Emphasis is on the historical emergence of the international system and the internal and external influences on foreign policies. Special attention is paid to international economic relationships among industrialized countries and between those countries and the less developed countries of the world. Study is conducted cross-nationally so students learn how various political systems are organized and how these systems cope with a variety of political problems. Comparative topics include parliaments, political leaders and political parties, social and economic policies, and geography, as well as capitalism, Marxism, revolution, and the impact of industrialism on traditional societies. Comparisons are made among Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, South Africa, and Brazil.
Special emphasis is placed on the changes in the former Soviet Union.