Teaching plan for the course unit

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General information

 

Course unit name: Political Science I

Course unit code: 362515

Academic year: 2021-2022

Coordinator: Ana Maria Sanz Leon

Department: Department of Political Science, Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law

Credits: 6

Single program: S

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

60
 

-  Lecture with practical component

Face-to-face and online

  

60

Supervised project

40

Independent learning

50

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

— Describe the basic concepts constituting the academic study of politics.

— Describe and defend the principles that underpin the social and democratic rule of law.

— Explain how political science can be used to identify the relationship between gender and other social variables in areas of social inequality.

 

Referring to abilities, skills

— Interpret political texts and documents using concepts in political science.

— Analyse inequalities between women and men from a gender perspective.

 

Referring to attitudes, values and norms

— Respect and value democratic ideas and practices.

— Contribute to creating equality between men and women.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. Basic concepts

1.1. The relationship between different concepts of politics

1.2. Distinguishing between politics and political science

1.3. The central concerns of political science: power, state and political system

1.4. The idea of power and the forms it takes. Consensus and coercion theories. Material power and formal power. Legitimacy and legality.

1.5. Gender and politics. Gender and intersectional factors in gender inequality.

1.6. The state. State and nation. Sovereignty.

1.7. David Easton’s model of the political system

2. Formation and development of the modern state

2.1. Formation and development of the modern state

2.2. The ideological and constitutional foundations of the liberal state. The social contract and the sexual contract.

2.3. Changes in the liberal model of democratic systems. The history of men’s and women’s rights to vote.

2.4. The welfare state in crisis

2.5. Welfare state typologies: Gųsta Esping-Andersen and Jane Lewis

3. Democracy and representation

3.1. Theory of democracy

3.1.1. The idea of democracy. Democracy and polyarchy.

3.1.2. Legitimacy and elections. Participation and the representation of women and men.

3.1.3. Procedures in semi-direct democracies

 

3.2. Voting systems

3.2.1. Legal and political aspects of election law

3.2.2. The features of voting systems

3.2.3. Majoritarian voting, proportional representation and the effects of each

3.3. Political actors and the political process

3.3.1. Political parties

3.3.2. Advocacy groups

3.3.3. Political and social movements

3.3.4. Political elites

3.3.5. The media

4. Institutions of the state

4.1. The institutions

4.1.1. Parliaments

4.1.2. Monist and dualist systems of government. The public administration system.

4.1.3. The judiciary

4.1.4. Independent institutions

4.2. Functional and territorial separations of power

4.2.1. Parliamentarism, presidentialism and semi-presidentialism

4.2.2. Unitary states, confederacies, politically regionalised states and federal states