This course is an introduction to the systematic study of politics across countries. The course examines how political systems are organized and how institutions, actors, and ideas interact to produce political outcomes. Major topics include state formation and capacity, regime types (democracy, authoritarianism, hybrid systems), constitutions, electoral systems, political parties, interest groups, and social cleavages. Emphasis is placed on understanding how these structures shape political participation, representation, and policy-making. Students will learn key theories and approaches to comparison and will apply these frameworks to real-world cases through the class discussions, take-home assignments, and group activities.