Local Political Systems

Year
1

Academic year
2019-2020

Code
02660606

Subject Area
Sociology/Economics/Geography/Political Sciences/Earth Sciences/Mechanical Engineering

Language of Instruction
Portuguese

Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face

Duration
SEMESTRIAL

ECTS Credits
7.5

Type
Elective

Level
2nd Cycle Studies - Mestrado

Recommended Prerequisites

Political Sociology and Political Science areas. Reading capacities in French and English.

Teaching Methods

In the case of continuous evaluation, sessions will be programated after the definition of the work in the basis of presentations by the students and debates with the teacher. Those discussions and their results shall conduct to a strong idea of the production of the final work to be presented (thematic dossiers and working papers).

Learning Outcomes

The classical studies on the formation of public policies suffered from several mistakes. First, the one that those policies would be drawn at the central level and, then, distributed in a rational, automatic and homogeneous way all over the territories. Between others, also, the omission resulting from thinking that their execution would be made in a vertical and top-down form, with the logic of rational agents. By those two reasons, the analitical contemplation of a multiplicity of actors, different logics and rationalities involved in that execution was failed. This fact will assume great importance on the local level.

Overall objectives: To present and debate the operating frameworks of local governments, as well their recent evolution.

Specific objectives: To train understanding and evaluation of local political systems.

Generic competences: To train capacities in political phenomenon analysis.

Specific competences: To increase citizen intervention capacity.

Work Placement(s)

Syllabus

1. Local governments; 2. Structural framework of their activity; 3. State and relational power; 4. Local government and informal networks; 5. Conclusions.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Oral and written presentation of texts: 100.0%

Bibliography

RUIVO, Fernando - O Estado labiríntico : o poder relacional nas relações entre poderes local e central em Portugal. Porto : Edições Afrontamento, 2000. [BP 316.334.3 RUI]

RUIVO, Fernando - Poder local e exclusão social : dois estudos de caso de organização local da luta contra a pobreza. 2ª ed. Coimbra : Quarteto Editora, 2002. [BP 304 RUI]

RUIVO, Fernando, et al., O Poder local Português e a Construção Europeia. Coimbra: Almedina, 2011.

RUIVO, Fernando, et al., Os imigrantes e o acesso formal aos espaços políticos locais. Coimbra: Almedina (no prelo).