Political science discourse brings us face to face with many important concepts like authority, democracy, and power. However, all of them are used differently in different contexts, and their specific meaning depends on the theory they relate to. There is no way around such puzzling diversity. Students of political science simply have to accept this challenge. Yet, the diversity of political science concepts can be used as a powerful resource for learning, through intellectual techniques for stirring personal creativity.
Understanding Political Concepts
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4.9
(21 reviews)
Beginner level
Recommended experience
15 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
How to unpack and reconstruct the key concepts of political science
Critical thinking skills applied to political concepts
Skills you'll gain
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Assessments
9 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 4 modules in this course
This module presents an initial first exploration in the field of “Hyperpolitics”. You will be introduced to conceptual thinking and elementary theory-building through Hyperpolitics, an interactive dictionary for understanding and working with the most central concepts in political science.
What's included
7 videos15 readings2 assignments
This module presents an in-depth discussion of the Hyperpolitics methodology. You will learn about tools for conceptual thinking, such as property spaces and typologies, and will be introduced to the matrix building process.
What's included
9 videos14 readings2 assignments
This module presents the first matrix and definition of a concept through the Hyperpolitics methodology, taking “party” as an example. You will learn about the origin and evolution of a key actor of contemporary political regimes, as well as how to navigate through linked matrixes on the online platform. Therefore, the module explores the concept of legislature, considered a basic ingredient of modern democracies.
What's included
6 videos16 readings2 assignments
This module presents the matrices of the concepts of Bureaucracy, Constitution and Corporation. Adopting the Hyperpolitics methodology, you will learn about the growth of bureaucracy and the selection of bureaucrats, as well as the origin and evolution of the concept of constitution from a political science perspective. This module then navigates through the matrix of “corporation”, by reconstructing the historical and conceptual ties between ancient and modern corporations.
What's included
9 videos22 readings3 assignments1 peer review
Instructors
Instructor ratings
4.8 (6 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Governance and Society
Microsoft
ESSEC Business School
University of Geneva
Universidad Austral
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