| CODE | PPG2007 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Political Parties | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit builds on study-units in the earlier years of the Study Programme; namely the study-units on Political Thought and Sociology and Comparative Government. This study-unit makes a critical assessment of the main players in a political system that aim to articulate positions and win consensus with the electorate. Political parties are studied through their various roles and functions, namely through four different dimensions: - Parties as a link with Society; - Parties as political and commercial organizations; - Parties as legislative actors; in government or opposition; and - Parties, as actors beyond the nation state (within supranational institutions and international political federations). Lectures, supported by literature, will reflect these themes and expand with a close view to political parties in Malta, Europe, and beyond. Study-Unit Aims: According to Hague and Harrop (2013, 2) 'politics is the activity or process by which groups reach and enforce binding decisions'. The aim of this study-unit is to place political parties as central actors of mobilization and participation. The study-unit is aimed at: - Studying political parties as loci of idea generation and catalysts of collective action, informed by principles and ideology; - Analysing the organizational dimension, exigencies, challenges and limitations of political parties, in their quest to gain popular consensus; - Framing political parties against theoretical concepts, and look at empirical situations to test such concepts; - Observing party behaviour at the transnational / international level, the implications of party federations, choice of candidates and leaders. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the functions, structures, and evolution of political parties in democratic systems; - Compare different party systems and their impact on governance and political competition; - Investigate how political parties are structured, including leadership selection, membership recruitment, and decision-making processes; - Analyse the role of parties in policy formulation, government formation, coalition-building, and political stability. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Compare political parties across different systems and evaluate their influence on governance; - Assess challenges facing political parties, such as declining membership, populism, and party fragmentation; - Understanding how parties formulate policies and campaign strategies to mobilize voters and gain political influence. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Poguntke, T. and Hofmeister, W. (eds.) (2024), Political Parties and the Crisis of Democracy: Organization, Resilience, and Reform, OUP. - Ware, A. (1996), Political Parties and Party Systems. Oxford: OUP. Supplementary Readings: - Frendo, H. (2013), Party Politics in a Fortress Colony - The Maltese Experience, 3rd ed., Midsea Books. - Galea, F. (2017), L-Istorja tal-Partit Laburista (1920-1940), SKS. - Hix, S. (2008), 鈥淭owards a partisan theory of EU politics,鈥� Journal of European Public Policy, 15(8), 1254鈥�1265. - Schiavone, M. (2013), L-Elezzjonijiet F鈥橮ajji偶na - Fl-Isfond Storiku 1800-2013, Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza. - Patomaki, H. (2011), "Towards global political parties", Ethics & Global Politics, 4(2): 81-102. - Sartori, G. (2005), Parties and Party Systems - a framework for analysis, ECPR. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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