This is an inquiry-based course. The objective of this course is to provide students with the analytical tools to understand the functioning and transformations of contemporary political regimes. Students will deal with the main methods and theories of political science, the functioning and institutional setup of democracies and non-democratic regimes, the types of social movements and interest groups, and the implications of European integration for national political systems.

Knowledge and understanding: students will have acquired a comprehensive theoretical knowledge of the core concepts of political science; the methods and theories of comparative politics; the institutional structures and functioning of consolidated democracies; the nature and functioning of non-democratic regimes; political participation and social movements; public policies and the policy-making; the relationship between European integration and the member states. During the course, such knowledge will be assessed across the board, combining discussion in workshops with formal exams (midterm and finals). Applying knowledge and understanding: students will get to apply such theoretical competencies to specific case-studies during frontal lectures. In particular, students will be able to distinguish the main models of democracy and types of non-democratic regime; analytically interpret the role of social movements and interest groups in consolidated democracies; examine the implications of each perspective of European integration. Making judgements: students will have developed the necessary skills to formulate independent judgements concerning the topics of the course. Specifically, students will be able to put forward arguments in a clear and structured manner, and to base them on empirical cases discussed during the course. Communication skills: students will have developed, also thanks to workshops and seminars, the necessary skills to express the main concepts of the course in a clear and exhaustive way, and to question specific aspects related to the topics of the course. At the end of the course, students will be able to address both practitioners and non-experts alike. Learning skills: students will have developed a good command of the core methods and theories of the course. Such command will be useful to pursue successive learning paths in full autonomy and independence. Students’ skills will be further stimulated through participation in workshops and seminars based on the reading and understanding of reference books.

The course has the following objectives: (1) introducing students to the concepts of political science, to the analysis of non-democratic regimes, to the study of democracies; (2) investigating the institutional structures of consolidated democracies; (3) discussing the role of social movements and interest groups in consolidated democracies; (4) examining the types and phases of public policies; identifying the transformations of consolidated democracies generated by the process of European integration.

- Cotta, M., Della Porta, D., Morlino, L., Scienza Politica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008. - S. Fabbrini, Politica comparata. Introduzione alle democrazie contemporanee, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016. - Further required readings.

The teaching activity will be based on frontal lectures; workshops; and seminars with the teaching assistant.

Two tests with multiple-choice questions (50% overall). Final written examination with three open-ended questions (50%). The two tests with multiple-choice questions will be held in the sixth and twelfth week of the course. They will consist of 30 multiple choice questions and will last 30 minutes each. Each multiple choice test will cover the respective half of the programme. The average obtained from the evaluation of the two tests will count for 50% of the final grade. The grades of the two tests held during the course will be published anonymously on Luiss Learn (via the student registration number). The written test with 3 open-ended questions will be held from the first exam call after the end of the course and will consist of 3 open-ended questions on the entire course syllabus. This test will last 1 hour. Students who have not taken all two multiple-choice tests during the course will be able to take the entire examination (60 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour and 3 open-ended questions in 1 hour) starting from the first exam call of the exam session following the end of the course. The multiple-choice test to be held from the first examination session following the end of the course will consist of 60 questions on the entire syllabus and will last 1 hour. Students who are not satisfied with the assessment resulting from the average of the three multiple-choice tests taken during the course may decide to take the multiple-choice test (60 questions in 1 hour) together with the final test (open-ended questions in 1 hour) from the first exam roll following the end of the course. In order to pass the examination, a pass mark must be achieved in both examination components (multiple-choice test and final test with 3 open-ended questions).

Grade not lower than 29/30, high interest in the subject and active participation during the course. The instructors will accept up to 5 students for each academic year and will write reference letters only to students who graduated or are graduating with them.