This course examines the structure of successive political systems in France within their historical context. After a review of the legacy of the past (i.e. the absolute monarchy, the French Revolution and the various regimes that followed), the core of the course examines the evolution of the French political and government system in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will learn about the systemic features of the Fifth Republic, and to identify political ideologies and values, cultural predispositions, and social stratifications that shape France's contemporary polity.