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Political Science

Code: 101100 ECTS Credits: 12
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Political Science and Public Management FB 1
Sociology FB 1
International Relations FB 1

Contact

Name:
Jordi Argelaguet Argemí
Email:
jordi.argelaguet@uab.cat

Teachers

Ricard Gomà Carmona
Joana Diaz Pont
Antoni Biarnes Mas
Laura Gutiérrez Zárate
Leonardo Diaz Echenique

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The student must have the habit of reaching, at least, a diary of general information, following especially the news on national and international politics, as well as the articles of opinion on political questions in their widest sense.
 
The student should have notions of basic computer science (word processor, spreadsheet,...) as well as an acceptable level of the English language, which allows him to understand documents written in this language.
 
The student must have basic notions of descriptive statistics (knowing how to arrive at tables with percentages and frequencies) as well as knowing how to interpret relationships between variables (double entry tables, typologies, etc...).
 
 

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject has a basic training character. It must be said that it serves as a basis from which the whole of the Degree of Political Science and Public Management and the double Degree of Political Science + Law will be sufficient. For students of Sociology and Double Degree Sociology + Statistics, this subject offers a panoramic (and unique) view of the discipline that is directly related to other subjects and disciplines that are developed in this degree.
 
The basic objectives of this course are that students follow the basic concepts of the discipline; that they acquire analytical skills applicable to politics and that they are able to express and defend their points of view on the most relevant political questions.
 
The panoramic (and non-specialised) nature of the subject does not allow for a specific treatment of the subject on gender, but this is dealt with transversally in dealing with subjects such as political power, democracy, ideologies or political socialisation and participation.
 

Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  • Develop analytical and/or intervention frameworks that consider the historical dimension of political and social processes.
  • Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  • Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  • Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
  • Interpreting political and social historical frameworks, as precedents of the actual ones, in order to better comprehending today's reality.
  • Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Working autonomously.
    Sociology
  • Analysing the problems arising from the implementation of public policies and conflict situations by recognising the complexity of the social phenomena and political decisions affecting democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  • Applying the concepts and approaches of the sociological theory, specially the explanations of social inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups, to the implementation of public policies and to the resolution of conflict situations.
  • Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Developing self-learning strategies.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  • Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
    International Relations
  • Analyse the behaviour of international actors, both state and non-state.
  • Analyse the structure and operation of international institutions and organisations (political, economic, military and security, environmental, development and emergency aid) both in the universal and regional spheres, with particular emphasis on the European Union, from either real or simulated cases.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Identify the main theories of international relations and their different fields (international theory, conflicts and security, international politics, etc.) to apply them in professional practice.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  2. Analyse and critically evaluate the functions of the different political institutions of the state.H57H54:H60H204H54H54:H63H2H54:H202
  3. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  4. Critically analysing and assessing the operations of several political state institutions.
  5. Define the concept of democracy, describe the different models and critically evaluate their operation.
  6. Define the concept of dictatorship, describe the different models and critically evaluate their operation.
  7. Define the concepts of political science that inform these phenomena.
  8. Defining the concept of democracy, describing its different models and critically assessing its inner workings.
  9. Defining the concept of dictatorship, describing its different models and critically assessing its inner workings.
  10. Defining the concepts of politic sciences explaining these phenomena.
  11. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  12. Demonstrating if these policies cause conflicts or are result of a consensus.
  13. Describe and make adequate use of the main concepts in the relations between politics and society: regulation of social conflict, political power and legitimation, political system.
  14. Describe electoral systems and evaluate the political consequences of putting them in place.
  15. Describe political actors and critically evaluate political behaviour in different socio-political and historical contexts.
  16. Describe the forms of government produced as a result of the different relations that the powers of the state can have.
  17. Describe the key elements that explain the appearance of the state and its evolution (the absolute state in the welfare state).
  18. Describe the main elements of the political process: socialisation, attitudes and political ideologies.
  19. Describing and properly using main concepts of the field of study of relationships between politics and society: social conflict regulation, political power and legitimacy, political system.
  20. Describing electoral systems and assessing political consequences of their implementation.
  21. Describing the main elements of the political process: socialization, attitudes and political ideologies.
  22. Describing the political actors and critically assessing the political behaviour in several sociopolitical and historical contexts.
  23. Develop analytical and/or intervention frameworks that consider the historical dimension of political and social processes.
  24. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  25. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  26. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  27. Developing self-learning strategies.
  28. Distinguish between political science and value judgements about democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  29. Distinguishing between the analysis of political sciences and value judgements on democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  30. Distinguishing the concepts of political sciences that are related with these problems.
  31. Explaining the forms of government arising from the different relationships between the powers of the State.
  32. Identify and compare the main contemporary political theories and interpret political texts linked to these theories.
  33. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  34. Interpret the historical political and social frameworks as an explanatory background to current frameworks, for a better understanding of the current situation.
  35. Interpreting political and social historical frameworks, as precedents of the actual ones, in order to better comprehending today's reality.
  36. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  37. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  38. Presenting the key elements that explain the emergence of the State and its evolution (from absolute state to welfare state).
  39. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  40. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  41. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  42. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  43. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  44. Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
  45. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  46. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  47. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  48. Use contemporary political theories and understand from them their analytical value for home-based and international case studies.
  49. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  50. Using this demonstration to interpret how to implement a political decision.
  51. Working autonomously.

