「比較政府與政治」這種課程名稱是沿襲著傳統封建專制及威權時代的思維，都是以政府為主導者，人民對其統治行為不能置喙，所以政府的作為就是政治。另外，在這個時代，領導者是主要的國家決策者，所謂「普天之下莫非王土」，朕就是天下，朕所創造的政府就是國家；所以，過去在威權時代，大部分人還是分不清國家與政府的差別。
然而，根據當代的政治思維，政府與人民已經是互動的關係，而且政府是被動，人民具主動身分，政府必須對人民的需求作回應。另外，過去的統治管理觀念也已改變為「治理」的概念。「治理」的概念最早來自於治水，其次是藝術雕塑；治水要能治得好，就必須順其「水汶」和「水脈」，雕塑要雕得好，也要順其材料的質性及紋路，而國家要治理得好更需要順其人民的整體需求和社會的關係脈絡。從國家整體來看，一切的治理關係與運作統稱之為「政治」，所以，一般民主國家在該領域的研究議題都叫「比較政治」。
探討「比較政治」這個議題，主要是由兩大元素所形成：「政治」與「比較」。首先我們來看「比較」這個面向，一旦要比較，就不能只是對每一個個案的了解而已，顯然，個案研究並不會自然形成「通則」。而且，如果要將各種個案做比較的話，就必須找出它們共通的特性或起源，同時要有比較的「量規」(gauge)，總不能以「公尺」跟「公斤」做比較吧? 毫無疑義，「比較政治」就是要比較各國的政治，那麼各國政治共同的起源是甚麼? 比較「量規」又是甚麼呢?
甚麼是政治? 根據一般西方的定義，政治是對社會價值的分配權威，哪些人該分配甚麼、甚麼時候、如何取得 (what, when and how)。根據孫文的說法，政治就是管理眾人之事。當然，孫文雖然睿智，也不可能會預知未來的思潮會從管理到治理，這是可以理解的，至少他不是用統治這個概念，在那個時代已經先先進了。不管是分配權威、管理或治理，其核心就是「權力」，所以，政治的實質功能或內涵就是探討「權力如何取得」和「權力如何運作」; 當然，這當中也衍生出相關的主客體對象(包括個人、團體、組織) 以及運行方式與結果。
其次，關於權力的起源，這就要回溯到人類文明演進的動力：一切都要歸源於求生存的動機以及人的天性。原始社會的形成在於人類面對共同的生存威脅，包括外在的自然威脅及本身生理需求的脆弱。而人的天性也同時具有「極大化自我利益」及「理性」。當人們遭遇外在自然威脅時，顯然以個人的力量是無法度過生存難關的，必須與他人合作，才能共同生存，於是這種生存的挑戰促成了人類社會的形成；並不是共同再一起，就能渡過生存威脅，需要「群策群力」，一旦需要群策群力就需要將所有的個人力量「組織化」，這當中自然就形成了「領導者」與「被領導者」的角色分野(組織化的政治就演變成統治者與被統治者)，而連結此二者的運作就是「權力」，所以孫文說，國家是由武力造成的，其實社會何嘗不是。根據這個程序思維，任何人如果想要取得權力，最明顯、有效的手段就是證明或被大眾認知：您能帶領大眾渡過生存難關。這種形式在任何政治體制都一樣，如日本偷襲珍珠港後的羅斯福總統、抗戰時期的蔣介石、1995〜96年飛彈演習時期的李登輝，甚至目前蔡英文也試圖運用兩岸關係的危機鞏固她的領導權力。
接下來，當人們渡過自然的生存威脅之後，將再面臨生存資源的不足(客觀資源的不足及人追求極大化利益的相對性不足)；這是一種資源相互競爭的非立即性、卻是常態性的生存威脅。這種競逐的資源分配也決定於所擁有的權力。因而，想要取得眾人願意賦予權力的政治人物，就必須證明他/她能夠為眾人創造或提供足夠的生存資源。所以，中國傳統以來一直重視「養民」，要求天子應確切認知「上天有好生之德」以及「天視自我民視，天聽自我民聽」；孫文也說，一切建設在民生。直到當代民主思潮，政治受經濟因素的影響甚深且遠，政治經濟學亦成了政治科學領域中的顯學。
本課程是一門討論課程，將分別探討比較政治的基本概念、權力的取得(如權力鬥爭模式或選舉模式)、權力的運作 (意識形態、體制、政經關係網絡、政治社會關係網絡)、政治與人民福祉。研習本課程的學員要求在課前必須研讀指定教材，於課堂中進行導讀與討論。這是一門必修課，所以採取量少精讀的方式進行研習，基本上一週一個議題 (一章為原則)。學期結束時要求書寫一篇期末報告。評量方式是期中導讀30%，平時參與討論30%，期末報告 40%。

