What do you learn in comparative politics? (pol sci 2)

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
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<p>I assumed that this class (I’m taking it with Fish) was primarily going to be about the institutional structures of foreign nations. I took Pol Sci 1, and the whole class was devoted to the technical and logistical structure of America’s political system (and I loved it).</p>

<p>Today however, Professor Fish stated that his course would be focused on applying the “comparative method” (an offshoot of the scientific method) to politics and society through the study of “case studies.” We won’t look at the political structures of other countries (like the technicalities and logistics) but rather look at social trends, economic trends, and how political trends affect them. </p>

<p>I’m really confused as to what is going to be taught in this course and I’m not sure if I should still take it. I was really interested in British politics for example, but this class won’t teach that. </p>

<p>When Fish gives out exams, or when we’re tested on reading, what do we have to know?
Do we have to make scientific inferences from the reading saying that a particular thing caused another thing? Or are the exams based on reading comprehension (we have to remember what was on the reading we had)</p>

<p>I’m just really really confused about this class after Fish’s lecture today. I really didn’t understand most of it… :/</p>

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<p>I took this class a long time ago, but I would assume his lecture on case studies is mostly on the methodology of how researchers conduct research on the subject. i don’t think it’s important. you’re over thinking. just read the assigned reading and most of it is simply comprehension</p>

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<p>comparative politics is simply the comparison between two political phenomena, whether across place, time, or both. it is not solely the study of institutional design, but that is a subfield of the subject. The subject of that comparison changes i think depending on the phases of the course (like sometimes it’s economic development ect)</p>

<p>i’m sure other professors cover britain though.</p>

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<p>Who cares about the brits in poli comp. Parliment is easy.</p>