00895 - Political Science (A-L)

Learning outcomes

The objective of the course is to provide fundamental knowledge regarding the methods, concepts, categories, and key approaches of Political Science. By the end of the course, students will be able to describe and interpret political phenomena, particularly the functioning and transformations of political-institutional systems, both democratic and non-democratic. They will also gain the analytical tools to decipher political phenomena in democratic countries and relate them to the most relevant themes addressed by the discipline, as well as the linguistic and logical tools to communicate the results of their theoretical and empirical analyses to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Course contents

The course is divided into three modules, each ending with an exam.

The first two modules provide an introductory overview of the main themes and concepts of the subject, while the third will take on a seminar format, delving deeper into a specific topic and requiring active participation from students in the discussion.

The breakdown of sessions and readings is outlined in the programme.

In the first part of the course, we will deal with basic concepts in Political Science (politics, political regimes, forms of political participation). We will review long-term processes leading to the emergence of democratic political regimes and their distinctive characteristics. We will also deal with democratic actors and institutions, from a comparative perspective (political parties and party systems, electoral systems, parliaments, and governments).

In the second part of the course, we will consider the political systems of major European countries and the United States, with a particular focus on forms of political participation, electoral competition, the structure of parliaments, the legislative process, the formation and stability of governments, and territorial institutions.

In the third part of the course, our attention will shift to the issue of democratic erosion and autocratisation. We will explore how much the perception of a decline in the quality of democracy corresponds to reality, its possible causes and long-term prospects. A number of cases will be analysed in detail. These sessions will require active participation from students in the discussion.

The detailed list of sessions and readings will be shared at the beginning of the course on the Virtuale platform.

Readings/Bibliography

For the first and second part of the course, we will adopt the following textbook: Salvatore Vassallo (ed.) (2016). Sistemi Politici Comparati. 2a Edizione. Il Mulino: Bologna.

For the third part of the course, we will engage with a number of scientific journal articles (in English) on the topic of democratic erosion and autocratisation. These texts will be available on the platforms Perusall and Virtuale.

Teaching methods

The first two modules will consist of lectures, each devoted to a specific topic.

The third module will feature seminar sessions primarily focusing on the discussion of the readings by the students.

The students are strongly encouraged (in the first two modules) and required (in the third module) to read the assigned readings ahead of each session.

In the third module, we will make use of the platform Perusall, which is a collaborative reading tool. The assigned readings will be available on Perusall, and the students will be required to access and complete the task before each session. The students will have the ability to annotate and comment on the readings, highlight unclear points, ask for explanations, and respond to queries or comments from their peers. Further guidelines on the use of the platform will be provided in due course.

Slides and teaching material will be made available on Virtuale following each session.

Assessment methods

Attending students

The exams at the end of each module will take place in person using the platform EOL.

The evaluation for the first two modules will consist of multiple-choice exams aimed at assessing the knowledge of textbook contents and issues discussed in class.

The evaluation for the third module will be based on two elements: engagement with readings assigned for each session (on Perusall and through in-class discussion) and a written assignment (a short essay) on the topics covered in the module. In this case, the assessment will aim to verify the comprehension of the concepts presented in class as well as the ability to present and connect different themes in a logical and coherent manner.

The final grade of the course will be the average of the evaluations from the three modules.


Non-attending students

The evaluation will be based on a comprehensive written exam consisting of a series of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The exam aims to verify the understanding of the contents of the course and will focus on the readings assigned for the three modules.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea L. P. Pirro

See the website of