PSIR 302 | Course Introduction and Application Information - Department of Political Science and International Relations

Course Name

Comparative Politics

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
PSIR 302	Spring	3	0	3	6

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Required
Course Level	First Cycle
Mode of Delivery	-
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	-
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	-
Course Lecturer(s)	Prof. Dr. Aslıhan AYKAÇ
Assistant(s)	Araş. Gör. Nil DİKMENGİL

Course Objectives	The primary objective of the course is to introduce the students a comparative politics framework to be able to analyze different political contexts and processes. First and foremost, an overview of comparative methodology and key concepts in comparative research will be presented to the students. Second, states and state structures will be defined on a macro level, distinguishing between democratic systems and authoritarian ones. A bigger task will be to unravel the internal dynamics of political systems in order to expose variations in political organization, later to be employed for comparative purposes. In the second half of the semester, the state centric analysis will be complemented with a cultural perspective, comparative political economy approach and a focus on the role of non-state actors. Throughout the semester, conceptual discussions will be enriched by references to contemporary issues from different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes	The students who succeeded in this course; describe the main dimensions of comparative political analysis. distinguish between democratic and authoritarian systems evaluate the outcomes of certain government structures and processes analyze the relationship between different branches of government and bureaucracy compare between presidential and parliamentary systems, as well as federal systems and unitary systems study the impact of culture, economics and social formations on politics in general and governments in particular
Course Description	The course is designed to give students a comprehensive overview of political dynamics that characterize states’ and determine their relationship with their constituencies. As such, these dynamics include legal institutional aspects as well as political, economic and cultural elements that surround the political mechanism. The teaching approach is interactive, giving students ample amount of opportunity to contribute to class discussions.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

Course Category	Core Courses	X
	Major Area Courses
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation
1	Introduction
2	Comparative Methodology	Hague et al. Ch 5 Theoretical approaches & Ch 6 Comparing government and politics
3	State Theory	Hague et al. Ch 1 Key Concepts & Ch 2 The State
4	Democracy	Hague et al. Ch 3 Democratic rule
5	Authoritarianism	Hague et al. Ch 4 Authoritarian rule
6	The Legal Structure	Hague et al. Ch 7 Constitutions and courts & Ch 8 Legislatures
7	The Administrative Structure	Hague et al. Ch 9 Executives & 10 Bureaucracies
8	PROJECT WEEK
9	Political Parties, Elections, and Voters	Hague et al. Ch 15 Political parties & Ch 16 Elections & Ch 17 Voters
10	Non-State Actors in Politics	Hague et al. Ch 18 Interest groups
11	Politics and Economics	Acemoglu, Daron and James Robinson, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, Crown Business, 2012.
12	Cultural Intervention in Politics	Kastoryano, R. Multiculturalism and interculturalism: redefining nationhood and solidarity. CMS 6, 17 (2018).
13	Political Participation and Political Communication	Hague et al. Ch 13 Political participation & Ch 14 Political communication
14	Turkish Politics in Comparative Perspective	Tuğal, Cihan, Erdoğan’s Resilience, New Left Review, 2023
15	Review of the Semester
16	FINAL EXAM

Course Notes/Textbooks

Hague, R, Harrop, M, and McCormick J. 2016. Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Tenth Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke and New York.

Acemoglu, Daron and James Robinson, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, Crown Business, 2012.

Kastoryano, R. Multiculturalism and interculturalism: redefining nationhood and solidarity. CMS 6, 17 (2018).

*All course readings are available at the University Library and as open sources.

Suggested Readings/Materials

Ljiphart, Arend, "Comparative Politics and The Comparative Method." American Political Science Review 65, No. 03 (1971): 682-693.

Landman, Todd, Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics, Routledge, 2006.

Held, David, Political Theory and the Modern State, Stanford UP, 1989.

Berberoglu, Berch, Political Sociology in a Global Era: An Introduction to the State and Society, Routledge, 2013.

Tilly, Charles, Democracy, CUP, 2007.

Laclau, Ernesto, and Chantal Mouffe, Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, Verso, 2014.

Held, David, Models of Democracy, Standford UP, 1997.

Linz, Juan J., Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, Rienner Publishers, 2000.

Atwood, Margaret, Handmaid’s Tale, Anchor Books, 1998.

Orwell, George, 1984, Samaira Book Publishers, 2017.

Ljiphart, Arend, Patterns of Democracy, Yale UP, 2012.

Della Porta, Donatella, and Mario Diani, Social Movements: An Introduction, Wiley and Blackwell, 2006.

Semester Activities	Number	Weigthing
Participation	1	20
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
Project	1	40
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm
Final Exam	1	40
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade	2	60
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade	1	40
Total

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	12	5	60
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments			0
Presentation / Jury			0
Project	1	30	30
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms			0
Final Exam	1	32	32
		Total	170

#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to use the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	X	-	-
2	To be able to have the basic knowledge of, and make use of other disciplines which contribute to the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	-	-	-
3	To be able to distinguish the differences between classical and contemporary theories and to assess their relationship.	-	X	-	-	-
4	To be able to recognize regional and global issues, and develop solutions based on research.	-	-	-	X	-
5	To be able to assess the acquired knowledge and skills in the areas of Political Science and International Relations critically.	-	-	X	-	-
6	To be able to transfer ideas and proposals on issues in the areas of Political Science and International Relations to other people and institutions verbally and in writing.	-	X	-	-	-
7	To be able to identify the historical continuity and changes observed in the relations between the actors and institutions of national and international politics.	X	-	-	-	-
8	To be able to examine concepts, theories, and developments with scientific methods in the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	-	-	-
9	To be able to take responsibility as an individual and as a team member.	-	-	-	-	-
10	To be able to act in accordance with the scientific and ethical values in studies related to Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	-	-	-
11	To be able to collect data in the areas of Political Science and International Relations and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1).	-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently.	-	-	-	-	-
13	To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout human history to their field of experience.	-	-	-	-	-