This document outlines the syllabus for a Comparative Politics course. It provides details on the instructor, credits, academic year, objectives, topics to be covered over 10 weeks, assignments including a literature review article and term paper, and required and recommended readings. The course aims to familiarize students with major approaches and issues in comparative politics research by analyzing the effects of structures, institutions, and actors on political processes and outcomes. Key topics include democratization, regime change, political institutions, parties, elections, and political culture.

1. COURSE SYLLABUS: Comparative Politics
Course Instructor: Sokol Lleshi, Ph.D
(Name, Surname, Signature)
Approved by: Approved by:
Assoc. Prof. Enila Cenko, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Ilir Kalemaj, Ph.D
(Name, Surname, Signature)(Name, Surname, Signature)
DEAN OF THE FACULTY
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

2. Instructor: Sokol Lleshi, Ph.D.
No. of ECTS credits: 8
Type: Mandatory
Academic Year/Period: 2021-2022/Spring
Category: B
Study Program: Master of Science in International Relations
Course ID:
Instructor’s e-mail: [email protected]
Head of Department: Assoc. Prof. Ilir Kalemaj, Ph.D.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Comparative Politics course intends to make the students
familiar with the main research programs and issues in
comparative politics by analyzing the effect of structures,
institutions, and actors in political processes and outcomes.
Processes of hollowing out of democratic regimes, paths to
autocratization, economic or societal determinants to
democratization, as well as regime transitions constitute an
important part of discussions in the course. In the first part of
the course, a historical overview of the transformation of the
comparative politics sub-discipline and its main approaches are
delineated. In the second part of the course, the students are
introduced to particular political institutions, such as political
parties and party systems, governments and legislature,
electoral systems, and the research programs that relate to these
subject of research. The third part of the course focuses on the
non-institutional processes and outcomes of politics such as
social movements, political culture and modernization.

3. OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course students will be able
to:
Become cognizant of the main research programs and
theoretical approaches in comparative politics
Understand and apply the methodological underpinnings of
comparative research
Situate their research project within the comparative politics
literature
Research papers allow students to critically engage with
concepts, theory and empirical cases and understand the
dilemmas and choices involved in a research process
Apply a problem-oriented approach to research in a cross-
national perspective
Key concepts:
Political institutions, political processes, democratization,
regime change, authoritarian breakdown, political development,
political culture, political parties, electoral institutions, interest
aggregation, collective action, comparative method
Course Outline
Topic I – Introduction to the course and an overview of the

4. main themes
Topic II – The evolution of the comparative politics research
and the various approaches in the sub-field
The seminar discussion focuses on the main issues that pertain
to the comparative politics tradition. On the other hand, the
various explanatory perspectives are discussed. Theoretical
debates and methodological challenges on democratic
backsliding are emphasized as an illustration of the comparative
research practice.
Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics.
Oxford University Press, 30-60.
Waldner, D., & Lust, E. (2018).
Unwelcome change: Coming to terms with Democratic
Backsliding. Annual Review of Political
Science 21(5), 93-113
Suggested reading: Bermeo, N. (2016). On democratic
backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 27(1), 5-19.
Topic III – Historical inquiry and comparative politics research.
Case study research
The seminar discussion this week highlights the practice of
comparative research and in particular the historical
comparative analysis and a more nomothetic case study
research.
Mandatory reading: Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The
Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY:
Oxford University Press, 73-117pp.
Gerring, J. (2004). What is a case study
and what is it good for? American Political
Science Review, 98(2), 341-354.
Suggested reading: Gerring, J., Kingstone, P., Lange, P., &
Sinha, A. (2011). Democracy, history, and economic
performance: A case-study approach. World Development,