The title of the course "Comparative Government and Politics" follows the thinking of the traditional feudal autocracy and authoritarian era, in which the government is the leader and the people cannot comment on its ruling behavior, so the government's actions are politics. In addition, in this era, leaders are the main national decision-makers. As the saying goes, "The whole world is not the king's land." I am the world, and the government I created is the country. Therefore, in the past authoritarian era, most people still couldn't tell the difference between the country and the government.
However, according to contemporary political thinking, the government and the people already have an interactive relationship, and the government is passive while the people take the initiative. The government must respond to the needs of the people. In addition, the past concept of governance and management has also changed to the concept of "governance". The concept of "governance" first came from water control, followed by artistic sculpture. To control water well, it must follow its "water texture" and "water veins." To carve a sculpture well, it must also follow the quality and texture of its materials. To govern a country well, it must follow the overall needs of its people and the relationship between society. From the perspective of the country as a whole, all governance relationships and operations are collectively called "politics". Therefore, the research topics in this field in general democratic countries are called "comparative politics."
Exploring the topic of "comparative politics" is mainly formed by two major elements: "politics" and "comparison". First, let's look at the aspect of "comparison". Once we want to compare, we can't just understand each case. Obviously, case studies will not naturally form "general rules". Moreover, if you want to compare various cases, you must find their common characteristics or origins, and you must have a "gauge" for comparison. You can't compare "meters" and "kilograms", right? There is no doubt that "comparative politics" is to compare the politics of various countries, so what is the common origin of the politics of various countries? What is the "gauge" of comparison?
What is politics? According to the general Western definition, politics is the distribution authority of social value, who should distribute what, when and how (what, when and how). According to Sun Wen, politics is about managing people. Of course, although Sun Wen was wise, he could not have predicted that the future trend of thought would shift from management to governance. This is understandable. At least he did not use the concept of rule, which was already advanced at that time. Whether it is the distribution of authority, management or governance, the core is "power". Therefore, the substantive function or connotation of politics is to explore "how power is obtained" and "how power operates"; of course, this also derives related subject and object objects (including individuals, groups, organizations) as well as operation methods and results.
Secondly, regarding the origin of power, this must be traced back to the driving force of the evolution of human civilization: everything must be attributed to the motivation for survival and human nature. The formation of primitive society lies in the fact that human beings face common threats to survival, including external natural threats and the vulnerability of their own physiological needs. Human nature also possesses both "maximizing self-interest" and "rationality". When people encounter external natural threats, it is obvious that they cannot overcome the difficulties of survival with their own strength. They must cooperate with others in order to survive together. Therefore, this challenge of survival has contributed to the formation of human society. It is not possible to survive the threats of survival by working together. "Group efforts" are needed. Once collective efforts are needed, All personal power needs to be "organized", which naturally forms the role division between "leaders" and "led" (organized politics evolves into rulers and ruled), and the operation that connects the two is "power". Therefore, Sun Wen said that the country is created by force, but in fact society is not the same. According to this procedural thinking, if anyone wants to gain power, the most obvious and effective way is to prove or be recognized by the public: you can lead the public through the difficulties of survival. This form is the same in any political system, such as President Roosevelt after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Chiang Kai-shek during the Anti-Japanese War, Lee Teng-hui during the 1995-96 missile drills, and even Tsai Ing-wen is currently trying to use the crisis in cross-strait relations to consolidate her leadership power.
Next, after people have overcome the natural threats to survival, they will again face the shortage of survival resources (the shortage of objective resources and the relative shortage of people's pursuit of maximizing interests); this is a non-immediate but normal survival threat of resource competition. The allocation of resources in this competition is also determined by the power possessed. Therefore, if a politician wants to be given power by the public, he/she must prove that he/she can create or provide sufficient survival resources for the public. Therefore, Chinese tradition has always attached great importance to "nurturing the people" and requires the emperor to accurately understand that "God has the virtue of good life" and "Heaven sees the people, and God listens to the people." Sun Wen also said that all construction is based on the people's livelihood. Until the contemporary trend of democratic thought, politics has been deeply and far-reachingly affected by economic factors, and political economics has become a prominent discipline in the field of political science.
This course is a discussion course that will explore the basic concepts of comparative politics, the acquisition of power (such as power struggle model or electoral model), the operation of power (ideology, system, political and economic relationship network, political and social relationship network), politics and people's well-being. Students studying this course are required to study the designated teaching materials before class, and conduct introduction and discussion in class. This is a required course, so it is studied in a small and intensive way, basically one topic per week (one chapter is the principle). At the end of the semester, a final report is required. The evaluation method is 30% of the midterm introduction, 30% of participation in daily discussions, and 40% of the final report.

