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2020/2021

Comparative Politics I

Code: 101081 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OB 3 1
2503778 International Relations OB 3 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Margarita Leon
Email:
Margarita.Leon@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

G1 is entirely in English

Teachers

Eva Ostergaard-Nielsen

External teachers

Lorenzo Vidal-Folch

Prerequisites

The student is expected to know adequately, at a minimum, the concepts and theories worked in the Political Science subject of the first of the degree. It is also taken for granted that the student routinely reads generalist newspapers following especially the news of national and international politics
										
											
										
											Group G1 will be taught in English and a good level of active and passive comprehension in English is expected (see objectives). The afternoon classes (G51) will be taught in Spanish / Catalan and a good level of reading in English is expected. Exams can be delivered in Catalan, Spanish, or English. Practices in English classes will be conducted in English.
 
 

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject is compulsory in the third year of Degree and Political Science and Public Management. The course aims to work on some of the main approaches, concepts and theories of comparative politics through an in-depth analysis of the most relevant Western European political systems.
										
											
										
											G1 is completely in English to give students an opportunity to consolidate an English level that allows them to follow and participate in English subjects both at the UAB and in international exchange programs. It is expected to conduct classes with an active understanding of English, that is, seminary discussions will be conducted in English. Written evaluation work and the exam can be done in English, Catalan or Spanish. The oral presentation will be in English and the level is expected to allow a correct and fluent oral expression

Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  • Connecting the different components that shape the structure and operations of political systems and the environment where they interact.
  • Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  • Demonstrating knowledge about the structure and working of the European Union and its main institutions, as well as identifying the main political actors and recognising the main means of integration.
  • Demonstrating the comprehension of the structure and functioning of political systems in the internal and international arena, both in the analytic area and in the elaboration of intervention proposals or public policies.
  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  • Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
    International Relations
  • Analyse cases and phenomena in the international sphere and interpret different political texts using contemporary political theories.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Use English to receive and communicate analyses and proposals.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the public policies of different countries and political systems.
  2. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  3. Connecting the different components that shape the structure and operations of political systems and the environment where they interact.
  4. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  5. Demonstrating knowledge about the structure and working of the European Union and its main institutions, as well as identifying the main political actors and recognising the main means of integration.
  6. Demonstrating the comprehension of the structure and functioning of political systems in the internal and international arena, both in the analytic area and in the elaboration of intervention proposals or public policies.
  7. Draw up comparative analyses of different political systems, identifying the way in which differences and similarities are argued.
  8. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  9. Identify the main actor, structure and operation of different political systems .
  10. Identify the main actors, structures and operation of internal and international political systems from a comparative perspective.
  11. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  12. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  13. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  14. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  15. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  16. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  17. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  18. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  19. Use English to receive and communicate analyses and proposals.
  20. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  21. Working autonomously.
  22. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  23. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

PART I: INTRODUCTION

 

TOPIC 1 - iNTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS

 

 

Topic 2: The logics of the comparative method.

 

 

Topic 3: introduction to institutions and key concepts in comparative politics

 

 

PART II: POLITICAL SYSTEMS

Topic 4: historical antecedents and constitutions (UK, Germany, France and Italy)

 

Topic 5: Electoral systems and party systems

 

Topic 6: Legislatures and governments

 

Topic 7: Territorial distribution, federalism and decentralization

 

 

 PART III:  COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY OF DIFFERENT REGIMES

TOpic 8. Majoritarian and Consensual democratic models

 

Topic 9: Vetoplayers

 

Topic 10: Policy outcomes of different political systems

Methodology

Comparative politics 1 is a 6 ECTS credit course, this means 150 hours of student work in total (25 horas/1 ECTS). These credits are organised around the following activities

Directed activities:

  • Lectures and in group debates.
  • oral Presentation of class work
  • Seminars

Supervised activities:

  • Individual tutoring available for group work and any other individual assessment

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 30 1.2 3
Oral presentations 8 0.32 4, 14, 15, 20
Seminars 16 0.64 2, 6, 5, 12, 3
Type: Supervised      
Office hours 14 0.56
Type: Autonomous      
Reading 35 1.4 21
Writing 15 0.6 2, 6, 11, 3, 18
individual study 30 1.2 13, 11, 18, 21, 23

Assessment

Evaluation is divided in 3 main elements:

 

  • Examn: 50% of the grade (compulsory to pass the exam in order to pass the course).
  • Reading test, practical exercises and similar activities: 20 % of the grade
  • Group work: 30 % of the final grade
Resit

-If the exam, the group work or both does not obtain a pass (5 or above) the student will be able to retake either one part or both. Important points:


- The coursework in seminars (reading tests or similar) cannot be retaken
-The resit could be partial (just one of the parts) or complete(both parts)
- The maxim grade for the resit is a pass (5)
- in order to take the resit the student must have first taken the ordinary exam and submit the group work on time (justified absences for medical reasons apply)  

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Evaluation of seminar tasks 20% 0 0 1, 6, 4, 7, 13, 8, 12, 15, 17, 16, 3, 18, 21, 23
Exam 50% 2 0.08 1, 2, 6, 5, 4, 7, 13, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 3, 18, 21, 19
Group work 30% 0 0 1, 2, 6, 5, 4, 7, 14, 13, 9, 10, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 16, 3, 18, 22, 21, 23, 20, 19

Bibliography

Bibliografía basica (las lecturas relacionadas a cada sesión se especificarán en el programa en el Campus Virtual antes el inicio del curso).

Colomer, J. M. (Ed.) Comparative European Politics, third Edition, London: Routledge, 2008.

Caramani, D. (eds.) Comparative Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, 

Bara, Judith, Mark pennington 2009 Comparative Politics, Sage

Bale, T. European politics: a comparative introduction, 2nd Edition, London: Palgrave, 2008

Levis, M. (1997) Consent, Dissent and Patriotism, Cambridge University Press

Landman, T., Issues and methods in Comparative Politics: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2003.

Lijphart, A., Lijphart, A. Patterns of Democracy, Yale: Yale University Press, 1999.

Mona Lena Krook, Joni Lovenduski and Judith Squires (2009). Gender Quotas and Models of Political Citizenship. British Journal of Political Science, 39, pp 781-803

Pasquino, G., Sistemas políticos comparados, Buenos Aires, prometo libros, 2004.

Poguntke, Thomas y Paul Webb (eds): The presidentialization of politics. A comparative study of modern democracies, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Tsebelis, G. Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2002.