00895 - Political Science (O-Z)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will gain a basic knowledge of the main approaches and methods developed within political science; will be able to analyze political actors, processes and institutions; will be able to understand similarities and differences between political systems in a comparative perspective.

Course contents

The course introduces the main topics studied in Political Science, with particular attention to the strategic and methodological aspects that have become central to the study of comparative politics.

The course is divided into four parts.

The first part introduces the main characteristics of Political Science as a discipline. It will present the fundamental concepts, objects of study, and main methodologies used by political scientists, with particular reference to the comparative method.

The second part examines the emergence and formation of the modern state, processes of democratization, and the differences between democratic and authoritarian regimes. Particular attention will be devoted to the economic and cultural determinants of democracy.

The third part of the course focuses on political actors, mechanisms of representation, and the institutional organization of contemporary democracies. The topics covered will include the role of individual and collective actors, the function of elections, the rules governing political competition, and the functioning of the main democratic institutions.

After examining the variety of actors, rules, and formal and informal institutions that characterize contemporary democracies, the fourth part aims to analyze whether this variety can be traced back to a limited number of main models of democracy. From this perspective, the course will examine differences among democratic models in terms of the quality of representation, the effectiveness of decision-making processes, and institutional performance.

Readings/Bibliography

Foreign students are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to discuss about the programme.

Teaching methods

The course consists of 30 two-hour lectures, each devoted to a specific topic. Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. During the course, tools will be used to complement lectures, also in order to monitor attendance and encourage active student participation.

Assessment methods

For students who attend classes, there will be two written tests: one halfway through the course, covering the first part of the programme, and one at the end of the course, covering the second part of the programme.

Each test includes 11 multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question. The multiple-choice questions are worth 1 point each. The open-ended question is worth up to 6 points. Each test therefore allows students to obtain up to 17 points. The time available for each test is 35 minutes.

The overall score for the two partial tests is calculated as the sum of the scores obtained in the two tests, up to a maximum of 34 points. The final mark out of thirty will be assigned according to the following conversion scale:

• from 0 to 17 points: fail;
• from 18 to 27 points: the final mark corresponds to the score obtained;
• 28 or 29 points: 28; 
• 30 points: 29;
• 31 or 32 points: 30;
• 33 or 34 points: 30 with honours.

The conversion scale is designed to reward continuous study and successful completion of the partial tests, while also allowing for a more accurate distinction between good, very good, and excellent performances.

Attendance will be monitored during classes. Students are considered attending students if they have attended at least 75% of the classes.

For non-attending students, or for students who, despite attending classes, have not taken the partial tests or have rejected the mark obtained in the partial tests, the exam will cover the entire course programme. The exam includes 22 multiple-choice questions and two open-ended questions. The multiple-choice questions are worth 1 point each. The open-ended questions are worth up to 6 points each, for a total of 34 points. The time available is 70 minutes. In this case as well, the score obtained out of 34 will be converted into a mark out of thirty according to the scale indicated above.

Non-attending students must also answer an additional open-ended question on the supplementary text listed in the programme. For this part of the exam, 20 minutes are available. The question is assessed out of thirty and contributes to the final mark. In the calculation of the final mark, the exam on the full programme accounts for 80%, while the question on the supplementary text accounts for 20%.

All exams will take place in person on EOL (online exams), in equipped computer labs.

The mark may be rejected only once. This principle is consistent with the University Teaching Regulations, art. 16, paragraph 5, as amended by the resolution of the Academic Senate approved by the Board of Governors in February 2018: “in the event of a positive outcome, the student may ask to reject the mark. The rejection must be granted by the lecturer at least once for each individual course unit.” After one rejection, any subsequent positive result will be officially recorded.

For greater clarity, the final mark will be guided by the following assessment criteria:

• 18–21: basic or just sufficient knowledge of the topics, limited theoretical command, and difficulty in using the specific language of the discipline.
• 22–25: satisfactory knowledge of the topics, fair theoretical command, and fair use of the specific language of the discipline.
• 26–29: in-depth knowledge of the topics, good theoretical command, and good use of the specific language of the discipline.
• 30–30 with honours: complete and in-depth knowledge of the topics, excellent theoretical command, and excellent use of the specific language of the discipline.

Teaching tools

The slides and other teaching materials will be available on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Pinto