B026365 - ELECTIONS, PARTIES AND PUBLIC OPINION

Italian

Topics covered in the course are: electoral systems and their consequences on parties and party systems; electoral reforms; the relation between parties and democracy; parties and party functions; the party politics in postmodern society. These topics are dealt with both at a theoretical and empirical level, and analysed from a comparative perspective.

[Students attending the course and participating in in-class activities may have different readings and a more limited study workload for the final exam]

Textbooks for the exam of Elezioni, partiti e opinione pubblica (9 credits; exam code B019000):

- G. Baldini and A. Pappalardo, Sistemi elettorali e partiti nelle democrazie contemporanee, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2004 (avalaible in the library) or G. Sartori, Ingegneria costituzionale comparata. Strutture, incentivi, esiti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013, chapters 1-4 (english version Comparative Constitutional engineering, New York University Press, 1997).

- P. Ignazi, Partito e democrazia. L'incerto percorso della legittimazione dei partiti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019. (english version Party and Democracy: The Uneven Road to Party Legitimacy, Oxford University Press, 2017)

- L. Bardi (ed), Partiti e sistemi di partito. Il "cartel party" e oltre, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006 (introduction and part I) (no english version available)


Textbooks for the exam of Elezioni, partiti e opinione pubblica (6 credits; exam code B019002):

- G. Baldini and A. Pappalardo, Sistemi elettorali e partiti nelle democrazie contemporanee, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2004 (avalaible in the library) or G. Sartori, Ingegneria costituzionale comparata. Strutture, incentivi, esiti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013, chapters 1-4. English version available, see above.

- P. Ignazi, Party and Democracy: The Uneven Road to Party Legitimacy, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017. Englsih version available, see above.

This graduate course aims at providing the students with the concepts, theories and most advanced research techniques in the study of 1) electoral systems and their effects on voters, candidates, parties and party systems; 2) parties and their transformation within a postmodern society.
The knowledge acquired provides students with relevant tools for an in-depth understanding of the political phenomena covered by the course, both with regard to their conceptual dimension and their empirical variation.
The knowledge and skills provide the student with the ability to analyze individual and aggregate data and information (through the use of the most appropriate methodologies), as well as to connect and interpret them in the light of the context of reference (combining empirical research and theoretical speculation)

None

Lectures and seminar course. Group and/or individual research projects are also part of the course.

The final comprehensive exam is written and consists of 3 short essays (within one hour and a half time). Upon request, students from non-Italian Universities only are allowed to take the exam orally. No mid-term exam is provided.
For students attending the course: in classes presentations, papers, tests made in accordance with the instructor may replace the written final comprehensive exam

The first part of the course deals with electoral systems and reforms and their consequences, from a comparative perspective. As for the electoral systems' design, topics covered are: a) concept definitions; b) constituent elements (ballot structure, district magnitude, formulas, thresholds); c) classifications and typologies (majoritarian, proportional, mixed). As for the consequences of electoral systems, topics covered include a) mechanical effects (disproportionality and the reduction of the number of parties), b) psichological effects (strategic coordination between parties and voters) and c) systemic effects (party system format, building of parliamentary majorities); c) Duverger's propositions; d) theories on electoral systems' effects developed by Sartori and Riker; e) Cox's M+1 rule.
The second part of the course deals with the following topics:
1) why studying political parties;
2) the relationship between parties and democracy;
3) party change;
4) the functions of parties;
5) old and new cleavages;
6) party organization beyond the catch all model;
7) intra-party democracy;
8) parties beyond borders.