Regional Policies and Administration
Code: 104259 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2503710 Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning | OB | 3 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Asunción Blanco Romero
- Email:
- asuncion.blanco@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Other comments on languages
Course mainly in Catalan. Occasionally in Spanish for organizational reasonsTeachers
- Antoni Ramon Riba
Prerequisites
Non specifically, just have a general idea of what is happening today. In other words, have a bit of a general background and minimally follow the news.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of the course is to offer students an introduction and basic knowledge about the relations between politics and institutions, on the one hand, and territory, on the other.
The objectives of the subject consist of knowing the basic elements that make up local governments: normative principles, structures, actors and policy agenda to achieve the ability to analyze the reality of local government with a critical and well-founded vision, especially in Catalonia, but studying cases from Spain as a whole and from other countries of the European Union. It will try to propose and analyze future alternatives based on current debates.
The subject is closely related to "Urban policies: housing, neighborhoods and mobility". The knowledge and skills acquired are considered essential for the training and future professional performance of students. Hence, it has the character of a compulsory subject.
Competences
- Introduce theoretical and applied aspects of the main regional, environmental and urban policies in professional practice.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse and critically evaluate the operation of the political institutions at different levels of government.
- Describe the main concepts in the area of study of relations between politics and society in Spain and Catalonia.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.
Content
Topic 1. Politics, power and territory
- The question of power
- Relational definition of power
- The forms of power: economic, ideological, political
- Politics as a form of power
Topic 2. The question of the State
- Approaches to the study of the State
- The State as an organization of political power
- State functions
- State, civil society and economic power
- The State, groups and social actors
Topic 3. Governance and social cohesion
- Design and provision of public services
- Local government models: from government to governance
- Social cohesion
Topic 4. Multi-level government. levels of government
- The organization of the European Union
- The territorial organization of the State
- Local authorities in Catalonia
- Organization and operation of local entities
Topic 5. Organización de los gobiernos locales en Cataluña
- Organization of local governments in Catalonia. Provinces, counties and veguerias
- Organization of local governments in Catalonia. Municipalities
- Organization of local governments in Catalonia. Metropolitan Area and Charter of BCN Barcelona
Topic 6. Local resources and financing
- Local tax and transfer system
- The local Treasury in Catalonia
- The municipal budget
Topic 7. Electoral systems
- Electoral systems in Europe
- Electoral systems of local entities in Catalonia
Methodology
Guided activities: face-to-face sessions to explain the syllabus and for the revision in the classroom of the exercises carried out throughout the course.
Supervised activities: review of the exercises proposed as an evaluation tool and that will be available in the virtual platform of the subject.
Autonomous activities: everything that should be done on behalf of students in preparation for the subject. It includes the consultation of diverse material (articles, reports, etc.) available in the virtual platform of the subject, as well as specialized bibliography, both the most general and the one that incidentally is quoted. The teacher does not follow any manual, despite the existence of several excellent ones in the market. Any suitable material may be used, such as newspaper articles, press magazines, etc.
In this topic, a sexist use of language will not be allowed in students' oral and written contributions.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Public presentation of a paper | 8 | 0.32 | 3 |
| Seminars for the discussion of texts and cases. | 10 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Theoretical lectures | 27 | 1.08 | 2, 4 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorial: individual and group tutorials for support for the accomplishment of the work and monitoring of the work done in the subject. | 5 | 0.2 | 2, 4 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Comprehensive individual reading of texts. | 23 | 0.92 | 1 |
| Elaboration of the course paper and the seminar papers. | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 3 |
| Study of theoretical contents. | 20 | 0.8 | 3 |
Assessment
The evaluation of this subject is made up of the following evaluation activities:
- Final exam: 40% of the final grade.
- 2 Small seminar reports on readings and cases (in groups of 3-4 people): 30% of the final grade.
- Preparation of one of the topics of the course (in groups of 3-4 people): 15%
- Oral presentation of the topic studied: 15% of the final grade.