5. 39(10), 1735-1748.
Topic IV – State formation and nation-state
The seminar discussion focuses on one of the key topics of
comparative politics research, namely, processes of state
formation and the effect of the state as a political institution on
political outcomes.
Mandatory reading: Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The
Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY:
Oxford University Press, 211-236
Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy, J., Nullmeier, F., &
Stephens, J.D. (Ed.)
(2015). The Oxford handbook:
Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University
Press, 33-61.
Suggested reading: Neep, D. (2013). War, state formation, and
culture. International Journal of Middle-East
Studies, (45)4, 795-797.
Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy,
J., Nullmeier, F., & Stephens, J.D. (Ed.)
(2015). The Oxford handbook:
Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University
Press, 131-152. (State theory and
analytical traditions)
Topic V – Democracies and democratization
Explaining the causes and processes of democratization remains
a crucial stream of research in comparative politics. The
seminar of this week focuses on the various explanatory
approaches to democratization based on a structural,
institutional or elite-based approach or any combination thereof.

6. Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics.
Oxford University Press, 109-132pp
Albertus, M. & Menaldo, V. (2018).
Sweden: From agrarian oligarchy to progressive democracy. In
Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy.
Cambridge University Press.
Suggested reading: Answell, B., & Samuels, D. (2014).
Inequality and Democratization: An Elite-
competition approach. Cambridge
University Press, 61-92.
Topic VI – Authoriarian regimes and authocratization.
This topic shall address issues such as the emergence,
consilidation and breakdown of authoritarian regimes. On the
other hand, the seminar discussion will focus on the modes of
legitimation of authoriatarian regimes and highlight the current
waves of authocratization.
Mandatory reading:Brooker, P. (2014). Non-democratic
regimes. Palgrave Macmillan, 106-132.
Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2018). How dictatorships
work: Power, personalization and collapse. Ch.4, pp. 61-92.
Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E.
(2018). How dictatorships work: Power, personalization and
collapse. Ch. 8, pp. 177-211.
Suggested reading: Luhrmann, A. & Lindberg, S. (2019). A
third wave of autocratization is here: What is new about it?
Democratization, 26(7). 1095-1113.
Week VII – Structure and institutions: Parliamentary and
Presidential system
The focus of this session is on the institutional choice,
functions, and effects of parliamentary systems and presidential
systems.

7. Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politi cs.
Oxford University Press, 159-188pp
Tsebelis, G. (1995). Decision-making in political systems: Veto
players in presidentialism,
parliamentarlism, multicameralism and multipartism. British
Journal of Political Science, (25)3,
289-325.
Linz, J. (1990). The perils of presidentialism. Journal of
Democracy, (1)1, 51-69.
Suggested reading: Mainwaring. S., & Shugart, M. (1997). Juan
Linz, presidentialism, and democracy: A
critical appraisal. Comparative
Politics,(29)4, 449-471
Baylis, Th. (1996). Presidents versus
prime-ministers: Shaping executive authority in
Eastern Europe. World Politics, (48)3,
297-323.
Topic VIII – Political parties and party systems
The topic of this week focuses on political parties, as important
institutions of political representation, interest aggregation,
democratic legitimacy and agenda-setting. The discussion
tackles the interaction between political parties, party systems
and social cleavages.
Mandatory reading: Enyedi, Z. (2008). The social and
attitudinal basis of political parties: Cleavage politics
revisited. European Review, 16(3), 287-304.
Albright, J. (2010). The multidimensional nature of party
competition. Party Politics, (16)6, 699-719.
Suggested reading: Bardi, L., & Mair, P. (2008). The parameters
of party systems. Party politics, (14)2,
147-166.
Pedersen, Ch., & Mortersen, P. (2014).

