POLS202 Political Parties
Annotation:
Political Parties
COURSE ANNOTATION AND AIMS:
The course aims to present to students the genesis, development, means, goals, benefits and obstacles of political parties as social phenomenon, as well as the major political parties which exist in contemporary democratic systems. It will also give attention to the meaning of party systems which emerged and developed during the process of transition to democracy.
The major goal of the course is to build a sound knowledge of parties, party systems and their contribution to the society, as well as the future before them.
Lecturers:
Asst. Prof. Lyubomir Stefanov, PhD
Course Description:
Competencies:
SKILLS
After completing successfully this course the students will:
1) know:
o Key concepts, principles, documents of major political parties
o Genesis and perspectives of parties
o The meaning of party systems to modern societies
2) be able to:
• Analyze and evaluate sources, goals and ideas of parties
• To organize parties and evaluate the potential of already existing ones.
Prerequisites:
N/A
Types:
Full-time Programmes
Types of Courses:
Lecture
Language of teaching:
English
Topics:
- Goal and functions of parties
- Evolution of parties
- Representative governance and parties
- Evolution of contemporary parties
- Liberals and Conservatives in the U.K.
- Democrats and Republicans in the USA
- European Left
- European Right
- Parties and transition to democracy
- Structure of parties
- Presentation/Debate
- Presentation/Debate
Bibliography:
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Aristotle. Politics.
Isaiah Berlin. Four Essays on Liberty
Edmund Burke. Reflections on the French Revolution
Zbigniew Bzezinski. Grand Failure: The Birth and Death of Communism in the Twentieth Century
Robert Conquest. Reflections on a Ravaged Century.
Norman Davies. Europe. A History.
The Declaration of Independence.
Jard Diamond. Collapse. How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.
Francis Fukuyama. The End of History and the Last Man.
Francis Fukuyama. On Trust.
Vasil Garnizov et al. The Government and the People. Conflicts in Bulgarian Society.
Ernest Gellner. Encounters with Nationalism.
Paul Johnson. History of the English People.
Paul Johnson. History of the American People.
Samuel Huntington. Clash of Civilizations?
Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan.
Henry Kissinger. Diplomacy
Wojciech Kosteski et al. Transformations of Post-Communist States.
Abraham Lincoln. The Gettysburg Address.
John Locke. Two Treatises on Government.
J.S.Mill. On Liberty. On Representative Government.
Barrack Obama. The Audacity of Hope (+ Zbigniew Bzezinski: The Hope of Audacity).
Ronald Reagan. Diaries.
Richard Rorty. Philosophy and Social Hope.
Bertrand Russell. History of Western Philosophy
George Schopflin. Politics in Eastern Europe.
George Schopflin et al. The Re-Unification of Europe
Roger Scruton. A Political Philosophy.
Amartya Sen. Identity and Violence.
Amartya Sen. Rationality and Freedom
Charles Taylor. The Malaise of Modernity.
Charles Taylor. Multiculturalism.
Margaret Thatcher. Statecraft.
Fareed Zakaria. The Future of Freedom.
Assessment:
Control during the semester:
essay- 50%
case – 50%