In Asia, the world's most rapidly growing region, politics and political regimes are diverse. Asia is home to stable communist regimes, there are constitutional monarchies and military-based authoritarian governments, as well as young and vibrant democracies. The region has also been marked by important political transformations where seemingly entrenched systems have been overturned, such as Indonesian’s transition to democracy or Thailand’s return to authoritarianism. How should we understand the immense political variation that characterises this critical part of the world? In this course, we leverage key concepts from comparative political science in order to examine and explain the nature of contemporary Asia's political systems and recent political transformations. The course has two main purposes: first, to introduce students to major theoretical ideas, paradigms and categories within political science; and, second, to apply these theories to the political dynamics of our region. During the course, students will hear from a range of scholars with expertise in the domestic politics and international relations of North, South, and Southeast Asia, and we will cover a range of topics, including democratisation, authoritarianism, social activism, identity politics, and regional conflict. In this way, students will emerge with broad knowledge of both politics as a discipline and political developments within Asia.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand key concepts and theories in comparative political science;
- Understand the major characteristics of Asia's political systems, especially North, South and Southeast Asia;
- Analyse and explain developments in Asian politics, drawing on political science approaches and concepts studied in the course;
- Conduct independent research and demonstrate skills in identifying and critically engaging with appropriate sources; and
- Communicate effectively in both verbal and written forms on political issues in Asia.
Indicative Assessment
- Tutorial Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Short Paper 1 (1,000 words) (20) [LO 2,3,4,5]
- Research Essay (2,000 words) (40) [LO 3,4,5]
- Take-home Exam (1,000 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
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Workload
This course comprises some 130 hours of activity over 12 weeks.
The course comprises a maximum of 6000 words of assessment or the equivalent.
Prescribed Texts
TBA
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3218 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |