Political Parties and Interest Groups
Objectives
a) To understand the origins and the development of political parties and organized interests, as well as its historical diversity.
b) To understand the characteristics of party systems across countries and their evolution over time.
c) To understand the functions of organized interests and their role within democratic regimes, as well as the consequences in terms of economic and social performance.
General characterization
Code
711071053
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Marco Lisi
Hours
Weekly - 4
Total - 168
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 Sistemas Partidários. Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos, 2017.
LISI, Marco, Os Partidos em Portugal: continuidade e transformação, Coimbra, Almedina, 2011.
LISI, Marco (coord.), Grupos de Interesse e Crise Económica: O Caso Português, Lisboa, Edições Sílabo, 2019.
LISI, Marco, Partidos em tempos de crise, Lisboa, Edições Sílabo, 2022.
MAIR, Peter, Party System Change. Approaches and Interpretations, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1997.
WARE, Alan, Political Parties, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997
Teaching method
Lectures on the fundamental topics of the program (75%), combined with practical classes based on group exercises, discussion of previously selected texts or presentation of work by the students (25%).
Face-to-face teaching.
Evaluation method
Two written exams (50% each of the final assessment), one in the middle of the semester and one at the end. The final grade is the result of the average of the two exams. The final grade may be increased by up to 5% (1 point) based on attendance and participation throughout the semester.
Subject matter
1. Theoretical approaches to the study of political parties
2. The origins and functions of political parties.
3. The characteristics of political parties and their evolution.
4. Party change: democratization and cartelization of party organizations.
5. Party systems: theoretical contributions.
6. Party systems: evolution and dynamics in contemporary democracies.
7. Definitions and functions of interest groups.
8. Evolution of interest groups.
9. The pluralist theory of interest groups.
10. Neocorporatism and neopluralism.
11. Interest intermediation systems: economic consequences.
12. Interest intermediation systems and democracy.
Programs
Programs where the course is taught: