USESE0004 Political Systems I

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2016
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Janák, Ph.D.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Prerequisites (in Czech)
žádné
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The teaching is aimed at introduction of structure, functioning and comparison of political systems of European countries with regard to political systems of USA. The students will acquire information about political system of the Czech republic and political systems of selected democratic and post-communist countries of western, central and eastern Europe with special regard to countries neighbouring the Czech republic. They will get familiar with comparison of political systems and their typology (parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential, and direct democratic systems), with phenomenon of political parties and partial systems and their typology (single-party system, with hegemonic party, with dominant party, two-party system, limited pluralism, extreme pluralism, atomized pluralism), with electoral systems (majority, proportion) and will be provided with well-arranged data about respective institutions and principles of their activity.
Syllabus
  • 1. Methods of comparison of political systems and their typology.
    2. Partial systems and their typology.
    3. Electoral systems and their typology.
    4. Political system of USA.
    5. Political system of Great Britain and Ireland.
    6. Political system of France.
    7. Political system of Italy.
    8. Political system of FRG.
    9. Political system of Austria.
    10. Political system of Belgium and the Netherlands.
    11. Political system of Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway).
    12. Political system of Spain, Portugal and Greece.
Literature
    required literature
  • SARTORI, G. Srovnávací ústavní inženýrství. Praha: SLON, 2001. info
  • Kolektiv. Komparace politických systémů I., II. Praha: VŠE, 2000. info
  • KLÍMA, M. Volby a politické systémy v moderních demokraciích. Praha: Aleko, 1998. info
  • JANDA, K., BERRY, J.M., HURD, E. Výzva demokracie. Systém vlády USA. Praha: SLON, 1998. info
  • NOVÁK, M. Systémy politických stran. Praha: SLON, 1997. info
  • FIALA, P., Holzer, J., Strmiska, M., Filip, J. a kol. Soudobé ústavní systémy. Brno: PF MU, 1996. info
  • KLOKOČKA, V. Ústavní systémy evropských států. Praha: Linde, 1996. info
  • FIALA, P., ROŽŇÁK, P., SCHUBERT, K., ŠIMÍČEK, V. Politický systém spolkové republiky Německo. Brno, Masarykova univerzita, 1994. info
    recommended literature
  • FIALA, P., MAREŠ M. (Eds). Evropské politické strany. . Brno: MU, MPÚ, 2001. info
  • DESCZINKY, P., GOLATA, K. Demokratyczne systemy polityczne. Poznań: Akademia Ekonomiczna w Poznaniu, 2000. info
  • Kunc, J. Stranické systémy v (re)konstrukci. Praha: SLON, 2000. info
  • AITKIN, D., LIPHART A. Electoral systems and party systems. Oxford: Oxfor University Press, 1998. info
  • ISMAYR, W. (Red.), GROSS, H. (Mitarb.). Die politischen Systeme Westeuropas. Opladen: Leske+Budrich, 1997. info
  • Politické strany v demokracii: Dokumenty a komentáře. Praha: Nadace Konráda Adenauera, 1997. info
  • PETOCZ, K. Základy demokratických volebných systémov. Bratislava: Inštitút pre verejné otázky, 1997. info
  • JIRÁSKOVÁ, V. Dokumenty k ústavním systémům. Praha: Linde, 1996. info
  • COLOMER, J. E. (ed.). Political Institutions in Europe. London, New York: Rotlege, 1996. info
  • ŠAMALÍK, F. O politické společnosti. Brno: MU, 1994. info
  • CALVERT, P. An Introduction to comparative. Politics: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1993. info
  • ANTOSZEWSKI, A., HERBUT, R. Systemy polityczne demokracji zachodnioeuropejskich: wstęp do analizy porównawczej. Wrocław: Uniwersytet Wrocławski, 1992. info
Teaching methods
Interactive lecture
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Lecture with a video analysis
Assessment methods
Oral exam
Didactic test
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Teacher's information
Written seminar paper to the extent of 8 pages (description and analysis of one course topic), written test to examine knowledge of basic terminology and theory of comparative politics and democracy as well as structure and functioning of political systems of current liberal democracies. The test comprises at least 30 closed questions with four possibilities, from which one, more, all or none can be correct.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2012, Summer 2013, Summer 2014, Summer 2015.
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