Comparative politics is the study of politics predominantly within countries.

At Penn State, we have strengths in the study of institutions and behavior in democracies and dictatorships, government formation, political parties, social movements, corruption, political representation, and comparative political economy.

The faculty combine formal, qualitative, and quantitative methods in their research and training of graduate students. Penn State’s comparative faculty have regional interests in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

In addition, the field benefits from dual degree Ph.D. programs in African Studies, Asian Studies, Social Data Analytics (SoDA), and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS). Support for graduate research and fieldwork in the department is provided by the Program in Comparative Politics (PiCP).