Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

 Course Title:   Comparative Government: D

 Title Abbreviation:   COMPARATIVE GOVERNMT: D

 Department:    POLS

 Course #:    201

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5

 CIP:    451001

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2018


 Course Description  

A study of the structure and functioning of foreign political systems, including constitutional development, political parties, elections and bureaucracies. Parliamentary governments of Europe, the presidential governments of the Western Hemisphere and emerging governments of Eastern Europe will be used as models.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: Appropriate placement or grade of 2.0 or higher in ENGL 099.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 55

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Social Sciences  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
CWU 360
U of W 204
WSU 107
WWU 291

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. More effectively gather data, analyze this information, and develop stategies to extract meaning from politics around the world using critical thinkingo skills
  2. Become sensitive to the diversity of political systems that exist globally
  3. Identify and discuss the various purposes of government
  4. Understand the political cultures and governments of diverse populations around the world
  5. Comprehend and discuss the three models of government and their implementation in various areas of the world
  6. Apply these understandings of government to current events with critical reasoning skills
  7. Recognize and discuss the various branches, organs, and functions of government as they appear globally

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

0. Application and Integration

Definition: Applying information from one or more disciplines and/or field experiences in new contexts (Outcome 0.1); developing integrated approaches or responses to personal, academic, professional, and social issues (Outcomes 0.2-0.5).

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
0.3 Identify and evaluate the relationships among different perspectives within a field of study and among different fields of study.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.1 Determine the extent of information needed.
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.
1.3 Evaluate information and its sources critically.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.2 Analyze issues and develop questions within a discipline.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.1 Recognize, read, and comprehend academic and/or professional writing.

4. Community & Cultural Diversity

Definition: Recognizing the value of human communities and cultures from multiple perspectives through a critical understanding of their similarities and differences.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
4.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and issues associated with the diverse perspectives of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and culture.
4.2 Understand, value and respect human differences and commonalities as they relate to issues of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and culture.
4.3 Understand the historically and socially constructed nature of—and the meanings attributed to—human differences.

5. Global & Local Awareness & Responsibility

Definition: Understanding the complexity and interdependence of, and stewardship responsibilities to, local and global communities and environments.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
5.1 Understand the impact of their own and other’s actions on local/global communities and environments and how those communities/environments affect them in turn.

Course Contents

  1. Purpose of government
  2. Models of Government (examples in 1st, 2nd, 3rd world)
  3. Philosophy of Government behind each model
  4. Political culture and impact on organization
  5. Historical context and historical development of models (examples from 1, 2, 3rd world)
  6. Election systems (PR and SMDP)
  7. Ethnicity and the State
  8. Party Systems and relation to governmental operation