The practical activities have an optional character (but they cannot be recovered if they have not been submitted).
Requirements for evaluation (1st call):
To obtain a minimum grade of 5 in the written test, in order to average with the other parts of the assessment. In case of not fulfilling this requirement, this note cannot be compensated with another and it will be submitted to the recovery process.
There is no obligation of a minimum score in the practical activities and the one obtained will be added to the others for the final grade of the subject. This means that they cannot be done, with the risk, however, that after the rest of the notes are not enough to pass the subject. Keep in mind that the optionality of the practices has a "price": they will be delivered within the established period (to be announced at the beginning of the course) and when it has finished they will not be admitted.
Requirements for recovery:
Failure to complete the written test will mean that the student must submit to the recovery. That is, in spite of the "mathematical" possibility that the student passes having delivered the practices and attended all the classroom sessions, it will not be so without such proof.
In case that the minimum grade required in the written test is not obtained, the affected person will need to submit to the recovery. The rest of the notes will be saved for the final grade.
As for the practical activities, only the recovery (or improvement of grade) of one will be accepted, as long as it has been deliveredwithin the established term throughout the semester. That is to say, in the case of practices, re-evaluation does not imply being able to deliver one that has not been done before.
On the other hand, no other "alternative" evaluation mechanism is foreseen (presentation of a paper, reading reviews, etc.).
The oral presentation cannot be re-evaluated or recovered.
According to UAB regulations, in order to participate in the recovery process, a minimum grade in the average of the subject must have been obtained. This rating will equal or exceed 3.5. (These conditions are adapted to the regulations on the evaluation of the UAB in Article 112. The recovery http://www.uab.cat/doc/Modificacio_normativa_academica_CG120717).
The teaching team of the subject does not follow any specific manual. For specific information on any question of the subject, the student should consult directly with the teaching team that will provide references in the form of press articles, academic journals, web, books and reference manuals, etc. Throughout the course, each subject will be provided with the appropriate bibliography through the Moodle platform for this specific subject.
Consideration of "Not Evaluable"
In accordance with the Academic Regulations approved, and modified by the Governing Council on March 19, 2015, the consideration of NOT EVALUABLE will apply to all those students who do not deliver the written test, nor a minimum of two of the others evaluative evidence.
Plagiarism
The copying or plagiarism of material, both in the case of works and in the case of exams, constitute a crime that will be sanctioned with a zero to the activity. In the case of recidivism, the entire subject will be suspended.
Let's remember that a "copy" is considered a work that reproduces all or most of the work of one or the other company / a. "Plagiarism" is the fact of presenting all or part of a text of an author as its own, without mentioning the sources, be on paper or in digital format. See UAB documentation on "plagiarism" at:
http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Procedure for Reviewing Grades Awarded
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (originalweighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Seminar papers about readings and cases | 30% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 3 |
| Course topic preparation | 15% | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Final exam | 40% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 4 |
| Oral presentation course topic | 15% | 5 | 0.2 | 3, 4 |
Bibliography
This subject does not follow any specific manual. The bibliography will be specified during the course, through Moodle, according to topics and social and editorial news.
Some bibliographic references that will be used compulsorily will be:
Bobbio, Norberto. (1985). Estado, Gobierno y sociedad. Por una teoría general de la política. CAP.
Fernández Durán, Ramón & González Reyes, Luis. (2018). En la espiral de la energía. Libros en Acción. Ecologistas en Acción. https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/wp-content/uploads/adjuntos-spip/pdf/en-la-espiral-de-la-energia_vol-1.pdf
Vallès, Jose M. & Martí i Puig, Salvador. (2020). Ciencia política. Un manual. Ariel Editorial
Some interesting references for the follow-up of the course and seminars are:
Bertrana, Xavier (2014). Els Governs locals de l’Europa Occidental: una aproximació tipològica. Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia, [en línia] p. 125-41, https://raco.cat/index.php/TreballsSCGeografia/article/view/289364
Blanco, Ismael & Gomà, Ricard. (2002). Gobiernos locales y redes participativas. Barcelona: Ariel.
