Political Institutions and Decision-Making
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
A course aimed at giving analytical, methodological and interpretative skills for knowledge, understanding and analysis of political decision
making in institutional arena (parliament, government, party system), focusing in particular on the Italian political system and its evolution over time
making in institutional arena (parliament, government, party system), focusing in particular on the Italian political system and its evolution over time
Expected learning outcomes
a) Knowledge and Understanding: at the end of the course, the student will have got a set of analytical, methodological and interpretative skills, related to the contents and the outcomes of decision making in the main institutional arenas of a democratic polity. From a methodological point of view, these competences will be framed in a systematic knowledge of some useful tools to analyze and diagnose decision-making in political institutions.
b) Applying Knowledge and Learning Skills: this toolkit should allow the student to make analysis of the main decision-making processes concerning with the functioning of a political system, mainly with regards to the Italian political system. The student will learn to examine parties interaction, law making, parliament and government relations, parties' strategies in government coalitions, government decision making, between institutional level and leadership effects. The understanding of these processes will be combined with a relatively good knowledge of the functioning of the Italian political system.
c) Communication Skills: presentation and discussion of case studies in classroom, should allow the student learning to communicate contents and results of the analysis of a given political decision-making to several interlocutors, specialists and non-specialists ones.
b) Applying Knowledge and Learning Skills: this toolkit should allow the student to make analysis of the main decision-making processes concerning with the functioning of a political system, mainly with regards to the Italian political system. The student will learn to examine parties interaction, law making, parliament and government relations, parties' strategies in government coalitions, government decision making, between institutional level and leadership effects. The understanding of these processes will be combined with a relatively good knowledge of the functioning of the Italian political system.
c) Communication Skills: presentation and discussion of case studies in classroom, should allow the student learning to communicate contents and results of the analysis of a given political decision-making to several interlocutors, specialists and non-specialists ones.
Lesson period: First trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First trimester
Delivery
The lessons will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and can be followed only synchronously, based on the ordinary lesson schedule. Further teaching materials, to compensate the impossibility of holding lessons in person, will be available on the ARIEL platform.
Program and reference
The program and reference will not change.
Learning evaluation procedures and assessment criteria
The exam will take place in oral form, using the Microsoft Teams platform.
The lessons will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and can be followed only synchronously, based on the ordinary lesson schedule. Further teaching materials, to compensate the impossibility of holding lessons in person, will be available on the ARIEL platform.
Program and reference
The program and reference will not change.
Learning evaluation procedures and assessment criteria
The exam will take place in oral form, using the Microsoft Teams platform.
Course syllabus
After an introduction to the fundamental theoretical models for the study of decision-making processes and political institutions, we will focus on the analysis of the Italian political system, which will be examined both in synchronic and diachronic terms, mainly covering the following topics: origins, fundamental structures, evolutionary dynamics and critical junctures.
The program consists of two Teaching Units (a-b), each of twenty hours.
Teaching Program - Unit (a)
The first Unit, with an introductory character, deals with illustrating some theoretical tools concerning the analysis of decision-making processes and the study of political institutions. Particular attention will be paid to the fundamental mechanisms of political actors behaviour, at micro level, between constraints of compliance with social norms and freedom of action in terms of strategic rationality. The model of decision-making will be mainly introduced in the perspective of the rational choice theory. We will then examine other variants of the theory of action, which have assumed differently qualified models of individual rationality. The analytical aspects of these approaches will be systematically investigated with reference to the actors, institutions and processes of a political system in the context of a democratic polity.
Teaching Program - Unit (b)
The second Unit is dedicated to analyse the functioning of some institutional arenas (electoral system, party system, parliament, government) of the Italian political system, in its evolution from the origins of the Unitary state to the most recent years. The different stages of development of the Italian political system will be examined, focusing in particular on its evolution from the Second World War to the last general elections (2018): from the promulgation of the Italian republican Constitution, through the so-called "Parties' Republic", up to the unstable tripolarization and the strong party fragmentation that have characterized the most recent years. It will privilege the analysis of the actor behavior and the structural characteristics of the fundamental institutional framework, highlighting the anomalies and critical issues that have marked the historical experience of our country, from the origins of the Unitary state to the Republican constituent phase and until today.
The course is complemented by a compulsory seminar for attending students on 'Strategic behaviour under uncertainty: dealing with risk using nudging strategies'. The seminar will be held on October 23th Wednesday, and on November 8th and 22th Fridays, for a total of six hours (two hours per meeting). The aim of the seminar is to introduce students to the evaluation of choices under conditions of uncertainty, through analyses and case studies based on everyday experience.
The program consists of two Teaching Units (a-b), each of twenty hours.
Teaching Program - Unit (a)
The first Unit, with an introductory character, deals with illustrating some theoretical tools concerning the analysis of decision-making processes and the study of political institutions. Particular attention will be paid to the fundamental mechanisms of political actors behaviour, at micro level, between constraints of compliance with social norms and freedom of action in terms of strategic rationality. The model of decision-making will be mainly introduced in the perspective of the rational choice theory. We will then examine other variants of the theory of action, which have assumed differently qualified models of individual rationality. The analytical aspects of these approaches will be systematically investigated with reference to the actors, institutions and processes of a political system in the context of a democratic polity.
