European Political System
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course relies on the core theory and methodologies of political science to complement and enhance the legal skills already acquired, thus helping students gain the fundamental theoretical and analytical tools needed to study and understand the functioning of the political and institutional system of the European Union.
By examining key European institutions and how they interact, students will acquire a theoretical and empirical overview of the European political and institutional arena, their actors and their involvement in decision-making processes, with a focus on legislative dynamics and aspects of political competition.
The course also presents students with the main theories surrounding European integration and debate concerning the democratic legitimacy of the EU political system.
Finally, the course aims to provide a general understanding of how the various crises that have hit the EU since 2008 have affected the dynamics of political conflicts at both a cross-national and transnational level, as well as the functioning of the European political system.
By examining key European institutions and how they interact, students will acquire a theoretical and empirical overview of the European political and institutional arena, their actors and their involvement in decision-making processes, with a focus on legislative dynamics and aspects of political competition.
The course also presents students with the main theories surrounding European integration and debate concerning the democratic legitimacy of the EU political system.
Finally, the course aims to provide a general understanding of how the various crises that have hit the EU since 2008 have affected the dynamics of political conflicts at both a cross-national and transnational level, as well as the functioning of the European political system.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have acquired a theoretical and empirical knowledge of the workings of the EU political system, its main institutions and the political actors and decision-making processes that form it.
By actively participating in lectures and classroom case studies, students will also learn to apply the foundational knowledge and analytical categories acquired to analyse the major decisions made at the European level and examine the various stages of decision-making processes in the EU with reference to specific issues, even where not directly addressed during teaching.
Finally, by taking part in individual and group exercises both in class and at home, students will learn how to use the primary sources of information on European policy and to collect useful data for analysis.
By actively participating in lectures and classroom case studies, students will also learn to apply the foundational knowledge and analytical categories acquired to analyse the major decisions made at the European level and examine the various stages of decision-making processes in the EU with reference to specific issues, even where not directly addressed during teaching.
Finally, by taking part in individual and group exercises both in class and at home, students will learn how to use the primary sources of information on European policy and to collect useful data for analysis.
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 begins with a brief introduction to the fundamental stages and analytical dimensions that characterize the European integration process and then illustrates the main theories of European integration, starting from traditional theories to arrive at more recent and innovative approaches (EU polity approach). The course continues by illustrating why the EU can be considered a political system and analyzing the decision-making processes, the executive and legislative dynamics and the structure of political competition that characterize the three main EU institutions: Commission, Council (European and of EU Ministers) and Parliament. The course will then focus on parties and European elections and on the different dimensions that compose and the factors that influence public support for the EU. It will then move on to discuss the degree of democracy and legitimacy of the EU political system. The second part of the course will focus on the growing politicization of the EU and in particular of European solidarity in the context of polycrisis. The main crises that have hit the EU since 2008 - Eurozone, refugees, Brexit and Covid - will be analysed and a theoretical framework will be presented to understand the different consequences produced by the crises on the structure of political conflicts around the EU and European solidarity as well as on the European policy-making process.
Prerequisites for admission
In order to take the exam, it is necessary to have already taken a Political Science exam. Although there is no prerequisite, having taken a European Law exam is particularly useful for having acquired the preliminary knowledge needed to tackle the first part of the course. Program additions will be proposed for students who have taken a European Law exam.
Teaching methods
The course is atructured around lectures, discussions and exercises in classroom and individual and/or group work to be carried out at home.
Students who wish to take the exam as attending students must register on the course page on the MyAriel platform within the first two weeks of the course. Attendance at lessons is mandatory for attending students and will be monitored in class via the LezioniUnimi app. Attendance at least 70% of lessons is required (at least 14 lessons out of 20).
Students who wish to take the exam as attending students must register on the course page on the MyAriel platform within the first two weeks of the course. Attendance at lessons is mandatory for attending students and will be monitored in class via the LezioniUnimi app. Attendance at least 70% of lessons is required (at least 14 lessons out of 20).
Teaching Resources
- Brunazzo, M. e V. Della Sala (2019) La politica dell'Unione Europea. Milano: Mondadori. Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14 and Conclusions.
- Hix, S. e B. Høyland (2022) The political system of the European Union. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Introduction and chapters 2, 3, 5.
- Carrieri, L. e N. Conti (2022) L'Europa contesa. Partiti ed elettori nei paesi dell'UE. Milano: McGraw Hill.
- Salvati, E. (2019) Il Parlamento Europeo. Tra crisi del processo di integrazione e politicizzazione dell'Unione Europa. Milano: Mondadori.
- Ferrera, M. (2016) Rotta di Collisione. Euro contro welfare. Bari: Laterza. Introduction and chapter 1.
The program may change before the start of the course. Any changes for attending students will be communicated at the beginning of the course and included in a syllabus that will be published on ariel before the start of the course.
- Hix, S. e B. Høyland (2022) The political system of the European Union. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Introduction and chapters 2, 3, 5.
- Carrieri, L. e N. Conti (2022) L'Europa contesa. Partiti ed elettori nei paesi dell'UE. Milano: McGraw Hill.
- Salvati, E. (2019) Il Parlamento Europeo. Tra crisi del processo di integrazione e politicizzazione dell'Unione Europa. Milano: Mondadori.
- Ferrera, M. (2016) Rotta di Collisione. Euro contro welfare. Bari: Laterza. Introduction and chapter 1.
The program may change before the start of the course. Any changes for attending students will be communicated at the beginning of the course and included in a syllabus that will be published on ariel before the start of the course.
Assessment methods and Criteria
For non-attending students, the exam is organized in a written test on the entire exam program, which includes multiple-choice questions, short exercises (e.g. tables and figures to be completed, concepts to be connected with the appropriate definitions, etc.) and open questions. The closed and multiple-choice questions are designed to ascertain the achievement of the minimum objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding, while the open questions are designed to ascertain the knowledge and understanding skills applied and to verify the autonomy of judgment. The latter will also allow to test the ability to express the knowledge acquired in an adequate and precise way, through the use of the terminology learned.
Attending students, in addition to a written test at the end of the course, structured like that for attending students but shorter, will be assessed through individual and/or group work to be done at home and/or presentations in class. More information will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Attending students, in addition to a written test at the end of the course, structured like that for attending students but shorter, will be assessed through individual and/or group work to be done at home and/or presentations in class. More information will be provided at the beginning of the course.
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Pellegata Alessandro
Professor(s)