Political Science

This course offers an in-depth exploration of the sociology of radical left parties, analyzing their historical trajectory, the evolution of their organizational strategies, and their impact on the contemporary political landscape. It examines how these often marginalized parties have managed to gain power in various socio-historical contexts, as well as the dynamics that led them to occupy dominant political positions, only to often return to more marginal roles. Throughout the different sessions, the course addresses the social, organizational, and ideological foundations of the radical left, studying their relationships with protest movements as well as with extreme and moderate left, centrist, and right-wing political parties. The course also covers the contemporary challenges faced by the radical left, including the environmental crisis and the management of national economies that are deeply integrated into international financial markets. By examining concrete examples of parties that gained power in the early 21st century in Europe and Latin America, the course considers the reasons for their rise, and, in many cases, their return to the margins of power.

This course investigates the relationship between business and government and the role and influence of corporations as political actors in a globalized world. Corporations have emerged as political actors deeply involved in domestic and international policy-making processes, beyond being mere economic entities. This shifting role of the corporate requires the ability to theoretically and empirically analyze the dynamics of business-government relations, and a critical understanding of corporate status and responsibility in global governance is essential.  

Particularly in the current reality where corporate political influence is increasing in various aspects such as lobbying activities, social responsibility, and tax policy responses, systematically analyzing and understanding these phenomena is an important task in modern political science research.  

This course fosters in-depth understanding of corporate roles and influence in the global era; cultivation of analytical perspectives and research capabilities on corporate-government relations; developing critical and practical insights into corporate political activities; acquiring cutting-edge research methodologies and data analysis techniques; and application of useful theoretical and methodological foundations for students interested in corporate politics and global governance, thereby offering practical assistance for future research and practice in related fields.   

In today's world, challenges are incredibly complex, multifaceted, and often intersectoral. Given the complexities and interdependencies of the 21st century, scientific disciplines and their siloed knowledge production practices are no longer sufficient to fully grasp global problems and find solutions to them. Yet they remain the dominant knowledge structures through which the world is analyzed and explained. This course first explains the structuring and evolution of scientific disciplines. Then it addresses the notion of interdisciplinarity and the tools it offers for a more holistic understanding of international relations.

This course examines the comparative study of political systems. It covers relevant concepts and theories, and  applies these learnings to case studies from around the world.

This course introduces students to the grand challenges of today’s world (for example planetary boundaries) and the necessity for a “Great Transformation” toward a sustainable development of our societies. Students examine the systemic characters and the complex dynamics in today’s societies, including the individual, organizational, community, regional, national and international levels and their relations and interactions.

One of the major questions explored in the course is which social actors contribute to a transformation towards sustainable development and how - and in what way this happens, which inertias and obstacles stand in the way and could be overcome? What has the German government done, what is the German parliament doing, what is the function of business, sciences or civil society organizations – what happens in Berlin? The course considers the broadest possible spectrum of approaches, strategies and actors for a reflected change towards a Great Transformation in an exemplary manner, as well as thinking theory and practice together (in the sense of transformative science and shaping the future). Students examine the different national, regional and cultural systems and backgrounds for all this. Specific examples which are part of the pathway to sustainability are green taxes, renewable energy projects, cooperative housing, car-free streets and places, urban farming, or even eco-villages.

Additional topics include concepts like path dependency (path management), Multi-Level Perspective – MLP, social innovation, models of change, change agents, MAP – movement action plan. The course includes relevant sociological theories, i.e. social systems theory, practice theory and real utopias. These will give insights into societal factors for stability as well as for change.

This course introduces different types of electoral systems, including the main categories of majoritarian, proportional, and mixed systems, and highlighting the significant variety of rules within each. Additionally, it explores how electoral systems are not neutral: they can influence the behavior of voters and parties, and can shape the quality of political representation (e.g., representation of women, degree of congruence between citizens' preferences and government decisions). Finally, the course considers current debates on electoral system reforms, and new electoral systems that propose to improve democratic representation.

This course explores the complex interplay between environmental issues, politics, and social change in the Arab world. It examines how natural resources, such as water, oil, and land, shape regional power dynamics and influence political conflicts. Through case studies, the course analyzes the impact of colonial legacies, globalization, and climate change on ecological and social systems in the region. The course also highlights grassroots movements and policy responses that address environmental justice and sustainability challenges. By engaging with interdisciplinary perspectives, students gain critical insights into the environmental dimensions of political struggles in the Arab world.

This course provides a theoretical examination of government regulations exploring their necessity in the context of market and government failures. It delves into the various types of regulations, how they function, and their impact across different sectors. Additionally, the course discusses the role of government-market interactions in national development. 

Students will gain insight into the foundations of regulatory frameworks and the government's function within them; comprehend the economic principles and theories that underpin government regulations; recognize various forms of market and government failures along with appropriate remedial actions; explore different categories of economic and social regulations, examining real-life cases both domestically and internationally; conduct in-depth analyses of regulatory instances, discerning their impacts and challenges based on these evaluations. 

This course examines the ways in which processes of colonization and de-colonization affect contemporary politics, resistance, transition, justice, the global order and localized and global challenges.