Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.

First term
Friday from 10:45 to 12:45 at Ommegang Om10

English

This course is an introductory course in political science which aims to present and familiarize students with the basic notions of political science, linking them to the essential references of the discipline.
Moreover, a read thread runs throughout the different sessions of the course: a gendered perspective will be offered on the different notions that will be developed during the course.

None

None

Part 1. General Introduction and Foundational Concepts
1.1. Introductory Session: What is Political Science?
1.2. Power, Domination and Legitimacy
1.3. A Portrait of the State

Part 2. Political Regimes
2.1. Authoritarian and Totalitarian Regimes
2.2. Democracy

Part 3. Political Actors
3.1. Political Parties: Genealogy and Organisation
3.2. Citizens: Socialisation, Politicization and Political Participation
3.3. Electoral Behaviours
3.4. Social Movements: Resources, Repertoires and Mobilisation

Part 4. Policy Analysis
4.1. Public Policies: Definition and Analysis

The activité impliquante for this course consists in the reading of at least two chapters of a book which illustrates the red thread theme of the course, i.e. gender and political science:
INGLEHART, Ronald, NORRIS, Pipa (2003), Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change around the World, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
The entire manuscript of the book is available on the Moodle platform of the course.
The students are asked to read the introduction of the book (“Explaining the Rising Tide of Gender Equality”) and at least one chapter, to be chosen among chapter 4 (“The Gender Gap in Voting and Public Opinion”), chapter 5 (“Political Activism”), and/or chapter 6 (“Women as Political Leaders”).

Two specific sessions, aimed at preparing the students to the final exam will be organised:
- A methodological session aimed at giving students hints and advices on how to learn the course, how to read the book for the activité impliquante, and how to prepare for the exam.
- A mock-exam aimed at reassuring students and helping them prepare the final exam. The mock-exam will be debriefed immediately afterwards with the students, so that they can see precisely what will be expected from them during the final exam.

The assessment of the course will consist in a final written exam, which will count for 100% of the total grade.
The final exam will last 2 hours, and it will consist of 2 parts:
- A Multiple-Choice Questionnaire, which will account for 15 points.
- A content section, which will account for 5 points. Two possibilities will be offered for this section: the students will have to either answer to a question on a subject directly taken from the course, or synthetize one of the chapters of the book by Inglehart and Norris and explain how it has improved their understanding of the course. In both cases, students are expected to write a structured, elaborated and well-reasoned answer.

Bibliographical resources (textbooks):
- GARNER, Robert, FERDINAND, Peter, LAWSON, Stephanie (2016), Introduction to Politics, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- HAGUE, Rod, HARROP, Martin, McCORMICK, John (2016), Political Science. A Comparative Introduction, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan.
- PARSONS, Craig (2016), Introduction to Political Science, Boston, Pearson.