8. Avoidance and engagement: Issue competition in multiparty
systems. Political Studies.
Topic IX – Electoral Systems and Referenda
The seminar discussion addresses the effect of electoral systems
as political institutions upon the behavior of political actors a nd
party politics. Another facet of political dynamics is the role of
referenda in enabling or constraining political processes.
DEADLINE FOR THE LITERATURE REVIEW ARTICLE
Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics.
Oxford University Press, 240-261pp
Adams, J., Ezrow, L., & Somer-Topcu, Z.
(2014). Do voters respond to party manifestos or to a wider
information environment? An analysis of mass-elite linkages on
European integration. American Journal of Political Science,
58(4), 967-978.
Suggested reading: Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The
Oxford handbook of comparative politics. NY:
Oxford University Press, 678-703pp
Mainwarig, S., Gervasoni, C., & Espana-
Najera, A. (2016).Extra- and within-system electoral volatility.
Party Politics.
Topic X – Political culture and Political participation
Usually in comparative politics and political science political
culture is considered to be a residual conceptual category.
Nonetheless it remains important in understanding individual
level political behavior. We shall discuss as well the interaction
between political culture and political participation.
TERM-PAPER PRESENTATION

9. Mandatory reading: Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics.
Oxford University Press, 419-470pp
Sobolewska, M., & Ford, R. (2019).
British culture wars? Brexit and the future politics of
Immigration and ethnic diversity. The
Political Quarterly, 90(2), 142-154.
Suggested reading: Felicetti, A., Niemeyer, S., & Curato, N.
(2016). Improving deliberative participation:
connecting mini-publics to deliberative
systems. European Political Science Review,
8(3), 427-448.
ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION
ATTENDANCE:
Assignments and Evaluation:
- Active participation in lecture/seminar classes: 15 %
- Term-paper presentation: 15%
- Review article: 25 %
- Term paper: 45 %
LITERATURE
Required Textbooks: There is no single required textbook. The
instructor prepares a reader based on the list of mandatory
readings including book chapters and scholarly articles.
Albertus, M. & Menaldo, V. (2018).Authoritarianism and the
Elite Origins of Democracy. Cambridge University Press.
Albright, J. (2010). The multidimensional nature of party
competition. Party Politics, (16)6, 699-719.
Adams, J., Ezrow, L., & Somer-Topcu, Z. (2014). Do voters

10. respond to party manifestos or to a wider information
environment? An analysis of mass-elite linkages on European
integration. American Journal of Political Science, 58(4), 967-
978.
Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford handbook of
comparative politics. NY: Oxford University Press.
Boix, C. (1999). Setting the rules of the game: The choice of
electoral systems in advanced democracies. The American
Political Science Review, (93)3, 609-624.
Brooker, P. (2014). Non-democratic regimes. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics. Oxford University
Press.
Enyedi, Z. (2008). The social and attitudinal basis of political
parties: Cleavage politics revisited. European Review, 16(3),
287-304.
Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2018). How dictatorships
work: Power, personalization and collapse. Cambridge
University Press.
Gerring, J. (2004). What is a case study and what is it good for?
American Political Science Review, 98(2), 341-354.
Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy, J., Nullmeier, F., &
Stephens, J.D. (Ed.) (2015). The Oxford handbook:
Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University Press.
Linz, J. (1990). The perils of presidentialism. Journal of
Democracy, (1)1, 51-69.
Sobolewska, M., & Ford, R. (2019). British culture wars? Brexit
and the future politics of immigration and ethnic diversity. The
Political Quarterly, 90(2), 142-154.
Tsebelis, G. (1995). Decision-making in political systems: Veto
players in presidentialism,
parliamentarlism, multicameralism and multipartis m. British
Journal of Political Science, (25)3, 289-325.
Waldner, D., & Lust, E. (2018). Unwelcome change: Coming to
terms with Democratic Backsliding. Annual Review of Political
Science 21(5), 93-113.

