ADM5304 COMPARATIVE POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR

Course Code:3105304
METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week):3 (0.00 - 0.00)
ECTS Credit:8.0
Department:Political Science and Public Adm.
Language of Instruction:English
Level of Study:Graduate
Course Coordinator:Prof.Dr. EMRE TOROS
Offered Semester:Fall and Spring Semesters.

Course Objectives

This course aims to familiarize graduate students with the major concepts, theories and debates on comparative political behavior. The course will introduce students to the comparative study of voting behavior, alternative forms of political engagement and participation beyond voting, conceptualization and inner workings of democracy and citizens’ behavior in different political regimes and settings, and the concepts of democratic backsliding and autocratization.

The course provides students with both classical and contemporary scholarly works on the study of comparative political behavior. This course is primarily designed to train Political Science graduate students, although it may be of interest to students in other related disciplines.


Course Content

This course addresses research questions on cross-national differences and similarities in public opinion, voting behavior and political participation while holding the Turkish case as constant. Hence, we will test the travelling capacity of the theories of political behavior within different institutional, political, or cultural contexts and comment on their explanatory powers. Accordingly the course has two basic aims:
1) To introduce the study of comparative political behavior to the students and;
2) To locate the Turkish case within these comparative studies


Course Learning Outcomes


Program Outcomes Matrix

Level of Contribution
#Program Outcomes0123
1The ability to interpret and assess the ways in which power is generated and used socially, institutionally, economically and culturally at the local, national and international levels.
2The ability to conduct interdisciplinary studies and research when assessing the social phenomena in the field of Political Science and Public Administration.
3To attain a sound formation regarding the basic topics, like state-society relations, history of political thought, organisational theory, Turkish politics and comparative politics, in the field of Political Science and Public Administration.
4The ability to use the classical and new approaches in social sciences comprehensively and critically.
5To acquire the methodological knowledge and scientific skills which would enhance the capacity to conduct scientific research and produce publications including a M.S. thesis.
6The ability to evaluate the different dimensions of the problems in the policy areas which are studied through the use of different theoretical perspectives and to develop strategies on this basis.
7To uphold ethical principles in science, academy and life.
8To approach the issues by an independent, critical and inventive cognitive orientation, which could also support the professional career development.

0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution