Political science has taken a developmental turn. Across multiple subfields, political scientists are returning to key historical events and periods to understand how political systems develop and evolve. Central to this exercise are the concepts, theories, and tools developed in the American Political Development tradition, and now being applied in other countries. This course will provide an in-depth introduction to these concepts, and then explore their application in a Canadian and comparative perspective. We will consider various developments, including the extension of the franchise, the emergence and evolution of political parties, the creation and reshaping of the welfare state, and the evolution of representational institutions. The final aim of the course will be for students to write a paper applying the tools of political development to a Canadian or comparative case.