Dictators and Democrats: Comparative Politics
Overview
This Unit is an introduction to the comparative study of politics. It provides an overview of the world’s political systems. It develops a conceptual framework for the analysis of political systems, and introduces students to the use of case studies to test hypotheses.
Requisites
09-February-2025
01-June-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Understand key concepts of political science
- Critically differentiate types of political systems
- Demonstrate critical understanding of the political systems of at least two case study countries
- Coherently articulate general claims through the use of case-studies and focused comparisons
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 4 weeks | 4 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.17 | 12 weeks | 146 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Group Discussions | Individual | 20% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Tutorial Paper | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
This unit provides an introduction to the comparative study of politics. It provides an overview of the world's political systems and a conceptual framework which enables systematic analysis and comparison. The emphasis in the delivery of the unit of study is on concepts and theory, but it relates these to real-world situations through a variety of case studies
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.