Looking for more qualitative comparative politics programs (South Asia/middle east areas of particular interest)

[yasyas2k]

Hi everyone,

I am currently trying to figure out what universities to focus on for my PhD apps, and I'm finding myself kind of overwhelmed. I was actually wondering which are the more qualitative programs as opposed to quant-heavy programs in comparative politics. I was also wondering which programs have some focus on South Asia and the Middle-East. Any guidance and suggestions in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much guys

[balderdash]

Welcome to the forum. I hear you on the apparent lack of good qual programs.

Not to be rude, but there was a thread about this, specific to South Asia, just a few weeks ago: Next time, please search before posting.

Hope it helps.

Edited September 15, 2011 by balderdash

[yasyas2k]

Thanks. I actually did read that beforehand. I guess my primary inquiry, though perhaps I did not make it clear, was good qualitative programs in comparative politics. I mentioned South Asia and the Middle East as well since any advice, in that regard would be helpful as well, cause those regions are particularly interesting to me but my primary interest is in figuring out decent qualitative programs in comparative. Sorry for not being clear,

[Penelope Higgins]

First, I want to encourage you (and everyone looking at schools) to let the specific research question drive the methods you choose to use rather than limiting applications based on a perception of methods preferred that is often hard to get from outside the department.

Second, any department will only have 1-2 faculty that specialize in any geographic area. You also need to have a substantive area of interest within comparative, and to look for departments with strengths in that area.

Third, and without knowing your substantive area of interest, a few suggestions in answer to your question about regional strength, with the names of a few relevant faculty off the top of my head.

• Berkeley (Chaudhry)
  
• Penn (Kapur, Lustick)
  
• Princeton (Kohli, Jamal)
  
• Yale (Wilkinson, Lawrence)
  
• Harvard (Singh for India; trying to hire a Middle East person this year)
  
• Texas (Brownlee for Middle East, has an India center)
  

[morningwoo]

Penelope Higgins is excellent.

[yasyas2k]

Thank you so much Penelope Higgins, your advice is really useful and helpful. You've really given me a direction to take my research on universities and faculties, and ideas on how to change my approach. And as you mentioned using my research question to guide my search, I guess what I am primarily interested in is transitions from authoritarian rule to democracy, with a particular interest in the development of democratic constitutional orders, and especially the roles of constitutional courts in promoting and/or undermining the transition to such constitutional orders. This is very roughly the area in which I would like to focus my research, though of course I still have plenty to do in figuring out exactly what question I wish to research. Hopefully I will find professors with some interest in these issues, though of course if you have any more suggestions that would be great. Thanks again for the advice.

[Penelope Higgins]

Given that set of interests, I would add Harvard to the list above given Levitsky's work. I would also look at Elkins at Texas to see if his stuff looks interesting to you. Notre Dame would also be a good fit, with various scholars working on constitutional and rule-of-law issues in transitional contexts.