11. Recommended Literature:
Answell, B., & Samuels, D. (2014). Inequality and
Democratization: An Elite- competition approach. Cambridge
University Press, 61-92.
Bardi, L., & Mair, P. (2008). The parameters of party systems.
Party politics, (14)2, 147-166.
Baylis, Th. (1996). Presidents versus prime-ministers: Shaping
executive authority in Eastern Europe. World Politics, (48)3,
297-323.
Bermeo, N. (2016). On democratic backsliding. Journal of
Democracy, 27(1), 5-19.
Boix, C., & Stokes, S. (Ed.). (2007). The Oxford handbook of
comparative politics. NY: Oxford University Press, 678-703pp
Felicetti, A., Niemeyer, S., & Curato, N. (2016). Improving
deliberative participation: Connecting mini-publics to
deliberative systems. European Political Science Review, 8(3),
427-448.
Gerring, J., Kingstone, P., Lange, P., & Sinha, A. (2011).
Democracy, history, and economic performance: A case-study
approach. World Development, 39(10), 1735-1748.
Lebanidze, B. (2014). What makes authoritarian regimes sweat?
Linkage, leverage and democratization in post-Soviet South
Caucasus. Journal of Southeast Europe and Black Sea Studies,
14(2), 199-218.
Leibfried, S., Huber, E., Lange, M., Levy, J., Nullmeier, F., &
Stephens, J.D. (Ed.) (2015). The Oxford handbook:
Transformations of the State. NY: Oxford University Press,
131-152.
Luhrmann, A. & Lindberg, S. (2019). A third wave of
autocratization is here: What is new about it? Democratization,
26(7). 1095-1113.
Mainwaring. S., & Shugart, M. (1997). Juan Linz,
presidentialism, and democracy: A critical appraisal.

12. Comparative Politics,(29)4, 449-471
Mainwarig, S., Gervasoni, C., & Espana-Najera, A.
(2016).Extra- and within-system electoral volatility. Party
Politics.
Neep, D. (2013). War, state formation, and culture.
International Journal of Middle-East Studies, (45)4, 795-797.
Pedersen, Ch., & Mortersen, P. (2014). Avoidance and
engagement: Issue competition in multiparty systems. Political
Studies.
Rahat, G., Hazan, R.Y., & Katz, R. (2008). Democracy and
political parties: On the uneasy relationships between
participation, competition and representation. Party Politics,
14(6), 663-683.
Audiovisual Materials:
Course Policies:
Course Requirements
Hours Missed
Grade
0-3
100%
4
95%
5
90%

13. 6
85%
7
80%
8
70%
9
60%
10
50%
11
40%
12
30%
13
20%
14
10%
Attendance &Participation (15%): Attendance in UNYT classes
is mandatory. I will keep track of your attendance and
punctuality every hour of class. Absences will not be excused,
since students will be allowed to miss up to 3 hours per
semester without it affecting the attenda nce grade (so you
should save these absences for unforeseen events, like illness or
family emergencies). In addition, students should refrain from
arriving late without prior approval from the professor (or the
hour will be counted as an absence). The grades for attendance
+ participation will be as follows (please note that they are for
hours missed and not days):
Presentation of the Term Paper Outline (15%): Each student
shall present an outline of their term paper, which should

14. include a definition of the research problem, the main questions
asked that try to respond to the puzzle, the concepts and
perspectives on which the main argument of the paper shall be
based, research design and the interpretation provided by the
student, which will constitute the insightful contribution of the
term paper author. The Term Paper Presentation constitutes 15%
of the grade.
Review Article (25%): The review article assignment requires a
critical analysis of the existing literature on a particular
research problem or topic in comparative politics, and an
assessment of the fit between theory and empirical reality
according to your perspective and mastering of the literature.
The student needs to
survey the relevant literature on the defined topic by analyzing
the various perspectives, evaluating and providing a critique of
existing theoretical frameworks. The review article could be
used as an initial attempt
for identifying a proper puzzle or research question that each
student shall address in the term paper. The structure of the
review article shall consist of 6-8 pages, 1.5 space, and Times
New Roman font. This assignment constitutes 25 % of the
grade.
Term Paper (45%): The term paper consists of 45% of the
grade. The term paper should constitute an independent research
paper on a subject matter within the comparative politics
research tradition and the plural methodological framework.
You may take advantage of the review article to help you
prepare beforehand for your final paper. The term paper should
present a research problem/research question, the expected
theoretical framework and the application of a comparative
methodology on a concrete empirical phenomenon, outcome or
political process. The structure of the paper should be around
4000 words, 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced
text, using APA citation and reference style.

