1. INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS

2. What is comparative politics? Why do we study it? Political engineering Political engineering Better policymaking Better policymaking Avoiding ethnocentrism Avoiding ethnocentrism Learn what is universally true about politics across time and space Learn what is universally true about politics across time and space

3. How do we study comparative politics? Description Description Political culture (consensual vs. conflictual)Political culture (consensual vs. conflictual) Political socializationPolitical socialization Legitimacy (types)Legitimacy (types) Classification Classification Freedom House China=Not FreeFreedom House China=Not Free Explanation Explanation Linear thesisLinear thesis Threshold theoryThreshold theory Social capital theorySocial capital theory Prediction Prediction

4. The Comparative Method Empirical data vs. normative issues Empirical data vs. normative issues Causation vs. correlation Causation vs. correlation Dependent and independent variables Dependent and independent variables

5. Terms State: self-governing entity State: self-governing entity Nation: tightly-knit group with shared common culture Nation: tightly-knit group with shared common culture Nation-state: shared borders Nation-state: shared borders Democracy (required characteristics) Democracy (required characteristics) Corporatism Corporatism State corporatismState corporatism Patron-clientelism (co-optation)Patron-clientelism (co-optation) Pluralism vs. democratic (or neo) corporatismPluralism vs. democratic (or neo) corporatism

6. Megaconcepts: Political Ideologies Conservatism Conservatism Liberalism Liberalism Communism Communism Socialism Socialism Fascism Fascism religion religion

7. Distributions of world religions

8. Megaconcepts: Participation Methods Methods Participants vs. parochials vs. subjects Participants vs. parochials vs. subjects Relationship to social capital and civil society (include NGOs) Relationship to social capital and civil society (include NGOs)

9. Megaconcepts: Cleavages Definition Definition Potential cleavages Potential cleavages Cross-cutting vs. cumulative/coinciding Cross-cutting vs. cumulative/coinciding Reinforcement theory Reinforcement theory

10. Cumulative/Reinforcing Cleavages in Nigeria: Ethnolinguistic groups

12. Cumulative/Reinforcing Cleavages in Nigeria: Religion

14. Megaconcepts: Development

15. Megaconcepts: political elites Recruitment Recruitment Succession transition Succession transition

16. Current Global Trends Globalization (including supranational organizations) Globalization (including supranational organizations) Democratization Democratization CharacteristicsCharacteristics Illiberal democraciesIlliberal democracies Movement toward market economies (marketization/privatization) Movement toward market economies (marketization/privatization) Revival of ethnic or cultural politics (fragmentation, nationalization, politicization of religion) Revival of ethnic or cultural politics (fragmentation, nationalization, politicization of religion)

17. Political and Economic Change Types (p33) Types (p33) ReformReform RevolutionRevolution Coup d’étatCoup d’état

18. Government structures Unitary vs. federal Unitary vs. federal devolutiondevolution Presidential vs. parliamentary Presidential vs. parliamentary Legislature: unicameral vs. bicameral Legislature: unicameral vs. bicameral Executive: head of government vs. head of state Executive: head of government vs. head of state Judiciary: how independent? Judiciary: how independent?

19. Linkage Institutions Political parties Political parties Two-party vs. multipartyTwo-party vs. multiparty Electoral systems Electoral systems First-past-the-post/winner-take-all/ plurality system (single-member districts) vs. proportional system (multi-member districts)First-past-the-post/winner-take-all/ plurality system (single-member districts) vs. proportional system (multi-member districts) Elections Elections GeneralGeneral Referendum/ plebisciteReferendum/ plebiscite InitiativeInitiative Interest groups Interest groups Pluralism vs. corporatismPluralism vs. corporatism

20. Modern Challenges to Government Centripetal forces vs. cetrifugal forces Centripetal forces vs. cetrifugal forces Devolution forces Devolution forces EthnicEthnic EconomicEconomic spatialspatial

21. Economic Policy Measuring economic performance Measuring economic performance GNPGNP GDPGDP GNP per capitaGNP per capita PPPPPP

22. GDP per capita 2008 (World Bank)

23. GDP per capita – source: World Bank

24. Purchasing Power (PPP) 2008

25. Gini Index 2009

26. World Bank’s World Development Indicators 2008: Mexico Per capita income: Per capita income: $8,340 (highest in Latin America in 2007)$8,340 (highest in Latin America in 2007) GNP: US$893,36 billion (2007) GNP: US$893,36 billion (2007) Life expectancy at birth: 74 years (2006) Life expectancy at birth: 74 years (2006) % of school-age children attending school: 98% % of school-age children attending school: 98% Total population: 105.28 million (2007) Total population: 105.28 million (2007)

27. Social Welfare Policy HDI (Human Development Index) HDI (Human Development Index) http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/ The Gini Index or Gini Coefficient (gap between rich and poor) The Gini Index or Gini Coefficient (gap between rich and poor)