Governments in democratic countries are expected to implement policies that the citizens want. Yet the ways in which politicians represent citizens' interests differ tremendously from one democracy to another. In this course, we will study countries around the world, including Western Europe and Latin America, to examine three central questions: 1) What are the different rules that determine how citizens elect their representatives? 2) How are policy decisions made in different political systems? 3) Do these differences matter? What are the policy consequences of different political institutions?

Governments in democratic countries are expected to implement policies that the citizens want. Yet the ways in which politicians represent citizens' interests differ tremendously from one democracy to another. In this course, we will study countries around the world, including Western Europe and Latin America, to examine three central questions: 1) What are the different rules that determine how citizens elect their representatives? 2) How are policy decisions made in different political systems? 3) Do these differences matter? What are the policy consequences of different political institutions?