1. Workshop Activity Comparative politics: How do we compare political systems?

2. Group 1 Which elements of a political system should be considered as useful for comparison? Give specific examples from two countries plus the UK, and provide reasons for your choices.

3. Group 2 What types of information do comparisons generate? What is useful about it? For example, if we compare electoral systems, provide illustrations of the types of hypotheses that can be tested through such a comparison. In other words, what can we apply and what can we test for through the comparative approach?

4. Group 3 Are there constraints on the utility or significance of comparative political analysis? E.g. does ‘globalisation’ mean that nation states pursue more similar policy approaches? What are the limits to a comparative approach?