POLS 5400 - Parliaments, Presidents, and Parties: Comparative Institutions

The rules of the game, also known as political institutions, make a difference for who wins and who loses, for what kinds of policies are chosen, and for crucial policy outcomes such as the health of an economy or the security of a nation. This course will examine particular institutions, such as electoral systems, types of executives (presidential, parliamentary, semi-presidential), legislatures, federalism, administrative oversight, and parties through a comparative frame of analysis.