This course has three primary goals.  The first is to provide students with a solid foundational knowledge of the structures and functioning of governments in Western and Eastern Europe, including the advantages and disadvantages of each.  The second is to introduce important bodies of work within comparative politics and how they apply in the European context, such as nationalist violence, democratization, and social movements.  Finally, the course is designed to encourage students to think about what the European experience in those areas can teach us about politics in other places.  What lessons can we draw that help us understand the rest of the world?

There are three basic sections to the class.  One section paints a broad picture and establishes the broad context within which politics occurs in Europe.  A second looks specifically at a handful of important states with Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Poland.  Finally, the third section looks at the world of the European Union.  The EU strongly impacts domestic politics of its members, so to understand local politics in Europe, one must have a working knowledge of the EU.

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