Political Theory

The teaching of Political Theory aims to provide analytical tools to orient oneself in the interpretation of political phenomena, with particular regard to three fields of study: the theory of institutions, the theory of power and the theory of democracy. Within this general framework, the course aims in particular to provide students with knowledge, concepts and notions related to the genesis and functioning of the political community; the role of institutions and institutional thinking; the mechanisms and dynamics of power and its legitimation; the characteristics of democracy and its current processes of transformation.
These skills will be developed not only through lectures, but also by utilizing the language of cinema and by providing participants with the opportunity to present and discuss with the class their own in-depth analysis on a topic agreed upon with the teacher.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
A) Know and understand of the concepts and theories exposed regarding institutions, power and democracy. B) Apply of the acquired knowledge to the analysis of the national and international political-istitutional context and its transformations. C) Interpret critically and autonomously the political dynamics of the contemporary world, with particular reference to the crisis or transformations of the democratic regime. D) Express the knowledge acquired with argumentative consistency and language properties, with respect to political action and facts. E) Develop understanding, autonomous and group argumentation skills, relating the different thematic areas covered by the course and knowing how to distinguish between descriptive, normative and political judgment dimensions.