Introduction to Political Science

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to political science, aiming to familiarize students with key concepts and central topics in the field. It is structured into three sections. The first section explores foundational concepts and research methods in political science, traces the development and consolidation of the modern state, and examines different political regimes and their transformations. The second section focuses on essential political institutions, including the executive, the legislature, and electoral systems, and on key actors in contemporary democracies such as political parties

The course has the following objectives:

1. Familiarize the students with the main concepts and methods of political science.
2. Introduce students to the current scientific knowledge in the field
3. Understand political regimes and institutions, their development, and variation.
4. Understand the rationale of political and social actors in modern democracies.
5. Develop arguments supported by the political science literature to address a question in comparative politics

The course lasts 24 hours (5 ECTS), organized for 12 weeks. The different sessions are structured as follows:

The teacher will introduce and explain the session's topic during each class. A debate will follow each presentation, and students will be invited to prepare the class with mandatory readings.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Mandatory reading: D. Caramani, Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press, 6th edition. 

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

luca.tomini@ulb.ac.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination

written examination

• Out-of-session examination

• Open question with short answer
• Closed question with multiple choices (MCQ)

There are two options:

Option 1
•40% Preliminary written exam with short open questions before the session (8 points)
•60 % Final Written exam (12 points) Multiple choice questions related to the topics covered during the course (see also chapters from: D. Caramani, Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press)

OR

Option 2
•100 % Final Written exam (20 points) Multiple choice questions related to the topics covered during the course (see also chapters from: D. Caramani, Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press)

Language(s) of evaluation

• english