Introduction to political Sciences (2225.YR.014059.1)

General information

Type:	OPT	Curs:	2,3,4	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	3 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 2	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 3	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 4	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho	ENG

There are no previous requirements.

Final assessment (40%)
-Term paper (ca 3000 words). Students need to use a minimum amount of academic sources in
order to complete the work.
Continuous assessment (60%)
-There will be 3 practical workshops (seminars) during the term. Each of them will count for
the 20% of the continuous assessment part. In order to complete this part, the student must
attend at least 2 out of the 3 practical seminars.
Class attendance: The minimum required assistance to submit the final assessment is 80%. The
minimal required assistance to retake the assessment is 50%.

This is an introductory subject to the main concepts, theories and processes addressed and
studied within the Political Science discipline. The course aims to provide the students with the
main analytical tools that the discipline uses when approaching the analysis and understanding
of a given political system or even more globally, in order to understand the political and
institutional reality of a country.
Thus, the subject intends to offer the students with a full understanding of basic Political
Science concepts such as politics, political power, State, democracy and representative
systems. Will elaborate in the understanding of the citizens' political culture, the collective
action dilemmas and interest groups way of working, the causes of citizens general political
participation or the learning of the main state and regime change (democratization) theories.
Overall, the subject seeks to combine theoretical sessions with open discussions/workshops
where students will work with the political concepts presented through the reading of texts
and the discussion of data of information presented in theoretical sessions.

General competences
-To assess the effects that the new ideological, political, economic and technological forms in the contemporary world and in social conflicts have on the human condition and contemporary societies.
-Students will be able to develop an analytical approach to political realities and phenomenas.
Specific competences
To identify the main theories and approaches corresponding to political and administration sciences.
To analyse and identify the main principles of democracy and how democratic processes work.
To analyse and identify the main non democratic regimes and how transition processes do work.
To understand the main political systems, their institutions and public authorities
To learn the basic political economy principles of contemporary political systems and the different welfare systems

1. Contents 1- Politics, power and the state 2- Political regimes and transitions 3- Democracy regimes and institutions 4- Political culture and electoral participation 5- Collective action and political actors 6- Development and conflict

During the course theory lectures will be offered in order to overview the main concepts and
theories of the course. Students are encouraged to participate and debate within each of the
sessions. In addition some of the sessions will be reserved to work the theory concepts and
theories but from an empirical point of view. Therefore, during the workshops the students
will work both individually and in groups to cover the course content and do some exercises
and work projects.

Indicative reading
Brooker, P. 2000. Non-Democratic Regimes: Theory, government, and politics. Nueva York: St. Martin's Press.
Boix, C. 2006. "The Roots of Democracy." Policy Review, núm. 135.
Clark, W, Golder, M and S Nadenichek Golder, "Foundations of Comparative Politics", Sage, 2019.
Dahl, Robert A. « The concept of power », Behavioral Science. 1957, vol.2 no 3. p. 201-201
Lijphart, A "Patterns of Government: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries", 2nd edn, Yale University Press, 2012.
Przeworski, A. 1991. Democracy and the market. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Tsebelis, "Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work", Princeton University Press, 2002.

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 2	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 3	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 4	Daniel Rajmil Bonet	Derecho