Comp Pols of Industrial Democracies

(4 Credits)

Introduction to the comparative study of politics in different institutional and cultural settings. Themes covered include the role of institutional ?veto players?; presidential and parliamentary government; bicameral and unicameral legislatures; the institutional structuring of legislative decision making; electoral systems; social capital/civic culture; social and political cleavages; dimensions of policy and ideology; voting; party competition; and the making and breaking of governments.