PL1001:03
Comparative Politics: Making Sense of a Puzzling World
Townsville, Cairns
HECS Band 1
26 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials. Semester 1.
Staff: Assoc. Professor H Lesbirel (Townsville campus); Dr D Hunt (Cairns campus).
This subject introduces students to politics in the context of an interdependent and constantly changing world, influenced by technology and communication revolutions and other pressures. It will focus on making sense of puzzling and seemingly disparate events reflected in the colourful media visuals of the world’s political events. The subject is divided into four parts: background to politics (nature and scope of politics); politics and society (culture, ideology, participation, interest groups, elections and political parties); government structure and policy making (political frameworks and the design and output of government); and the politics of change (reform, revolution and democratisation). It will draw on a diverse range of democratic and authoritarian countries and students will have the opportunity to examine and compare aspects of Australian politics with the politics of a range of other countries.
Learning Objectives:
- to provide students with a comparative introduction to political science and the conceptual vocabulary of the discipline;
- to develop concepts, ideas and organisational tools to understand a diverse range of political systems (including Australia) that students will encounter in their studies and daily and professional lives;
- to provide a coherent and rigorous introduction to understanding political relations within states in theoretical and comparative contexts;
- to provide a capacity for critical and creative political analysis, ability to adapt knowledge to new political circumstances and an appreciation of cross-cultural issues and perspectives.
Assessment by a combination of a seminar presentation, essay and an examination, weightings to be decided after consultation with students.