Abstract

The paper concentrates on the historical development of comparative politics in the United States, taking into cognizance; the past and present of comparative politics in the US. The discussion is organized around three distinct issues: the definition of the field’s subject matter, the role of theory, and the use of methods. These three issues are the basis for an identification of distinct periods in the history of comparative politics and for assessments of the state of the field. Attention is also given to the link between comparative politics, on the one hand, and other fields of political science and other social sciences, on the other hand, and, more briefly, to political events and the values held by scholars of comparative politics in and around the United States.