15. Your term paper is required to be submitted through the
TURNITIN website. The term paper should be submitted a week
after the end of the course. You`ll be enrolled and receive
automated messages that contain ID and password prior to due
date.
Criteria: The criteria of evaluation will be based on how well
the student has fulfilled the projected learning outcomes
established for the course.
Each aspect of your work for the course will receive a letter
grade. Each grade will be converted to a numerical value,
multiplied by the appropriate percentage, and added to your
other grades to arrive at a final grade.
Letter Grade
Percent (%)
Generally Accepted Meaning
A
96-100
Outstanding work
A-
90-95
B+
87-89
Good work, distinctly above average
B
83-86
B-
80-82
C+
77-79

16. Acceptable work
C
73-76
C-
70-72
D+
67-69
Work that is significantly below average
D
63-66
D-
60-62
F
0-59
Work that does not meet minimum standards for passing the
course
H. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Conduct: Students are expected to behave in class with civility
and appropriate etiquette toward professors and one another.
Please set your cell phones on silent before class begins and
refrain from using them until class is over.
Academic Integrity (Plagiarism): UNYT does not tolerate
academic dishonesty. You have all read and signed the UNYT
Student Honor Code with a detailed description of plagiarism
and cheating. Those caught plagiarising (attempting to represent
the work of another as their own) will fail the course. Note that
plagiarism includes using phrases or sentences from a published
work without putting that material in quotation marks and
documenting the source.
Email Communication: It is absolutely necessary for the
professor to be able to communicate with the entire class via

17. email. In addition to the Midterm and Final, I will periodically
send the class important materials or updates. This semester, I
will also be sending weekly questions on the readings. It is each
student’s responsibility to ensure that the professor has an up-
to-date and full functioning email address. It is also up to the
student to keep an eye out for such emails and read them and
any attachments fully.
Support Services: As a service to its students, UNYT has
created a series of support centers. For support related to study
skills and time management, the Academic Support Center
offers students tutoring and coaching. The Writing Center gives
students feedback and help with papers and other writing
assignments. If you feel that you have any exceptional learning
difficulties or serious problems that interfere with your studies,
you can stop by the UNYT Counseling Center. For information
on any of these centers, please contact Dr. Lahi, Dr. Canollari,
your academic advisor or me.
Comparative Politics
Essay Topics
Final Research Paper
1. Compare and contrast consociational democracy with
majoritarian democracy.
2. Why have countries such as Hungary and Poland, that were
the frontrunners of democratization and market economy in
Eastern Europe in 1990s, experienced democratic backsliding?

18. 3. Charles Tilly argued that war makes the state and states make
wars. Could the civil wars in Yugoslavia be considered as a
mechanism of state-building in the Balkans?
4. Why do some kind of dictatorships survive crisis?
5. E. E. Schattschneider held that modern democracy is
unthinkable without political parties. What is the role of
political parties in democracy, what explains variations in party
system institutionalization and polarization?
6. Compare and contrast majoritarian electoral systems with
proportional electoral systems. Which of these electoral system
families is more suitable to representative democracy? What
effects do electoral systems have on the party system?
7. Scholars of democratic transitions and democratization
(O’Donnell, Schmitter & Whitehead 1986; D.A. Rustow 1970)
tend to highlight the role of political elites and elite pacts as
mechanisms of regime change. Other scholars of
democratization emphasize the role of social classes end
economic modernization (Barrington Moore Jr.; Seymour
Lipset). The Arab Spring triggered regime transitions in Egypt
and Tunisia. Why the process of democratization was more
successful in Tunisia than in Egypt? Which of the above
theories explain better the difference in outcome
(democratization)?
8. What is political culture and how is that reproduced or
sustained through time? Is political culture a prerequisite/pre-
condition for democratization or democratic institutions create a
political culture that is supportive of democracy?