Political Science

This course provides students with the conceptual knowledge and practical skills to understand comparative politics in a globalized world. It introduces the comparative method, and applies that method to core questions and issues of comparative and international politics. These questions cover political regimes, state formation and institutions, political and economic development, democracy, order and violence. By the end of the course students are able to: Recognize the diversity of political systems around the world and their key components (including institutions, actors, and culture); Explain why political systems differ, and how those differences shape domestic and global politics; Understand the logic of the comparative method and be able to apply it to real world events and outcomes; Assess the value of comparative political science for understanding current events and global relations; Effectively communicate comparative political analysis in written and oral forms.

This course addresses a fundamental question of political science: political legitimacy. The seminar is divided into three main parts. The first part is more philosophical in nature and focuses on the source and limits of political power in different types of political regimes. The second part of the course deals with some of the key concepts of political theory, including questions about political power, domination, social justice, and exploitation. The third part is composed of four thematic sessions dedicated to Turkey. Examples covered include the Gezi Park protests of 2013, as well as other moments of popular uprisings and their political meanings for different regimes in the region and beyond. The course provides the theoretical and empirical resources needed to develop the skills to critically apprehend current political events.

This course introduces students to the politics and controversies of environmental issues in France and their inter-connections with food and similar politics at the EU and UN levels. The course explores pressing environmental issues facing the country such as GMO politics, food wastage, air pollution, water pollution, species extinction, environmental justice, trade, climate change, and the impact of chemicals on health. The course assesses the nature of problems encountered, and discusses workable solutions for sustainable development in order to avoid a “tragedy of the commons.”

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale Program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. Strategic Studies is an established field within the International Relations discipline. Specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections. The first part, “Strategic Theory,” examines some principal theories of war. The first part provides students 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).

This course examines what is public opinion; how does public opinion influence politics; and can political elites manipulate public opinion. Specifically, it examines how citizens form opinions, how public opinion may influence policymaking and political selection, and how politicians and the media may shape public opinion.

This course focuses on understanding the relationship between terrorism and urban space. It traces the impact of terrorist attacks on cities and urban, cultural, political, religious, public, and economic areas in the strategies of terrorist organizations. The course discusses the method of terrorism to manipulate and change urban spaces and the counter-terrorism strategies and policies aimed at rehabilitating the damage. Three cities will be the primary examples in this course, among others: New York, Paris, and Mosul. The course provides an introduction to global digital governance and highlights the importance of understanding how internet technology functions, is evolving, and being governed. It examines how the digitization of the world is impacting our societies and economies, and what rules this trend may imply.