5117 - COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ECONOMICS

Go to class group/s: 16

Introduction to the course:

The course is designed to provide the participants with an introduction to the modern political economics. The aim is to explain the determination of economic policy in modern democracies and to analyze how these policies may differ according to the different political institutions in place.
The first part of the course will provide a general introduction to comparative political analysis. In particular, it will focus on themes such as models of democracy, welfare state politics, differences among political institutions, political parties and interest groups in contemporary democratic regimes. The second part will address the differences in economic policies that may arise from these institutions. Particular emphasis will be given to the analysis of the electoral rule and of the regime type. This part will also compare the welfare states across industrialized countries, with special emphasis on the pension systems. The last part will deal with the theory of political cycles and will touch upon relevant current issues such as the process of European integration and the size of the nations.

Course Content :

The following topics will be covered:

• Models of democracy: the Westminster model vs. the Consensus model of democracy

• Welfare state politics: the notion of welfare state regimes, the different models of welfare state, types of social policies and peculiarities of social policy decision-making.

• The impact of political institutions on decision-making, with particular focus on the role of party systems, executive-legislative relations, electoral systems, interest groups and division of power.

• Electoral rules and electoral competition: single-district proportional elections, multiple-district majoritarian elections. Broad versus targeted redistribution.

• Institutions and Accountability. Electoral rules and career concerns: local versus national elections, majoritarian versus proportional elections. Electoral rules and accountability: single-district elections, multiple-district elections. Separation of powers.

• Political regimes: Presidential-Congressional and Parliamentary regimes.

• Welfare state and redistributive policies: general transfers, pension system, labor market regulations and unemployment benefits.

• Political cycles. Opportunistic and partizan models. Political cycles in the United States: evidence from macroeconomic policies and outcomes.

• European integration and the optimal size of the nation.

Textbooks:

• A. ALESINA, N. ROUBINI, Political Cycles and The Macroeconomy, MIT Press, 1997

• A. LIJPHART, Patterns of democracy, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1999

• T. PERSSON, G. TABELLINI, Political Economics: Explaining Economic Policy, MIT Press, 2000

For further and continuously updated information consult the IEP web site or contact S.I.D.  Servizio Informazione Didattica - Via Gobbi, 5 - 3rd floor.

Examinations:

Written examination.
Student may take the exam in two written parts: a mid-term exam and a final exam which will cover the first half and the second half of the course respectively. In this case the exam will be considered as passed only if both tests are sufficient.