Intro to Comparative Politics What is comparative politics? The discipline is founded on the observation that people around the world experience many different political systems, and in incredibly diverse ways. The goal of comparative politics is to understand that political diversity which exists in the world, and the ways that politics and policy shape people’s opportunities to lead fulfilling prosperous lives. This course is designed to help students master one of the fundamental methods of scientific inquiry and inference: comparison.
Intro to World Politics This course is a study of the most significant problems of world politics, including the fundamental factors governing international relations, the techniques and instruments of power politics, and the conflicting interests in organizing world peace.The purpose of this course is to provide a survey of the central questions of international politics and to provide an introduction to contemporary international problems. The goals of this course are threefold: 1) to introduce students to the background and characteristics of world politics, 2) to explore the multitude of tools and explanations used by scholars in order to understand world politics, and 3) to encourage students to begin to try their own hand at making sense out of a complex and interesting subject.
Intro to American Politics The primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the science of American politics , and to teach students how to think critically and analytically about the relationship between Americans and their government. We examine the dynamics of the American political system as it faces the challenges of the 21st century. Along the way, we question why government works as it does and trace the effects of the country’s method of conducting public business. In pursuing this course of inquiry, the hope is that students will learn not only about the specific form of science conducted in one discipline, but also receive a taste of the broader methods and vocabulary of social science.
All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent those of the University of Kentucky.