POL2042S - Comparative Public Institutions

Course Outline:

This course explores the dynamics of public institutions in comparative politics. Politics the world over is conducted by and through a myriad of public institutions whose role is to translate political goals and aspirations into concrete outcomes. The public ‘bureaucracies’ represent potentially powerful and influential unelected institutions, which can have a profound effect on the political process. This course will review theories and concepts of bureaucracy which explain the emergence, internal structure and functioning, and reform of these institutions. It will also survey the role and impact of public bureaucracies across a variety of countries, in international organisations, and in relation to important themes such as democracy and development.