnational political formations, of (democratic backsliding) or the post-communist and post authoritarian transformations.
The Comparative Politics field maintains active ties with other cognate sub-fields in the Department of Political Science. Members of the field have also taken a leading role in founding and directing Rutgers area centers on the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South Asia. They maintain active professional and intellectual linkages with a wide range of research institutions, domestic and overseas universities, and professional networks.
Faculty
Eric Davis
Xian Huang
Robert Kaufman
Mona Lena Krook (Women & Politics)
Jan Kubik
Affiliated Faculty
Rebecca Kolins Givan (Department of Labor Studies)
Mingwei Liu (Department of Labor Studies)
Tobias Schulze-Cleven (Department of Labor Studies)
Curriculum
Formal Requirements
Graduate courses offered in Comparative Politics are divided into a pro-seminar, a second tier of courses reflecting general comparative approaches, and a third tier of more specialized courses. Majors in the field are required to take at least five courses, including the pro-seminar, at least two second-tier courses, and at least one third-tier course. All majors must also pass a language competency test in the language most relevant to their field of interest. All majors must also take at least one advanced method course beyond the department’s required method sequence for PhD students. All majors must have an adviser chosen from among the core faculty listed below.
Minors in Comparative are expected to take the pro-seminar and two second-tier courses.
Comparative Politics Courses
Proseminar: (Tier 1)
16:790 603 Approaches to Comparative Political Analysis
Scope and practice of the field: nature of comparison; approaches to comparison; examples of current research on selected topics.
Theoretical Foundations: (Tier 2)
16:790:516 Theories of Democratic Transitions
his course examines the conceptual framework surrounding the idea of democratic transitions. Topics covered include theoretical debates on the concepts of democracy and democratic transitions, conditions of democratic sustainability, the causes of authoritarianism, and methodological debates and approaches to the study of democratic transitions.
16:790:621 Global Populism Illiberal Democracy
What explains the rise of populism and illiberal democracy? This seminar examines the threat populism poses to democracy through the prism of wealth, inequality, and power. Using 5 case studies, the United States, France, Germany, Hungary and Turkey, the course analyzes how an ill-defined political discourse has been able to acquire wide political support.
16:790:623 Political Culture
This course focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of different political culture approaches. Attention is also given to the importance of cultural variables for understanding political change
16:790:627 Foundations of Capitalism and the Modern State
Comparative historical development of Euro-American capitalism and state structures, from 1450 through the industrial revolution. The role of class relations, state elites, international economic and geopolitical forces.
16:790:625 Comparative Political Economy
Examine the sources of political cleavages over various economic policies and the formation of political coalitions. Explore a range of theories positing that differences in the organization of interest groups lead to systematic differences in economic outcomes.
16:790:629 Politics of Authoritarian Regimes
Provides a thematic approach to studying the main theories and empirical analyses of comparative authoritarian politics. Examine how institutions such as political parties, elections, and legislatures are utilized and manipulated for authoritarian rule; what is the role of coercion, patronage, and propaganda playing in authoritarian politics.
Electives: (Tier 3)
16:790:620 Politics of the Middle East
The comparative analysis of nationalist movements, problems of social and cultural change, the Arab Israeli dispute, and inter-Arab politics. Examples drawn from historical and contemporary perspectives.
16:790:624 Collective Protest and Social Movements
Review of main theories of contentious politics, social movements, and protest. The main theoretical issues to be explored are the relationship between structure and agency, the role of culture in protest, and the trans nationalization of contention
16:790:626 Collective Identity: Ethnicity & Nationalism
This seminar explores various approaches to the analysis of the ongoing political and cultural struggle to delineate the parameters of inclusion in, and exclusion from, social and political formations. Ethnic revitalization and nationalism are explored from historical and cross-cultural perspectives.
16:790:628 Political Economy of Latin America
Relation between models of capital accumulation and the development of democratic and authoritarian regimes. Special reference to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico
16:790:665 Gender and Comparative Politics
This course will examine the major paradigms used in the study of comparative politics, followed by an examination of the major critiques of these paradigms put forward by feminist scholars working in the field. The course also focuses on systematic discussions of methodologies that have been used by scholars working in the intersections between comparative politics and women and politics. (Cross-listed with Women and Politics)
16:790:666 Women’s Movements in Comparative Perspective
Development and impact of women’s movements in cross-cultural perspective. Analysis of the conditions and implications of women’s participation in movements such as 40 nationalist, labor, and independent women’s movement. (Cross-listed with Women and Politics
16:790:680 Emerging Trends in Political Science
Special Topics in Political Economy:
16: 790:680 New Institutionalism in American and Comparative Politics Introduction to "new institutionalism" in political science. Topics covered include neo-institutionalist analyses of formal and informal political institutions, social movements, and interest groups, social policy and the welfare state, and state society interactions. (Cross-listed with American Politics.)
Advanced Work:
16:790:684 Research in Comparative Politics
Directed research for advanced students. An advanced seminar for Ph.D. candidates who plan to offer the comparative government and politics field for their degree will be offered when enough warrant.
16:790 692 INDEP STUDY COMP POL