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Comparative Politics

Comparative Politics explores some of the most important questions in global politics today:

Why are some countries democratic while others experience dictatorship?
How do we measure democratic erosion and resilience?
Why are some regions rich while others remain poor and unequal?
What triggers political violence and revolution?
How are identities polarized, and what are the political implications of such polarization?
Under what conditions do institutions facilitate rather than obstruct good governance?

Outstanding faculty

The comparative politics field at Notre Dame is comprised of distinguished experts who study Latin America, Africa, China, Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and other areas. Our faculty members are particularly well known for their cross-regional depth in the study of democracy and regime change, political violence and conflict, and the politics of religion. We have several other clusters of strength, including political parties and institutions, comparative authoritarianism, contentious politics, nationalism, political behavior, and political economy.

Graduate study in comparative politics

As a field, we train graduate students in diverse methodological approaches and are committed to mentorship and faculty-graduate student collaboration. Graduate students lead the Comparative Politics Workshop (CPW), a forum for students and faculty to present research and receive constructive feedback. Graduate students join policy and practice labs led by faculty in the field, such as the Violence and Transitional Justice Lab (V-TJ), the Eliminating Violence Against Women Lab (E-VAW), and the African Governance Research Innovations Collaborative.

Undergraduate study in comparative politics

Undergraduate majors take courses exploring the politics of world regions (Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East) as well as thematic courses covering topics such as the politics of climate change and sustainability, democracy and dictatorship, political violence, courts and the rule of law, identity politics, and comparative political economy. Course offerings are designed to give students deep and dynamic knowledge of different world regions and emphasize critical thinking and empirical research to make informed contributions to policy debates on the global stage. Comparative politics students also engage in original research by writing senior theses and working as research assistants for faculty.

Field highlights

Jaimie Bleck headshot. A woman with long brown hair smiles warmly. She wears a dark blue blazer over a red floral-print top. The background is blurred, suggesting an indoor location, possibly within an academic building.

With Fulbright award, Jaimie Bleck examines youth, trust, and democracy in Mali

A man wearing academic regalia and glasses gestures with his right hand as he speaks. A Ukrainian flag is slightly blurred in the background to his right. He has gray hair, a beard, and is wearing a gold tie. Light shines through curtains behind him.

James McAdams: Fighting For Freedom of Thought

Professional headshots of a woman and a man. The woman on the left has shoulder-length brown hair and wears pink glasses and a green top. The man on the right has short brown hair and is wearing a suit and light blue tie.

Political and computer scientists probe authoritarian regimes’ use of social media to attack democracy

Faculty

  1. Christina Bambrick headshot. A woman with long dark brown hair streaked with gray. She wears a black blazer over a black and white floral blouse. She looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Books are visible on shelves behind her, and a framed photo is partially visible over her right shoulder.

    Christina Bambrick

    Filip Family Assistant Professor of Political Science

  2. Michael Coppedge headshot. A fair-skinned man with a warm smile wearing a navy blue suit jacket and a colorful striped tie. He has short, graying hair and is wearing wire-rimmed glasses.

    Michael J. Coppedge

    Professor

  3. Robert Dowd

    Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C

    President of The University of Notre Dame

  4. Andy Gould

    Andrew C. Gould

    Associate Professor

  5. Headshot of a person with dark hair, beard, and distinctive round, purple-framed glasses, wearing a dark blazer and light blue shirt, sitting outdoors with a blurred street scene in the background.

    Saad Gulzar

    Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  6. Michael Hoffman headshot. A man with short brown hair, light green eyes, and a broad smile. He wears a white and light blue checkered collared shirt against a gray background.

    Michael Hoffman

    Associate Professor

  7. Victoria Hui headshot. An Asian woman with black hair and glasses smiles warmly at the camera. She is wearing a green velvet shirt and a delicate necklace.

    Victoria Tin-bor Hui

    Associate Professor

  8. Debra Javeline headshot. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, against a gray background. She wears a teal blouse.

    Debra Javeline

    Professor

  9. Karrie Koesel headshot. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, olive -tone skin, and rose-colored glasses smiles against a gray background. She wears a green v-neck top with a black stripe detail.

    Karrie J. Koesel

    Associate Professor

  10. Man with short graying hair, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, smiles at the camera against a dark blue background, with his arms crossed.

