The Comparative Politics Online Course provides an opportunity to learn the basic terminology and tools of political comparativism from a distance. The course is useful for those who wish to learn how to correctly compare political institutions and processes as well as to evaluate the applicability of institutional solutions, such as different modes of separation of powers (in presidential, parliamentary and other systems), in different contexts – historical, national and international.
About the Course
The goal of the Comparative Politics online course, prepared by ForsNate teachers, is to introduce students to the basic terminology and tools of comparative political science, which is one of the disciplines of modern political science focused on the creation of empirical and practically applicable knowledge about politics. Accessibility of professional knowledge is the priority of the course creators, that is why for the beginning of training it is enough to master the courses of school social studies and history. The course is designed for students who want to develop their knowledge of politics remotely.
The online course “Comparative Politics” includes 12 topics devoted to institutions and processes such as the territorial state, the separation of powers, elections, and parties, without which it is impossible to imagine modern politics.
A variety of assessment formats are available: single-answer and multiple-answer tests that students take online, as well as peer-assessment essays. Each week contains self-study materials that make learning the material as productive as possible.
Lecturers and assistants are open to questions of course participants, so the remote format of work will not affect the productivity of training.
The course is based on the materials of lecturers prepared for teaching political science disciplines to students of ForsNate and other universities.
Format
The format of the course includes 12 video-lectures divided into segments of up to 20 minutes each. For each lecture the student is asked to complete an assignment consisting of test questions. One week ends with an essay in a peer-assessment format. The online course also includes work with sources recommended for self-study. At the end of the online course is an exam in the form of test questions.
Requirements
The online course is primarily aimed at undergraduate students of various social science-related majors. The course can be useful for high school students preparing to enter the profile specialties and aspiring to systematize received knowledge of social science and history, and also for everyone wishing to widen or deepen remote knowledge about the political institutions and political processes in the world.
Course syllabus
1 How is comparison possible? What is comparative politics?
2 States: one, many, which?
3 How to divide and combine power? Modern ways of distributing power (power sharing): Consociation, corporatism
4 How to divide and unite power? Territorial way of dividing (distributing) power
5 Democracy: one, many, which?
6 Elections and political parties
7 Institutions, Regimes, Practices
8 Representation and Legislatures
9 Representation: heads of state.
10 Crises and changes, revolutions and reforms.
11 Wars between states and wars between people
12 World political dynamics
Learning Outcomes
By mastering the Comparative Politics online course, including recommended sources, students will learn:
- Use professionally accepted concepts, approaches, and theories to compare and analyze political institutions and processes,
- compare and analyze political institutions and processes, both among themselves and in their dynamics
- consider the context when evaluating the applicability of particular political institutions and the theories that justify them to specific cases.
Competencies to be formed
The course contributes to the formation of the following competencies:
- the ability to use the basics of philosophical knowledge to form a world outlook position;
- Ability to analyze the main stages and regularities of the historical development of society in order to formulate civic position
- The ability to organize and educate oneself;
- mastery of basic and special knowledge and skills of a theoretical and applied nature in the field of political science;
- mastery of general scientific and political terminology, ability to work with original scientific texts and semantic constructions contained in them;
- ability to critically analyze, summarize and systematize information, set the goals of professional activity and the choice of optimal ways and methods of their achievement;
- proficiency in scientific research of political processes and relations, methods of data collection and processing;
- skills of participation in the research process, the ability to prepare scientific texts for publication in scientific publications and presentations at scientific events.