Blanco, Ismael & Gomà, Ricard. (2016). El municipalisme del bé comú. Barcelona: Icària.
Blanco, Ismael & Gomà, Ricard. , Subirats, J. (2018). "El nuevo municipalismo. Derecho a la ciudad y comunes urbanos", Gestión y Análisis de Políticas Públicas, 20: 14-28.
Blanco, Ismael & Nel·lo, Oriol. (Eds.) (2018). Barrios y Crisis. Crisis económica, segregación urbana e innovación social en Cataluña. València: Ed. Tirant.
Blanco, Ismael; Salazar, Yunailis & Bianchi, Iolanda. (2019). "Urban governance and political change under a radical left government. The case of Barcelona", Journal of Urban Affairs. Published online.
Blasco Julià, Jaume (2009). Guia pràctica 1 – Com iniciar una avaluació: oportunitat, viabilitat i preguntes d’avaluació. Institut Català d’Avaluació de Polítiques pübliques, 44p.
Brugué, Joaquim & Gomà, Ricard. (Coord.) (1998). Gobiernos Locales y Políticas Públicas. Barcelona: Ariel. pp. 15-35.
Brugué, Joaquim & Vallès, Josep M. (2005). "New-Style Councils, New-Style Councillors: From Local Government to Local Governance"; Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration and Institutions , Vol. 18, No.2, pp. 197-226. (Versió en castellà també disponible).
Carroué, Laurant & Boissière, Aurélie. (2018). Atlas de la mondialisation. Une seule Terre, des mondes. Edit. Autrement
Chandler, Jim. (2010). "A Rationale for Local Government"; Local Government Studies, 36:1, pp. 5-20.
Del Pino, Eloísa & Rubio, María Josefa. (Coord.) (2013). Los Estados del Bienestar en la encrucijada. Políticas sociales en perspectiva comparada. Madrid: Tecnos. Cap. 1.
DIPUTACIÓ DE BARCELONA (2018). Suport per a l’elaboració del catàleg de serveis municipals. Servei d’assistència a l’organització municipal, 23p. https://www.diba.cat/documents/192458/228032110/1a_sessio_Cataleg_de_Serveis_curs+2018.pdf/d9e6c318-16c4-49c3-b416-32f7c0da9d52
Donat, Carles. (2017) "Els set reptes dels nous plans i polítiques localsd'habitatge", a DDAA, Repensar la metropoli: noves claus per a un projecte col·lectiu. Barcelona: IERMB-AMB.
Flint, C. & Taylor, P.J. (2018). Political Geography. World-economy, natio-state and locality. Seventh edition. Routledge.
Generalitat de Catalunya (2016). El Sector públic local a Catalunya. http://economia.gencat.cat/web/.content/70_corporacions_locals/arxius/Informe-sector-public-local-2016.pdf
Observatorio Metropolitano (2014). La apuesta municipalista. La democracia empieza por lo cercano. Madrid: Traficantes de sueños. Cap. 3.
Ubasart, Gemma & Bonet, Jordi. (2010). Guia de Govern Local. Barcelona: Icaria Editorial, Biblioteca derecursos veïnals. Disponible a: http://auditoriabdn.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/guia-de-govern-local-catalc3a0.pdf
Wollmann, Hellmut. (2004). "Local Government Reforms in Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and France: Between. Multi-Function and Single-Purpose Organisations"; Local Government Studies, Vol.30, No.4, pp. 639-665.
DECRET LEGISLATIU 2/2003, de 28 d'abril, pel qual s'aprova el Text refós de la Llei municipal i de règim local de Catalunya (2021).
Software
None in particular except the usual office tools and Teams in case of online connections.