Content

1. Power and polítics.  Politics and its scientific knowledge. Components and dimensions of the political power. The exercise of power: strength, influence and authority. The political system.

2 Legality and legitimacy. Forms of legitimacy. Democratic legitimacy. Legitimacy and legality. The erosion of the legitimacy.

3 The concept of State, evolution and typologies. The elements of the State: land, population and sovereignty. Autonomy sustainability of the State in a globalised world.

4 Politics, Economy and Ecology. The relationship between the political system and the economic system. Capitalism, democracy and ecological crisis. Inequality, redistribution and the welfare state.

5 Etnicity and politics. Concept of nation and nationalism. Nations and States. Types of territorial organisation of power.

6. The State of Law and its political institutions. Separation of powers and forms of government. The executive, legislative and judiciary powers.

7 The concept of democracy and its evolution and typologies. Democracy and dictatorship. The perversions of the democracy: corruption, clientelism and populism.

8. Political socialisation and political culture. Values, beliefs and ideologies. Forms of political participation.

9 Elections Electoral systems. Participation and electoral behaviour.

10 Political actors. Parties and party systems. Interest groups and social movements.

11 Political communication. Media and democracy. Internet and politics.

12. Politics and policies. The cycle of public policies. Public administration and management.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom practices and exercices, case studies, tests 25 1
Master classes, lectures and other activities in classroom 70 2.8
Type: Supervised      
Readings for seminars, online exercices and other kind of papers 50 2
Surveys and other empirical works 10 0.4
Writing reports 30 1.2
Type: Autonomous      
Further readings 30 1.2
Subject study 70 2.8

The student's dedication to this subject is divided into different types of activities, each with a specific weight of hours of work.
 
The teaching methodology is adapted to this distribution of work.
 
 
This subject is 12 ECTS, it implies a total dedication of the student of 300 hours, distributed in:
 
- The activities directed are activities in the classroom, with the presence of the teacher and can consist of master classes (with the support of ICT and with the possibility of carrying out group discussions) or other sessions more oriented to practical questions, in which cases will be analyzed, problems will be answered and exemplary work will be done in relation to the subject matter of the course, with the possibility of punctual provision linked to the subjects developed. These activities represent 32% of the total work required (95 hours).
 
- The supervised activities are activities carried out by the student outside the classroom according to a work plan designed and subsequently tutored and assessed by the teacher. It also includes joint tutorials and other analogous course follow-up activities. These activities represent approximately 30% of the required work (90 hours).
 
 - Self-employed activities are all those activities that the student performs for his/her account and in accordance with the requirements of the course in order to successfully complete the subject, such as basic and complementary lectures, study of class notes or all those other activities that complement the training that is given in this course. These activities represent 33% of the total work (100 hours) required of the student.
 
-The remaining 5% (15 hours) corresponds to assessment activities.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Mid-term exams 50% 8 0.32 1, 47, 3, 4, 2, 49, 42, 8, 5, 6, 9, 10, 7, 12, 11, 22, 15, 21, 18, 20, 14, 19, 13, 25, 27, 24, 26, 30, 28, 29, 23, 38, 17, 16, 31, 39, 44, 37, 33, 32, 34, 35, 36, 41, 45, 43, 40, 46, 51, 50, 48
Tests about readings and other exercices 50% 7 0.28 1, 47, 3, 4, 2, 49, 42, 5, 8, 9, 6, 7, 10, 12, 11, 22, 15, 21, 18, 20, 14, 19, 13, 27, 25, 24, 26, 30, 29, 28, 23, 38, 17, 31, 16, 39, 44, 37, 33, 32, 34, 35, 36, 41, 45, 43, 40, 46, 51, 50, 48

