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In Introduction to Political Science, an eight-hour course, we explore the fundamentals of political science, delving into comparative political institutions, electoral systems, voting behavior, and the causes of war. We examine the design of democracy in ethnically divided societies and trace the historical evolution of the modern nation-state. The course concludes by discussing the impact of globalization on the nation-state as the primary unit of human political organization.
In our introductory lecture, Dr. Kaufmann navigates us through the fundamentals of political science, exploring its focus on government institutions and power dynamics. The lecture examines the interplay between politics and other social sciences, such as economics, sociology, and culture, and discusses various subfields within political science, including comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.
In lecture two, we delve into the fundamentals of comparative political institutions, focusing on the differences between presidential and parliamentary systems of government, particularly in the United States and Britain. We examine the distribution of power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, their respective functions, and the implications for delivering legislative agendas and providing checks and balances against authoritarianism. The choice between these systems depends on factors such as the maturity of the democracy and the perceived risk of lapsing into an authoritarian regime.
In lecture three, we explore electoral systems and political parties, examining their roles, variations, and implications for democratic representation. The discussion begins by contrasting majoritarian systems like first-past-the-post with more consensual and proportional systems, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses in terms of representation, effectiveness, and local responsiveness. The lecture then investigates the functions and dynamics of political parties, emphasizing their role in aggregating interests, providing leadership, and organizing government, while also considering the influence of electoral systems on party systems.
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