Comparative Politics

What is Comparative Politics? Well in definition, it is the study of domestic politics in nations all over the world, and comparing aspects of state, economy, and society. But in what I have learned throughout the year, Comparative Politics departs from dry facts and figures and asks us more pressing questions, for example: what does our government need to do in order to help starving people around the world? How can support for a growing economy bring political freedom to developing nations? Or, what political goods and democratic ideals can we export to other nations to increase equality outside our borders? These are all internationally based questions, but as Comparative Politics has taught me, the world is more interconnected and similar than it is divided or different. Sure, Africa and Asia share different histories than Western nations, but different civilizations all share the same goal: improving the lives of people. Though this may be hard to accomplish everywhere, especially where authoritarian nations are in power, people can still improve their standards of living and gain political freedom and rights if they fight for it, work for it, and occasionally get help from IGOs such as the U.N. and NGOs. Even multi-national corporations can help boost the economy in developing countries, and people can live better and get the chance of having democracy, which is in many ways a luxury good. So, Comparative Politics is the study of how countries produce political goods, develop economies, and react to cultural movements, but more than anything else, it has proven to not be just about the governments of countries across the world, but the lives of the people who live there.