The evaluation of this subject consists of two parts:
 
A) Half of the final grade of this subject is obtained with the completion of two partial exams (25% + 25% of the final grade). These exams are called at the end of the first semester (first partial on the contents of the first semester) and at the end of the second semester (second partial on the contents of the second semester). In the event of suspending the first, second or two partial semesters, the student may make them up in a later call before the end of the course (compensatory evaluation of 50% of the final grade). Whether in the first summons or in the recuperation, it is necessary that each one of these two partial exams be approved to pass the course and to be able to make average with the part of continuous evaluation (the other 50% of the final grade).
 
B) A part of continuous evaluation that will consist of the control of previously announced readings and the delivery and presentation of some collective course work . Exercises or other activities that the teacher of each group considers appropriate may be added to this part of continuous assessment. This part will be worth the remaining 50% of the final grade of the course.
 
 
 
Important considerations:
 
- In order to pass the course, it is necessary but not sufficient to pass the part related to the partial exams. If one of the two examinations is suspended, even if the average exceeds 5, the subject will not be passed.
 
- Students who have not passed the first or second part (or both) will have the opportunity to take a compensatory evaluation, i.e. they will be able to take the suspended exams again on the day determined by the Faculty.
 
- The fact of taking ONE of the two partial exams or having taken TWO acts of continuous evaluation excludes the possibility of a "NOT PRESENTED" in the final grade.
 
 
 
The partial examination of the first term will be at the end of the term, the day fixed by the Faculty and will be made public sufficiently in advance.
 
The examination of the second term will be at the end of the term, the day fixed by the Faculty and will be made public sufficiently in advance.
 
The dates of the reading controls or the delivery of papers will be specified within the framework of the programming of the course (see Virtual Campus).
 
In accordance with the UAB Academic Regulations, the "only evaluation" will be possible. Students who wish to take advantage of this possibility should contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the course (first three class sessions) to determine what this synthesis test will consist of. In the event of opting for this form of assessment, the student renounces the standard form of assessment provided in this teaching guide.
 
 
In the "only evaluation" there will be the following activities:
1. An examination on the whole syllabus of the subject. It will worth 50% of the final grade. This exam will have two parts. Each part will correspond to the syllabus of each semester. To pass the exam, to have passed both parts is required. Each part of the exam will worth 50% of the final grade of the examination.
2. For each of the four compulsory readings, in the day of the final exam, the student will have to write a commentary of a selected text of the readings. Each of these two commentaries will worth 5% of the final grade.
3. In the day of the final exam, the student will submit an essay about the townhall and a conflict/problem in this municipality, folllowing the instructions provided by the professor. This essay will worth 30% of the final grade.
 
 

Aboutthe use of Artifitial Intelligence (AI).

A restricted use is only accepted. For this subject the use of technologies of AI is allowed, exclusively on support tasks about bibliographical search or information; text correction or translations. When it is pertinent, the student will have to clearly identify which parts of its work have been generated through this technology; to specify the used tools and he/she will have to include a critical assesment about how these technologies have influenced in the whole process and the final results of the activity. To be non transparent in the using of IA in an activity to be graded will be considered a lack of academic honestity and it can lead to a parcial penality, or a total one, in the grading of this activity; or greater sanctions in more grave cases.

Plagiarism and other irregularities. According to the academic rules, whichever irregularity that can lead to a significative variation in the grading of an evaluation act, it has to be qualified with 0. In case of several irregularities in the acts of evalution of the same subject, the final grade of this subject is 0.

 

 

Bibliography

Bibliografy
 
 
1) Reference books and handbooks for basic consultation:
 
Downs, A. i altres. 1992. Diez textos básicos de Ciencia Política, Barcelona: Ariel. [diverses edicions]
 
Caminal, M. (ed.). 1998. Manual de ciència política, Madrid: Tecnos-UAB-UB.
 
Colomer, J.M. 2009. Ciencia de la política, Barcelona: Ariel Ciencia Política
 
Del Aguila, R. (comp.). 1997. Tratado de Ciencia Política, Madrid: Trotta
 
Vallès, J.M. ; Martí, S. 2024. Ciencia Política: un manual.  Barcelona: Ariel.
 
