The aim of the course is to examine the challenges of political representation within the broader framework of transformations in political systems and democracy. The topic will be framed from a theoretical and empirical research perspective. The concept of representation will be "positioned" among the key concepts of political science, analysed in its different dimensions, and related to the issue of democracy. Particular attention will be devoted to the role and evolution of the actors of representation: parties, social movements, interest (or pressure) groups. The topic will also be linked to some of the most significant phenomena addressed by the discipline in the current phase: disintermediation, antipolitics and populism; mediatisation and personalisation of politics.

First part – Political representation

- Representation and democracy

- Conceptualisation, theories and dimensions of political representation

Second part – the actors of representation

- Parties, anti-parties, post-parties

- Social movements, political movements, movement parties

- Interest representation, groups and lobbying

Third part – the challenges of representation

- Representation and direct democracy

- Representation, elites, leadership

- Representation and personalisation

- Representation and dis-intermediation

- Representation and mediatisation

- Representation and globalisation

- Representation and populism

- Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course students must have acquired the knowledge of the main theoretical models and empirical evidence about the evolution of the concept of political representation. Educational methods used to reach these goals: frontal lectures, audio-visual materials, seminars with scholars and experts, class discussion.

- Applying knowledge and understanding: the students must be able to identify and apply appropriately, to real research and analysis situations, the concepts, models and theories presented throughout the course. In particular, they must be able to apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of the evolution of political representation in the global scenario. Educational methods used to reach these goals: frontal lectures, audio-visual materials, seminars with scholars and experts, class discussion; group exercises.

- Making judgements: the students will strengthen their ability to connect the concepts, theories and models presented throughout the course, their ability to deal with complex problems independently, to make judgements and critical reflections about the transformation of political representation. Educational methods used to reach these goals: frontal lectures, audio-visual materials, seminars with scholars and experts, class discussion.

- Communication skills: the students must be able to clearly and incisively communicate, appropriately using the lexicon, the concepts and the theories put forward by the political science literature on political representation. Educational methods used to reach these goals: the students will be asked to interact with the lecturer and with their colleagues, asking questions and actively participating to class discussion.

- Learning skills: the students are supposed to develop adequate learning skills, so as to be able to extend and deepen the knowledge acquired throughout the course independently, following new paths of theoretical reflection or research. Educational methods used to reach these goals: frontal lectures, audio-visual materials, seminars with scholars and experts, class discussion.

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

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

The lecturer will provide via the Moodle platform a selection of materials, and useful links in order to deepen the knowledge on the discussed topics. 

Seminars on the diverse topic of empirical research are scheduled.

Educational material and information provided by the lecturer will be available, together with an indication about other supporting activities, in the platform Moodle› blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Frontal lectures, with slides show presentations and audio-visual materials; presentation and discussion of research results; group exercises. Seminars with scholars and experts, on the themes included in the program, will be organised during the course period.

Innovative teaching methods

Flipped Classroom

Course books

- Bianchi D.G. e Raniolo F. (a cura di) Limiti e sfide della rappresentanza politica, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017.

- C. Biancalana (a cura di), Disintermediazione e nuove forme di mediazione. Verso una democrazia post-rappresentativa?, Quaderni/21, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 2018 

Choose one book:

- Calise, M. e Musella, F., Il principe digitale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2019.

- Campus, D., Lo stile del leader. Decidere e comunicare nelle democrazie contemporanee, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2016.

- Della Porta D., I partiti politici, il Mulino, Bologna, 2015.

- Gerbaudo, P., I partiti digitali. L'organizzazione politica nell'era delle piattaforme, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2020.

- Urbinati, N., Io, il popolo. Come il populismo trasforma la democrazia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2019.

- Ventura, S., I leader e le loro storie. Narrazione, comunicazione politica e crisi della democrazia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2019.

- Mete, V., Antipolitica. Protagonisti e forme di un’ostilità diffusa, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2022.

The chapters attending students need to study will be specified during the course. Additional teaching material (research reports, book chapters or articles taken from national and international scientific journals) could be made available by the lecturer during the course via the Moodle platform > blended.uniurb.it. 

Reference book:

- Cotta M., Della Porta D., Morlino L., Fondamenti di scienza politica, il Mulino, Bologna, 2004.

Assessment

Students can choose between two different examination modes:

 1) the first, recommended in particular for attending students, involves a combined examination, structured as follows:

a. first intermediate written test with open questions (duration 60 minutes);

b. presentation during the teaching period in flipped classroom mode, followed by the submission, by the end of class, of a paper;

c. second intermediate written test with open questions (duration 60 minutes);

The final grade is given by the sum of the scores obtained in the different tests: first intermediate test (10); presentation/paper (10); second intermediate test (10 marks). Students who pass only part of the tests can supplement their assessment with written tests according to the examination schedule. (by the academic year 2024/25)

Those who attend at least 75% of the lectures are considered as attending students;

2) the second path, recommended for non-attending students, is a written exam following the standard exams calendar. The written test, with a duration of 90 minutes, comprises answers to open questions.

For written exams, the evaluation is based on:

- relevance of answers in relation to the contents of the course;

- articulation of answers;

- relevance of the language used.

For the paper, the evaluation criteria are as follows:

- structure and articulation of the text;

- adequacy of references to literature;

- relevance of the language used;

- quality and originality of the content.

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.

Course books

- Bianchi D.G. e Raniolo F. (a cura di) Limiti e sfide della rappresentanza politica, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017. (Introduction; first part, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 e 5).

- C. Biancalana (a cura di), Disintermediazione e nuove forme di mediazione. Verso una democrazia post-rappresentativa?, Quaderni/21, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 2018 (chapters 1, 2, 3)

Choose one book:

- Calise, M. e Musella, F., Il principe digitale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2019.

- Campus, D., Lo stile del leader. Decidere e comunicare nelle democrazie contemporanee, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2016.

- Della Porta D., I partiti politici, il Mulino, Bologna, 2015.

- Gerbaudo, P., I partiti digitali. L'organizzazione politica nell'era delle piattaforme, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2020.

- Urbinati, N., Io, il popolo. Come il populismo trasforma la democrazia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2019.

- Ventura, S., I leader e le loro storie. Narrazione, comunicazione politica e crisi della democrazia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2019.

- Mete, V., Antipolitica. Protagonisti e forme di un’ostilità diffusa, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2022.

Non-attending students are not supposed to study the additional teaching materials made available by the lecturer via the Moodle platform > blended.uniurb.it.

Reference book:

- Cotta M., Della Porta D., Morlino L., Fondamenti di scienza politica, il Mulino, Bologna, 2004.

Assessment

Written exam following the standard exams calendar. The written test, with a duration of 90 minutes, comprises answers to open questions

For written exams, the evaluation is based on:

- relevance of answers in relation to the contents of the course;

- articulation of answers;

- relevance of the language used.

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.

The student can request to sit the final exam in English with an alternative bibliography