比較政治的研究，依據性質與主題的不同，有兩種研究取向：一個是比較政府、一個是比較政治。比較政府是以區域或國家為對象，討論不同區域或不同國家的政治。比較政治則是依據主題，再從不同個案中建立中、高層次的理論。本課程的內容依據後者設計，探討比較政治中幾個重要的議題，他們可以分為：
1. 總體層次：政治系統論、國家理論、社會與經濟、現代化理論、依賴理論與發展型國家模式比較等。
2. 中層層次：比較憲政制度（總統制、議會制、半總統制等）、比較選舉制度等。
3. 個體層次：理性抉擇、政治行為（族群衝突、投票行為等）、政黨與政府組成、國會研究等。
本課程彙整以上幾個重要的主題，討論當代比較政治的重要議題，希望幫助同學對比較政治建立一個較為巨觀的視野。

The study of comparative politics has two research orientations depending on its nature and theme: one is comparative government and the other is comparative politics. Comparative government takes a region or a country as an object and discusses the politics of different regions or countries. Comparative politics is based on the theme and then establishes medium and high-level theories from different cases. The content of this course is designed based on the latter and explores several important issues in comparative politics. They can be divided into:
1. Overall level: political system theory, state theory, society and economy, modernization theory, dependence theory and comparison of developmental state models, etc.
2. Middle level: comparative constitutional systems (presidential system, parliamentary system, semi-presidential system, etc.), comparative electoral systems, etc.
3. Individual level: rational decision-making, political behavior (ethnic conflicts, voting behavior, etc.), political party and government formation, parliamentary research, etc.
This course brings together the above important topics and discusses important issues in contemporary comparative politics, hoping to help students establish a broader perspective on comparative politics.

atrick H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics (Mew York; Londom: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007).

William Robert Clark、Matt Golder & Sona Nadenichek Golder, Foundations of Comparative Politics (London; Singapore: Sage Publications Ltd., 2019).

atrick H. O’Neil, Essentials of Comparative Politics (Mew York; Londom: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007).

William Robert Clark, Matt Golder & Sona Nadenichek Golder, Foundations of Comparative Politics (London; Singapore: Sage Publications Ltd., 2019).