Barreda, M.; Ruiz Rodríguez L. 2016. Análisis de la política. Barcelona: Huygens Editorial.
 
Crossman, R.H.S.: Biografía del Estado Moderno, FCE. [diverses edicions] (s'especificaran a classe i al
Campus Virtual els capítols corresponents)
 
 
2) Compulsory readings:
 
Maquiavel, N. [1513]. El Príncep. [diverses edicions].
 
Weber, M. [1919]. La ciència i la política (edició en català de 2005). Hi ha l'edició en espanyol, "El Político y el Científico" (diversos anys).
 
Dahl, R. A. 2012. La Democracia. Ariel: Barcelona
 
Arendt, Hannah [1951]. "Totalistarism" in The origins of totalitarism. (several editions). The third part will have to be read: "Totalitarism". 

 

 
 
3) Complementary readings:
 
Aguilera de Prat, C. R.i Martínez, R. 2000. Sistemas degobierno, partidos y territorio. Madrid: Tecnos.
Capítols 3 i 5.
 
Anderson, G. 2008. Federalisme: una introducció. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics. [també hi ha la
versió en pdf].
 
Anduiza, E. i Bosch, A. 2004. Comportamiento político y electoral. Barcelona: Ariel. Capítol 1.
 
Berstein, S. 1996. Los regímenes políticos del siglo XX. Barcelona: Ariel. Capítols 1 i 6.
 
Crouch, C. 2004. Posdemocracia. Madrid: Taurus/Santillana.
 
Bobbio, N. 1996. Estado, gobierno y sociedad. México: Fondo de Cultura Econòmica.
 
Bosch, A. 2004. Com votem i per què. Barcelona: Editorial Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
 
Botella, J. 1997. "En torno al concepto de cultura política: dificultades y recursos" a Pilar del Castillo i Ismael
 
Blanco, I. (eds.): Cultura política: enfoques teóricosy anàlisis empíricos. València: Tirant lo Blanch.
 
Del Águila, R. (ed.) 1997. "La política: el poder y la legitimidad", a Del Águila, 1997.
 
Guibernau, M. (dir.) 2000. Nacionalisme. Debats i dilemes per a un nou mil·leni. Barcelona: Proa. Capítols:
capítol 1 (Kymlicka), capítol 2 (Taylor), capítol 3 (Cardús), capítol 4 (Miller), capítol 5 (Llobera), capítol 6
(Smith).
 
Held, D. 1997. La democracia y el orden global. Barcelona: Paidos. Capítols 2 i 3.
 
Klein, N. 2014. Això ho canvia tot. Barcelona: Empúries.
 
Leftwhich, A. 1987. ¿Qué es la política? La actividad y su estudio. Mèxic: FCE. Capítols: Introducció, 1, 4 i 7.

Levitsky, S.; Ziblatt, D. 2018. Cómo mueren las democracias. Barcelona: Ariel.

Lijphart, A. 2008. Modelos de democracia. Barcelona: Ariel.Capítols 2 i 3.
 
Lindblom, C. E. 1991. El proceso de elaboración de políticas públicas. Madrid: MAP.
 
Macridis,R.; Hulliung, M. 1998. Las ideologías políticas contemporáneas. Madrid: Alianza. Capítol 1.
 
Molins, J. 1998. "La teoría de grupos", working paper, núm 143. Barcelona: Institut de Ciències Polítiques i
Socials. [també hi ha la versió en pdf].
 
Requejo, F. 1990. Las democracias. Democracia antigua, democracia liberal y Estado de Bienestar.
Barcelona: Ariel. Capítol 8.
 
Sartori, G. 1992. Partidos y sistemas de partidos, Madrid: Alianza. Capítols 1, 2, 5 i 6.
 
Torrens, X.1998. "Els sistemes electorals", a M. Caminal (1998).
 
Vallès, J.M.; Ballart, X. (eds.) 2012. Política para apolíticos. Ariel. Barcelona.
 
Weber, M. 2005. La ciència i la política. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València. [hi ha diverses edicions en castellà, El político y el científico]
 
 
Note: At the moment none of the basic bibliographic references for this subject are available in electronic version. Students will be informed throughout the course of the appearance of any electronic edition related to the subject.
 

Software

Word and Excel


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 10 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 20 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Spanish annual afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 52 Catalan annual afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 510 Spanish annual afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 520 Catalan annual afternoon
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Spanish annual morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Spanish annual afternoon
(TE) Theory 52 Catalan annual afternoon