Thus, one is able to gain much knowledge about the countries at hand.!.
Other reasons we compare are to increase our political knowledge by systematically ordering information, and to order events on the basis of their characteristics. .
How We Study Comparative Politics.
Comparative politics is studied by looking at two or more different countries and comparing and contrasting different aspects about them. Things such as the economy, social behavior, political ideas, and the type of government, are all areas that can be compared. Comparative politics seeks to do such comparisons rigorously and systematically, without personal, partisan, or ideological axes to grind, so the conclusive data is not interfered with. .
There are many ways to study Comparative Politics. A first hand experience of each country that you"re comparing would be best, although it isn't necessary. First you can look at the ideology of the country. This would give you a firm concept of how the country functions and it would allow you to see many of its values, since the ideology shows the country's belief system. Another stop in studying Comparative Politics would be to look at the various social cleavages within the country. If there are many differences between social classes, a country is much more like to have problems, versus one with little or no difference between classes. In studying Comparative Politics, it is very important to keep an open mind and not assume anything. One must conclusively look at all known facts about a country before being able to compare it to another country successfully.
Politics According to Shively.
The characteristics of politics can be defined by two main things: the fact that "all the questions involve the making of a common decision for a group of people," and "the use of power by one person or a group of people to the affect the behavior of another person or group of people" (Shively 4).
