UC3M
Graduate courses
Advanced Topics in Political Economy: Spring 2022 (Master in Social Sciences)
Globalization and the International Order: Controversies and New Trajectories: Spring 2022 (Master in Sustainable Development and Global Governance)
Methodological Workshop: Fall 2019, 2020 (Master in Political and Electoral Analysis)
Undergraduate courses
Globalization: Fall 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
Political Analysis II: Fall 2017, 2018 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
Instructor of record
Comparative Constitutions (PLSC 389C): Summer 2016 [syllabus]
Constitutions define the rules by which societies are governed and they exist both in democracies and dictatorships. Different institutional structures create different combinations of winners and losers, and the consequences of these choices shape the robustness and stability of regimes around the globe. Through theory and comparisons of comparative constitutional experiences, this course will focus on the following topics: the examination of institutional options available when designing a government (e.g. the basic type of electoral system, the design of parliamentary and presidential executives, the (de)centralization of power in unitary or federal states, or the choice of innovative mechanisms to strengthen transparency and accountability); the writing of constitutions in distinct contexts (e.g. post domestic or international conflicts); and the change on the content of constitutions through amendments (e.g. to meet the variable necessities of a society or/and strategically favor its decision makers). Throughout the course we will consider the role of peoples, of legislatures, and of courts as legitimizers and interpreters of constitutional texts.
Multilevel Elections and Parties (PLSC 485V): Fall 2015 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
Political parties and elections are essential features of modern democratic systems of government. It is difficult to imagine how a large-scale democracy would function without relying on elections, and equally difficult to imagine how elections could be coordinated without political parties. In this course, we will explore how, in multilevel political systems, the relations between tiers of subnational, national and even supra-national (e.g. the European Union) government, and the decisions that these collectively and separately reach and implement affect the electoral strategies of political parties and their organizational structure. In this upper-level course, students will learn about the origin of regional and national parties, the effects of decentralized institutions on the behavior and organization of parties and thus, the inter-party competition, and the geography of election results and party support.
Introduction to Comparative Politics (PLSC 113): Fall 2014 [student evaluations]
In this course, we will explore the rich diversity of political life that exists around the globe by examining both how and why governments and politics differ from country to country. In order to give students the tools needed to understand and evaluate arguments about the political world, we will begin with a brief introduction to some of the methods used by political scientists. We will then examine cross-national differences in political regimes, dictatorships, democracies, political institutions, voting systems, political parties, and political behaviour. Some of the questions we will address are as follows. Under what conditions are transitions to democracy most likely to succeed? What makes some states more stable than others? Why do some countries have many political parties while others have few? Why does turnout at elections vary so greatly across countries?
Teaching Assistant
Graduate courses
Advanced Topics in Political Economy: Spring 2022 (Master in Social Sciences)
Globalization and the International Order: Controversies and New Trajectories: Spring 2022 (Master in Sustainable Development and Global Governance)
Methodological Workshop: Fall 2019, 2020 (Master in Political and Electoral Analysis)
Undergraduate courses
Globalization: Fall 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
Political Analysis II: Fall 2017, 2018 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
Instructor of record
Comparative Constitutions (PLSC 389C): Summer 2016 [syllabus]
Constitutions define the rules by which societies are governed and they exist both in democracies and dictatorships. Different institutional structures create different combinations of winners and losers, and the consequences of these choices shape the robustness and stability of regimes around the globe. Through theory and comparisons of comparative constitutional experiences, this course will focus on the following topics: the examination of institutional options available when designing a government (e.g. the basic type of electoral system, the design of parliamentary and presidential executives, the (de)centralization of power in unitary or federal states, or the choice of innovative mechanisms to strengthen transparency and accountability); the writing of constitutions in distinct contexts (e.g. post domestic or international conflicts); and the change on the content of constitutions through amendments (e.g. to meet the variable necessities of a society or/and strategically favor its decision makers). Throughout the course we will consider the role of peoples, of legislatures, and of courts as legitimizers and interpreters of constitutional texts.
Multilevel Elections and Parties (PLSC 485V): Fall 2015 [syllabus] [student evaluations]
Political parties and elections are essential features of modern democratic systems of government. It is difficult to imagine how a large-scale democracy would function without relying on elections, and equally difficult to imagine how elections could be coordinated without political parties. In this course, we will explore how, in multilevel political systems, the relations between tiers of subnational, national and even supra-national (e.g. the European Union) government, and the decisions that these collectively and separately reach and implement affect the electoral strategies of political parties and their organizational structure. In this upper-level course, students will learn about the origin of regional and national parties, the effects of decentralized institutions on the behavior and organization of parties and thus, the inter-party competition, and the geography of election results and party support.
Introduction to Comparative Politics (PLSC 113): Fall 2014 [student evaluations]
In this course, we will explore the rich diversity of political life that exists around the globe by examining both how and why governments and politics differ from country to country. In order to give students the tools needed to understand and evaluate arguments about the political world, we will begin with a brief introduction to some of the methods used by political scientists. We will then examine cross-national differences in political regimes, dictatorships, democracies, political institutions, voting systems, political parties, and political behaviour. Some of the questions we will address are as follows. Under what conditions are transitions to democracy most likely to succeed? What makes some states more stable than others? Why do some countries have many political parties while others have few? Why does turnout at elections vary so greatly across countries?
Teaching Assistant
- Introduction to American Politics (PLSC 111 - Binghamton University), Spring 2014 [student evaluations]
- Introduction to Comparative Politics (PLSC 113 - Binghamton University), Fall 2013 [student evaluations]
