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POLI-D305

Régimes politiques comparés

academic year
2026-2027

Course teacher(s)

Thomas Legein (Coordinator) and Jean-Benoît PILET

ECTS credits

5

Language(s) of instruction

french

Course content

This course provides the theoretical and analytical knowledge needed to understand comparative politics across the globe. It covers a wide range of key topics in the comparative politics literature: how to define and classify democratic and autocratic regimes; the functioning of legislatures and executive branches and the balance of powers; variations in electoral systems, their consequences and the incentive structures they create for actors within the political system; the functioning of political parties and the comparative analysis of party systems. In addition, the course also covers issues relating to institutional design in divided societies (e.g. multi-ethnic states) and examines the evolution of citizens’ political attitudes and behaviours towards the key institutions of representative democracies. Throughout the course, we will cover recent real-world examples of the various topics and highlight interesting country cases where possible.

Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)

The aim of the course is to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to understand the key issues in comparative politics, and to explore, examine and analyse the diversity of political systems around the world.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

No prior knowledge is required. Keeping up to date with international political affairs may help students to understand the course.

Teaching methods and learning activities

  • Lectures (24 hours; in French), with slides available on the course platform after each session
  • Suggested readings and podcasts will also be provided on the course platform

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

see syllabus for full list

Other information

Contacts

Thomas LEGEIN : thomas.legein@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Evaluation

Method(s) of evaluation

  • Other

Other

Written exam during the session

Written exam – type(s) of question :

1 to 3 Open question with developed answer
20 Closed question with multiple choices (MCQ)

Language(s) of evaluation

  • french

Programmes