- Exhaustive knowledge of the general lines of contemporary European history, and the main aspects of its social, political and economic transformations, focused on changes and continuities.

- General knowledge of the main institutional models designed to regulate relations between individuals as between them and the community (public life), and to represent and influence the social development.

- Understanding the peculiarities of the State and Nation Building process in West and East Europe respectively.

- Examining the transition processes of "modernization" seen as an epoch of crisis. The course will focus on the interactions between the political, economical and institutional sphere related to social changes during the last 2 Centuries, specifically the interrelations between the industrial and urban revolution on one side, and political transformations on the other.

- Reflecting on different models of "modernity" through the "core-periphery" theory; particularly the competition between a plurality of core models (such as the British, German and Soviet model) and their impact on peripheral countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

- As final result, the students will be able to apply a comparative approach in order to understand the evolutions of rules and institutions and their social impact both in the western and eastern part of Europe.

The course provides a general outline of the constitutional and political systems considered, as well as case studies to shed light on critical aspects of governmental institutions and processes such as political participation and elections, multy-party and one-party government, monarchical and presidential vs. parliamentary rule, liberal and plebiscitary democracy and the politics/administration 'dichotomy'. The course is structured in two modules. After the introduction of the comparative approach in history, the first part is focused on liberal and authoritarian models of government that emerged in Western Europe from the beginning of the Nineteenth century to the first half of the Twentieth century; the second part will analyse the crisis of the liberal model and the the search for new governmental patterns in Eastern Europe from the end of World War II until present. The general framework of the programme includes:

- A diachronic comparison of social and political developments and their influence on political institutions in England (19 - 20 th Century), Germany (19 - 20 th Century) and in Central and Eastern Europe (World War II - today).

- The evolution of the major political ideologies (Liberalism, Nationalism, Social democracy, Communism) in the area and their impact on the institutional structure. - The process of "modernization": industrial Revolution, urbanization, development of the Welfare state and their effects on political culture.

- The effects of EU enlargement and economic and political liberalism on the transition countries.

Attention will be paid to issues like the convergence and the circulation of political models, the relation between the constitutional structures and the underlying social structures.

Textbooks for attending students. The students have to choose one among the following texts:

1. Hugh Cunningham; The challenge of democracy : Britain 1832-1918; Longman; Harlow etc.; 2001; ISBN 9780582313040 3.

2.Ivan T. Berend; From the Soviet bloc to the European Union : the economic and social transformation of central and eastern Europe since 1973; Cambridge University Press; Cambridge; 2009; ISBN 9780511806995

3. Ronald Car; Searching for a Leftist Constitutionalism. The German Left vs the Rechtsstaat 1848-1949; Springer; Cham; 2024; ISBN 978-3-031-62097-3

4. Julia Sneeringer; Winning Women's Votes: Propaganda and Politics in Weimar Germany; University of North Carolina Press; London; 2002; ISBN 978-0-8078-5341-2

Textbooks for non attending students. Both texts are madnatory:

1. Stephen White, Judy Batt, Paul G. Lewis (eds); Developments in Central and East European Politics 5; Duke University Press; Durham; 2013; ISBN 978-0-8223-5482-6 2.

2.Hugh Cunningham; The challenge of democracy : Britain 1832-1918; Longman; Harlow etc.; 2001; ISBN 9780582313040 3.

Attending students will have additional materials uploaded at https://docenti.unimc.it/ronald.car#content=teaching

• The course includes frontal lessons and workshops with public discussions of selected research articles and video materials. The active participation of students both during frontal lectures and discussion time is strongly encouraged. Discussions of case studies are aimed to promote the critical capacity of the students, their team-working and problem-solving ability. Every week consists of 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion. The discussion includes work-in-group sessions. Each discussion is related to the weekly lecture and the readings needed will be always provided a week in advance.

• The attending students will obtain their final score through 3 steps:

  1.one written mid-term verification showing their ability to compose three short essays concerning the key arguments of the first module of the course in a comparative manner; the verification is held in english.

  2. 2 hours of discussion each week throughout the course; the score will be based on the level and quality of participation in team-work; all members of each group will obtain the same score, except for members who do not partecipate adequately to the team effort.

  3. oral final exam showing the overall learning based on: frontal lessons, public discussions and the chosen course book. The exam is held in english.The score for each step is composed as follows:

  - 10/30 of the score depends on knowledge and ability to comprehend the issues;

  - 10/30 depends on the ability to connect issues elaborated in the textbook, lectures and discussions;

  - 10/30 depends on the ability to express independent critical judgment on the issues discussed.

  Students are not allowed to consult books or any other materials during the exam.

  The final score is the average of the scores taken in the 3 steps.

  
  

  The non attending students will obtain the mark in the final oral exam showing the overall learning based on the course books. The score for the oral exam is composed as follows:

  - 10/30 of the score depends on knowledge and ability to comprehend the issues;

  - 10/30 depends on the ability to connect issues elaborated in different texts;

  - 10/30 depends on the ability to express independent critical judgment on the issues discussed.

  Students are not allowed to consult books or any other materials during the exam.

English