PSCI 256
Electoral Politics in the Developing World Spring 2024
Division II
This is not the current course catalog

Electoral politics in the developing world often differs from democratic politics in Western Europe and the U.S. Electoral volatility, decrepit state institutions, weak parties, clientelism, and electoral violence in developing democracies complicate foundational theories on representation and accountability. The course surveys the electoral politics of low and middle-income democracies in the developing world, investigating its similarities and differences with the historical and contemporary politics of developed democracies. It examines work on electoral systems, formal and informal institutions, bureaucratic politics, political parties, party systems, clientelism, ethnic politics, and political violence. We will draw on case studies from Latin America, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East to analyze the effectiveness of these theories. Assignments focus on crafting solutions to contemporary political challenges in the developing world.