Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società

The course provides the main tools to interpret and analyze politics, with a particular focus on interest group politics. After a brief introduction devoted to illustrate both methods and research strategies in political science, the first part of the course focuses on the birth and transformations of the State, on the differences between democratic regimes and authoritarian regimes, on the actors (i.e. political parties) and institutions (parliaments and governments) of the representation circuit, as well as on ways (public opinion, political communication and political participation) and outcomes (public policies) of the democratic process. The second part analyzes the role and the influence exerted by interest groups in modern democracies.

The course will contribute to the high-level training of the student by ensuring the acquisition of the critical skills needed in order to analyse and understand contemporary political phenomena. More specifically, by the end of the course, the student will be able to demonstrate

Knowledge and understanding

• basic knowledge of the main approaches that have been developed within the discipline for the analysis of political phenomena;
• knowledge of the conceptual and theoretical tools that are necessary to studying and interpreting political processes and political institutions;
• the capacity to analyse the main aspects of the functioning of political systems in comparative perspective;
• the capacity to analyse and understand the role and influence exerted by interest groups in modern democracies.

Critical thinking

By the end of the course, students will be able to apply the categories of political science to develop in-depth and critical understandings of contemporary political phenomena.

Communication skills

By the end of the course, students will acquire the ability to communicate and discuss relevant issues with teachers and colleagues, using appropriate terminology and correctly applying the concepts and approaches discussed during the course. To this end, teaching will be dynamic and participatory, requiring the active engagement of students.

The course amounts to 54 hours of teaching, comprising 27 lectures of two hours each. Lectures will be supported by the use of Power Point presentations. Compatibly with the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, all lectures will always be held in person and simultaneously conducted live streaming on the Webex platform (here: https://unito.webex.com/meet/andrea.pritoni).

International and Erasmus students may prepare for examinations and take them in English (oral exam)

PART I_Elements of Political Science

1) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 1 (politics and political science)

2) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 2 (research methods)

3) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 3 (political system, the State)

4) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 4 (democratic regimes and authoritarian

5) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 5 (parties, elections and party systems)

6) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 6 (parliaments)

7) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 7 (governments)

8) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 9 (public opinion, political communication and political participation)

9) Capano et al. (2017): Ch. 10 (public policy analysis)

PART II_Interest group politics

10) Pritoni (2021): introduction + Ch. 1 (interest groups: concepts and definitions)

11) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 2 (theoretical approaches in interest group research)

12) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 3 (mobilization and collective action)

13) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 4 (lobbying tactics and strategies)

14) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 5 (party-group relationships)

15) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 6 (interest groups’ institutional access)

16) Pritoni (2021): Ch. 7 (policy influence)

Mandatory texts:

Capano G., Piattoni S., Raniolo F. e Verzichelli L. (2017), Manuale di scienza politica; Bologna: Il Mulino (chapters 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, 9-10).

Pritoni A. (2021), La politica degli interessi. Il lobbying nelle democrazie contemporanee; Bologna: Il Mulino (all chapters).