Course 2024-2025 a.y.

30487 - POLITICAL REGIMES

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31

Course Director:
VALERIO VIGNOLI

Classes: 31 (II sem.)

Instructors:
Class 31: VALERIO VIGNOLI

Suggested background knowledge

Knowledge of fundamental notions in International Relations and Comparative politics and understanding of research design and quantitative methods in Political Science are useful. Students that have no background in these subjects can read: Frieden, J. A., & Lake, D. A. (2015). World politics: Interests, interactions, institutions: Third international student edition. WW Norton & Company. Clark, W. R., Golder, M., & Golder, S. N. (2017). Principles of comparative politics. CQ Press. Kellstedt, P. M., & Whitten, G. D. (2018). The fundamentals of political science research. Cambridge University Press.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

How do events within states affect those that occur across states? For decades, scholars underestimated the impact of domestic politics on international relations. The end of the Cold War, marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union, highlighted the relevance of state-level factors in shaping changes in the international system and states’ foreign policies. Consequently, the study of International Relations has taken a “domestic turn,” narrowing the gap with the field of Comparative Politics and the sub-field of Foreign Policy Analysis. Building on such research, this course aims to explore how factors, dynamics, and actors associated with state politics—such as regime type, government composition, economic cycles, elections, interest groups, bureaucracies, and leaders’ psychology—impact cooperation and conflict between states. By employing a research-oriented approach, the course seeks to broaden understanding of international relations and their connection to domestic politics.

CONTENT SUMMARY

Part I: Intro

Part II: Rationalist approaches to the explanation of war

Part III: Democracies in war

Part IV: Autocracies in war

Part V: Identity, ideology, and wars

Part VI: Public opinion and war

Part VII: The domestic politics of diplomacy and international cooperation

Part VIII: Foreign Policy Analysis

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

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

Analyze cooperation and conflict between states from a domestic politics perspective
Combine insights from the fields of International Relations and Comparative Politics
Deepen their understandings of political science fundamentals

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

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

Employ a research-oriented and problem-solving approach to questions of international politics
Interpret and contextualize results from political science research for policymaking
Discuss and debate about international relations issues in an effective manner

Teaching methods

Lectures
Collaborative Works / Assignments

DETAILS

Group assignments will consist of group debates on a topic selected by the teacher. Two groups of students will face each other defending a normative argument on basis of relevant theories and empirical findings. The two groups of students will also challenge each other's arguments. The audience will eventually vote for the group that provided the most convincing argument (this vote will not impact on the teacher's assessment). The debate is aimed at stimulating the students' critical thinking about the course as well as developing their communication skills.

Assessment methods

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

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The written exam (that can be divided in partial exams) covers roughly 3/4 of the total grade (24/31 points).

The written exam serves to assess students' ability to:

- Analyze cooperation and conflict between states from a domestic politics perspective

- Combine insights from the fields of International Relations and Comparative Politics

- Deepen their understandings of fundamentals of political science

Group presentation and essay cover the remaining roughly 1/4 (7/31 points).

The group presentation and essay serve to assess students' ability to:

- Employ a research-oriented and problem-solving approach to questions of international politics

- Interpret and contextualize results from political science research for policymaking

- Discuss and debate about issues related to international relations in an effective manner

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The written exam covers roughly 3/4 of the total grade (24/31 points).

The written exam serves to assess students' ability to:

- Analyze cooperation and conflict between states from a domestic politics perspective

- Combine insights from the fields of International Relations and Comparative Politics

- Deepen their understandings of fundamentals of political science

Individual student essays covers the remaining rouhgly 1/4 (7/31 points).

The individual student essay serves to assess students' ability to:

- Employ a research-oriented and problem-solving approach to questions of international politics

- Interpret and contextualize results from political science research for policymaking

- Discuss and debate about issues related to international relations in an effective manner

Teaching materials

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

A complete list of the required readings will be provided at the beginning of the course on Bboard.

Last change 13/11/2024 16:33