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  4. Political Parties and Interest Groups - 2nd semester

Political Parties and Interest Groups - 2nd semester

Objectives

a) Understanding the origins and the development of political parties and organized interests, as well as its historical diversity.
b) Understanding the characteristics of party systems across countries and their evolution over time.
c) Understanding the functions of organized interests and their role within democratic regimes, as well as the consequences in terms of economic and social development.

General characterization

Code

711071053

Credits

6

Responsible teacher

Marco Lisi

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

None.

Bibliography

BAUMGARTNER, Frank R. e Beth L. LEECH, Basic interests: the importance of groups in politics and social science, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1998.
JALALI, Carlos, Partidos e Democracia em Portugal 1974-2005, Lisboa, Imprensa de Ciências Sociais, 2007.
LEHMBRUCH, Gerhard e Philippe C. SCHMITTER (dir.), Patterns of Corporatist Policy-Making, Londres, Sage, 1982.
LISI, Marco, Os Partidos em Portugal: continuidade e transformação, Lisboa, Almedina, 2011.
LOPES, Fernando Farelo, Os Partidos Políticos, Oeiras, Celta, 2005.
MAIR, Peter, Party System Change. Approaches and Interpretations, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1997.
WARE, Alan, Political Parties, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997.

Teaching method

Lectures introducing the major themes of the course (75%), and discussion of selected texts or presentation of papers by students (25%)
In class teaching.

Evaluation method

Two written exams (50% each). Students attendance (2/3 of the scheduled sessions) and the active participation in class debates are taken into account for the final mark (up to 10%).

Subject matter

1. Theoretical approaches for the study of political parties.
2. Origins and functions of political parties.
3. Characteristics of political parties and their evolution.
4. Party systems: theoretical contributions.
5. Party systems: development and contemporary dynamics.
6. Parties, party systems and democracy.
7. Definitions and functions of organized interests.
8. Characteristics of organized interests.
9. The pluralist theory of organized interests.
10. Systems of interest intermediation: neo-corporativism.
11. Systems of interest intermediation: economic consequences.
12. Systems of interest intermediation and democracy.