Lectures

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  1. Power, People, Politics

  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.
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  2. Comparative Political Institutions

  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.
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  3. Political Parties

  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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  4. Electoral Studies

  In lecture four, we look into the field of electoral studies and voting behavior, examining various theories and models that aim to explain why people vote the way they do. The discussion covers the social model of voting, the importance of party identification, the role of issues and ideology, and the influence of leader evaluations on electoral outcomes. The lecture also explores recent trends, such as the realignment from economic to cultural issues, the fragmentation of electorates in Europe, and the growing polarization in the United States.
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  5. Politics and Conflict

  In lecture five, we investigate the causes of war from the perspectives of international relations and comparative politics, drawing heavily on Steven Pinker's book "The Better Angels of Our Nature." Dr. Kaufmann examines historical trends in violence, highlighting the decline in war and cruelty over time, and explores various factors that may contribute to the onset of civil wars, such as poverty, mountainous terrain, oil exports, and weak state authority. Dr. Kaufmann concludes by contrasting optimistic and pessimistic views on the future trajectory of violence in the world.
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  6. Designing Democracy

  In lecture six, we study the design of democracy in ethnically divided societies, exploring various approaches to managing ethnic diversity and promoting stability. We examine methods for eliminating ethnic differences, such as genocide, forced population transfers, partition, and assimilation, as well as strategies for managing existing differences through hegemonic control, arbitration, federalism, and consociationalism. The lecture highlights the challenges and considerations involved in crafting democratic systems that accommodate ethnic pluralism while maintaining national unity.
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  7. Evolution of the Nation-State

  In lecture seven, we review the historical evolution of the modern nation-state, tracing its development from early hunter-gatherer societies through various stages, including empires, city-states, feudalism, and absolutism. Dr. Kaufmann evaluates the factors that have driven this evolution, such as warfare, economic changes, cultural shifts, and advancements in technology and bureaucracy, while considering the theories of scholars like Talcott Parsons, Karl Marx, Charles Tilly, and Michael Mann.
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  8. Navigating Globalization

  In our eighth and final lecture, we traverse the complex debate surrounding globalization and its impact on the nation-state as the primary unit of human political organization. The discussion looks at economic, political, and cultural dimensions of globalization, contrasting the views of globalists, who argue that globalization is rendering the nation-state obsolete, with those of skeptics, who maintain that the nation-state remains the most important political entity. The lecture concludes by considering the relationship between cultural homogenization and national identity, suggesting that the two are not necessarily incompatible as we look to the future.