B.A. HONOURS
POLITICAL SCIENCE
PAPER- 2
COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
SHORT QUESTIONS (100 words) (5marks each)
UNIT – I
1. Nature of comparative politics.
2. Scope of comparative politics.
3. Distinguish between comparative politics and comparative government.
4. Development of comparative politics.
5. Purposes of studying comparative politics.
6. Methods of comparing political systems.
7. Features of new institutional approach in comparative politics.
8. Problems of quantitative analysis in comparative politics.
9. Essential features of US Federation.
10. Main features of Russian Federation.
11. Compare the US and Russian Federation.
12. Centralizing trends in US and Russian Federation.
UNIT - II
13. Nature of liberal political system.
14. Nature of socialist political system.
15. Features of liberal political system.
16. Features of socialist political system.
17. Importance of Conventions of the British Constitution.
18. Rule of Law in Britain.
19. Nature of Parliamentary sovereignty in Britain.
20. Separation of powers in the USA.
21 Checks and Balances in the US Constitution.
22. Judicial Review in the USA.
23. Role of ideology in Chinese politics.
24. Significance of democratic centralism in China’s political system.
25. Referendum in Switzerland.
26. Initiative in Switzerland.
27. Parties in UK and USA: a comparison.
28. Features of US two-party system.
29. Features of UK two-party system.
30. Organisation of Chinese Communist Party.
31. Interest groups in UK and USA: distinguishing features.
UNIT – III
32. Composition of British Parliament & National People’s Congress in China.
33. Utility of House of Lord’s as second chamber of British Parliament.
34. Relationship between the two houses of British Parliament.
35. Composition of the US Congress.
36. US Senate as the most powerful second chamber.
37. Make a comparison between British House of Commons & US House of
Representatives.
38. Functions of the British House of Commons.
39. Composition of the British House of Lords.
40. Reform of the House of Lords.
41. Functions of the National People’s Congress in China.
42. Major committees of the British Parliament & US Congress.
43. Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.
44. Role of the British Speaker.
45. Compare between Speakers of the British House of Commons & US House of
Representatives.
46. A brief comparative study of the basic features of Russian, French and US Presidency.
47. British Prime Minister and US President: A brief comparative study.
48. Growth of the Presidential power in USA and Russia.
49. Procedure of election of the Russian President.
50. The constitutional position of US & French President: comparison.
51. Position of the Russian and the US President: a comparison.
52. Impeachment of the US President.
53. Powers of the French President.
54. Prime Minister of Britain and France: a comparison.
55. ‘Collective responsibility’ of the British Cabinet.
56. Cabinet Dictatorship in Britain.
57. British and French Cabinet system: a comparison.
UNIT – IV
58. Relationship between Executive & Legislature in UK and USA.
59. Relation between the executive and legislature in the People’s Republic of China.
60. British Judicial system
61. Judicial Review in the US.
62. Functions of the US Supreme Court.
63. Composition of the People’s Court in the PRC.
64. People’s Procuratorate in China.
65. Basic rights of the US citizens.
66. ‘Bill of Rights’ in US citizen.
67. Fundamental Rights of the Chinese citizens.
68. Any five fundamental duties of the Chinese citizens.
BROAD QUESTIONS (15 marks each)
UNIT – I
1. In what sense comparative politics is different from comparative government? Discuss
the development of comparative politics.
2. Discuss the different methods of comparing political systems.
3. Discuss the different approaches to the study of comparative politics.
4. Analyse the Systems approach to the study of comparative politics.
5. Discuss the Structural-Functional approach to the study of comparative politics.
6. Write a brief note on Institutional approach to the study of comparative politics.
7. What is New Institutionalism? In what sense New Institutionalism has added a new
dimension to the Institutional approach to the study of comparative politics.
8. Briefly describe the behavioural and post-behavioural approaches to the study of
Comparative Politics.
9. Make a comparative study of the Federal systems in USA and Russia.
10. Point out the factors responsible for the trends towards centralisation in US and Russian
Federation.
UNIT – II
11. Examine the differences between the liberal and socialist political systems with special
reference to their distinguishing features.
12. Identify and comment on the democratic principles of the liberal and socialist political
systems.
13. Discuss the meaning and constitutional significance of the rule of law, checks and
balances and democratic centralism in the Constitutions of UK, USA and People’s Republic of
China(PRC) respectively.
14. Discuss the main features of parliamentary democracy in Great Britain.
15. Explain the nature and significance of conventions in British political system.
16. Make a comparative study of the British and US practice in relation to the parliamentary
and presidential forms of government.
17. Make a comparative estimate of the party systems in Britain and PRC.
18. Make a comparative estimate of the party systems of the UK and USA.
19. Make a comparative study of the role of interest groups in the political systems of UK
and USA.
UNIT – III
20. Discuss the composition and functions of the British Parliament.
21. Identify the main functions and powers of the National People’s Congress in China.
Examine its relationship with Standing Committee and State Council.
22. Make comparative study of the powers and position of the British House of Lords and
the US Senate.
23. Compare the British committee system and with that of US committee system.
24. Compare and contrast the role of the Speaker in British Parliament and US Presidential
system.
25. Pont out the similarities and differences between the French and Russian Executive.
26. Discuss the position and powers of the US President.
27. Make a comparative study of the powers and position of US and the French President.
28. Discuss the nature and functions of the executive in the Russian and French political
system.
29. Is the US President more powerful than his French counterpart? Argue in support of
your answer.
30. Make a comparative estimate of the British and French cabinet systems.
UNIT – IV
31. Discuss the between executive and legislature in UK, USA and PRC.
32. Make a comparative study of the powers and position of the Prime Minister of UK and
the President of USA.
33. Discuss the composition, powers and functions of the State Council of the PRC.
34. Compare the judicial systems of the UK and USA.
35. Point out the main features of the judicial system in the People’s Republic of China.
36. Make a comparative study of the judicial systems in USA and China.
37. Discuss the ‘judicial review’ in USA.
38. Attempt a comparative study of the Rights of citizens in USA and China.
39. What are the basic rights and duties of the Chinese citizens? What is their significance in
the Chinese political system?
40. Discuss how rights of the citizens are safeguarded in UK, USA and China.
41. Make a comparative study of the Fundamental Rights of the citizens of UK and USA.