Positive Political Theory

The course aims at introducing the study of politics from a rational choice perspective.
In the first introductory module the students will be introduced to
a) the main concepts and theoretical results of the social choice theory ,
b) the spatial models of the electoral behaviour
c) the game theory applied to the voting behaviour in the committees.

The second module will focus on the effects of the main democratic institutions on the decision-making processes and the nature of political actors .

In the last module we will focus on the origin of the state, on the democratization process and on the collective action problems.

At the end of the course the student is expected
1) to know the main concepts of the rational choice approach to the politics and to orientate him/herself among the main explanations of political phenomena dealt in the classroom and in the readings.
2) to apply the "strategic thinking" proper of the rational choice approach to the political real world events in order to interpret smartly the behaviour of the main political actors in the domestic arenas of the democratic countries.
3) to become aware of the difficulties of the collective action and of the ways experienced by the politicians and ordinary people to overcome them.