COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: IOLE PINA FONTANAExpected Learning Outcomes
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
By exploring European politics through a comparative perspective, both in theory and methodology, in this second part of the course students will analyze key political actors, institutions, and processes across European states. The course covers the evolution of democratic politics in Europe, focusing on emerging issues, including old and new political cleavages, the role of referenda in European integration, and the complexities of party systems. Students will examine political fragmentation, Euroscepticism and democratic backsliding within EU member states, alongside an exploration of political systems and government formation at both the national and EU levels.
Textbook Information
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Politics through comparative lenses: an introduction | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapter 3. |
| 2 | Democratic politics in Europe between emerging issues, new and old cleavages | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapters 2 and 4 |
| 3 | Between politics and polity: Party systems in Europe and the role of referendum in European integration | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapter 6 |
| 4 | Fragmentation, Eurosceptiscism and democratic blacksliding in the EU Member states (i) | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapters 9 and 14 |
| 5 | Fragmentation, Eurosceptiscism and democratic blacksliding in the EU Member states (ii) | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapters 9 and 14 |
| 6 | Political Systems and government formation in Europe | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapter 10 |
| 7 | Policy cycle and law-making in Europe | De Vries et al. 2021 Foundations of European Politics - A Comparative Approach, chapter 11 |
| 8 | Students' presentations | |
| 9 | Students' presentations |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Final Paper (between 4,000-5,000 words)
Students’ Presentations
Multiple Choice Questionnaire
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
What are political cleavages