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Comparative Politics I

Code: 101081
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Political Science and Public Management OB 3
International Relations OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Margarita Leon Ramon Borja
Email :
margarita.leon@uab.cat

Teaching staff (external to UAB)

Mireia Grau

Group languages

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

Prerequisites

The student is expected to know adequately, at a minimum, the concepts and theories worked in the Political Science subject of the first of the degree. It is also taken for granted that the student routinely reads generalist newspapers following especially the news of national and international politics

Group G1 will be taught in English and a good level of active and passive comprehension in English is expected (see objectives). The afternoon classes (G51) will be taught in Spanish / Catalan and a good level of reading in English is expected. Exams can be delivered in Catalan, Spanish, or English. Practices in English classes will be conducted in English.
 
 

Objectives

This subject is compulsory in the third year of Degree and Political Science and Public Management. The course aims to work on some of the main approaches, concepts and theories of comparative politics through an in-depth analysis of the most relevant Western European political systems.

G1 is completely in English to give students an opportunity to consolidate an English level that allows them to follow and participate in English subjects both at the UAB and in international exchange programs. It is expected to conduct classes with an active understanding of English, that is, seminary discussions will be conducted in English. Written evaluation work and the exam can be done in English, Catalan or Spanish. The oral presentation will be in English and the level is expected to allow a correct and fluent oral expression

Learning outcomes

  1. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
  2. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  3. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  4. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  5. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  6. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  7. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  8. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  9. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  10. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  11. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  12. Working autonomously.
  13. Demonstrating the comprehension of the structure and functioning of political systems in the internal and international arena, both in the analytic area and in the elaboration of intervention proposals or public policies.
  14. Connecting the different components that shape the structure and operations of political systems and the environment where they interact.
  15. Demonstrating knowledge about the structure and working of the European Union and its main institutions, as well as identifying the main political actors and recognising the main means of integration.
  16. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  17. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  18. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  19. Draw up comparative analyses of different political systems, identifying the way in which differences and similarities are argued.
  20. Identify the main actors, structures and operation of internal and international political systems from a comparative perspective.
  21. Identify the main actor, structure and operation of different political systems .
  22. Analyse the public policies of different countries and political systems.
  23. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  24. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  25. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  26. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  27. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  28. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Contents

NOTE: FOR A MORE UP TO DATE DESCRIPTION OF COURSE CONTENT PLEASE SEE SYLLABUS AVAILABLE IN MOODLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE


PART I: INTRODUCTION


 


TOPIC 1 - Introduction to Comparative Politics


 


 


Topic 2: The logics of the comparative method.


 


 


Topic 3: introduction to institutions and key concepts in comparative politics


 


 


PART II: POLITICAL SYSTEMS


Topic 4: historical antecedents and constitutions (UK, Germany, France and Italy)


 


Topic 5: Electoral systems and party systems


 


Topic 6: Legislatures and governments


 


Topic 7: Territorial distribution, federalism and decentralization


 


 


 PART III:  COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC POLICY OF DIFFERENT REGIMES


TOpic 8. Majoritarian and Consensual democratic models


 


Topic 9: Vetoplayers


 


Topic 10: Policy outcomes of different political systems

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
individual study 30 1.2 1, 2, 3, 11, 12
Oral presentations 8 0.32 7, 8, 9, 10
Office hours 14 0.56
Reading 35 1.4 12
Writing 15 0.6 2, 3, 5, 13, 14
Seminars 16 0.64 4, 5, 13, 14, 15
Lectures 30 1.2 14

Comparative politics 1 is a 6 ECTS credit course, this means 150 hours of student work in total (25 horas/1 ECTS). These credits are organised around the following activities

Directed activities:

  • Lectures and in group debates.
  • oral Presentation of class work
  • Seminars

Supervised activities:

  • Individual tutoring available for group work and any other individual assessment
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

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Exam 50% 2 0.08 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22
Evaluation of seminar tasks 20% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Essay 30% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

Evaluation is divided in 3 main elements:

  • Exam: 50% of the grade (compulsory to pass the exam in order to pass the course).
  • Reading test, practical exercises and similar activities: 20 % of the grade (one single partial assesment on class)
  • Group work: 30 % of the final grade
Resit

-If the exam, the group work or both do not obtain a pass (5 or above) the student will be able to retake either one part or both. Important points:
- The coursework in seminars (reading tests or similar) cannot be retaken
-The resit could be partial (just one of the parts) or complete(both parts)
- The maxim grade for the resit is a pass (5)
- in order to take the resit the student must have first taken the ordinary exam and submit the group work on time (justified absences for medical reasons apply)  

Unique evaluation:

Written exam (100% of the grade). This exam will have one part common to the normal evaluation and a second part which will be essay-based and will relate to the contents covered in seminars and in the practical course work

Non-Evaluation:

This condition will only apply to students who have not taken the exam and have not done the group work either. With a single grade in one of these evaluations, it is no longer possible to access the condition of not assessed.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI). -

It is allowed to use AI in this course as an integral part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution of the student in the analysis and personal reflection. The student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. Non-transparency in the use of AI will be considered academic dishonesty and may lead to a penalty in the course grade, or greater sanctions in cases of severe misuse.

Bibliography

Basic Readings (for a more up to date and detailed list of key references please see the syllabus which will be available at the beginning of the course)

Core Reading: Lijphart, A.,  Patterns of Democracy, Yale: Yale University Press, 1999.

 

Colomer, J. M. (Ed.) Comparative European Politics, third Edition, London: Routledge, 2008.

Caramani, D. (eds.) Comparative Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, 

Bara, Judith, Mark pennington 2009 Comparative Politics, Sage

Bale, T. European politics: a comparative introduction, 2nd Edition, London: Palgrave, 2008

Levis, M. (1997) Consent, Dissent and Patriotism, Cambridge University Press

Landman, T., Issues and methods in Comparative Politics: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2003.

 

Mona Lena Krook, Joni Lovenduski and Judith Squires (2009). Gender Quotas and Models of Political Citizenship. British Journal of Political Science, 39, pp 781-803

Pasquino, G., Sistemas políticos comparados, Buenos Aires, prometo libros, 2004.

Poguntke, Thomas y Paul Webb (eds): The presidentialization of politics. A comparative study of modern democracies, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Tsebelis, G. Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2002.

 

 

Software

 

Not specified

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 10 English first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 51 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 510 Catalan first semester afternoon