Lesson 1 Why compare political systems?

This lesson introduces you to the comparative study of political systems. It acquaints you with the origins of the comparative approach that go back at least to the time of Plato, Aristotle, and the ancient Greeks. It also brings you up-to-date with the thinking of present-day comparativists, scholars who specialize in comparative studies.

In this lesson you learn about various methods that comparativists use to conduct their studies. Later, as you proceed with this subject, you have the opportunity to use some of those methods yourself. Finally, this lesson helps you understand some of the benefits that the study of comparative political systems can bring to you.

This lesson prepares you for working with this textbook, which follows a comparative approach to the study of politics. Learning how to compare your own political system with other systems acquaints you with alternative ways in which other peoples have met similar needs or addressed comparable public issues.

Along the way, you gain a better understanding of your own political system, of other political systems in world history and around the world today, and of the core political ideas and issues they have encountered.

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