School of International Service
American University
Comparative and Regional Studies
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
Summer 2004

Directions:

Answer a total of THREE (3) questions.
Each answer must be at least satisfactory in order to pass the exam.

For each answer, students are expected to demonstrate:
(1) a comprehensive knowledge of the relevant scholarly literature, and
(2) a solid understanding of the theoretical issues.

1. Traditional comparative techniques attempt to generalize at the level of individual cases, seeking covering-laws that can account for systematic relationships between variables. Charles Tilly has argued that comparative work should instead seek to generalize at the level of causal mechanisms that replicate across cases but appear in different configurations. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of these comparative approaches.

2. Should comparative and regional studies (CRS) incorporate globalization as part of the field? Why bother? Do globalization studies enhance or diminish CRS? In what ways? (Be sure to specify and consider major definitions of globalization within the academic literature as a part of your answer).

3. Since the 1980s, several authors have endeavored to "bring the state back in" to their analyses of comparative politics.
- Have these efforts increased our understanding of political phenomena? How?
- Have these efforts improved our understanding of the state?

4. The first and most prominent examples and analyses of "contentious politics" were almost exclusively centered on North Atlantic democracies. Is the concept of "contentious politics" a useful analytical lens when applied outside this region? Why/Why not??

5. Is representative democracy a universal means of governance that can take root successfully in any part of the world?

6. The literature on political culture as a crucial component for establishing and maintaining a stable democratic polity. Discuss the extent to which evidence (dis)confirms this claim.

7. Various authors have identified geography, institutions and policy as the principal variable determining whether a country will succeed in advancing itself economically. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of each argument.