The course provides an overview of the central questions and research topics in the field of political science, and it focuses on its fundamental concepts and theories over the dimension of politics. It mainly relates to regime types, such as democracy and nondemocracy, then turns into analyzing political behavior, such as political preferences and voting behavior, electoral systems, political parties, interest groups, and social movements. Then the course will also focus on political institutions and government, coalition and single-party government, on the levels of government itself, shaping some federalism and decentralization, as well as on political outcomes, such as equality and economic and human/social development.

This course focuses on a few aspects of the field.

-  The first relates to the different general approaches to relations between politics and society, as well as theories and main theoretical concepts.

-  The second relates to the analysis of comparative research and studies, looking in particular to these countries: Italy, Frances, Germany, Great Britain and the US.

Lectures will examine the following topics in depth:

-  The origins of political sciences

-  Definitions and methods

-  Democracy and nondemocracy

-  Parties and party systems

-  Participation and representation

-  The government construction and its functioning

-  Relationships between the executive power and the legislative power

-  Political communication

-  Local politics

-  Public policies

Seminars will be focusing on specific topics, as such Italian politics, political communication, and voting behavior.

There are no mandatory prerequisites for this course

applying knowledge and understanding

Course will deeply undertake discourse over the relationship between theory and research, and between politics in theory and politics in action, by deepening a series of Italian studies. Discussions will improve student’s skills over:

-  Understanding and learning the overall theoretical framework of political science;

-  Moving from more wider concepts to narrow ones;

-  Translating theories into research hypotheses.

making judgements

-  Students will have greater abilities on interpreting politics and its relationships with society, and to deeply analyze nowadays social phenomena.

communication skills

-  By means of the discussions students will learn the technical language of political science;

-  Students will have to design and discuss a written paper over one of the topics developed during the course, that will improve students’ communication skills.

learning skills

-  Students will acquire fully mastery on the learning and on analyzing political science’s main topics, and to apply the right strategy to understand today’s national and international issues.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures and seminars, empirical work, compiling and discussing a paper

Attendance

Attendance at to least ¾ of the lessons (9 classes), active participation, compiling and discussing a paper, and study of the course books

Course books

Cotta M., Della Porta D., Morlino L., Scienza politica, Il Mulino, Bologna.
A selection of chapters to study will be provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the course.

Fava T., [2013], Il partito democratico visto dal basso, Aracne editrice, Roma.

Assessment

Assessment of this course is by means of three different tests:

-  Compiling a working paper on one of the main topics of political science;

-  A written examination on the topics developed during the course;

-  An oral exam on the topics developed during the course.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Study of the course books

Attendance

Attendance to less than ¾ of the lessons (missing more than 3 classes), and study of the course books

Course books

Cotta M., Della Porta D., Morlino L., Scienza Politica, Il Mulino Bologna. Chapters: I (La politica), II (Metodologia della ricerca politica), IV (Democrazia, democrazie), VI (Democrazia e mutamenti), IX (I partiti politici), XI (Elezioni e sistemi elettorali), XII (Parlamenti e rappresentanza), XIII (I governi), XIV (La politica locale), XVII (Le politiche pubbliche).
Fava T. [2013], Il Partito democratico visto dal basso, Aracne editrice, Roma.

Assessment

Exam consists of an outlined conversation over the text books’ main topics

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.