Political Science

This course examines liberalism, socialism and nationalism as a complex set of very powerful ideologies that have influenced the political, economic and cultural development of Europe, and, subsequently, the world. It explores the intellectual mainsprings
of these movements through excerpts from their writings, as Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Smith, Rousseau, Burke, Montesquieu, Kant, Hegel, Mill, Tocqueville, Marx, Lenin, Nietzsche, Schmitt, Heidegger, Kojeve, Strauss, Schumpeter, Keynes, Friedman, Hayek, Nozick, Rawls, Marcuse, Foucault, Isaiah Berlin and Mark Lilla. 

This course examines the government and politics of Europe. Particular attention will be given to the relationships between the largest European countries, the European Union, and the rest of the world. It will examine European policies in relation to a range of important contemporary issues including policies relating to international trade, climate change, Artificial Intelligence and international security. Throughout the course, an institutionalist perspective will be taken. It will examine the main formal and informal institutions at the national and international levels, as well as the main actors that shape policy outcomes.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. The course is organized in two sections:

Section A: lectures that introduce students to the key conceptual tools. This section analyzes the relationship between the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the international community within the framework of the prevailing development issues in the following periods: independence and the Cold War; Washington consensus; democratization; the third millennium; and the new international consensus on 'stability' and 'security'.

Section B: seminar classes for in-depth discussions of the Part A framework in view of a selection of country case-studies in sub-Saharan Africa, and for debating the new research questions that will come to light during classes. The main focus is the challenge of democracy in the 2000s: they are examined considering the local and international political priorities, the emphasis on security and the role of international cooperation policies.

At the end of the course, the student has acquired, in a critical manner and with reference to international academic research literature, a good knowledge of the political history of contemporary Africa in its international dimension. In particular, the student is able to: A) analyze and discuss the main elements of the political development and transformations of the political systems of contemporary Africa considering the internal, regional, and international context; B) analyze and discuss the main factors defining the role and location of Africa in contemporary global politics and international relations; C) analyze and evaluate empirically the development strategies and governance reforms, also in relation to the role of the international policies of the major donors; D) find and arrange documentary and bibliographic sources using libraries, databases, and websites, and organize, both verbally and by written essays, the knowledge acquired during the course.

This course provides a foundational understanding of international relations theories. It discusses how these theories are applied to cases throughout history, establishing a thorough knowledge of the explanatory capabilities and limits of each of the major theories. Prerequisites include introductory coursework in political science and international politics. 

The course introduces students to the major theoretical traditions and conceptual frameworks used to make sense of international politics, including relations between states and interstate institutions as well as a range of global political processes. It shows how to use theory to make sense of the complex issues, developments, and events. The key objective of the course is to introduce students to the rich diversity of theoretical approaches - from orthodox to critical - within international relations and to offer them key analytical skills to compare and engage with theories and to use theories in their further research and studies. 

The course focuses on issues of post-conflict reconstruction and security - arms proliferation, drug trafficking, mercenaries as well as institutions of transitional justice - International Criminal Court, Truth Commissions, Special courts and tribunals.

Political sociology examines the social origins and dynamics of political phenomena such as the state, nationalism, political mobilization, civil war, and conflict. It focuses in particular on the changing relationship between society and state. This course provides an overview of the major debates in the field, tracing the changing relationship between state and society in the modern era. It provides an introduction to both classical and contemporary issues in political sociology and reviews the leading theoretical and historical approaches in the field. The course explores how the nation-state became the dominant form of political organization and why it persists; why nationalism is such a powerful force; why people get involved in political parties and social movements; how civil wars break out; how governments maintain their legitimacy; the changing nature of warfare and its role in shaping societies and states; and the changing character of politics in the Information Age.
 

Commercial enterprise plays a fundamental role in the age of globalization both domestically and internationally interacting with state authorities as well as agencies of international organizations. Since the 1990s, the rise of multinational corporations in economic scale and political influence has massively empowered their agency in international relations and thus made them indispensable transnational actors and inevitably included in the strategic calculation when geopolitical competition intensified. This course introduces and establishes an understanding of the intricate relationship between commercial enterprise and government at both international and local levels. 

In this course, we will study the political thought of a variety of non-Western political, cultural and religious traditions, particularly the Confucianism and Political Islamism, we will try to explore both the ontological and epistemological dimension of these different theories, also always along with a “history of political thought” approach in mind . One of the essential purposes of this course will be for students to get familiar with the real diversity long existed in this sophisticated political world.

This course consists of two parts: American politics and American diplomacy. 

American politics: America's political tradition, political system, electoral system, political parties, congress, president, and judiciary system, military system, interest groups and mass media and their roles are explained.

American diplomacy: the US diplomatic decision-making mechanism and tradition, before and during the Cold War.