Comparative Politics/Area Studies Corner

[rtrm]

Forum for those whose primary field is Comparative Politics and would like to specialize in a specific region or regions of the world.

So, which are the best programs for:

European Politics

Latin American Politics

Middle Eastern Politics

Asian Politics

African Politics

Post-Communist Europe Politics

Anyone?

[Canadianpolsci]

I think Harvard is tops for China and Japan.

[rtrm]

I think Berkeley, WashU, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Texas (in no particular order) are the best for Latin American Politics.

[polisciphd]

I think Harvard is tops for China and Japan.

I disagree with that, Lieberthal is at Michigan, which would make them #1 in most circles...

[Canadianpolsci]

I disagree with that, Lieberthal is at Michigan, which would make them #1 in most circles...

You may be right. Probably you are.

On the other hand, you can read my statement differently: I have no doubt that the majority of Chinese and Japanese academics think Harvard is tops.

PS -- what is the best place for middle eastern studies?

[polisciphd]

You may be right. Probably you are.

On the other hand, you can read my statement differently: I have no doubt that the majority of Chinese and Japanese academics think Harvard is tops.

PS -- what is the best place for middle eastern studies?

Yeah, I would think that Chinese and Japanese nationals would probably rank Harvard and Stanford as #1 and #2, with preference given to which coast they preferred, with UCSD closely behind. I was thinking more in terms of the study of Asian Politics (particularly China with regards to Lieberthal). Japanese politics is more difficult to rank, altough UCSD and Hawaii are national resources in that area.

Middle Eastern Studies is out of my perview, although I have been told that that field has changed so much in the last few years that hardly anyone gets noticed for doing more "theoretical" work, as policy analysis has kind of taken over since 9/11.

[rtrm]

What about African Politics or Post-Communist Europe?

Most of Comparative Politics applicants will specialize in a specific area but some (like me) will try to learn more from other regions in order to make good comparisons. Actually the program that I am going to forcer coparativists to take at least 2 or 3 courses outside your declared region of specialization.

[Penelope Higgins]

For Latin American politics, I would have to say that Harvard (Dominguez, Levitsky, Robinson) would have to be on the list. Berkeley is probably #1, but UCLA (Geddes) and UCSD (lots of people) are also highly ranked. After these four and maybe Yale, I would look at some of the other schools listed below (where ND and Texas probably rank a bit higher than the other two in my view).

A lot depends on your preferences about methods - UCSD and UCLA are quant/formal programs...

[Manchild]

Stanford is tops in African (and by quite a bit, I think).

[rtrm]

For Latin American politics, I would have to say that Harvard (Dominguez, Levitsky, Robinson) would have to be on the list. Berkeley is probably #1, but UCLA (Geddes) and UCSD (lots of people) are also highly ranked. After these four and maybe Yale, I would look at some of the other schools listed below (where ND and Texas probably rank a bit higher than the other two in my view).

A lot depends on your preferences about methods - UCSD and UCLA are quant/formal programs...

I focus more on the program per se rather than on the people who can come and go or may be jerks in terms of working with them (as I was told Domingez was). Very improtant is also the types of resources you have within the university (summer grants, field research grants, etc.).

You migh be right, the Colliers are in Berkley and that makes them one of the top deparments for Latin American politics. Notre Dame has a bunch of all-stars (O'Donnell, Mainwaring, Hagopian, Valenzuela, and Coppedge) that would make them the BEST namewise.

[Penelope Higgins]

For Latin America, if you look at where people get job afterwards, it is absolutely dominated by Berkeley grads. They are the #1 department by far in terms of placement for Latin Americanists. UCLA, UCSD, Harvard, and WashU (which seems to fill most of the liberal arts college jobs) trail behind.

In terms of money, I don't know much about ND. But I would be careful with expecting to work with some of the people there - Valenzuela is in sociology, O'Donnell doesn't really work with students, etc. It certainly isn't a clear #1, but it seems like a good place to be.

[Quarex]

As an aspiring comparativist with well-defined ideas of what to study but ill-defined comparative areas in which to study them (maybe I am doing this all wrong), I am generally interested as to where they really specialize in advanced post-industrial democracies. It was easy to find places specializing in Africa, Post-Communist Eastern Europe, Latin America, China ... not so much Western/Northern Europe, Australia, and North America. Is there some kind of academic bias that says people in countries like this have to study themselves for it to count?

[rising_star]

As an aspiring comparativist with well-defined ideas of what to study but ill-defined comparative areas in which to study them (maybe I am doing this all wrong), I am generally interested as to where they really specialize in advanced post-industrial democracies. It was easy to find places specializing in Africa, Post-Communist Eastern Europe, Latin America, China ... not so much Western/Northern Europe, Australia, and North America. Is there some kind of academic bias that says people in countries like this have to study themselves for it to count?

I don't know. I've had a hard time finding geographers in the US who do research on Africa. *shrug* Maybe I belong in political science? I think there are plenty of people who study North America (particularly the USA and/or border stuff with Mexico)...

[BadUsername]

Ok, what about European studies, particularly EU studies?

