COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY IN ALBANIA

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 261	B	3	4	0	0	4	5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Lisen Bashkurti , Monday, at 14:30-17:30 hours
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Classroom and Meeting Time:	Monday and Wednesday, at 12:30-14:30 time intervals
Course Description:	The primary goal of this course is to obtain an understanding of the basic principles, functions and foundations of the Albanian system of government and politics. It aims to study the methods in which major and transformative changes take place in Albanian public policy. What makes some reforms succeed and other fail? Overall, this course explores the major political institutions and organizations in the Albanian policy process.
Course Objectives:	The primary goal of this course is to obtain an understanding of the basic principles, functions and foundations of the Albanian system of government and politics. It aims to study the methods in which major and trans-formative changes take place in Albanian public policy. Why at makes some reforms succeed and other fail? Overall, this course explores the major political institutions and organizations in the Albanian policy process.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction on political concepts, terms and definitions
2	The Constitution of Albania: Analysis; Sovereignty , Strengths and Weaknesses
3	The Parliament, the Prime Minister and the President
4	Political Parties: Structure, Policies and Ideas
5	Local Government
6	Elections and Voting: Electoral System, Electoral reform and Voting Behavior
7	Midterm Week
8	Democracy and Participation in Albania
9	Policy Analysis, Implementation and Evaluation System in Albania
10	Foreign Policy
11	Economic and Budgetary Policy
12	Environmental and Energy Policy
13	Health Care and Social Policy
14	EU Cohesion Policy and Accession: Important Issue for Albania

Prerequisite(s):	N/A
Textbook:	Albanian Journal of Politics, http://ajp.alpsa.org/ Beshku, K.; Malltezi, O. (2013), Albania and Europe in a Political Regard, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, New Castle: UK Albanian Institute for International Studies, http://www.aiis-albania.org/publications.html Politics of Albania, https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Politics_of_Albania.html Albanian Center for Economics Research, http://www.acer.org.al/
Other References:	-Kushtetuta e Republikes se Shqiperise, 2016 - Albanian Journal of Politics, http://ajp.alpsa.org/ -L. Bashkurti, “National and European Identity of Albania”, ADSh, Tirane, 2006
Laboratory Work:	N/A
Computer Usage:	N/A
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	To understand the dynamics of the political environment in Albania, and develop strategies to engage with it
2	To be effective participants in public policy making, as policy analysts, administrators, and advocates
3	To help all involved actors assess a political environment and recognize the unique challenges that it imposes
4	To explore and compare the various actors in the political environment in Albania: governments, interest groups, social movements, advisory committees, companies, and the media.
5	To learn how the Albanian political environment fits in the global arena.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Banking and Finance (3 years) Program
1	The students are gained the ability to look at the problems of daily life from a broader perspective. They gain the needed skills not only to understand economic problems in banking and finance but also to construct a model and defend in meaningful way.	4
2	They have knowledge about the finance and banking.	1
3	They have knowledge about the money and banking.	1
4	They have knowledge about the international finance and banking.	1
5	They have ability to use mathematical and statistical methods in banking and finance.	1
6	They know how to use computer programs in both daily office usage and statistical data evaluations in banking and finance department.	1
7	They have necessary banking and finance skills that needed in private and public sector.	1
8	They are intended to be specialist in one of departmental fields that they choose from the list of general economics, finance economics, public finance, corporate finance, finance management, international finance markets and institutions, banking and central banking, international finance and banking, money and banking, international trade and banking.	1
9	They have ability to utilize fundamental economic theories and tools to solve economic problems in banking and finance.	3
10	They are aware of the fact that banking and finance is a social science and they respect the social perspectives and social values of the society’s ethics.	4

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Homework	2	10
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Final Exam	1	40
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	15	4	60
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)			0
Mid-terms	1	13	13
Assignments	2	11	22
Final examination	1	30	30
Other			0
Total Work Load:			125
Total Work Load/25(h):			5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			5