    Ken Kollman

    William M. Scholl Professor of Politics

  11. Scott Mainwaring headshot. A bald, fair-skinned smiling man wearing glasses, a pinstriped collared shirt, and a navy blue blazer. Out-of-focus pink flowers and steps are visible in the background.

    Scott Mainwaring

    Eugene and Helen Conley Professor

  12. Headshot of a bald man with a broad smile, wearing a dark blue collared shirt, against a blurred tan background.

    Aníbal Pérez-Liñán

    Professor of Political Science and Global Affairs

  13. Kenneth Scheve

    Kenneth Scheve

    I.A. O'Shaughnessy Dean, College of Arts and Letters

  14. Luis Schiumerini headshot. A man with short brown hair, glasses, and a white collared shirt.

    Luis Schiumerini

    Assistant Professor

  15. Jazmin Sierra headshot. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is smiling and wearing a dark blue, button-down shirt. She is positioned against a plain, light gray backdrop.

    Jazmin Sierra

    Assistant Professor

  16. Guillermo Trejo headshot. A man with short, curly dark hair and rimless glasses. He wears a dark gray suit jacket, light blue and white checked dress shirt, and a burgundy patterned tie. He smiles against a plain gray backdrop.

    Guillermo Trejo

    Professor

  17. Susanne Wengle headshot. A woman with straight, long brown hair and blue glasses, wearing a black jacket and gold necklace. She is smiling at the camera with her arms crossed. A blurred outdoor background of trees suggests she is on campus.

    Susanne Wengle

    Associate Professor

Concurrent Faculty

  1. Abby Córdova headshot. A woman with olive skin and dark hair wears a black blazer over a blue blouse while smiling for a headshot.

    Abby Córdova

    Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  2. Joshua Eisenman headshot. A man with glasses, a short beard, and brown hair. He wears a houndstooth sport coat, light blue collared shirt, and a dark blue and pink striped tie. The background is softly blurred.

    Joshua Eisenman

    Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  3. Laura Gamboa

    Laura Gamboa

    Assistant Professor of Democracy and Global Affairs

  4. Marc Jacob

    Marc S. Jacob

    Assistant Professor of Democracy and Global Affairs

  5. Kyle Jaros headshot. A man with short brown hair, glasses, and a trimmed beard. He wears a dark gray suit jacket, light blue collared shirt, and a dark blue patterned tie. He is smiling against a plain gray backdrop.

    Kyle Jaros

    Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  6. A young woman with dark hair and a slight smile wears a black top and a gold necklace with a green heart pendant, standing outdoors with blurry greenery and a building in the background.

    Dahjin Kim

    Assistant Professor of Asian Studies and Global Affairs

  7. Daniel Miller headshot. A man wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and blue patterned tie. He has short light brown hair, glasses, and is smiling at the camera against a gray background.

    Daniel Miller

    Associate Professor of Environmental Policy

  8. Tom Mustillo headshot. A man with short brown hair, glasses, and a salt-and-pepper beard. He's wearing a gray suit jacket, light blue collared shirt, and a dark blue and green patterned tie. He is smiling against a plain gray background.

    Thomas Mustillo

    Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  9. Susan Ostermann headshot. A woman with shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair. She's wearing a black cowl-neck sweater and smiling at the camera. The background is blurred, suggesting an indoor location with light-colored walls and some architectural details.

    Susan Ostermann

    Associate Professor of Global Affairs

  10. Steve Reifenberg headshot. A man wearing a navy blue suit jacket, light blue collared shirt, and patterned tie with gold, blue, and red details. He has medium-length brown hair and is smiling against a plain gray backdrop.

    Stephen Reifenberg

    Associate Professor of International Development

  11. J. Samuel Valenzuela headshot.A man with light brown and gray hair, wearing thin-framed glasses, smiles while looking toward the left. He is shown in profile against a dark chalkboard with faint writing on it.

    J. Samuel Valenzuela

    Professor of Sociology (Kellogg Institute)

Partners

Interdisciplinary initiatives and institutes across campus enrich the study of comparative politics at Notre Dame. They are vibrant centers of intellectual activity and scholarly exchange in the field of comparative politics, and they provide research support for faculty and students.

Events

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