ASPO 13A00 - INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
ASPO 13A00 · Fall semester 2026-2027
- Language of tuition
- English
- Course type
- Cours magistral
- Number of hours
- 48
- Credits
- 6
Information
Description
Political science is the scientific study of the institutions, forms of thought and organization, as well as the various actors comprising political life. Encompassing both theoretical and empirical perspectives, it provides the methodological tools necessary for describing states, societies, and political action and evaluating the objectives and efficacy of political processes. These processes are analyzed both from a macro-level (institutions on a regional, state and supranational level) and a micro-level perspective (individual-level analysis). This introductory course will introduce students to some of the main sub-disciplines of the field, including political theory, comparative politics, public policy, political economy, and international relations. Through a broad survey of the literature, students will become familiar with the key questions and debates within the field and acquire the concepts and methods necessary to interpret and analyze political phenomena of the past and present.
The course will introduce key concepts such as state, nation, political regime, electoral system, redistribution, political participation, collective action and regional integration; students will be expected to master the principal classification schemes presented in class. Attention will be paid to both theoretical approaches and comparative empirical analysis. The course will provide an initiation to the history of the discipline while providing students with references to contemporary research.
Students are expected to develop knowledge of the key authors in the field, hone the skills necessary for engaging with the political science literature in an objective and critical way, acquire methods for interpreting various types of documents (scientific articles, academic books, data sets, etc.), and cultivate the analytical and critical skills necessary for studies in political science.
Teaching format
.
Assessment
50% final exam 50% continuous assessment
Readings
Main readings 4
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ACEMOGLU, Daron and ROBINSON, James A. Why nations fail: The origins of power, prosperity, and poverty. Crown Business, 2013.
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ARENDT, Hannah. The origins of totalitarianism. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1973.
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ARISTOTLE, Politics. Trans. Carnes Lord. University of Chicago Press, 2013.
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PITKIN, Hanna F. The concept of representation. University of California Press, 1967.
Further readings 19
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CORDELL PARIS, Crystal. La philosophie politique. Paris : Editions Ellipses, 2013.
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DIECKHOFF, Alain & PORTIER, Philippe. L'Enjeu mondial. Religion & politique. Paris : Presses de Sciences Po, 2017.
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DRYZEK, John S., HONIG, Bonnie, and PHILLIPS, Anne (ed.). The Oxford handbook of political theory. Oxford University Press, 2008.
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FINLEY, Moses I. Democracy ancient and modern. Rutgers University Press, 1985.
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FUKUYAMA, Francis. Political order and political decay: From the industrial revolution to the globalization of democracy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
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GALLAGHER, Michael, LAVER, Michael, and MAIR, Peter. Representative government in modern Europe. McGraw-Hill, 2011.
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GOODIN, Robert E. and PETTIT, Philip (ed.). Contemporary political philosophy: An Anthology. John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
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GROSSMAN, Emiliano & SAUGER, Nicolas. Les systèmes politiques des pays de l’Union européenne. Bruxelles: De Boeck, 2007.
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LIJPHART, Arend. Patterns of democracy: Government forms and performance in thirty-six countries. Yale University Press, 2012.
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MANENT Pierre. Cours familier de philosophie politique, Paris, Fayard, 2001.
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MANIN, Bernard. Principes du gouvernement représentatif. Calmann-Lévy, 2012.
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NEWTON, Kenneth and VAN DETH, Jan W. Foundations of comparative politics. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
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NORRIS, Pippa and INGLEHART, Ronald. Sacred and secular: Religion and politics worldwide. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
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PITKIN, Hanna F. The concept of representation. Univ of California Press, 1967.
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RAYNAUD Philippe, Stéphane RIALS (dir.), Dictionnaire de philosophie politique, Paris, PUF, Quadrige, 2003.
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SAURUGGER, Sabine. Theoretical approaches to European integration. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
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SKOCPOL, Theda. States and social revolutions: A comparative analysis of France, Russia and China. Cambridge University Press, 1979.
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TSEBELIS, George. Veto Players: How political institutions work, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002.
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VRÁBLÍKOVÁ, Katerina. What Kind of Democracy? Participation, Inclusiveness and Contestation. Routledge, 2017.
Teaching units
| Unit no. | Unit type | Teaching units | Teachers | Number of hours | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20141 | Cours magistral | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Adrien ESTÈVE | 24 | 6 |
| 20545 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Silvio ICKA | 24 | 0 |
| 20546 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Silvio ICKA | 24 | 0 |
| 20547 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Julie FOURNIER | 24 | 0 |
| 20548 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Julie FOURNIER | 24 | 0 |
| 20549 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Léa XAILLY | 24 | 0 |
| 20550 | Conférence | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | Léa XAILLY | 24 | 0 |
Teachers
- Adrien ESTÈVE
- Silvio ICKA
- Julie FOURNIER
- Léa XAILLY
In the curricula
- MEDITERRANEAN - MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMME, ENGLISH PROGRAMME 2026-2027, Semester 1COLLÈGE UNIVERSITAIRE - CAMPUS MENTON
Contacts and resources
- Contact
- BELUSSI Federica