Political Science

A.Y. 2020/2021
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
SPS/04
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
Given the general purposes of the bachelor degree program, this course aims at examining the main paradigms, concepts, methods and research fields in Political Science. The aim of the course is to analyse political systems under a comparative perspective, paying particular attention to both the major contemporary Western democratic polities (from the most important European democracies to the United States of America, and to the European Union as a political and institutional model of compound democracy) and to non democratic polities.
The course is articulated along three units:
- the first unit provides a general introduction to politics and the key concepts and terms of the political theory and the political science (i.e. State, Constitution and Rule of law, liberalism, democratic and not democratic regimes, power);
- the second unit deals with the classical themes of the political science, such as the political participation, political parties and party systems, parliamentary institutions and governments, in the context of contemporary representative democracies; privileged attention will be given to the study of the Italian political system, its origins, its evolution over time and its own fundamental structures;
- the third unit analyses the process of integration of European Union, with regard to its current political and institutional framework, and the global dimension of contemporary political phenomena, paying particular attention on the evolution of the Nation-State in the globalization era and the context of International relations.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding: at the end of the course, students will acquire a set of analytical, methodological and interpretative skills, related to the functioning of the contemporary political systems, within democratic and non-democratic polities, as well as within supranational institutions like the European Union as a compound democracy. These skills will be useful for the analysis of political behavior in several fields (electoral behavior, political representation, representation of business interests, Parliament and Government functioning and relationships, law making and public policy implementation), and within different institutional contexts.
Applying Knowledge and Learning Skills: this toolkit will allow students analyzing autonomously political systems, and their main actors and fundamental processes. The understanding of these processes will be combined with a relatively thorough knowledge of the evolution and functioning of the Italian political system.
Communication Skills: students will learn to communicate the contents and results of the analysis of a given political system to several interlocutors, specialists and non-specialists ones.
Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

Course syllabus and organization

A-K

Responsible
Lesson period
Second trimester
Modules or teaching units
Unità didattica 1
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

Unità didattica 2
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

Unità didattica 3
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

L-Z

Responsible
Lesson period
Second trimester
Modules or teaching units
Unità didattica 1
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

Unità didattica 2
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

Unità didattica 3
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours

Professor(s)
Reception:
Students can contact the teacher by e-mail to arrange for day and reception hour. Until the end of March 2025, time options for the reception usually are: Monday (16.30-17.30) and Thursday (15.00-17.00), unless otherwise agreed.
Room 313 - SPS Department of Social and Political Science, 3rd Floor. During Covid-19 Emergency only for my undergraduates and by previous appointment.
Reception:
Wednesday 3.00-6.00 pm: send to me e-mail
Room 313, III° floor: before send to me e-mail