Comparative interest group politics

Primerjalna politika interesnih skupin

Course credits:

6.00 ECTS / 60 (30 hours of lectures, 0 hours of exercises, 30 hours of seminars, 0 hours other forms of work)

Course holder:

izr. prof. dr. Meta Novak

Type:

Required

Language:

English

Semester:

Second semester

Study degree

2. level

Course execution:

• Postgraduate Programme of European Studies
• Postgraduate Programme of Political Science – Comparative Public Policies and Administration

Prerequisits:

Students are allowed to participate in the course provided that they have completed the enrolment procedure. Positive grade of the seminar work (work in the classroom and a successfully defended written seminar work - project) is a precondition for the access to the written exam.

Objectives and competences

GOALS: experience with researching organization and activities of interest groups and how to interpret interest group policy behavior and strategies in various contexts using comparative approach. COMPETENCES: Research skills, analytical thinking, critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, presentation, public speaking and writing skills

Content (Syllabus outline)

Key theories on the development of interest groups as organizations and interest-group systems; research approaches in comparing interest group politics accross time and accross countries;interest group behaviour and strategies in various contexts (national, multi-level, supranational).In frame of the course we will cover the following topics: interest groups definitions, organizational structure of interest groups, national interest groups in EU policy-making, interest group lobbying strategies, interest groups representation in Central and Eastern Europe, interest groups influence, advocacy coalitions, interest groups representation in United States, slovenian interest groups.

Intended learning outcomes:

Knowledge about theories on interest-group politics and research approaches to comparative research into interest grup politics as well as their application; comparative analysis as part of the seminar research work.

Learning and teaching methods:

Lectures, seminar work, work in teams, e-learning, case studies in a lecturing room and in frame of seminar work outside the lecturing room.

Assessment

33 % Seminar work in the classroom 33 % project 34 % written exam

Obligatory literature

Additional literature