Political Science

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. International Security (a.k.a Strategic Studies) is an established field within the International Relations discipline, focusing on the role and functions of military forces in international politics. More specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections (of different lengths). The first part ("Strategic Theory", shorter) examines some of the principal "theories of war" (e.g. Sun Tzu & Clausewitz ). The first part provides the participants with the relevant analytics tools to attend the second part ("the Tools of Warfare"), which is devoted to the application of those theories to modern warfare as well as an examination of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions and irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla and terrorism).

By the end of the course, students are able to: 1) Appreciate variation in conceptions of international security theories. 2) Understand the origins and evolution of mainstream theories on military strategy. 3) Understand the significance of alternative conceptions of national security for states' policies. 4) Develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of modern warfare in strategic international events. 5) Develop analytical skills to be applied to international security issues.

The course examines the big questions about social welfare’s current developments and future prospects. The "state" in this case implies the economic conditions and the political and institutional environments in which welfare operates. It explores the relevance of key theoretical contributions to the understanding of welfare origins, trajectories, and futures. It examines the contributions of Marxism, Varieties of Capitalism, Social Reproduction Theory, and The New Political Economy of Welfare, with a particular focus on the contributions of Polanyi, Foucault, Thelen, and Schmidt. In looking at the current period it exams welfare in crisis and welfare retrenchment and resilience and considers recent debates about labor market change, social differentiation, and dualism. The institutional environment is examined in the decommodification and recommodification of welfare and a review of international experience explores the varieties of liberalization.

The seminar provides a deep dive into economic inequality as relates to political economy more broadly, delving into questions such as “what inequality is and how to measure it?”, “what causes inequality?”, “how can welfare and redistributive policies manage inequality?”, and “why are some countries more equal than others?”. The first purpose of the course is to explain what causes economic inequality and how—and to what extent—it can be reduced. The second goal is to provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools to conduct their own empirical study to address these questions. The seminar begins by delving into conceptualizations and measurements used for economic distributions and income inequality. The second part centers on theories explaining levels of economic inequality, including the work of Pareto, Kuznets, Piketty and Milanovic. The third part focuses on the role of the state and redistribution in managing economic inequality, including theories on welfare-state formation, optimal taxation and the impact of political institutions. Finally, the last part is about public opinion on inequality and redistribution, centering on studies and theories about when voters want redistribution. The interplaying dynamics between economic distributions, political institutions, and public opinion are a running theme of the seminar. Students explore and discuss these dynamics as they are articulated in the literature and also propose and test new theories.

This course explores the origins, contemporary manifestations, strategies, impacts, and responses to extremism in Europe and the Americas, with a focus on right-wing examples. It examines the political, social, and cultural dimensions of these movements. The course also distinguishes extremism from related phenomena such as populism and nationalism, explores the motivations and ideologies behind extremism, and assesses the consequences for democracy and social cohesion in these regions. The course begins with a brief introduction to the definitions and distinctions surrounding extremism. In Section II, it takes a closer look at how extremism has developed in contemporary European and American contexts. Section III focuses on analyzing extremist ideologies and discourses, including propaganda and online strategies, through various case studies. Finally, in Section IV, it reflects on the social and political impacts of extremism, as well as the responses from governments and civil society. In terms of methodology, the course is taught through lectures, cross-sectional analysis, group discussions, and the use of primary and secondary sources alongside case studies. 

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course is divided into 2 modules. Module 1 builds on empirical analysis from current diplomatic practices, and module 2 is a historiographic-based course. 

The program for module 1 is as follows:
1.  The evolution of the functions of the professional diplomat;
2.  Bilateral relations: construction of privileged partnerships;
3.  When a dispute freezes the bilateral relationship: the case of the Italian Marines;
4.  Multilateralism today;
5. Conflicts, prevention, the fragmented world in which we live;
6. The consular function: at the service of Italians abroad;
7.  Economic diplomacy: the new functions of public support for internationalization;
8. Economic diplomacy: the Farnesina as an "Agency" for the promotion of our Country. Nation Branding and integrated promotion;
9. Economic diplomacy: the path from export to internationalization that many companies still have to complete and some to consolidate;
10. A glance to the future: the role of the professional diplomat in the years to come.

