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Course module: UCSSCPOL21
UCSSCPOL21
Political Science: State of the Art
Course info
Course codeUCSSCPOL21
EC7.5
Course goals
After completing this course students are able to:
  • demonstrate the knowledge of important research questions, theories, methodologies, and findings from political science research,
  • reflect about the scope, content, and methods of the discipline.
Content
This course is an introduction to the broad range of scholarship produced by contemporary political scientists, emphasizing the key themes and scientific debates within all sub-fields of political science. Students acquire a basic knowledge of a wide variety of aspects of politics, and become familiar with key figures, theories, and methods in political research. They are also encouraged to reflect on the scope and limitations of the discipline and to discuss the core concepts and questions. Topics include, among others, the many faces of power, the end of history, the positivist tradition, strains of new institutionalism, voting behavior, comparative politics, and contemporary political philosophy.

Format
The course employs a variety of activities: lectures, literature study, video illustration, discussion, review of key political science publications, content analysis of scientific journals, country reports based on internet sources, and exams. Students and professor meet twice a week for two hour periods. The first parts of the lectures address and highlight aspects of the day's theme and provide an introduction to the compulsory readings. In the second part of each lecture, one or two students present a short paper based on a critical reading of the literature, to be followed by comments by the other students and a general discussion. Some time is also scheduled for questions.
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Kies de Nederlandse taal