What is Comparative Politics? Why do some countries democratize while others remain undemocratic? How do political actors, institutions and processes that structure politics change across social and cultural settings? What are the effects of different electoral systems on political representation and inclusion? What theories and approaches can help us make sense of the variation in the way political governments are organized around the world?

 

Comparison is one of the main approaches in political science. This course introduces key concepts, theories, and empirical methodologies in comparative politics. Major themes include patterns and differences between political regimes, the causes of democratization, democratic practices, governments and parliaments, levels of government, public policies, political cultures, minority groups, political participation, and behavior. The course will compare cases from Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Latin America to equip students with the knowledge and skills in when to compare, how to compare, what to compare, and how to use comparison for explaining and understanding political processes, causes, and effects.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main concepts, theories and approaches in comparative politics;
2. apply theories and methodological approaches to the cross-national study of political regimes, institutions and actors;
3. evaluate patterns and differences across contexts;
4. critically analyse mechanisms, principles, generalisations, and outliers; and
5. develop an original research project that examines empirically a contemporary political phenomenon using a comparative method.

Research-Led Teaching

This class incorporates cutting-edge theoretical and empirical findings in the ever-changing field of comparative politics. The course content is drawn from the work of Professors Biddle and McAllister in the area, as well as from those who work in this academic field. Professor Biddle's research is in public policy, Australian politics, First Nations and comparative politics. Professor McAllister works on Australian and comparative political behavior, and electoral systems, as well as on Russia and the UK.

Field Trips

NA

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional costs associated with this course.

Examination Material or equipment

Details about the material or equipment that is permitted in an examination room will be outlined during the semester and on the course’s Canvas site

Required Resources

The textbook is Daniele Caramani, Comparative Politics, sixth edition (2023). Oxford University Press. In addition, readings will be made available on Canvas.

All lectures will be held in person and recordings will be uploaded onto Canvas.

Any major deviations from this pattern will be notified in advance

Recommended Resources

A large number of journals and periodicals exist that include the cutting edge developments of the discipline. Being familiar with these sources and surveying at least some of them regularly will assist you in this course.

American Political Science Review

American Journal of Political Science

Australian Journal of Political Science

British Journal of Political Science

Comparative Political Studies

Democratization

European Journal of Political Research

Europe-Asia Studies

Journal of Democracy

Journal of Politics

West European politics

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Approaches and methods — comparing political systems; data and methods
2	Types of governments — presidential and parliamentary; types of legislaturesTutorial 1
3	Constitutions — constitutions and judicial power; federalism and multilevel governanceTutorial 2
4	Federalism and regionalism — federalism; multilevel governance, supranational bodiesTutorial 3	Tutorial task 1 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Weeks 1-2
5	Cleavages and ideology — cleavage politics; ideology and politicsTutorial 4	Tutorial task 2 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 3
6	Parties and party systems — political parties; types of party systemsTutorial 5	Tutorial task 3 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 4
7	Bureaucracies and public policy — public policy frameworks; bureaucracy and civil societyTutorial 6	Tutorial task 4 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 5
8	Electoral systems and political behaviour — types of electoral systems; electoral changeTutorial 7	Tutorial task 5 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 6
9	Case studies — First Nations in the Anglo-American democraciesTutorial 8	Tutorial task 6 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 7
10	Case studies — RussiaTutorial 9	Tutorial task 2 due (choose 3 of 7) - Covers material from Week 8
11	Case studies — United KingdomTutorial 10
12	Future trends — globalization

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Mid semester exam	20 %	18/09/2026	1,2,3
Tutorial exercises	30 %	30/10/2026	1,2,3
Final exam	40 %	30/10/2026	1,2,3
Tutorial attendance and participation	10 %	*	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students are expected to attend class each week and contribute thoughtfully to discussions and group activities. The expectation is that students will do the readings each week and come to class ready to engage with the teacher, guest lecturers and their peers.

Examination(s)

See assessment tasks 1 and 3

Assessment Task 1

Mid semester exam

Mid semester exam

Value: 20%

The mid semester exam is a 60 minute in-person exam scheduled by timetabling. The questions will be based on the material covered in the course (i.e., slides, lectures, compulsory readings, tutorials, and tutorial handouts). Students will be required to answer one essay question from a choice of three essay questions. The exam will give an indication of how well students understand the central concepts and theories of comparative politics.

Assessment Task 2

Tutorial exercises

Tutorial exercises

Value: 30%

During the course, students will be required to choose three topics from a choice of seven. For each of the three topics chosen, the student will be required to submit a 750 word essay. The tasks are due two weeks after the relevant lecture content is delivered.

Appropriate use of AI for Assessment Task 2 will be discussed in the Week 1 lecture.

Assessment Task 3

Final exam

Final exam

Value: 40%

The final exam is a 120 minute in-person exam scheduled by timetabling. The questions will be based on the material covered in the course (i.e., slides, lectures, compulsory readings, tutorials, and tutorial handouts). Students will be required to answer three questions from a choice of six questions. The final exam will test students’ knowledge of content from the entire semester – not just from the mid-semester exam onward

Assessment Task 4

Tutorial attendance and participation

Value: 10%

To achieve full participation marks, a student is required to attend all 10 tutorials (unless a valid medical certificate is provided, or by prior approval). Students are also expected to engage in discussion during each tutorial

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Students’ hand-written work will be returned in person, online submissions via Turnitin.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students may not resubmit assignments.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students