INTRODUCTION

Topic 1: Comparison in the study of politics.

TYPOLOGIES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS

Topic 2: Classifications of Political Regimes.

• Totalitarian regimes
• Authoritarian regimes
• Liberal Democratic regimes

Topic 3: Classification of Democratic Political Systems.

Majority democracy vs. Democracy of consensus.

Topic 4: Classification of Forms of Government.

• Directorial systems
• Presidential systems
• Parliamentary systems

POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF EUROPE

Topic 5: Parliamentary Regimes.

• Model of the One-Party Parliamentary Government: British Political System.
• Model of the Coalition Parliamentary Government:
1. Prime Ministerial Government: Political System of Germany.
2. Partnership Democracy: Political System of Austria.
3. “Partitocracy”: Political System of Belgium.

Topic 6: Directorial Regimes.

Political System of Switzerland.

Topic 7: Semi-Presidentialism.
Political System of France.

SPANISH POLITICAL SYSTEM

• Political history of contemporary Spain.
• The Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the political transition to democracy.
• The powers of the state: executive, legislative, and judicial.
• The territorial organization of the state.
• Electoral system and political parties in Spain.

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arend LIPJHART, Modelos de Democracia. Formas de gobierno y resultados electorales en Treinta seis países, Ariel, Barcelona, 2000.

Giovanni SARTORI, G., Ingeniería Constitucional Comparada, Fondo de Cultura Económica, México, 1994.

M.J. AUBET, Democracias Desiguales, Serbal, 1995.

M. JIMENEZ DE PARGA, Regímenes Políticos Contemporáneos, Tecnos, 1998.

S. SÁNCHEZ GONZALEZ y P. MELLADO PRADO, Sistemas Políticos Actuales, Centro de Estudios Ramón Areces, Madrid, 1995.

Manuel ALCANTARA SÁEZ (ed.), Sistemas Políticos de la Unión Europea, Tirant lo Blanch, Valencia, 2000.

Pablo Lucas MURILLO DE LA CUEVA y Andrés de BLAS GUERRERO, Sistemas Políticos Contemporáneos, Teide, Barcelona, 1988.

Ferrando BADÏA, Regímenes Políticos Actuales, Tecnos, Madrid, 1995.

S. BERSTEIN, Los Regímenes Políticos del Siglo XX, Ariel, Barcelona, 1996.

Manuel ALCANTARA y Antonia MARTÍNEZ eds., Política y Gobierno en España, Tirant lo blanch, Valencia, 1997.

EVALUATION

The students’ final grade will be determined by taking into account basically three factors: 1) attendance, since in order for a student to qualify, it will be necessary for him/her to have attended at least 80% of the course sessions; 2) class participation; 3) the results from the two exams that will be given during the course.