[anav]

I have an MA in Middle Eastern Studies and one in African Studies, so I did my research on this. However, when area studies are separate from the Polisci departments the rankings differ.

Middle Eastern Studies: Georgetown (Arab Studies), Columbia, and maybe Harvard.

African Studies: Stanford, Columbia (getting better: they are hiring new people), Harvard has Robert Bates- he is great. African studies is tricky, because there usually is only one or two African scholars, if any, and there is no solid African Studies MA or PhD (with a focus in polisci) in the US. A rather neglected continent. So yeah, study Africa! Lot's to do!

[Penelope Higgins]

One place to look at very hard for Europe is Princeton, with Moravcsik, Pontusson, and others.

Harvard, with Peter Hall (who I have heard is a great mentor), Iversen, and the Center for European Studies, is also a top place.

[yticnineb]

Anav, I'm interested in your comments re. African Studies. I'm heading back to school for an MA in area studies to get my academic credentials up to par (majored in English as an undergrad) for a PhD (in Political Science, I hope), and I've had a hard time finding programs that fit my interests-- it was difficult to find schools offering area studies MAs in the field at all. I identified Stanford and Yale as good matches, in large part because the programs are pretty flexible and affiliated with good Poli Sci departments. Any thoughts on Yale's curriculum upheaval? UCLA also offers an MA in African Studies, and many schools have certificate programs.

rising_star: How about Michael Watts at Berkeley?

[Penelope Higgins]

Watts got his PhD 30 years ago, so it is hard to call him a 'rising star'.

I might look at Macartan Humphreys (Columbia), or Chris Blattman (Yale) as young people doing interesting work on Africa...

[yticnineb]

Penelope, "rising_star" is the username who posted. Should have quoted.

I don't know. I've had a hard time finding geographers in the US who do research on Africa. *shrug* Maybe I belong in political science? I think there are plenty of people who study North America (particularly the USA and/or border stuff with Mexico)...

[Penelope Higgins]

Oops - my fault. I'm new to this site...

[anav]

Regarding the African Studies question:

There are great African scholars in the US, I just don't think any of the departments is exceptional in general for an African studies graduate degree. Too few scholars in any one school, in my opinion. I think UPenn, Columbia, Berkeley, Yale, Harvard, WashU have one or two well-known Africanists. Again, I was not thrilled about the focus of African Studies in the US, as they approached it from a cultural/anthropological perspective. Mad respect for a lot of that work- just wanted a more rigorously polisci focus.

Thus, I looked outside the US. Seriously, African Studies is much better in the UK. I have US degrees, too, and for certain things I definitely want to be back in the US, but when it comes to the study of Africa I find academia is thoroughly lacking. Just my opinion.

Look into Oxford, SOAS and Edinburgh. They all have MSc in African Studies and there are dozens of scholars that work on any aspect of Africa you might be interested in. There are African weekly seminars, more than one, invited scholars, conferences: it's really happening.

[eve2008]

I don't know. I've had a hard time finding geographers in the US who do research on Africa. *shrug* Maybe I belong in political science? I think there are plenty of people who study North America (particularly the USA and/or border stuff with Mexico)...

economists and political scientists are loving using geography to explain political and economic outcomes these days...come on over!

[Leica]

If you're interested in a terminal MA, American (SIS) has a Comparative & Regional Studies program within which you could focus on Africa as your region - the core classes focus on IR/Int'l Pols/IPE and the rest are up to you, you can mold your focus whichever way you'd like. However, anav is absolutely right - the UK in general is stronger within the focus.

[yticnineb]

Hi Leica and anav, thanks for the insights. I actually have been taking classes through American's SIS program. I've decided not to pursue the degree there, in large part because the language training isn't quite what I'd hoped. That said, a professor of mine (an Africanist) did his degree at SIS, then went on to UCSD for the PhD, which has worked out well for him. SIS keeps a pretty good public program of lectures and lunches on Africa topics going, too, and the student community is lovely. I'd be happy to answer questions about it.

I probably should have more seriously considered SOAS and other UK schools, but I was dissuaded by the cost. (And now I'm waiting for funding for two very expensive US schools. yikes.)

[Leica]

Hi Leica and anav, thanks for the insights. I actually have been taking classes through American's SIS program. I've decided not to pursue the degree there, in large part because the language training isn't quite what I'd hoped. That said, a professor of mine (an Africanist) did his degree at SIS, then went on to UCSD for the PhD, which has worked out well for him. SIS keeps a pretty good public program of lectures and lunches on Africa topics going, too, and the student community is lovely. I'd be happy to answer questions about it.

I probably should have more seriously considered SOAS and other UK schools, but I was dissuaded by the cost. (And now I'm waiting for funding for two very expensive US schools. yikes.)

Ah, understandable. I know that SOAS has superb language training programs, by the way, but yes, the cost is an issue, I completely understand.

My undergraduate thesis was on francophone Africa, so I briefly considered doing a graduate degree more focused on Africa than anything else, but I chose the MAIP program at SIS because it would give me the flexibility I wanted while still letting me take classes on Africa. The best of both worlds, so to speak. I'm extremely giddy, I can't wait to start!