Comparative politics is a subfield of political science that involves the study of political systems, institutions, processes, and policies across different countries or regions. It seeks to identify and explain similarities and differences among political systems, and to understand how and why these systems function the way they do.
The history of comparative politics dates back to the 18th century when scholars began to compare political systems and institutions across different countries. However, it was not until the 20th century that comparative politics emerged as a distinct subfield of political science. This was largely due to the growth of area studies programs in universities, which focused on the study of specific regions such as Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and the development of new research methods and theories.
Today, comparative politics encompasses a wide range of topics, including democratization, political parties and elections, state-society relations, political economy, and public policy. It draws on a variety of theoretical approaches and research methods, including quantitative and qualitative methods, historical analysis, and case studies.
In summary, comparative politics is the study of political systems, institutions, processes, and policies across different countries or regions, with the aim of identifying similarities and differences and understanding how and why political systems function the way they do.