Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2007
Although the study of regional and local politics has been largelyconducted in the context of the United States (Loughlin 2001), in recent decades, researchers havestudied sub-state transformations and multilevel governance inEurope (see, for example, Marks 1993;Bukowski et al. 2003; Weatherill 2005). In this article, I urge professors toincorporate this literature in undergraduate, comparative politicsclassrooms and I suggest how to do so using the case of Spain. Iargue that Spain, and more generally southern Europe, provides anexciting context in which to discuss subnational themes. The articleis structured in four sections. First, I explain the ComparativeEuropean Politics course in which I discuss the Spanish sub-state.The second section demonstrates Spain's comparative appeal bysummarizing its State of Autonomies and situating it within theEuropean context. The third section raises theoretical debates aboutdemocracy, subnational institutions, and the European Union. Thefinal section offers accessible lecture examples for Europeanpolitics courses.