Module 2 focuses on the interplay between diplomacy and international economic relations from a historiographic point of view. It covers a period that spans from the immediate aftermath of WWII to the early XXIst century. This module explores a set of case studies that pertain to the diplomatic, economic, and political transformations of the international system as it emerged since the start of the Cold War. Classes are organized as follows:
1. XX century diplomacy;
2. Bilateral relations.;
3. Diplomatic discords;
4. The origins of multilateralism;
5. Failed agreements;
6. Migrations and diplomacy;
7. The history of the European Economic Community (I);
8. The history of the European Economic Community (II);
9. The web of international economic organization between the Cold War and the early-post Cold War era;
10. Diplomatic and economic challenges in the early XXI century.

This course is part of the laurea magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Students develop a critical approach to the diffusion and use of digital technologies. They are expected to acquire a preliminary knowledge of the historical context of these innovations to strengthen their understanding of the challenges posed by digitization. Students consider art as a field in which these technologies are both applied and criticized. By the end of the course, students are able to evaluate the variegated cultural and political imaginaries that are contributing to shaping digital innovations.

The course is articulated into the three parts. First, the course frames a political genealogy of the digital technologies, highlighting the philosophical issues they pose. For this reason, a brief history from the birth of internet to the success of platform capitalism and the expectations on artificial intelligence are presented. Then, the discussion focuses on some of the main cultural paradigms about technological innovations (Californian Ideology, Transhumanism, Accelerationism, etc.) to analyze the way they frame the relationship between the "digital" and the “human”. The last part is more collaborative and interactive with guest experts facilitating a workshop on art curatorship and digital technologies, and students presenting their response papers to course topics.

The course examines the role of power and politics in international economic relations. Besides international structural factors, it emphasizes the role of domestic political interests and their influence over foreign economic policies. Major approaches covered include historical views on international political economy, and contemporary systemic theories of international cooperation, interest groups politics, ideas and institutions. The course provides an overview and explanation of the international monetary and trade systems since 1944. It also discusses current debates on trade, monetary policy, the political roots of financial crises, globalization and the retreat of the state, and environmental protection.

This course studies how political institutions shape economic outcomes and how key social and economic factors, such as education, the media, and lobbying, shape political outcomes. It also covers contemporary issues in political economics, such as the causes/consequences of the rise in populism and political polarization, the political economics of climate change, and conflict and violence. The course has a strong empirical focus and covers latest empirical evidence in political economics. Hence, beyond political economics, the course deepens knowledge of cutting-edge empirical methods for causal inference ("applied microeconomics") and deepens experience in applying those methods to (large) datasets in practice. Part 1 explores economic theories seeking to understand political behavior and its implications for economic policies and institutions, as well as how modern empirical methods are used in political economics analysis. Part 2 uses these methods to study three key areas of empirical political economics: 1) how political institutions--such as democratic- and non-democratic forms of government--shape economic outcomes; 2) how key social and economic factors, such as education, the media, and lobbying, shape political outcomes; 3) contemporary issues in political economics (including, among other topics, the causes and consequences of the rise in populism and political polarization; the political economics of climate change; conflict and violence). 
(Bocconi also offers courses 30335-Political Economics, as part of the degree program in Intl Politics & Govt.)

What is (in)security? Who are the subjects and objects of (in)security in contemporary politics? What is the role of gender, race, and class in creating different forms of (in)securities? The course Critical Security Studies analyzes the concept of security in political science and international relations and offer a radical rethinking of traditional perspectives based on critical theories. Starting from an understanding of mainstream debates in security studies, the course broadens what are considered security-related topics (by going beyond the discourse on armed conflict and the military) and develops the ways in which we analyze them. To do so, this course approaches the concept of security with theoretical and methodological lenses, using creative, art-based, and narrative methods for security analysis. Through this course, students familiarize themselves with contemporary security issues and learn to formulate research problems relevant to global and everyday (in)securities based on critical perspectives.
 

This course examines competing hypotheses on the role of geography, institutions, and culture for long-term economic growth and cross-country differences in economic outcomes. It also studies the role of religion (and religiosity) for accumulation of human capital and economic progress. Finally, the course analyzes how cultural distance may affect migrants’ assimilation and it studies how local culture and institutions shape technological progress and inflows of innovative ideas. 
Themes discussed include: The Role of Geography for Economic Growth and Development; The Role of Institutions for Economic Growth and Development; The Role of Culture for Economic Growth and Development; The beginning of modern economic growth: geography, institutions, and culture; The Interaction between Culture and Institutions; Flows of Technology and Flows of Ideas; The Economics of Religion; Diversity, migration, and assimilation.