Teaching Program - Unit (b)
The second Unit is dedicated to analyse the functioning of some institutional arenas (electoral system, party system, parliament, government) of the Italian political system, in its evolution from the origins of the Unitary state to the most recent years. The different stages of development of the Italian political system will be examined, focusing in particular on its evolution from the Second World War to the last general elections (2018): from the promulgation of the Italian republican Constitution, through the so-called "Parties' Republic", up to the unstable tripolarization and the strong party fragmentation that have characterized the most recent years. It will privilege the analysis of the actor behavior and the structural characteristics of the fundamental institutional framework, highlighting the anomalies and critical issues that have marked the historical experience of our country, from the origins of the Unitary state to the Republican constituent phase and until today.
The course is complemented by a compulsory seminar for attending students on 'Strategic behaviour under uncertainty: dealing with risk using nudging strategies'. The seminar will be held on October 23th Wednesday, and on November 8th and 22th Fridays, for a total of six hours (two hours per meeting). The aim of the seminar is to introduce students to the evaluation of choices under conditions of uncertainty, through analyses and case studies based on everyday experience.
Prerequisites for admission
None prerequisite is required.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, written report and presentations by students, case studies, group discussions, also with the participation of testimonials from the political and institutional world. Teaching integration materials will be available on ARIEL.
Teaching Resources
Unit (a):
1- W.R. Clark, M. Golder e S. Nadanichek Golder, Principi di Scienza politica, 2nd edition, Extract from the original volume specially created for the course of Political Institutions and Decision making (Prof. L.M. Fasano), McGraw Hill CREATE, McGraw Hill, Milano 2022.
2- D. Giannetti, Teoria politica positiva. L'approccio razionale alla politica, il Mulino, Bologna 2002.
Unit (b):
1- N. Addario e L.M. Fasano, Il sistema politico italiano. Origini, evoluzione, struttura, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2019.
2- M. Cotta e L. Verzichelli, Il sistema politico italiano, il Mulino, IV edizione, Bologna 2020,
or, alternatively:
2b- G. Baldini, A. Pritoni (a cura di), Il sistema politico italiano. Cittadini, attori e istituzioni, Mondadori Università, Milano 2022.
In addition to material provided for the Teaching Unit (b), if you don't have sufficient historical knowledge on the Italian political system and the evolution of the Italian Republic from Post-war era up today, it is strongly recommended that you consult and study the following two books:
a) G. Mammarella, L'Italia contemporanea (1943-2011), il Mulino, Bologna 2012.
b) R. D'Alimonte and G. Mammarella, L'Italia della svolta (2011-2021), il Mulino, Bologna 2022.
Otherwise, a more concise and very effective introduction to the history of our country, from the birth of the Republic to the present days, strongly recommended for students taking the course, is:
c) G. Formigoni, Storia essenziale dell'Italia repubblicana, il Mulino, Bologna 2023.
1- W.R. Clark, M. Golder e S. Nadanichek Golder, Principi di Scienza politica, 2nd edition, Extract from the original volume specially created for the course of Political Institutions and Decision making (Prof. L.M. Fasano), McGraw Hill CREATE, McGraw Hill, Milano 2022.
2- D. Giannetti, Teoria politica positiva. L'approccio razionale alla politica, il Mulino, Bologna 2002.
Unit (b):
1- N. Addario e L.M. Fasano, Il sistema politico italiano. Origini, evoluzione, struttura, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2019.
2- M. Cotta e L. Verzichelli, Il sistema politico italiano, il Mulino, IV edizione, Bologna 2020,
or, alternatively:
2b- G. Baldini, A. Pritoni (a cura di), Il sistema politico italiano. Cittadini, attori e istituzioni, Mondadori Università, Milano 2022.
In addition to material provided for the Teaching Unit (b), if you don't have sufficient historical knowledge on the Italian political system and the evolution of the Italian Republic from Post-war era up today, it is strongly recommended that you consult and study the following two books:
a) G. Mammarella, L'Italia contemporanea (1943-2011), il Mulino, Bologna 2012.
b) R. D'Alimonte and G. Mammarella, L'Italia della svolta (2011-2021), il Mulino, Bologna 2022.
Otherwise, a more concise and very effective introduction to the history of our country, from the birth of the Republic to the present days, strongly recommended for students taking the course, is:
c) G. Formigoni, Storia essenziale dell'Italia repubblicana, il Mulino, Bologna 2023.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral exam: 20-25 minutes interview aimed at verifying learning of analytical, methodological and interpretative skills aimed at knowing and mastering the decision-making process as it is carried out in the context of political and government institutions, with particular reference to the Italian political systems and its government institutions.
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Fasano Luciano Mario
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Fasano Luciano MarioProfessor(s)
Reception:
Students can contact the teacher by e-mail or by chat on Microsoft Teams to arrange for day and reception hours on line. Please indicate as e-mail subject: "Student reception: MEETING REQUEST". Prefer Microsoft Teams chat if my undergraduates or students attending my courses.
Room 313 - SPS Department of Social and Political Science, 3rd Floor. During Covid-19 Emergency only for my undergraduates and by previous appointment.