The
Comprehensive Exam in Comparative Politics
Department
of Political Science
University
of Notre Dame
You may select
the
reading lists relevant for you by clicking on the links below, or
download
the entire list in PDF format by clicking here. (Link temporarily
disabled for revision.)
Comparative
politics,
which covers the whole world and all of human history, is too vast a
subfield
to be mastered in one lifetime. One has to be selective. However, we
have
tried to provide the best guidance we can for your selectivity. In
2002-2003,
three of our graduate students compiled the reading lists for
comparative
politics comprehensive exams and field seminars used at 37 of the
National
Reseach Council's "top 50" political science graduate programs in the
United
States. (Their analysis appeared in the Winter 2003 issue of APSA-CP.)
Their work yielded a ranking of the top works in comparative politics.
The comparative field then used this ranking as a starting point for
the
exam reading list we use today. The field chose the small number of
works
cited by at least a third of the departments as a set of core readings.
This is as close as anyone could get to a list of readings that are
required
in the eyes of our subfield. Beyond these top works, there is very
little
consensus in the subfield about the specific works one should read.
Therefore,
beyond these core works (and some essential methods, selected by our
comparative
faculty as a whole), we allow our students to specialize by choosing
modular
reading lists on more specific topics. These topic lists were compiled
by subcommittee of our comparative faculty, informed by the overall
ranking.
These lists will be updated separately, as needed. In addition, we
expect
students to develop some expertise on one geographic area, including
more specific expertise on three countries within the chosen area.
Appropriate
readings for this part of the exam must be developed by each student in
consultation with relevant faculty.
Note: All the Core and Topics reading
lists below have been revised as of June 2006.
I.
Core Readings
This section has
two parts:
The
Current Canon:
Best-Known
(if not Best-Loved) Works
and
Comparative
Methods.
You must read all
items on both parts and pass one question on these core readings.
II.
Topics
There are separate,
short reading lists on the nine topics below. You must prepare
three
of these, but will be asked questions on only two of them on the
exam--one in Part II, the other in Part III. In Part II, you must
demonstrate competence in the cross-regional or non-area-specific
literature on one topic. You should not expect to be given a choice of
topics.
The
State
Regimes
and Regime Change
Institutions
and Institutionalisms
Parties
and Elections
Association,
Participation, and Representation
Social
Movements and Revolution
Identity,
Ethnicity, Culture, and Religion
Political
Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies
Political
Economy of Developing Countries
If you choose one
Political Economy list, you may not also choose the other. You may,
with
the field chair's permission and faculty supervision, design your own
topic
to substitute for one of the nine above.
III.
Area Studies
In Part III, you
must demonstrate competence in applying the literature on one topic to
your
region
of specialization. Again, you should not expect to have a choice of
topics in this section. Therefore, you should be prepared
to answer an area-specific question on any of your three topics. You
will also be asked to specify three countries in your chosen area that
you will know particularly well. You must consult with relevant faculty
to draw up a reading list on one of the following geographic areas:
So far the field
has developed area-studies reading lists only for certain areas, and
only for certain topics and countries.
These lists will be developed or expanded as needed by the students
taking the exam. The Latin American list prioritizes works that apply
research
on each topic to each country. However, it also lists some works that
should
be read by all Latin Americanists who select certain topics, regardless
of their choice of countries, and some works that should be read by all
Latin Americanists who choose certain countries, regardless of their
selection
of topics. This list also includes some works that are recommended but
not
required.
Students choosing other geographic areas can expect that their list
will
be structured in a similar way.