PSCI 653Comparative Political Systems: Eastern Europe

This course will provide a comparative survey of political processes in the states of Eastern Europe. It will begin with a brief introduction to the geopolitical significance of this area, the historical experience of the Eastern European states and their political development in this century. The course will then focus on the problems which the East European states now face in dealing with the legacy of the past: the dilemmas posed by political and economic reform and new patterns of social inequality; the nature of new political parties and the quality of political participation; the impact of growing nationalism; and new regional security arrangements.