COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
Code Course Type Regular Semester Theory Practice Lab Credits ECTS
PIR 421 B 1 3 0 0 3 7.5
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: Avdi Smajljaj , Tuesdays 14:00-17:30
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: Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time: E 313
Course Description: This master level course provides an overview of the role of political parties in political and social life of the developing world and aims to facilitate students’ understanding of the reasons for variations across countries in political parties systems and outcomes of that variation. This course focuses on key themes, issues, and actors shaping political parties role in Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America. After finishing this course students will be able to understand and critically analyze the role of political parties in developing countries.
Course Objectives: The course has for objective to familiarize students with theories of parties and party systems, party organizations, party competitions, citizen party linkages, ideological orientations, voters’ behaviors and electioneering, modalities of party systems, and other important issues related to parties and party systems. This will be based in the context of developing world, while consistently using developed democracies as a reference point. Moreover, there will be an attempt to avoid generalization within the developing world, trying to identify as many different contexts within it as possible. The course will equip students with knowledge, skills and competence also to approach democracies in developing world through parties and party system perspectives.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week Topics
1 Introduction to the course
2 Theories of political parties and party systems
3 Political parties and democracy
4 Party organizations
5 Intra party democracy
6 Party citizen linkages
7 Ideological orientations of political parties
8 Midterm exam
9 Typology of political parties
10 Party systems
11 Electioneering and voters’ behavior
12 Interparty competition and democratization
13 Political parties and development
14 Concluding the course
Prerequisite(s): N/A
Textbook: Katz, R. 2005. Handbook of political parties. Sage Diamond and Gunther (eds.).2001. Political Parties and Democracy. Johns Hopkins University Press Scarrow, S. and Poguntke, T. 2017. Organizing political parties: representation, participation, and power. Oxford University Press Smajljaj, A. 2011. Ailing the process: political parties and consolidation of democracy in Kosovo. SVH Verlag
Other References: Lipset, Seymour. 2000. “The Indispensability of Political Parties.” Journal of Democracy,11(1) 48-55 Randall, V. and L. Svsand. 2002. “Political Parties and Democratic Consolidation in Africa.” Democratization, 9(3) 30-52 Hicken, Allen and Erik Martinez Kuhonta. 2011 “Shadows From the Past: Party System Institutionalization in Asia.” Comparative Political Studies,44 (5) 572–597 Van de Walle, Nicholas. 2002. “Africa’s Range of Regimes.” Journal of Democracy, 13 (2) 66-80 Kuenzi, Michelle and Gina Lambright. 2001. “Party System Institutionalization in 30 African Countries.” Party Politics, 7 (4) 437-468
Laboratory Work: N/A
Computer Usage: N/A
Others: No
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 Comprehend theories of parties, party systems and democracy
2 Identify the role of parties in socio-economic and political development
3 Distinguish types of parties, party organizations, electioneering, party-citizen linkages in various contexts within developing countries and within developed democracies
4 Measure intra-party and inter-party democracy and competition
5 Undertake a research using scientific methods to study parties and party systems in different contexts
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)
No Program Competencies Cont.
Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations Program
1 Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources. 5
2 Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches. 5
3 Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects. 5
4 Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions. 5
5 Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations. 5
6 Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently. 5
7 Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena. 5
8 Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones. 5
9 Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles. 5
10 Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge. 5
11 Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments. 3
12 Having consciousness about human rights and environment. 5
13 Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning. 5
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
Method Quantity Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)
1
25
Project
1
30
Final Exam
1
35
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) 16 3 48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 16 2 32
Mid-terms 1 15 15
Assignments 1 35 35
Final examination 1 20 20
Other 1 37.5 37.5
Total Work Load:
187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):
7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:
7.5