Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

By DR. RAGHU B T | Vidyavardhaka First Grade College, Sheshadri Iyer road , Mysuru, Karnataka

Learners enrolled: 608

The proposed course titled “ Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics “ is erroneously taken by some writers subscribing to the old order as an all-encompassing affair for the reason that it, to a considerable extent, makes the traditional study of comparative government redundant by extending its frontiers beyond the scope of some major contemporary political systems of the western world .The motivating idea behind its is that the study of political organization, instead of remaining confined to the superstructures of governmental departments of certain developed countries, should be widen towards a systematic analysis of problems and issues relating to the struggle for power at different levels in as many countries of the world as possible.

The course would be worthwhile to suggest that the study of comparative politics should be made with this point in view that its end is not merely the acquisition of more and more knowledge of the political institution and forces of some selected countries of the world ,it is, in addition to that, significantly connected with knowledge of the empirical world of ‘political’ man and his ‘power oriented’ associational life.

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Core
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points :	5
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	08 Jul 2024
End Date :	31 Oct 2024
Enrollment Ends :	31 Aug 2024
Exam Date :	07 Dec 2024 IST
Exam Shift :	Shift-II

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week	Items	Title of Video and Reading text/Lecture/ppt
First Week	Comparative Government and Politics	Meaning, Nature and Scope of Comparative Politics
		Meaning and Features of Comparative Government
		Growth of Comparative Politics
		Comparative Government and Politics: Critical Appraisal
Second Week	Major approaches	Major Approaches: Meaning and Nature of Major Approaches, and Philosophical Approach
		Major Approaches: Historical Approach and Institutional Approach
		Major Approaches: Sociological Approach and Systems Approach
		Major Approaches: Psychological Approach and Behavioural Approach
Third Week	Structural –Functional and Input-Output Analysis	Structural – Functional Analysis- subtle implications and basic assumptions.
		Structural - functionalism in Political science-Analysis of Easton, Almond and Kaplan.
		Input-Output Analysis: Implications and General Characteristics
		Input-Output Analysis in Comparative Politics: Interpretations of David Easton & Gabriel A. Almond
Fourth Week	Political Communication	Political Communication: Nature and Meaning of the Approach, Classification of Basic Concepts
		Political Communication: Functional Aspects of the Approach
		Quantification of Political Communication
		Exponents of the Communication Approach, Critical Appraisal.
Fifth Week	Political Development	Meaning, Diversity of Definitions and Pye’s Development Syndrome
		Concept of Political development
		Political Development : The Issue of Problems and Crises
		Model of Stages and Search for an Approach, Marxian Model
Sixth Week	Political Modernisation, Political Culture and Political Ideology	Political Modernisation: Comprehensive Implications and Dimensions, Stages of Political Modernisation
		Political Modernization and Social Change
		Political Culture: Meaning, Components; Concepts of Secularisation and the issue of Political Stability and Change
		Ideology and Political Culture, Political Systems, Critical Appraisals
		Political Ideology – Meaning, Nature and Characteristics, Political Ideology and Political power, Ideologies and the Nature of Political Power, Party System
Seventh Week	Political Participation, Party Politics and Political Parties	Meaning and Forms of Political Participation, Classification of Citizens on the Basis of Political Participation and Determinants of Political Participation
		Party politics : Momentous Importance of the subject in recent times, broad functional dimension of Party Politics and Meaning
		Nature, Essential Implications, Determinants and Functions of a Political Party
		A Typological Illustration: Recent Paradigm of Sartori –Single- Party, Bi- Party & Multi - Party System
		Party Systems: Western and Non- western Paradigms, Operational Dimensions of Party System, Peculiar case of the Communist Party and Critical Appraisal
Eighth Week	Pressure Groups	Pressure Groups: Meaning, Nature, Features and Kinds
		Pressure Groups: Existence and Articulation of Pressure Group Politics
		Pressure Groups: Techniques of Pressure Groups
		Pressure Groups: Determinants of Pressure Group Politics
Ninth Week	Bureaucracy	Concept of Bureaucracy: Liberal and Marxist Interpretations, Functions and Role
		Theories of Bureaucracy, Organisation of Bureaucracy
		Bureaucracy and Military, Varieties of Bureaucratic Hold and Politicisation of Bureaucracy
		Bureaucracy and Third World, Controlling Bureaucracy
Tenth Week	Separation of Powers and Forms of Government	Meaning, Classical and Modern Interpretations, Main exponents: Montesquieu’s Classical Contribution for the Protection of Individual Liberty
		Separation of Powers in the United States, Practical Application of the Theory of Separation of Powers , Critical Evaluation
		Parliamentary and Presidential Form of Government
		Unitary and Federal Government
Eleventh Week	Constitutionalism and Constitution	Constitutionalism – History of Development
		Features of Constitutionalism in Contemporary Times and Problems of Modern Constitutionalism
		Constitution : Meaning and Kinds
		Requisites of A good Constitution, Similarities in USA and Indian Constitution
Twelfth Week	Democracy and Dictatorship	Democracy: Meaning, Forms and Basic Principles
		Democracy: Merits and Demerits, Conditions essential for the Success of Democracy
		Democracy: Case of Developed Countries
		Dictatorship
Thirteenth Week	Historical Context of Modern Government	Capitalism
		Communism
		Socialism
Fourteenth Week	Historical Context of Modern Government	Colonialism
		Decolonisation and Post-Colonial Society
		Globalization

Books and references

• Comparative Government and Politics – S. R. Maheshwari

• Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics – Haridwar Shukla

• Comparative Politics – J. C. Johari

• Comparative Politics and Government – U. R. Ghai

• Modern Comparative Politics – S. N. Ray

Instructor bio

DR. RAGHU B T

Vidyavardhaka First Grade College, Sheshadri Iyer road , Mysuru, Karnataka

Dr. Raghu B.T., serving as the Head of Department and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Vidyavardhaka First Grade College, Mysuru, brings with him a wealth of academic and administrative experience. With 11 years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level, Dr. Raghu has made significant contributions to research, with 11 research articles published in various UGC Care peer-reviewed journals, both nationally and internationally. He actively participates in conferences, seminars, workshops, and Faculty Development Programs (FDPs), presenting papers and enriching academic discourse.

Dr. Raghu's involvement extends beyond academia, as he has organized numerous conferences and seminars and served as a resource person for special lectures. He also fulfills the role of academic counsellor at the IGNOU Mysuru centre, guiding MA Political Science project students. Additionally, he serves as a resource person in various competitive exam training centers in Mysuru. Dr. Raghu has a rich history of service, having served as an NSS Program Officer for 4 years and as the Secretary of Education NGO EITA (Equality Institute of Thought and Action) for 3 years.

Currently, Dr. Raghu is actively engaged in various committees such as the Nature Club, Disciplinary Committee, NSS Advisory Committee, IQAC Committee, and Kala Sambhrama Committee, among others, demonstrating his commitment to both academic excellence and holistic student development.

Course certificate

Assessment/Assignment marks will be considered for Internal Marks and will carry 30 percent for overall Result.

End Term Exam- will have 100 questions and will carry 70 percent of overall Result.

All students, who obtain 40% marks in in-course assessment and 40% marks in end-term proctored exam separately, will be eligible for certificate and credit transfer.

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