POLITICAL SCIENCE

The aim of the course is giving students the necessary tools and knowledge to understand the functioning and the transformations of contemporary political systems. Students will familiarise with the main approaches, theories, and methods of political science, and will become acquainted with the empirical results brought about by the discipline. Thus, students will develop abilities in understanding contemporary politics’ dynamics and in comparing such processes across different political systems.

No academic pre-requisites. Basic notions of contemporary history, public law, political philosophy and sociology are recommended.

At the end of the course, we expect that all students: 1) know political science's main approaches, theories, and methods; 2) are able to comment and compare the emprirical results produced by the literature over time; 3) are able to understand the dynamics underlying contemporary politics; 4) are able to compare such processes across different political systems; 5) are able to communicate, discuss, and draw conclusions about the topics studies in the course through the specific political science language.

Political science is the scientific analysis of political phenomena. As such, it analyses, through the specific methods that guide empirical research in the social sciences, the processes and dynamics that govern politics, with specific regard to the behavior of political actors and how it is shaped by political institutions. For each main topic, the main theories and empirical results will be analysed. After a brief introduction on the definition of politics and the evolution of the discipline, the course will deal with the following topics: 1) methodology of political research; 2) political regimes (democracies and non-democratic regimes) and their transformations; 3) Actors of the political system (citizens, social movements, pressure groups, political parties); 4) Political institutions (parliaments, governments, local institutions); 5) processes of interaction between actors and democratic institutions (party systems, elections, electoral systems); 6) the output of the political system (public policies).

Cotta, D. Della Porta, L. Morlino, Scienza Politica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008. Chapters 6,10,15,16 excluded. Fabbrini, S., Politica comparata, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008. Chapters 1 and 9 excluded. Course slides

Classroom-taught lectures and class discussions.

Class attendance (10%); Presentation in class (30%); Intermediate written examination with 20 multiple choice questions in 20’ (30%); Final written examination (20 multiple choice questions in 20') (30%). For those students who will not perform the presentation in class, the final mark will be calculated as follows: Class attendance (10%); Intermediate written examination with 20 multiple choice questions in 20’ (45%); Final written examination (20 multiple choice questions in 20') (45%). For those students who will not sit the intermediate written examination, the final mark will be calculated as follows: Class attendance (10%); Presentation in class (30%); Final written examination (40 multiple choice questions in 40') (60%). Finally, for those students who will not perform the presentation in class and also will not sit the intermediate written examination, the final mark will be calculated as follows: Class attendance (10%); Final written examination (40 multiple choice questions in 40') (60%). The mark of the presentation in class and the intermediate written examination are always valid, even beyond the summer exam period. Class attendance is mandatory and constitutes part of the final mark. Class attendance will be recorded in class via the Luiss app.

Active participation in class, minimum mark of 29/30 and a topic consistent with those discussed in the course.