Government & politics of Ukraine

This upper-level undergraduate comparative politics course applies the basic concepts of comparative political science to the political system of Ukraine. The course provides an in-depth examination of the political system, institutions, and social dynamics of Ukraine. Students will explore the historical, cultural, and geopolitical factors shaping Ukrainian politics, as well as key issues such as democratization, corruption, foreign policy, and the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The course will also analyze the role of Ukraine in the broader context of European politics and its relationship with Russia. The assigned readings cover theories of voting, the party system development, political protests, transitions to democracy, the choice of political institutions, among other topics. Some of these topics are familiar from the Introduction to Comparative Politics course and other political science courses. In this class, students reexamine these theories in the specific context of Ukrainian politics. They also examine historical development of contemporary Ukrainian institutions and their effects on current policy decisions.

The main goal of this course is to help students develop theoretical tools for understanding political events and challenges of Ukraine. While this course covers some recent history of Ukraine, it also uses Ukraine as an example of the broader, more general issues that come along with democratization reforms. To accomplish this goal, the course draws on readings from comparative political science, economics, and sociology to introduce students to the major debates on economic and political reforms.