Theoretical basis of global governance studies – conceptual framework.

The class provides the theoretical elements for understanding legitimate political action in the context of national and international political institutions

Public sector, international cooperation, international organizations, NGOs,  academia, and others.

1. Introduction to Legitimacy. Types of legitimacy according to Max Weber: traditional, rational, charismatic. Conflicts of legitimacy and crises of democracy.

2. Introduction to political action and political actors. The public and political space. Power and violence as instruments of politics in the work of Hannah Arendt.

3. Introduction to the study of political institutions. Rules and the institutionalization of action. The logic of appropriateness.

4. Analysis of types of legitimacy in contemporary democracies. The democratic theory of Pierre Rosanvallon.

5. New political actors in contemporary democracies and supranational organizations: independent agencies, civil society associations, and others. Popular legitimacy and its discontents.

6. Institutions, popular politics, and institutional change. Aggregative and Integrative institutions. The efficacy of institutions.

Discussions in class

Preparation at home of written answers to questions formulated by the teacher

Writing of a final term paper on a subject freely chosen by the student

BS1. Students will acquire the capacity to manage specific knowledge for this area of study, based on general higher education. This knowledge is commonly based on advanced textbooks, but may also include some aspects belonging to the forefront of its area of study.

BS2. Students must demonstrate to know how to apply the acquired knowledge to their professional career or to their vocation in a professional way, and to have all required competencies that are usually demonstrated by building and defending arguments, and by solving problems within the area of study.

BS3. Students must show ability to gather and interpret relevant data, usually from their area of study, to make judgements based on a reflection on relevant topics from a social, scientific, and ethical perspective.

BS4. Students must be able to transmit information, ideas, problems, and solutions to a specialized and non-specialized audience.

GS1. To apply the acquired knowledge to solve specific problems in new or unknown environments, within a wider (or multidisciplinary) context.

GS2. To know and apply several research methods in the area of social sciences with the purpose of analyzing problems linked to their area of expertise.

GS3. To develop organizational skills, task planning and project coordination, in order to foster teamwork.

GS4. To develop a set of skills to design and implement plans and problem-solving programs, from a global and multidisciplinary perspective.

SS2. To understand the historical dimension of political and social legitimacy at the national and international level.

SS3. To understand the structure and functioning of the different types of institutions in contemporary democracies

SS6. To evaluate and analyze the different kinds of poltical actors.

CB1, CB2, CB3, CG3, CG4

Arendt, Hannah. “Action.” Chapter V in The Human Condition, 175-247. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1998.

Arendt, Hannah. “On Violence” In Crises of the Republic, 103-184. San Diego and New York: Harcourt Brace, 1972.

March, James G. and Johan P. Olsen. “Rules and the Institutionalization of Action.” Chapter 2 in Rediscovering institutions. The organizational basis of politics, 21-38. New York: The Free Press, 1989.

March, James G. and Johan P. Olsen. “The Search for Appropriate Institutions.” Chapter 7 in Rediscovering institutions. The organizational basis of politics, 117-142. New York: The Free Press, 1989.

Rosanvallon, Pierre. “Part One: Dual Legitimacy.” In Democratic Legitimacy. Impartiality, Reflexivity, Proximity, 1-72. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.

Rosanvallon, Pierre. “Part Two: The Legitimacy of Impartiality.” In Democratic Legitimacy. Impartiality, Reflexivity, Proximity, 73-120. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.

Weber, Max. “The profession and the vocation of politics.” In Weber Political Writings, ed. Peter Lassman and Ronald Speirs, 309-369. Cambridge et al.: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

To find articles published in academic journals, it is necessary to consult specific databases that collect such articles from academic sources, such as the following:

1.DIALNET: provides free access to many academic journals, mainly in Spanish. Dialnet (unirioja.es)

2. ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE: Database available at the web site of the USAL library, under “recursos electrónicos.” Most of the materials are in English. https://bibliotecas.usal.es/basesdatosform

3.SCIELO: Database created and funded by the government of Brazil, with free access. It is excellent to search articles from academic journals in Spanish and Portuguese, particularly Latin American journals. SciELO.org

The evaluation includes theory and practice, and it is structured in three different parts: continuous evaluation (class participation 20%), a practical exercise in class (30%) and a term paper (50%).

Students must provide written work according to academic rules of style. Chicago style, author-date, is the preferred system for citations.

The students will receive detailed guidelines to prepare for practical exercises, and for writing the term paper, since the first day of class (material available in the learning management system, Studium). It is recommended to begin writing the term paper early.