InfoTrac Reader Introduction to Comparative Politics Comparative politics is one of the oldest parts of political science. Some argue that it was part and parcel of what Aristotle wrote about more than 2,000 years ago. Formally, it has been part of modern political science for more than half a century. In the 1960s, it was one of the areas where political scientists learned--and fought--the most. Today, though, it is not the subfield one normally thinks of as pushing the frontiers of political science forward. Nonetheless, it is vitally important because it defines the part of our field where the international pressures of globalization and international relations grate against the realities of domestic political life in countries, ranging from the rich and powerful United States to the poor and weak failed states of Africa and elsewhere. The articles and exercises in this introductory section were selected to help you see some of the broadest issues in comparative politics, such as democratization; rational choice theory; the impact of the end of the cold war; political, social, and economic characteristics of the international system; how the study of comparative politics is conducted; and more. Comparing federal institutions: power and representation in six federations. Lori Thorlakson. West European Politics April 2003 v26 i2 p1(23) (8013 words) Explaining miracles: Third Ways and work and welfare. Hans Keman. West European Politics April 2003 v26 i2 p115(22) (9626 words) AQA government and politics: module 4: comparative UK/USA government. (Achieve At A2). (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) Paul Fairclough. Politics Review Feb 2003 v12 i3 p20(3) (2322 words) Mexico and Russia: mirror images? Nikolas K. Gvosdev. Demokratizatsiya Fall 2002 v10 i4 p488(21) (10690 words) Postcommunist civil society in comparative perspective. Marc Morje Howard. Demokratizatsiya Summer 2002 v10 i3 p285(21) (9048 words) Comparing risk regulation in the United States and France: asbestos, AIDS and genetically modified agriculture. David Vogel, Jabril Bensedrine. French Politics, Culture and Society Spring 2002 v20 i1 p13(19) (7738 words) Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and comparative politics: transitology and the need for new theory. World Affairs Spring 2002 v164 i4 p149(8) (5590 words) First Families in Japan, Mexico, and the United States: 1946-2001. (Statistical Data Included) Donn M. Kurtz II. International Journal of Comparative Sociology Nov 2001 p461(18) (6125 words) The Value of a Vote: Malapportionment in Comparative Perspective. DAVID SAMUELS, RICHARD SNYDER. British Journal of Political Science Oct 2001 v31 i4 p651 (8446 words) The politics of opposition and European integration in Scandinavia: Is euro-scepticism a government--opposition dynamic? Nick Sitter. West European Politics Oct 2001 v24 i4 p22(19) (7802 words) Party Formation, Political Power, and the Capacity for Reform: Comparing Left Parties in Kerala and West Bengal, India [*]. MANALI DESAI. Social Forces Sept 2001 v80 i1 p37 (10979 words) The Dual Narrative of "Good Governance": Lessons for Understanding Political and Cultural Change in Malaysia and Singapore. SURAIN SUBRAMANIAM. Contemporary Southeast Asia April 2001 v23 i1 p65 (6628 words) US SOCIAL POLICY IN COMPARATIVE AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Concepts, Images, Arguments, and Research Strategies. Edwin Amenta, Chris Bonastia, Neal Caren. Annual Review of Sociology Annual 2001 p213 (10701 words) Duh, or the Role of IT in Teaching Comparative Politics. Charles Hauss. PS: Political Science & Politics Dec 2000 v33 i4 p826 (1027 words) Linking Public Administration to Comparative Politics. Herbert H. Werlin. PS: Political Science & Politics Sept 2000 v33 i3 p581 (6374 words) Convergent co-ordination patterns in the French and German core executive: The case of the BSE crisis. G.P.E. Walzenbach. West European Politics July 1999 v22 i3 p64(24) (9947 words) Toward Consensus in Interpreting Latin American Politics: Developmentalism, Dependency, and "The Latin American Tradition". Howard J. Wiarda. Studies In Comparative International Development Summer 1999 v34 i2 p50 (9583 words) Bates, Robert. "Comparative Politics and Rational Choice Theory: A Review Essay. American Political Science Review. V91 (1997). As the title suggests, an article on how the influential but controversial field of rational choice helps inform comparative politics. Article A20046261 Advanced. Eckstein, Harry. "Unfinished Business: Reflections on the Scope of Comparative Politics. Comparative Political Studies. V31 (August 1998). One of the pioneers of the field makes the unusual argument that we should limit it to the student of national systems as a whole. Article A20979969 Advanced. Hauss, Charles. "The Parable of the Frog: Teaching the Introductory Comparative Politics Course." PS: Politics and Political Science. V28 (1995). This article explores how the end of the cold war and other trends through the early 1990s should lead us to rethink how we teach about comparative politics. Still holds a decade later. Article A16764857 Basic. Hauss, Charles, "Duh, or the Role of IT in Teaching Comparative Politics." PS: Politics and Political Science. V33(2000). Article A69300242. How information technology can be used (and over used) in teaching and learning about comparative politics. Basic. Werlin, Herbert. "Linking Public Administration to Comoparative Politics. PS: Politics and Political Science. V33 (September 2000). This article brings together insights from two parts of political science which are rarely considered together and helps us understand some of the most important differences in comparative politics. Article A65241262. Intermediate. Wiarda, Howard. "The Death of the Great International Systems Debate." World Affairs. V161 (1999). One of the leaders of the field discusses how the great intellectual (and political) debates in comparative politics have eased while the field has fragmented. Article A54146670 Advanced. Wilsford, David. "Getting Students to Think (Comparatively)." PS: Politics and Political Science. V28(1995). Though aimed primarily at teachers, this article helps them and students alike understand how the comparative method could and should work. Article A17312574 Intermediate.