Course 2021-2022 a.y.

30329 - HISTORY (MODULE II- HISTORY OF POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS)

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 23

BIG (6 credits - II sem. - OB | M-STO/04)

Course Director:
MATTIA FOCHESATO

Classes: 23 (II sem.)

Instructors:
Class 23: MATTIA FOCHESATO

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the origins, functions, and effects of political institutions in historical perspective, paying particular attention to their dynamics (that is, how different institutions appeared and how they changed over time). It relies on the critical reading and discussion of research papers that apply theoretical insights and empirical tools to engage in major debates about the nature and consequences of political institutions. In this way, this course builds on students' earlier work in their degree, and hence integrate material from a variety of disciplines, such as political sciences, economics and history.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course is expected to examine what types of political institutions form, why they form, what they do, and how they evolve. In particular, it presents students with a series of debates related to the rise and consolidation of states in historical perspective, reviewing current (and some classic) works on the subject. These debates include, for example, why nation-states came to dominate over other state forms (such as empires or city-states), which role elites played in state formation, in which ways the functions of the state began to take shape, or how state capacity was built and sustained in different places and times.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Understand the process of creation of modern political institutions.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Successfully connect aspects of economic growth and political regimes.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lectures

DETAILS

The teaching style will privilege interaction and active participation, within the limits imposed by the current situation.

When possible and allowed by the conditions, attendance is recommended. Given the overall situation, however, formal attendance will not be checked.

Assessment methods

	Continuous assessment	Partial exams	General exam
Written individual exam (traditional/online)		x	x
Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)	x

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The course's assessment is a combination of a final exam plus some individual assignments.

Teaching materials

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Because one of the aims of the course is to present students with diverse views on the topics discussed, and make them think critically about them, it cannot be used a single textbook.

The main readings are a series of academic articles and book chapters that are detailed at the beginning of the course.
Additional materials (hand-outs, lecture notes, occasional articles, etc.) are distributed during of the course.

Last change 21/12/2021 12:19