IGNOU BOOK | Comparative Government and Politics | BPSC -133 | ENGLISH MEDIUM

Product Overview & Details

Comparative Government and Politics

Comparative Government and Politics is a major field of Political Science that studies and compares the political systems, governments, institutions, political processes, and behavior of different countries. Its purpose is to understand how political systems are organized, how they function, and why they produce different political outcomes.

1. Meaning

Comparative Government traditionally focused mainly on comparing formal political institutions, such as:

• Legislature
• Executive
• Judiciary
• Constitution
• Political parties

Comparative Politics has a broader scope. It also studies political behavior, political culture, elections, interest groups, social movements, public opinion, political participation and political development.

2. Objectives

The major objectives are:

• To understand similarities and differences between political systems.
• To study how political institutions function.
• To identify factors responsible for political stability and instability.
• To understand different forms of government.
• To compare political processes such as elections and policymaking.
• To explain political change and political development.

3. Major Types of Government

Comparative politics examines different forms of government, including:

Democracy

Political authority ultimately rests with the people through elections and political participation.

Examples: India, United Kingdom, United States.

Authoritarian Government

Political power is concentrated in the hands of a leader or a limited group, with restricted political competition.

Parliamentary Government

The executive is drawn from and accountable to the legislature.

Examples: India and the United Kingdom.

Presidential Government

The president is elected separately from the legislature and generally serves as both head of state and head of government.