Comparative Government
Review and Preview
Dr Chris Longman
Semester 1 - Review
Basic concepts
 Anglo-American democracy
 What is Comparative Government?
 Communist systems
 Islamic systems
 Political systems in transition
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Semester 2 - Preview
European Issues
States
France
Spain
Germany
Italy
Territorial politics
sub-state issues
European Union
General Issues
Federalism
Elections, parties and
electoral systems
The media
Civil society
Review
What is Comparative Government?
Classify
 How?
 What do we compare?
 Models
 Is comparative government obsolete?
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Review
Basic Concepts and Key Terms
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politics
power
government and governance
legitimacy and authority
Weber’s classification
nation and nationalism
state and sovereignty
Review
Anglo-American Democracy
A ‘special relationship’?
 Differences
 Similarities
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Review
Communist Systems
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variety, not a uniform system
analyse historical development
or, regional / country differences
The Party
USSR
China
Review
Islamic Systems
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variety, not a unified concept
World distribution
Islam and identity
Islamism
Are there typical Islamic institutions?
Review
Political Systems in Transition
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Democratisation in the world
3 waves?
Explaining transition
typologies of transition
Central and Eastern Europe
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Arab democratic transitions
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Second Semester - Preview
Lectures
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The French system
Other systems of govt. in W. Europe
Federalism
Territorial politics
The EU
Elections and political parties
The media
Civil society
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Preview
The French System
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History - 4th to 5th Republic
Constitution and type of state
executive and legislature
 dual executive
 weak parliament?
parties and elections
political culture and democracy
Preview
Other Systems of Government in Western
Europe
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Political systems in W. Europe
Spain and Germany
historical developments
constitutions and types of states
types of government
parties and elections
political culture and democracy
Preview
Territorial Politics
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Regions in contemporary Europe
The New Regionalism
Minority nationalism and stateless nations
Regions and the European Union
Preview
The European Union
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What is it?
History and development
Institutions
Power sharing
Problems
The future
Preview
The Other Lectures
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Federalism (Prof Michael Rush)
Elections, parties and electoral systems (Dr
Malcolm Shaw)
The media
Civil society