Comparative Political Systems
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
This course is an introduction to the comparative analysis of different political systems, and to the use of the comparative method in the field of political science. We pursue both implicit comparison, by contrasting various countries' differing political institutions and political dynamics, and explicit comparison, by systematically testing hypotheses, primarily with the quantitative approach. These aims are coherent with the learning objectives of the bachelor's programme for the area of political studies in that it familiarizes students with the most important theories in this field, and with the way in which they should use them to interpret relevant political phenomena.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: The course provides an introductory comprehension of the most important political institutions and dynamics in modern democracies. It focuses mainly on electoral systems, party systems, executives, parliaments and other elements of the institutional setup of different countries, as well as the performance of diverse political systems.
Applying knowledge and understanding: Students learn how to apply concepts and methods to the analysis of everyday political problems, in order to critically read articles in leading newspapers, blogs, and weekly journals. They will also use statistical tools to perform simple quantitative analyses.
Making judgements: Students learn how to use their newly acquired skills to formulate informed judgements and to apply these to the normative problems of contemporary societies.
Communication and learning skills: Students develop communication skills by preparing and presenting short essays that illustrate the results their individual or collective work has yielded, thus improving their capacity to identify a research question, find and independently verify different sources of information, transform them into datasets, propose a feasible research strategy, and uncover (positive or negative) evidence to support or refute the original hypothesis.
Applying knowledge and understanding: Students learn how to apply concepts and methods to the analysis of everyday political problems, in order to critically read articles in leading newspapers, blogs, and weekly journals. They will also use statistical tools to perform simple quantitative analyses.
Making judgements: Students learn how to use their newly acquired skills to formulate informed judgements and to apply these to the normative problems of contemporary societies.
Communication and learning skills: Students develop communication skills by preparing and presenting short essays that illustrate the results their individual or collective work has yielded, thus improving their capacity to identify a research question, find and independently verify different sources of information, transform them into datasets, propose a feasible research strategy, and uncover (positive or negative) evidence to support or refute the original hypothesis.
Lesson period: First trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
The course for attending students reviews the construction and performance of two opposite models: Consensus and Westminster democracy. We will start scrutinizing the ten variables used by A. Lijphart to represent the differences between those two models: electoral systems, party systems, cabinets, executive-legislative relationships, interest groups, territorial division of power, parliaments, constitutions, judicial review, and central banks. For each of them we will review several indicators, and learn how to apply them even beyond the 36 democracies or the time-period analyzed by the author. We will then syntyhesize them in two cumulative indices of consensualism, and, with the help of econometric models, we will test if institutional setups matter for the performance of political systems. Performance will be measured in terms of governance capacity, macroeconomic control and quality of democracy. Eventually, we will extend the original research taking into account some of the critiques raised by other scholars, and further testing autonomously other hypotheses.
Non-attending students will learn about Lijphart's empirical research on the performance of different models of democracy, and compare it with the empirical evidence on other issues of political economy (Bernard's book), and with the risks of democratic backsliding (short book by Haggard and Kaufman).
Non-attending students will learn about Lijphart's empirical research on the performance of different models of democracy, and compare it with the empirical evidence on other issues of political economy (Bernard's book), and with the risks of democratic backsliding (short book by Haggard and Kaufman).
Prerequisites for admission
Besides the mandatory first-year course in Political science, having already passed the second-year classes in Statistics, Advanced Data Analysis, and Econometrics is highly recommended, since we will apply those competences using the software package Stata. Knowledge of the contents of the courses in Social research methodology and Polimetrics could also be useful.
Teaching methods
The course uses frontal teaching classes (mostly based on the handbook and on some scientific articles), together with exercises in retrieving data and elaborating them using Excel and Stata, and individual/group work simulating a short empirical research (from retrieving the relevant literature and constructing a dataset, to formulating and testing hypotheses).
Teaching Resources
For attending students:
Lijphart A. (2012). Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, 2nd ed., New Haven: Yale University Press.
Other readings that will be assigned in class during the course.
Dataset construction and analysis
Please note that students have to follow at least 80% of the classes in order to be considered attending. Attending students are expected to take the mid-term and final exam, as well as complete all the assignments during the course. The attending status expires shortly after the end of the course.
For non-attending students (starting from December 2023):
Lijphart A. (2012). Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, 2nd ed., New Haven: Yale University Press.
Bernard P.M. (2022). Comparative Political Economy. Theory and Evidence, London: Routledge.
Haggard S. and Kaufman R.R. (2021). Backsliding. Democratic regress in the contemporary world, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lijphart A. (2012). Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, 2nd ed., New Haven: Yale University Press.
Other readings that will be assigned in class during the course.
Dataset construction and analysis
Please note that students have to follow at least 80% of the classes in order to be considered attending. Attending students are expected to take the mid-term and final exam, as well as complete all the assignments during the course. The attending status expires shortly after the end of the course.
For non-attending students (starting from December 2023):
Lijphart A. (2012). Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, 2nd ed., New Haven: Yale University Press.
Bernard P.M. (2022). Comparative Political Economy. Theory and Evidence, London: Routledge.
Haggard S. and Kaufman R.R. (2021). Backsliding. Democratic regress in the contemporary world, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students will be assessed on the basis of a mid-term and a final written exam, as well as an individual and a group project. Each of these four different parts counts for 25% of the final mark.
Written exams will take different forms: they will typically consist of a mix of open and closed questions, to test the students' knowledge and understanding, together with exercises, information retrieval and replication of statistical models, to check their capacity to apply that knowledge to real world problems and situations.
Individual and group projects also helps testing this kind of competences.
Non-attending students will have to pass a written exam, mostly based on open and closed questions, to check their knowledge and comprehension of the books they have prepared, and typically also include the comment of empirical results to show their understanding of the quantitative models presented. Their answers will be evaluated according to their logic, clarity and completeness.
Written exams will take different forms: they will typically consist of a mix of open and closed questions, to test the students' knowledge and understanding, together with exercises, information retrieval and replication of statistical models, to check their capacity to apply that knowledge to real world problems and situations.
Individual and group projects also helps testing this kind of competences.
Non-attending students will have to pass a written exam, mostly based on open and closed questions, to check their knowledge and comprehension of the books they have prepared, and typically also include the comment of empirical results to show their understanding of the quantitative models presented. Their answers will be evaluated according to their logic, clarity and completeness.
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)