This course provides students with an overview of the political systems of European states. Theoretically, the focus is on Arend Lijphart’s typology of consensus versus majoritarian democracy. Geographically, the focus is on Europe’s smallest countries in the conviction that “the intellectual payoffs to the discipline of studying small states are potentially enormous” (Veenendaal and Corbett 2015: 527). In the course, students will learn how to go beyond Lijphart’s work, applying his typology to new cases and revising his indicators.
By the end of this course, students will be familiar with key topics and concepts in comparative politics, be able to distinguish and categorize political regimes, have an understanding of the working of political institutions, and possess the instruments to compare and analyze democratic political systems. Students will also learn the capitals of all European micro-states.
- Instructor: Matthijs Bogaards