Politics for Rocket Scientists: Einführung in die Politikwissenschaft für Nicht-Politikwissenschaftler

What it is about

You will receive an introduction to the systematic analysis of politics and political design from local to global. You will learn how political preferences arise and are articulated, how institutions (legislature, executive, courts) translate these preferences into policy, and how political theory, empirical evidence and ethics interact — with particular focus on interfaces with science, technology, economy and society.

What you will be able to do

• Understand the fundamental questions and core concepts of political science
• Apply theories and central methods of political-science analysis
• Compare political processes in democracies and non-democracies
• Analyze political aspects of technological and economic innovations
• Reflect on scientific and normative problems of politics

What the module consists of

• Lectures (3 ECTS / week)Main course: interactive mediation of concepts, theories and methods and their application to current topics; accompanied by weekly mandatory readings
• optional exercises/tutorialsGuidance on reading scientific texts and studying the social sciences (several sessions; participation recommended)

Teaching method

• interactive lectureprovides conceptual, theoretical and empirically-methodological tools
• weekly readingensures deepened understanding of the treated texts and forms the basis for discussions and exams
• optional tutorialspractice of scientific reading and studying in the social sciences