Political Parties and Interest Groups
Code
711071053
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Estudos Políticos
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Marco Lisi
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) Understanding the origins and the development of political parties and organized interests, as well as its historical diversity.
b) Understanding the characteristics of party systems across countries and their evolution over time.
c) Understanding the functions of organized interests and their role within democratic regimes, as well as the consequences in terms of economic and social development.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1. Theoretical approaches for the study of political parties.
2. Origins and functions of political parties.
3. Characteristics of political parties and their evolution.
4. Party change: democratization and cartelization of party organizations.
5. Party systems: theoretical contributions.
6. Party systems: development and contemporary dynamics.
7. Definitions and functions of interest groups.
8. The evolution of interest groups.
9. The pluralist theory of interest groups.
10. Neo-corporativism and neo-pluralism.
11. Systems of interest intermediation: economic consequences.
12. Systems of interest intermediation and democracy.
Bibliography
BAUMGARTNER, Frank R. e Beth L. LEECH, Basic interests: the importance of groups in politics and social science, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1998.
JALALI, Carlos, Partidos e Democracia em Portugal 1974-2005, Lisboa, Imprensa de Ciências Sociais, 2007.
LEHMBRUCH, Gerhard e Philippe C. SCHMITTER (dir.), Patterns of Corporatist Policy-Making, Londres, Sage, 1982.
LISI, Marco, Os Partidos em Portugal: continuidade e transformação, Lisboa, Almedina, 2011.
LOPES, Fernando Farelo, Os Partidos Políticos, Oeiras, Celta, 2005.
MAIR, Peter, Party System Change. Approaches and Interpretations, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1997.
WARE, Alan, Political Parties, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997.
Teaching method
Lectures introducing the major themes of the course (75%), and discussion of selected texts or presentation of papers by students (25%)
Evaluation method
Two written exams (each 50%), one in the mid-term and one at the end of the course. Students attendance (2/3 of the scheduled sessions) and the active participation in class debates are taken into account for the final mark.